If you’re looking for the best hotel in Merida Mexico, The Diplomat Boutique Hotel Merida is a perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and attention to detail. Nestled in a beautifully restored colonial building, this charming oasis is one of the top choices for places to stay in Merida. The stunning Mexican tile, lush courtyard, and […]
Why Visit Merida A Merida vacation offers a unique cultural experience. The city is rich with Mayan heritage, delicious Yucatecan cuisine, and stunning colonial architecture. If you travel to Merida, Mexico, you’ll find it’s a perfect base for exploring the Yucatan Peninsula, offering countless day trips from Merida to nearby archeological sites, cenotes (natural underground
For years, Zihuatanejo was at the top of my Mexico travel list. I finally made it in 2022, and immediately loved it as much as I thought I would. The dramatic cliffs surrounding the deep bay that the town sits on give you striking views at almost any angle: sweeping aerial views from many hotels
I put off writing this post for years because I wasn’t sure there needed to be another “where to eat in Mexico City” guide out there. But because food is such a huge part of my travel experience and connection with culture & since I have several other posts about CDMX and I continue to
The line between typical mezcal and Mexican gin is hazy (but delicious), when it comes to agave gin. By definition, gin is a grain based alcohol that has been distilled with juniper and/or botanicals. Though mezcal is not grain-based (it’s made from agave), in Oaxaca, there has been a tradition of mezcal that is similar
It’s been a minute since I posted a recipe, but I know we are all still looking for new cocktails to devour. I’m so excited to share these below two cocktails from one of my favorite bartenders, Leslie Cobos. She put together a couple versions of classic mezcal cocktails including a mezcal collins recipe using
Guatemala is an incredible, diverse country and it’s impossible to do everything in a week. But we’ll visit 3 distinct regions during our 1 week Guatemala trip. From the jungle and ruins of Tikal, to the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, to magical Lake Atitlán, we’ll learn about Mayan culture, history, artisan work, and typical
Many people only plan a long-weekend Oaxaca trip, and miss out on so much food, culture, and beauty in the city and pueblos. I can’t tell you how many times those visitors have started planning their next trip before their first is over. So we’re going on a 7-day itinerary in Oaxaca full of mezcal,
Travel Daydreaming is a virtual travel series, where I take you day-by-day through an itinerary in one of my favorite places. Today we will spend 1 week traveling to the best Oaxaca beaches, including Puerto Escondido, Mazunte, San Agustinillo, Zipolite and Punta Pajaros. I’ll take you to my favorite restaurants, wildlife tours, cocktail bars, day
What are the best mezcal brands in the USA (and beyond)? This is a question I often get. It’s actually a bit tricky because most of the mezcal brands sold in the USA or abroad, aren’t the bottles that we purchase locally in Oaxaca. So this will be a guide to how to buy mezcal
During this COVID-19 pandemic, almost every industry, and therefore employees, are suffering the loss of business and jobs. I know many are concerned, and want to do anything they can to support others in their community at this time – especially small businesses and the employees without safety nets. If you live in Mexico City,
On my last trip through Chiapas and Guatemala, I spent the first two nights and the last two nights of my 2 week journey at the beautiful oasis of Sombra del Agua. This is one of the best designed Chiapas hotels in San Cristobal de las Casas for the thoughtfully curated decor, leafy patios, beautiful
When planning my trip to this colorful colonial city, I was searching for the best hotel in San Miguel de Allende to base myself. While there’s no shortage of options, I had a harder time than expected finding one that felt like it hit all of my needs + was beautifully designed. Then I came
Antigua Guatemala is a place I visit often, so I finally decided to put together an Antigua travel guide. This beautiful and lovely little city is one of my favorites in Central America, it’s full of gorgeous historic homes and churches, colorful walls, leafy greens, incredible textiles, and mountains + volcanoes on all sides. So
A couple of months ago, I started planning a solo trip, but wanted to be in a space where I would: 1) meet interesting people and 2) have a meaningful experience. I had planned on finding a yoga retreat somewhere in Central America, and when I stumbled on Villa Sumaya, Lake Atitlan retreat, I knew
I’ll be honest, I spent a few years of travel being lazy about my environmental choices. When I was traveling full-time, I didn’t feel like I had time to research and find natural, healthy, and sustainable products. Now I know that was an excuse (I could have made time) so I’ve become determined to cut
Last month I had the pleasure of staying in the beautiful and welcoming Casa Lum Boutique Hotel San Cristobal, Chiapas. For 4 days and 3 nights. I felt at home in the thoughtfully decorated hotel, taken care of by the attentive staff, and was just steps away from everything I wanted to see and do
Before my trip to San Cristobal de las Casas, I did some searching for where to eat and drink in the city. I had a hard time finding info that wasn’t only directing me to tourist restaurants – and while some tourist restaurants are fine, I love to get a taste of typical local food
There is very little that gets me more excited than learning from talented, master artisans in their homeland. In fact, the original reason I came to Oaxaca years ago was because of its reputation for gorgeous textiles and traditional artisan work. A couple years ago, I discovered Thread Caravan’s artisan Oaxaca tours (as well as
One of my most frequently asked questions is – where to stay in Oaxaca? So I put together a list of the best hotels in Oaxaca. I will only be including hotels that I have stayed at and loved or that I have very strong recommendations from trusted sources. There are hundreds of hotels in
One of my favorite things about our lovely weekend trip to Puebla was our stay in the gorgeous boutique hotel in Puebla – Meson Sacristia de la Compañia . This Puebla hotel is a sight for sore eyes – a vibrant pink courtyard, carefully curated antiques, lots leafy plants, pretty filtered light, and thoughtfully decorated
Contemplating a quick trip to Puebla? Many people skip over this huge, historic city, but if you have even a couple of days to detour here, you’ll find tons of cool things to do in Puebla city. So I’ve put together a quick Puebla travel guide to tell you my favorite highlights. You could easily
I’ve been on a spree of writing blogs about the Oaxaca coast because it’s such a gorgeous area that few people know about. My new favorite part of the coast is the tiny, relaxing, off-the-beaten path town of San Agustinillo. Last trip we settled ourselves into Zazil Retreat, a beautiful San Agustinillo hotel that was
The Oaxaca coast is still outside of the mainstream tourist itinerary, so you can escape the crowds here and be treated to some of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. One of my favorite parts of this coast are the adjacent towns of San Agustinillo and Mazunte, Oaxaca. They are so close you can walk
I visit La Punta Zicatela, Puerto Escondido often from my home in Oaxaca. I’ve gotten a good handle on all the best things to do in and around Puerto Escondido – including releasing baby turtles, cliffside walks, and the best swimming beach in town – so I wanted to share them here, along with some
I recently found out about a new trip planning tool called Relovate that I’ve been using as my itinerary planner for two upcoming trips. It has some really unique features that I haven’t seen before all in one tool, so I’m excited to tell you more about it! When I plan an upcoming trip, I
El Salvador travel is very off the radar for many, which is exactly the reason I was so interested to visit. During my whirlwind 6 day El Salvador tour with the El Salvador Tourism Board, I visited 10 towns/cities, 4 beaches, 2 volcanoes, 2 local markets, and a coffee farm. I learned so much about the
The time has come for me to put together a comprehensive Oaxaca food guide of all the best restaurants in Oaxaca, a place that has pulled me into its orbit again and again. After years in this city, I’ve been able to experience living in different neighborhoods as well as villages outside the city, eating
I’ve already established that my time on the Caribbean island of Roatan was above and beyond anything I expected. I loved this interesting and beautiful island. One of the most surprising parts of my Roatan vacation was my 3 days on the wild and undeveloped East End. The East End of the island receives
Roatan is an beautiful Caribbean island that seems to be on very few non-divers’ radar. It’s actually fairly little known in the travel world in general. This small island is part of a chain of 3 islands in the clear Caribbean waters off the coast of Honduras. Most Roatan travel revolves around exploring the second
The Cayos Cochinos are a little-known and postcard-worthy island archipelago off the coast of Honduras. The only way to reach them from Roatan is by chartering a sailboat or taking one of only a couple sail tour options. I was determined to visit this gorgeous island chain, so I did my research and booked a
If you are looking for a boutique hotel near Roatan’s most beautiful beach, West Bay Beach, Ibagari Boutique Hotel is a gem. This West Bay Roatan hotel is beyond gorgeous, in a perfect location, and is both luxurious and relaxing. After spending 10 days on the island of Roatan in Honduras, I am so
Mezcal is one of my favorite things, this is not news to anyone who knows me. I usually prefer to drink it straight – the way it’s meant to be sipped. But sometimes, it’s nice to have a refreshing cocktail, and Mexico City mezcal cocktails are among the best! In my many collective months spent
One of my favorite things to do in Mexico is eat, especially on the street. Mexico’s street food is full of the most traditional, well-prepared, delicious food and I like to take it upon myself to try it all. So when I was in Puerto Vallarta for my second visit, I decided to do some
I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me until recently, but food tours are my new favorite way to get to know a city and a culture. So when I was planning my trip to Pacific coast of Mexico, I contacted Pitaya Food Tours to set up a Puerto Vallarta Food Tour asap. The
When I first found Amantica Lodge online, I immediately fell in love with this Peru luxury hotel. The design of the exclusive villa was everything I look for in a hotel – sleek, hip and beautiful. This seemed like the perfect choice for a boutique hotel Lake Titicaca experience. The stay totally lived up to
One of my favorite things to do in any Latin American city or town is visit the local markets to quickly get a feel for the local culture and taste the traditional food. I’ve been to the most famous Oaxaca Markets – Mercado Benito Juarez and 20 de Noviembre – dozens of times, but never
Oaxaca is such an amazing foodie city that I don’t want to make one “must eats” post – I don’t think that does the traditional food culture here justice. Instead I want to focus on certain important dishes (like tlayudas), markets, and food collections in separate posts. One of the most important culinary gems
It shocked me to find so little info online about what mezcal distilleries to visit on a Oaxaca mezcal tour. Sure there are lots of articles about the trendy spirit – but almost all focus on what mezcal is with a brief mention that Oaxaca is the place to find it. Then there are many
Tlayudas in Oaxaca are what street tacos are to Mexico City, or pizza is to New York City. They’re the quintessential meal/snack/post-bar grub/hangover food/etc.. Every restaurant has their own version, plus plenty of street food stands. At worst I’ve had a couple tlayudas that were “good.” But at best, they are ricisimo (delicious) ! So
After spending years in Oaxaca, I’ve made it my mission to visit just about every Oaxaca mezcaleria in the Centro. I’ve narrowed down my list of favorites, each with their own vibe, depending on your mood. I think mezcal is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. (I love mezcal so much, I
When I mention to someone that I’m currently living in Mexico City, I get two very distinct reactions. Sometimes my statement is met with enthusiasm (usually from someone who has already done some Mexico City travel), but more often it’s met with a pause and some confusion. Many Americans, Canadians, and even Europeans are very misinformed
When we mentioned to anyone that we were heading to a hotel in Las Lajas Panama next, we were met with blank stares. Even many locals in the country hadn’t heard of this tiny Pacific town minutes from a wide stretch of black sand beach. So it wasn’t a surprise to us to find this
It’s ironic that I’m writing this recommendation for a Yucatecan restaurant in Mexico City when I am actually in the Yucatan Peninsula. But Mexico City does cuisine from every region of the country incredibly well, and Cochinita Power is no exception! During our last trip to Mexico City, we stayed in the historic neighborhood of San
It’s probably pretty obvious by now that Oaxaca is one of my favorite cities in the world. Few places have it beat for its high level of culture, complex food, delicious mezcal, colonial architecture, and surrounding natural beauty. So when I was planning my second trip to the city, I knew what I wanted in my
You know all those people who say not to eat street food because it’ll make you sick. IGNORE THEM, please. In my opinion, street food is safer than a meal in a restaurant, as everything is done right in front of you. Don’t like the look of the kitchen? Think the food doesn’t look fresh?
Complex sauces made from 30+ ingredients, chile roasted grasshoppers, and soup made of squash flowers – what do these foods have in common? They are a few of the local dishes that make Oaxaca famous for their complex cuisine. How about some suckling pig, artisanal hot chocolate or small batch mezcal? Did you know
