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Top 10 Things To Do Around Bled

Bled, Slovenia – 10 Best Things To Do

 

Bled is arguably the most famous place in Slovenia, with its picture perfect lake that manages to look good in every season and weather condition. Situated an hour from the capital Ljubljana and half an hour from the Triglav National Park, there is plenty to do around Bled on the off chance that you are bored of Bled. Even though it is flooded with tourists year around, the town remained a small, modest size with locals coexisting peacefully with the visitors. If you have visited, you will understand the charm of this Slovenian gem, and if you haven’t, you really should pay a trip there. Here’s ten things to do around Bled:

 

1. Walk around the perimeter of Lake Bled

Lake Bled isn’t very large, and a perimeter walk around it only takes an hour or two. Not only does it make for a nice walk, you get to scout out a good spot to chill later as well as taking photos of the lake from all angles. Score! If you are short on time, then cycling around might be a better option, though it can be quite a dodge-fest on the southern shore of the Lake as the path is more narrow.

Bled top ten things to do
A perimeter walk is a must

 

2. Visit Bled Castle

Bled Castle is the oldest castle in Slovenia, perched on a cliff on the northern shore of Lake Bled overlooking the entire region. The path that goes up the castle from the town isn’t particularly difficult and the view alone is worth the ticket price. If you are interested in the history of Bled, they also have a comprehensive exhibition on. There is even a souvenir shop selling metal work as well as a restaurant where you can eat and admire the surroundings.

Bled top ten things to do
The Bled Castle – the oldest in Slovenia!

 

3. Hike up to the Ojstrica

If you want to see the Lake Bled on postcards, then a hike up Ojstrica is the answer.Even though there are plenty of best viewpoints of Lake Bled, this is the classic one and the trail itself is not too difficult to navigate. However, the grounds can get slippery after rain, therefore it’s best to be careful and wear appropriate footwear to go up. The best time to visit is in the morning before everyone else arrives – and the trail can be found near the camping ground southwest of the shore of Lake Bled.

Bled top ten things to do
Ojstrica – the classive viewpoint of Bled

 

4. Row to Bled Island

A pilgrimage place for many around the region since the Renaissance time, the major attraction on the island is the 17th century Assumption of Mary Church. Its bell tower can be seen from the shore and the 99 steps that lead up to the church adds to the medieval charm. The best way to get there is to rent a boat and row across. You can, of course, get ferried across on one of the many manned plenta on the east shore, but it’s more romantic and fun to row across yourself.

 

5. Try their famous cream cake

Despite not knowing that Bled is famous for the cream cake, almost every restaurant serves them and you’d be hard pressed not to try one. My favourite restaurant in Bled is Grajska Plaza right by the shore of Lake Bled – right under the looming Bled Castle and in front of the swimming masses.

Bled top ten things to do
The famous cream cake of Bled

 

6. Go Canyoning

There are plenty of tours available in Bled that you can book via the hostels. One of them is Canyoning. If you are not familiar with what it is, Canyoning involves walking, swimming, abseiling and jumping your way down a stream – with licensed guides, of course. It’s a great way to see the countryside as well as getting that rush of adrenaline and ticking it off your bucket list. To be honest, the main reason why I did it was because it rained nonstop for three days while I was there, but it turned out to be the best decision I made.

 

7. Tobboganing

The ski slopes in the winter and the tobboganing hill in the summer, you can get on the car lift in the southern shore of Lake Bled all year around to get a panoramic view of the lake. Tobboagning is a strangely exhilarating activity and one of Bled’s unique attractions. It involves getting on a small cart and accelerating your way down the slope along the meandering metal tube. The kids love it, the adults secretly enjoy it – it’s probably more popular than rowing to Bled Island.

Bled top ten things to do
You can see the tabboganing tube meandering down the hill

 

8. Visit Vintgar Gorge

Only a few kilometers from Bled is the Vintgar Gorge, famous for the canyons cut through by the Radovna River. A wooden trail will take you through the most scenic part ending at the 13 meter high Sum Fall, and the hike is beautiful even in the rain. You can easily walk or cycle there, though many hostels offer a free shuttle service to and from.

Bled top ten things to do
The Vintgar Gorge is pretty green

 

9. Go to Lake Bohinj

Lake Bled isn’t the only lake around town. Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia and rests in the Triglav National Park only a half hour bus ride from Bled. It makes for a good day trip if you have time to spare, and the water there is even colder than Lake Bled if you fancy a swim. There are also plenty to do around Bohinj as well, such as the Savica waterfall, Mostnica Gorge and Mount Vogel – and I fully recommend spending a few days there as well if you can.

Bled top ten things to do
A paradise for water sports lover – it’s a dry to kayak in the still water of Lake Bohinj

 

10. Day trip to Ljubljana

The capital of Slovenia is not far from Bled either. Buses run frequently between the two cities and the journey is under an hour. Ljubljana is a small capital that can be done in a day. You have the eccentric Metelkova and the historic castle, as well as the Ljubljanica River and the old town charm.

Bled top ten things to do
The view of Ljubljana from the top of the Castle Tower

 
 

About the Author:

 

Nam Cheah is a third culture millennial who spent half her life in Hong Kong and the other half in UK. Planning to make the most out of life, she documents her passion to laugh, travel and eat on her suitably named blog: Laugh, Travel, Eat. When she’s not doing any of that, she’s either catching up on TV while online shopping or writing her novels.

 

Read more from Laugh Travel Eat: laughtraveleat.com
Laugh Travel Eat at   Facebook     Instagram     Pinterest     Twitter

 

 

Bled top ten things to do
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The Pros And Cons Of Solo Travel

The Pros And Cons Of Solo Travel

 

The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel
The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

Solo travel: there are two words that seemed to breath fear into some while others grew exhilarated by it. Gaining popularity over the past few years, many people seemed to swear that solo travel is something everyone should do once in their life time, and that, in fact, should be the preferred way to travel. What makes the act of solo travel so alluring? And why, despite the fact that everyone seemed to be talking about it, are many so hesitant to do it?

Let’s break it down to the pros and cons!

 

Pros:

Flexibility
It’s a universal rule, the more people there are, the more argument there would be. If you are on your own, your schedule is completely up to you and only you. There’d be no one to argue with you about where to go or what to eat, and you don’t have to hang around waiting for the other person to get ready to go and wasting your time. There’s nothing like the freedom of doing whatever it is you want on a whim (or you can be as organized as you want – we won’t judge it either way). Which leads us to the next point:

 
Self-discovery
There’s nothing like pushing yourself out of the comfort zone to find out what you are made of, and unfamiliar situations and surroundings are one of those things that would do that to you. More often than not, how you would react to something in the spur of a moment might not be what you anticipated, and it’s when you react to those scenarios that tell you more about yourself than sitting at home and doing those Facebook quizzes ever could. While it might not be something huge and unsettling, like finding out you are a secret adrenaline drunkie who wants to sky dive day and night; realizing that you prefer to sit alone with your notebook and write down your thoughts and experience might just quench that notion of you thinking that you should be hitting the bars and clubs at night, because you know what you prefer.

 
Meeting like-minded People
There’s no place better to meet other people than when you are travelling. Most people meet new friends at a hostel, but you are as likely to run into your new bestie during a free walking tour or asking for directions to get on the right train. It’s funny how easy it can be to strike up a conversation with someone else when you are in a foreign place; in fact, I was surprised at how warmly people usually respond, whether they are a fellow traveller or local. You will meet people from all walks of life, from a variety of countries each with their story to tell. Because you all share something – the travel experience.
Now you might be meeting these people when you are travelling with others as well, but it’s never as easy to chat to new people if you are already hanging out with someone else. And you are less likely to be able to adapt your schedule to your new friends’ to hang out together.

Self timer photo by putting the camera on the fence at Milan Cathedral, Italy
Self timer photo by putting the camera on the fence at Milan Cathedral, Italy
Solo time with an ice cream strolling around Verona, Italy, Laugh Trave Eat
Solo time with an ice cream strolling around Verona, Italy

 

Cons:

Loneliness
While meeting new people might be easy, your schedule might not line up, or you might not have met someone who you really connect with. Some people enjoy the loneliness that is part of the journey, declaring that it had helped them figure out themselves more; that it was the best self-discovery process they had ever had. However, not everyone likes being lonely, and there are people who find joy in sharing experiences with others, and not alone.

 
Safety
Travelling solo has its risks, and safety is definitely the biggest point I want to bring light to. No matter how secure the location you are heading to is, or how many new friends you meet, it’s always safer if you have a travel companion that you know well. An extra pair of eyes can come a long way, especially when you are travelling long distance and struggling to stay awake and man your belongings.
 

Lack of a photo partner
Some might immediately jump into argumentative mode and say that it’s easy to take solo travel photos, but there really is no denying that having someone you know to help you take photos is a much better, and easier task than trusting your camera to a stranger or well, a selfie stick. I have lost count of how many bad photos people had taken of me, and that’s on top of the fact that I find it embarrassing and difficult to approach people to help me take a photo. Self-timer is a blessing, but it’s not a method that can be used every time.

shot by my sister at Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Shot by my sister at Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre

 

Verdict

Solo travelling, though a great form of self-discovery, are not for everyone. While I would encourage others to try, you should consider all kinds of factors before deciding whether you want to solo travel or group travel . If you are a keen solo traveller, but you aren’t great at meeting new people, then the
tourlina app is the thing to help you look for like-minded female travel companion!
 

About the Author:

Nam Cheah is a third culture millennial who spent half her life in Hong Kong and the other half in UK. Planning to make the most out of life, she documents her passion to laugh, travel and eat on her suitably named blog: Laugh, Travel, Eat. When she’s not doing any of that, she’s either catching up on TV while online shopping or writing her novels.

   
Read more from Laugh Travel Eat: laughtraveleat.com
 

Laugh Travel Eat at   Facebook     Instagram     Pinterest     Twitter

 

The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel
The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

Viajosola – Why Women Should Never Stop Travelling Solo

Viajosola – Why Women Should Never Stop Travelling Solo

#Viajosola
#Viajosola

Several weeks ago, two young Argentine women were brutally attacked and murdered while backpacking in Ecuador’s coastal area of Montanita.

Maria Coni, 22, and Marina Menegazzo, 21, had run out of money while travelling through South America. A friend put them in touch with two men, who they thought would offer them a place to stay. Instead the men sexually assaulted the pair, before murdering them and dumping their bodies.

Sadly, in the wake of the tragedy there were many people who were inclined to blame the victims of this terrible attack, rather than the perpetrators. One controversial opinion offered by Argentine psychiatrist Hugo Marietan was that the women “took a risk” by travelling in “parts of the world that are not ready for the full freedom of the woman”.

He went on to say: “Women, you are also responsible for your preservation. Do [you] serve your feminist theories in that final moment?”

In response to those blaming the victims for what happened, one woman wrote an impassioned Facebook post from the perspective of the two women. Guadalupe Acosta from Paraguay sparked a social media outcry with her words:

  • “From the moment I had my lifeless body, nobody asked where he was, the son of a gun…
  • No, they started asking me useless questions…
  • What clothes you had on?
  • Why are you alone?
  • How a woman is going to travel without company?
  • You got yourself in a dangerous neighbourhood, what did you expect?

But to be a woman, the crime is minimized. Becomes less serious, because of course, I asked for it. Doing what I wanted, I got what I deserved for not being submissive, for not wanting to stay in my house, for investing my own money in my dreams.”

 

The Facebook post has been shared over 730,000 times, and the hashtag #viajosola – Spanish for “I travel alone” – trended on Twitter worldwide.

Acosta’s words touched a nerve with female travellers across the globe. Independent women who travel to broaden their minds, to learn and to grow, and for the sheer joy of it began posting inspiring viewpoints and photos of themselves travelling solo.

 

  • #Viajosola because my gender has nothing to do with my desire to see the world @SammyLT
  • #viajosola because you will never know who you truly are until you do so @jomanaElwenni
  • #viajosola because my love for seeing the world & its cultures shouldn’t be jeopardized by the fact I’m a woman @twiitterlessDad
  • Travelling alone is my joy in life, not an invitation for man to rob, rape and murder me #viajosola @coreen085
  • Gender shouldn’t be a barrier from the world #Viajosola @TwinsWade
  • #viajosola because the world is so big and amazing – and I do not and should not need an escort… #liveloveexplore @tara_bt

Travelling is one of life’s great pleasures. Travelling alone is a truly liberating journey which nobody – man or woman – should feel afraid to embark upon. Travelling alone teaches us so much about ourselves and the world around us. We learn to be at peace in solitude, we learn to trust ourselves, and we meet likeminded people who we form deep and lasting connections with.

The random and tragic murders of backpackers like those of Maria and Marina should never be seen as the victim’s fault for daring to go out in the world unchaperoned. Dangerous viewpoints like that of Hugo Marietan should not hold women back from exploring whichever corner of the globe they choose.

 

Tourlina App
Tourlina App

 

To travel solo doesn’t mean to stay alone.

Find female travel companions and friends with tourlina

TOURLINA IS SAFE AND RELIABLE
Our team checks each and every new user. Only verified users can chat with others. Tourlina rates quality over quantity!

TOURLINA IS FOR WOMEN ONLY
Our market research shows that women like to travel and prefer a female travel partner as having a male companion often leads to dating.

TOURLINA MAKES YOU WANT TO TRAVEL
The Tourlina app is not dating, and you will never travel alone.

ARE YOU IN?


HOW THE TOURLINA APP WORKS:
• enter a trip by country and time
• discover matching travel companions with mutual interests, destination and travel time
• select a travel companion simply by easily swiping left or right
• chat and plan your trip together once you and your travel companions are matching

 

WHY YOU SHOULD ALSO USE TOURLINA FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP?

Female users of Tourlina can connect before or while they travel. Tourlina connects women based on their future travel plans. Of course, they can connect as well with other female travelers while they travel, e.g. for one evening in Bangkok or for a part of their trip. Women find more meaningful and long lasting connections with other women and make lifelong friendships as Tourlina connections are based on shared interest in travel and socialising.

Awesome Tourlina video from Monica – one of the many fans and users of Tourlina 🙂

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