BY Gugulethu Tshabalala
Tapiwa Risai Kahari is a digital content creator and travel blogger on her platform, Risai Wanders. She is also a photographer and a vlogger. A former lawyer, she recently pivoted and is much happier with her new career choice that keeps her busy visiting exotic destinations and sharing her xplorations on her growing platforms.
What was your most recent trip and how long were you away for?
I am an avid traveller who loves experiencing and seeing the world. My recent trip was a 3-month-long trip through Europe. I got to visit Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Zurich, Amsterdam and Berlin. It was a cold, wet but adventurous three months that exposed me to so many different cultures.
Was it for business or pleasure, or a combination of both?
The trip was for pleasure. After resigning from my job, my partner and I decided to do a mini Euro-trip whilst we were getting ready to relocate to Cape Town.
Who did you travel with?
I travelled with my boyfriend and it was a lot of fun.
What was your favourite part about your holiday?
It was definitely visiting Paris and I completely fell in love with that city. It felt so warm and welcoming. I finally understood why they call it the city of love. You will fall in love with the city itself, its beautiful buildings and the famous monuments, the quaint cafes. To be honest, Paris is a feeling and everything about it was my favourite.
Is there anything you wish you did differently?
I wished we had gone in summer instead of winter. I was hit by seasonal depression in month two because of how grey, cold, and wet it was. I wanted to be in bed all day instead of gallivanting. I wish I didn’t miss my Paris photoshoot but sleep won the battle.
What touristy things did you get up to and what was the overall experience?
In Paris we included the Eiffel tour, Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum in our itinerary. We made sure to get those touristy things out of the way the first 48 hours. The experience was great. The Notre Dame however was still closed and could only be viewed from the outside. I highly recommend going up the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph for the best views of the city. We found the Louvre Museum to be very overwhelming and visiting the Mona Lisa to be extremely chaotic, go with lots of patience.
In Brussels I skipped the touristy excursions of beer and waffles, but enjoyed going to the Grand-Place de Bruxelles which boasts the most beautiful building compared to all the other squares I visited. I loved walking around the city centre and looking for the comic illustrations. Those who don’t know the surfs and Tin Tin originate from Belgium. I went to the chocolate museum, and I have to admit that Switzerland still has the best chocolate in the world.
Amsterdam was a repeat visit for me because my sister lives there, so there was nothing touristy done in that portion of the trip. I just spent time with my sister, brother in law and their energetic puppy named Tommy. However, we visited cities close to Amsterdam, Haarlem and Rotterdam, for a day.
Berlin was a longer stay for us, and also a repeat visit. Once again, I experienced a few touristy excursions from the Bradenburg Gate, Berliner Dom, Berlin Cathedral, Berlin Wall Memorial, Victory Column and the Berliner Fernsehturm.
What was the best thing you ate on your trip and what did you splurge on?
I ate a lamb pastry from a restaurant my sister and brother in law recommended in Amsterdam called Floor 17. That lamb pastry was really delicious and the flavour combination was immaculate.
I am not much of splurging person, I was there just to enjoy winter in Europe and make it out without dying from the cold.
Would you advise someone to go and if so, what should they do differently to you?
I always encourage everyone to do a Euro trip once in their lives, but must go in summer unless they thrive in winter. The warmer weather is more inviting and you also have more daylight hours because the sun sets after 9pm. You get to see and do more in the sunshine.
What websites or services did you find the most helpful for planning/booking your trip?
When it comes to planning my trips I really like using Pinterest, the travel bloggers have so much on there which is so helpful. I also use TikTok to see things to do. When it comes to booking the trip, I use skyscanner for flights and for accommodation I book through either Bookings.com or Airbnb, depending on my mood for the trip.
What advice would you give someone going there for the first time?
Since I went to a lot of places on that trip, plan ahead of time and apply for your visa well in advance. I would also say that have fun and pay attention to the local news because sometimes the trains stop working or go on strike etc.
