Tips for Tuesdays: Shoulder Season - September

Today's Tip: Looking for great deals, fewer crowds, and near-perfect weather? Here's where you should go in the month of September:

• South Africa: Prices at safari lodges are lower and the foliage is less dense, making it easier to spot the Big Five! Go through early October to take advantage of the shoulder season.
• Montana: Days continue to be sunny and dry, and dude ranches are offering discounted fall rates. 
• Hawaii: Room rates and airfares drop after Labor Day. 

Photo Friday: Erg Chebbi, Morocco

So, in continuing with my new tradition of Photo Fridays, I want to share some of my ultimate favorite personal photos. These were taken on a trip to Morocco my husband planned as a surprise getaway while we were living in France for our junior year of college. It was the most romantic trip of my life!

First, we spent a couple nights in Marrakesh, exploring the souks (markets) and eating our way through the city. Then, we drove out to the Erg Chebbi dunes to ride camels in the moonlight out to a Berber camp and wake up early to watch the sun rise over the Algerian border. Here's what we saw:

Climbing the dunes to was tough work...but so worth it!

 Watching the sun rise over the Algerian border. I'll never forget it!

Wide Open Spaces

To me, there is something utterly enchanting about wide open spaces. The fresh air, the expansiveness in all directions, the peace of being the only one for miles...it's all achingly romantic to me. Maybe it's that old Dixie Chick song that started it...

In fact, I write this post from one of the most remote places in the continental United States: Olympic National Park in Northwestern Washington. I'm here for a few days, checking out the sights and laying low. And I must say, I am relishing being this engulfed in nature and solitude. (More on my solo trip to come in future posts...)

So, while browsing my favorite travel blogs today, I came across an interesting list of The World's 10 Most Uninhabited Countries. They are:

1. Greenland (a territory of Denmark) with a jaw-dropping 0.069 people per square mile! For reference, the United States has approximately 76 people per square mile.
2. Falkland Islands (a territory of the United Kingdom)
3. Mongolia
4. Western Sahara
5. French Guiana
6. Namibia
7. Australia
8. Iceland
9. Suriname
10. Mauritania

It should be no surprise to me that I have been to or am planning on visiting 4 of top 10 most empty countries on Earth!  Top on my list to visit are Iceland, Greenland and Namibia. I mean, who wouldn't want to see this:

Iceland.

Namibia.

If you're like me and you love wide open spaces, think about letting Golden Key plan your next adventure. Let the wandering commence!

The Greatest Adventure of My Life

August has always been one of my favorite times of the year. Long, sunny days, cookouts with friends, warm ocean temperatures...and best of all, Shark Week on the Discovery Channel! For as long as I can remember, I have been utterly fascinated by sharks. Sure, they are the world's most perfect honed killers, but I find them to be incredibly mysterious and beautiful. Given this passion for sharks, my ultimate bucket list adventure would be to swim in a shark cage in South Africa. I'm talking about the prime location to see "Air Jaws:" seal island! I think being able to be in the water and see these majestic animals breach as they hunt seals would be such a rush. I can't wait until the day when I can make this dream a reality! Until then, I can dream...

 My ultimate adventure.

"Air Jaws" in action.

I get it...Perhaps this isn't your idea of fun. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be a bit terrorized in the presence of a 15-foot great white shark! So, maybe your dream is to skydive in New Zealand or go white water rafting down the Zambezi river. Or maybe you prefer more tame bucket list activities like going to the top of the Eiffel Tower or dancing the tango in Argentina. Whatever your dream is, I hope someday to help you plan your ultimate adventure!

World's Most Expensive Cities...This Might Surprise You

Recently, CNN published a list of the world's most and least expensive cities in which to live. Typically, you'd see places like Tokyo, Moscow and Paris at the top, but a new trend is emerging. Two of the top ten most expensive cities are in Africa! In fact, Luanada, Angloa was ranked the most expensive for the second year in a row! Amazingly, the cost of expatriate housing in the city is almost double what it costs in Tokyo. With the weakening US Dollar, exchange rates are in flux, causing significant shifts in this year's rankings. The high cost of living in Luanda is also down to the fact that expats shop differently to locals. Expats tend to look for international brands they are used to at home, which have to be imported. A club sandwich and a soda meal costs $20.58 in Luanda, compared to $6.29 for a fast-food meal in New York and $3.57 in Shanghai. Angola's oil reserves do at least mean that gas is cheap in Luanda - 59 cents per liter, compared to 87 cents in New York and $1.12 in Shanghai.

The skyline of Luanda, Angola.

In recent years Angola has been attracting expats with its growing economy, driven by oil production. It produces up to 1.9 million barrels a day, with oil contributing about 85% of its GDP, according to the CIA World Factbook. While it's great to see business booming in this developing nation, the vast majority of Angolans work in agriculture and more than a third live below the poverty line, according to the U.N. Development Program.