I created the “Travellers’ Tales” section to give other travellers an opportunity to talk about their travels. Today I would like to introduce you to Janine and Ryan Avery, travel bloggers and marketers based in South Africa. They blog at 5 Star Stories .
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales” , fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
We are Janine and Ryan Avery. Our backgrounds are in the travel and luxury space and it is our love for this lifestyle that pushed us to start our own travel blog, and digital and social media business. Working together is something we absolutely love to do and you won’t find us travelling without each other! We believe that the best dreams are those touched by a little bit of love – love for what you do, love for the people you work for and love for those who work alongside you to make all your wishes come true…
Our first memorable trip as a couple was skiing in Argentina area of Bariloche. We had both skied in our childhood but were yearning to share this experience together. Working in the travel industry at that point meant we had to take leave in the southern hemisphere winter months so South America or New Zealand were our only options for a ski holiday. We chose Argentina and to this date it continues to be one of our most memorable travel experiences as a couple!
The last place we actually travelled to together was Austria – for another ski holiday – some ten years after that first trip! We also tagged on a little bit of Italy to our week in the snow and spent a glorious week uncovering the culture of tourism hotspots, Venice, Florence and Rome.
Whenever we travel we find it very difficult to pick just one thing that tops the list. Spending a night in an igloo at the top of the Tyrolean Alps sure was an experience we won’t soon forget, but we always find the most memorable experiences come from days wandering around the streets, discovering hidden alleyways, quirky shops and street food that is worth returning for!
Again, it is impossible to pick just one, but our honeymoon to the Seychelles will always be something to write home about. Before spending some time being utterly pampered on the private Fregate Island, we enjoyed sailing around the archipelago on a catamaran. That week exploring the azure waters of the Seychelles, just the two of us, with the wind in our sails and the complete freedom to go where we wanted, when we wanted, was an absolute dream come true. And to do it as a newly married couple – it just doesn’t get better than that!
We will always have a soft spot in our heart for the Kruger National Park. We try to return as often as we can and even are considering buying a property in the area. Nothing beats a great bush escape and there is just something magical about Kruger that draws us to her again and again.
A sundowner overlooking a waterhole where elephants come to drink is an evening ritual for us, when in the Kruger.
Something to take photos! We normally carry a menagerie of camera equipment around with us but on our recent trip we decided simply to travel with our phones. We had just bought the new Huawei phones so the quality of the pictures was excellent and to travel light was such a pleasure.
Plan ahead! Pre-planning your holiday and daily itinerary can really make a huge difference, especially if you are visiting busy tourist areas. We got up early for our trip to the Vatican when in Rome recently and while we had to take the bus in the dark - experiencing St Peters as the priests came for their morning prayer, with very few other tourists around, was truly special. Seeing the queues that stretched for kilometres on our way out, made the experience even better.
Everywhere!
You can visit us on our website - 5 Star Stories
Or follow us on Social Media.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/5starstories
Thank you, Janine , for sharing your fascinating travels with us!
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales”, fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
Who will I feature next? I’ve got an exciting line-up ahead. Make sure you subscribe to the free newsletter so you don’t miss out on some exciting travel tales.
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.