We continue our ZakopaneGO Travelbloggers sessions with a wonderful lady, joining us all the way from the tip of the Persian Gulf.
Hello Shaikha! It’s great having you join us for a chat and I’m really excited to find out how your visit to our region went. Please tell us a few words about yourself first.

My Name is Shaikha Al-Rashed, I’m a female travel blogger from Kuwait. I work as a media researcher but I do what I love most which is traveling around the world and exploring new places. I have traveled to many destinations, and if you ask me to mention the best I would say Iceland, Portugal, USA, Poland, Tanzania, and Kenya. I have the passion to travel and explore new destination and cultures and meet new people wherever I go. Traveling the world and being exposed to other traditions and cultures makes me understand life more and actually understand myself more. When I travel I always come back home changed to a better me.

So very true! As a travel blogger, you know how globetrotting can change a person’s life and open them up to new cultures, perspectives and experiences. What made you choose Zakopane as one of your pit-stops?

I have heard a lot about Zakopane, and I got an invitation for a study tour in Poland. What I loved most about Poland was the countryside, the landscape and breathtaking scenery in Zakopane. I visited Zakopane in June, 2015. I wanted to enjoy sunny days and cool breeze. I totally loved the weather in Zakopane at that time of the year and will definitely be coming back next year at the same time.

Where did you stay and how would you rate the facilities?

I have stayed at Hotel Rysy. Excellent service and hospitality and a great location.

What would you pick as the highlight of your trip to the region?

Rafting at Dunajec river, visiting Wieliczka Salt Mine and the view from Kasprowy Wierch.

We love them all! What other activities would you have liked to see made available to travellers visiting the region?

I think I have seen multiple activities available in the region, I have found that next time I have to stay longer not less that 5 nights, 3 nights weren’t enough.

That’s great to hear and I hope you do. Tell us, in your opinion, what else could the city improve on to enhance the experience of tourism in the area?

There should be a guide for stays in farms, many people from my country would love to stay in the countryside and experience activities in the farm. I am looking for such a place for my next visit to Poland which will be next year in May as I am planning to come with a group from my followers and readers. What I have in mind is arranging a hiking trip in Tatra mountains and a wonderful stay at one of the farms, an organic farm stay to enjoy wholesome home cooking prepared with healthy farm-fresh ingredients. The kind of activities to enjoy would be cooking lessons, painting, pottery, other workshop to learn so local crafts, biking to the next villages, horse back riding, helping and learning about the daily farm tasks like milking the cow and so on. Beside farm stays, also farm visits would be a great idea too specially for those traveling with children. Many prefer to take their children to farms to learn more about how to take care of animals than taking them to the zoo. Also the farm can offer the kids some other activities.

Wow, I think they’re all amazing ideas and I’m sure the local community of farmers would welcome such opportunities. I completely agree that a farm, compared to a zoo, is a better option as the animals are in their natural surroundings. Tell us your top travel tips for visiting the city/region?

Plan for a longer stay and do more activities.

In the meantime, where’s next on your bucket-list?

Patagonia and Argentina.

Lastly, anything else you’d like to share with the readers at ZakopaneGO.com?

Zakopane is really a beautiful destination where you can enjoy multiple things.

Thank you! I’m actually very inspired by your answers, I think you have some fantastic ideas and I hope you get to realise your plans next time you visit us here. I’m going to have a look around if there are any farm experiences to be had, and if not, give the local farmers a nudge because it’s a brilliant thing, to enable visitors, especially young families, a chance to experience the farm lifestyle. Make sure you get in touch with us next May when you visit! I’ll try and arrange something for your group. Hope to see you then! All the best!

You can follow Shaikha’s adventures on her website amatraveller.com or tune into the weekly travel chats on Twitter and follow @AmaTraveler  to get the latest updates! Alternatively, check out her pages.
AmaTraveler on Facebook
Amatraveler on Instagram
Amatraveler Blog

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