The Blonde Abroad

Popular travel and lifestyle blog featuring travel tips, fashion, food and photography from around the world. Follow Kiersten on her adventures!

An award-winning solo female travel blog featuring travel tips, packing guides, videos and photography from around the world. An award-winning solo female travel blog featuring travel tips, packing guides, videos and photography from around the world.

featured from the blog

Travel Bucket List
for 2024

 Learn More

The Ultimate Guide to Starting
a Successful Travel Blog

 Learn More

The Best Summer
Destinations in Europe

 Learn More

About Kiersten

You can call me Kiki! I'm a California native who left my career in corporate finance to explore the world. I split my home between South Africa and San Diego and have traveled to over 70 countries!

View the full story

travel for free

Learn how I use travel reward credit cards to book free flights and hotels around the world

Bucket List experiences

Road Trip
Solo Trip
Summer in Europe
African Safari
A Girls' Trip
Trips to Take in Your 30s
Backpack Southeast Asia
Go to a Festival

Explore By Destination

Click to expand

1 Africa
2 Asia
3 The Caribbean
4 Central America
5 Europe
6 The Middle East
7 North America
8 Oceania
9 South America
California
Africa Asia The Caribbean Central America Europe The Middle East North America Oceania South America

Packing Guides

Not sure what to pack for your next trip? I've put together packing guides and outfit inspiration for everything from tropical vacations to multi-day treks!

Read More
Whether you’re just starting out with photography or have been shooting for years, these easy-to-use photo filters will instantly add a beautiful aesthetic to all of your images! Whether you’re just starting out with photography or have been shooting for years, these easy-to-use photo filters will instantly add a beautiful aesthetic to all of your images!

As a female entrepreneur, I love helping other women with their businesses! Grow your blog, improve your photography skills and get tips from a fellow freelancer!

Instagram

Dia de Los Muertos in Oaxaca 🇲🇽💀🪅
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I’ve wanted to visit Oaxaca for as long as I can remember, and it was so special getting to be there for the days leading up to Dia de Los Muertos (celebrating my boo @kpande)!

Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated in different parts of Mexico, to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have passed on.

The festivities are colorful, joyful, and often humorous. Coming from a culture where the deceased are so quickly forgotten, I think this tradition is so beautiful.

Oaxaca is such a vibrant city with endless street art and incredible food. I can’t wait to return!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#oaxaca #mexico #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos

1671 46
Open
Dia de Los Muertos in Oaxaca 🇲🇽💀🪅 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I’ve wanted to visit Oaxaca for as long as I can remember, and it was so special getting to be there for the days leading up to Dia de Los Muertos (celebrating my boo @kpande)! Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated in different parts of Mexico, to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have passed on. The festivities are colorful, joyful, and often humorous. Coming from a culture where the deceased are so quickly forgotten, I think this tradition is so beautiful. Oaxaca is such a vibrant city with endless street art and incredible food. I can’t wait to return! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #oaxaca #mexico #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos

If you’re finding yourself here for the first time, welcome! I’m sharing my New England Road Trip (with a Toddler) series, and it’s Day 3 of our adventure! 🍂🍁
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I’m sharing some insider info on hiking the legendary Flume Gorge in New Hampshire.

We opted to stay in North Conway, NH and used it as a base to explore the White Mountains. We stayed at Kearsarge Inn and @oldvillagebakerynh was literally next door.

We grabbed some pastries and bagels for the road and drove about an hour to Flume Gorge– a 2.2-mile self-guided hike with covered bridges, amazing waterfalls, and gorgeous mountain views.

TIP: You need to book tickets with a dedicated time slot for entry to hike Flume Gorge. I did this about 2 months in advance given how busy the foliage season is here. So BOOK EARLY and ARRIVE EARLY.

Most people can do the hike in about 1.5 hrs, but I’d add an hour with young kids. We did lots of nature exploring and resting along the way.

TIP FOR YOUNG KIDDOS: Bring a baby carrier or hiking backpack! While this is rated a family-friendly hike, it wasn’t without some challenges with a toddler. I ended up carrying him on my shoulders for over a mile which was an adventure in itself.

I had bookmarked Artist’s Bluff Lookout and Polly’s Pancake Parlor to do after, but like with all plans with kids, they change as need. We opted to call it a day after the first hike but you can definitely add Artist’s Bluff to your day (it’s just a few minutes up the highway).

We did drive to Polly’s because pancakes sounded amazing, but the wait was 2.5 HOURS at 11am. So we passed.

We had a relaxed afternoon back in North Conway and went to @conwayscenicrailroad to watch the trains come into the depot. You can book a scenic ride too!

If you’re planning a similar road trip, you’re not gonna wanna miss Day 4 for arguably the MOST famous scenic byway in all of New England during the foliage season!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
@visitnh #fallroadtrip #fallfoliage #portlandmaine #newengland #autumn #visitnh #visitnewhampshire

754 17
Open
If you’re finding yourself here for the first time, welcome! I’m sharing my New England Road Trip (with a Toddler) series, and it’s Day 3 of our adventure! 🍂🍁 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I’m sharing some insider info on hiking the legendary Flume Gorge in New Hampshire. We opted to stay in North Conway, NH and used it as a base to explore the White Mountains. We stayed at Kearsarge Inn and @oldvillagebakerynh was literally next door. We grabbed some pastries and bagels for the road and drove about an hour to Flume Gorge– a 2.2-mile self-guided hike with covered bridges, amazing waterfalls, and gorgeous mountain views. TIP: You need to book tickets with a dedicated time slot for entry to hike Flume Gorge. I did this about 2 months in advance given how busy the foliage season is here. So BOOK EARLY and ARRIVE EARLY. Most people can do the hike in about 1.5 hrs, but I’d add an hour with young kids. We did lots of nature exploring and resting along the way.

TIP FOR YOUNG KIDDOS: Bring a baby carrier or hiking backpack! While this is rated a family-friendly hike, it wasn’t without some challenges with a toddler. I ended up carrying him on my shoulders for over a mile which was an adventure in itself. I had bookmarked Artist’s Bluff Lookout and Polly’s Pancake Parlor to do after, but like with all plans with kids, they change as need. We opted to call it a day after the first hike but you can definitely add Artist’s Bluff to your day (it’s just a few minutes up the highway).

We did drive to Polly’s because pancakes sounded amazing, but the wait was 2.5 HOURS at 11am. So we passed.

We had a relaxed afternoon back in North Conway and went to @conwayscenicrailroad to watch the trains come into the depot. You can book a scenic ride too! If you’re planning a similar road trip, you’re not gonna wanna miss Day 4 for arguably the MOST famous scenic byway in all of New England during the foliage season! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• @visitnh #fallroadtrip #fallfoliage #portlandmaine #newengland #autumn #visitnh #visitnewhampshire

The Ultimate Fall Foliage Itinerary for New England (toddler edition)! 🍁
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We flew in and out of Boston — and you’ll need to rent a car. This trip involves a lot of driving!

@Expedia is my go-to resource for travel— you can rent your car, book activities, and find amazing accommodation for your own trip to New England!

You can start your adventure in North Conway, in the white mountains of New Hampshire. This cute town is home to the Conway Scenic railway and is a great base to explore some of the best leaf peeping in the area.

You’ll want to book tickets for Flume Gorge months in advance—it’s a kid-friendly hike but still 2.2 miles and I definitely regretted not bringing a hiking carrier for Ollie.

Head out EARLY to drive the 34-mile Kancamagus Scenic Byway—there are tons of spots to stop along the byway, but we loved Sabbaday Falls for a short hike with big reward.

Next up, head to Woodstock, Vermont, and check into Woodstock Inn. This hotel sells out almost a full year in advance during foliage season, so plan ahead.

Don’t miss a maple creamy from Woodstock Scoops or a visit to Billings Farm.

The entire drive through Vermont is SO beautiful. On your way to the town of Stowe, stop for some apple picking, and don’t miss Hollow Cider for cider donuts.

Stay at the Trapp family lodge (owned by the REAL family from the Sound of Music). This is such a great spot for kids. They have tons of farm animals like highland cattle and sheep. Stowe is famously known for its crowds this time of year, so if you want to avoid them, base yourself here, take in the incredible views, and go on hikes directly on the property.

Stay at the Trapp family lodge (owned by the REAL family from the Sound of Music). They have tons of farm animals like highland cattle and sheep. There’s a beer hall, bakery, and even hiking trails on the property—so you can avoid the crowds in town. It’s also located near the Smuggler’s Notch mountain pass.

End your trip by driving back to Boston and spending a couple of days exploring one of the most historic (and kid-friendly) cities in America!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#newengland #autumn

729 26
Open
The Ultimate Fall Foliage Itinerary for New England (toddler edition)! 🍁 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• We flew in and out of Boston — and you’ll need to rent a car. This trip involves a lot of driving! @Expedia is my go-to resource for travel— you can rent your car, book activities, and find amazing accommodation for your own trip to New England! You can start your adventure in North Conway, in the white mountains of New Hampshire. This cute town is home to the Conway Scenic railway and is a great base to explore some of the best leaf peeping in the area. You’ll want to book tickets for Flume Gorge months in advance—it’s a kid-friendly hike but still 2.2 miles and I definitely regretted not bringing a hiking carrier for Ollie. Head out EARLY to drive the 34-mile Kancamagus Scenic Byway—there are tons of spots to stop along the byway, but we loved Sabbaday Falls for a short hike with big reward. Next up, head to Woodstock, Vermont, and check into Woodstock Inn. This hotel sells out almost a full year in advance during foliage season, so plan ahead. Don’t miss a maple creamy from Woodstock Scoops or a visit to Billings Farm. The entire drive through Vermont is SO beautiful. On your way to the town of Stowe, stop for some apple picking, and don’t miss Hollow Cider for cider donuts. Stay at the Trapp family lodge (owned by the REAL family from the Sound of Music). This is such a great spot for kids. They have tons of farm animals like highland cattle and sheep. Stowe is famously known for its crowds this time of year, so if you want to avoid them, base yourself here, take in the incredible views, and go on hikes directly on the property. Stay at the Trapp family lodge (owned by the REAL family from the Sound of Music). They have tons of farm animals like highland cattle and sheep. There’s a beer hall, bakery, and even hiking trails on the property—so you can avoid the crowds in town. It’s also located near the Smuggler’s Notch mountain pass. End your trip by driving back to Boston and spending a couple of days exploring one of the most historic (and kid-friendly) cities in America! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #newengland #autumn