Upon arriving in Cape Town, I promptly took the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain to get a view of the city. Cape Town is a remarkable place and is safe for women travelers, but caution should be exercised, such as not carrying around a lot of money at one time. American women will be subjected to cat calls and sometimes unwanted touching, but in general, during the day, it's safe. Continue reading

Here I am in Cappadocia, a very touristy area, trying my hand at "kilim" weaving - and staying far away from the men that are waiting to charm female tourists!

Turkish people are famous for their misafir pervelik, and pride themselves on this hospitality. Many times have I heard from friends traveling in Turkey about how a Turkish person they randomly met invited them back to their home for dinner with their family, or else spent the day guiding them around without asking for anything in return. Continue reading

In Tokyo, it's sakura season! Bursts of pink and white are softening the city's hard edges and obscuring the dismal architecture - even the drabbest apartment building looks positively cheery with a cherry tree out front in full bloom. Of course Tokyo has green spaces and other pockets of beauty, and they provide great escapes from the congestion, concrete and steel at all times of year, but these gems are made more precious with the appearance of the cherry blossoms. Continue reading

I've heard many times, even from the most seasoned women travelers, that they have hesitations about traveling to Egypt. Worries about sanitation, the differences of how women are viewed and the most common concern, "what should I wear!"

I had the same apprehensions before my two week trip down the Nile, but I was not going to let it keep me from experiencing the historically and culturally enriching experience that traveling to Egypt is. Continue reading