The vegetarian and vegan food scene in Cape Town is blossoming with tasty, exciting and exceptional food available all over the city. As you might expect from a cultured capital city, there’s no shortage of vegetarian and vegan options in the city’s restaurants, despite the traditionally meaty focus of Afrikaner culture.
Stunning mountain ranges, beautiful vineyards, cool glasses of chenin blanc at good prices, warm weather and blue skies — South Africa’s Cape Winelands are unmissable. This guide will introduce you to Stellenbosch, one of the two main visitor hot spots along with the picturesque town of Franschhoek.
Are you thinking about travelling to Cape Town or South Africa, but worried about the safety situation? This guide contains safety tips and information based on our recent three-month stay in South Africa for tourists travelling to Cape Town or wider South Africa.
Tempted to plan a long weekend in Madrid, but not sure how much it’s all going to cost? Madrid is an exciting metropolis, the perfect place to spend an evening watching a flamenco show or sharing tapas with new friends. But how do the prices in Madrid compare to other European destinations?
Girona is an exciting city in northeast Spain (or Catalonia, as the locals would say) with a beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Visit the town to wander its cobblestone streets and if you’re a keen cyclist, use it as a base from which to venture into the surrounding countryside. As it has its own airport and isn’t too far from either Barcelona or the Costa Brava, it makes a great city break for a long weekend or could be part of a longer trip to Catalonia.
San Sebastian’s Old Town is a mythical destination for foodies, spoken of in hushed, reverent tones. On every cobblestone street, there’s a welcoming bar with small plates of “pinchos” already piled high to the delight of customers.
Cuenca is the prettiest city in Ecuador. Expect curved, narrow streets dotted with cute cafes, more patisseries than you’ve seen in the rest of Ecuador put together, and historic churches and squares.
Quito’s UNESCO-listed old town is a sight like none other. Distinctive green and gold domes, grey-faced churches with glittering baroque interiors, indigenous street sellers with stacks of avocados, cherries, mangoes and blueberries and endless buses spewing petrol fumes combine to make a heady cocktail.
Eating out in Ecuador can either be dirt cheap or surprisingly expensive, as restaurants seem either to be holes-in-the-wall or high-end. Our favourite local dishes were quinoa soup and llapingacho (a potato, cheese and egg concoction), as well as arepas often prepared in hole-in-the-wall joints owned and run by the Venezuelan community.
Otavalo is home to Ecuador’s most famous market and it is the place to shop for ponchos, jumpers and other textiles in Ecuador. This highland town has a strong indigenous community who earn a living making and selling their beautiful textile products.
According to travel guides, the only safe place to cross the overland border between Colombia and Ecuador is Rumichaca. The closest Colombian town is Ipiales (but we recommend staying in Pasto) and the closest Ecuadorian town is Tulcan (but we’d go straight across to Otavalo).
Pasto is a small city near the Colombia/Ecuador border and a frequent stopover for those making the long overland journey from Colombia to Ecuador. It’s an unappealing city and we wouldn’t recommend more than an overnight stop here, but it’s a better option than stopping in Ipiales.
We’re Charlie and Luke — UK travel bloggers, adventurers and storytellers. We travel slow and write about sustainable travel. We want to make responsible travel choices and help you do the same. Get to know us.
