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The Best Naxos Beaches

August 27, 2020

Many people say that Naxos has the best beaches in Greece and I would have to agree with them. Not only are the Naxos beaches amazingly beautiful but there are many to choose from. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and is accessible by ferry and plane. It is an excellent alternative to the more popular Santorini.

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Beaches in Greece can be either organized or unorganized. Organized usually means they are maintained and have umbrellas, chairs, and sometimes restrooms. Most of them have several tavernas or bars serving food and drinks. Unorganized means there are no facilities. Unorganized ones are usually further out of town but are usually less crowded. A few of the unorganized ones will still have a taverna or two but not always.

Agios Georgios

Agios Georgios beach or Saint George is the beach right in the central town. You can walk there from the center in about 15 minutes or stay right next to the beach and walk there in less than 2 minutes. The beach is a good size and has plenty of options for tavernas and bars. The umbrellas and chairs are usually run by one of the restaurants or bars. Prices vary, and some will let you use them for free if you purchase something.

The water is shallow closer to town, and it gets deeper further down the beach. Although it can be windy further down near the lagoon.

The section that is shallow is shallow for quite a ways out, and you can walk out far before the water gets above your waist. Given that it is so close to town, the beach is more crowded than some others. The sand is also packed down until you get further away from town.

Agios Prokopios

Agios Prokopios beach is the first beach out of town. The water here is stunning. It is the perfect shade of turquoise that reminds me of the Caribbean. The sand is golden and soft although not fine sand. The beach is organized and is long, so there are lots of choices of places to sun yourself all day.

To get to this beach take the bus from Naxos Town. The bus driver will announce the stops. You purchase your tickets from the bus station in Naxos town. You should buy a return ticket as well. If you have rented a car, there is public parking about a 10-minute walk from the beach. The parking is before the beach.

Agios Prokopios beach is my favorite beach in Naxos. The water depth is perfect and it is long and wide. This usually means that no matter how crowded it is, you will be able to find a spot to sunbath in.

Agia Anna

Not far from Agios Prokopios is Agia Anna beach. This beach is small, but the water is shallow making it a great place for kids and snorkeling. The beach is surrounded by cedar trees, so the unorganized part has shade. There is an organized section of the beach as well.

Agia Anna is also reachable by bus from Naxos Town. The public parking for this Naxos beach is near the end of the beach. The entrance is not easy to see due to the trees though.

Plaka

Plaka beach is one of the longest beaches in Naxos. The sand is fine and soft. The water is deeper here and has incredible color. Most of Plaka beach is organized, and you have many options of where to sit. The umbrellas and chairs are usually run by restaurants behind the beach and offer their full menu on the beach. Plaka beach provides excellent views of Paros and the ferries running to and from Naxos.

The bus also runs to Plaka and offers several different stops along the way. If you drive you should know that after Agia Anna the road changes to a sand road. The road is compacted so any car can drive on it. The road gets more narrow here, and you may need to go one at a time through some sections. My advice is to drive slowly. A good place to park is behind Picasso on the Beach restaurant.

Orkos

I hadn’t heard of Orkos beach and only spotted it on my road trip to discover all the Naxos beaches. I noticed it because it was so pretty. The beach is smaller than many of the other beaches, and it is unorganized, but it is worth visiting. Orkos has thick sand so you won’t have fine sand all over you.

There is no bus access to Orkos so you will have to rent a car to get here. You can walk from Plaka if it isn’t too hot.

Mikri Vigla

Mikri Vigla is known for being the spot for kitesurfer and windsurfers in Naxos. Of course, you don’t have to be a kitesurfer or windsurfer to enjoy this beautiful beach. The sand is fine white soft sand. The beach is organized, but the umbrellas and chairs are few, so arrive early if you want one.

The bus does go to Mikri Vigla from Naxos town. It is also accessible by car, and there is parking along the road. The Naxos buses don’t run to many beaches in the winter so if you travel to Naxos in the off-season, you will need to rent a car.

Kastraki

If you seek fewer crowds, then Kastraki beach is the beach for you! Due to its distance from town and the fact that it is a larger beach means there are fewer people and they are spread apart. The beach has beautiful soft white sand. While the beach is organized there are not many umbrellas and chairs. I recommend you bring your own so you can enjoy the quieter parts.

You can drive or take the bus to Kastraki. There is a large parking area that is unpaved right next to the beach. You will have to walk through some small dunes to get to the actual beach so make sure you have shoes on to protect your feet from the hot sand.

Pirgaki

Another beach that is less crowded due to its location is Pirgaki. Although it isn’t any less beautiful than the other beaches. It can get windy on this beach, but offers great views and is frequented by windsurfers. The beach is organized but with a few umbrellas and chairs. There are a few cafes, but you might want to bring some drinks and snacks of your own just in case.

The bus from Naxos Town goes Pirgaki although not as often as the other buses. You can also reach Pirgaki by car.

Glyfada

This small beach is very pretty and very popular with the windsurfers and kitesurfers. There are few hotels nearby so you might find an umbrella or two to rent but best be prepared to bring your own. The sand is a nice fine white sand.

You will need a car to reach Glyfada beach as there is no bus service. There is a parking lot right by the beach, though.

Alyko

Alyko beach is an unorganized beach, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from visiting! It is one of the largest beaches on Naxos and is made up of three beach coves. It is less busy than other beaches and offers great views of the sunset. The rocks and cedar trees help shield this beach from the winds.

You can reach Alyko by bus. It will drop you at the second beach of Alyko, called Hawaii beach. You can also drive and park along the road or between the cedar trees.

At Alyko beach, you will find some street art in an unfinished abandoned hotel. The artist is Wild Drawings from Indonesia. Every few years, he returns and adds new pieces, so it is worth it to visit each time you go to the beautiful beaches of Naxos.

Naxos Buses

As I have mentioned, many of the Naxos beaches are accessible by bus. However, the schedule is different for some seasons, and you should check the website for the most up to date timetables. If you are staying near the beaches and not in Naxos town, you can usually purchase your tickets at the mini-markets near the bus stop.

Naxos Hotels

I wish I had booked a week at the beach and then moved to town. Most of the beaches here have hotels or studios to stay in right across from the beach, which makes Naxos travel for beaches easy! Click here to check your options and rates.

Have I missed your favorite Naxos beach? Tell me which one in the comments!

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Greece, Travel

One Year Living in Greece

August 24, 2020

This week marks one year of living in Greece. The year has not gone as expected for so many reasons! I am sure many of us are feeling that way about 2020, though. This year has tested my patience, made me question my decisions, brought new opportunities and new friends.

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What happened in Naxos

The plan all along was to live on the island of Naxos. Island life is what appealed to me about Greece. Life on a Greek island is slow, and the beach is always nearby.

However, finding an apartment on an island that is slowly bringing more and more tourists every year made it hard to find an apartment. Many apartments have been converted to Airbnbs, and landlords want you leave during the summer months.

There is no central real estate listing in Greece, and on the island, they tend not to use internet listings. This meant endless asking around and looking for these bright yellow stickers that had for rent listing on them, in Greek!

After some weeks of bouncing around hotels and Airbnbs, I found a studio apartment. The rent was a great price, and the location was perfect. It was in the center of town and about a 10 minute walk to the beach. I thought all was well.

Then after about two weeks, my landlady complained about my air conditioning usage. I wasn’t quite sure why since I was paying for electricity. I found out later that it was because her and her husband’s bedroom was right above the unit, and they slept with their windows open. Long story short, I moved out. Back to a hotel I went!

Resident Permit Issues

All during this time, I was trying to get an appointment with the Alien’s (Immigration) office, which is on another island. The phone would ring, and ring and sometimes no one would answer. Then if they did answer, they didn’t speak English.

Friends who speak Greek called, and either couldn’t get someone to pick up, or they wouldn’t help them either. It was a nightmare.

Between never getting anyone on the phone at the office and my lack of long term accommodation, I decided that Athens might be a better option even if that meant not living near the beach and my friends. I returned to Athens in late October with a plan to go to Spain for about a month to think.

My one extra suitcase went into storage in Athens, and in November, I headed to a co-living space in Spain.

One Month turns into Two

Once I got to Spain, I had a great time and really didn’t want to stop traveling. After the co-living space, I spent another ten days in Valencia. Although some of that time was not supposed to be spent there, a train strike in France change my plans to take a train all the way from Valencia to Amsterdam.

Eventually, I made it to Amsterdam for Christmas. I had secured a pet sitting job in exchange for a place to stay, and Amsterdam is very expensive, so I was glad to have this option. Plus, the two kitties I watch were adorable and were 19 years old!

I spent Christmas Day wandering the Van Gogh museum and eating at Christmas markets. All the while reveling in the fact that I was traveling again and really not wanting to face up to the things I need to do back in Greece. So I went to Germany for New Years’. One of my friends from the co-living space invited me to stay with her for a while, and I got to see a small part of Germany, a new country for me.

Back to Greece

Knowing me, I could have kept running around Europe forever. My desire for a Greece resident permit brought me back to reality, and I returned to Athens in early January.

The apartment hunt began again. This time there was much more online, but good luck getting someone to write you back, and I couldn’t call since I knew almost no one in Athens to help me translate. I ended up taking the second place I saw as it was in my desired neighborhood.

Hindsight is 2020, though, and now I wish I had looked longer and found a place that was cheaper and had a balcony. This all revealed itself in March when the world changed forever again.

I contacted a lawyer right away to get the resident permit sorted, but due to his fees, I delayed so I could save up some money. That was probably a mistake, but again I had no idea what was coming.

Lockdown in Greece

Blaring emergency notices came out from my American and Greek phones one evening announcing that we would be going into lockdown starting March 23 at 6 AM due to COVID-19. We had already had one emergency alert a week before telling us to be cautious, and much was closed already.

I had been dating someone, so he quickly came over to bring me food and give me a hug. He was one of the few people I knew in Athens, so I felt overwhelmed with the thought of being alone for an unknown amount of time. Not only that, but now my resident permit was going to be delayed because the office was closed.

There were many days of thinking I had made the wrong decision to be here and whether or not I should return to the US. Ultimately I decided to stay. The guy I was seeing broke it off in the middle of all this, leaving me even more alone. I took many walks around my neighborhood to cope.

Freedom!

In late May, Greece lifted our strict restrictions on going out, and while there wasn’t much open, I could go for further walks. In June, restaurants could let people sit outside, and I started to make friends.

It took to a few more months to get all the offices opening and working in Greece and much of their processes online. Just last Friday, I learned I have an appointment for my resident permit interview. Ironically, one day after my visa expires!

What I have Learned

One of the biggest things is to learn to have more patience or at least to tell myself to be patient. With the delays of the resident permit, I have learned that I just need to let things work themselves out since they are beyond my control anyway. This is still hard for me.

Greece operates on its own timeline, and I knew that, but now I know it usually works out in the end.

Good things can come from bad experiences. During lockdown, I started doing weekly vlogs on my very small YouTube channel. These were a big hit, and while my channel is still very small, it has grown into something I really enjoy. I am teaching myself about filming, editing and YouTube.

Despite what you might think, I have always been an introvert. Coming out of lockdown turned me into a person who wanted to go out all the time. I am just starting to return to my introvert ways, which might be good since cases of COVID-19 are increasing here daily.

Being away from my family has been hard, but we talk a lot which we always have. My mom has learned to text better, and even send photos to me!

In one way, I am grateful to the virus. My best friend had been terminally ill for several years when I left. I had hoped that when I left, she had a few more years left. However, I was wrong, and she passed away in July.

This was my biggest fear of going away and that I wouldn’t be there to say goodbye. COVID-19 made it impossible to go home, and ultimately her family decided to only have immediate family at the funeral, and to broadcast it live on Facebook. So I was able to attend all the way from Greece. It wasn’t the same, but I was grateful for this small comfort. Her family also allowed me to write her obituary as my final gift to her.

The last year of living in Greece was nothing like I expected and I think that is the biggest lesson of all. Expect the unexpected, and when the unexpected comes, go with the flow.

What is Happening to the Blog

A few people have asked me about the blog since I haven’t written anything in so long. With travel being suspended in most of the world, it didn’t seem right to keep writing about travel, and then I stopped traveling.

For now, I will only be traveling in Greece and plan on sharing those experiences here again soon. The blog is not going away, but there will be fewer posts than in a normal year. My traffic had tanked, and while I thought this was the year I was going to make a profit on the blog, I hope that I can rollover the small successes from this year into 2021! I hope you will join me over on my YouTube channel as well.

Wishing you all health and happiness. Stay safe

Travel

Armchair Travel with Live Webcams Around the World

April 13, 2020

With all of us stuck at home, I wanted to provide a way for you to travel virtually. When I am researching places, I often look at webcams of the area to get an idea of what it looks like. Many locations have multiple webcams as well. I have asked travel bloggers to share with us so we can do some armchair travel with live webcams around the world.

 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Keep in mind the webcams may go down from time to time for maintenance or lack of internet. They usually come back up quickly. Also, not all of them are live 24 hours a day because they don’t have adequate lighting at night.

Europe

Naxos, Greece Webcams

My favorite Greek island, Naxos, has several webcams around the main tourist areas. Naxos is one of the larger Cycladic Islands and has many beautiful beaches. The port is a lively area during the day and at night. I have even called my family while standing in front of one, so they could go see me in real-time there, which I can’t wait to do again.

You can watch the ferries come and go. Some ferries are even running during the lockdown because the islands still get supplies this way. Check out the beach cam to see the waves and the sun.

Webcams of the Basque Surfing Spots from Ethno Travels

Did you know that the Basque Country is the birthplace of surf in Europe? It was introduced in Biarritz by two Californian guys, Dick Zanuck and Peter Viertel, in 1956.

Nowadays, from Anglet to Hendaye at the Spanish border, the Basque Country has several famous surf spots, giving us some of the greatest webcam views! You can find them on Quicksilver’s website here.

From North to South, you will find:
1. Anglet, with the view of Biarritz lighthouse.

2. Biarritz la grande plage. You will see the other side of the lighthouse. On the right, you can see a small part of l’Hôtel du Palais. This magnificent building, now one of the rare palace hotels in France, was built by Napoleon III as a summer residence for his wife, Eugenie de Montijo! When Napoleon arrived, Biarritz was only a tiny fisherman harbor. Thanks to his influence, most of the European Princes and Emperors of Europe built a summer residence here.

3. Biarritz la Côte des Basques. This is the place that was surfed for the first time in 1956! On the right, you can watch the Virgin’s Rock and Villa Belza, built as a Casino for Russians escaping the Revolution and now a residence for celebrities.

4. Saint Jean de Luz Sainte Barbe et grande plage will offer you some of the best views of the little town where King Louis XIV was married. You will see the seafront with its small houses, the Pyrenees mountains, the town of Ciboure where Maurice Ravel was born, Socoa Fortress, the dikes, and Sainte Barbe hill.

5. Parlementia Bidart center, Guéthary, is the favorite spot of the 1998 World Champion football player Bixente Lizarazu, who was born here.

6. Hendaye plage & Deux Jumeaux. The two rocks on the right are strangely called “deux jumeaux,” “two twins” in English. They are the departure point of one of the most scenic road here: the cliff road from Hendaye to Saint Jean de Luz.

Abbey Road from Where You’re Between

Throughout the 1960s, The Beatles regularly turned fairly mundane places into world-famous landmarks.

Two of the most famous examples are in the band’s home city of Liverpool. A garden called Strawberry Fields and a suburban street called Penny Lane were both used for song titles. The songs became two of their biggest hits, and both places still draw an army of tourists to this day.

In 1969, the Beatles needed a title for what would be their next album. They toyed with the idea of calling it, Everest. They even considered flying to the Himalayas for a photoshoot in front of the world’s tallest mountain.

Ultimately they decided to name the album after the street outside their recording studio. The album’s iconic cover shows all four Beatles walking across the zebra crossing on Abbey Road, in St John’s Wood in northwest London.

Just yards away from the front steps of EMI Studios in London – where The Beatles recorded almost all of their music – Abbey Road’s zebra crossing has been a mecca for the band’s fans ever since. For decades fans from all over the world have flocked to the world’s most famous zebra crossing.

A webcam faces the zebra crossing from outside Abbey Road Studios. The camera regularly captures Beatles’ fans posing as they attempt to recreate the album’s famous cover, often to the annoyance of waiting drivers.

Prague Old Town from Travel Geekery

This webcam of the Old Town Square in Prague streams from the Hotel U Prince. You can see the Old Town Tower with the Astronomical clock. If you look close enough, you’ll notice some movement of the clock on the hour. Normally, it’s a time when the whole area under the clock gets crowded with eager tourists. Nowadays, it’s eerily quiet.

The majestic church on the right side is the Church of Mother of God before Týn, or “Týn Church” for short. It’s hiding behind some architectural gems of houses. The one that looks like a small tower itself is the Stone Bell House, and you can find the Prague City Gallery inside.

Other than the occasional pedestrians strolling through, you can see pigeons reclaiming their territory on the roofs and the beautiful play of light and shadows.

St. Petersburg, Russia from Travel Cultura

Let’s have a look at Palace Square — the main square of St Petersburg, Russia.

The webcam is installed at the top of one of the buildings surrounding the square. Due to this location, we can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the city. Thus, we see the building of the Hermitage Museum. It’s also known as Winter Palace, former residence of Russian Emperors.

The museum is a must-see place in St Petersburg. I suppose that most tourists coming to the city visit the Hermitage.

Another camera shows the yard of the Hermitage Museum. What for?

The Hermitage is an extremely popular museum in St Petersburg. During the peak tourist season, lines on the entrance can be very long. And usually, the Hermitage Museum uses this webcam to show how long the lines are. Thus, we can check if it’s reasonable to go to the Hermitage Museum right now, or it’s better to postpone the visit.

Bansko, Bulgaria from A Social Nomad

The webcams in Bansko, Bulgaria, will show you to ski areas and the ski conditions, while its winter season, but also what the weather is like in the summer, which is an amazing time to visit Bansko!

Bansko is Bulgaria’s largest ski resort, but it’s also an incredible town to explore the mountains of Bulgaria during all seasons. You’ll find great hiking, fabulous mountain biking, amazing fresh food, and amazing local life. Here you’ll find the most amazing tomatoes, incredible cheese, and fresh river trout. In the mountains, which you can access easily from Bansko, you can experience crowd-free hiking, hot springs, and great fresh air and a superb mountain experience.

While the Bansko webcams are a great way to see what’s happening on the mountain, what you’ll miss is the friendliness of the local welcome and the amazing taste of the local food. So, when you can, come to visit, because you’ll always be welcome.

Stonehenge from Live in 10 Countries

If you’ve ever wanted to get a perfect view of Stonehenge, free from tourists, poor weather, barriers, or crowds, English Heritage’s fabulous skyscape webcam is the way to go. No entry fee either!

Don’t get me wrong, visiting the real thing is a great experience too – especially during the unmissable solstice celebrations, but sitting back in the comfort of your home and clicking a link is hard to beat!

Set in the heart of the stone circle, the camera shows you star alignments and astronomical information, perfect for anyone interested in the monument’s history and possible meaning to the people who built it. And you can cycle back though previous hours on the cam’s timeline to see the movement of the sun and the shifting views of the stones.

The Eiffel Tower from World in Paris

If you are missing the French capital and its main sights, you should know that there are many ways of visiting Paris without leaving home.

For example, you can watch the Eiffel Tower through its live webcam and see how it still lights up every evening from sunset to 1 am (2 am during the three months of summer). This webcam is facing the Eiffel Tower, so you get an amazing view of the Iron Lady, especially at night when it shines.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic sights in Paris, and one of the most popular spots for taking pictures. Therefore, this live webcam is very popular amongst professional photographers who tend to head to Trocadéro at sunrise to take pictures with fewer crowds. In order not to be disappointed, they can check live if the weather is good – not cloudy – from home before deciding to go or not to go.

Madiera from SolarPoweredBlonde

Madeira really is a place where the weather changes from one second to the next. One minute you can be in boiling sun, the next minute you are engulfed in thick fog and clouds and cold! Therefore, the webcams on the island are crucial to planning your day. This is also because the weather can vary so much around the island.

One of the most useful webcams on the island is the webcam at Pico do Arieiro. This is the most incredible hike at the highest peak which is best done at sunrise. However, if you go at sunset then use this webcam to decide whether it is too foggy or whether it will be a good day to hike. On a foggy day you won’t see anything on the webcam and even more so in real life! On a good day, you will see rolling hills and incredible views, with clouds below. As you watch the sunrise here you are literally above the clouds and the sun will pop up over the clouds and you will never forget this moment!

North America

Hawaii from This Hawaii Life

Looking to get away for a brief moment and seeing what it’s like? How about a tropical getaway – Waikiki beach, to be exact, and this webcam shows you how beautiful it is on the beach day and night for you to just indulge in and enjoy like you were there. The webcam is taken from above at the Hilton Hawaiian village, looking down on Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head in the background. It’s an iconic view of the beach, coastline, and view of the beach all the way to beautiful Diamond Head. When you are looking to pretend to get away and enjoy the nice sandy beach and people watching on Waikiki beach, take a moment and check out this magnificent view.

When you get a chance to visit Oahu and Honolulu, check out this post on the top things you can do in Honolulu and the surrounding area for images and inspiration to planning a visit to the islands.

San Diego from Coleman Concierge

San Diego Beaches are the epitome of California dreaming. Blue water, soft sand, and the perfect hybrid of hippy and Hispanic. I long for a beaches and brew tour of America’s Finest City, but for now, I’ll have to dream through the lens of a beach webcam.

All of these cameras remind me of when we lived on Pacific Beach. Surfing at Law Street, biking the boardwalk at Mission Beach, paddling on Mission Bay, or taking in the cool hippy vibe of Ocean Beach. If we felt like taking our bikes just a little further, we would visit the sea lions in La Jolla. If we ever took our car out, it was to watch surfing at Imperial Beach or the luxury yacht traffic cruise San Diego Harbor.

San Diego beaches always make me smile. They’re so alive with activity from surfing to smashball on the sand. You never knew what a trip to the beach would uncover. It was always a surprise and usually beautiful.

Times Square from Gourmand Trotter

Times Square in New York is one of the most crowded places in the United States and worldwide. It is usually full of people from early mornings to late at night. It is famous for its huge billboards and advertisements, as well as being a commercial intersection and entertainment center in New York City. It goes from West 42nd to West 47th Streets and has even been given the nickname “The Crossroads of the World.” More than 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on a busy day, and with 50 million visitors annually, it’s very strange to watch live cams from Times Square at this moment.

A place that is usually full of crowds is now almost deserted with little to no people. It looks like something taken from a horror movie, but this is the reality now. There are lots of live cams from various angles at Times Square, and now is a great time to travel there virtually and experience it without the crowds.

One of the best live cams to see Times Square in real-time can be found here.

New York City Skyline

This my current webcam obsession. The photographer, Joseph DiGiovanna, bought an apartment in New Jersey to set up a 30 year timelapse of the New York City skyline! The camera is permanently set up in his living room. Every sunrise and sunset, he has been going live on Instagram as well. The project is called NYC TimeScape. The live webcam stream can be found here.

During the arrival of the USS Comfort Hospital Ship, he had several views happening all at once between Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. Twitch is where the main live stream occurs, though. He has already been filming for almost five years. I recommend going and checking out his YouTube and Instagram for complications of the live feed.

Yellowstone National Park from Explore More Clean Less

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular parks in the United States, full of diverse geological features and lots of wildlife. Covering over 3400 square miles, Yellowstone is found in three different states: Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming! Old Faithful is one of the most famous landmarks in the park, erupting regularly multiple times throughout the day (typically between 45 minutes- 2 hours apart).

If you haven’t visited, you might not realize that Old Faithful is actually a part of a larger geyser basin with approximately 500 active geysers. You can observe Old Faithful and other nearby geysers without the acrid sulfur smell via their live-streaming web cam! When the park is open, they update the website with predicted eruption times but outside that season you just have to be patient and get lucky. Keep an eye out for buffalo and other wildlife who might wander through the geyser field! If you’re inspired to take a real trip in the future, read these tips for visiting Yellowstone before you start planning.

Asia

Shibuya Crossing from Wander-Lush

Shibuya Crossing, AKA ‘The Shibuya Scramble,’ is the world’s single busiest pedestrian crossing and a Tokyo icon. While there’s no substitute for being in the thick of the hustle and bustle, it’s almost as satisfying to watch the organized chaos from afar.

Eyes on Shibuya Crossing is one of the most hypnotizing and addictive live webcams anywhere in the world. The camera is perfectly positioned to capture the five pedestrian walkways that make up the crossroad outside Shibuya Station, a popular stop on the city metro line. You might recognize the view from a number of travel films set in Japan, including Lost in Translation.

The lights cycle through every two minutes, and a crowd of up to 2,500 people moves like a wave through the crossroads. Most people walk with Tokyo-like purpose; others float through the junction. You could say it’s the ultimate people-watching experience! It’s especially interesting to watch at this time because the crowds are noticeably sparse.

Japan’s Jigokudani Monkey Park from Webcam Traveler

As the publisher of a blog called Webcam Traveler, I have been researching webcams for a long time. My all-time favorite webcam is the one I heard about first–the webcam focused on the snow monkeys (also known as the Japanese macaques) in Japan’s Jigokudani Monkey Park.

They are particularly fun to watch because they like hanging out in the area’s natural hot tubs. There they sometimes loll, but mostly groom each other, continuously. The adult monkeys have red faces and bottoms and can be ill-tempered. I recently took my first trip to Japan and had the exciting pleasure of visiting them on their home turf. In fact, my husband, who did not accompany me, was able to sync his iPhone with mine and actually tune in to the webcam at the time I was visiting and see me. That was quite the thrill.

Africa

Kruger National Park from The Travelling Chili

Kruger National Park is the largest and the most visited safari park in South Africa. A very wide diversity of wildlife can be seen while visiting the park; however, the webcams in Kruger National Park are strategically located at various waterholes and provide an excellent remote view on wildlife coming for a drink to cool down or take a bath.

Both the live stream cams in Kruger National Park are located at waterholes in the central part of the park, in Satara and Orpen, where lots of large herds of animals as well as the big cats are plentiful.

With the open plains, the webcams can provide a great overview of the surrounding areas where animals are often waiting their turn to go for a drink safely.

Also, have a look at the still cam from the Punda Maria waterhole. This waterhole receives lots of wildlife, especially during the dry season, from July to December. This particular waterhole is known to receive large family groups of elephants with lots of babies.

Similar to a safari, try not to miss anything or any animals that might be sitting in between the foliage. You might see one of the rarer species.

So don’t miss out on the experience of a lifetime by viewing and observing animal behavior in their natural environment and creating your own National Geographic channel from the comfort of your own sofa.

Australia

Blue Mountains from Globe Blogging

Katoomba’s Scenic World is a prime Blue Mountains attraction, perched on the top of a cliff looking down on the Jamison Valley. It is home to a number of local attractions, including the Scenic Skyway, a cable car that travels across the valley at a height of 270metres. It arrives on the other side close to the world-famous Three Sisters.

It is here that a live webcam located on top of Scenic World’s main building points, on a clear day offering views across the valley and the Three Sisters basking in the sunlight on the left-hand side of the image. For travelers to the Blue Mountains, its also an excellent live check of the current weather conditions in Katoomba. I’ve used it to check whether it is snowing before I take the drive up the mountain to see.

Worldwide

Wildlife Webcams from FlipFlopGlobetrotters

Wildlife webcams are an awesome way to see more of the world from the comfort of your own home. And there are some fantastic wildlife cams to be found. It’s almost as good as going on a real safari! Used to the fast pace of tv shows and the continuous narration in documentaries, watching a wildlife cam may seem a bit boring at first. But, just like going on a real safari, the wait is part of the excitement.

The quality of the cams isn’t always the best, but you can see the animals pretty well, and they include sound, which really adds to the experience. Some of the cams also film during the night.

The live cams of Explore.org show over 100 different streams, so there’s plenty of choice. My favorites are the cams that show African wildlife. How cool to see the elephants bathe at the Tau Waterhole in the Madikwe Game Reserve on the border of South Africa and Botswana. And just this morning, I saw lions and hippos in Kenya and watched gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Kongo. All the cams offer information about their exact location and some details about what you might see.

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Travel

Life in Greece at This Time

March 22, 2020

Update August 26, 2020. We came out of full lockdown on May 4 but many things were closed. Most everything is open except for indoor movie theaters and masks are mandatory inside.

 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Update November 2021. We went back into lockdown.

No one wants to read another article about the horrible c-word, I know! However, many of my readers only read my content here and not on social media. This includes many of my friends. So in an effort to make sure you know I am all okay, I thought this would be a much simpler option.

Greece Precautions

Greece is not in total lockdown yet. The government has been proactive in trying to stay ahead of this virus. Three weeks ago, Carnival was canceled as I was on a ferry to Naxos to celebrate it. Then last week, they asked us, in an emergency alert, to stay home as much as possible.

Two weeks ago, I had been out at a crowded bar thinking this was almost over. China had it under control and many other Asian countries did as well. By that weekend, everything had changed. Bars, restaurants, clubs and many other social establishments had been ordered to close.

When it got serious in Italy, I knew Greece was also going to get serious too. This week has brought more and more measures. All shops except for grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries and banks are closed. You can get food to go or coffee and delivery though. Although, I think some food places have opted to close altogether.

Friday, they announced that ferries to the islands will only carry island residents and cargo. Many islands do not have a hospital and some only have small clinics so they are trying to limit the possible transition from the mainland. Anyone getting the virus there would be in greater danger due to a lack of medical resources or would have to be sent to Athens or Thessaloniki.

Every day brings a new challenge for me. Fortunately, I already work at home so that isn’t a big deal. I do have asthma, although it isn’t severe, I am being extra careful. I don’t go out every day. I have washed my hands a million times and on Friday, I wash my groceries off before putting them away. I also don’t have a washing machine so I will be hand washing many things in my future as I am not really wanting to risk the laundromat right now. These are all small things though and I will figure it out.

Expat Decisions

The biggest issue for me was when there were rumors on the media of the airport closing. This meant if there was an emergency at home I wouldn’t be able to fly home to my family. My parents are in their 70s and relatively healthy but still a concern. My nieces also live with them and if my parents were ill then they would be alone.

I am sure friends and family would help but I couldn’t ask them to step in for a long period of time. Plus, I would need to be there to make decisions for my parents. All of this is theoretical obviously, but it is the thing that keeps me up at night and me yelling at my parents to stay home.

On Thursday, the US State Department asked Americans not to travel and to return home. This made me pause a bit because they said we might be stuck abroad for a long period of time. However, this has been my plan for a while. I was not planning on returning to the US until December for Christmas. But it is scary when you realize you may not have the option because the borders are closed.

The situation the world is in right now is almost unprecedented. Only World War II seems to be similar and most of the people that lived through that are now gone leaving us without their knowledge of how to survive this. I just keep remembering that we at least have the internet and television now. We can do this. Life may never be the same and maybe that is a good thing.

Be safe everyone! Stay home!

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