A subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Kettle Valley Railway operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of British Columbia, and provided a much needed rail link to the coast and Vancouver for the cities of Southern BC. The line initially opened in 1915, however portions of the railway were abandoned as early as 1961 due to washouts and a decline in traffic. All rail service stopped from Midway to Penticton, through the Okanagan and the famed Myra Canyon section of the line, in 1973, with the final segments of line falling into disuse in 1989. Today much of the railroad’s original route has been converted into a recreational trail, known as the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. With its relatively gentle grade, the line has become a hiker and cyclist haven.

Featuring 18 trestles and 2 tunnels that traverse the deep canyon, the Myra Canyon section of the Kettle Valley Railway not only one of the most impressive parts of this historic railway line, it’s also easily accessible from the city of Kelowna, BC – a major hub in the Okanagan region – making it an ideal daytrip for locals and visitors alike. The area was also designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.

From downtown Kelowna, the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park is a short 25 minute drive up into the surrounding hillside through rolling vineyards and past several amazing lookout points. The road is partially paved, while the last eight kilometers are grated dirt road and quite rugged. As such, a vehicle with a higher clearance is recommended (our SUV worked well). Although we did see many cars make the trip, slower driving is a must to ensure you don’t bottom out on some of the bigger potholes. As for signage, the road is clearly marked with blue signs directing visitors to the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park and making navigation simple.

Upon arrival at Myra-Bellevue we had a decision to make, pull into the first park entrance (West) or deal with the dirt road for a few more kilometers to access the second entrance (East). We opted for the East entrance, only because I vaguely recalled a recommendation in my pre-trip research. This worked well as there are numerous wooden trestles immediately upon entering the trail from this end. The East parking lot is also quite large, making it the best bet for peak-season summer visitors. In the end either entrance will get you into the park, so it’s not something to really worry about too much. Don’t panic if you see the entrance signs and don’t know what to do, either option will get you to your goal.

With numerous trestles, tunnels, and some incredible views of Kelowna and the surrounding hillside, the park is incredibly scenic and there is always something to grab your attention. For me, the dry, desert sections of the trail felt like I was pedaling through the Wild West, and the wooden trestles only elevated this sensation.

In August 2003, lightning sparked a fire in the nearby mountainside. The fire grew rapidly in strength and size and engulfed many portions of the Kettle Valley Railway between Penticton and McCulloch Lake. When the fire was extinguished over a month later, 12 of the 18 trestles within Myra Canyon were lost, as well as countless homes in the area. The B.C provincial government announced that it would rebuild the damaged and destroyed trestles and bridges, a process that took the better part of a year and saw additional safety improvements undertaken as well. The trestles have since been completed and the trail is fully open to the public. Despite the reconstruction evidence of the fire is still visible, with many badly charred trees still standing, slowly being overtaken by new growth along the forest floor.

For some reason, prior to our visit, I was under the impression that the trail was 8km in length (16 km round trip) however after cycling for an hour or so we realized this portion of the Kettle Valley Railway stretches for 12km between the park’s East and West entrances, making for a 24 km round trip. Although quite a bit longer than we had bargained for, we were still able to finish the loop in two and a half hours of cycling – which includes more than a few interruptions to stop and take photos. I’d recommend that new visitors allow 3-4 hours to cycle the trail, and 6-7 to walk. However by no means do you have to complete the entire loop to have a great experience. Entering from the east, it’s possible to cover multiple trestles and the first of two tunnels in only a few kilometers, making it a good option for those under tight time constraints. Alternatively, using a shuttle service or a friend from the area, entering from one end and getting picked up at the other would eliminate the need to turn around and backtrack.

As the trail incorporates the same path the old railway lines once laid on, the ride (or hike) only consists of a 4% grade in the steepest sections, and this makes for a very pleasant bike ride. It also means that the trail is perfect for people of any biking level – we saw everyone from kids to seniors making the ride.

Regardless of how you plan to take on the Myra Canyon trail, the trestles and tunnels, combined with the stunning scenery, are incredibly unique and unlike anything else you’ll see in the world. As far as day trips go, this is one you won’t soon forget.

Logistics: As a provincial park, entrance to Myra-Bellevue is free. Bike rentals are available at the East entrance. The park has a few pit-style outhouse toilets as well as a number of benches scattered along the trail which are great for a rest or picnic lunch. Due to the park’s high elevation, the temperature here tends to be a few degrees cooler than in the city, therefore dressing in layers is recommended.  Visitors should pack plenty of water as it’s easy to get dehydrated while hiking or biking. The best time to visit the park is during the warm summer months from midway through June until September. To keep up to date on closures and events in the park visit the BC Parks website. 

The post Cycling Myra Canyon appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

The past is wonderfully stable, waiting patiently to be dredged up and used for writing inspiration (or to be thrown back in your opponent’s face during a particularly dirty fight); however, it is also easily overshadowed by the glitz and glamor of the present. This is precisely why I never even considered sharing my experience cycling British Columbia’s Kettle Valley Railway as a teenager until April, when I found myself researching posts for our BC themed A to Z Challenge. Immediately a stream of wonderful memories flooded back. Memories of long days of non-stop cycling, sore legs, and passing out from exhaustion before dark. Memories of tuna fish from the can and Stoned Wheat Thin crackers for lunch, bathing in the freezing waters of a mountain creek, and selfies taken with a disposable camera. Memories of damp tunnels chiseled by hand one hundred years prior, wooden trestles suspended over deep valleys, and the fire that destroyed it all only a few weeks later.

I’ve been pulling out my hair trying to find photos from our bike trip. In the meantime, just picture a bunch of shots like this – pre-DLSR and Photoshop editing, but with me in them (via)

July 2003. My parents have recently separated and my dad is going to take my brother and I on vacation for a week. He bought a book, did the research, and reserved a shuttle to drop us off in the tiny town of Beaverdell, BC – with our bikes and as much gear as we can carry. For four days and four nights we are going to cycle the Kettle Valley Railway.

As teenagers, my brother (15) and I (16) have a very different view of the perfect family vacation. But my dad isn’t the type to be argued with – so it’s four nights of sleeping in a tent, eating re-hydrated dinner pouches, and being completely cut off from the world and our friends back home.

After spending the night in Beaverdell, where we slept in a deserted campsite next to a shallow river,  we cycle through grassy farm land for two days before arriving at McCulloch Lake.  Due to a stretch of loose powdery sand about two kilometers in length the ride into camp is especially difficult and seems to take forever. With each awkward rotation of the pedals our bikes lurch forward a few inches in the silty sand, making our legs to burn. Tonight we fall asleep before dark. 

Classic scenery of the Kettle Valley Railway – relatively flat, alongside a waterway, gravel pathway (via)

Small red pump houses were located every few kilometers along the railway in its heyday – now very few remain (via)

The third day of our trip takes us through multiple tunnels and across dozens of trestles in Myra Canyon, just outside of the city of Kelowna. While we had seen quite a bit of BC’s natural beauty during the first two days of our trip, day three offers a unique contrast between historical man-made engineering brilliance and some of the area’s best scenery.

I suppose Myra Canyon was always going to be the prettiest day of our trip.

Finally we find ourselves on the final leg of our journey, pedaling into Summerland through vineyard-covered hillsides. We’d made our way from the green farmlands of Beaverdell into the dry, dusty heart of the Okanagan. Reaching our vehicle in Summerland a victory swim in Lake Okanagan and stop at a local fruit stand for fresh produce is necessary before affixing our attention to the road and heading home.

The stunning Naramata Bench – cycling among the vineyards was particularly beautiful (via)

Three weeks later, in August of 2003, lightening sparked a fire in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park and quickly spread, consuming over 25,000 hectares of forest and park land, forcing the evacuation of more than 27,000 people, and destroying 239 homes on the southern edges of Kelowna. The fire engulfed many portion of the Kettle Valley Railway between McCulloch Lake and Penticton and claimed 12 of Myra Canyon’s 18 trestles. Within days the tall pines, spruce, and fur, beautiful natural scenery, and historic wooden trestles we’d appreciated during our four day cycling adventure were gone.

Four years after they were lost in 2003, Myra Canyon’s trestles were rebuilt and reopened to the public; however, the charred scars of the fire were still evident everywhere. While man was able to rebuild the trestles. it will take Mother Nature longer to put the area back together.

The burning trestles of Myra Canyon can be made out on the left (via)

This was no minor fire – looking out across Lake Okanagan in 2003 (via)

This is one of those stories that only life can write, the timing of our trip and the fire that followed bleeds irony, and in looking back I have realized that it has yet to come full circle. From destruction comes rebirth and it is this rebirth that I have yet to explore.  Looking back I have so many wonderful memories of my adventure cycling the Kettle Valley with my dad and brother, and now I am ready to make some new memories with Travis.

Just a few hours from our our hometown, Myra Canyon is easily accessible for day trips. So I’ve added it to our summer “to-do” list. Having never been to Myra Canyon or the Kettle Valley Railway this will be a new adventure for Travis, while for me it will mark both the end of a chapter and the beginning of something new.

The post Travel Throwback – Cycling the Kettle Valley Railway appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Clearing skies at the picturesque Cliffs of Moher

Rising over 120 meters above the Atlantic Ocean, the cliffs are a world-famous attraction drawing in nearly one million visitors a year and are part of The Burren Geopark UNESCO natural protected area. Which is really just travel-speak for “these cliffs are mind-blowingly beautiful and deservedly one of Ireland’s best attractions”.

Seeing as our visit was part of a day tour, we enjoyed a relaxing drive through the acclaimed regions of Ballyvaughan and the Burren, which are comprised of martian landscapes, rugged shoreline, and over 6000 years of history.

We also managed to squeeze in a couple stops before reaching the cliffs. We began with a stop in the small seaside village of Kinvara to see the amazing Dunguaire Castle. Perched spectacularly on the water’s edge, the castle dates back to the 16th century and is thought to be the most photographed castle in Ireland.

Admiring the Irish countryside

Traditional thatched roof houses in The Burren region

Dunguaire Castle on a clear winter morning

Our next stop was the 13th century Corcomroe Abbey, a crumbling Cistercian monastery that is nearly as photogenic as the hairy cows and sheep that wander its grounds. After getting our fill of photos, we made a quick stop for an Irish coffee (to warm up) before setting off in search of some neolithic history.

With human habitation dating back more than 6000 years, the Burren is rich with interesting archaeological sites. As we were making good time, we decided to make two stops before lunch, the first of which was Cahermore Ring Fort. In all, the Burren contains more than 400 of these circular remains, with Cahermore being one of the oldest and best preserved. Dating back to approximately 500 AD, the fort provided protection from the elements and wildlife (there were even bears back then!). It was an absolutely amazing site to walk through.

Corcomroe Abbey is hauntingly beautiful

Cahermore Ring Fort, a 3000 year old residence

The Poulnabrone dolmen, a neolithic burial tomb

Our final stop before lunch was perhaps the most intriguing. The Poulnabrone dolmen is a neolithic portal tomb that dates back to somewhere between 4200 and 2900 BCE. I always struggle to fully grasp how old a site is. Unlike other forms of measurement, time is so very difficult to put into context and looking at anything older than a couple hundred years in comparison to the meager amount of time’s I’ve circumvented the sun doesn’t really register. Therefore, when standing alongside a neolithic burial tomb that was built well over 5,000 years ago (or roughly 192 of my own lifetimes) it was difficult to wrap my head around life during this time.

Luckily, with just a few clicks and choice words online I was able to add at least a bit of context to our day. During the period in which the Neolithic temple and circle were built:

• the first bluestones at Stonehenge begin to be raised (3000 BC);
• the Mayan calendar starts on August 11, 3114 BC (the same calendar that had everyone worried the world would end in 2012);
• construction of the Ggantija megalithic temple complex begins on the island of Gozo, Malta (3600 BC);
• the first neolithic settlers arrive in the island of Thira (Santorini), Greece (4000 BC).

And while the wheel had already been invented, and the Mesopotamian civilization was flourishing along the Nile, the Neolithic remains in Ireland are part of a handful of still-intact sites scattered across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia that can still be explored today.

Dark clouds moving in? We must be in Ireland!

Cutting and moving these stones would have been back breaking work

However as impressively old as these Neolithic sites are, in the end they couldn’t stand up to the Cliffs of Moher – which also happen to contain evidence of 300 million year-old river channels cutting through their rocky foundations, making the cliffs 60,000 times older than the Neolithic tombs and eleven and a half million times older than myself (also known as too old for this method to provide any form of context).

While Ireland is brimming with charming towns painted in rich hues and lush rolling hills crisscrossed by endless miles of short stone walls, a visit to Ireland feels incomplete until you’ve taken in the stunning Cliffs of Moher.

The Cliffs in all their glory – from sea to sky!

Quintessentially Irish, the rugged rock cliffs rise in a dramatic fashion from the deep blue water below, while and the crashing waves send wisps of mist up and over the cliff face and into the faces of the unsuspecting visitors above. Complete with a charming castle, officially called O’Brien’s Tower and built in 1835 to impress female visitors, and stunning vistas, the Cliffs of Moher are picturesque and incredibly romantic, especially at sunset.

In the harsh sunlight the Cliffs appear to stretch on forever

O’Brien’s Tower, impressing the fairer sex since 1835

The Cliffs of Moher at sunset are the epitome of romantic – minus the rain and bone chilling wind

We spent nearly two and a half hours wandering along the cliffs – marveling at the power of the waves crashing and the wind gusting. Even at the top, nearly 200 meters above the crashing waters below we could feel the sea mist against our face and smell the salty sea below.

If you haven’t had the privileged of visiting the cliffs in person, you may have marveled at their beauty without even knowing it as they have made appearances in several blockbuster films – most notably The Princess Bride and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. However, even if you’ve snuggled in with a bowl of popcorn to enjoy one of these movies, we’d still highly recommend a visit to the cliffs to take in their majesty in person.

Logistics: Although far from the regular tour-bus type, after finding some success with something similar in Gozo, Malta, and realizing there was little way for us to reach Ireland’s more secluded sites without renting a car (and driving on the wrong left side of the road), we decided to hop aboard and explore both the Giant’s Causeway (from Belfast) and the Cliffs of Moher a few days later (from Galway).

The post A History Lesson at the Cliffs of Moher appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

As most of our travel occurs in the (far) off season, when locals in the countries we visit are leaving for warmer weather and customs agents greet us with confused looks as we try to enter their country, we have faced plenty of less-than-perfect days. Days with poor visibility, unbearable humidity, and torrential downpours are just part and parcel of making your way around the world. If we made it a habit to wait for perfect weather we’d still be sitting in Iceland waiting for a clear and rain-free day. None of the bad weather we’d encountered on our previous travels could have prepared us for what we experienced during our visit to the British Isles this February.

A few years ago, with the invention of Pinterest, and the resulting end of my social-life, I first stumbled onto a picture of the Giant’s Causeway. One of Northern Ireland’s most beloved treasures, the Causeway is a natural formation of hexagonal basalt columns that form what appears like stepping stones from the steep shoreline cliffs into the sea. While the formation of these unique rock columns is attributed to volcanic activity in the area 50 to 60 million years ago, at the time all I knew was that it looked beautiful and I needed to see it for myself.

After years of dreaming about visiting Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway, Travis and I found ourselves aboard a discounted flight to Belfast, and my dreams of visiting the causeway began to come together. Unfortunately, there was one aspect of our visit that we couldn’t account for – the weather.

Spoiler Alert! It rained during our visit – a lot

As we were visiting during winter it only makes sense that the weather at the causeway would be less than desirable; however as we set out from Belfast the sun was peaking out from behind a few scattered clouds and we crossed our fingers that the rain would hold. A couple hours later we found ourselves staggering across the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a stones throw from the causeway, with only a few scattered clouds. We spent about 30 minutes hiking along the cliffs near the bridge and even had time to make the nerve-wracking 20 meter walk across the bridge itself. Set nearly 100 feet above the crashing waves below, salmon fisherman used the bridge, which only had one rope railing at the time, to transport their daily catches back to the mainland for over 350 years.

By the time we reached the Giant’s Causeway, just a brief 30 minutes after leaving Carrick-a-Rede, the wind had picked up and fat raindrops were beginning to fall. What happened next nearly blew us away – literally. Harsh winds made it increasingly difficult to stand atop the hexagonal rock columns of the causeway, enormous waves over ten feet high smashed against the shore, and heavy rainfall soaked the poor visitors fully exposed on the rocky shoreline – including us!

The rain was so severe that my camera struggled to focus at times, and after clearing the water from my lens I raised it up to only have more drops collect before I could even snap a shot. Needless to say we didn’t return home with many photos, and the ones we did manage to take are covered with blurred water marks.

Although our visit to the causeway was a bit disappointing, after waiting so long to visit it was saddening we couldn’t really explore the stones and venture out further towards the sea, in the end we were still able to see this beautiful site and fulfill another of our travel dreams.

Here’s a little snippet of our stormy day at the causeway.

Logistics: Reaching the causeway without a car is nearly impossible and as we didn’t want to drive on the left side of the road, we opted to join a bus tour with Paddywagon Tours. The tour includes a stop at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

The post Rainy Day at Giant’s Causeway appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

The ferry between Malta and Gozo

Unfortunately the day we chose for our daytrip to Gozo was gloomy and cold, a striking contrast to the brilliant balmy temperatures of the three days previous. With the poor weather overhead and fatigue setting in we decided to try something new and jump aboard a hop-on, hop-off bus to tour the island – an abrupt departure from our usual travel style.

Xewkija Rotunda Church dominates the skyline of Gozo

Prior to Gozo, I didn’t really get bus tours – hop on/off tours in particular. It seems that every city we’ve visited, large or small, has been overtaken by the obnoxious red double-decker buses, filled with people awkwardly straining to snap photographs or looking completely bored. Worse still, these stupid buses always seem to find a way into my photographs, usually smack dab in front of the site or monument I’m trying to capture. With these thoughts in mind, I had my trepidations about hopping aboard something I had developed such a distaste for.

So why did we even entertain the idea?

As it turns out, we are always up for a new experience, and after looking up the Gozo bus schedule (it was a Sunday, which meant reduced winter frequencies) we decided the hop on/off bus would be a great way to save time, and would ultimately be an easier transportation system for our overworked brains to sort out. However what sealed the deal was the reduced off-season price we were offered which worked out to half of the regular rate. We knew we wouldn’t find a better chance to try the hop on/off system.

The National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’Pinu – a Maltese pilgrimage site

For such a small island, only 67 square kilometers, Gozo still has a long list of sites to take in, including one of the oldest temples in the entire world – even older than the Pyramids or Stonehenge. In the summertime, Gozo is a popular daytrip destination for people visiting or living in Malta, in the off-season it’s much quieter, and on a Sunday in January it’s basically a ghost-town. This suited us just fine!

Our first stop of the day was the capital city of Victoria – also called Rabat – which can be somewhat confusing as Rabat is also the name of the former capital city of mainland Malta. For a capital, the city is quite small with little to see aside from the enormous Citadella and Cathedral of Assumption. The Citadella is more like a fortified town, and offers amazing views over the city and much of the island. After exploring the walls and alleyways of the Citadella (mass was currently underway inside) it was time to hop back aboard the bus – and just in time too as the rain picked up.

The view over Rabat (Victoria) from the Citadella

After Victoria, we made our way to the Azure Window, a spectacular naturally occurring rock formation that has been used in filming the HBO series Game of Thrones. This amazing natural arch set in Dwerja Bay measures nearly 75 feet tall and is absolutely breathtaking. However, each year it disintegrates more and more, and it will one day collapse – so get there to see it soon! Despite its popularity, the “window” is not the only attraction in the area – the nearby inland sea and blue hole are popular diving sites – it is pretty impressive and would likely only be more so on a sunny day. Travis also had fun examining and taking photos of a rare medicinal plant that only grows on the nearby “fungus rock”. It was said that the Knights Hospitaller guarded this plant so fiercely that anyone caught stealing it was subject to execution!

The world famous Azure Window

Dwerja Bay and the Fungus Rock

Before wrapping up our tour of Gozo we made one final stop and stepped back in time at the UNESCO Heritage site of Ggantija. Officially referred to as a Neolithic Megalithic temple complex, Ggantija’s temples date back to 3600-2500BC and are the earliest of a series of megalithic temples in Malta; At more than 5,500 years old, they are not only older than the pyramids of Egypt but also currently the world’s second oldest man-made religious structures (after  Gobekli Tepe in Turkey).

Ggantija’s 20 foot high outer walls – built more than 5500 years ago!

Although some of the temple complex has collapsed, a large part of it still remains intact, and it is mind boggling to think of these huge stones being pushed, pulled, and forced into place. The side-by-side temples forma clover shape, and at their highest the temples measure in at nearly 20 feet. Even more impressive might be the large perfectly circular holes that were cut through four of the large stone slabs to hold wooden beams. By hand. Over 5,000 years ago.

The structure is strengthened by scaffolding as they determine the best way to stabilize the temples

My personal favorite part of exploring Ggantija was trying to make out the graffiti names and initials carved into the stones. Apparently, during the 1800’s it was “hip” and “cool” for tourists (yes, there were tourists here in the 1800s) to leave their mark at the sites they visited, in this case by carving into the ancient stones. Although no one would ever consider doing something so damaging today, it’s actually pretty interesting today to be able to see this historical record of early visitors to the site.

“Graffiti” from the first tourists

After packing a lot of sightseeing into one day, we were ready to board the ferry back to Malta. Tired and worn out, we were also really impressed with the quality of attractions on offer in Gozo. For my money, a trip to Malta isn’t complete without a visit to Gozo. At the very least it will offer a change of pace from the big island.

The Gozitan countryside is stunning

Churches, shrines, and religious statues dominate every corner of the island

Logistics:  You can reach the Malta ferry terminal (Cirkewwa) via bus 41/42 from Valletta or bus 222 from Sliema. The ferry costs 4.65 Euro return (which you pay before getting on your return trip in Gozo). A day pass on the public bus in Gozo costs 2.60 Euro. The sightseeing bus we took cost us 15 Euro total (this is half the price that it normally goes for – due in part to our humming and hawing and in part to it being a gloomy day with about 15 independent tourists on our entire ferry!).

One of the best features of the hop on/off buses is their open-air, double-decker design which allows visitors a unique perspective of the surrounding city. Ironically, due to the poor weather during our visit to Gozo, this was one feature we weren’t able to take full advantage of. However, being stubborn to the core, we braved the elements atop the bus whenever possible and faked enjoyment while raindrops pelted our faces. While I’m still not completely sold on hop on/off tours, for difficult to navigate cities or those with poor public transit it may serve a purpose. However there are definitely better, more in-depth, and cheaper ways to explore a destination. 

Have you ever gone on one of these tours? Did you like it? Hate it? Let us know about times you did something out of character on your travels in the comments!

The post Gozo – A Busy Day on a Small Island appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Fethiye would serve as the first stop of our 5 day mini vacation (in search of beaches and shopping we later moved on to Antalya). A popular destination for Brits in the Spring and Summer, Fethiye is known for its warm climate, access to ancient Lycian ruins, endless stretches of beach, and its proximity to Rhodes. However in December the city was all but deserted, with only locals and year-round expats milling about.

The marina is quiet this time of year

The almost deserted boardwalk

After stepping off the bus at 7am, we were picked up by the owner of our hotel, a chipper retired doctor (Dr. Can) who insisted on showing us the city, by car and on foot, before allowing us to crawl into bed. We were treated like family, and Dr. Can pointed out the best places to visit, walk, swim, and eat. Seeing as we arrived on a Sunday, and our room was equipped with a kitchen, we decided to make our way to the local produce market for some breakfast and groceries – the nap we so badly wanted would have to wait, again. After exploring the market and refueling with some delicious Turkish pancakes and fresh pomegranate juice, we headed home, the bags in our hands overflowing with fresh fruit, vegetables and local cheese; enough food to last us three days for the bargain price of just $5 CAD.

Fresh fruit and veggies overflowing in the market

A pile of turnip-like root vegetables

Mmmm breakfast!

Now that’s a lot of cheese!

Even though we wanted nothing more to sleep and catch up on our blogging duties during our three days in Fethiye, the good doctor had another idea. On our first day in the city, he insisted on leading us into his car for a personal tour of the surrounding hillsides. Our first stop of the day was a small beach, popular with locals in the summer but deserted in the off-season; with the exception of two men working at a small convenience stand and a lazy dog sleeping in the sun, we were the only people on the beautiful beach.

Such a beautiful beach – we love the orange cliffs and bright blue water

As the sun beat down and the water, swimmable by Canadian standards, crashed against the shoreline we wanted nothing more than to jump in and go for a swim. If only we’d remembered to bring our bathing suits. Apparently just last year, Demi Moore (vacationing aboard a yacht) had this same beach shut down for the evening so she and her posse could dine uninterrupted by the common folk.

Fethiye from the hillside

After marveling at the stunning sky-blue coloured water and orange hued cliffs, we regretfully loaded back into the car and set off for our second destination, the abandoned town of Karakoy. As it turns out, the doctor had a few tricks up his sleeve, one of which was a hidden admission free entrance to the deserted city.

Crumbling ruins, portions of the exterior paint are still visible

Once a thriving Greek city of about 2000 called Karmylissos, the city was transformed into a ghost town during the Greek-Turkish population exchange in 1923. Around 500 buildings remain today in varying levels of decay – including two Greek Orthodox churches. We wandered around the ruins for about an hour, marveling at the speed at which mother nature was reclaiming the abandoned buildings, and attempting to visually reconstruct the buildings using our imagination.

The largest intact building we found – unfortunately it was closed for repairs

A portion of the sprawling ruins

After a filling lunch of (more) homemade Turkish pancakes (we finally got to try a sweet one made with sweetened and thinned Tahina), we hit our third stop of the day, the Blue Lagoon near Oludeniz. After weaving our way down towards the water, we were greeted with one of the most spectacular beaches we had ever seen. And we had it all to ourselves (save for a couple friendly fishermen). Set in a secluded cover, the beach is set in protected nature reserve and construction is thankfully prohibited.

A gorgeous stretch of beach – the lagoon is tucked in behind at the far end

We wandered along the long pebbled beach on one side of the small peninsula, watching as the waves crashed into the beach and a lone fisherman sat patiently in his boat. Crossing over to the other side, we were immediately struck by the colour of the water in the lagoon. Blues and turquoises like we had never seen before sparkled in the sunlight. The only disturbance to the perfectly flat water were three fishermen plying their trade with the hopes of a tasty dinner.

A single fisherman paddles into the lagoon

Suddenly, and without warning, a torrential rain shower materialized from the ominous clouds that had been following our road-trip all day. Luckily, the fisherman waved us over to the shelter of a convenience stand, boarded up for the winter. A few minutes later, the storm dissipated as quickly as it began and we moved on to explore more of the lagoon, bidding our new friends goodbye.

Endless stretches of beach and sparkling turquoise waters just minutes from Fethiye

Finally, just as the sun started sinking into the Sea, we made our way to the final stop of our tour, Butterfly Valley. A 1km deep gorge opening up into the sea, the valley is renowned for it’s still (fairly) untouched beach with only bungalows or tents for sleeping, and it gets its name from the butterflies that congregate near the waterfall that crashes down into the valley.

A sliver of Butterfly Valley can be seen from the road

We took 20 minutes to watch the sun begin to set and stared down over the cliff edge, making Dr. Can even more and more nervous every time we inched out farther to get a better view. Alas, it was time to make our way back and call it a day.

Although we initially wanted to spend our days in Fethiye laying around, trying to write, our daytrip turned out to be an absolute blast! We had to thank Dr. Can for his insistence on getting out and exploring – and we were grateful as we would not have made it to the majority of the places we visited using just public transport. After a sunny second day in the city, where we made a half-hearted effort to explore the old town and harbour by foot, our third and final day was a complete write off. As the rain came down in sheets outside, pooling up to two inches deep in the streets, we found ourselves trapped in the hotel for most of our last day. Alas we were forced to do nothing but sleep, blog, and watch television all completely guilt-free.

Have you ever needed a “vacation” from traveling? How did you go about it? Let us know in the comments section!

The post An Unexpected Tour of Fethiye – Complete with Amazing Beaches and Turquoise Water appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Be still my beating heart! A little friend we met along the way.

We were extremely excited about getting out and doing some hiking, and although the weather didn’t always feel like cooperating (such are the perils of traveling in the off-season), we still managed to spend three of our five days trekking gracefully and not-so-gracefully through this unique terrain.

Goreme Open Air Museum

While not technically a hiking area, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Goreme Open Air Museum. At it’s core, the museum is simply a fenced off portion featuring the best preserved of the 11th to 13th century cave churches. Many of the churches still feature stunning frescoes and exquisitely preserved wall carvings inside.

One of the cave churches showing the carvings around the entrance

The colourful frescoes inside

We had heard a few negative reviews about the site – mainly having to do with the small area, lack of toilets, and the fairly steep entry fee (15 TL). As we were there on a weekday in the off-season, many of these were non-issues for us. There was one tour bus in the parking and probably only 50 people in the whole site.

Another one of the cave churches

Red and Rose Valley

Probably our favorite hiking trail winds its way through the appropriately named Red and Rose Valleys. Containing countless ancient cave homes for the intrepid adventurer to explore, and set in a valley with colours reminiscent of the US Southwest, this region is a hiker’s dream.

The amazing rock formations in the valley

Cave homes to explore

We spent almost an entire day exploring this area. There are some general paths marked by a combination of trail markers and spray paint, but our enjoyment came from the freedom to explore wherever looked interesting to us. Plus, we made a canine friend in Goreme that decided we were worthy companions and joined us for our entire trip!

The view towards Uchisar Castle from Red Valley

The Red and Rose Valley hike traditionally starts near the Open Air Museum and ends at the nearby city of Cavusin. However, on our particular afternoon, some of the most ominous rain clouds we’ve ever seen started to thunder their way down the valley towards us and we decided to stop about 1km short of Cavusin and follow the main highway back to Goreme, just barely avoiding the impending storm by a few minutes!

The origin of the names, Red and Rose Valley, comes from the amazing colour of the cliffs

Love Valley

Oh Love Valley, the place where inappropriate travel photos come to life. Best known for its, um, “phallic” shaped columns – this is one of the most unique places to hike in the world. That is, if you don’t almost kill yourselves trying to get there (more on that in a later post, but let’s just say you should stick to the roads and paths and not take a shortcut over the ridges).

Love Valley – you can probably guess where the name came from!

Located just a short walk from Goreme, Love Valley is just one in a series of wonderful hiking valleys. Other than the hot air balloon pictures, this valley is probably the most common sight in a Google image search for Cappadocia.

The phallic columns of Love Valley

We spent about half a day exploring Love Valley and the surrounding area – taking funny photos and giggling all the while. It is definitely a place that will bring out your inner child. The hiking in this series of valleys is straightforward and very easy going.

Love valley makes for an easy and interesting hike

Funny pictures are an inevitability!

Around Goreme

If you don’t fancy committing to a longer day, or you aren’t sure the weather is going to hold for long enough, there are some absolutely amazing hikes to do simply by walking to the edges of Goreme. Hiking in the hills, or in one of the nearby valleys (Pigeon, Zemi, etc), can provide you with memories you will never forget. Plus, you can just wander back to town for a tea or some gozleme (aka Turkish Pancakes) whenever you want!

A rainbow just outside Goreme

 No matter how long you are in the region, hiking is one of the things you should make time to do. The landscapes in Cappadocia are truly one-of-a-kind and the hiking is generally straightforward and not very strenuous. As with most hiking, we would not recommend going it alone (especially if you are a female), and always ask your hosts about the areas you are heading to before taking off – many have wonderful insights and are extremely helpful. We also recommend not straying too far from hiking trails and be aware of stray dogs (the vast majority are friendly, but you can never be too sure!). 

Logistics: Hiking is one of the best FREE things to do in Cappadocia. The only place with an entrance fee is the Goreme Open Air Museum (15TL per person). Sometimes the best way to get to a hiking region may be taking a dolmus (i.e. dolmus up and hike back). Just ask your hosts or at the bus station and someone will point you in the right direction!

The post Hiking in Cappadocia appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Being overly budget conscious, Travis and I almost choked when we saw the cost to visit some of Bled’s world class attractions. Not wanting to hand over an amount equal to our total daily budget for a few hours of enjoyment, we did the only thing we could – we found an alternative and made some sacrifices.

Bled castle perched high above the lake.

Bled: Getting There

There are plenty of tour agencies willing to take visitors on full-day guided tours of Lake Bled and the Bohinj Valley. While extremely convenient (they pick up and drop off at your hotel) and relaxing (simply sit back and allow the guide and driver to take you around) these tours are also the most expensive way to get to Lake Bled. We found prices ranging from 59-75 Euros per person for a full day on a group tour, or up to 350 Euros for a private tour (total for 1-2 people).

Seeking more freedom in our visit as Travis and I aren’t good at “following” for an extended period of time, we decided to use public transportation between Ljubljana and Bled. Although we had to sacrifice a bit of convenience, the bus schedule had us up bright and early and we had to walk to and from the main bus station (a thirty minute round trip), we spent a measly 6.30 Euro per person each way.

Sight Seeing for Cheap

As we weren’t part of an all-inclusive tour, where all entry fees are normally included in the price, Travis and I were able to be even more selective with how we spent both our time and money. When visiting Bled, there are many wonderful free activities (mainly walking related) that would keep any tourist busy for most of a day. After partially wandering around the lake (there is an easy to find paved path that circles the entire lake) and snapping way to many photos, we found a sunny bench and watched the swans gliding by, fisherman clearly ignoring the “no fishing” signs (and dressed in full camo), and rowers training on the lake – a delightful morning, for free.

The Church on the Island

Bled is also home to some incredibly expensive activities, the main one being a visit to the Church on the Island. While the traditional way to access the island is by Pletna boat at a cost of 12 Euros per person (the trip takes 90 minutes, including sixty minutes of rowing and thirty minutes to explore the island), visitors also have the option to rent rowboats by the hour for 10-15 Euros. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any rentals during our visit in the off-season. In addition to transportation to the island, the Church charges an entry fee of 3 Euro per person (I am not sure if this is strictly enforced or a recommended donation). After a quick discussion of our priorities and what we wanted from this visit (to simply take in the views and snap some photos), Travis and I decided that a visit to the Island was neither in our budget nor something we were really that interested in. However, for others not wanting to forgo this experience, renting a rowboat to see the island while choosing not to visit the church could be a budget friendly compromise. Or perhaps in the summer one can simply swim to the Island from the nearest beach?

The Church on the Island

Bled Castle

After fully exploring Lake Bled, we turned our attention to the surrounding hills. Wanting to see Bled Castle up close, if just for the views of the magnificent lake below, we climbed the hill by foot, where we only then realized that admission to the castle is 8 Euros per person. After a quick conversion (8 Euros = approx $11.50 CAD), and realizing all we wanted to see was the view, we agreed not to visit the interior of the Castle*. However, we were unwilling to give up on seeing said view, and after wandering around for a few moments we managed to find a path that led around the base of the castle and revealed some of the most spectacular scenery we’ve ever seen – for free! Had we not been able to find a good viewpoint would we have paid the entrance fee? Perhaps. However we DID find a viewpoint and we’ve got directions so everyone else can too!

*While some people may think this decision was too harsh, to put the entry fee into perspective, we averaged 18 Euros per day on food during our time in Slovenia.

Getting to Bled Castle

When it came time to hike up to Bled Castle, we made the mistake of looking at a map. Why is this a mistake you might ask? Unfortunately most maps only show the main road leading from the town to the castle, not the dozens of twisting, intersecting, walking paths that weave around the entire hillside.

In our opinion, the best way to walk to Bled Castle is to approach from the walking path along the water, directly below the castle. Here there are numerous dirt walking paths that disappear into the thick underbrush. Although all these walking paths seem to take off in different directions, we found that in the end they seemed to meet up at the bottom of a large set of stairs and switchbacks that cover the last few hundred feet to the castle. When in doubt, use common sense and keep making your way towards where the castle is perched on the hillside above. A hike up one of the walking paths will take about 30 minutes, or longer if you stop for photos more than we did (impossible!).

The stairway connecting the lake and castle

The View Without the Entrance Fee

After reaching the hilltop and gazing onto the Castle in awe, you may be inclined to walk through it’s large gates and up a very steep cobblestone entrance. Don’t do this, unless you want to pay to enter the castle. We did and immediately found ourselves wedged between two very large tour groups only to have to turn around and walk back down.

For a wonderful free view of Bled Lake and the Castle of the Island, make your way around the castle to the right, to the end of the parking lot. Here you will find an awkward looking cave to your left and to your right, a lovely little walking path. Follow this path as it leads you around the castle and after climbing up slightly you will be greeted with a stunning view. Now while I can’t say for sure that this view is better than that from the castle, I can say it is free and absolutely beautiful.

The view that awaits you!

**One note about this walking path, it doesn’t include hand railings and can be quite steep at the end. Therefore, likely not the best choice for small children or those with accessibility issues!

Vintar Gorge: Getting There

After exploring Bled fully, we decided to visit the neighbouring Vintar Gorge, a beautiful nature park with wooden walking paths and bridges, steep rock cliffs, and bright turquoise water. Although many people don’t make it to this beautiful park, we consider it a must see and the perfect side trip to a visit to Bled. Check out their website here.

The beautiful Vintgar Gorge

Being only 5 km from Bled, one would think a visit to the Vintgar Gorge could be easily accomplished – if only that were true. The truth is that getting to Vintar Gorge IS incredibly easy, for those with a rental car, by taxi (approx 3.50 Euro per person), or as part of a guided tour (we saw some tours that included it and some that didn’t). Many people opt to simply walk the full distance, a trek that takes about forty minutes to an hour – a time that could definitely be sped up with a rental bike perhaps? If you are not up for walking, and you want to get there via public transportation you have to get a little creative. As our feet were already a bit tired we decided do just this and take the public bus as far as we could before walking the last little bit. It was a bit tricky to determine which bus we needed to catch (we eventually figured it out – Bled to Krnica); However, just to be sure, we showed the driver the stop we wanted written on a piece of paper (Spodnje Gorje) and he assured us that he would get us there. The bus fare was 1.30 Euro per person, one way.

Stepping off the bus, it felt as though we were in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, after making our way towards the houses, in the same direction we were traveling on the bus, we spotted a sign pointing the way to the Vintgar Gorge. After this initial sign, there were a few more, however for the most part you simply follow the road as it weaves through a residential neighbourhood, past a Mercator grocery store where you could stock up on picnic supplies if it’s open, and into more rural farm houses. Eventually you can spot the transparent looking river below. Finally, the road dips down towards the river and you walk alongside the riverbank until reaching a small cabin at the park entrance. The walk took us about 15 minutes and was relatively easy except for one section where it is a bit steep.

There is a small entrance fee to visit the Vintgar Gorge of 4 Euros/person.

A 4 Euro entrance fee is a bargain if you ask us

After babbling on for so long, here is a little roundup of what we could have spent and what our actual costs were for the day.

Option 1: Full Guided Tour

Half Day Alpine Fairytale Tour: Includes roundtrip transportation to Bled Castle and option to either visit the Castle on the Island via pletna boat or continue on to the Vintgar Gorge. Cost: 39 Euros per person + entry fees (castle = 8; pletna = 10; Vintgar = 4). (Full day tour, with the addition of Lake Bohinj for 46 Euro per person + entry fees)

*We have not taken the Alpine Fairytale Tour (which has a 5/5 on TripAdvisor), we are only using it for comparison purposes.

Option 2: Public Transport with Attractions

Roundtrip bus fare from Ljubljana to Bled, Entrance to Bled Castle, plenta boat and entrance to the Castle on the Island, bus to and from Vintgar Gorge, entry to the Gorge. Cost: 42 Euros per person.

Option 3: Our Visit

Roundtrip bus fare from Ljubljana to Bled, free view from Bled Castle, bus to and from Vintgar Gorge, entry to the Gorge. Cost: 19 Euros per person ( a huge savings over the other two options!)

All this and wildlife too – just a short ride from Ljubljana

For most, a visit to Slovenia is a once in a lifetime opportunity, one that we would never want to spoil by suggesting you skip or miss out on an attraction. If you have your heart set on ringing the bell at the Church on the Island, or gliding across the blue waters of Lake Bled by boat, we are one hundred percent behind you. This post was simply meant to provide less expensive options to those that either don’t want to or can’t afford the many different entrance fees, as well as some logistical information about getting around in this area. While we don’t regret skipping the interior of the castle or boating out to the island, many others may not feel the same way. If you simply cannot afford to do everything in Bled, the best option may be to compromise, pay to visit one attraction and appreciate the others from afar, or take the cheaper public transport and save you money for entrance fees.

The post Lake Bled for the Budget Conscious appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

The iconic Island on Lake Bled

Our feelings on the name aside, Travis and I boarded the bus with about 75% certainty of where to get off and sat back for the 75 minute ride through rural Slovenia. As the time came for us to depart, we hopped off, 88% sure that this was the right idea, and after looking dazed for a few minutes we spotted the water in the distance and began walking in that direction.

*Only later would we discover that, while our stop worked just fine, had we waited for the next stop we’d have been let out at the main station in the middle of town.

Boats waiting to take eager tourists out to Bled Island

This swan couldn’t help but strike pose after pose for my camera

The lake is stunning – which is really all you need to know – and coming from Canada I consider this the highest complement I can give. Deep blue-green and fairly large, Lake Bled is surrounded by lush green hills, which were beginning to show their fall hues during our visit. However, what mother nature provided, man must have thought he could perfect, as Lake Bled is also famous for TWO historical buildings. Immediately we noticed the aptly named Church on the Island, a quaint church perched on a small island in the middle of the lake. In addition to being visually stunning, archaeologists have found many ruins on the site, with the oldest dating back to the 11th century BC.

…and this duck was even more pleased with himself than the swan!

After soaking in the beautiful views of the island and church, and snapping plenty of photos, we peeled our eyes away long enough to catch a glimpse of Bled’s second famous structure, Bled Castle (the names here are so creative!). Perched high atop a steep hill that seems to climb directly from the lake, Bled Castle was initially built in 1011, with an addition and further strengthening of its fortifications during the Middle Ages. Today it serves as an exhibit and site for cultural festivals.

Bled castle perched high above the lake.

With so many pretty vistas it was hard to know exactly where to start. After wandering around the lake for a bit, we made our way up the hillside to the castle for some spectacular views of the lake below. Upon reluctantly descending the hill, we continued around the lake for some more photos and a stroll through town. As it turns out the best thing about Bled is that it’s hard not to see everything the moment you reach the lake, and the only real thing to do there is walk and stare in awe.

Realizing that we’d covered everything we wanted to by 12:00, we decided to make a small detour to the Vintgar Gorge before heading home. Again, we weren’t completely certain how to get there, as our pre-trip research hadn’t been overly productive; however with the name of the nearest stop we could find written on a small piece of paper, a bus driver assured us with the nod of his head that he could get us to the general area.

Fifteen minutes later the signal came to depart and we found ourselves on the side of a dirt road surrounded by a few houses but most definitely no gorge. Knowing we needed to hike into the park area that surrounds this natural landmark, we set off in the most plausible direction. Fifteen minutes later, and much sweatier than is socially acceptable, we reached the park – delighted we hadn’t gotten lost – and although we were a bit tired and hungry from our long day of hiking, we were instantly transfixed by the water, so clear it looked like glass.

Approaching the Vintgar Gorge…just look at the water!

Much like Bled, the only real thing to do at the Vintar Gorge is to walk along a winding path comprised of some impressive bridges and suspended portions clinging to the cliff faces, and stare in awe at the impressive power of Mother Nature. The deep turquoise water is mind-bogglingly clear, making anything we have at home seem dingy in comparison, and was made all the more stunning by the vibrant hues of red, yellow, and orange in the trees around us. As the sunlight trickled through to the bottom of the deep rocky crevice, we tried our best to capture everything on camera.

The Radovna River surrounded by stunning fall colours

Knowing if we didn’t turn back soon we’d miss our bus back to Bled (and end up waiting two hours for the next one) we finally turned around and made our way out of the gorge, back to the bus station in Bled, and onto a bus bound for Ljubljana where our beds awaited us.

Logistics: Bled is a very touristy city during the peak summer months, and as such most of the information we found online pertains to expensive guided tours. Also, many of the attractions are quite pricey (ie. entering the castle etc…). Therefore, in our next post we’ll go over all the details about visiting Bled and the Vintar Gorge independently and provide some budget advice too!

The post The Beauty of Slovenia – Bled and the Vintgar Gorge appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

Slovenia is known for having some of the most impressive cave systems in the world, due to the large Karst region that exists near its coastline. In particular, two stand out above all – the Postojna Caves and the Škocjan Caves. This Karst topography, comprised of limestone, causes the Reka River to disappear underground and emerge seven separate times. After doing some research, we decided that the Škocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were more to our liking as they seemed less touristy and less visited due to their distance from Ljubljana. As well, the many billboard signs we saw advertising the Postojna Caves featured a miniature train ride through the cave which seemed kind of Disneyland-esque.

The view of the collapsed doline..the height is just smaller than the largest room in the caves

The Reka River as it emerges from the caves

Upon arriving at Skocjan, we were met by one of the problems of traveling in the off-season – the public transport and tour times didn’t line up, meaning we were going to have to wait an hour for our tour of the caves. To kill some time, we made a short walk to one of the lookout points on the education trail that circles the park (a recommendation from the attendant at the ticket booth). It was breathtaking, and just a preview of what was to come.

(via)

When it came time for our tour, two guides led our very large group towards the cave entrance, a 10 minute decent from the main information centre. After breaking us into two smaller groups, one for German speaking visitors and a second for English and Italian guests, we were given a short prologue of what to expect in the cave, its history, and reminders to stay safe.

Entering the cave is a unique experience in itself, as you walk down an artificial shaft-like tunnel. Upon entering the cave, we were greeted by an absolutely amazing underground environment. Jaw-dropping stalagmites and stalactites covered the floors and ceilings, making the narrow walking path twist and turn. Our guide explained that the first section of the cave managed to avoid flooding hundreds of years ago and as a result, features enormous stalagmites that date back to the last ice age and in some cases even earlier.

(via)

As we wove our way through the cave system, we made our way towards the Reka River and upon entering this second section of the cave it was nearly impossible to hold a conversation above the noise of the rushing water. It is here where visitors take in one of the most famous views of the Skocjan Caves, the Cerkvenik Bridge, suspended nearly fifty meters above the riverbed below. 

The Cerkvenik Bridge (via)

The Skocjan Caves are a geological marvel, at approximately 3.5 kilometers long, 10 to 60 meters wide, and over 140 meters high, the sheer size of the chambers is jaw dropping. The largest of these chambers has a volume of 2.2 million cubic meters, making it the largest underground chamber discovered in Slovenia and one of the largest in the world, however from the surface there is little sign of what lurks below. In addition to the complexity of mother nature’s power in creating this cave system, Calli and I were also blown away by the man made components of the cave as well. Clinging to the side of steep rock faces are the remains of crude walking paths used by the first people to explore the caves at the end of the 19th century. As well, without lights to guide the way, these early explorers cut chunks of stone from the ground and, after filling the holes with water, used carbide to create a reaction with this water and create pockets of light throughout the cave.

(via)

The Skocjan Caves are as interesting as they are beautiful, a definite must see while in Slovenia. We only wish we had been able to join a second tour of a second section of the system that has been discovered and explored more recently – unfortunately the times didn’t line up with our transportation back to Piran.

Logistics: The Škocjan Caves are located near the town of Divaca, just over an hour from Piran and two hours from Ljubljana by public transport. From Divaca, a short shuttle bus ride or a 30-40 minute walk takes you to the Park entrance. Tickets are 15 Euro for the standard cave tour and 20 if coupled with the new section. There are washrooms and a cafe at the caves (cafe is around 7 Euro for a burger and fries), but you can also bring your own lunch (as we did). The website for the caves can be found here.

The post Going Underground – The Skocjan Caves appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.