Michael and I, together with two friends, have been in Africa since May 6. We started our trip in Cape Town for 11 days and flew to Windhoek on May 17 for our 23-day self-drive journey in Namibia.

The seed of this trip sprouted three years ago when I started my business and one of my first clients asked me to help her plan a Namibia self-drive. Often, it is the wanderlust of my clients that inspires me.

Michael and I are flying out today for a six-week trip to Africa. What started as a self-drive adventure in Namibia became a bigger trip with the addition of Cape Town (pre) and Dubai (post).

We spent three nights in the Northern Serengeti with three goals: to witness the great wildebeest migration, to ride a hot air balloon, and to spot the elusive leopard. We watched the wildebeest cross the Mara River on our first day. The next, we eagerly set out for the balloon ride, a first for all of us.

The Greatest Show on Earth

High up on my bucket list was the Great Wildebeest Migration across the Mara River in Tanzania. We were fortunate to witness this not once, but twice. In the vastness of the Serengeti, there were only a handful of tourists and only a smattering of safari vehicles on the river banks. In a normal year, hundreds of jeeps line the Mara River jockeying for the best viewing position.

Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.

Serengeti in Maasai means Endless Plains

We had been driving for hours staring at the flat landscape that stretched to the horizon when we realized that indeed we were now in the Serengeti - aka Africa’s Endless Plains.

If Jurassic Park were real, you would find it Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater

Imagine a volcanic caldera formed 2 million years ago and presently filled with wildlife, the Big Five, hippos, and flocks of flamingoes. The crater floor is 5,900 feet above sea level and is surrounded by a 2,000-foot rim that makes it almost impossible for animals to leave once they find their way inside. No wonder it’s called the 8th wonder of the world.

Despite what you may have heard, travel advisors aren’t a vanishing breed; they aren’t trying to upsell you; and – trust us – no matter how well-traveled you are, Virtuoso travel advisors have way more connections than you do. We’ve uncovered eight of the most common myths about travel advisors, and we’re here to debunk them, once and for all.

When Tanzania reopened its borders last August 2020, I began planning a safari trip. By September, I had put together a group of six first-time safari travelers. In October, we were on a plane from the US, headed for our final destination: Kilimanjaro Airport. Why Tanzania? I’d heard of the Great Wildebeest Migration and wanted to see it myself. Because there were so few tourists in Africa, I felt this was an ideal time to visit sans crowds.

Last month, my husband and I flew to Antigua in the West Indies. It was the first Caribbean nation to open its borders since the pandemic. The island has 100,000 inhabitants and until 1981 was a British colony. Formerly a sugar-producing island, it now relies heavily on tourism. Learn about why I recommend Antigua as a safe destination for your travels.

Is it safe to travel during COVID? In 2020, I traveled to the Philippines and Cambodia (pre-lockdown), then to Mexico, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, and back to Mexico again (post-lockdown). These are the steps I take to travel safely.

We flew to Greece on Turkish Airlines to deliberately stopover in Istanbul before heading back to New York. After 2 weeks of traveling through Greece on a sailboat, exploring Istanbul on foot was a welcome change. Like dervishes, we whirled through the city's history, culture, and cuisine all in two and a half days. Here are some of my recommended experiences.

We’d never heard of Monemvasia until a skipper in Hydra advised us to sail down the Peleponnese to Monemvasia before crossing the Myrtoan Sea to Milos. We arrived at night, having sailed from Spetses for over six hours. The next morning, we set off the explore the town.Monemvasia is a medieval castle town entirely carved out from the backside of a sea rock and literally means “single entrance”. It’s connected to the mainland by a short causeway and was occupied by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans. It remains Europe’s only castle that has never ceased being inhabited.

It is also very dreamy, fairy-tale like in an authentic way and medievally romantic.

“Please stop writing about Sifnos so a million people don’t go there,” pleaded my friend. But of the 24 Greek islands I’ve visited, Sifnos remains my favorite and the only one I’d consider coming back to and spending considerable time on.

Folegandros touched my soul.

Perhaps because I had just come from the relative circus of Santorini, where the selfie-stick wielding tourist hordes were all mad af.

I first set foot on Folegandros in 2015, after a sailboat chartered by a group of friends sought safe harbor from strong meltemi winds. We rented two cars at the small port town and set off to explore the Cycladic island.

NYC’s East Village still retains its charm, much of it thanks to its devotion to independent retailers.

Even so, it was a surprise and pleasure to stumble into TAMAM, which means OK in Turkish. An understatement, to say the least.

Owned by designers Clare Louise Frost, Elizabeth Hewitt, and Huseyin Kaplan, this shop of curiosities stands out in the neighborhood. And in true East Village fashion, the shop hours are: Open by Chance & Appointment.