Australia, Fashion, Lifestyle, Travel

Top 10 Australia Instagram Spots

Okay, let me start off by saying I am FULLY aware I  haven’t even scratched the surface of this beautiful country. From vibrant, iconic cities and tall mountains to stunning beaches and cascading waterfalls, Australia has something for everyone. And don’t even get me started on their cute, unique animals (quokkas, anyone?)!

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I am dying to go back to this gorgeous country and hit all the places we missed, and I know I will have many more spots to add to this list. However, from our whirlwind 10+ cities in just 10 days, these lovely photo spots became my favorites:

  1. Glass House Mountains (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)

The Glass House Mountains are a 1-hour drive north from Brisbane. They are 1,000%  worth checking out for an afternoon or even a full day trip. Not only are the mountains beautiful, but they boast rich local legends since they are in the lands of the aboriginal Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi people. The mountains are supposedly all members of a family: Tibrogargan, Beerwah, Coonowrin, Tunbubudla, Miketeebumulgrai, Ngungun and Elimbah.


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From one tropical destination to another, I am SO excited to be leaving TOMORROW for a romantic weekend getaway with my hubby to the beautiful island of Maui. Believe it or not, I haven’t even really planned an itinerary this time! Can’t remember the last time a trip was completely R&R, and I’m beyond stoked for this. . For my fellow American peeps, how are you spending your Labor Day weekend? . (PS, if you’re ever on the Sunshine Coast, PLEASE go check out the beautiful Glass House mountains! We raced up Mount Ngungun a couple hours before a flight from Brisbane to Cairns to catch this view. Was totally worth it!) . . . . . . . . . . . #mountngungun #sunshinecoast #sunshinecoastdaily #followmeto #wearetravelgirls #girlsthatwander #ladiesgoneglobal #lovelulus #sunsetvibes #beautifuldestinations #femmetravel #teamkaptainkenny #straya #australiagram #glasshousemountains #dametraveler #citizenfemme #travelust #speechlessplaces #sidewalkerdaily #americanstyle #visitsunshinecoast #backpackwithme #travellikeagirl #ladiesgoneglobal #queensland #tropicalqueensland #iamtb #femaletravelbloggers

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PHOTO TIP: My favorite mountain to climb is Ngungun, as the sunset view from here of Coonowrin and Beerwah is something magical. The surreal colors and framing make this spot any photographer’s dream location!

  1. Flinders Street Station (Melbourne, Victoria)

This is a quintessential spot in Melbourne, and is know for having unique architecture compared to the rest of the city (rumor has it, the plans were accidentally switched with the blueprints for Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai).

PHOTO TIP: For that ethereal feel, use a tripod (or, in my case, a VERY still human—thanks, little sister!!) and a slow shutter speed while you (the subject) stay very still in the middle of the street. Bicycles, cars and buses will all look like they’re passing by while you’re standing still in time!

  1. Mossman Gorge (Tropical North Queensland)

Mossman Gorge is a beautiful little slice of the Daintree Rainforest—the oldest continuously surviving rainforest in the world (nope, it’s not the Amazon Rainforest)! Beyond boasting beautiful rivers, fauna and wildlife, it is also home to the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people, who will often share incredible stories about the region.

PHOTO TIP: More of an editing tip, but when you’re working with tropical rainforests and rivers, make sure to reduce your yellows waaayyyyyy down in the photo to make it look more lush and green!

  1. Bondi Icebergs (Sydney, New South Wales)

Did you even go to Sydney if you didn’t get this recognizable Icebergs shot? I didn’t swim in the pool, but even standing above it was a breathtaking experience.

PHOTO TIP: Try to time your trip with 1) early morning (for lesser crowds) and 2) high tide (for crashing waves), if possible! While I’m very happy with my shot from here, I wish I had gotten that iconic snap of the waves crashing over the pool!

  1. Cape Byron Bay (Byron Bay, New South Wales)

Beautiful views of Byron Bay, check. Most easterly part of continental Australia, check. What more could you want?

PHOTO TIP: Make sure to check the hours when you’re planning your visit here. You can wander up to the lighthouse at any time, but if you are driving, the parking lot closes at 6pm sharp. We tried to go here for sunset and literally had 5 minutes to hurriedly snap some photos while my dad kept the engine running and my mom distracted the guard with some lovely conversation to keep him from closing the gates!

  1. Millaa Millaa Falls (Tropical North Queensland)

Wahhh, how badly I want to return to Tropical North Queensland. I want to go to Paronella Park in daylight, I want to see platypuses (platypi…?) swimming in the creek. I want to spot tree kangaroos and drive the full waterfall circuit and frolic through Nucifora Tea Plantation. But enough about what I didn’t do.

Millaa Millaa Falls is one of the few places we made it to because it was a priority for me. The iconic symmetry of the waterfall, the ease of approaching this lovely spot that is RIGHT off the road. Definitely go here if you’re in North Queensland, but also try to make sure you have enough time to hit the other waterfalls around it (Zillie, Ellinjaa and Mungalli).

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PHOTO TIP: If you want a shot with nobody in it, either go very early morning on a weekday in the summer, or go literally any time of day in the middle of winter. I took my photos around 4pm on a Saturday in June, and nobody was there!

  1. Sydney Opera House (Sydney, New South Wales)

Obviously, this had to make the list. “But what’s this,” I hear you ask, “Sydney Opera House isn’t #1!?!”

Shocking, I know! I think that the Opera House is, of COURSE, a must. If it’s a one-or-the-other type thing, I would probably suggest hitting Sydney Opera House above any of the next three spots I’ll mention. It’s such a quintessential destination, but because it is so well known, I feel like some of the later spots are more like hidden treasures. That said, you have to go to the Opera House if you are in Australia.

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PHOTO TIP: Wake up early (like, REALLY early—we woke up at 4:30am to get there around 6am in the middle of winter) to watch the sunrise at the Opera House. It might be cold, but it will also be entirely worthwhile to have this beautiful place all to yourself! Also, the best photo spot might not even be directly in front of it—take a stroll around the harbor to the Park Hyatt Sydney. The view of the Opera House across the water while the sun sets is PERFECT.

  1. Buderim Forest Park (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)

This might be a surprising thing to rank so high, but it holds a special place in my heart. My husband and I wandered around here in the morning before breakfast, and were amazed to have this beautiful rainforest all to ourselves. Even more amazing—it’s a 5-10 minute drive from Mooloolaba!

There are two access points to Buderim Forest Park. The lower entrance is off Lindsay Road via Harry’s Lane, which is the one we entered from. This direction has a wooden boardwalk for much of the way, but be advised that the boardwalk won’t get you all the way to Serenity Falls (which might be important to know if you have strollers or wheelchairs). The second entry point is via Quorn Close, which runs off Lindsay Road at the top of Buderim. This version is steeper, but takes you right to the waterfall!

PHOTO TIP: There’s an awesome suspension bridge right above the falls (which was lowered in by a helicopter!), which is perfect for taking photos from for an epic drone-like shot.

  1. Crawley Edge Boatshed (Perth, Western Australia)

Yes, it’s just a boatshed. So what’s the big deal?

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When the floods of life start to drown you, remember that God can carry you above the storm, and dance in the rain. . This was a crazy day in Perth, but possibly my favorite from our entire Australia trip. We had booked a ferry to Rottnest Island, but due to a crazy storm (with sideways rain and everything), all transportation to and from the island was cancelled for the day. Michael and I were determined to make the most of the day, and called an Uber to take us to Crawley Edge Boatshed—an adorable blue house on the water that I had seen on Instagram. . Our Uber driver was the friendliest person ever (like a cool uncle) and one of the highlights of our trip. He offered to turn off the meter at one point and show us around Kings Park and other cool spots! When I mentioned the boat shed, he chuckled and said that he 1) never understood why tourists took pictures here and 2) drove by this morning and saw that it was flooded. FLOODED?! Well, I don't know when we're going to return to Perth, so I cheerily said, "Let's try it, anyway!" . Cut to the boatshed, and indeed, it is flooded. The pathway to the house is submerged in water. Michael and I have a good laugh about it, and I brace myself for ruining my shoes—because of course, I'm not going to come out all this way without walking over! Our Uber driver stood there, watching in total amusement as I splashed around the water here. . Have you ever had your heart set on taking photos somewhere to the point that other people thought you were (endearingly) crazy? . . . . . . . . . #crawleyedgeboatshed #boatshed #perth #perthisok #westernaustralia #beautifuldestinations #speechlessplaces #travelgirlsgo #wearetravelgirls #sheisnotlost #sidewalkerdaily #iamtb #ladiesgoneglobal #femmetravel #bestofaustralia #straya #travelinladies #traveldreamseekers #moodygram #perthiscool #iloveperth #iloveaustralia #femaletravelbloggers #travellikeagirl #darlingescapes

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Honestly, maybe this should be lower on the list. But I LOOOVVEE this spot simply from my memory of getting here. We went here with a super friendly local Uber driver on the day of a crazy rainstorm. “I never understand why tourists take pictures here,” he said in amusement. But all the same, he drove us over happily, and even stopped to help us take some pictures!

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PHOTO TIP: I’ve only ever seen pictures of this boatshed in low tide (aka when it’s not flooded from a crazy rainstorm), but we came when the boardwalk was actually submerged in water, and it made for some really cool reflection shots!!

  1. Rottnest Island (Western Australia)

Ah, where to begin? Legitimately, this might have been my favorite place in Australia. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face!

Rottnest Island has a wide variety of photo ops from beautiful, white beaches to charming lighthouses and, of course, QUOKKAS. Just ALL THE QUOKKAS. What could possibly make for a better Instagram post than an adorable quokka selfie?!

PHOTO TIP: You should NOT feed or pet the quokkas, but quokkas are super curious and will probably come check you out if you lie flat on your stomach near one and wait for it to scurry on over. Hold your cell phone upside town (camera on the bottom) to capture more of the quokkas cute lil’ bodies! Alternatively, if you’re using a DSLR, hold it out in front of your face the length of your arm and switch to manual focus once it’s focused on you. This way, it won’t accidentally adjust when you’re selfie-ing and blur the adorable moment.

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So there you have it! Hope you make it to some of these fun spots, and also let me know YOUR favorite spots that I missed, below (because Australia is AMAZING, and of course I know I missed some great ones)!

 

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New York, North America, Travel, USA

How to Spend 24 Hour in New York City

The Big Apple, the first United States capital (okay, for about a year, but still) and the most densely populated city in the country. I’ll start out by saying that if you can spend more than a day in New York City, you definitely should. But if you’re like us and only have 24 hours in this beautiful place, read on for tips to a whirlwind trip.

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(NOTE: If you want to do 24-hours in New York solely to take pictures, I would give you very different recommendations for what to do. For us, we wanted a mix of iconic locations, quintessential NYC culture and delicious foods—so our story is below!)

6:00am – ARRIVE AT JFK

I love taking overnight flights—it’s the easiest way to make sure you don’t miss anything and also get an early start. We opted for a redeye flight that was supposed to get in around 6:00am, but due to an impending storm, didn’t land until 8:00am. No matter. We brushed our teeth in the airport bathrooms and then rushed to Brooklyn, backpacks in tow!

MORNING (7-11am) – BROOKLYN

Brooklyn might be one of my favorite areas of New York. Going in, it was a no-brainer to make this our first stop. Grab a coffee or breakfast at one of the many adorably hipster coffee shops (we stopped at Butler Bakeshop and met some friends), and stroll along the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan.

 

PHOTO SPOT #1: Go to the Washington / Water Cross streets for the iconic street corner shot with the Manhattan Bridge in the background. Word to the wise—Saturday morning is apparently trash day in this part of Brooklyn. Who knew!!

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PHOTO SPOT #2: Walk along the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan and snap photos all along the way. I would highly recommend getting here early in the morning on a weekday (around 7:00am) if you want photos without crowds of people in them. However, you can also choose the timing we did—a weekend around 11:00am, but in the MIDDLE of a storm with crazy rain and gusts of wind!!! We were very fortunate(?) to be the only ones on the bridge as we struggled from one end to the other.

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(ALTERNATIVE MORNING PLAN: If Brooklyn and bridges aren’t for you, then head straight into Manhattan and stroll around Greenwich Village. If you don’t mind extra walking, the famous flatiron building is only a 20-minute walk away from here as well.)

MIDDAY (11am-2pm) – THE OCULUS / CENTRAL PARK

Once you’ve finished your early morning in Brooklyn and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, you’re only a 10-15 minute walk away from the Oculus (Westfield World Trade Center). Wander on over to this beautifully designed mall and grab a coffee or do some shopping if you’d like. We stopped in for a just a brief moment to get a shot with the fun architecture (easily photographed from the entrance).

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After we were satisfied, we hopped on a train to visit Central Park. Central Park may not be the largest urban park in the world (that title belongs to King’s Park in Perth, Australia), but it just might be the most well-known. You’ve likely seen a film or TV show that had a scene or two filmed here.

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At 840 acres, Central Park is still a daunting undertaking for anyone in a rush! But the most notable spots you won’t want to miss include the Bethesda Fountain/Terrace, Boat House and the Bow Bridge.

(ALTERNATIVE NOON PLAN: Go up to the Top of the Rock for one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline! I would recommend this over doing the Empire State Building, because if you’re inside the Empire State Building, you won’t see it as you gaze out at the view.)

AFTERNOON (2-5pm) – BROADWAY

From Central Park we rushed over to Broadhurst Theatre to see a 2:00pm matinee performance of “Anastasia,” one of my favorite childhood films turned into a Broadway musical! If you enjoy musical theater (and even if you don’t), a welcomed and relaxing treat for your eyes, ears, heart and feet is to see a show. A must-do in New York! Plus, this puts you right by Times Square, which you of course MUST see if you’re in New York.

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EVENING (6-8pm) – DINNER

Honestly, all food in New York is delicious. It’s so difficult to narrow down what you should eat, but we opted for a delicious pizza dinner at Ribalta. Not only is their Napoli pizza authentic and delicious, but they also have a variety of allergy-friendly options! We compared my gluten-free pizza side by side with a regular pizza, and could not tell the difference at all.

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LATE EVENING – SLEEP NO MORE

After dinner, we grabbed a third coffee for the day (needed the caffeine to keep going!) and headed over to the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea for the critically acclaimed and quirky noir interactive theater experience, “Sleep No More.” Based on Macbeth, this interactive experience has you running up and down five stories of hotel into apothecaries, ballrooms, graveyards and more in search of silent actors playing out scenes before your eyes right in front of you.

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No pictures are allowed inside this experience (hence the terrible iPhone shot of the bar area outside the experience). I would highly recommend brushing up on your Shakespeare or looking up the storylines online so that you can better follow what’s happening and choose the actors you want to watch!

(ALTERNATIVE LATE EVENING PLAN: Depending on the time of year it is, hit up one of New York’s many famous rooftop bars!)

After our interactive theater experience, we crashed with a friend in Queens and then headed to the airport bright and early the next day—but not without a traditional New York breakfast: bagels (yes, even a gluten-free one for me)!

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All in all, we had a blast with our whirlwind New York experience, and I hope you have fun with yours, too.

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ADDITIONAL NYC TIPS

Currency: U.S. Dollar

Languages: English

Transportation: Walking, Taxis, Subway, Lyft/Uber, Bus…there are many options!

Food: Everything in New York is delicious, and you won’t go wrong with whatever you choose to eat. You’d be remiss, however, to miss out on bagels or pizza. Both of these can be enjoyed in a variety of allergy-friendly ways, so don’t worry about your restrictions–whether gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, etc.!

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Hawaii, Lifestyle, North America, Travel, USA

10 Tips for Driving Maui’s Road to Hana

No trip to Maui is complete without embarking on the iconic drive along the Road to Hana. Boasting 59 bridges and 620 curves in just 42 miles, the Hana Highway is a precarious drive that is not for the fainthearted.

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I’m lucky that my husband is an excellent driver and didn’t bat an eye at the turns, crazy parking situations and one-car bridges! We had an amazing time doing the drive on our own, as we could go at our own pace and prioritize what we wanted to see. If you’re willing and eager to plan a DIY drive down this winding wonderland, here are some tips for you!

1. SET OUT EARLY

Even though it’s just about 42 miles (67 km) to Hana Town, it would likely take you 2-4 hours to drive without factoring in stops or your return drive! I would advise setting out as early as possible, both to beat some of the crowds and also ensure you have enough daylight to accomplish your must-do’s. We did this in September (make sure you look up sunrise/sunset times for whatever season you’re there in) and started from Paia Town around 8:00am. By the time we made it to Pipiwai Trail at the end of the day (10 miles south of Hana), we were sprinting up the path to try to get to the bamboo forest before dark…and didn’t succeed.

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Plus, if you’re planning on driving back to West Maui at night, these roads are not super fun to drive when it’s pitch black and you’re going down dirt paths along steep cliffs! If we could do it again, we would likely choose to spend the night in Hana.

ALSO, I just want to mention: you might get carsick. This might be obvious, but it was something I didn’t expect and nobody mentioned to me. I got soooo dizzy around so many of the turns!

2. DOWNLOAD MAPS AND RESET YOUR ODOMETER…

You won’t have cell reception for most of the Road to Hana. So if you’re driving yourself, make sure you reset your odometer right at the beginning (there will be a sign indicating where the road starts), and have an idea of what mile markers have interesting things you want to stop at.

3. …BUT IF ALL ELSE FAILS, FOLLOW THE CROWDS!

However, if your odometer gets messed up or you forget to set and don’t know what mile markers to look for, do not fret. If a spot is worth visiting, most likely you’ll see a few cars clustered around. If you’re curious enough, just pull over and check it out—might be a waterfall, a pretty view, a botanical garden, lava tube or something else fun!

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4. IF YOU MISS A WATERFALL, DON’T WORRY—THERE WILL BE MORE

This might sound like weird advice, but it’s true. There are sooo many incredible waterfalls along the Hana Highway, and when we first started out, I made my husband stop (and in some cases, dramatically pop a U-turn and backtrack) at every one, but we quickly realized that it wasn’t the end of the world if we missed a couple here or there. Enjoy the journey and stop where you can, but don’t beat yourself up over anything you might miss—the adventure gets better with every mile.

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That said, I would like to advocate for my favorite waterfall spot: Upper Waikani Falls (aka “Three Bears Falls”) between Mile Markers 19 and 20. You’ll see them when you’re driving over a bridge, and will find there’s no parking right there—don’t panic, there’s a little dirt area just a minute or two past that you can park at and then walk back down. It’s a bit of a climb to get to them, but absolutely a worthwhile waterfall to chase!

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5. BRING A TOWEL, SWIMSUIT, CHANGE OF CLOTHES AND CHANGE OF SHOES/SANDALS

Trust me, you’ll be jumping off of waterfalls and swimming at some of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever seen, and be in desperate need of a wardrobe change. Also, because it’s so tropical and wet, you’ll be getting muddy as you hike along paths on your stops. I brought sneakers, but never wore them and stuck to my flip flops—but on the other hand, my husband pretty much exclusively wore shoes (until we were splashing around waterfalls!). Regardless, you’d much rather have options and not have to worry about it!

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6. STOP AND EAT THE FOOD

While it’s definitely a good idea to bring snacks for the drive, there are so many delicious stops on the Road to Hana that you won’t want to miss. Try banana bread at Aunty Sandy’s (my husband’s fav!) or at Halfway to Hana, and pop into Coconut Glen’s at Mile Marker 27 for some of the tastiest (and allergy-friendly) coconut ice cream you’ve ever had. We’ve also heard there’s an insanely good Thai place somewhere on this road, but we didn’t manage to find it. Ah well, something new for next time!

 

7. VIEWS, VIEWS, VIEWS

While pretty much ANY place you stop at on the Road to Hana will be breathtaking, this highway has some incredible lookout points that should not be missed. Mile Marker 18.8 has an incredible lookout point with a view of Wailua Valley, and is one of our highlights from this drive.

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8. SEE THE BEACHES IN HANA

I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that the Road to Hana is more about the journey and less about Hana itself. While Hana is indeed a sleepy town of 1,200 people, it’s still not to be missed. Besides the delicious food trucks and tropical views, there’s the ever-famous Waianapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach). And Kaihalulu Bay (Red Sand Beach) is one of the most magical Hawaiian beaches I’ve ever seen. Yes, Kaihalulu is a bit off the beaten path, but it’s 100% worth going to!

 

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9. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO PAST HANA

Most people will do the drive, arrive in Hana, grab some food and then head back the way they came. I would say if you can, you should keep driving and head back to West Maui the other way—via the back side of Haleakala, which offers you a unique perspective of Maui that very few experience, and which takes you the same amount of time to drive as the Road to Hana. The climate is arid, resembling California in parts. And the starry sky we saw was enough to make us pull over, huddle together and gape in awe at the Milky Way before us. I’ve been in plenty of sparsely populated destinations, from the Sahara Desert to the Marquesas Islands, yet still have never seen as many stars as I did that beautiful night.

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I will confess: if the Hana Highway is winding and narrow, these roads are dusty, steep and bumpy. Much of it isn’t even paved. It seems that a lot of rental car companies will have a “your own your own” policy and threaten to “void” your rental car contract if you take this pathway. We had NO idea this was a thing, and merrily took our Hyundai Sonata on this very special drive and returned the car without any problem or additional charge. But I can’t guarantee that this will be everyone’s experience!

10. BUT MOST OF ALL, TAKE IT ALL IN AND HAVE FUN!

Driving the Road to Hana is an experience unlike any other. Being disconnected from the world allows you to take in the grandeur of God’s creation and marvel at the wide variety of beautiful terrains on such a small island. This day fueled my love for waterfalls, introduced me to the glory of red sand beaches, filled my stomach with delicious coconut-y things and brought me closer to my darling husband for all his bravery and skill behind the wheel. It was exhausting, exhilarating, enlightening and ecstatic. And I would do it all over again.

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ADDITIONAL ROAD TO HANA TIPS

Currency: U.S. Dollar (make sure to have cash on hand!)

Languages: English (Official), Hawaiian Pidgin, many people can speak Mandarin Chinese and Japanese

Transportation: Public transit is nonexistent; rent a car or hire a van.

Food: Banana bread, anything coconut, Thai, barbecue and Hawaiian-Mexican fusion (we ate at “The Surfing Burro” food truck in Hana and really enjoyed it!).

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North America, Travel, USA

Hotel Review: Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego

Most of you know that I tend to travel at 100 miles an hour, jumping from place to place and cramming as much into my travels as possible. So when the opportunity came up for me and my husband to actually relax for a weekend and enjoy each other’s company for our one-year wedding anniversary at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego, we jumped at it!

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FIRST IMPRESSION / SERVICE

Upon walking in, we were taken by the beautiful modern décor and Latin influence. When we were greeted at the front desk, we immediately knew we were going to be taken care of. The service is warm and professional, and the hotel is upscale while maintaining a level of boutique charm.

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LOCATION

This property is conveniently located in the heart of the historic Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, which we loved. It was convenient for exploring, and is close to museums, theaters and even the San Diego Convention Center (0.7 miles) and zoo (1.5 miles).

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THE ROOM

There are 211 guest rooms at the Kimpton Palomar, and we were fortunate enough to stay on the 20th floor in a beautiful Skyline Suite with a King Bed and two lovely balconies. Seeing the panoramic views of the Gaslamp and the ocean was truly an incredible and romantic experience, by day or by night!

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We also had a flat screen TV in our room and high speed Internet, which meant we could lounge side by side while watching the Oscars and getting some work done (which we did).

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The room was modern and comfortable, with books on San Diego’s best beaches and surf-inspired decorations distributed throughout the space. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an L-shaped couch made the atmosphere cheery. White linens on the bed gave it an air of chic sophistication, and the bright interiors made us feel relaxed.

Oh, and the bathroom had the most incredible rain shower, and a variety of deliciously scented luxury shampoos and conditioners with scents from oolong tea and orange blossom to cardamom and eucalyptus!

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THE FOOD

We were here during off-season, which meant the Pool Deck & Lounge was closed. However, we had a delicious dinner at Curadero, the charming in-hotel Mexican restaurant that feels like the perfect blend of big city sophistication and small town cantina. They’re also famous for their ceviche bar, and the corn tortillas are made in house.

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We chowed down on some delicious Suadero Tacos, Queso Fundido (which we LOVED and got two orders of) and a Carne Asada plate. For drinks, I opted for the El Noble, and Michael nursed a glass of complimentary wine.

THE AMENITIES

In addition to boasting an incredible location, gorgeous rooms and a fabulous restaurant, the Kimpton Palomar Hotel has a beautiful rooftop pool on the fourth floor. It was unusually chilly in San Diego when we went, but because the pool is heated, we were able to take a dip and gaze out at the city skyline without feeling cold! I can’t wait to return here during the summer when the rooftop bar is open as well to enjoy the pool while also snacking on some delicious foods and drinks.

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Also, the hotel has a cute Arriba Room filled with vintage arcade games, foosball, pool tables and general fun.

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The hotel also has a 24-hour fitness center (we never used this because we were too busy enjoying everything else!) and a Social Hour with complimentary wine from 5-6pm.

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Bicycles are available to borrow as well. The hotel is also pet-friendly if you would like to bring your furry friends with you for a weekend getaway!

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MEANINGFUL EXTRAS

When we went up to our room after dinner at Curadero, were pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of champagne with a note wishing us a very happy anniversary! It was a nice touch to an already perfect weekend.

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CONCLUSION

If you’re ever in San Diego and want to stay in the heart of the city, this is the place for you. The service is incredible, the accommodations are comfortable and they take the extra step to go above and beyond to make you feel at home.

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To book a night at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego, click here!

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This review is written in partnership with the Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much to the wonderful staff at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar for making our one-year anniversary an experience to remember!

Hawaii, Lifestyle, North America, Travel, USA

2.5 Days on the Big Island of Hawai’i

If you live in California, what do you do with a long weekend? Go to Hawai’i, of course!

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Jokes, most people in California don’t do this, either. But they should!! We found cheap direct flights to the Big Island from Los Angeles, and we figured, why not? If you keep saying you won’t go somewhere until you have ample time to explore it, you might never go.

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So we took a half day from work on a Friday, booked a flight that got us to Hawai’i by 10pm, had two full days and then left on a holiday Monday at 3:30pm to get back by 11:30pm.

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Was it a whirlwind? Oh yes. Was it worthwhile? Absolutely!

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The Big Island of Hawai’i is, well, much BIGGER than the other islands. So a car is a must. I would suggest booking a rental far in advance. We waited until last-minute, and the car was pretty expensive. But we also heard that certain rental places had run out of cars, so we were among the luckier ones!



WHERE TO STAY

We booked three different accommodations for our three different nights. Where you stay will be dependent on what you want to do. Do you want to see the volcano? Chill at the beaches? Eat local fare in Hilo?

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I would recommend doing a mix of everything if you can, because the island of Hawai’i has eight of the world’s 13 climates, and is one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world. Whoever told you that there’s not much to do on the Big Island was very wrong. Sure, it’s much quieter and less populated than the other islands, but where else can you go from tropical humidity to arid desert and snowy mountains to volcanic lava?

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The first night, we stayed at Ohi’a Park Estate, a charming Bed & Breakfast 10 minutes from Kona Airport that we really loved. The second night, we stayed at a unique Airbnb treehouse in Volcano Town’s Fern Forest. There are a variety of treehouses on Airbnb that you can find, and I would highly recommend trying it out for a unique jungle experience! After this, our last night was spent at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls just outside of Hilo, which was such a fun experience because the inn has its own private waterfall!! Would definitely recommend all of our experiences, and it was nice to be convenient to each different part of the island given our activities.

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DAY 1 – KAILUA-KONA TO VOLCANO

Our first day, we woke up early (being on “mainland” time) and went down to Kailua-Kona town to explore. We grabbed a coffee at Kona Coffee Café after receiving some free samples and looked at the beautiful Mokuaikaua Church, the oldest Christian Church on the Hawaiian islands established in 1820.

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We then headed back to Ohi’a Park Estate for a delicious homemade breakfast by the charming couple who run the B&B.

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We then checked out and headed down the coast and stopped at Ali’i Garden Marketplace for “dessert,” some delicious gluten-free crepes at Whale of a Crepe! We got a Mauna Loa crepe, which included Nutella, banana and macadamia nuts.

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After this, we drove up toward Captain Cook, where we stopped at The Coffee Shack to enjoy some views and stay dry from the rain.

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This was seriously one of my favorite places from our trip. The coffee and smoothies are excellent, and the views are perfect. The portions are also gigantic, and I saved half of my mocha to drink the next morning. Would highly recommend stopping here!

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We then drove to the southernmost tip of the Unites States (yep, it really is—look at a map!) and went down to see Papakōlea Green Sand Beach. This is one of only four green sand beaches in the world, the others being Talofofo Beach (Guam), Punta Cormorant (Floreanea Island of the Galapagos) and Hornindalsvatnet (Norway). The green color is from the glassy olivine crystals in the sand.

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The beach is about 2.5 miles away from where you must park (tourists are not allowed to drive all the way there), so it’s either a 1-hour hike or a 20-minute ride if you pay a local $15 to take you in the back of their pickup truck. We opted to pay a local to take us there and back as we were short on time, and clung to the sides of the truck next to seven other tourists. It’s definitely a bumpy and unforgettable experience!

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We really enjoyed our time at this secluded beach, and while it’s really not quite as green in person as you anticipate it to be, it’s a must-do on the Big Island.

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After Green Sand Beach, we drove over to Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, which is far more accessible and a popular spot for sea turtles to bask in the sun. We only stopped briefly on our way to the volcano, and did chance to see three turtles out in the open!

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We arrived at Volcano National Park around 4:30pm, and stopped by the Information Center. Silly me, I thought that we could rent bikes from this spot to go to see the lava flow, but we were actually a good hour drive away from the other side of the volcano where you can start the trek to see the lava. It was too late for us to start out for sunset, so I called Kalapana Cultural Tours to reserve us bicycles for 4:30am the next morning for sunrise.

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We then checked into our treehouse Airbnb and settled in a bit before heading back to Volcano National Park to see the sunset over the Halema’uma’u crater from Jagger Museum. Watching the color gradually get vibrant and orange as the sun sets is a fun experience.

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We then grabbed a dinner at Thai Thai Bistro & Bar around 7pm. We had wanted to check out Ohelo Café for Hawaiian-American-Italian food, but as we did not have a reservation, the wait was going to be about an hour. There is very little to eat in Volcano Town and it will all be overpriced, so just be mindful of this when you go.


After dinner, we went back to our treehouse and slept. Until 3:30am!

DAY 2 – KALAPANA LAVA FLOW TO HILO AND THE NORTHERN VALLEY

At 3:30am the second day, we woke up and started our 1-hour drive to the Kalapana Lava Viewing area to pick up our bikes. We were a bit confused as nobody was there to meet us, and drove in circles until a helpful cop saw us and helped us find our bikes under a tent (they had a tag with our names on them, so…cool!). He then pointed out the path to us (“Go straight until you see the third gate, then leave your bikes and turn right to walk straight until you get to the lava.”)

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Riding bikes on a bumpy gravel road in pitch black while it’s raining is a very unique experience! Thankfully Michael brought flashlights, but only one was really working, so we shared this and biked for about 20-30 minutes until we reached what we could only assume was Gate 3. We left our bikes and started our hike toward the streams of molten red lava we saw in the distance—by climbing over sharp black volcanic rock!

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The hike took us about an hour and a half. We passed over some volcanic steam vents about halfway through, which initially sent me into a panic (I wondered, “Are they burning hot?” “Will we die from volcanic fumes?” “HOW DO WE GET AROUND THESE?” “I guess we’re walking on top of them OH MY GOODNESS!”). When we finally reached the lava, dawn was just starting to break. You really want to see the lava in the dark because it looks much more impressive, which is why you do this hike either at sunrise or sunset.

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While sunset might have given us more time with the lava in the dark, sunrise was a lot of fun because we were literally the only people out there. I changed from my sweats into a dress (no shame) for photos, and set the camera and Joby tripod up on some jagged volcanic rocks, praying it wouldn’t melt.

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Thanks to the rain, my DLSR camera was soggy and had water spots all over the lens that I couldn’t wipe off long enough to get a capture. Oh, also, it decided it didn’t want to change settings AT ALL for me and that I was stuck with what I had from taking photos of stars the previous night (couldn’t adjust aperture, focus, etc.).

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Thankfully, we managed to get some decent(ish) looking photos, but it was quite the adventure! Just goes to show that travel is unpredictable and chaotic, but utterly amazing.

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Being so close to the volcano was an UNFORGETTABLE experience. I still marvel that we were allowed to go all the way out with no cell service, no guide and nobody around for miles. We watched the molten lava bubble and flow, and stood close enough to reach out and touch it (if we were, you know, idiots). The area surrounding the lava was hot and we were sweating. Also, we completely lost the bottom half of our shoes. Do NOT do this hike in sandals!

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Once we got back after all was said and done around 9:30am, we happily sat in our car and took a breather before getting ready to drive to Hilo. We took the Kalapana Kopoho Road as a detour, because we had been told that this was one of the most beautiful roads on the Big Island. It did not disappoint! Surrounded by lush jungle, we nearly forgot about the jagged and barren volcanic rock we had just walked across.

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When we got to Hilo, we found a nice beach that we laid out at and stared at cute fish and sea anemones until 11am, when Pineapple’s Restaurant in Downtown Hilo opened. We parked and walked by the farmer’s market and cute shops and sat down to our first meal of the day—8+ hours after waking up.

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We loved this cute open-air space and were happy to find that they had a gluten-free menu for me. For appetizers, we ordered Cheesy Garlic Fries with sour cream, pineapple salsa, grilled onions and bacon (YUM) and a Big Island Onion Soup for Michael. I got Island Style Tacos for my gluten-free main course, and he got a Teriyaki Flank Steak. Oh, we also got a Mai Tai sampler (mango, lilikai, guava and hibiscus) and their signature Pineapple Pow—a frozen cocktail with Hawaiian moonshine served in a pineapple.


After our meal, we food coma’d and realized how sleepy we were, so we tried to check in early to our hotel at 1pm. We were unfortunately unable to do this, but met the adorable house cat and saw a glimpse of the waterfall. After I drank some of the complimentary Kona coffee and we signed up for waterfall rappelling the following morning (that’s right!), we got back in the car and headed up to Waipi’o Valley.

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The drive took about an hour from Hilo. The northern side of the island is beautiful, lush and wet. It’s also not terribly populated, but we did drive through the historic Honokaa downtown, a charming area that almost feels like you’re stepping into an old western. We bought water at a supermarket here, but wish we had more time to explore.

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The Waipi’o Valley Lookout is truly something to behold. Once upon a time, it was a home to Hawaiian kings. Today, it is secluded, and while the beautiful black sand beach there is accessible to the public, the valley as a whole is considered private property and off-limits to tourists.

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The Waipi’o Valley still grows taro and is home to horses and “a couple of dozen” locals. There are sacred sites and waterfalls that you can see if you book a horseback riding tour with a local guide. Also, Waipi’o Valley is where the final scene of the 1995 film “Waterworld” was shot!

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We hiked about 3 miles down (6.5 miles roundtrip) to the beach on the steepest path of its length within the United States! It was a challenge, but completely worth it once we got down to the beautiful beach. We could also see a small portion of the Kaluahine Falls on the right hand side as it had just rained.

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After the hike we were meant to get dinner at Merriman’s in Waimea, but were so exhausted that we cancelled our reservation and made it back to Kulaniapia just in time to have a complimentary glass of wine together and then go to sleep around 8:30pm (hey—when you’ve been up since 3:30am!).

DAY 3(ish—2.5?) – KULANIAPIA FALLS TO HILO AND WAIKOLOA BEACH

Our third and last day, we woke up around 6am to explore the grounds and see the waterfall when it was just us. After the hike, we ate a quick breakfast at the inn and got ready for our 8am waterfall rappelling tour! This was a fun and once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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After the rappelling, we lounged by the waterfall pond for a bit and waded in the refreshingly cool water.

We then packed up and drove to Hilo town for a quick lunch before our flight—AND WE GOT POKE, of course!

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The poke at Suisan Fish Market was so good. SERIOUSLY SO GOOD. The sauces weren’t gluten-free (hello soy sauce), but I took the risk to eat deliciously authentic poke AND IT WAS WORTH IT. We shared one bowl because the portions are GIGANTIC (notice a trend in Hawai’i?). After this, we grabbed coffee at a nearby Starbucks and started our drive back to the other side of the island to catch our flight.

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The drive from Hilo to Kailua-Kona is beautiful. We drove down Daniel K. Inouye Highway (fun fact—to date, the late Daniel Inouye held the highest-ranking political office of any Asian American as President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate for Hawai’i from 2010 until his death in 2012), seeing Mauna Kea to our right and Mauna Loa to our left—both covered in snow!

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We detoured to drive through Waikoloa Village thinking it might be cute, but realized that it’s really just a golf resort and continued down to Waikoloa Beach where we sat out for a bit enjoying the pretty white sand and palm trees.

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We then continued on to the airport, where we arrived with enough time to enjoy mai tais in the airport before catching our flight home at 3:30pm!

ISLAND OF HAWAI’I TRAVEL TIPS

Currency: U.S. Dollar

Languages: English (Official), Hawaiian Pidgin, many people can speak Mandarin Chinese and Japanese

Transportation: Public transit is almost nonexistent here, so renting a car is a necessity. If you do not drive, I would perhaps suggest going with a tour group that will take you around.

Food: Where to begin!! Obviously eat ALL THE POKE, tropical fruits (e.g. pineapple, coconut, papaya, etc.) and shave ice. Also notable is Kahlua pork, other forms of fresh fish, loco moco and try Kona coffee (I honestly wasn’t a super fan of Kona coffee, but you’ve still gotta try it, right?).

Research: Definitely do your research ahead of time to see what areas you want to prioritize and also check what the lava flow looks like. If it’s your first time there and you don’t mind a little physical exertion, I’d say that you MUST see the lava flow. A very helpful website to check out is Love Big Island, which has tips on the volcanos, hiking, areas, foods and more!

Other: This island doesn’t stay open too late, so I would recommend sticking to an earlier schedule to hit all the fun nature things Hawai’i has to offer. There were things we would have loved to do but didn’t have time to, like snorkeling and swimming with manta rays (this is a very popular night time expedition) to taking a helicopter ride over the island and seeing the Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Gardens. All in all, we loved our time here and would definitely return—but think we got a decent amount of things done to tide us over until then!

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Africa, Morocco, Sahara Desert, Travel

3 Day Sahara Desert Tour

When you think of Morocco, it’s likely that two things will come to mind: the bustling souks of Marrakech, and the vastness of the red Sahara Desert.

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(Okay, maybe you also think about the blue pearl, aka Chefchaouen. But we didn’t make it there this trip so that sadly won’t be covered on here…yet!)

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Back to the Sahara, the desert was truly a highlight of Morocco for us. It was UNFORGETTABLE to sleep under the Milky Way, climb atop a dune for the sunrise, try our hand at sandboarding and meet our friendly camels—Mahmoud and Jimmy (YEP, my camel’s name was JIMMY).

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The first thing you really need to know before you plan a trip like this is Morocco is BIG. You might be thinking, “Let’s do a day in Marrakech, a day in the Sahara, a day in Chefchaouen.” Nope, it doesn’t work like that. Driving from Marrakech to Merzouga (the city bordering the Sahara) will take you about 8.5 hours. And then Merzouga to Fes would take at least 7 hours.

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We did the tour in November (American Thanksgiving week), which was good for smaller crowds and cooler weather. It did, however, make the mountains and Sahara Desert feel very cold indeed (30-40 F / 0-4 C)! Also, with the shorter daylight hours, we felt pressed for time to see locations in the daylight, and sort of wished we could have traveled either in earlier November or October to make the most of our time.

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So what do you see on the way to the Sahara Desert from Marrakech? Or from Fes? Well, let me tell you!

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Day 1
We booked a tour with Explore Sahara Tours based on my dear friend Amelia Leung’s recommendation. Hassan picked us up at 8am sharp from our hotel in Marrakech (the lovely Le Riad Yasmine), and with that we were off. He was a young man who was incredibly kind and insightful about the local Berber culture and knew various fun facts about Morocco. But he often spoke softly with the window open, so we struggled to understand him at times.

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We stopped in Tizi N’Tichka to gaze out at the Atlas Mountains, the terrain of which reminded me much of the meandering hills in California. We also swung by an Argon oil cooperative, where a local Moroccan woman walked us through the process of extracting the oil and also had different oils and butters for us to try. We had run out of our Moroccan Dirhams at this point because we forgot to withdraw more from the ATM in Marrakech, but they allowed us to pay for some oils and soaps in Euros.

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We spent a good amount of time in the car after this, but by lunchtime, we had arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Ben Haddou. Seeing the breathtaking ksar was truly a highlight for us, and we only wish we had more time here.

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Crossing a bridge over to the famed film location (famous for GAME OF THRONES, GLADIATOR and more), we learned that only a couple families still lived within this ancient fortified town on the road from Marrakech to the Sahara—most moved across the river for running water.

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We climbed to the top of the ksar and enjoyed the view, but were unable to stay to find the rooftop tea house that I had been curious about. Oh well—guess that just means we’ll have to go back!

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After this, we dined on a traditional Moroccan lunch at the town across with a view of Ait Ben Haddou behind us. Since lunches weren’t included in the tour, our guide loaned us cash (lol!) since we were out, and we just had to wait until we got to the next big town (Ouarzazate) to withdraw more to pay him back.

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We only briefly passed through Ouarzazate and saw Atlas Film Studios from the outside, but did not enter. Since we were traveling during winter, our daylight hours were brief and we could tell our guide wanted to spend minimal time at locations and hit the road as quickly as possible. I completely understood why he didn’t want to drive in the dark, but it was still a bit of a shame to feel rushed in all these interesting locations.

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We arrived to Hotel Babylon in the Dadés Valley after sunset, and gladly accepted hot mint tea upon arrival. We sat outside with our guide, Hassan, where we finally got to learn a little more about him, his family, hobbies and had conversations about the different languages he spoke and kinds of tourists that would come through.

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After dropping off our bags in our room, we met in the hotel’s dining room to have soup and tagine. We explored the hotel a bit, but turned in early so we could begin our next day first thing the next morning!

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Day 2

We awoke at 6:30am to a buffet breakfast equipped with yogurt, fruit, breads and OF COURSE, mint tea. Hassan met us at the reception desk at 7am, and we took off to see the Monkey Finger Rocks (formations created by winds and weather) on our way to the desert.

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We continued our drive up and down meandering mountainous roads to reach the Todra Gorge, where we were informed many rock climbing enthusiasts would go. A river ran through the valley, and we strolled along it for a bit.

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We then were taken to a cooperative to look at rugs. We enjoyed mint tea as the shopkeeper explained to us the method of weaving and whether they used camel or sheep hair to do it. We were then shown a wide assortment of rugs.

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While this was an enjoyable experience, even with our bargaining, the rugs we ended up purchasing were not in a price range that we felt comfortable with. The stop at the rug cooperative blindsided us a bit because although we knew we wanted to purchase a rug on our trip, we hadn’t researched at this point to see what a fair price would be and how to inspect the rugs to ensure we weren’t being cheated.

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Ultimately, we bought two rugs that we love for half of what we were being asked to pay, but I think we could have bought the rugs cheaper elsewhere (like Marrakech or Fes). The people there were very kind, and we did love the designs we got as well as the explanations for each Berber symbol we were given. We just felt obligated to make our purchase there, and I wish we could have done rug shopping on our own accord.

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We stopped for lunch somewhere along the way, and continued onto Merzouga, the last town before the Sahara Desert. Here we dropped off our bags at a local hotel where we met the tour owner, a different Hassan, and we took out the bare minimum of what we’d need in the desert and packed the items in our backpack.

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Finally, the moment we had been waiting for. We climbed on two friendly camels that took us into the Sahara desert!!! Michael and I were led by a friendly young man named Mohammed, and there were two Canadians in our caravan. We chatted with them both until our group stopped halfway to the camp to watch the sunset over the sand dunes.

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We separated from the new Canadian friends we had made who were en route to a different camp. When we arrived at our campsite, I was thoroughly excited with what I saw.

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I was surprised by how luxurious the campsite was! Not only was there electricity, but there was running water, showers and beautifully decorated tents.

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The campsite was extensive, but because it was off season, we were literally the only people there apart from an Australian couple that we quickly befriended. We were originally put on the “regular” side of the campground, but our local Berber staff Mohammed and Ali offered to move us over to the “luxury” side of the campsite to be closer to our Australian friends. We jumped at the opportunity to check out another fun space, but both tents were positively lovely and we would’ve been happy with either one.

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We gladly drank mint tea to stay warm, and ate a deliciously filling homemade dinner. After dinner, we gathered around a fireplace together and joined our new Berber friends in singing and playing African drums.

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My favorite part of the campfire experience is a silly one—the staff had a desert cat named Bissy that lived at the campsite. Bissy came over to hang out with us, jumped in my lap and slept there for the rest of the evening!! So everyone else had drums, but I had a warm friendly cat in my lap, and I think I really won.

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We learned about the history of the Berber people, about their thoughts on religion and life, their carefree perspective on education and learned a charming love story about a Japanese tourist who got lost in the Sahara, met a Berber family that saved her life, and married the son of that family who now lived in a bordering town where they opened a Japanese-Berber restaurant. Talk about a life-changing experience!

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When we asked the staff about the stars, Mohammed nonchalantly said, “Oh, shall we turn out the lights so you can see shooting stars?” We were surprised and asked if there was a meteor shower, but the staff said that no, every night you could see shooting stars! I guess when you’re so far into the desert and disconnected from light pollution and civilization, you can see all the beauty of the galaxies that God created.

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We laid out together atop the campsite picnic tables and were in awe of the Milky Way sprawling out before us. I had seen a lot of stars in French Polynesia out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but this might have been the most stars I had ever seen in my life. Around 11pm, we finally decided to try to sleep in our private tents. It was below freezing, but my husband and I huddled together for warmth and stacked probably five different blankets on top of us.

Day 3

We woke up a half hour before sunrise (around 6am) to climb a sand dune to see the sun come up. This ended up being one of the best experiences ever, but it was MUCH harder to climb the dune than I expected!!!

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I was thinking, “I hike up sandy hills all the time, this is like sand at the beach, right?” NO. Not at all! We were huffing and puffing up the hill, and had to stop multiple times to take breaks. We finally made it in time for sunrise, but oh my goodness, I have a newfound respect for camels!!!

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After the unforgettable experience of seeing the sun rise above the sand dunes, we had fun trying our hand at sandboarding down to the campsite! We then were able to have some nice warm cups of tea before hopping back onto our camels (JIMMAYY) and heading back to civilization.

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Although, naturally, we stopped to take pictures.

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Once we got back to Merzouga, we were able to consolidate our bags and have a quick, delicious breakfast before hitting the road again. Hassan (not our tour guide but the owner of the tour company) gave us each an ornate glass bottle filled with Sahara sand, which was such a kind and wonderful gesture.

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The trip from Merzouga to Fes took about seven hours. While there were many familiar views of rugged landscapes and hidden valleys, this drive also took us through many an autumnal forest, which took our breaths away.

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We stopped near Ziz Valley quickly and got out of the car to look out over the beautiful oasis of palm groves, which we were informed contained the best dates in Morocco. After the quick pit stop, we again drove for a long time until we made it to Midelt to stop for a delicious lunch.

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From Midelt, we drove through the Atlas Mountains and Cedar Forests. The scenery was unlike anything we had seen in Morocco so far, and there were even monkeys that we were able to feed peanuts to!

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Some monkeys were a little aggressive, but then there was a very wise-looking quiet monkey that we really enjoyed feeding and photographing.

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Then, we drove through Ifrane, which is known as the Switzerland of Morocco. It apparently has its own airport, an international university and the most European-style homes of anywhere in Morocco. We were completely surprised by it, and Hassan showed us pictures of himself snowboarding here when the snow would fall.

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While there was no snow here in November, there were lots of gorgeous autumnal trees and I begged to get out and explore a bit. Hassan kindly pulled over the side of the road for us to hop out and take a few pictures, and I would love to return to this charming little town someday!

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From there, it took us a couple more hours to get to Fes, where we were dropped off at our hotel around 7pm. We were tired, but happy after our once-in-a-lifetime trip!

MOROCCO TRAVEL TIPS

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Tours: From my understanding, pretty much any tour you do with any group to the Sahara will be roughly the same and take the same route. We had friends book with a completely different tour group (and starting in Fes), but they hit all the same stops as us—and even had a camel named Jimmy! So I would say that you could even wait until you arrive in Morocco to choose a tour.

Cost: For two people with a private tour guide/driver, hotel pick-up/drop-off and inclusive of meals (apart from lunch), gas, lodging, water, camels and sandboarding, we paid 595 euros. However, this price will vary depending on the number of people and the start/end location of the tour.

Currency: MAD – Moroccan Dirhams (I would advise to have cash on you, but some places do take credit cards and some will also take euros if you have them)

Languages: Arabic (official), Amazigh (aka “Berber,” official) / French (unofficial) – some also speak English)

Transportation: For this trek around the country, a car was a must. We hired a driver as part of a 3-day tour, but we also met other travelers who rented a car and drove around the country themselves. I think this is certainly a viable option!

Food: Tagines are a must-try, as are various barbecued meat options! And I think you already know my obsession with Moroccan mint tea.

Safety: As I’ve stated prior in my Marrakech blog post, we never felt that our safety was threatened, and going around with a guide we knew we were never going anywhere sketchy. However, there were certainly times we felt pressured to purchase things. The hardest thing about doing a guided tour was getting taken to co-ops for rugs or argon oil factories where you felt obligated to purchase something and couldn’t exactly walk away because your guide was your only mode of transportation.

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Africa, Marrakech, Morocco, Travel

2 Days in Marrakech

At long last, we’ve made it to the continent of Africa!! Marrakech has LONG been on my travel bucket list, and I’m so grateful that my hubby and I were able to make it here over American Thanksgiving. <3

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Pro tip for my fellow Americans: International travel during our Thanksgiving domestic holiday is MUCH cheaper than it is during Christmas, so if you don’t have big family gatherings or traditions during Thanksgiving, I’d so GO GO GO!

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We booked a flight to Paris through London because it was much cheaper than booking a flight to Morocco (more on that another time!), and this ended up being such a great way to spend a day in Paris first before hopping over to Marrakech on a cheap European airline. We saved a little under $1,000 by this method!

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I’ve heard Morocco described as an “assault on the senses,” and I can say that this is certainly true. The variety of bright colors and beautifully intricate architecture, the abundance of smells and spices everywhere and the bustling of the vibrant city. It’s a beautiful city and an amazing experience, but certainly could be overwhelming or take you a bit aback if you’re not expecting it.

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We went in November, which is supposed to be a wildcard in terms of weather, but were blessed with sunshine and 70-80 degree temperature (20-25 C).

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WHERE TO STAY

Le Riad Yasmine – No doubt you’ve seen this extremely photogenic hotel on Instagram! We booked our stay at Le Riad Yasmine four months in advance of our travels here, and I actually snagged the last available room.

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The room was 90€ (so 45€ / person) and included breakfast each morning, which we thought was a great deal for the beautiful amenities! It’s also conveniently halfway between Jardin Majorelle and the center of the Medina (Jamaa el-Fna), about a 20-min walk to both.

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Riad Yasmine was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. The pool, the wonderful staff and incredible service, the delicious food and the resident cat, Bowie.

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Upon arrival, we were served Moroccan Mint Tea, and I must say that the tea at Riad Yasmine was the tastiest of any tea we had our entire trip! We ordered it many times in our two-day stay.

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Also, the rooftop area cannot be overstated. It was a little chilly in November, but the space was a perfect mix of comfy couches and prickly cacti. I enjoyed my mornings here with Bowie.


WHAT TO DO

Ben Youseff Madrasa – If you do nothing else, this is a MUST. This is the oldest Madrasa (old Islamic college) in Morocco, and it is positively stunning. Get here right at opening so you can wander the halls alone for a bit and take in all the breathtaking wonder before the tour groups start showing up! The entrance fee is 20 MAD/person.

Dar Cherifa – This was HANDS DOWN the best meal we had in Morocco. OH. MY. GOODNESS. If you can, GO HERE. It’s a little difficult to find, but the food inside this hidden gem of a riad is tasty and phenomenally spiced.  We got a variety of traditional Moroccan salads, Harira soup and two tagines (lamb and kefta). We also got a saffron crème brulee for dessert.

Jamaa El Fna / Souks – This is what comes to mind when I think of Morocco. Vibrant street shops, busy squares, spice stacks galore and Moroccan rugs! I would highly recommend trying to do all your shopping here (and bargaining as much as you can—more on that in the “Tips” section below), because it will likely be much cheaper than if you do a tour and they try to convince you to make purchases at various co-ops.

It can be a bit overwhelming to wander, and you should definitely keep your belongings close and beware of children looking to pickpocket, but it is truly an unforgettable experience.

Koutoubia Mosque – Non-Muslims cannot enter this mosque, but it is certainly worth looking at. It is the tallest mosque in Marrekech, and can be seen from all around! The hubby and I glanced it in the distance, and went on a pleasant 20-min walk together to see it from the outside.

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La Mamounia – You may recognize this exquisite hotel property from “Sex and the City” (I mean, so I’ve been told—I’ve never seen it!). My dear friend recommended we go here and do a day pass (and she has an incredible blog post on Marrakech here).

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For those of you who can’t afford to stay at this lavish hotel (like us), a day pass is an incredible option to experience the beautiful grounds! This was truly the most relaxing we did our entire trip.

There are two day pass options: 500 MAD for just access to the grounds/hotel, or 1500 MAD for an hour-long massage or hammam (traditional Moroccan scrub) and a delicious 3-course lunch at one of their restaurants. We opted for the $150 option, and it was worth every penny.

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We both selected to do a hamman, which was a unique and reinvigorating experience that left our skin feeling as soft as a newborn baby.

For lunch, we ended up at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, which was positively divine and had many options for me with my gluten sensitivity.

And of course, we eagerly checked out the beautiful pools—and were shocked to find them completely empty, save for a few people that stopped by every now and again to snap photos!! Seriously, I’m sure November is off season for Morocco travels, but the hotel seemed fairly full—I’m amazed that more guests didn’t use the breathtaking pools!

We also checked out a beautifully instagrammable courtyard, which you must ask a staff member to unlock for you. I was not aware of this fact going in, and felt so anxious as we tried to figure out how to get in! Thankfully, my husband is the calmest man with the most amiable demeanor, and they unlocked the door at his request (and even took a few photos for us!).

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Majorelle Gardens – These beautifully vibrant blue-and-yellow gardens were designed by Jacques Majorelle, a French artist who spent nearly 40 years of his life designing the beautiful space. In 2010, the property was purchased by Yves Saint Laurent, and has since been managed by a non-profit.

In addition to the beautiful fountains and cactus gardens, there is a Berber Museum and variety of Majorelle’s paintings. We did not pay extra to go inside any of the exhibits, but admission is 70 MAD (35 MAD if you have a foreign student ID).

Royal Mansour – This is another breathtakingly beautiful hotel that boasts beautiful architecture and sophistication. We did not have time to book a spa appointment and couldn’t afford to spend a night here, but the staff was incredibly kind and allowed us to explore. I’ve heard they have a lovely bar and restaurant, but we did not stop by either.

Starbucks Coffee – You will laugh at me, but I make an effort to find a Starbucks wherever we go to get a country-specific souvenir! Also, coffee is not terribly great in Morocco, so for coffee addicts like me, the Starbucks is a lifesaver. We wandered to Starbucks from the Majorelle Gardens, which took about 20-minutes of wandering through the new town. We really enjoyed the experience (this is the only Starbucks in Marrakech, and one of three in the entire country), and also had fun roaming the adjacent local mall to see the variety of cultures alongside each other there!

Palais El Badii & Palais de la Bahia – We didn’t have a chance to go to either of these spots, but I have heard that they are lovely and worth checking out!

MARRAKECH TRAVEL TIPS

Currency: MAD – Moroccan Dirhams

Languages: Arabic (official), Amazigh (aka “Berber,” official) / French (unofficial) – some also speak English)

Transportation: Our preferred mode was by foot as there is much to see close together, but there are also taxis, private cars and carriages pulled by horses. If you opt to take taxis, make sure you negotiate the price ahead of time. Going from the airport to the Medina, you should definitely pay no more than 150 MAD. Another thing to note is if you take a taxi, it’s very possible you won’t be able to get dropped off right by your hotel/riad, depending on where you’re staying. To avoid the headache of negotiating and potentially getting lost right off the plane, we opted to have our riad send a car to pick us up, and we paid 150 MAD for a pleasant and stress-free ride.

Food: OF COURSE, you must try tagine. Chicken tagine, lamb tagine, kefta mkaouara tagine, vegetarian tagine—there really is a delicious option for every dietary restriction. Also, Moroccan mint tea is the tastiest sweet, caffeinated beverage ever. Keep in mind that you will likely be offered tea as a sign of hospitality wherever you go, and it would be considered slightly rude to refuse. The good news is it’s so delicious, why would you refuse?

Safety: We never felt threatened for our safety in Morocco. However, it is VERY important to be mindful and cautious, especially in terms of directions or purchasing things. Some tips I would keep in mind:

  • DON’T ASK FOR DIRECTRIONS: Kids/locals will offer to help you with directions if you look lost. Do NOT take them up on this, as it is never free and they will always ask you for a tip (and will often take you through more complex winding alleyways than need be).
  • DOWNLOAD OFFLINE MAPS: Our riad advised that we download the free app maps.me, which ended up being quite helpful. It’s a map that you can download offline and use to find your way around the Medina.
  • BARGAINING: Bargain for everything you purchase in the Medina/Souks—don’t be afraid to start at 1/3 or 1/2 of the price they originally offer you. Don’t be afraid to walk away slowly as a bargaining tactic. And don’t set your heart on any one thing too much or you will likely end up overpaying for it.
  • SAFETY: If you are a woman, I would advise that you do not travel alone. Traveling in a group of women is an option, but honestly, this might be a place where you’d want to take a man with you. I am very grateful I traveled with my husband, but even standing beside him (and while wearing a scarf to cover myself up), various men would call out crude comments toward me. The best thing to do is ignore these comments and keep walking—with purpose!

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Europe, France, Lifestyle, Paris, Travel

3 Days in Paris

At long last, finally a blog post about my favorite landlocked city in the world!  (Yes, I know that’s oddly specific.)

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We went to Paris as the last stop in our 2-week whirlwind honeymoon of 12 cities, eight flights and six ferries.  What better place to end a honeymoon than in the city of love?  It was my third time in Paris, but my husband’s first, so we had to make the most of our time there!

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Which meant seeing all your quintessential Paris city sites, PLUS Versailles and Disneyland Paris!

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Wednesday Night (Day 0.5)

We arrived in Paris around 4pm on a Wednesday, and lucky for us, the sun doesn’t set during the summer until almost 10pm.

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We stayed in an adorable Airbnb in central Paris that I would ABSOLUTELY recommend!  It was much cheaper than a hotel, but very cute and central.  Being near Châtelet-les-Halles, it was a straight shot via RER lines to the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Disneyland Paris and Château de Versailles.

We checked into our Airbnb and then took public transit to Montmartre, home of Sacré-Cœur Basilica.  It was a beautiful evening to walk around!

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The only thing I regret is not properly checking hours of operation ahead of time.  We were able to walk around Sacré-Cœur, which was our objective, but couldn’t climb up to the observation part because it had just closed.  Regardless, the view of Paris was lovely from the hill, and the church is just so beautiful.


We then walked to dinner at a charming bistro called “Chez Michel.”  It was probably the most authentic French food we had on our brief trip, and everything from the pate to the famous Paris-Brest was delicious.


They also brought us a variety of complimentary dishes—champagne, sea snails and strawberry dessert.  Because we were on our honeymoon!


We then strolled around and explored until we retired to our Airbnb in order to wake up early for Notre Dame and Disneyland!!!

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Thursday (Day 1.5)

We walked from our Airbnb the next morning to Notre-Dame Cathedral, a must on anyone’s Paris list.

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The cathedral opened at 7am, but silly us, we didn’t check what time the tower observation decks opened!  So once again we didn’t get a high vantage point of Paris/the Eiffel Tower.  However, it was still worth it to be there early in the morning before other people were.


After this, we took the RER A line straight to Disneyland Paris.  We did research ahead of time to see what was unique to these parks.


We had such a blast!  We only spent a half day between the two parks, but we planned our time out carefully.  I won’t take too long detailing our trip, but here are the highlights I would recommend:

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS PARK

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  • RIDE: Crush’s Coaster – Line up for this one when the park opens as there are no fast passes for it. This is a unique “roller coaster” that simulates riding a current in a shell.  It’s righteous, dude!
  • RIDE: Ratatouille: The Adventure – Get a Fastpass for this one and journey along with Rémy as you shrink down to his size and follow him in the kitchen in a 4D experience.
  • RESTAURANT: Bistrot Chez Rémy – You MUST go here!! We made reservations two months in advance, and it was totally worth it. Sit down and enjoy a meal prepared by “Rémy” as you take in the darling décor set up so that you feel the size of a rat.  Every set meal comes with ratatouille—of course!

Also, fun story–I was obsessively photographing the 25th Anniversary chocolate that came with my espresso. A puzzled server noticed and asked me, “You are photographing the chocolate?” Embarrassed, I said, “I like chocolate.” He disappeared and then brought me MORE CHOCOLATE!

DISNEYLAND PARIS

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  • RIDE: Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain – This is very different from the other Space Mountain rides at the other Disney theme parks. It’s more thrilling and intense, and the Star Wars aspect of it is taken seriously.
  • RIDE: Phantom Manor – If you ever wished the Haunted Mansion was a little creepier and actually had a narrative, this ride is for you.
  • ATTRACTION: Dragon – There’s a dragon under the Sleeping Beauty castle (which in itself you should walk through, because it’s so charming and magical)!!

After this, we grabbed some refreshing iced coffee in Disney Village (Paris’ Downtown Disney) and spent the remainder of the evening walking around Paris and exploring Le Marais and the general area around our hotel.

We turned in early because the next day we woke up at dawn!

Friday (Day 2.5)

I’m lucky to have such a kind and patient husband.  He cheerfully allowed me to wake him up at 5am so we could get to the Place du Trocadéro by 6am for sunrise pictures!  We had a magical time taking in the views and having the place to ourselves—save for a few other couples who were actually getting professional engagement pictures done.


In comparison, we were no professionals—I kept setting my camera up on random ledges or piling our bags and hats underneath it (I had no tripod!), and then running into the frame for shots! I can only imagine how silly we must have looked to everyone else.

But got some magical shots—one of which has been printed and hung above our bed. <3

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After this, we continued on to Versailles Palace.  To avoid lines, we had purchased in advance a guided tour: The Private Apartments of the Kings.  I would HIGHLY recommend doing this!

For 7€ extra a person, we got a guided English tour through the Kings Quarters—areas of the palace that the general public doesn’t get to enter!

This included Louis XV’s bedchamber, clock room, clothes cabinet, the dogs’ room (yes, for the king’s favorite dogs), private chambers, library (which a door hidden in a bookshelf!!) and many other fascinating areas.

I so badly wanted to sing songs from the “Beauty and the Beast” soundtrack while walking throughout the palace.  Chateau de Chambord may have been the original inspiration for the 1991 film’s castle, but Château de Versailles had so many charming and grand things that reminded me a great deal of the movie, too!

We were able to skip all the long lines and learned a great deal of fascinating information.  Also, at the end of the tour, our guide opened a secret wall that allowed us to get back into the Hall of Mirrors—which was incredibly crowded by this point!

We continued wandering around, and grabbed Ladurée macarons before heading outside to sit out and gaze at the gardens.

We could only make a tiny dent in exploring the grounds!  They’re so vast and beautiful, but we were there on a particularly hot and humid day.  After we had gotten our fill of seeing the mazes and fountains, we headed out to Rue de Satory outside the palace to find lunch.


Once we had eaten and rested, we went back to our Airbnb and plotted our next moves.  First up—find crepes.  Second up—go to our early dinner we were able to reserve at Bistroy Les Papilles!
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I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Paris.  The food quality is amazing for the price you pay.  It’s a 4-course meal for 38€/person, plus extra for a bottle of wine.  There is no flexibility whatsoever with the meal, and you can’t know in advance what you’ll get—you arrive, sit down, and the chef comes out and explains the menu.

We had a DELICIOUS deconstructed mushroom soup (broth was poured on top of the ingredients), homemade chicken pesto, cheeses (naturally) and mango panna cotta.  Safe to say we were very stuffed at the end—and very pleased!

Walking back to our Airbnb, we stopped at Le Cavaeu de la Huchette—an underground jazz club.  I didn’t get any pictures due to how dark it was, but this was one of the highlights of our trip for my husband!

Saturday morning (Day 3)

At long last, our last half day in Paris.  Our flight was departing at 3:20pm, so we woke up early to go explore the Champs-Élysées.  While we didn’t go inside the Louvre, we enjoyed exploring the grounds when they were completely empty.

We then grabbed breakfast and hot chocolate at Angelina.  Delicious, quintessentially French and very rich!  It was a little pricey, but the experience was so lovely.

After this, we walked down to the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile.  I took my husband because this is a must for anyone visiting Paris for their first time.  Gazing out over the city and staring at the romantically moody Eiffel Tower, it was a fitting way for us to say goodbye to Paris.

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Conclusion

And there you have it!!   Of course, we wished we had more time to spend in Paris and there were many things we had on our list that we didn’t get to do.  But if you want to see a wide variety of Paris and still get in Versailles and Disneyland Paris, this is how we did it.  I can undoubtedly say that we will return very soon to the City of Love.


PARIS TRAVEL TIPS

Currency: Euro

Languages: French (some people speak English, but try to learn a little bit of French to be polite!  Even starting a sentence with, “Pardon, parlez-vous anglais?” can go a long way)

Transportation: The public transit system in Paris is incredibly easy to use. We purchased a 3-day Navigo pass at the airport from a help counter (which includes the RER lines, metro, buses), and it was perfect for us.  I strongly recommend getting this all taken care of at the airport or lining up at an official ticket counter for help—I regret to say one of my first trips to Paris I was scammed by someone offering to “help” me at Gare du Nord station when I was trying to figure it out myself at a ticket booth.  Always be safe!!

Food: Pretty much everything is delicious in Paris, but you would be remiss to not get pastries, local cheeses, foie gras, duck confit, wine and crepes…yum!

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Europe, Greece, Lifestyle, Rhodes, Travel

A Day in Rhodes, Greece

Hi Everyone!!!

This post is reaaallllly overdue, but I want to tell you all about this beautiful and thoroughly underrated Greek island that quickly became one of my favorites.

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First off, we really did not have enough time there, but we made the most of the time we did have.  This was our first island stop on our whirlwind honeymoon, and we loved every moment of it.

BACKGROUND
A bit of history—Rhodes is technically part of Greece but is located closer to mainland Turkey, and therefore has a lot of Turkish influence.  You’ll likely find that people speak Greek and English, but also speak Turkish and sometimes Italian and German due to the rich history of cultures.  Basically, they’re pretty cool.

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Rhodes’ nickname is “The Island of the Knights,” due to the medieval Catholic Hospitallers (or the Knights of Rhodes) that were based there.  The Medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes is a World Heritage site, and Rhodes was also home the Colossus of Rhodes—one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

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Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese chain, and as such I would highly recommend getting an international driver’s license and renting a car.  Many of the sites we were interested in were 1+ hour away from each other, and buses are fairly frequent but often shut down operation early in the evening.  To avoid the trouble (and frequent stops), we decided to get ourselves around.

OUR ITINERARY

We arrived around 9:45am to the Rhodes International Airport.  We quickly got our rental car and then drove ourselves about 45 minutes to Rhodes Town, where we stayed at a small hostel called “Hotel Anastasia” which was run by an adorable couple and situated in the middle of Rhodes Old Town.

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While the location was convenient, figuring out parking gave us a headache—there are signs and colored curbs, but we weren’t sure what any of it meant and as a few locals told us, the locals didn’t care much about following parking rules, so it left us confused about what to do.  After unsuccessfully trying to street park, some helpful locals pointed us in the direction of a paid parking lot across the street from “Parko Therme,” right next to the Palace of the Grand Master Knights.  It wasn’t too expensive, and we could leave our car there overnight, which was fine with us.  I’ve heard people say there is free parking near Mandraki Harbor, but we didn’t stumble upon it ourselves.

Once we were settled, parked and the owners generously let us check in early, we set out on foot to explore the Old Town!

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The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (or simply the Kastello) is a medieval fortress and one of the few Gothic structures in all of Greece.  It was built in the 7th Century as a Byzantine citadel, but would later be occupied by the Knights Hospitallers.  Even after that, it would become a holiday home for King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, and Italian architects would restore the castle.

Once you get inside the palace, your breath is taken away.  Cobblestone, grand arches and stone mosaics as far as the eye can see.  I would advise to get here early in the day before it gets too crowded and kitschy with the souvenir carts and fast food places trapping tourists (honestly, the worst meal we had in all of Greece was inside here).


It’s a grand, beautiful place to explore and you will want to spend a decent amount of time walking around and willing yourself to believe you didn’t step back in time.

After we were done exploring, we hopped into our car and drove out to Lindos Town (30 miles/48 km), while making sure to stop at beaches along the way.  Even with our beach stops, this drive took us about an hour (while a bus would take 1h 30m).

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Our beach hopping was certainly a highlight, because many of these areas were completely unspoiled and breathtaking in the shadow of the mountains.  We also found quite a few mountain goats—one even tried to jump in our car with us!!!

Whereas Rhodes Town feels medieval and Gothic, Lindos Town has a truly Greek charm with white-washed houses, donkeys, cats galore and—oh yeah—its own Acropolis.

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Once we reached Lindos, we parked in a free parking lot just outside the town and walked in.  The town of Lindos, although steep, is tiny and is strictly traversed by foot or donkey.  To save the poor donkeys some grief (and to also get ourselves into better shape), we opted to walk around.  Most other tourists did the same.

We hiked up the long path to the Acropolis, and let me tell you—it did NOT disappoint!!  Truly, this was one of the highlights of our honeymoon.  The first thing we came across when we entered was an ancient fortress of the Knights of St. John (14th Century).  Once we climbed up the fortress, our eyes were greeted by the beautiful Doric Temple of Athena Lindia—which dates back to 300 B.C.

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While the Athens Acropolis is truly remarkable and a must-see in your lifetime, I would actually say that I enjoyed this Acropolis just as much if not MORE.

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We were able to walk freely throughout this Acropolis, stand under pillars, take in the sights in awe and look out AS THE ACROPOLIS IS SURROUNDED BY WATER.  Seriously.  You get amazing views of Lindos Town, but also of the beautiful Aegean Sea and a beautiful heart-shaped bay.

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It was a thunderstorm-y day, and I was very lucky to capture this LIGHTNING BOLT shot!

The bay, known as St. Paul’s Bay, is supposedly where the Apostle Paul shipwrecked in 51 A.D.  it is said that Paul was caught in a storm, and a lightning bolt split a rock in two—opening up this bay and providing him with safe haven to land.  He then went on to preach Christianity to the local Rhodians.

An icon (and some believe it was a coin) of Paul was unearthed in this bay in 1920, which led to a small church being built in 1951 to commemorate his visit.

After our visit to the breathtaking Acropolis, we walked back to the town and got in our car again to go down to St. Paul’s Bay to a restaurant called “Tambakio.”  It’s a little off the beaten path, but I would highly recommend going here!

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You are literally situated in the bay and it is a wonderful place to watch the sunset over the Acropolis.

What’s more—“Tambakio” means “tannery,” and a tannery is what Pauls’ church was built over.  They’re very proud of the history, and have placemats to tell the story about it!

The tiny beach restaurant was also one of our favorite meals.  We were one of two couples there, and at times it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.  The seafood is fresh and delicious, the prices are good and the seating areas are all on the sandy beach.  Eating dinner while the ocean waves gently lapped against the shore was nothing short of romantic.

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After dinner, we hopped in our car once again and made one last stop before driving back to Rhodes Town—at Lindos Ice Bar!  I had been to an ice bar in Barcelona, and my husband was fascinated by the concept and thrilled to check it out.

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The location is the only longstanding ice bar in Greece, and is certainly an experience to remember.  we paid 12€ for entry, which included a parka, gloves and a drink.  Once inside, we chose cocktails in cups made of ice (premade) and huddled together while enjoying the chairs and structures made of ice.

Couldn’t stay inside too long, but really enjoyed the experience!

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After that, we made the drive back to Rhodes Town and slept in eager anticipation of our next day—which was a day trip out to Symi Island.  You can read all about that here!

We also had time early that morning to see the windmills of Rhodes and grab a quick coffee before our tour boat left the next morning at, funnily enough, a Starbucks right in Mandraki Harbor.

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And then after we came back from the day trip, we had just enough time to head over to Tamam Restaurant for dinner.  This meal was another delicious highlight, and I would highly recommend it as well.

And that’s it!  The next day we had to wake up around 4am to get to the airport in time to make our  6:40am flight through Athens to Santorini.  We left, bleary-eyed but bushy-tailed and quite happy with our Rhodian experiences.

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RHODES ISLAND TRAVEL TIPS

Currency: EUR (Euro)

Languages: Greek (official), Turkish, many people speak English, Italian and German

Transportation: Rental Cars, Buses, Taxis

Food: As in any coastal region, fresh seafood is always an excellent choice!  In addition to that, any traditional Greek foods (particularly Souvlaki, Gyro and SAGANAKI) will be tasty—especially if they have a Turkish fusion flavor to them.  Also, Italian food is surprisingly good here!

*NOTE: I have a gluten allergy and actually wasn’t feeling too good during the evening.  This was really my fault, though, as I was being too shy to ask questions about what was in certain meals.  Plenty of places in Rhodes seem to cater to gluten allergies if you ask them—in particular, Tamam is good about accommodating!

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Lifestyle, Mexico, North America, Travel

48 Hours in Cabo San Lucas

For every few whirlwind trips you need one relaxing vacation, right?

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This was our logic when my husband and I booked a trip to Cabo over a 3-day weekend!

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We spent about 48 hours in Mexico and did not do much—which is a bit of an anomaly for us.  We had such a beautiful and relaxing trip, and especially for those based out of California, I highly recommend making Cabo San Lucas a weekend getaway!

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It was a 2.5 direct hour flight from LAX to SJD.  It was a quick and uneventful hop.  Although the aircraft we were on was completely out of English immigration forms, so we ended up using our minimal Spanish and asking other passengers for help to fill them out!

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Once we got to the Los Cabos International Airport, we found a representative from Dollar Rent A Car and got bused over to their main office to pick up our rental car.  We had reserved a car online ahead of time and also paid extra to get insurance.

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I’ve read a lot of mixed things about renting a car in Mexico, but this was honestly completely worthwhile for us.  It was easy, the drive was beautiful, we never felt like we were in danger and parking was generally very cheap, valet or free.  Obviously, we tried to be as careful as possible (e.g. drove the speed limit, went out during normal daytime hours, didn’t drive at night, etc.).

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We stayed at The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, and fell completely in love with the property—so much so that I wrote a hotel review about it here that you can read.  I highly recommend staying here!!  It’s a fantastic place with gorgeous views, beautiful pools, delicious food and wonderful service.

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DAY 1

Our first day, we relaxed at the property.

We grabbed a late lunch at The Ledge (we got to the hotel around 4:30pm), and ate delicious gluten-free duck tacos and ceviche tostadas. Everything on the menu was marked as to whether it was gluten-free!


We then enjoyed an ocean view from the room on our balcony couch swing, and got drinks at the infinity pool (that even included lounge chairs INSIDE the pool).

After, we experienced a delicious and romantic dinner at Manta, The Cape’s fusion Japanese/Peruvian/Mexican restaurant.

The experience was delightful, the food quite tasty and the sunset views to die for!

And that was our first relaxing evening at The Cape.  There was an event on the rooftop at 11pm that we initially had some interest in checking out.  But honestly, we ended up crashing in our room and didn’t make it upstairs.


DAY 2

We woke up early the next morning to grab breakfast in Cabo San Lucas town at The Office on the beach—a 15-20 minute drive from our hotel.  We found a public parking garage (attached to the Puerto Paraiso mall) and left our car there, which was completely worthwhile—we only had to pay about $2 (35 pesos) for 5+ hours.

The Office on the beach is one of the most popular tourist spots in Cabo Town, but doesn’t get too crowded or loud until afternoon/evening.  We had a delicious ocean-view breakfast there (Mexican Eggs for him and Chilaquiles with Eggs for me), complete with refreshing smoothies!

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After breakfast, we walked along the beach to get to the docks for a sailing tour we had booked via Viator (Luxury Sailing and Snorkeling Cruise).

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Don’t mind us, we’re just a boat full of pelicans.

This is definitely one of the things you should do in Cabo to see El Arco de Cabo San Lucas (aka  Land’s End, the extreme southern end of Baja California), Lovers Beach and do some snorkeling.

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Make sure you bring LOTS of sunscreen—even though we had applied sunscreen in the morning, we didn’t reapply and my poor husband burned to a crisp!

After the sailing tour, we explored the town a little bit more and grabbed an iced cold brew and refresher from a Starbucks we found.

We then decided to head on back to our hotel for some more pool time and freshening up before dinner.

We ate dinner our second night at El Farallon at the Pedegral.  This is a pricey restaurant, but is definitely worthwhile for the experience.

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Getting to the Pedegral itself is an experience worth remembering—we drove through a tunnel in the mountain to arrive at a beautiful resort, and were showed around by Daniel before our reservation.

Daniel was so sweet and gave us a brief rundown of the resort’s history, and also was more than willing to take pictures for us whenever we wanted (which was maybe every 2 minutes…don’t judge!! It was too beautiful!).

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Once at El Farallon, we were blown away by the gorgeous restaurant carved into the cliffside.  Waves crashed against the rocks peacefully.

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We were first brought over to the Champagne Terrace to select our beverages.  This is not included with the dinner, so we opted for half glasses of the most affordable champagnes they had.

After this, they had us select the fish and sides we wanted for our set meal (no à la carte option).  They then brought us over to our table, which was in a private section in the far back of the restaurant.  Our dinner reservation was fairly early (5:15pm), so it felt like we had the whole back section to ourselves and was very romantic!

We also took a lot of pictures while waiting for the food.

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Then, the food came.  Would it be strange to say that the highlight of the meal was the soup?  We were served an absolutely delicious Mexican take on Japanese miso soup that incorporated a variety of seafood and rice noodles.  I’m still dreaming about this soup as I type!!


They were incredibly accommodating of my gluten allergy, and even brought over some appetizers just for me when I couldn’t eat some of the items on the set menu.  The fish we selected was also incredibly delicious and fresh.  And don’t forget the salsas!

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After dinner, we headed back to our hotel just in time to take a romantic stroll on the beach at sunset.

We then retired to our room, where we enjoyed the hotel’s comfy robes and slippers (best described as squishy flip-flops) and watched some Netflix while hearing the waves crash on the shore in the distance.

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DAY 3
Once again, we woke up early the next morning to enjoy the most of the hotel amenities.  We took a morning dip in the pool and explored the resort.

We were the only ones wandering around—even at 8:30am—which was magical in itself.  Also, I found a crane, and was very excited about it.

We then grabbed coffee in The Glass Box (a café/bar) and played a game of pool in the beautiful open-air lobby of the hotel.

And with that, we checked out of our lovely hotel and headed to Flora’s Field Kitchen for brunch!

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You may have heard of this organic farm-to-table gem in Los Cabos a myriad of ways.  Maroon 5’s Adam Levine got married here, and the property even has luxury cottages for rent.

Getting here, you’ll feel a little like you’re lost.  There’s some driving down dirt roads and being completely surrounded by nothing but desert.  But when you pull into Flora’s, you find an adorable green oasis.  We wandered around the charming property a bit while waiting for our food.

Flora’s Field Kitchen was also very accommodating of my gluten allergy.  We opted to share a gluten-free Potato & Rosemary Pizza and Huevos Rancheros.  The pizza was fine, but we loved the huevos rancheros and downed them very quickly!

After brunch, we headed back for the airport to drop off our rental car and board our 3:00pm flight back to Los Angeles.  We were grateful for our beautiful and relaxing stay in Cabo, and will certainly return!

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CANBO SAN LUCAS TRAVEL TIPS

Currency: MXN – Mexican Peso (many places accept USD—I don’t recommend this, but we didn’t get a chance to exchange for Pesos before we left, and when we arrived at SJD airport none of the ATMs had cash in them for us to withdraw Pesos. Thankfully, it didn’t end up being an issue as everywhere—even the parking structure in the town—accepted our USD!)

Languages: Spanish (many speak English)

Transportation: Rental Cars, Taxis, Hotel Shuttles

Food: Obviously MEXICAN FOOD is what you must eat here, and seafood is deliciously fresh!

Safety: We were cautioned by many people about crime and hustling in Cabo. I don’t speak for everyone, but we personally had no issues and never felt threatened or unsafe. The area immediately when you exit the airport is a little overwhelming with people offering taxi services, but beyond that, we didn’t have any problems. Even if we were walking around, people were quick to offer help and assistance with directions. Occasionally people in the town would approach us asking if we wanted their tour/restaurant/tequila/etc., but we would just smile and respond, “No gracias.” All that said, every person’s experience is a little different, so of course just take steps to be vigilant and careful.

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