It’s here!

This week is the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes work. My book, The Career Break Traveler’s Handbook, is finally here. Since I started my trip back in 2007, I had dreams of writing my own travel book. Then when I started Career Break Secrets, I had dreams of writing my own book. And all along the way, my aunt kept encouraging me to write a book. But, the management of the site and working to get The Career Break Travel Show (coming soon!) launched precluded me spending any time on trying to figure out the publishing world.

The Power of the Network

Late last year Janice Waugh, author of The Solo Traveler’s Handbook, told me that she wanted to expand her book into a series. As you can see from the review of the Solo Traveler’s Handbook (1st edition), I was a fan. She offered me the chance to be a part of the first wave of travel style books under her label, Full Flight Press, and I accepted without hesitation. At the same time, the other authors came on board: Jodi Ettenberg to focus on food travel, Sarah & Terry Lee to focus on luxury travel and Shannon O’Donnell to focus on volunteer travel. Janice took the opportunity to produce the 2^nd edition of her book on solo travel. It’s always great to work with smart people who are experts in their field. The Traveler’s Handbooks series was born.

Why a Career Break Book?

Frankly, I wanted to have a resource that made it easy for anyone with a dream of a career break to get started quickly. There’s a lot of information out there about taking a career break and blogs filled with stories and adventures of people who are out there doing it right now. That’s great for amplifying the amount of information that’s available for the people planning their trip right now. But, it also adds to the time you need to comb through it all to find what they need. And, you still have to piece together your own plan.

My goal was to take the information and put it together in a way that helps you get going and get planning. Not only that, I want you to be able to have a process to follow so you don’t forget any important details.

Finally, there are so many people that I’ve met during and after my career break who have stories worth telling. I try to cover as many as I can on the site. And, the book has many more. Some are stories I’ve told on the site already while others I haven’t. I could have included so many more and I felt bad that I couldn’t include more. I tried to focus on one aspect of their story to help illustrate the various themes of the book. Having those stories also highlights that there are a lot more people than known taking breaks, they come all walks of life and do it for a variety of reasons.

What’s Inside

• The book is only about 110 pages. So, you can get through it quickly
• There are over 20 photos from around that world that I took that will hopefully fuel your wanderlust
• 13 stories from current and former career breakers
• 4 sections covering the career break lifecycle
  • Deciding puts the career break in perspective of your overall life and career, explains why it’s not selfish to take a break, highlights the scientific benefits of taking a break and ends with a pep talk
  • Peace of Mind Planning takes you step by step on how to prepare so you can fully relax once you leave knowing you are ready for anything that comes your way. I cover what you need to do before you quit, how to come out of the career break closet, the art of career break budgeting, planning where to go, dealing with your health, packing and tech tips and more
  • Making the Most of Your Trip gives you ideas for how to maximize the time you have whether you have have one month or one year. I start by highlighting the 3 types of activities that career breakers do, how to adjust to a ¨free¨ life, how to deal with loneliness, how to stay safe physically, digitally and protect your belongings, my list of budget stretchers and discuss whether you should work or not
  • Re-entry helps you get going again once you’re back from adjusting to life back home, how to restart your networking and how to position your career break to prospective employers
• Resource lists (over a dozen) that cover the following:
  • accommodation
  • career break and related books for further reading
  • career break TV and films
  • other career break resources
  • budgeting and money management
  • connecting with locals and other travelers
  • finding great dining experiences
  • flights
  • health and health insurance resources
  • re-entry resources
  • registering your trip
  • free blogging and communication options
  • volunteering resources
  • naturally a list of the other books in the series

And finally, you can check out the Table of Contents and read a sample chapter.

Reviews of the Career Break Traveler’s Handboook

I’m trying to capture the reviews as they come out. Here are the latest of what I’ve seen so far.

“I found the taking of sabbaticals the single most successful strategy in helping me to look at my work as a calling, rather than just as a job. Jeff Jung tells you how to go about it.”
Stefan Sagmeister
Grammy Award winning Art Director and Graphic Designer
Author and TED Speaker
___________________________________________________________________________________
“Jeff Jung helps us realize that Career Breaks are important aspects of our work lives. As a 5-time career changer, talent and career take time to play, study, explore and really live. We are so much more productive, imaginative and interesting when we do these things, and that leads to innovation and a competitive advantage for our careers and the organizations we work for. Taking a Career Break is a “must-do” and this book is a “must-read.”
Ginny Clarke
CEO of Talent Optimization Partners, LLC
Author of Career Mapping: Charting Your Course in the New World of Work
___________________________________________________________________________________
“This book covers everything. From how to quit your job to how to pack your bags, it’s all in there. If you’re ready to turn that secret travel dream you’ve been ignoring all these years into reality, this is your starting point.”
Dan Clements
Author of Escape 101
___________________________________________________________________________________
“Perhaps you have been dreaming about taking a career break. After reading the career break travelers handbook, you will move from dream to action. With inspiring stories, practical advice and an overall can-do, should-do, will-do spirit, this book will have you asking yourself why you’ve waited so long. Even if your career break is not possible today, you will get step by step strategies to ensure your career will not slip away without one.”
Julie Bauke
CEO, The Bauke Group
Author of Stop Peeing on Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes That Screw Up Your Job Search

Where to Buy The Career Break Traveler’s Handbook

The book is in both paperback and electronic versions. It is currently rolling out around the world. Here are the places where you can buy them

• US
  • Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle)
  • BarnesandNoble.com (paperback. Nook Coming Soon)
  • Sony Coming Soon!
  • Kobo
  • iBook Store Coming Soon!
  • Copia
• UK
  • Waterstones (paperback)
  • W.H. Smith (paperback and Kobo)
  • Amazon.co.uk (paperback and Kindle)
  • iBook Store Coming Soon!
  • Copia
  • Hammicks Legal
  • The Book Depository (paperback)
  • Eddington Hook
• Canada
  • Amazon.ca (paperback and Kindle)
  • iBook Store Coming Soon!
  • Kobo
  • Copia
• Australia
  • BetterRead
• Croatia
  • Superbookshop
• Estonia
  • Kristosomus
• India
  • BookAdda
• Japan
  • Amazon
  • Junkudo
• Italy
  • Bol
  • IBS
• Latvia
  • Kristosomus
• New Zealand Coming Soon!
• Norway
  • Bokklubben
  • Studia
• Romania
  • Books Express
• Sweden
  • Bokus
• Wholesalers
  • Baker & Taylor Coming Soon!
  • Alibris (UK) 
  • Gardner’s (UK)
  • Lehmann’s (Germany)

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Book ‘Em Jeffo is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Olympic Tower

On my trip to London in January, I was treated to a quick taxi tour of the Olympic construction site before heading out to the Active Travel Show. The east side of London is currently under construction in anticipation of the big event this summer.

With access to cars open, we drove in, got out to take photos along the way and were really excited to get this rare glimpse of the work in progress. Our presence thought didn’t make everyone happy. Our tour caught the attention of the local security forces. On our way out, we were stopped.

¨Crap. They are going to make me turn over my camera,¨ I thought.

After a quick talk to the security folks (and probably seeing all of us with our conference badges around our necks), they let us go without much hassle. O I only found out later that there had been some security issues at the site. So, the authorities were more than a little curious about who was on the grounds snapping photos.

Anyway, here are a few of the exclusive photos from the construction site.

London Olympic stadium and the Olympic tower

Looking across the London Olympics' venue

Aquatic Center

View of the Basketball Stadium

Closer Up to the Basketball Stadium

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Exclusive: London Olympic Park Construction Photos is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Dining outside Les Deux Magots in the St-Germain area. (Will Salter/Lonely Planet Images)

It’s Oscar time in the US and scenes from one of the Best Picture nominees, Midnight in Paris, has me thinking about my previous travels to France, particularly to Paris. I first visited in 2005 just in time for New Years, leaving the next year 2006. It was a short trip, but the City of Lights exceeded my expectations. I returned during my career break in the summer of 2008 for three weeks, in part to attend an old friend’s wedding. Her reception was on the Seine, a quintessential Parisian experience.

Paris a city that needs no introduction. How many more superlatives does it need? Other than a quick pass-through, it doesn’t get mentioned a lot by long-term travelers or career breakers. Funny that the time in your life when you can really spend some quality time in the city, we career breakers tend to head off to more far-flung (and probably cheaper) cities.

Even after my two trips to the city, I know there is still much more for me to discover. I had the chance to interview Robert Reid, the US editor of Lonely Planet, about how someone on a career break or simply just spending a while in Paris could go beyond the Eiffel Tower, get off the beaten path and really get deeper feel for the place. Inspired by the movie, Midnight in Paris, I took the chance to ask Robert about some other travel themes that appear in the movie.

1. Beyond this year’s Oscar nominees, what are your favorite movies about Paris? Why?

I don’t care if it causes a collective groan, but ‘Amelie.’ All the delicious little scenes around Paris makes you wish you live there. The train stations, the markets, the café, the scooter. And, be honest, no one watches the movie without having a crush on Amelie.

2. Movies can be powerful for instilling wanderlust in people to travel. Do you think that they actually motivate people to action? Do you have any examples where you seen this or heard about it happening?

They certainly can get us dreaming. Though I think kids reading ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ a century ago probably had the same reaction. But film, and TV, wow. I remember when INXS made that ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ video in Prague – this is way back, before everyone was looking for the ‘next Prague.’ And seeing the scenes of this beautiful city. Michael Hutchence walking past the crooked tombstones of the Old Jewish Cemetery. And it was like, where is that? And how can I go? Whether it’s ‘Motorcycle Diaries,’ Pink Panther films, TV shows like Amazing Race, if you show it, people will went want to go.

3. Do you think plays have the same power? For example, do you know if the Claremore CVB sees a steady stream of Oklahoma tourism?

Well, you picked probably the best candidate (other than maybe seeing Hamlet’s castle north of Copenhagen). And I can tell you, as a former Okie, that the state of Oklahoma is in love with Rodgers and Hammerstein. Outside Tulsa, where I grew up, they hold an annual summer open-air rendition of ‘Oklahoma!’ It draws lots of out-of-staters who equate Oklahoma with ‘Oklahoma!’ And locally, all kids growing up in Oklahoma have to learn the songs – I grew up in Tulsa and was Mr Carnes in the play (the only one with a gun). I was just happy I didn’t have any singing lines.

Exterior of Shakespeare and Co. bookshop in the Marais. (Will Salter/Lonely Planet Images)

4. We hear all the time about how travel changes people, a theme played out in the movie as we see it Gil’s love of Paris end his relationship with his fiancé. Can wanderlust be destructive or does it simply evoke emotions and provoke actions that one might not take otherwise?

For the movie, I sort of get the feeling that Gil and Ines were fated to break up – it wasn’t Paris’ fault. It just sort of bumped up the time frame a bit. But, yes, travel can change people’s outlook too. Away from work, away from usual responsibilities (and friends and family), and in places where everything is new… you sort of feel there is an adventure, something new and thrilling, potentially around every corner. So it’s not an accident that people can do some wacky things traveling, and not just in Vegas. Sometimes you end up imaging what it’d be like to live there. I know when I’m in places I respond to, I end up scanning apartment rentals and planning my fake second life.

5. A lot of people visiting Paris have a few days to a week, max. If someone is going to be there for a few weeks on a career break, what advice do you have for getting to know Paris beyond the traditional tourist trail?

Read ‘A Moveable Feast’ for starters. It’s the guidebook to the movie, essentially, Ernest Hemingway’s memoir the lit days of the 1920s. In it, he’s nearly penniless and shows how to love Paris: walking. It’s one of the world’s great walking cities. He lingers long in Luxembourg Gardens, goes along the river and watches fishers. IF you’re staying there for a while, you’re lucky. Take it slow. Take it by sidewalk. And be thankful for every second.

6. What’s your favorite way to spend a day in Paris? Any favorite neighborhoods, cafes or sites?

It’s just that: walking. I shouldn’t say this, but I’ve been to Paris several times and I’ve never gone into the Louvre. I’m likely to go again this year, and I probably won’t again. I just want to walk random streets, on both sides of the river, eat long meals, sit for an hour over coffee, sit around parks, and watch people. And go to St-Oeun Flea Market, where Gil picks up the Cole Porter record in the movie. It’s a legendary flea market, and I’ve not been there either. No offense, but I’d rather see what I find there, than wait in line for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.

7. Paris is such a timeless city. Some people keep going back. I know on my first trip, I was a bit overwhelmed (especially in the Louvre) and in blissful awe of the city. On the second trip, I lost a bit of that. What tips do you have to help keep that sense of awe on a second, third or fourth trip to the same destination, whether it be Paris or somewhere else?

Paris, like London and New York, is one of the cities that is truly a life, a world in itself. So there is no way to tap out what you can get out of it. I met Adam Gopnik recently, who wrote the book ‘Paris to the Moon,’ and he talked about how great it is in winter. That in that season, more than any other, is where Paris is most itself – people lingering longest in cafes and bistros. When the sky can turn velvet gray, threatening snow, but it never falling. Well, I’ve not been in winter. Not yet. There is no end.

Interior of Shakespeare and Co. bookshop in the Marais. (Will Salter/Lonely Planet Images)

8. Owen Wilson’s character, Gil, gets to meet some of the great authors and artists from the 1920s (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein, Picasso, among others) while in Paris. Which authors inspire you and where (and when) would you travel to meet them?

Well, Gil got it about right. Hemingway and Fitzgerald in the same room? I’d take that. Still, I’d rather ride the steamboats with Mark Twain, later in his life, long after his success, he returns as a passenger and remembers what it was like to be a captain for awhile. I bet he could’ve used a drinking companion. That’s the dream. Actually I’d be happy just to get a ticket on a steamboat down the Mississippi.

9. What is one thing that would surprise someone who’s never been to Paris about the city? And, what’s one thing that would surprise a ¨Paris veteran¨ about the city?

So much to see underground. If you read books like David Downie’s ‘Paris, Paris’ he devotes a chapter on what lurks below. Beginning with his cellar into the darkness and old relics found there. And tunnels that connected cellars, and on to catacombs, where hipsters have been known to throw weird parties. You can also go down steps off the Seine into the sewers. The sewer museum in Paris is fascinating, and hilarious. They still use these massive century-old wood balls to go through tunnels, squashing muck and pushing it through. And it doesn’t even smell that bad.

10. One last question, what makes Paris so sexy and what about it inspires people to want to live there or even fall in love there?

Because people want it to be sexy, and they want to fall in love. You have to want it. If you do, Paris will always meet you half way.

About Robert Reid:

Based in New York City, Robert Reid (@reidontravel) is the US Travel Editor for Lonely Planet, (www.lonelyplanet.com). He’s written a couple dozen guidebooks for Lonely Planet, hosts the ’76-Second Travel Show’ and had articles published in publications including the New York Times.

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Talking Paris, Movie Inspiration and Oklahoma with Robert Reid is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Seeing the world one step at a time is all about the details, the very significant and insignificant moments that allow us to appreciate a new place in a different light. I’ve always thought that there is no such thing as fast travel, or at least there shouldn’t be. It isn’t always easy to switch into “slow travel” mode, but that’s where the real rewards lie.

In my quest to stay away from restless destination consumption, I decided to explore Paris by night. After all, Paris isn’t called the City of Lights for nothing. While many tourists are taking the elevator up to the Eiffel Tower, I’m wandering the lively streets that surround the city’s popular monuments.

American lifestyle gravitates toward the “live to work” mentality but Parisians rebel and view life the complete opposite. They “work to live” meaning that after a long day at the office they enjoy the evening with friends.

A simple glass of wine, conversation over dinner and reconnecting with friends and family is what life should be about for everyone. While it’s extremely admirable to be a hard worker, it’s far more worthwhile to truly enjoy the life you are living and create memories with the people you choose to spend your life with.

Although there were a million other things I could have spent those hours doing, the feeling of living life as a local and not rushing off to see another monument made all the difference. There is a captivating energy about Paris at night and I was there to experience is all through the lens of my camera.

About the author: Sonia Gil hosts a weekly original web travel series called Sonia’s Travels with episodes shot in Mexico, Italy, Berlin and Paris. Each trip turns into a series of shows in which Sonia offers a small idea or tip about a place and the people who live there. New Episodes Premiere Every Thursday at 12 noon (9:00 am Pacific). You can also follow Sonia on Facebook and Twitter.

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Seductive Paris at Dusk is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Most of the time when I travel, I’m looking for the angle to go beyond the tourist areas. I want to travel deeper, learn something more profound about a place than X person loved here. But, I actually missed being a tourist in the city. Maybe I was just bummed that I had a deadline and couldn’t spare the time. As with other cities in Europe, London holidays are like a walking history tour. More than anything, all I need to do is hit the streets and walk. I’ve even been known to grab the Hop On-Hop Off bus to get around.

I realized on this last trip that’s probably the best way to do it. This time around, I actually had places to be and addresses to find. No one told me that London wasn’t well signed. I guess I didn’t notice before. With lots of little nooks and crannies and side streets, I found it oh so easy to get lost. At least the first time around, getting lost was part of the fun and adventure. This time around, it induced a bit of stress.

Here are a photo round-up of a few of my best photos from London.

Photos of London

Buckingham Palace Fountain in front of Buckingham Palace

Gates of Buckingham Palace

Trafalgar Square on Canada Day

Dinner time on Brick Lane

Millennium Bridge on a Cloudy Day

St. James Cathedral

England’s still holding on to the 2 spout sinks. Why???

Old newspapers in Old English

Antiques from the 18th century (I think)

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This post was sponsored and made possible by Flight Centre! As always, all stories and opinions are my own.

Some of My Favorite Touristy Photos From London is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Harbour in Vancouver

Back in September, I had the chance to travel around Canada with G Adventures on a media tour to talk about career breaks. One of the highlights for me was having the chance to visit Vancouver for the first time. I have yet to meet anyone who had a bad thing to say about it. Well, the weather, maybe.

We arrived from Calgary in the late afternoon. The approach to the airport was one of the most beautiful I had ever seen. The forested-covered coastline dotted with green, lush islands just off the coast kept me engaged and only made me more anxious to land.

These yummy calamaris went well with the yam fries. Just sayin!

We were treated to a cool, clear night, perfect for getting lost. After wandering around the Nelson park neighborhood, we started craving a little sustenance. We wound up at the upscale, Joey Restaurant. A bottle of wine and a couple of crispy appetizers including calamari were all we needed. My lasting memory is that all the waitresses wore high heels. I didn’t know if I should be impressed or sympathetic.

Friday morning was full of radio and written interviews leaving us with the afternoon to explore. I had reached out to the Vancouver Tourism for some suggestions. They sent over a nice packet of information. And, after a careful review of the 100s of things to do, we wound up on foot again exploring. The sun was shining. What else were we supposed to do?

Walking Around Vancouver…the Whole City

Felt lucky to have seen this much color in Stanley Park in September

Fall hadn’t quite arrived, so the flowers in Stanley Park were holding their own. But, I’m sure that the first short cold blast took out the colorful petals all around. As we walked along the path that hugged the Lost Lagoon, we were kept company by the occasional jogger, a family of raccoons that were way too tame for my taste, and the families pushing their all-terrain baby strollers.

I think I could have spent all day here. But, there was more of Vancouver to see. I had the idea to take a carriage ride through the park to cover more ground. But, I couldn’t find it and like I said, there was more of the city to see. We spilled onto the marina and started heading toward the convention center. As I looked across the water, I thought we were seeing Vancouver Island. Later I realized it was merely North Vancouver.

After passing by the convention center, we entered the historic Gastown district. Trolleys, coffee and shops lined the streets. We slowly walked down Powell, sitting for a bit for a coffee and water. We looked at the map and saw that our final stop was actually across town, Granville Island. After a quick look at the map, I thought, hey, it’s really not that far.

One of the old lamps in Gastown

Over an hour later…and crossing the Granville Bridge by foot…

…we arrived.

Granville Island was filled with shops, high-end, waterfront restaurants and the stacked-stone sculptures of Jozsef Toth. Tim and I must have watched him for at least half an hour. I don’t know how he gets them stack up, but the garden of statues he built along the waterfront made the feat all the more impressive.

Real entertainment on Granville Island

I broke one of my travel rules when we headed for something to eat, don’t stop at the first restaurant you find. Whet is on the left-hand side of the road, just as you come onto the island. With an impressive view of the harbor and the sunset from its outdoor seating area, we couldn’t resist. A glass of white wine, a bowl of chowder and a seared tuna salad seemed like the perfect dinner after a long day of exploring. As good as the salad looked, it was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t care too much as it was the end of  a long week and I was enjoying just being in Vancouver.

Seared tuna salad

After a short water taxi ride back across the bay, we made our way back to the hotel jumped in a cab and headed to the airport to catch our ride back to Toronto.

What to Do in Vancouver…Next Time

After getting a quick taste of the city, I got a sense of the city, but left so much unexplored. Here’s a quick list of what I would return to do.

1. Enjoy the city’s natural beauties. More time in Stanley Park is a given. But, I would also check out the UBC Botanical Gardens.
2. Eat the street food. I didn’t mean to avoid the street food. It just worked out that way. There are so many carts selling lots of yummy looking fare, I now know that lunch will be served outside!
3. Pop over to Victoria Island for day, maybe even for a night. With ferry service connecting the two cities, the ride over is likely to worth the trip alone.
4. Get active. Hiking, biking, kayaking. Between the mountains and water, I won’t be trapped in the city long. I’ll have to get out and explore.
5. Explore the nightlife. Vancouver is rumored to have great nightlife. While you can probably find me out in the Davie Village after dinner, Vancouver offers something for everyone.This is not a city to spend the night in you room.

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Getting a Taste of Vancouver is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Yummy Poutine! Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Before I headed up to Canada a few weeks ago, I did a quick search to find out what typified Canadian cuisine. Almost immediately, I found lots of references to ¨Poutine.¨ I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce it. Was it poh-tyn, poo-tyn, poh-tyn-ee??? Turns out, I was completely wrong. It’s pronounced, poo-teen.

Hmmm. Didn’t sound very appetizing. 

But, I figured, it’s potatoes and gravy. Has to be good right? The wild card would be the cheese curds. Wasn’t sure I was going to like that little combo.

After a week traveling in Canada, I landed in Edmonton. After my early morning interview with Global TV, I asked the anchors and production staff, what should we do this afternoon? I had previously been told that the mall was not too be missed. Biggest in North America! 5^th largest in the world! *Sigh*

Surely, the TV crew would give us a good, hidden suggestion. They told us to go walk along the River Valley Path. That sounded good. And, we had driven past it earlier and it did look beautiful.

But, the weather wasn’t going to let it. It got cold, windy was threatening to rain. So, West Edmonton Mall here we come!

Enter Poutine

New York Fries. How Canadian can this really be? Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

After a lunchtime interview with CTV, we headed to the mall and wound up eventually at the food court. The poutinerie (yes, that’s what it was called), caught my eye. I figured, now was the time to give it whirl.

Tim, my colleague and friend from Gap Adventures, ordered the ¨Classic Poutine¨: fries, cheese curd and brown gravy.

Close up of the classic poutine. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

I went with ¨The Works¨: fries, sour cream, cheese sauce, green onions and bacon.

The Works! This really looked like nachos. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Don’t worry kids, the menu at New York Fries is trans-fat free! It’s practically health food.

I LOVED IT! 

(Honestly, was there ever any doubt?)

Why Poutine Is Canadian Nachos

Going. Going. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

While eating my poutine, and having a taste of Tim’s, it struck me that poutine is nothing more than Canadian nachos. It just has a name that sounds (to the foreigner at least) more high-brow.

1. Both have a fried carb base: corn chips or potatoes
2. Both are topped with whatever toppings you want
3. Both are finished off with a sauce of some type
4. Both are finger foods.
5. Both are comfort foods.

GONE! Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Once I made the connection between poutine and nachos, my next question was: Why has this not taken off in the US…especially when the fast food place where we ate is called New York Fries???

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Poutine, Just a Fancy Way to Say ¨Canadian Nachos¨ is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Road Trip!

Take a one day road trip south of Cape Town for stunning coastal and mountain scenery. On the way, stop at Hout Bay for awesome fish and chips. Take the world-recognized Chapman’s Peak Drive where rocks threaten to cascade down from the stunning, imposing mountain peaks above. From there, you can drive down to the tip of the Cape of Good Hope for stunning views and where baboons run wild. Be sure to keep an eye on your lunch.

Hout Bay

Take the world recognized Chapman’s’ Peak Drive where rocks threaten to cascade down from the stunning imposing mountain peaks above.

Chapman's Peak Drive

Stunning beaches along the coast road

More amazing coastal scenery

From there you can drive down to the tip of the Cape of Good Hope for stunning ocean views and where baboons  run wild. Be sure to keep an eye on your lunch.

Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

About Craig – Craig Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 2002, first with his wife Caz, and now with their daughter Kalyra. You can hangout with him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

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I Love Cape Town Photo Series Part 5: Roadtrip is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Robben Island

Robben Island, the former prison home of Nelson mandela for over 20 years, was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. Taking a tour of Robben Island with an ex-political prisoner is a very moving experience. The ferry to Robben Island leaves from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, and the 30 minute ferry ride across Table Bay provides for amazing views back towards Cape Town and Table Mountain.

Robben Island in the distance

cell block

The courtyard

Bo Kaap Neighborhood

The Bo Kaap District is an area of Cape Town formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is quintessentially a township, situated on the sloped of Signal Hill right above the city center and is an historical center of the Cape Malay culture in Cape Town. It is rich in history and known for its romantic cobblestoned streets and colorful houses. Take a walk around and get some creative photos.

Bo-Kaap

Colorful houses

About Craig – Craig Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 2002, first with his wife Caz, and now with their daughter Kalyra. You can hangout with him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

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I Love Cape Town Photo Series Part 4: Apartheid Legacies is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Table Mountain

The impressive backdrop of Table Mountain is just one of the many striking features of Cape Town. This prominent landmark forms part of Table Mountain National Park and you can either hike to the top of the mountain or take the cable car.

Table Mountain

View from the ferry on Table Bay

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is recognized as one of the best botanic gardens of the world. Its position against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain makes for sheer grandeur, and you may even feel in the mood for a hike up one of the many trails to the top of Table Mountain.

Kirstenbosch was also the setting for my brother-in-law’s wedding ceremony which provided a magnificent backdrop.

Kirstenbosch Gardens

The wedding ceremony

Lion’s Head

Lions head is a part of the Table Mountain National Park and forms part of a dramatic backdrop to the city. It reaches a peak of 669 meters and there’s an hour-long walk to the top which is known for spectacular views over the city and the beaches below.

Lions head from Clifton Beach

Looking back at Lions head from Robben Island

Lions head in the distance

About Craig – Craig Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 2002, first with his wife Caz, and now with their daughter Kalyra. You can hangout with him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

If you like this post, sign up for our newsletter or subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up with Career Break Secrets’ career break and travel advice.

I Love Cape Town Photo Series Part 3: Natural Wonders is a post from: Career Break Secrets: Travel show, independent travel blog and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures