Dublin is definitely one of the friendliest cities that we have visited and there are several things that you should do if you decide to visit. There are certainly more than five things to do in Dublin, but these were some of the ones that we found particularly interesting. As with most places that we visit, one key is not to put yourself on a tight schedule. If you take the time to sit and talk to the locals, you will enjoy the experience even more. In fact, there is even a tour company that is called ToursByLocals, which uses locals to show you around their wonderful country and give you their local perspective. We didn't use them to tour Dublin itself, but we did use them on our tours outside of the city. In no particular order, here are some of our favorite things to do in Dublin.

1. Temple Bar District and the Viking Medieval Area - These two areas sit adjacent to one another in the heart of Dublin along the River Liffy. Our hotel was directly across the river from these areas and we enjoyed spending time walking these narrow historic streets. To be clear, there is a specific bar called Temple Bar, but we are referring to the general area that is considered the Temple Bar District. If you are wanting to do some souvenir shopping or listen to authentic Irish folk music, then this area is the place for you. If you decide to go at night, expect it to be very crowded as the area is quite popular and the bars can get very rowdy.

2. Christ Church - This is the oldest medieval cathedral in Dublin and is certainly worth taking the time to visit. The exterior of the church is quite stunning and there are several features such as the statue of the Sleeping Jesus on a bench as well as the Armenian Genocide Memorial. The real highlight of touring the inside of the church is going to the tombs in the basement. Some of them are quite interesting, but the mummified cat and rat that were found together in one of the organ pipes is actually a little creepy.

3. Trinity College, the Book of Kells, and the Old Library - Although you can schedule your time to see a page turned in the Book of Kells, we just visited during another time of the day as we weren't that interested in the ceremonial act. The book is fascinating to see, but we enjoyed the library even more. The end of each of the stacks of books has a bust of famous philosophers or other person of historical significance. Not only is it beautiful, but it is a working library for the students of the university. Even if you don't decide to pay to tour the library and Book of Kells, the campus grounds are well worth taking the time to wander.

4. Kilmainham Gaol - This prison turned museum is famous for having housed the prisoners of the Irish rebellions. Because of its distinct architecture in the general prison ward, it has also served as the set for several famous movies. It is important to understand that the prison is more of a symbol of national pride than anything else and taking the tour is about learning about the uprisings and the people who led them. The tours sell out well in advance, so be sure to buy tickets ahead of time if you are planning on visiting.

5. Create Your Own Pub Crawl - If you are going to go to Dublin, you are going to have plenty of opportunities to sample alcohol. It isn't just about the pubs, though. There is also the Guinness Storehouse where you can get a perfectly poured pint, the Irish Whiskey Museum where you can get a delicious Irish Coffee or simply sample some local whiskies, and the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Any pub crawl has to include The Brazen Head, which is the oldest pub in Ireland and is also a restaurant serving traditional Irish food. We enjoyed sitting by the fireplace, having a couple of beers and talking about the wonderful time that we were having in Dublin. There are also a couple of unique pubs, such as a converted bank and a converted church that has a self-guided tour of the remaining church features.

Like many cities, Dublin also has a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour that is actually quite good and is an excellent way to see the sites around the city. As it can rain quite often in Dublin, it also provides a convenient way to get around while still staying dry. Dublin is such a wonderful city with so much to see, but these were some of the things that we truly enjoyed. Whatever you do, though, don't just stay in the city. The countryside of Ireland, with its unforgettably green grass and herds of sheep, will let you know why it is called the Emerald Isle.

To see photos or to get to more information about Dublin, visit: https://livingtheqlife.co/2018/03/09/top-five-things-to-do-in-dublin-ireland/

We are a couple of long term travelers about to explore Madagascar. My girlfriend and I have backpacked through 50 countries together. We have been in Africa for six months and learned a lot of lessons. A big one is that working as a team of four has huge benefits. It's the magic number, but 3 is good too!

With a small group we can share the cost of a private car, national park guides, watch out for each other, build friendships, and share experiences. It makes things a lot more affordable, generally easier, and more fun.

We are open to teaming up for all or parts of our trip so don't hesitate to contact us.

About us and our trip
-We are silly people and we laugh and smile a lot
-Trekking, climbing, and scuba diving are big passions for us
-We don't speak a lot of French but we can read it pretty well
-We are in Madagascar for 38 days
-We value independence and our itinerary is fluid
-We will mostly be staying at small budget hotels
-We have a tent, pads, sleeping bags, stove with us
-We prefer to cover less distance more thoroughly than to go a ton of places quickly

Let's have some fun!
-Scotty and Val

This post is as a result of a question I asked on Thorn Tree of the possibility of organising independent travel to the Simien Mountains and specifically arranging treks from Debark. It seemed there was a lack of up to date information on the matter, and when we visited Ethiopia in late November 2019, there seemed to be few, if any, independent travellers heading to the mountains on their own. Most seemed to be on tours.

We had wanted to visit independently and arrange the details when we reached Ethiopia. Our plan was to go to Debark by local bus then spend two or three days at a hotel there and do day hikes in the mountains from there. Sounded simple…until we arrived in Gondar.

There we were approached on every street corner by fixers and hustlers offering trips to the mountains. Basically these are young men acting as unofficial agents for the tour companies who run trips to the mountains.
All these companies seem to offer the same. Either a one day trip from Gondar, or a multi day trip which involves camping.
Given that the journey from Gondar to the park is at least three hours we didn't feel that a day of 6 hours in a car and a few in the mountains sounded much fun.We also didn't want to camp. It had rained every night we were in Ethiopia to that point (late November) and was chilly at night. We spoke to some Israelis who had done a 4 night camping trek the week before and they described it as very tough. Sub zero temperatures at night and everyone wrapped up in double sleeping bags at 6pm.
We therefore explained that we would prefer to make our own way to Debark and arrange transport from there. 'Impossible' – we were told by everyone we asked. Debark is a very small town and no one there has transport to the park. You have to arrange a trip from Gondar.
I therefore emailed Ras Dejen hotel in Debark where we intended to stay, and asked if they had a contact who could drive us to and within the park. They sent me a number (+251 91 873 1570). I never got the person's name but they quoted me 125 dollars per day for the vehicle. I replied that this seemed hugely expensive especially if we only travelled to Buyit Ras which is only about 20 km from Debark. They replied and said they could do Buyit Ras for 70 dollars but any further would be 125 USD. On top of that we'd need to pay park fees and fees for a scout.
I'd put out feelers amongst a few tour guides and fixers and eventually was contacted by Gismu who runs Simiens Trek. (Number +251 93 548 0330). He also told me that it would be very difficult to arrange transport in Debark. However, he gave us another option besides the one day trip or multi day camping.
For 300 dollars, he would provide transport from Gondar to Debark then 4x4 vehicle for two days hiking in the park and we could stay in a hotel as planned. The price would include park fees, guide and scout. We could either travel back to Gondar with the car after the 2nd day walk or stay another night and get the bus back. Given the uncertainty about the situation in Debark we decided to take this option.
The trip itself was fine. The driver was safe, the mountains spectacular and we were happy with the level of hikes we did. The guide didn't speak great English but I guess Gismu had to arrange this literally the day before, so maybe we didn't get his 'A' team. Bear in mind that guide, driver and scout all need tipping so estimate adding 10% to the quoted trip cost. Overall we were very happy with the experience for the price paid, though it was a lot more than we anticipated.
With regards possibilities to organise hiking in the SMNP yourself in Debark-
First of all, Debark isn't the small village the touts in Gondar would have you believe. It’s a busy, sizeable mountain town of 48,000 people.
It IS possible to arrange transport in Debark. With little effort I met a man at the National Park office in town and he offered a vehicle for around $100 per day as far as Sankaber and $150 if going further. To that cost, as a minimum you would need to also pay a scout and park entrance fees. His name was Bogale Abebe. Bogale.stefan@yahoo.com +251 918 23 52 04
Having seen the road into the park, I would say a normal car would be okay as far as Buyit Ras but after that you would definitely need a 4x4. I guess that goes some way to explaining those cost though it does still seem hugely expensive for Ethiopia.
Other options? You can walk from Debark to the park entrance in around 4 hours cross country (scout needed from town to show the way). However, that only gets you to the gate, it's another 6km to Simien Lodge where you start to get to the mountains proper. Therefore walking from Debark and back in a day isn't really feasible without putting in a lot of miles.
You could take a bajaj/ tuk tuk from town. It's about 15 km by road to the park gate, so not sure how much they would charge. Tuk tuks can go further into the park but the road would be very rough after the gate. I'm told it takes two hours to Simien Lodge. I also had conflicting info on whether the park would allow tourists in via tuk tuk. My guess is they would as long as you had a scout with you.
Trucks and local buses also travel through the park. I'm told it's unlikely a foreigner would be allowed on one of the buses though. Trucks may be more likely but it would be a case of hiding in the crowd on the back and jumping off somewhere in the park. You would then have no scout or guide, so would have to find your own way completely. Personally not something I'd risk.
In summary. It is feasible to travel to Debark independently , stay in a hotel there and do day hikes. However, the cost of renting a vehicle there seems roughly the same as in Gondar. Adding in the cost of guides and scouts, you will probably find that using a tour company in Gondar is about the same price and saves the hassle of using local buses to get to Debark. Unfortunately, most of the companies in Gondar will try to persuade you that their day trips or camping treks are the only options. Tell them you already have a hotel booked in Debark and they may then offer you an alternative, as happened with us.
For a contact in Debark who isn’t associated to any travel company and who is from a village in the mountains, so understands the area, contact Adlew +251 933 181780. He speaks excellent English and can maybe help to research further info on the above points closer to the time you travel, as the situation can always change.
Hope this helps future travellers as I found accurate info very hard to come by.