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1 Week Coastal Oaxaca Itinerary to the Best Oaxaca Beaches: Travel Daydreaming

1 Week Itineraries: Travel Daydreaming Series, Beach Escapes, Eat Well in Latin America, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Mexican Food + Mezcal, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Nature, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Oaxacan Food + Mezcal, Off-the-Beaten Path

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 […]

Antigua Travel Guide: What to do in Antigua Guatemala, Prettiest Colonial City in Central America

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Guatemala, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Nature

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

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Best Places to Visit in Guatemala: Lake Atitlan Things to Do + Lake Atitlan Hotels

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Guatemala, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Retreats

After several trips to the country, I can absolutely say that Lake Atitlan is one my favorite places to visit in Guatemala. When I think about Guatemala, I picture the magical lake surrounded by epic mountains and volcanoes, and the vibrant traditional Mayan towns that surround it. I want to write about all the villages

Banana Backpacks, 60 liter, quality, ethical backpack

Ethical + Quality 60 Liter Backpack: Review of Banana Backpacks

Clothing + Accessories, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Longterm Travel, Packing Tips, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

Finding the perfect travel luggage has felt like a never ending search for me. But it’s become clear that I prefer and find a quality backpack so much more convenient than rolling options. I recently came across Banana Backpacks, and loved the company’s social mission. So I tried out my new 60 liter backpack on

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Palenque Ruins Guide: 1 or 2 Day Palenque Tour Itinerary with Hotels, Misol Ha + Agua Azul

Budget Travel Tips, Chiapas, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Tour Reviews, Transportation

Planning my Palenque tours from San Cristobal was probably the most difficult part of my Chiapas travel planning. The Palenque ruins are quite far from San Cristobal, and there is mixed information online about the safest way to get there. So after lots of research and actually doing the trip, I want to write about

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Wellness + Yoga Retreat Guatemala: Villa Sumaya Lake Atitlan Retreat

Central America, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Guatemala, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Retreats

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

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San Agustinillo + Mazunte Oaxaca Travel Guide: What to Do, Where to Eat + Where to Stay

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Nature, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Oaxacan Food + Mezcal, Tour Reviews, Tours

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

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Zicatela & La Punta, Puerto Escondido Guide: Things to Do in Puerto Escondido, Restaurants + Where to Stay

Beach Escapes, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Mexican Food + Mezcal, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Nature, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Oaxacan Food + Mezcal

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

Best Things to Do in El Salvador: Why El Salvador Travel Should Be On Your Radar

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, El Salvador, Food, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path

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

A Roatan Vacation for Adventure Lovers: Camp Bay Lodge in Off-the-Beaten Path East End

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Central America, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Honduras, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path

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 Travel Guide: Non-Diver’s Guide for Where to Stay, What to Do + Where to Eat on Roatan Island

Beach Escapes, Caribbean, Central America, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Honduras, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Tours

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 Best Puerto Vallarta Beaches for Instagram-Worthy Photos

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Hiking, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Nature, Transportation

In my humble opinion, the Puerto Vallarta beaches south of the city are the most Instagram-worthy, beautiful, and dramatic beaches, and yet they are usually mostly empty. It baffles me because they are SO easy to get to, whether you have a car or are taking the bus. During my last trip to Puerto Vallarta,

Granada City Guide: What to Do in Granada Spain

Budget Travel Tips, Cultural Destinations, Europe, Food, Hiking, Spain, Travel Tips

Do you ever just immediately fall in love with a city you visit? This is what happened to me when I visited Granada, Spain. I loved every minute of wandering this old city’s winding streets. So I put together a Granada city guide, letting you know what to do in Granada – one of my

Hiking Sierra Nevada Mountains: Spain Trekking Tour with Sierra y Sol

Europe, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Spain, Tour Reviews, Tours

I love hiking and doing nature explorations when I go to a new place. So when I was planning my time in Spain, I knew I wanted to find a way to fit some trekking in. I had heard that hiking Sierra Nevada mountains was unique and beautiful, so I looked for a tour company

What to do in Cusco: Prettiest Places to Take Instagram-Worthy Photos of Cusco

Budget Travel Tips, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Nature, Peru, South America, Uncategorized

One of my absolute favorite activities when visiting a new place is simple – wandering the streets with a camera in hand, hunting for pretty nooks and corners. When I was researching what to do in Cusco,I found some good suggestions, but ended up stumbling on others by accident. So I wanted to compile the

Boutique Hotel Lake Titicaca: A Luxurious Experience at Amantica Lodge

Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Peru, South America, Tour Reviews, Tours, Uncategorized

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

Rainbow Mountain Trek: 2 Day Tour with Ayni Peru

Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Peru, South America, Tour Reviews, Tours, Uncategorized

One of the very first things I knew I wanted to do when I got to Peru was the Rainbow Mountain trek. This hike is still fairly new on the tourist scene, but it’s splashed all over social media – and I couldn’t deny the unique beauty of the layered and colorful mountain. So when

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Short Inca Trail Hike, Machu Picchu, & Sacred Valley Tour: Review of Ayni Peru

Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Peru, South America, Tour Reviews

I feel like my time in the Cusco region of Peru was nothing short of magical – and I don’t say that lightly. For 3 weeks we spent time in Cusco city, Ollantaytambo, and many of the surrounding towns and ruins. One of my absolute highlights of these weeks was our 3 day tour with

Colombia Travel Guide: Top 6 Things to Do in Medellin

Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Food, Hiking, Nature, South America, Travel Tips

Medellin is located northwest of Bogota, in the state of Antioquia. Residents, called Paisas, are much more interested in their local culture than that of Colombia as a whole. Antioquians are very proud of their history, culture, food, and way of life. The city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. It’s large and sprawling,

Colombia Travel Guide: Top 5 Things To Do in Bogota

Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Food, Hiking, Nature, Photo Diary, South America, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

Bogota is located almost exactly in the center of the country, high up in the Andes mountains at 2644 meters (8675 feet). It’s a huge city – with 6 1/2 million residents, but surrounded by beautiful natural places that can be reached on day trips or longer ventures. If you go to Colombia, chances are

The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia: Part 2 – Camping Parque Tayrona

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Colombia, Food, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Lodging Tips, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Travel Tips

This is part 2 in my 3 part series about the best adventures in Colombia. Head back to my previous post about hiking epic Valle de Cocora. And stay tuned for the final adventure in the series! Here is Part 2 – Parque Tayrona is a national park on the northeast Caribbean coastline of Colombia. It’s well

Hiking Valle de Cocora: The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia Part 1

Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Travel Tips

My 3 favorite adventures during my month long trip around Colombia weren’t found in the main tourist destinations of Bogota, Medellin, or Cartagena, they were in beautiful remote areas that took some work to get to. One of my absolute favorite days in Colombia was hiking Valle de Cocora, walking amidst the tallest palm trees in the world,

San Juan Del Sur Beach Round-up: All Beaches are Not Created Equal!

Beach Escapes, Central America, Hiking, Nature, Nicaragua, Travel Tips

The southern Nicaraguan coast is a series of bays or coves, ringed with jagged and dramatic rock formations. This makes for dozens of different beaches within a short distance from San Juan del Sur. Each beach is unique – with it’s own geography, ocean currents, and patrons. Part of the fun of staying in town

Rincon Beach, Las Galeras, Dominican Republic

The Three Beaches in Las Galeras: The Unconventional Way

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Cultural Destinations, Dominican Republic, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Travel Tips

The first thing you’ll be told to do in Las Galeras is “The 3 Beaches” tour. This entails hiring a small speedboat from the main beach in town and taking a tour of the three most beautiful beaches nearby – Rincon, Fronton, and Madama. We had loosely planned to do this, but ended up touring

5 Things the Guidebooks Miss about Oaxaca

Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Mexico, Nature, Oaxaca, Oaxaca City, Travel Tips

The first thing you must do in Oaxaca is eat. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eat second breakfast, mid-day snack, and late night treat. Eat! Between meals, you should fit in some of the other activities the city has to offer. The five things below may or may not be in the guidebooks, but if