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Into the unknown: Kenya

Flying to Kenya felt like going into the unknown. I’d visited Africa before, as I’d been to Egypt many times, but I knew the flavour wouldn’t be quite the same. After all, Africa’s amazingly diverse and I was more than happy to dive into the unknown. Once I landed in Mombasa, the beauty of the country struck me. My dream vacation ended just then because after I headed to my hotel… everything went downhill. A hotel, which advertised itself as accessible, probably didn’t know the definition of “accessible” too well, because it was everything but wheelchair friendly. That was the worst hotel experience in my entire life and since I travel a lot… I think it says everything. My Kenyan vacation story could be summed up like this: beautiful views spoilt by no accessibility.  What did I do there? How did everything look in practice? More about it below!

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Falling under Budapest’s spell

Falling under Budapest’s spell is inevitable once you set your eyes on everything the city has to offer.  I’ve seen many picturesque places in my life, and a handful of them stole my heart, but Budapest took things to a whole new level. It’s absolutely lovely and I would put it only a little bit behind Barcelona, which is my favourite place in the entire big old world. The city takes a notion of “beauty” very seriously, and it makes Budapest a marvellous capital. I was blown away by its charm, but could I say the same about its accessibility?  I am afraid that’s the moment where my Budapest fairytale ended. The city of great glamour turned out to be everything but wheelchair friendly.  What did I do there, how (in)accessible hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops were and more – below!

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Chasing the sun in Malaga, Spain

Chasing the sun in Malaga was perfect for long summer days when work could be put away and a body could go straight into the vacation mode. It was July 2006, when I decided to spend my holidays in a Spanish style and get a taste of  Costa del Sol.  Located in the south of Spain – Andalusia – region is said to be one of the most beautiful parts of Spanish coastline. It sounded great and given that its name means “Coast of the Sun”, I knew it was everything I needed. Sometimes to feel like a superhero, you need a little bit of vitamin D, so I made sure my body would get about enough of sun time. After all, Spain and good weather go together like a dream! My journey began in Malaga, but that was just the beginning. On my way down the coast, I visited Marbella and Puerto Banus. More about everything I did and saw below! Of course, accessibility’s included – after all… it can make or break any vacations.

 

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Discovering 50 shades of Gran Canaria

Discovering 50 shades of Gran Canaria filled me with a special kind of wanderlust, the one that keeps your eyes wide open with amazement. It was February, and I wanted to escape omnipresent snow and cold. The Canary Islands seemed like a great option and since I visited Fuerteventura two years earlier, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. Gran Canaria was waiting for me and I couldn’t be more excited to discover all of its shades.  The plan was simple: we rent a car and explore as much as we can in a week. Trust me, Gran Canaria is definitely not boring and we kept stumbling upon beautiful locations on every corner. Every time we thought we’d seen it all, there would be something else to take our breath away. With around 18°C, it was warm enough to embark on the ultimate adventure without thinking too much about gloves and scarves.  What else could you wish for in the middle of winter? Not much! Gran Canaria had it all. What to do there? How accessible everything is? Answers are waiting below!

 

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Diving in Florida’s sunshine: Part III

Accessible travelling, travel with a wheelchair, Florida, USA, trip to USA, accessibility rating, Blumil wheelchair

Diving in Florida’s sunshine was anything but forgettable. It tasted like happiness, the warmth of the skin touched by the sunshine and adventure. Out all of these Florida was made for… adventure would make it to top 5, no doubt about it. If you are looking for the place to feel and taste like summer all year long, Florida might be the answer. I have my taste of Florida summer, since I visited it in August, and trust me: it was a flavour to remember. Florida may be just one of many states, but it certainly felt interesting enough on its own to explore it for weeks. As you might remember from The Part I and Part II of the post, my trip there was three-week long, but I am certain it still wasn’t enough to get to know Florida inside out. It was just enough to befriend it and hopefully come back for more one day.  The Sunshine State is not the one to forget – it leaves you with an aftertaste, and it’s full of vibrancy. Below, we’ll visit Florida one more time (for now!) and discuss its attractions, colours and accessibility to uncover the hidden side of the Alligator State!

 

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Diving in Florida’s sunshine: Part II

Milo's accessibility rating, wheechair friendly travelling, accessible travelling, accessible USA, Blumil wheelchair

Diving into Florida’s sunshine felt like entering the paradise and I wouldn’t  change a thing if I was to re-live these moments again. The Sunshine State is much more than it seems. It’s more than sunny beaches of Miami, Disneyland or luxurious resorts. We were looking for wonderful memories, but on our way, we also stumbled upon breathtaking stories we’d never expected to find.  Florida doesn’t come in one shade – 50 wouldn’t be enough to describe all of its flavours.  We’ve discovered some of them together, but there’s so much more to be explored and mentioned, so let’s continue diving in Florida’s sunshine! Trust me, once you fall in love with Florida there’s no coming back, but what a lovely experience it is! What to do, what to see, what to try and ultimately how accessible everything is – below!

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Diving in Florida’s sunshine: Part I

Florida, The United States, trip across the state, accessibility rating

Diving in Florida’s sunshine was one of the greatest adventures I’ve ever had, and I like to think I’ve had quite a few of them in my life. Everything started with a simple plan to visit the USA. Me and my friends were planning to do something memorable for the summer, and going overseas seemed to be a perfect idea. Florida was an obvious choice: we wanted the sunshine, fun and no room for boredom, and that’s what Florida’s famous for. We had 3 free weeks, and we decided to spend them in the sunny state.  The goal was simple: to see as much as we can in around 21 days, and get to know the place inside out. Mission Florida was a great success, and we managed to get a taste of everything. I want you to experience Florida I fell in love with, so let’s put it under the microscope!  What to visit in the sunny state, what to do, and how wheelchair friendly everything is?  The answers are waiting for you below!

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Searching for the flavours of London

The M&Ms factory, London, England, Accessibility rating for wheelchair users

Searching for the flavours of London was a full-time mission, which made my trip to London absolutely entertaining. In all honesty, I wasn’t bored there even for a second. I was there for a week, but I am absolutely convinced a month there wouldn’t be enough to taste everything the city has to offer. I’ve been to London a few times in my life, and it always greeted me with a sunny weather. I don’t know whether I was extremely lucky, or London just likes me… either way, I got to explore the sunny side of this English metropolis more than once. Every day, I would spend 10 – at least! – hours sightseeing and making the best out of my stay, and my body – especially my shoulder –  didn’t approve it. See, navigating a regular wheelchair strained my shoulder, and it needed days to recover. Had I had my Blumil, things would have been easier, but… it was still a trip to remember!

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Discovering Europe: Keukenhof, Scheveningen and Oostende

Discovering Europe has always been a great adventure,  and visiting Keukenhof, Scheveningen and Oostende was no exception.  Somewhere between tulip fields and lovely shorelines, one thought struck me: Europe’s full of surprises. Since I was born and raised here, it was always familiar and eventually lost the vibe of adventure floating in the air.  My weekend getaway trips helped me to rediscover Europe, taste it, befriend it and have a wonderful time.
Since I was living in Luxembourg for some time, travelling on weekends was relatively easy. After all, Luxembourg’s in the heart of Europe, and both Holland and Belgium are just a stone’s throw away. Letting opportunities slip away has never been my style, so I packed and there I was… getting the best of Europe. What did I see in Keukenhof, Scheveningen and Oostende? Do these places deserve to be called “wheelchair accessible”? I am going to spill the beans below, so please… bear with me!

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Sunshine and fun in Fuerteventura, The Canary Islands

“Sunshine” and “fun” are probably two words that sum up my stay in Fuerteventura perfectly. Only five hours away from Warsaw where I was living, the Spanish island seemed to be everything I needed for wonderful summer vacations. The Canary Islands are definitely very close to the idea of paradise: sunny beaches, perfectly blue waters and high temperature. What else could you possibly ask for?

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