Tourist First

Travel notes and advice from around the world. Above, the daily flight from Managua at the San Carlos, Nicaragua, airstrip.

Friday, June 26, 2026

Contents and Quick Links

  

Travel in 2026: Deserts, Victoria Falls, forest, bush and more in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

 Travel in 2025:  A spring trip to France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Old and new favorites in Paris. In Nantes, a switch from building ships to having fun.  Oysters in Cancale. The wonder of Mont Saint-Michel. History lessons in Bayeux. Lupin still inhabits Etretat. The unexpected in Rouen. The best of Lyon. More than mustard in Dijon. Exploring the Champagne towns of Epernay and Reims. The best of Belgium: Brussels, Ghent, Bruges. The joy of architecture in Rotterdam.  Canals and more in Amsterdam.

Travel in 2024:  A spring (November and December) trip to Chile including Santiago,  Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Atacama,  Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.  One night at Usuaia, Argentina. Buenos Aires, in brief.  San Diego's big swinging organ. A family visit to Milwaukee.  A quick visit to Red Rocks outside Denver. A July visit to San Francisco and its oyster bars. Six weeks in Spain, with links to Madrid, Valencia, Seville and other cities. Plus Joshua Tree and Death Valley, two California desert wonderlands.

Welcome to Stephen M. Bailey's Tourist First! I hope these photos and impressions from my travels will help you plan your own trips. 

These blog posts are not updated once they're posted. For example, my post about a July 2019 visit to Venice does not reflect the terrible damage done by flooding in November 2019. And some hotel links may no longer work, though I try to delete them when that happens. Small hotels and lodges, especially in less developed destinations like Nicaragua and Laos, often are short-lived and the ones I've visited may no longer exist. Please leave a comment or email me (stephenmbailey@gmail.com) if you have questions about any post or if you see errors. 

General Travel

In the Air, a Caste System
Here's What I Want in a Hotel Room 
And see what more than 1,000 of my New York Times readers want in a hotel room
Favorite hotels: Tripadvisor's list 
Strategies for Saving on Travel
My 2008 New York Times column on travel in a motor home or RV
My 2004 New York Times article on eco-resorts in the Caribbean (not all are still operating)
It's Easy to Avoid Credit Card Ripoffs Abroad
Road Trip: Though the Rockies on Interstate 70

Weekend Homes
This blog is primarily devoted to tourist trips and vacation explorations, but some people prefer to make the same trips over and over ... to their weekend homes. Instead of a month in Italy, they choose almost every weekend at the lake or in the mountains. Here are some of my New York Times articles about weekend homes: 
A Chesapeake getaway is an HGTV Dream House. 
A weekend home without beeps? Ditching technology.
Owning your own place in Mexico or Canada.
Thinking of a weekend home at a lake?
Dealing (or not) with problem guests.

African Safaris
Itinerary for Six Weeks in Africa
My 2019 New York Times Article on Tips for Your First Safari
The Safari Experience
Botswana: Kalahari Desert
Botswana: Okavango Delta
Namibia: Chobe River
South Africa: Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Tanzania: Ngorongoro Crater
Tanzania: Serengeti

Argentina
Buenos Aires: Cafes and More

Australia
Itinerary for 10 Days in Tasmania
Freycinet National Park: Beaches, Trails and Shellfish
Lake St. Clair: Not a Platypus in Sight

Belgium
Brussels: Whimsical City.


Britain
Wales: "Retiring" to a Canal Boat

California
Road trip: San Diego to Healdsburg
Anzo-Borrego State Park: A Desert in Bloom
Central Coast: Big Sur and Route 1
Idyllwild: Mountain Retreat
Joshua Tree: A Desert Adventure
Lassen Volcanic National Park: The Landscape of Disaster
Malibu: The Getty Villa and More
Palm Springs: A Fall Getaway
Paso Robles: A Focus on Wine
Point Reyes National Seashore: Isolation on a Grand Scale
San Diego County: Potato Chip Rock
San Francisco: Oysters and Alcatraz

Cambodia
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia
Elephant Valley: Saving Asia's "Living Tractors"
Kep: The Place for Crabs (My Apologies to Chesapeake Bay)
Phnom Penh: Where the Past Is Past
Siem Reap: Gateway to the Angkor Region
The Angkor Temples: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Banteay Srei, and Ta Prohm. 

Canada
Montreal: Frenchy but Not Exotic
Niagara Falls: The Canadian Side, Please
Toronto: First Impressions
Toronto: Second Impressions

Chile
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Spring (November and December)

Colorado

Mont Saint-Michel: The Wonder of It All
Greece
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Athens: Better Than I Imagined
Chania: Walls and Charm on Crete
Delphi: The Oracle is Silent
Heraklion: The Capital of Crete
Hydra: Quiet and Carless
Santorini: Island as Shopping Mall
Thessaloniki: A Party Town With Few Foreigners

Iceland
Reykajavik: Geothermal Wonderland

Iran
A 2016 Family Visit
What to Expect If You Visit Iran

Italy
Itinerary for a Three-Month Visit
Agrigento: Sicily's Valley of the Temples
Alberobello: Home of the Trulli
Capri: Another World
Catania: Gateway to Mount Etna
Lecce: Baroque Wonderland
Maratea: Italy for Italians
Masala: More Than Wine
Matera: Modern Cave Dwellers
Naples: One Night Isn't Enough
Palermo: Beyond "The Godfather"
Pompeii (and Herculaneum): What Vesuvius Wrought
Rome: The Palaces
Rome: The Churches
Rome: The Ruins
Rome: Dining
Rome: Walking
Siracusa: Outpost of the Ancient Greeks 
Taormina: Mountains and Sea in Sicily
Trieste: The Least Italian City in Italy
Trani: On the Adriatic
Venice: A Summer Visit

Laos
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia 
Luang Prabang: Monks and Tourists 

Maine
Georgetown: Do it for the lobsters.

Maryland
Assateague: A Fall Afternoon
Annapolis: My 2008 New York Times article on Maryland's capital city
Baltimore: My 2002 New York Times "36 Hours" article on Charm City
Blackwater: My 2012 American Forests article on Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Chesapeake Bay: A Fishing Trip
St. Michaels: My 2004 New York Times "36 Hours" article
Tilghman Island: Where I Lived for 10 Years

Mexico
Ajijic: Expat-Friendly Town on Lake Chapala
Baja California: Cabo Crowds and Peaceful La Paz

Minnesota
Boundary Waters: My 2011 American Forests article on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Mississippi
Ole Miss: My Alma Mater
Oxford: My 2008 New York Times article on Faulkner, Football and Food  


Montenegro
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Kotor: Small but Choice 


Morocco
Itinerary for a Three-Week Visit
Ait Benhaddou: Kasbahs and Movie Locations

New York 
Finger Lakes: My 2012 American Forests article on Finger Lakes National Forest
Rio San Juan: Howler Monkeys and River Huts
Selva Negra: Ecology-Minded Coffee Plantation
Solentiname Islands: A Poet-Priest's Art Project
Solentiname Islands: My 2012 New York Times article and a photo slideshow

Panama
Bastimentos: Nature Inn and Chocolate Lodge
Bocas del Toro: Surfers and Backpackers
Boquete: A Coffee Estate in the Mountains
Panama Canal: An 11-Hour Trip Through an Engineering Marvel
Panama City: My 2014 New York Times review of the Panama City Waldorf Astoria 
Kuna Yala: A Cabin on the Water

Pennsylvania
Adamstown: My 1999 New York Times  article on Shopping for antiques in Amish country
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob

Peru
Itinerary for One Month in Peru
Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu: Mountain in the Rain Forest
Amazon: River and Wildlife Cruise
Amazon: Fatal Fire on a River Cruise Boat
Arequipa: Juanita's Story
Colca Canyon: In Search of Condors
Cusco: The Inca's Capital
Lima: Museo Larco's Amazing Pre-Colombian Pottery
Lima: Ancient Culture, Modern Life
Ollantaytambo: Life Amid the Ruins
Paracas: An Ancient Mystery Beside the Sea

Portugal
Itinerary for a Three-Week Visit
Belmonte: Mountain Retreat
Evora: Cusine and Cork
Douro Valley: Where the Grapes Grow
Lisbon: Riverfront and Seafront
Obidos: Old Walls and New Buddhas
Porto: The Sweet Life
Sintra: Royal Aerie

St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Bequia: The Moonhole Experience
Bequia: A Happy Island
St. Vincent: My 2004 New York Times article on Petit Byahaut and Other Eco Resorts
St. Vincent: My 2004 New York Times Slide Show on Petit Byahaut

Slovenia
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Ljubjana: Cozy Capital
Piran: At the Concrete Beach

South Africa
Robben Island: A Visit to Mandela's Prison
Sabi Sand: Safari Satisfaction Guaranteed
Western Cape: Beyond Cape Town and the Wine Regions

Spain
Itinerary for Six Weeks in 2024: Madrid, Valencia and Southern Spain
Valencia: Is There a Better City in Spain for Food?


Tanzania
Zanzibar: As Exotic as Its Name

Thailand
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia 
Bangkok: River Metropolis

Turkey
A 2010 Vacation, Istanbul and Beyond
Aboard a Gulet for a Blue Cruise
Istanbul: Seth Kugel Does It on the Cheap
Istanbul: Visiting a Hamam

Utah
The Marvels  of Arches National Park

Vietnam
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia 
Ha Long Bay: Two Nights on a Junk 
Hanoi: Swarming and Sophisticated
Hoi An: Fine Dining, Fine Silks 

Virginia
My 2008 New York Times article on Virginia's Eastern Shore

Washington, D.C.

Washington State

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park: Morning Glory Pool and Other Wonders   

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South Africa: The Sand Forest at Phinda

 

This tawny eagle was scanning the landscape where the woods ended and a grassy plain began.

       The last stop on our 2026 trip to Africa got off to a bad start. We flew from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, to Johannesburg, South Africa, where we were to connect for a flight to Richards Bay, on the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa. Unfortunately, the plane at Victoria Falls was a hour and a half late, wiping out our chance of making the Richards Bay flight. Both flights were on Airlink, a South African carrier with a good reputation.  The airline put us up at an Anew hotel a half-hour or so away from the airport for a night that we had planned to spend enjoying our glass-walled cabin at Phinda Forest Lodge. At Phinda, we missed a dinner, one full night, breakfast and a morning game drive, all of which we had paid for months in advance.  But we still had three nights here. 

         The morning after the missed connection, we had to leave Anew for the Johannesburg airport before breakfast was availble. We did, however, make it to Forest Lodge just in time for a very late lunch and then an afternoon game drive. 

       Phinda (pronounced PIN-dah) is a private game reserve operated by the eco-resort company &Beyond, which also has properties from Antarctica to Asia to the Indian Ocean and, well, beyond. Forest Lodge, one of several &Beyond lodges at Phinda, dates to 1993 and was desgined to have a minimal impact on its unusual environment, a rare sand forest. Centuries or millennia ago, the sand formed beach dunes, but now the sea, the Indian Ocean, is kilometers to the east. The many buildings at Forest Lodge are spaced out, so that all 16 guest cabins have plenty of privacy despite having some all-glass walls. The several common buildings and the cabins share what I took to be a Japanese aesthetic. Everything is connected by sandy paths winding through what trees and other vegetation will grow in the white sand. I would call this an eco-resort with game drives.  There's certainly nothing camp-like about it. 

         In fact, it felt more like a hotel in that guests here didn't mingle and share dining tables as they often do at safari camps. We met two couples from Durban and a family with three children from Cape Town. I think Forest Lodge is a "White Lotus" getaway for some South Africaners, though everyone seems to go on at least one game drive a day.  The Duban couples were both on our first afternoon and then our first morning game drives. The older couple, who had lost count of how many times they had stayed at various Phinda lodges, left after lunch to drive the three-and-a-half hours home. The other couple and we continued to share a safari vehicle but that was about it.

        I know this is a very First World complaint: I thought the staff was friendly to the point of pandering. There's no reason we needed a "butler," who essentially was just our waiter every time we sat down in the dining area.  We did not need or even open the full-size bottles of Amarula, Jameson's, Tanquerey, etc., in our room. I think they're trying for a wow factor with the over-stocked minibar, fresh fruits, etc.  Forest Lodge's "tipping suggestions" of people who we were expected to tip was more than double that of our simpler safari camps. It all reminded me of our only other safari experience in South Africa.  In 2016 we stayed a few days at Simbambili, a luxury lodge in Sabi Sands, another private game reserve. 

      That said, the game viewing was excellent.  Our guide, Nick, was assisted by a tracker or spotter who sat in a seat bolted to the front of the converted Toyota Land Cruiser. Together, and often with assistance via radio from other Phinda rangers (as guides are called in South Africa), we saw elephants, lions, a cheetah, hyenas, giraffes, white rhinos, Cape buffalo, various antelopes and more. Every game drive produced several significant sightings.  And as I've said in other posts, there a few things better than a safari game drive. 

     Here are some photos:


A traffic jam in the bush. Elephants, rhinos and other beasts travel
on the same roads used by safari vehicles. 














Why did the elephant cross the road? 








Our vehicle inched along as we followed the cattle
egrets, who were accompanying a white rhino.

Even in a private game reserve, rhinos have to be protected
from poachers by having their valuable horns cut off. 
When poachers harvest the horns, they kill the animal
and take the horn's stump, too. 












A day later and on the other side of Phinda we came across this white rhino mom with
a calf that our guide said might be less than a year old. For some reason, the adult here
has retained more of her horns than usual. Although Phinda says it has black rhinos,
which are smaller, we didn't see any.

















Our most memorable wildlife sighting at Phinda was watching a pride of lions
devouring an impala carcass. 













A trace of blood is visible on this lion's muzzle after
feeding on the impala. 










After eating, the lions ambled about 100 meters to a watering hole. 










This spotted hyena and her pups lived in a den just off a main trail. No tracking needed
to find them unless for some reason they weren't at home. 













We saw giraffes on every game drive at Phinda, 
sometimes close, sometimes in the distance.



Zebras were also seen on every game drive. 
Female nyala, almost as common as impalas at Phinda.

The male nyala is a very regal antelope.

I find the mongoose very hard to photograph because
they move so fast. But this one stopped for a moment.
Hippos seem to stay in the water most of the day and come out at night to graze.

This Natal red duiker was browsing near
our cabin at Phinda Forest Lodge. It's one
of Africa's smallest antelope.

We saw severeal lone Cape buffalo as well as a herd.

A crowned hornbill. Phina says it has more than 
400 species of birds.

On a morning drive we came upon a huge tree with families of baboons such as this
on almost every limb. They all seemed to be just starting their day.

Vehivles, rangers and spotters are ready for more game drives.

The time stamp shows that even before 9:30am Forest Lodge is ready to keep guests well
lubricated. This surprise brunch came in the middle of game drives one morning and
brought all the lodge's guests together.

The end of the day also means alcohol. Our ranger and spotter preside over a "sundowner"
bar that had been set up and waiting for us when we reached this scenic spot. 
 When we were done, they packed everything into a crate for someone else to pick up. 


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