Bucket List In A Bikini

One Month In The Philippines: Best Bang For Your Buck-et-list.

With inflation on the high end, I have found it difficult to go on vacation without paying attention to how expensive everything has gotten. I truly despise this because who wants to go on a vacay and talk about how much everything costs? No, no, no. It is almost impossible though to go to a bar and not gasp at the $17 margarita or $35 piece of fish at middle-of-the road-places. Even my beautiful Costa Rica has fallen victim. When I moved to Costa Rica my dollar went so much further than it did in the USA. Now I am going to my regular restaurants and getting charged $17 for a kid’s menu chicken nuggets and fries. Are you kidding me? So are there any vacation destinations where you can achieve reasonable prices without sacrificing the beauty or quality of your trip? Why yes there is kids! The Philippines is my top choice so far in my travels which combines reasonable prices with paradise, adventure, and great food.

The Philippines is quite a journey. I knew with so far to fly and so much ground and sea to cover, I needed a month (at least). As this trip began to take form, it became very clear that the Philippines had those two qualities that seem to be nonexistent these days. Reasonably priced and beautiful! The best combo ever right? I booked a 30-day trip running an average of $100 per night. Like wow….I impressed myself with this. This is definitely my lowest average price per night for a vacay and it did not feel like it whatsoever. Let me say, these stays were not cheap…they were reasonable. There is a difference as we all know. Cheap means poor quality. Reasonable means a good price without compromising the quality, aka good bang for your buck! I did a combination of accommodations to include a couple of nice hotels, one cheapy hotel, Airbnb, campground, hostel, and houseboating. The houseboat was actually the most expensive part but should not be missed, which I will get to later. True and crazy fact…I spent less in 30 days traveling in the Philippines than I would have spent if I stayed home living my normal life in Costa Rica. I actually saved money to go on a bucket list trip!

Route

My route took quite a while to figure out. I really didn’t have any interest in doing anything but the islands and there were so many to choose from. In fact, there are over 7,600 islands in the Philippines so it almost feels endless with possibilities. Here is what I went with. Siargao – Cebu – Siquijor – Bohol – Puerto Princessa, Palawan – El Nido, Palawan – Coron, Palawan. Seven stops in 30-days! The most challenging part of this planning was the ferries. With so many ports, it is important to plan all of this ahead. Some ports don’t go to all of the islands, and some have several stops, while others are direct. I also found that it made much more sense to take the little hopper airplanes when the ferry rides were really long. On one of the legs, a one-hour plane ride was only $20 more per person compared to the five-hour ferry ride. So, lots of research to be done but once you get your route, the rest is a piece of cake.

Chapter 1: SIARGAO

Now that the trip is over and I can compare all the stops, Siargao is at the top of my list and only tied with one other stop for my absolute favorite place in the Philippines. I’m sort of crazy for palm trees and this island is literally covered in them. It is considered online to be one of the prettiest islands for this exact reason. It is also the surfing capital of the country. So if you are a surfer or simply want to stay in the most lively part of town, most definitely choose the area of Cloud 9 to General Luna. I stayed right smack in the middle of the two at Bravo Beach Resort. I was incredibly happy with this hotel and this was for sure one of the nicer places I stayed over the month. It is right on the beach with an excellent restaurant/bar. The sun rose every morning directly in front of the hotel. Being that the time change was a 15-hour difference from what I was used to, I was lucky to be up and sleepless three out of the six mornings for sunrise. Watching the sun come up is truly my favorite way to start my day and practice gratitude. These sunrises were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen! I even brought the bed sheets down to the beach for a little shoot because if you can’t get up for sunrise, it’s best to bring your bed to the beach! Ha ha

Enjoying the sunrise at Bravo Beach Resort.

Transportation

Another reason the Philippines is so reasonable is because it is so inexpensive to get around. My husband is a very experienced motorcycle driver so we opted to rent a scooter every day for about $6 per day. This is the main mode of transportation. I even saw teenage girls riding them all over the island solo. I don’t think I trust my driving enough for all that. I’m much more of a sit on the back and take pictures kind of gal. Regardless, this is how most people get around and it is certainly easy on the wallet. My mom will kill me for this photo but it does represent how I bopped around town. Barefoot and in a bathing suit. Don’t worry Mom, I did wear a helmet most of the time. 😉

Exploring the island of Siargao barefoot and in a bikini. Maybe that should be the new name of my blog!

Top Things To Do

Surfing Cloud 9: This is the reason Siargao has the title “Surfing Capital of the Philippines”. The Cloud 9 break is world-renowned and fit for all surfing levels.

Maasin River– Quite possibly the most Instagrammable site on Siargao. It’s absolutely beautiful and I can see why so many people come here to get that post-worthy photo. As always, the early bird gets the worm, beats the crowd and heat, and gets the photo with no one in the background. I love to have places like this all to myself so when it comes to exploring sites like this, you can catch your girl rising early.

Sugba Lagoon – Another must on Siargao! This is a full-day adventure. Plenty of tour companies are around to take you round trip from your hotel to Sugba and back to your hotel. We had the scooter so we did this all on our own, which was a much less expensive way to go. Once at the dock, you ride by boat out to the lagoon which is about a thirty-minute ride. It is truly paradise. Lots of activities including paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling. Also, a very high diving board on the lagoon where I did my super daring jump and scream move. Impressive I know!

About to impress all the bystanders with my jump and scream move. LOL

Get a massage – Esse Massage and Spa was number one on Tripadvisor and did not disappoint! Absolutely amazing one-hour massage for $6. I went twice. This is a great thing to do if it’s raining or after a long day of exploring. And I mean you can’t beat an hour massage for six bucks! Add spas to the list of reasons this trip is the best bang for the buck. Very reasonable, not cheap. 😉

Palm Tree Viewpoint – Hands down the best viewpoint on the island! Miles and miles of palm tree heaven.

Palm Tree Viewpoint. This is pretty much how my dream backyard would look.

Nightlife/Dancing

I love a relaxing vacay and I love exploring during the day. But I also love the option to enjoy the night which is why Siargao was one of my favorite places in the Philippines. There was so much nightlife! There were dance clubs on the beach, reggae bars with live music, and after-parties that went on until the sun came up. My favorite was the live reggae music at Strums. Turn The Lights Down Low by Bob Marley is one of my favorite reggae songs. They nailed it at Strums!

Best Eats

Of course, my favorite thing to do on vacay is eat! The food on Siargao was really good. There was a variety of restaurants that were all reasonably priced with really healthy options.

CEV – The best ceviche of my life and that says a lot because I live in Costa Rica where I eat ceviche every week. I also broke at this restaurant and had my first restaurant margarita in three months. OMG…phenomenal!! I am a true margarita snob. It was nummy nums.

Shaka – As this blog goes on you will see how much I loved Shaka! It’s a chain throughout the Philippines and I ate there every time I came across one. It’s good, clean, healthy eats serving acai bowls and delicious treats. Super casual and reasonable, but amazing quality food!

Kurvada – Traditional Philippino food that is cooked by a family.

I started to take notice right away that the Philippino people are so genuinely happy and welcoming! I’ve been to a lot of countries where I have felt this way. This adds so much to my love of a location. It’s one of the main reasons I moved to Costa Rica. But on this trip, it became obvious right away that these are some of the nicest people I have ever met on my travels. I had to adjust to being called Mam. It will be “Mam” and “Sir” everywhere you go. I also felt so safe. I cruised around alone, as I do quite often on vacay. My hubby works a lot so I tend to wander off by myself to the local gym or explore around. Never ever did I feel threatened. Only the first stop and I am already head over heels for this country! Next island, Cebu!

Chapter 2: CEBU

Siargao was pretty far away on the map from the other islands we were visiting, so we flew from Siargao to Cebu. This was a four-hour plane ride so you can imagine how long the ferry would take, right? Cebu is the activity capital of the Philippines. This is the most popular place to swim with whale sharks. Sign me up! After six days of adjusting to the time change and staying in a nice hotel, I was ready to get active and adventurous!

Once we landed in Cebu we saw that this is a huge city. We were headed to the small little town of Moalboal which was another three-hour drive from the airport, so this was a full travel day. This town was so cute and def one of the best places to stay as a home base for your activities. We stayed in our first-ever hostel at Crazy Bears Hostel. I can’t believe it has taken me so long to stay in a hostel. $20 per night got us a private room with a shared bathroom. One great thing about staying at a hostel is that you meet people. Believe it or not, I’m actually on the shy side. Staying at a hostel forces you to get out of your shell and socialize. This was not a big hostel so we ran into the same people all the time in the common areas. Most of them had shared dorm rooms at $6 per night. Just goes to show how affordable travel can be!

Staying in my first-ever hostel. AC and a private room for $20 per night.

Top Things To Do

Sardine Run – This town is really small so no need for a scooter here. Everything is walkable. The Sardine Run is located in Moalboal and is not to be missed! Again this was something we did on our own (no tour). Being just down the street, we left the hostel in our bathing suits with our go pro in hand and rented snorkel equipment right on the beach. We snorkeled the afternoon away with millions upon millions of sardines. This was a first for me! One minute you are snorkeling alone and the next you are caught in the run and can’t see anything but sardines. So cool!!

I took this photo while I was in the middle of the run with millions of sardines.

Swimming to get in the run. You can barely see them in the background.

White Beach – In all fairness this was not on the itinerary. We had planned to go canyoneering on day two. Kawasan Falls is another famous Instagrammable place to visit and a stop along an adventurous day of canyoneering. I was so excited for this day but I went a little aggressive with my plans for four days in Moalboal. After a long travel day and a sardine run on day two, we were tired! So we bailed our 6am wake-up call to canyoneer and opted to sleep in and go to beautiful White Beach. Honestly, we needed five days (not four) on this leg because this was an incredible day to spend too! I actually know better than to book back-to-back active days. Downtime here and there is a must for us. This beach was just a short tuk-tuk ride from Moalboal. Just a beautiful white sand beach with stunning turquoise waters. A perfect place to bring some sangria and order a fruit platter from a nearby beach stand as you watch the sunset, which is exactly what we did. It was a perfect day!

White beach. Relaxing, eating fresh fruit, and drinking sangria. Perfect day!

Swim with whale sharks – Drum roll…..The absolute best!! Here is the truth about this experience. The good, the bad, and the honest. Pros: Swimming with these gentle giants was one of the coolest things ever! I get a little nervous in the deep ocean but I felt so at peace with these creatures. Cons: It’s crowded. When you arrive, you are shuttled through stations from orientation to waiting for your boat to take you out to the sharks. An employee calls the group over the loudspeaker and it does feel a bit like a Disneyland ride. I mean I can see why it draws so many people every day so I guess they need to organize the crowd. You will only have 30 mins in the water with the whale sharks, and it goes fast. The staff feeds the sharks while you swim with them so it is not like a wild encounter. It is very much worth it though to get up close and personal with the whale sharks! Tip: Rent fins! You will only be given a snorkel mask with your ticket. Rent the fins to enjoy actually swimming with the sharks. It would be impossible to have the experience I had without fins. I swam alongside them while everyone else had to stay next to the boat as they held on dipping their head below water to look at the sharks. It’s exhausting to swim in the deep ocean without fins so trust me on this. The price for this excursion was 1,000 Php or $17 USA dollars. Ok, someone please tell me where you can have such a unique experience for such a low price. The list continues to grow for” best bang for my buck” vacays. This was the same price that I paid for my child to eat off the kid’s menu (for lunch) at one of my go-to Costa Rican restaurants. My mind was blown! Lastly, I originally planned to do the whale sharks and come back to Moalboal. Not a good idea, which we figured out in Moalboal. I suggest packing up and doing the whale sharks on the way out of town as you are headed off the island. It’s hours of driving to get to the sharks and on the way to the ferry station. So, I think it’s best to pack up and bring your bags with you to do the whale shark activity. We left our luggage in the car with our driver who waited for us. Then, head straight to the ferry station at about noon to head to the next island.

Thank goodness I rented the fins so I could actually swim next to the whale sharks.

Food & Nightlife In Moalboal:

Thailicious – Amazing Thai food, hence the name!

Shaka – Two for two! We ate here in our bathing suits for a super healthy meal post-Sardine Run.

Hungry Monkey – My favorite! The menu is like 15 pages long. So lengthy with lots of healthy options.

My Greek Taverna – Excellent Greek food but also one of the more pricier meals we had during our trip. Delicious but not reasonable for Philippine standards.

Nightlife – Not much to speak of. There were a couple of bars on the main strip with DJs but we opted to head back to our hostel to drink $2 cocktails and play jenga with cool peeps. Next island is Siquijor!

Chapter 3: SIQUIJOR

Pronounced suh·kee·hr. Cebu to Siquijor was another full travel day. We left our hostel at 6:00am, swam with the whale sharks, and then took two ferries to get to Siquijor. This is a pretty undeveloped island and not many options when it comes to getting there by ferry. This island is small but mighty!! It offers beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and a bit of nightlife. We arrived at our beachfront $80 per night Airbnb pretty late and hadn’t eaten anything. There is no food served on any ferries, just FYI. Our Airbnb host squeezed all three of us on her scooter to drive us to find a place to eat at 10:00pm. Just so incredibly nice!

It’s only noon and I have swam with whale sharks and drove three hours to get to the ferry station. Waiting at the ferry station to take the boat to Siquijor. I thought backpacking meant you were packing light. Ha ha.

Our Airbnb was located on the grounds of Republika. This was the only leg we had a tv and I don’t think we even turned it on. A one-month vacay with no tv…my kind of trip! It was nice to have a restaurant and bar right downstairs. I was impressed by their fresh-squeezed cocktails and healthy food. The fruit platter was enough for four people and I ate the whole thing myself. Delish.

Top Things To Do:

This entire leg was really chill. After sleeping in, working out in the room, and eating breakfast at noon, we would venture out for the day.

Lugnason Falls – Not to be missed! This was the first waterfall hike we had done on the trip. These falls are much less crowded and just as beautiful as Cuanago Falls, so that sold me on my choice between the two. You will be sent down the trail with a guide which is very important if you plan to jump or do the rope swing. I was not up for this because of the height of it all. Heights ain’t my thang. My hubby did all the jumps and the swing (as always). This is not for the beginner jumper! My husband said it was the scariest rope swing he had ever done. We actually saw someone swing and they got too scared to let go and ended up swinging back into a tree just hanging for dear life. This is where the guide comes in handy. If you don’t want to risk seriously injuring yourself then you can do what I did. Sit back and swim in the pools with a glass of wine people watching the crazies.

Yup, you can catch your girl relaxing and people-watching, not jumping.

Paliton Beach aka “Little Boracay”: Boracay was the one island that we didn’t make it to that I really wanted to see. It was out of the way of my route and the month filled up so quickly on me. Boracay is known for its pristine beaches and beautiful hotels. So, I was happy to enjoy Paliton Beach because it is nicknamed “Little Boracay”. This beach provided the most magical sunset ever…and I have seen my fair share of magical sunsets. Spend the whole day here kayaking and paddle boarding in crystal clear water, stay for sunset, and then stay an hour later. It gets prettier and prettier!

This sunset was just spectacular. The colors kept getting prettier and prettier.

Best Eats On Siquijor

Salamandas – This is the nicest restaurant I could find on the island and was #1 on Tripadvisor. Let’s go over my bill shall we? Two entrees and five cocktails at a beachfront restaurant with tiki torches lit all around and live music. Our drinks were top shelf and we spared no expense when ordering food. $32 FINAL BILL. Say whaaaaaa!!! We were trying to have a really fancy dinner and this was as pricey as we could get the bill. So now we have reasonable accommodations, transportation, excursions, and food. Why didn’t I move here?? LOL

Shaka – Three for three!!

Angel Wish – Huge raw seafood buffet to choose from. Pick your seafood, have it weighed, and they cook it how you want it. Blackened, baked, fried, etc. Delish! Two huge fresh seafood entrees and four cocktails. $35.

Dagsa – Very cool vibe at this place. Had live music and excellent seafood curry with a beautiful ambiance.

Next stop Bohol!

Chapter 4: BOHOL

The ferry from Siquijor to Bohol was $15 per person. Like, so reasonable! When we arrived we were surprised to see McDonalds and 711. This was our first experience of staying in a city and we were pretty excited to change it up! We decided to camp at Glamping Alona. Upon arrival, we upgraded our tent to a small cabin for the air-conditioning and ability to lock the door for $5 more per night. The total price was $30 per night. This place was so cute and one of our favorites! There was a beautiful pool in the middle of the property, a bar, a restaurant, and fire pits roaring at night. We did have to walk to the bathrooms but the plus was it was a hot water shower! Hot water showers were hit or miss to this point on the trip. I think most girls can agree that we hate shaving our legs in a cold shower. So, even though I had to walk the campground in the dark in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I was quite pleased with the hot water showers.

Top Things To Do

The first order of business was to rent our scooter which we did right from the campground. The second order of business was to get a pedicure. Your girl was way overdue! We headed over to the Alona Bliss Spa for two pampered pedicures. This was a two-hour pedicure for $16. I love these prices!

Two-hour pedicures at Alona Bliss Spa for $16. Yes, please!

Alona Beach: Not my favorite. I found it to be overcrowded and touristy with too many boats in the water. It is lined with a boardwalk of restaurants and bars, all of which are quite pricey comparatively. This island isn’t known for the best beaches in the Philippines and it is better to head inland for activities.

Chocolate Hills: OMG…as I’m typing this I have to laugh. Google told us this was a three-hour drive round trip. So, we slept in a bit and drove the scooter. Google, I hated you on this day! You betrayed me Google! This ended up being six hours of driving round trip, not three. Have you ever ridden on a scooter for six hours? Not very comfortable at all. This is way too far to go on a scooter from Alona Beach, so opt to rent a car for the day or hire a driver. The drive was really beautiful though, and it was cool to see traditional Philippino villages instead of just the touristy stuff. The Chocolate Hills are a slight mystery to locals and visitors alike. Sometimes called the Eighth Wonder Of The World, the attraction is exactly what it sounds like: rounded hills that go brown in color during the dry season so they end up looking like giant chocolate truffles. There is no exact count but some count as many as 1,700 hills. It really is pretty magnificent. Be warned: You won’t be able to climb the hills — aside from the 214 steps to the observation deck at the Chocolate Hills Complex, a resort atop the biggest hill, in the town of Carmen. The complex also includes accommodations, a restaurant, and a gift shop. My hate for Google continued when we left as our Google Maps quit working on us and we had to go off of memory to drive the three-hour drive home in the dark through the mountains. Why did we sleep in? Why did we drive the scooter? It was scary not knowing where we were or if we were going the right way in pitch black for three hours straight. Sketchy is an understatement!

Spas – Spas are everywhere in Bohol. And after that scooter ride, we were in desperate need!!

Eats & Drinks

Garlic n Lemon Bistro – #1 on TripAdvisor for the area. The red chicken curry is to die for. Def go!

Wonderland Thai – Best Thai I had on the trip. Traditional and so delicious.

Shaka – Four for four! This was the best Shaka of all with a full menu of amazing food and a full bar.

Four for four at Shaka and the best one I found so far. That is a mango they made into a flower acai bowl.

Bamboo Place – My favorite craft cocktail bar. Since I started a much more strict diet months back, I became very picky about my cocktails. This place had the best craft cocktails of the entire trip!! Also, a DJ spun on most nights so this quickly became our nighttime hangout place.

Paddy’s Irish Pub – Located in the outdoor mall/plaza of Alona Beach. This is a true Irish Pub and one of the only ones in the Philippines (per the owner). Funny, I hadn’t noticed one Irish-looking person on the trip yet. But this bar was filled with Irish-looking people. They had accents and all from overhearing conversations. I guess the Irish take their Guinness very seriously! Kind of like me with my craft cocktails. Ha ha. We bellied up with the owner who kept pouring shots and the next day I came to find out that whiskey and gin do not mix. Ouchie!

Having a little too much fun at Paddy’s Irish Pub.

On our last day, we just relaxed and worked poolside at the campground. Super chill day before moving on to Puerto Princessa and El Nido. Next island (actually islands), Palawan!

My last day relaxing in the pool at Glamping Alona. Bye Bye Bohol. Next stop Palawan!

Chapter 5: PALAWAN

The province of Palawan is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding it, totalling roughly 1,780 islands and islets. A little island hopper flight from Bohol to Puerto Princessa and we were in Palawan. What can I say about Puerto Princesa other than this? Skip it! Sorry, not sorry. We stopped here instead of taking a second flight straight to El Nido, Palawan. You need to fly here first from Bohol as there was no direct flight. I had planned to do the Underground River excursion here but the weather was absolutely terrible. We cut this leg down by a day because we really didn’t enjoy the area very much. Maybe I would have felt differently if we had done the excursion, which I read to be a magical experience. But it wasn’t in the cards for us unfortunatley. To boot, the restaurant selection was pretty bad and the bay was not the prettiest. The highlight of this leg was going out on the town and bumping into an actual dance club Tiki Resto Bar. To my surprise, they had a Lady Gaga cover going on. Oh hells yeah! I was mad I looked homeless in sweats! I had no idea we would encounter any fun here after a day of nothing to do. It ended up being an awesome show! I’m a little biased because I absolutely love Lady Gaga, but truly it was a freaking good show. The drinks were flowing and once the show ended we retreated to the hotel where we ended up having a late-night dance party with the staff. OMG….LOL. If I am ever feeling down in life, all I need to do is watch the video we made dancing the night away with the staff. It was hilarious and I’m pretty sure the front desk girl called in sick the next day. Ha ha. Goes to show you, that you can have a good time anywhere you go! Next stop, El Nido, Palawan.

Had the time of my life in my least favorite spot that I visited. Ha ha. Late-night dance party at the hotel.

Chapter 6: EL NIDO

Six-hour drive from Puerto Princessa to El Nido. We hired a private transfer for this and it was a bit of a scary ride as it was a torrential downpour for the entire six hours. Come to find out we were actually having a typhoon hit the area. When we arrived, we walked through town barefoot to get to our massage and dinner. It was pointless to wear shoes! I am not a barefoot walker so this was a first for me. Ha ha.

Another drumroll please… El Nido is the entire reason I booked this trip! The photos of El Nido are the epitome of beauty in the Philippines. Huge limestone cliffs line the white sand beaches and crystal clear ocean. It is truly magnificent!! This leg I booked the fanciest hotel of the trip and we stayed beachfront at the gorgeous Mahogonay Resort and Spa. It was absolutely perfect! We were away from the noise of downtown but still able to walk if we wanted to get to all the action. El Nido is known for some of the best nightlife in the Philippines, which by now you know I love my nights as much as I love my days. So, El Nido provides beautiful beaches in the day and the best nightlife in the evening. Def my favorite leg of the trip!

The most beautiful ocean waters are surrounded by huge limestone cliffs. Gorg!

Top Things To Do

Nacpan Beach – When the typhoon passed, we scooted as fast as we could to explore more. This beach is about a 30-minute drive from downtown El Nido and an absolutely beautiful drive. Nacpan Beach is a perfect place to post up for the day. It is lined with chairs and umbrellas for rent. The ocean was a little wild but very pretty. The road was really muddy to get in and out of this beach so I rode home barefoot and in my bathing suit (again). I did wear my helmet though Mom. We also stopped for some yummy street food on the way back.

Street food stop in my riding gear. Ha ha.

Taraw Peak – This is the highest peak in El Nido. Climbing to the top is definitely not easy. The terrain is rocky and steep with sharp limestone rocks, and it can be dangerous if you are not careful. I am kicking myself that I didn’t do this hike. Too much exploring by day and nightlife at night left me too tired to get up early. Go with a guide at sunrise and see the most beautiful view of El Nido. Don’t forget your drone!

I so regret not getting my lazy butt up to do this hike at sunrise.

Vanilla Beach – This was about a ten-minute scooter ride from downtown and a really great place to stay as well. You can’t walk downtown from Vanilla Beach, so I did prefer our area better. But if you have transportation downtown or don’t mind taking a tuk-tuk every time, Vanilla Beach is awesome! I think it’s a great place to stay for families and would be my choice to call home if I had my kiddos with me. To get to the beach you walk through an outdoor mall that includes McDonalds, shops, massage, a gym, and ice cream. I would feel fine letting my kids cruise up there from our hotel to have some freedom to roam around. They also have a zip line here for the young and young at heart. The beach is calm, safe for swimming, and oh so stunning. It is lined with nice hotels and beachfront bars with DJs spinning house music. It’s a chill vibe and a good mix of adults and kids.

Vanilla Beach sunsets with DJs spinning house music beachfront.

Spa – Hands down Namaste Spa. Truly amazing massages and I did a yoga class here as well.

Island Hopping On A Boat – This is the creme de la creme of El Nido and a not to be missed experience! There are four different tours in total and each tour is a separate day of exploring little islands. Due to the storm, all tours had been canceled but finally opened up on the last day we were spending here. Thank God! El Nido has year-round sunshine so the timing of this storm was absolutely terrible for us. But the gods shined down on us the last day. The tours opened up for us to close this leg out the way it was meant to be…out on a boat exploring. We did Tour A and went private. I highly recommend going private for this. They will tailor the day for you to avoid the crowds. This day was my favorite day of the entire 30-day trip! And as usual, my favorite days on vacay are on a boat. I felt so incredibly lucky that we were able to get to see the islands off of El Nido. It was a day filled with “pinch me” moments. If you only have one day to do a boat tour, I would choose Tour A. It is the best and most popular island hopping tour in El Nido. You will discover beautiful lagoons, beaches, snorkeling spots where you can swim and admire the corals, the colorful fauna, and its hundreds of fish species.

Postcard perfect on Tour A off of El Nido.

Because we had a private boat, we had this beach to ourselves for an hour before other boats came in. So worth it to go private.

A true paradise on Tour A of the boat tour.

Tour A was my favorite day of the entire month-long trip.

Fav Restaurants And Bars

Downtown El Nido is filled with amazing restaurants and bars. You could never scratch the surface in five days, which was what I had. Here are some of my faves.

Big Bad Thai – Downtown beachfront amazing and reasonable Thai. Need I say more? Order the green curry. Aaaaamazing!

No Mames – Excellent Mexican food with a chill vibe, sunset view, and great bar.

Sava – The best place to watch the sunset for live music and great appetizers.

Tribu Kuridas Bar – Favorite beachfront bar with live reggae music in the sand. No wonder it’s my favorite.

All in all this stop barely beats out Siargao Island (my first stop). They are different, so it’s hard to compare but the limestone cliffs that meet the crystal clear water were some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. In fact, while out on our boat tour, we found ourselves alone at what my husband and I said was the most beautiful beach we had ever been to. Mix this with all the great restaurants and bars in El Nido and this takes the cake for my favorite stop. Another reason I find it to be the best choice is the location. Siargao is pretty far away from the other islands. I made it there because I had a month to spare. El Nido has more islands to hop to nearby. People travel all the way to the Philippines just to come to El Nido and I can see why. If you plan a trip here, this is a not to be missed stop. Last up, Coron!

Chapter 7: CORON

This was the flight I referred to earlier in the blog that was only $20 more per person for a 30-min flight vs taking a five-hour ferry ride. We flew Air Swift last minute and we were so happy with this change.

Coron is home to Coron Town which is a bustling and fun little city. But what I was most excited about was our first three-night stay on a houseboat located a short boat ride off the coast in the middle of a beautiful bay. Paolyn Houseboats!! This has been on my bucket list for years!! I don’t think I can write words to give this experience justice. In my opinion, this is a must when traveling to the Philippines.

Paolyn Houseboats – As we entered the calm bay by boat where all the houseboats are located, my breath literally escaped me. The bay is surrounded by huge green mountains and limestone cliffs. The houseboats are extremely private and very spread apart. Bathingsuits optional. LOL. I booked the Bamboo Houseboat which could have easily fit my family of six. Two queen beds, three twin beds, a full bathroom, an outdoor covered U-shaped dining room table for all your fresh meal deliveries, a huge deck, two stand-up paddle boards, snorkel gear, and a kayak. This houseboat cost me $297 per night and included three meals per day for two people. This was the most expensive leg of my trip. I do not suggest doing this with someone unless you absolutely enjoy each other’s company. You will be spending every minute of the day together with no other people in sight other than the staff at mealtime.

Our own little slice of heaven at Paolyn Houseboats.

The food at Paolyn was absolutely incredible. You will place your orders for all three meals 24 hours ahead. We opted to eat breakfast and lunch on our houseboat. Then at night time, we had the staff pick us up in the dingy rowboat to take us to the floating restaurant. I suggest eating one meal per day off the boat.

Breakfast in the sheets. No rush to do a thing.

Rowboat dingy ride home with our doggy bags of wine.

So what can I say about this leg that you most likely haven’t already figured out? It is very relaxing! We slept in, ate, worked out on the deck, ate again, took a nap, and did lots of water sports. We ate breakfast in the sheets and did some skinny dipping. It was very romantic and so great for us to really have time to say goodbye to the outside world and just focus on each other. We had the staff put the mosquito net around our bed and kept all of our windows and doors open to the ocean. So amazing to wake up to the calm bay just steps from my bed. Speaking of steps, I think I had a total of less than 2,000 steps in four days on this leg. Proof of how relaxing it was. LOL

Waking up to the calm bay just steps from my bed.

On the last day of our stay at Paolyn Houseboats, we rented a private boat to go snorkeling and to take us to the surrounding islands. This is all arranged through Paolyn and I highly recommend it. The beaches were so gorgeous and it was nice to break away from the houseboat for the day. This was it for us. After this day, we were headed to Coron Town which was the beginning of the journey home.

A perk of having a private boat driver is you have a personal photographer.

Deserted beaches that are only accessible by boat. Thank you Paolyn Houseboats for organizing this day for us.

As we boarded the boat to head to Coron Town, it was just so surreal that this amazing 30-day travel experience was coming to an end. Not much to report on Coron Town and we weren’t there very long. It’s lively though! There are lots of great restaurants, bars, spas, and a great gym. The one thing I can suggest here is hiking up the 721 steps to the top of Mt. Tapyas. The view was incredible at the top and they even have a Coron sign that is twinning with the Hollywood sign in the hills of California. A lot of people have messaged me about where to go for a ten-day-ish trip to the Philippines, as that is around the time most people have to get away. I know that my itinerary doesn’t work for a lot of people simply for the time needed. It really is difficult to do a month-long vacay, which is why it took me so long to take this trip. For a 10-day trip, I recommend El Nido, house boating in Coron, and Coron Town before flying back out. If you have a little more time, I would add on Cebu for the activities. You can thank me later for cutting out days upon days of research for you. 😉 Well, that’s a wrap. Time to fly home!

Waaaaoooow…..this was a long blog. This is by far the most work I have ever put into a blog to share with you guys. I had to write notes all the way through the trip because there was no way I could remember all of these details. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and found all of this info useful. Most importantly (as always), I hope I inspired you to take a trip to the Philippines. You won’t regret it! And if you copy my travels, you may just save money by taking this trip vs staying home like I did. BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK-ET-LIST. He he.

Me writing my notes for this blog in my tiny cabin at Alona Glamping on Bohol.

Big shout out to my forever photographer and travel partner. None of this would be possible without you. I love you Tim.

Colombia: Cartagena & Rosario Islands

Living in Costa Rica means I can continue to explore Central and South America quite easily. Cartagena, Colombia has always been at the top of my list so I was thrilled to get this trip on the books. From Costa Rica, it was a short plane ride away. I have always envisioned Cartagena as somewhat of a party spot. Maybe a place to plan a girl’s trip or a bachelorette party. Well, it definitely lived up to the vision in my head but also had so much more to offer. Rich culture, crazy history, beautiful ancient architecture, amazing food, shopping, a mud volcano, a beach, tons of nightlife, and tropical islands just a ferry ride away. I coupled my trip to the city of Cartagena with the Rosario Islands. I’m a true beach baby and it’s hard for me to vacay without working in some beach time. I found that this trip was a perfect mix of city and beach. Although it is quite easy and inexpensive to travel all around the country of Colombia by plane, I really didn’t want to waste a day of my trip dealing with the airport. The Rosario Islands was a great fit with just a one hour ferry ride from Cartagena. This was an easy combo!

Where To Stay In Cartagena:

Cartagena is a unique city, as it has two very different contrasting neighborhoods: the ultra modern high-rise hotel filled Bocagrande and the Old Walled City. This reminded me a lot of Panama City where there seems to be an invisible line dividing old and new. Just like my trip to Panama City, I opted for the charm and history of the older part of town. I stumbled across some pretty nice hotels in my search, but what I was really searching for was something unique. Maybe an old mansion turned boutique hotel? Well, I found exactly that at Casa San Agustin. After cruising around the city, I can attest this was my favorite boutique hotel in the Walled City of Cartagena. The property is luxuriously chic with a relaxed atmosphere. It was reimagined to maintain a colonial heritage intact within three beautiful white washed homes that compose it. Bam, exactly what I was looking for! The architecture preserves the authentic Colombian style while incorporating modern services and amenities. There is an Instafamous pool in the center of the suites and best of all was the bed. I am actually getting torn about beds being overly comfortable. When I arrived and laid down in the bed I fell into a deep slumber for hours. This is not like me! I do not like to waste any vacay time sleeping the day away. However, it was impossible to get up. Ha ha. Truth be told this was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in…ever. The location can’t be beat as it sits right in the middle of all the action of the Walled City with so many restaurants and bars that are easily walkable, even in heels. Yay for having a reason to get dressed up and wear heels again! It’s been a minute living in Costa Rica.

This wall at Casa San Agustin is an old aqueduct when Cartagena was just the Walled City.

Truly beautiful grounds at Casa San Agustin.

The most comfortable bed I have ever slept in at Casa San Agustin. Ever.

Favorite Restaurants In Walled City And Getsemani:

Let’s get into the topic that everyone wants to know the most about…food! The food was amazing!! From fine dining to delicious street food…I simply did not have one bad meal. Cartagena has so many dining options. I could barely scratch the surface in one week. There are two main neighborhoods to get your grub on. The Old Walled City and the Getsemani neighborhood which is located right outside of the walls. These neighborhoods are walkable back and forth. The Walled City is much finer dining. The scene on the street is everyone gets very dressed up and heads out to pricier dinners. Getsemani is much more casual. The restaurants are less expensive and much livelier. There is endless street food in Getsemani. You can eat a delicious dinner for $3 on the street. Even better, you can opt for a 40 cent empanada. OMG…so good! I spent more than half of my time dining in the Getsemani neighborhood which is considered the “hipster” area. Musicians liven up leafy plazas with impromptu performances so it’s a perfect place to sit on the sidewalk with street food in hand to watch the show. To be honest, I love me some fine dining but I’m not up for it every night of the week, which is why I spent so much of my time in the Getsemani neighborhood. Here is a list of my favorite places to eat in the two neighborhoods.

Old Walled City:

Cuba 1940 – Great place for lunch to enjoy 2 for 1 mojitos during happy hour. I ordered a Cubano sandwich with extra pickles. Delish! This place is awesome for dinner too when live music is happening. It has a really authentic Cuban feel like you are sitting in grandma’s house in Havana, Cuba.

La Cevicheria – Quiet little seafood restaurant on a corner in the Plaza San Diego. Yummy seafood and a huge selection of ceviche prepared differently. This restaurant even got a visit from the famous Anthony Bourdain where the chef made him a special off the menu ceviche.

Getsemani

El Cabildo Gastro Mar – Amazing rooftop restaurant with live music and great drinks. The food is typical Colombian cuisine and the view can’t be beat!

Demente – This was my favorite restaurant we ate at! Casual but very loud and lively. The atmosphere is rustic and modern with middle of the road prices. Great place for tapas and gourmet pizza right in the center of Getsemani. It was the only place we came to twice for dinner.

Calle San Andres- Head to the famous flagged street lined with delicious street food, art galleries, coffee shops, bars, and performances in the street.

$3 dinner on the sidewalk in Getsemani while the Colombian entertainers are dancing their way through the streets.

Best Rooftop Bar To Watch The Sunset:

The absolute best place to have a drink and watch the sunset is Movich Hotels. This is the highest viewpoint from above to see all of Cartagena both old and new. It is a posh rooftop bar that has a DJ spinning tunes while serving up tapas and craft cocktails. Yes please! Of course we wanted to experience this more than once but the second time we arrived too close to sunset, and it was at max capacity. Note to you all…get there early or head over to the neighboring Sophia Hotel Rooftop for another amazing sunset view experience. This was much quieter (no DJ) and not as high up, but still a really beautiful rooftop to catch the sunset.

Watching the sunset over Cartagena at the Movich Hotels.

Best Place To Go Salsa Dancing:

Ok, so those who know me well know that I like to shake my bon bon. After a couple of margaritas, if the music is on hit, you can catch your girl on the dance floor. Of course I could not skip a salsa nightclub while vacationing in Colombia. Duh! If you want to experience a true salsa dancing experience, shake those hips on over to Cafe Havana, located in Getsemani. The band and salsa dancers are a truly epic experience. Get your liquid courage going because the dancers come right up to the crowd and show you how to salsa for all to see. So fun!!

Ready to get my salsa dancing on at Cafe Havana.

Horse Draw And Carriage:

After all that dancing you will not want to walk home. Horse draw and carriage is available in many places of Cartagena. Although we walked mostly everywhere, we did jump on a couple of carriage rides. One at the end of a long night out and one extremely romantic ride around the Walled City with a bottle of wine. Lots of hugs and kisses happening on this ride and it was truly a beautiful way to explore the city. We brought a bottle of wine on the ride which spilled all over us every time we took a sip and all over my overly thought out Colombian outfit. LOL. Good thing it was white wine! I highly recommend doing one of these rides if you want to lay on the romance.

My cute Colombian outfit prior to spilling wine all over it.

Horse draw and carriage is a very romantic way to explore the city.

Photos Ops:

Cartagena is very well known for photo ops. So many super cute streets lined with colorful homes. That on top of the historic architecture of the Walled City….It’s hard to put the camera down. Photographer tip….get out early to beat the crowds and the heat. Cartagena’s lighting is extremely tricky for photography. When the sun is directly above you it’s way too bright, you will be drenched in sweat, and dealing with the crowds. I got my shots early at around 7:00am. See what I do to bring the content guys?! It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get these blogs done. Get your photos done in the morning and then hole up in a place with air conditioning in the afternoon. It’s a solid plan. One photo must is a photo with the Las Palenqueras (fruit ladies). They do expect a tip for these photos but it’s definitely worth an add to the Cartagena photo album. Also, Calle 38, Carrera 9, the umbrella street Callejón Angosto in Getsemani, and lastly (my favorite) roaming around getting lost in the alleyways of this vibrant city.

A photo with the Las Palenqueras is a keeper for the vacation album.

Getting up early means no one in the photos. It’s worth it if photos are important to you.

Roaming around and getting lost is my favorite.

Best “Not To Be Missed” Excursion:

So my hubs is not one for group activities or excursions in general. As usual, I can’t skip out on special experiences that are only available to the area. This activity is husband approved! This is a true “not to be missed” experience when visiting Cartagena. To appease my hubby’s dislike of group activities, we hired a private driver to take us about 45 minutes outside of Cartagena to the El Totumo Mud Volcano which cost us $75 round trip. This is one of the world’s smallest active volcanos. It’s a crazy experience because as you get into the volcano you feel like you are going to sink, almost like you are in quicksand. We were warned by our driver that initially it is a bit scary and told to just relax. You soon realize that you naturally float and it is impossible to sink. Your feet won’t touch any “ground” and you just bob enjoying the healing properties of the mineral infused mud as the volcano’s mud bubbles pop up all around you. I had a major case of the giggles because there are professional masseuses bobbing away as well that are ready to rub you down and get you really relaxed, for a tip of course. One man started rubbing down my husband without asking until he had to politely say “no thank you”. LOL. Hilarious!! The giggles didn’t stop there. Once we finished relaxing, we were escorted out of the volcano down to the lake where two ladies washed the mud off our bodies and removed our bathing suits without asking. Ha ha…I’m cracking up just writing this. Quite an experience! Seriously don’t miss it. We had a blast and it was a nice change from the city life of Cartagena.

Be prepared to get totally naked as these ladies remove your suit without asking to get the mud off. Ha ha!

Rosario Islands:

The Rosario Islands is an archipelago located off the coast of Colombia. It is one of the 46 Natural National Parks of Colombia. The Rosario Islands are a one hour ferry ride from Cartagena but feel like a completely different world. They are known for their crystal clear waters and lack of development. Being it is so easy to get to, many people opt to go for the day and purchase a day pass from one of the resorts to soak up the sun. I stayed for three nights on Isla Grande at Hotel Isla Del Sol. Don’t let the name of the island fool you. Isla Grande is very small.

The top things to do on these islands are the luminescent plankton tours in the mangroves, snorkel tours, diving, and island hopping. Guess what I did? Absolutely nothing! I very rarely do nothing on vacay but that is exactly what I did. I woke up, ate, sunbathed, read a book, ate again, took a nap, swam in the ocean, went to bed very early, and repeat. I had a package where all of my meals were included in my stay so there was no reason to leave my hotel. What a change from all the action in Cartagena and a perfect way to recharge and feel rested before heading back home.

Paradise at Hotel Isla Del Sol on Isla Grande, Rosario Islands.

Not a bad place to make your morning calls.

That’s a wrap for my trip to Cartagena and the Rosario Islands. There is so much more to see in Colombia. Next up in Colombia for us will be to explore the city of Medellín. Until next time Colombia!

Thanks for reading!

XXOO

Jessica

Nicaragua: A Border Run Vacay.

Those that follow along with me on social media know that I am still settling into living in a new country, Costa Rica. Being that I am not a resident (yet), I am required to leave the country every 90 days. People (expats) like me do what is called a “border run”. For us, this means driving to the Nicaragua border, crossing from Costa Rica into Nicaragua, and circling around to come back to Costa Rica with a new visa stamp that is good for another 90 days. This entire process is quite quick. However, I decided to make a mini vacay out of my first border run, and explore the coast of Nicaragua for six days. This trip was a long time coming for me. My grandparents and mom migrated from Nicaragua, and I still have a lot of family members that live there. I have always had a huge desire to visit this country and see the roots of my heritage. I was blown away by the raw beauty of Nicaragua! Living in Costa Rica, I am used to areas being underdeveloped. However, Nicaragua is even less developed than Costa Rica. True raw beauty! I explored five beaches in six days, enjoyed the nightlife dancing until the early morning, and took a motorcycle through the jungle. Nicaragua is very reasonably priced, has nonstop perfecto waves for surfing, and the food was fresh and delicious. I highly recommend that the expats of Costa Rica spend at least a weekend in Nicaragua while completing a border run. It was only a three hour drive from my home in Costa Rica to my hotel in Nicaragua.

Bye bye Costa Rica. This is the very first trip I have packed in a backpack. I impressed myself.

GETTING TO THE BORDER

A lot of people hire a driver to take them to the border for border runs. This makes everything easy as they will help guide you through the process if you are a first timer. Once you have one border run under your belt, you will have it down and can easily drive yourself for the next run. If you choose to stay in Nicaragua, there is a family-owned parking lot that charges a small daily fee to watch over your car at the border. This is probably the cheapest option if you are going to spend some time in Nicaragua. Luckily for me, my parents were in Costa Rica and drove me to the Penas Blancas Nicaragua Border. Easy peasy. It took a minute to figure out the process, but if you just keep asking for direction, there are plenty of people who will help you to navigate. Side note….there will be miles of trucks lined up to cross the border. I was told they wait for days to weeks to cross. Once you see the trucks, keep driving past them all the way to the front of the line. This is the border crossing.

SAN JUAN DEL SUR

I paid my exit taxes in Costa Rica and my entrance fees to Nicaragua and crossed through. It is important to have small USA dollar bills on you for this process as they don’t give change. I also packed light. This was the very first trip I had ever packed solely in a backpack. I impressed myself. Ha ha. As you enter Nicaragua, it is very busy. Make sure to have phones, cash, and passports put away. I got a bit swarmed as we entered. Once through, I jumped in a taxi and headed to my first stop, San Juan Del Sur. SJDS is only a 25 minute drive from the border and a $25 cab ride. It’s a very popular spot to vacation. Everything in SJDS is walkable and there is no car needed for exploring this lively beach town. I chose to stay at the Hotel Alcazar. The location is perfectly set right in the middle of town with views of the ocean. I got the most expensive room at $80 per night. So nice to splurge for the best when the price is so reasonable! My room was on the top floor with a large private balcony overlooking the beach. There are so many dining options that are lined up beachfront, but my favorite place to eat was Dale Pues. I ate here 3 times and ordered the same thing every time… a schnitzel sandwich. So delicious!

Cheers to a successful border crossing on foot. Costa Rica to Nicaragua.

My balcony at Hotel Alcazar overlooking San Juan Del Sur Beach. Amazing! I slept in late this morning from all the late night dancing. So much fun!

My favorite restaurant in San Juan Del Sur. Dale Pues!

San Juan Del Sur is a party town! It had been a minute since I danced my butt off until the early morning hours. I certainly took advantage of the packed nightclubs on the beach bumping great music all night long. So fun! I felt completely safe in this area walking around at night. Of course, I always practice common sense while traveling. I found this area to feel very safe and non-threatening. The key for me is to blend in. I don’t wear jewelry, I don’t dress in any way to create attention, and I stay in areas that have a lot of people around. It also helps that my husband is a pretty built guy. We truly never have any trouble when we travel, and I’m sure his build has something to do with that. Regardless, I did walk around alone and felt very secure.

After hopping around and exploring all nooks and crannies of SJDS, we decided to rent a motorcycle to start exploring different beaches in the area. My husband is pretty much the only person I would trust to drive me on dirt roads through the jungle of Nicaragua. LOL. He is very good at driving a bike. However, if you aren’t experienced in this area, you can rent a car in the town of San Juan Del Sur to explore the surrounding areas.

Exploring by dirt bike on dirt roads through the jungle and to the beaches of Nicaragua.

We hopped from beach to beach. My favorite beach (by far) was Playa Maderas, which was about a 25 minute drive north of San Juan Del Sur. We took the bike there and stayed all day watching the surfers ride nonstop perfecto waves while sipping margaritas and eating fresh seafood. It’s a smaller beach but absolutely paradise. After spending the day there, I knew I wanted to spend a few nights. This area is much different than SJDS. There is no nightlife whatsoever to speak of. People come here to surf, enjoy the beach, practice yoga, and disconnect.

Another great beach that I loved was Playa El Coco. I would have loved to stay a few nights here as well. However, the ecolodge is only open on the weekends and the timing didn’t work out for me. If you aren’t able to stay here, this is definitely worth driving to spend the day here. I had the best seafood soup since moving to Central America at Playa El Coco. This is a huge beach with great waves. What I loved most about it was the ecolodge. There are cabanas and hammocks all along the beach to relax the day away in a breathtaking setting.

After four days of exploring the coast and four nights of late night dancing, we moved hotels and headed to Hush Maderas to relax. This adult only slice of heaven sits in the treetops with the howler monkeys and overlooks beautiful Playa Maderas. I stayed in the penthouse suite, which was the entire top floor of the hotel. It was floor to ceiling windows, a wraparound balcony, a gym, and a living room in the suite. This is hands down the largest hotel room I have ever stayed in, and came with a price tag of $120 per night. I told you Nicaragua was affordable! Hush Maderas offers many other rooms to fit any budget, including dormitory rooms. Everything about this hotel is top notch. The food was so fresh, healthy, and delicious. The drinks were all fresh squeezed. I sat poolside at the infinity pool with the most incredible views of the ocean. I felt so spoiled. They offer yoga lessons at the hotel and in room massages. We got one of the best couples’ massages of our lives in our hotel room for $30 each. Winning!

This was my stunning view from the balcony of the penthouse suite. $120 per night is a steal!

Wraparound balcony of the penthouse suite.

Pool overlooking the ocean and Playa Maderas. Heaven!

Fresh squeezed margaritas and healthy fresh food. Happy girl!

Power bowl and veggie burrito. The food was ridiculously fresh and healthy.

After six days of exploring Nicaragua, I really didn’t want to go home. I felt as though I had just scratched the surface of this country. There is so much to see! I headed back to the border and crossed with a new visa stamp to stay in Costa Rica for another 90 days. Border run turned vacay was a total success!

First border run a success. I love my forever travel partner!

Amazing trip to see where my family migrated from. Until next time Nicaragua!

For my unedited photos/videos of this trip, you can head over to my Instagram account @bucketlistinabikini and watch my “Stories” of Nicaragua.

Much love,

Jessica

UPDATE TO NICARAGUA BLOG 08/01/2022

TreeCasa Resort. San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

I have just arrived home from another “border run vacay”, except this time we made it a family vacation and brought along the kiddos for their first trip to Nicaragua. As you read above, the last time we stayed at an adult-only hotel. For this trip, I wanted to find a very family-friendly hotel that the kids would love. We chose TreeCasa Resort which sits high up the mountain in the treetops above the beach of San Juan Del Sur. This resort features treehouse family accommodations with a stunning pool that includes a waterslide and rock waterfall to jump off of. My husband and I lazed the day away as the kids enjoyed all the fun the grounds had to offer. A true playground for adults and kids!! There are so many activities to choose from including hiking, biking, horseback riding, private beach, spa, and a complimentary shuttle down the hill to the town of San Juan Del Sur.

Treehouse family accommodations at TreeCasa Resort.

TreeCasa Resort is a true playground for adults and kids!

Living our best life at TreeCasa Resort.

Waterslides are always a hit on vacay with the kids.

Jump 11,873 off of the rock waterfall. Ha ha.

Although this is a family-friendly resort, my husband and I did get to sneak away for some adult time on the grounds. These grounds are huge, safe, and secure. After dinner, we tucked the kiddos back in the room with a movie and headed out to get some cocktails at the bar. It was so nice to have no worries at all and know the kiddos were happy as could be back in the spacious room. We also snuck in a morning couples massage at the spa while the kids went to breakfast. It was amazing!! Lastly, we took a guided hike one morning while the kids slept in. We hiked to the highest platform on the property. The views looking down on San Juan Del Sur were incredible.

Couples massage time while the kids are at breakfast. Yes, please!

Guided hike up to the highest point on the property. These views were incredible!

If you read along with me you know I am quite the foodie. I basically spend my life dieting saving up to go crazy eating while on vacation. Hashtag TRUTH. The food at TreeCasa is over the top delicious, healthy, and filling! You will not go hungry at this resort. I indulged in the enormous lobster tails two of the nights. Just wow! My other favorite dish was a 2 pound fried whole red snapper. I ate the entire thing. LOL. I will start the diet when the trip is over. Ha ha.

Me enjoying another night of lobster tail dinner paired with bacon wrapped asparagus, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and a little bubbly.

Nicaragua continues to be our go-to for our border run fun. It is just such an easy hop from our home in Costa Rica. If the kiddos are with us, TreeCasa will continue to be our resort of choice. TreeCasa makes a great vacation just staying on the grounds of the property. However, the location of this resort is so central that you can also explore surrounding areas very easily. You can take the shuttle down the hill to explore the town of San Juan Del Sur or hop over to Playa Maderas for some epic surfing. It really is a perfect home base. So close to everything but also tucked away in the serenity of the treetops with the birds and monkeys.

I spent so much time relaxing in this hammock on my balcony listening to birds and howler monkeys.

A family vacation we will cherish forever at TreeCasa Resort. San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

I have already booked our next trip to Nicaragua and this time my parents will be joining us as we explore the cities of Nicaragua. Stay tuned!

All of my unedited moments from TreeCasa Resort can be found on my Instagram Stories “TreeCasa”.

Thanks for reading!

Jessica

Karen Blixen Camp: A Magical Safari Adventure In Kenya.

“Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same.” – Brian Jackman

Going on safari has always ranked very high on my bucket list! They say that trips to Africa are life changing journeys. Many trips I have taken have given me a feeling where I feel changed as a person. So needless to say I was very curious to find out what inspires people to say Africa is so life changing. I can confirm that after a little over two weeks there, it has changed my life. Never have I ever been on a trip where I had tears come to my eyes so many times. I felt as though every step I took was filled with emotions. The continent of Africa is so vast that it would be difficult to see it all in one lifetime. However I am not done with this part of the world, and as I sit here putting my pen to paper, all I can think about is when I will be able to go back.

There are so many options to choose from when you decide to plan a safari adventure. I chose the Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara) North area of Kenya. The Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the finest wildlife experiences in all of Africa to track the Big Five and discover rich culture. In this area, one can have a front row seat to the Great Migration which is often dubbed “The Greatest Show On Earth”. The Great Migration sees more than 2 million animals travel from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This reserve in Kenya shares an ecosystem with the neighboring Serengeti of Tanzania, so it is easy to combine these two countries for an extended safari. I decided to couple my safari with some beach time in Zanzibar, which is an island and also part of Tanzania. What an epic trip to combine a safari with tropical beach time!

Karen Blixen Camp

It was very important to me to stay in a place that was not over commercialized. I did not want to feel as though I was in a chain hotel for this trip. I decided on Karen Blixen Camp. Have any of my readers seen the movie “Out of Africa” starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford? Meryl Streep plays Karen Blixen in this true story that highlights the impact that Mrs. Blixen had on Kenya. When I came across the Karen Blixen Camp in my planning, I immediately knew this was where I wanted to stay. It is an eco friendly luxury camp offering a “yesteryear” experience. All 22 tents sit right on the Mara River. Throughout the day giraffes, elephants, zebras, crocodiles, baboons, and many more come to drink from the river while a large hippo pod lazes the day away. The river brings in many visitors, however the hippos are residents. My alarm clock every morning was hippos snorting in the river. Ha ha! What a way to wake up! This was the main reason I chose this camp. To be so immersed in wildlife and view game right from your tent was just a dream. Que the tears of gratitude!

Watching the wildlife and enjoying some wine right from our deck.

With so many animals around, the camp takes zero chances with safety. At night and early morning, guests are escorted from their tents to the main camp. When I wanted to leave the tent I would just ring the bell, and security came to escort me which made me feel very at ease.

Although the accommodations are truly tents, they certainly do not feel like it. They have beautiful wooden decks attached with luxurious patio furniture to enjoy your morning coffee or afternoon wine while staring at wildlife on the river. The tents themselves are very large with with a plush comfy bed, bathroom, and outdoor heated shower.

Hot outdoor shower is heaven after long days on game drives.

Yes, this is technically a tent, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.

Waking up listening to hippos snorting right outside of my tent.

The camp has a restaurant, bar, fire pit for late night parties, pool, spa, and gift shop. Although the camp only has 22 tents, the property is huge. It also houses a cooking school where students learn to become master chefs in Kenya and even graduate to cook at the camp. This brings me to the food….WOW! You will not go hungry at Karen Blixen Camp so bring your animal appetite. The food is phenomenal. Every meal I ate was superb. They serve everything from traditional Kenyan dishes to Mexican pizzas, so there is something for everyone. They also serve excellent wine and offer a full bar. The camp arranges every detail of your safari adventure for you. From flights to meals to adventuring, they tailor your safari based on your likes, and you don’t have to plan a thing.

Pool time. I love all of the amenities at Karen Blixen Camp.

Game Driving

One other huge reason I chose Karen Blixen Camp is that in this area of the Mara, the vehicles are permitted to go off-roading. In other areas available for safari, the vehicles are required to stay on the designated roads and view game from there. We were able to explore off the beaten path and pull right up next to the animals. This made this entire experience so much more exciting. Our open air vehicle was very comfortable for long days of game driving. I loved the wind in my face while out adventuring.

We were assigned Simon as our safari guide for the week. All of the staff at the camp treated us like family, and I know you can not go wrong with any guide from the Karen Blixen Camp. However, Simon holds a very special place in our hearts. He took us on early morning, afternoon, and evening rides. Each day and each time of the day was a new experience with something new to see. Simon is so knowledgeable and friendly. I feel like I learned so much about the animals, the people, and Kenya in general from him. He was so good at spotting and would drive our vehicle right up to the animals for us to view.

My guide Simon and I. He was always teaching us about the animals as we drove up to them.

On one drive we came across an elephant that had just passed away either to old age, disease, or injury. This part of Kenya takes poaching very seriously and they have great efforts in place to protect their animals. This gentle giant had become an easy meal to a huge group of hyenas that could not control their laughter and excitement. Hyenas get so excited and create so much noise when they find food that they alert other animals in the area that something appetizing is going on. Later on into the night, we decided to visit the elephant again and check the scene. A male lion was now guarding the elephant and had claimed it as his meal. No more hyenas as the lion is king. We turned off the car in the pitch black and observed the male lion up close. My heart was pounding out of my chest! It was so exciting being in the dark with the lion king. We saw many other lions on our drives throughout our safari, however this encounter was quite exhilarating. Que the tears of adrenaline!

A night ride where we sat right next to the lion king guarding his meal.

Beautiful lioness relaxing right next to our car.

I love the kitties and we were lucky enough to have a leopard walk right in front of our car one day. Leopards are one of the most elusive mammals on the planet and this beautiful creature just strolled right by us. So incredible!

The elusive leopard casually strolling by.

This part of the Mara is filled with animals. I can’t even count the number of elephants, zebras, baboons, and giraffes we saw. It seemed endless. At one point we were right in the middle of all of these animals having a true lion king moment.

On one of my favorite game drives we encountered a herd of elephants. The smallest of the bunch charged our car with his ears out. It simply doesn’t get cuter than baby elephants! Mama and siblings wanted nothing to do with us, but the baby was handling business. Ha ha! Each ride showed us something different from the circle of life. It was truly powerful and emotional to see these animals in the wild so up close.

That little baby elephant charged our car. Ha ha…so cute!

We saw so many elephants. Observing these gentle giants just never gets old.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Seeing the Mara Conservancy from above was a true bucket list experience. This was my first time in a hot air balloon ride. I’m a bit fearful of heights so I was nervous. The Karen Blixen Camp arranged for a sunrise balloon ride with Sky Ship Company. Ali was our pilot, and my nerves were gone as soon as we took off. The ride was so smooth. I just can’t put into words the magic I saw as I flew over the Mara animals with the sun rising to a new golden morning. The tears keep coming! The balloon noise makes the animals run so it was a different experience to see them being so active as we flew right above. The ride lasted about an hour with a very exciting landing on our side dragging and bouncing. I wasn’t expecting that but it’s normal due to winds in this area. Our ride was followed up with a champagne breakfast in the bush. Someone pinch me!

Flying over the Masai Mara at sunrise in a hot air balloon.

So incredibly grateful for this trip of a lifetime.

Visit To The Local School

OMG!! I will treasure this day forever. We visited a local school of the Masai. The kids were so welcoming and sweet. They sang us songs, gave us big hugs, and wanted to take photos. We even got to have some one on one Q & A with the older students who were perfecting their English. This visit was so special, and I had tears coming down my cheeks every step of the tour from feeling so humbled and welcomed with such innocent love.

Visit To The Local Village

The visit to a local village of the Masai tribe was a true cultural experience. It was so interesting to see how the tribe lives off of the land and amongst the animals. The men in the tribe can have up to ten wives and 100 children. My husband sat down with a man of the tribe explaining that 1 wife was enough headache for him. Ha ha! He laughed at my husband and continued to show us his home that housed 7 people. I bought a beautiful necklace from one of the women who was so kind and grateful for my purchase. They live very differently than people in the USA and are content, happy, and welcoming.

Having a chat with a man of the Masai tribe who had seven wives. Tim was explaining that one wife is enough headache for him. Ha ha!

Sundowners And Meals In The Bush

Sun~down~er: An alcoholic drink taken at sunset. Picture being on game drives most of the day and pulling your vehicle up to a postcard perfect set up in the bush that includes chairs around a campfire, a full bar, and appetizers…all while out in the open with the wildlife as the sun is setting. I think I could have sundowners in the bush every night on safari!

Sundowners in the bush. Appetizers and full bar provided by the camp!

We also enjoyed a surprise breakfast in the bush by the Karen Blixen Camp. This was on our first morning and we were still taking in the fact that we were here on safari. What a special surprise to kick off this adventure.

Surprise breakfast in the bush from the camp on our first day.

On our last evening in Kenya, we booked a private dinner in the bush. This is an absolute “not to be missed” meal with the camp. We had a buffet spread for two with flowing wine, lit only by candlelight and campfire. The staff of the camp were all around us keeping an eye. I think this could have been the most romantic meal I have ever had in my life. After the time we had spent on safari, I felt so at ease and one with my surroundings. Of course I got emotional! It hit me hard on this meal that we were leaving this magical place. The tears and wine were flowing as we cheers to everything that we had seen, learned, and experienced.

Our final meal was a private candlelight dinner in the bush. Cheer to all the tears of joy!

My trip to Africa lived up to the life changing reputation. It is simply impossible to compare a trip like this to other vacations. I think the more that I travel, the more that I crave a deeper kind of travel. Don’t get me wrong, I do love sipping margaritas and relaxing poolside. However, trips like this one are so unique and bring my spirit to life. In the words of Karen Blixen, “You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions”.

In lion country. I saw so many lions on this game drive.

“You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.” – Karen Blixen

A Few Tips To Prepare For This Trip

I flew from the USA to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This is a long flight and a big time difference, so I opted to spend three nights in Nairobi to rest up for all the action coming up on safari.

I visited a travel health consultant at Passport Health five weeks prior to taking this trip. I learned everything I needed to know to keep me healthy on my African adventure. These travel consultants will discuss and inject recommended and required vaccinations, prescribe medications such as malaria, and advise you on mosquito repellants. True fact…I get eaten alive everywhere I travel. I followed the guidance of my health consultant and did not get one bite on my two week trip. This a game changer for future trips!

In order to enter the country of Kenya at the time of my travels, one was required to obtain a Visa, a negative PCR Covid Test (regardless of vaccination), and complete an online Health Surveillance Form. This info seems to be consistently changing, so it is best to check the embassy website for what is required prior to entry/exit.

Thank you to to the staff at the Karen Blixen Camp for some of the best travel memories of my life!!

Our guide Simon dropping us back at the airstrip at the end of the trip. He is an amazing guide and a good friend!

Tulum, Mexico: Traveling During A Pandemic To A Boho Chic Paradise.

It has been a dream of mine to take a vacation in Tulum, Mexico for some time. I have spent time in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, but had only visited Tulum for the day on past trips. I loved it so much that after spending time there on a couple of day trips, I dedicated months researching condos for sale, coming very close to purchasing one. If you look in my “About Me” section of this blog, one of my goals was to retire in Tulum. Quite a statement after only taking a couple of day trips there. I guess it’s safe to say I fell in love on my day trip visits, so you can imagine my excitement to plan a two week trip!

Tulum is located about a two hour drive south of Cancun, and close to the border of Belize. It has a very boho chic vibe with crystal clear Caribbean waters, and white powder sand beaches. It’s paradise!

Mexico has always held a very special place in my heart. I got married in Zihuatanejo, renewed my vows in Puerto Vallarta, celebrated my husband’s 40th in Cabo San Lucas, and have spent time in a total of eight different locations in Mexico.

After several cancelled and postponed trips since the pandemic hit, I was thrilled to hear that Tulum had opened up for tourism. Yes, I was nervous to travel. Yes, I was very nervous to fly. And yes, I was nervous to be out of my own country while the positive cases around the world were present. That being said, I was also VERY itchy to take a trip! After months of shelter in place (aka quarantine), I had made a choice that (for me) it was time to get back to enjoying life. It was time to start living with the virus, and not hiding from it. Certainly not questioning the seriousness of this issue. I find it to be very serious! However, fear had been controlling my mind set, and physical actions for months. I don’t feel that the fear completely left me until I arrived at my hotel in Tulum. I was overtaken by the peaceful paradise on the beautiful beach.

Accomodations

I chose to stay at the Diamante K. And let me tell you, this is not your average hotel! It fits right in with the vibe of Tulum, and delivers very boho chic accommodations. It is a beachfront hotel located in a National Park, and is just 2.5 kilometres from the ruins. It offers cabana style rooms with thatch roofs, beach club, restaurant, bar, and spa. We enjoyed a very relaxing oceanfront couples massage that was much needed after a long flight. Upon arriving, my husband and I were checked in to the most beautiful suite! Our room looked directly at the ocean. We were so close to the ocean that I could throw a rock into the water from our room. Of course my first order of business was to get a fresh squeezed spicy margarita. As I was ordering “fresh squeezed”, the bartender giggled and said that I didn’t need to order it that way as all the drinks were fresh squeezed. Ahhhh….jackpot! The food was amazing too. I ate breakfast there almost every day, and switched between the huevos divorciados (divorced eggs) and huevos rancheros. So good! Lunch and dinner were just as delicious. I had my fair share of fresh fish, ceviche, and guacamole. The food and drinks were superb, and very reasonable.

Back to our room…we had a bathroom that was completely outdoors. Outdoor showers in the jungle make me happy! I never sleep well on my first few nights of being somewhere new. So, I enjoyed the most picturesque sunrises right from my room, or I would take a few steps outside and sit oceanfront to watch the show. I’m not a morning person at home, so this was really refreshing to enjoy this time of day. The birds seem to come alive at sunrise, and are peacefully loud. It’s really nothing less than paradise. One huge bonus about this hotel is that there are no TV’s on the property. This couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. Just what the doctor ordered to take a mental break from the chaotic news going on at home in the USA.

We should have had our names engraved in these exact seats! Aside from eating and drinking here, we finished off almost every evening with a night cap while staring at the moon.

My outdoor bathroom at the Diamante K. Outdoor showers make me happy! 🙂

Transportation

The Diamante K is pretty close to the Hotel Zone, and downtown Tulum, however it is not walkable. We tried our hand at the cute beach bikes, but it was just too hot to get around this way for our liking. We then rented a little jeep that looked like a toddler toy, and broke down twice. Lastly we tried a motor bike/scooter. There are not many people that I would trust to ride on a scooter with, but my husband happens to be one I do. We rented from Tours R Us, who gave us a great deal. They had the best selection of vehicles that we had seen in our entire two week stay. They are located in the heart of the Hotel Zone, and offer much more than scooters. I highly recommend!

Tours R Us for all your transportation needs. Located in the heart of the Hotel Zone.

Hotel Zone/Downtown Tulum

A boho chic vibe is my favorite kind of vibe, which is why I probably love it so much here. Tulum is sort of a Miami-meets-jungle kind of place. There are amazing restaurants, beach clubs, and bars.

Favorite Restaurants: It is so hard to share my favorite restaurant. I literally did not have one bad meal in my entire two weeks. If f I have to choose, it would be Hartwood. We ate at so many great places but this was my favorite meal. I had tuna tostadas, a whole fish, and passion fruit spicy margaritas. Very cool ambiance and thumping chill music. If you are looking for a more casual meal, my favorite cheap eat in the Hotel Zone is the outdoor food truck bar named Tulumunchies. It has several food trucks that offer tacos, burgers, pizza, and poke bowls. We opted to eat here several times throughout the trip.

Tulum munchies — Tulumunchies surrounded by food trucks for the cheap eat win!

Favorite Bar: Hands down Clan-Destino! This is a very casual bar with a DJ, and a cenote in the middle. It tripped me out when we walked in to find people swimming in the little cenote at night. Very fun place!

Favorite Beach Club: Papaya Playa Project. This place is absolutely awesome! We came here for the day, and reserved a bed on the beach. The club has a DJ with sand as a dance floor, pool, and an awesome restaurant and bar. It wasn’t the cheapest stop, but it was one of our favorite days spent in Tulum.

ppp (1 of 1) — Papaya Playa Project. My favorite beach club!

Downtown Tulum: On nights where we felt like changing it up a bit, and spending a little less money, we would head to downtown Tulum. My favorite dinner here was at Burrito Amor. The burritos come wrapped in banana leaves, and they pride themselves on clean ingredients. Delish! This area is also where we scored all of our souvenirs to bring home.

Activities & Tours

After days of unwinding and getting to know Tulum, we were ready to do some exploring. I took a friend’s suggestion and booked a tour to the Sian Ka’an Bioreserve. This tour was booked by our hotel, through a company called Mayikal Experiences, and boy did we luck out! We had the most knowledgeable guide, who not only was a great deal, but was also a blast to spend the day with. He made sure we saw dolphins, huge turtles, and 1,000 pound bird nests. He led us snorkeling to swim with sting rays, huge schools of fish, and lobsters. The water was some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen in my life. I’m sure I have written this in past posts, but this time I mean it. Haha. It was truly crystal clear! My hubby did back flips off the back of the boat as we enjoyed our day frolicking. We finished it off with an oceanfront fresh lobster lunch. Absolutely perfect day! I can not recommend this tour, and the tour company enough! Because of Covid, Sian Ka’an would not allow tours with people who were not from the same family, so we got private! Such a great day!

sian kan 5 (1 of 1) — Perfect day at Sian Ka’an.

Can’t take a vacay without getting in the backflips.

My second choice for exploring Tulum would be to visit the cenotes. There are over 6,000 cenotes in the area available for endless exploring. We had planned to do the cenotes at the end of our trip. Don’t ask me how two weeks came and went so quickly, but all of a sudden the end of the trip had shown it’s face (to our disappointment). We ended up not wanting to trade one of our very last days of relaxation for the cenotes because we had visited them on our last trip. So we skipped it this time. If you are new to this area, exploring the centoes are a must!

Photo Ops

Tulum has some very famous photo ops. My favorite was Daniel Popper’s towering wooden sculpture Ven A La Luz, which stands at the entrance to the Ahau Hotel . Be prepared to wait in line to get this photo. Also, don’t visit in the middle of the day because the sun is right above you, and the lighting is much too bright. Go in the morning or evening. A trip to Casa Malca is sure to give you some great pics as well! This was Pablo Escobar’s mansion that was turned into an artsy hotel. Very beautiful property! I was so bummed to see that Azulik was closed. I was hoping to explore that beautiful property as well, and enjoy a sunset dinner above the trees in one of their dining nests. Next time!

Casa Malca (1 of 1) — Casa Malca. Pablo Escobar’s mansion in a previous life.

What It Was Like In Tulum During The Pandemic

I felt very safe in Tulum with the Pandemic going on. Besides the fact that being surrounded by paradise made me forget about it completely, Tulum did take lots of precautions to keep the virus at bay. All hotels, restaurants, and bars were limited to a 30% occupancy. We were required to temperature check, and wash/sanitize hands before entering most places. All of the staff we encountered in the Hotel Zone wore a mask, however tourists were not required unless entering a store-like establishment. We were required to wear a mask entering places of business in downtown Tulum. Most of the tours surrounding Tulum were open, some cenotes were open, however the ruins were closed. Because our hotel was located in a National Park (which was also closed), the only people that could come near our hotel were guests that were staying there or people who had made reservations to enjoy the facilities.

As we all know, we are living in a world that is changing by the day. What I experienced could be different by the time you read this. The best bet is to contact the hotel you are considering prior to travel to ask how the current Covid situation is in Tulum.

Tips

Here are the items I did not use on my trip: 1) High heels. Although I saw many gals very glammed up at the higher end places, I opted to stay in sandal flats. I did a lot of walking, with a lot of time spent at the beach, so heels just didn’t work for this trip. I was either barefoot or in sandals the entire time. 2) Curling iron. Save the weight in your bag and leave it at home. It’s absolutely pointless with the humidity and heat. 3) Workout bands and shoes. OOPS! I was having too much fun to workout, although yoga classes are huge in the area. 3) Really dressy clothes. I couldn’t get out of my bathing suit and cover ups. LOL! For the guys…my husband also didn’t wear anything dressy. He lived in shorts, tank tops, and flip flops.

Make sure to bring cash with you everywhere! Many businesses only accept cash.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I came to find out that although I have LOVED all of my travels in Mexico, Tulum takes the cake as my favorite. It is definitely a place that I will visit again and again. That’s saying a lot because I don’t usually like to repeat destinations.

One thing this trip deeply reminded me of was that I travel to have balance in my life. It’s important to feed your soul with what makes you happy, and for me that is traveling. I need to escape reality sometimes! With the pandemic, I was neglected balance in my life. I had been glued to the scary news every day. I was also getting way too emotionally involved in the chaos going on in the USA. This trip gave me back my balance. With no TV’s available, I was forced to listen to crashing waves in lieu of the news. And guess what??? As I’m sitting here writing this blog from back home, I have yet to turn on the news this entire week. I think I’m avoiding it at this point, as I’m still riding the mental high from this trip. Tulum gave me back my balance when I needed it most, and reminded me to enjoy my life no matter what is going on around me.

PS…YouTube video is on the way!

Jordan: Welcome To Jordan!

Probably the single most common question I have gotten about this trip is how I came to choose Jordan as my destination. I have to give credit to social media for this one. I was inspired by other travel bloggers that I follow. I wouldn’t have known or seen the highlights of travel in Jordan without social media. I saw so many beautiful photos posted of this country. But it wasn’t just the scenery that inspired me. It was also that they spoke of how kind the people are, and how safe the country is. I hope that my readers, and people that keep up with me on social media are somehow inspired too. That’s why I started this blog in the first place. I love to share and inspire places to travel to that people may not think of, or even know to visit. For this trip, I was somewhat yearning for a more cultural travel experience than I have had in my other vacations. I’m so excited to share the details of this with you because I definitely achieved just that!

Jordan is located in the middle of Egypt, Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It has been called the eye of the storm because it is a very peaceful country despite it’s sometimes inharmonious neighbors. I coupled this trip with a visit to Israel and spent eight days in each country, but for this blog, I’m going to cover only Jordan.

map_of_jordan — Jordan on a map! In the middle of Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel.

Welcome to Jordan! I crossed the border from Israel to Jordan on foot at the Wadi Araba Border Crossing. You must cross on foot because Israel taxi’s are not allowed in Jordan. So, I took an Israeli taxi to the border crossing, walked across the border into Jordan, and took a Jordanian taxi to my first top. My route through the country was Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, and the Dead Sea/Amman.

Drinking in Jordan: I had read that there is little to no alcohol throughout the country, as it is against the Muslim religion. Although we were staying at a very nice place in Petra (first stop) that did serve alcohol, the Wadi Rum Desert (our second stop), did not. There aren’t liquor stores to stop at, and only certain cities have such stores. This meant we had to plan upon entering the country, and bring it with us through our travels. As we crossed the border, we came across a duty free liquor store. Jackpot! We had planned to drive a bit out of the way, so you can imagine how happy we were to see one at the border. As we went through the final security scan, we got stopped by multiple guards who had to call in the General about our alcohol. Apparently we had purchased on the Israel side of the crossing, which was 20 feet before crossing into Jordan. That store had felt like it was too good to be true! It felt like we endured an eternity of interrogation. After pleading and sweet talking about our accidental mistake, the General yelled out “WELCOME TO JORDAN!”, and let us pass with all of our libations. It was a little bit of a rocky start to entering, and I certainly don’t recommend rolling the dice like this at the border. We got very lucky! After wiping all the sweat from our brows and shaking our nerves, we jumped in a taxi to our first stop in Petra.

border-1 — Cheers to crossing the border from Israel to Jordan on foot.

1st stop: Petra

Petra is known as the “Lost City”, and is one of the Wonders of the World. It is also the most visited site in all of Jordan. If you are an Indiana Jones fan, then you are familiar with this site. For those that aren’t, Petra was once a trading center and capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and 106 A.D. Following this, the city sat empty for centuries. In the 1800’s it was rediscovered! You need to purchase your tickets to enter the park to Petra in advance. Once inside the park, it’s a little over a mile walk to the Treasury. Being how popular this site is, we opted to enter the park at opening hour (6:00am) to beat the crowds and heat. It was also quite cool having this mysterious site mostly to ourselves so early in the morning. We got a ton of great pictures without people in the background, which is always important to me. Once down there you can enjoy some tea and refreshments, buy souvenirs, and take a camel or donkey ride if you don’t feel like exploring Petra on foot.

So nice to have this wonder of the world almost all to ourselves. So worth it to get up early!

Because of our early start at the park, we were back at our hotel by lunchtime. I chose the Movenpick Petra for our accommodations for several reasons. Not only is this hotel absolutely stunning with seven phenomenal restaurants, but: 1) The hotel is located right across the street from the Petra park entrance. 2) It is the only hotel with a pool that isn’t miles away from the park entrance. Since we were visiting in June, this was a must for me. 3) It is the only hotel in the area that serves alcohol. Wow, I feel like I am talking about alcohol quite a bit in this blog. Haha!! I don’t mean to come off as a total professional, but I did a lot of research on this, and want to share it because it was important to us. We envisioned having a cold beer after exploring the park (which we did), spending a day by the pool with mimosas (which we did), and enjoying wine with our picturesque rooftop BBQ dinner (which we did)! The hotel was a perfect fit for us, and I can’t say enough about how great the service was. If you are visiting Petra, book this hotel! You will not be disappointed.

lobby-1 — Beautiful lobby of Movenpick Petra.

Having a pool to cool off in Petra is a huge bonus!

2nd Stop: Wadi Rum Desert

Wadi Rum Desert is known as the Valley of the Moon, and has the reputation of being Mars on Earth. It is easy to see why they filmed the movie “The Martian” here. It’s crazy that places like this exist, and are just a plane ride away. Talk about a spot to do some soul searching! We decided to do a real Bedouin experience, and camp in the desert. I chose Sun City Camp for our campground, and sprung the extra dough for the Martian Bubble Tent. This was the most unique accommodations I have ever experienced. The word “tent” doesn’t do it justice, as this is a true glamping (glamorous camping) experience. The Martian Bubble tents are clear so that you can stare at the beautiful desert in the day and watch the stars come alive at night, all while lying in a bed that felt like a cloud. So comfy! These tents are perfectly air conditioned with a full bathroom and refrigerator. Perfect place to store the hooch we were lugging around that had been purchased at the border crossing. Upon calling this camp to inquire about liquor, I was told they don’t serve alcohol or allow it in common areas, however they were completely ok with us enjoying it in our tent. So there in our bubble tent fridge, our drinks chilled. Breakfast and dinner are included in the hotel price, and all meals are served in the main dining hall. Every night the camp has a ceremony where they pull the Zarb BBQ dinner out of the ground where the meat has been cooking all day in the earth ovens. We all eat the best buffet you can imagine (seriously the food was to die for), and then the music starts thumping as they light a campfire, serve Turkish tea, and smoke hookahs. I even joined in on a dance around the campfire. Cultural travel experience?? Check!

martian tent-1 — Martian Bubble Tent at Sun City Camp, Wadi Rum Desert.

bed-1 — What a beautiful view right from your bed!

main camp-1 — Main dining hall and outdoor nightly party location with loud music, dancing, and hookah.

We did two excursions during our stay at Sun City. One sunset truck ride through the desert, and one sunset camel ride through the desert. It’s hard to say which one I enjoyed more. The truck ride was super exhilarating! We were straight up railing through the desert as we blasted music. It was so much fun! The camel ride was very relaxing, and we stopped for a pit stop to watch the sunset in the sand with our camels. We also got incredibly lucky as both of these excursions were private. Just us and our guide…and our camels. LOL. Totally amazing!

truck3-1 — Our guide had us railing through the desert. So exciting and fun!

truck4-1 — Stop to watch the sunset on our ride. So nice to have it be just us two on this tour.

camels2-1 — Headed out on our camels to watch the sunset.

camel-1 — Again, so fortunate. We had the desert all to ourselves. Just us, our guide, and our camels.

camel 3-1 — Very happy girl in Wadi Rum.

3rd stop: Aqaba

After camping in the Wadi Rum Desert, we were ready for some beach time. Aqaba is exactly that…a beach town on the Red Sea. The Red Sea is well known for its water sports, and we were excited to enjoy the ocean and infinity pool at the hotel overlooking it. We stayed at Al Manara, a Luxury Collection Hotel, because it just looked like the most gorgeous hotel ever! The rates were really great for this type of hotel at $175 per night. Aqaba was the hottest leg of the trip, so it was a good thing we had the ocean, and the hotel infinity pool. Our first day, we were in that pool from the moment we woke up until the sun went down. We literally swam all day long! The second day we chartered a boat to take us snorkeling in the Red Sea. The Red Sea is huge for diving, but I’m a scaredy cat and prefer to snorkel. While out on the water, we could visibly see Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Jordan. It was pretty cool! We explored a ton of coral, a huge sunken ship, and jumping off the top of the boat into the refreshing Red Sea. My husband hit 1,389,486 back flips off the top of that boat. Haha! In case you were wondering, most hotels in Aqaba serve cocktails, but only a couple of restaurants in the city square (which was walkable) do.

pool sunset3-1 — Swimming in the hotel infinity pool from the moment I woke up until the sun went down.

water-1 — Exploring a sunken ship in the Red Sea.

jump-1 — The master at back flipping off the top of a boat.

4th Stop: Dead Sea

Well, really our “4th Stop” was a long day of travel with a stop at the Dead Sea, and dinner in Amman. Our flight home was at 3:00am, and the Amman airport is located on the opposite side of the country from Aqaba. We decided to spend our last day driving the four hour cross country trip with a stop at the Dead Sea, and a second stop in the capital for a late dinner. We hired a taxi driver for nine hours, which cost us $300. This was cheaper than the little hopper flight we could have taken from Aqaba to Amman, and was a much better way to see more of the country on our last day.

We arrived at the Dead Sea about one hour before sunset. Perfect timing! The Dead Sea is actually a lake, not a sea. It is a lifeless body of water, hence the name. It is eight or nine times saltier than the oceans of the world. It is so dense and mineral rich that it doesn’t even feel like normal water, but more like olive oil mixed with sand. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, and receding rapidly at 3 feet per year. I felt incredibly lucky to experience it before it possibly disappears forever. Here lies the famous photo op of a person reading a book while floating. It is impossible for one to sink in the Dead Sea due to the salt levels being so high. So, I just bobbed and floated watching my final sunset in Jordan. The mud also has a ton of minerals in it that is great for smoothing your skin. I missed the memo that said not to shave the day of doing this, and after I rubbed the mud all over my body, I broke out in a complete rash. Fail! Also, you can’t put your face in the water due to how strong the salt is. While posing for a photo, I took a wave in the face, and water shot in my eyes, nose, and throat. I kid you not, I thought I was going to go blind. It hurt so bad! I also tossed my cookies. Double fail! I haven’t thrown up since my very early drinking days, when my drink of choice was a 40oz of Mickey’s. I was on a budget back then. LOL. Regardless of what I had to go through…I got the photo!

dead sea 1-1 — Rubbing the Dead Sea mud all over my skin.

dead sea 3-1 — Reading the Alchemist in the Dead Sea. Caught a wave in the face right after this photo. Almost went blind and I threw up. Whatever it takes to get the shot. Ha ha!

Last stop was a late night rooftop dinner in Amman at Canteloupe. This is located in the perfect location to view the entire city, ruins, and huge Jordanian flag that blows in the wind. It was a great place to squeeze in our last supper of beef carpaccio and pasta as we looked over the city lights. The food was phenomenal! We were done at 11:30pm and headed to the airport for our 3:00am flight. Bye bye Jordan!!!

capital-1 — Rooftop dinner in the capital, Amman. Perfect way to squeeze in our last supper over looking the city lights.

Side note on attire for the ladies: For those of you gals who are curious how to dress in Jordan, this is for you. You are welcome to wear whatever you want in your hotel or while out in the Wadi Rum Desert. However, any time I was outside of these areas, I covered up my shoulders and chest. I actually just wore my typical sundresses and wrapped a scarf around my shoulders and chest. It worked perfectly. It was definitely very interesting to me to visit a country where most women wear head scarfs at all times, some in full Niqab (covers everything but the eyes). But I have to say, the women and Jordanian people in general, were so kind. They truly do welcome all cultures and religions with open arms!

Thanks for reading! Check out my YouTube video below for the vlog version of this trip! If you are a YouTuber, please Like and Subscribe. 🙂

XXOO

Jessica

Las Vegas: Top 10 Things To Do With A Family.

Most of us think of Las Vegas as Sin City or an adult playground. Well, in reality, there’s a ton of stuff to do with kids. In this blog, I’m going to talk about the top things to do with kids that puts a totally different spin on our thinking of what a Las Vegas vacation is all about. And if you have a teenager in the house (like me), you can even manage to sneak in a pretty epic date night in the midst of all that family fun.

Transportation

The trip I planned was on Spring Break while the kids were out of school. I always plan a family trip for Spring Break, and try not to go too far being the kids have to jump right back into school after one week off. I also try to avoid flying on this week of vacay, because getting a family of six anywhere with flights increases my cost incredibly. If we are flying and spending that extra money, I prefer to have more time than one week to enjoy the trip. So, I save those trips at far away places for different times in the year. The kids got so excited about Las Vegas, and the thought of seeing a little example of different places in the world such as the Paris, New York New York, Venetian, and Caesars hotels. The weather is absolutely perfect at this time of year in Las Vegas at 80-85 degrees. We initially had planned to drive to Las Vegas (from Northern California). However, at the last second we started to dread the 10-12 hours in the car with four children. LOL. We decided on taking the train instead. This was such a great idea! It was a new and exciting experience for the kids! We scored great seats with four top tables. We could work, do school work, play electronics, get up and walk around, grab a drink at the bar, eat at the cafe when we were hungry, all while avoiding traffic and not stopping to use the restroom every five minutes. The train was in no way faster than flying but it was WAAAAYYYY better than driving and was half the cost of flying our family of six. Being there is no need for a car in Vegas, this ended up being a great choice for us.

Settling in for our train ride to Vegas. So comfy with table tops, cafe, bar, bathrooms, no traffic. Winning!

Accomodations at Tahiti Village

It is absolutely ridiculous for my family of six to stay in a regular hotel room (IMO), and I refuse to do it unless it is a short weekend trip. When I’m with my entire family, I need to have more space and a full kitchen to feed their hungry mouths that are asking for food every 30 minutes. Hashtag TRUTH. Las Vegas is mostly hotels near the Strip, but I came across a place called Tahiti Village online. Guys, this place ended up being totally awesome for a family trip! The rooms were huge condos with full kitchens but the property was more like a grand hotel. If we didn’t feel like cooking or going out, we had a restaurant and bar right on the property. The best part about this place was the pools and activities. They had a huge pool with a sandy beach entry where they held sand castle making contests and a long lazy river with intertubes, which is where my kids spent most of their time. An evening movie on the grass was shown twice per week. It was perfect! Tahiti Village is located just a mile from the Strip, so we could take the free shuttle, or jump in a quick Uber ride to all the Las Vegas action.

8761981357987404636_IMG_7269 — Our condo at Tahiti Village. A must for our family to have a full kitchen.

7290308993344627426_IMG_7661 — Main pool at Tahiti Village.

4690235834962303405_IMG_7644 — Sandy beach entry to the main pool where they had organized sand castle making contests.

7173686921759874757_IMG_6954 — We rode in the lazy river all day long on our relaxing days.

Top Things to Do

Ok, so let’s get into it. What are the top things to do in Las Vegas with kids?? Well, we barely could scratch the surface in one week but these were my top picks.

High Roller Ferris Wheel

High Roller is a 550-foot tall, giant Ferris wheel on the Las Vegas Strip. It is currently the worlds tallest ferris wheel and is a 30 minute ride. This absolutely puts those county fair ferris wheels to shame, and will be quite the experience for your little ones.

Circus Circus

Circus Circus is definitely the most kid friendly hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, and is where the Adventure Dome is located. The Adventure Dome is a five acre indoor/outdoor Adventure Amusement Park. The kids can ride rides, play games, rock climb, and even catch a creepy clown show.

-6838287532653141186_IMG_7289 — Circus Circus. The most kid friendly hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

-6403894698552140889_IMG_7294 — Virtual Reality Experience at Circus Circus.

adventure — Adventure Dome Circus Circus.

Shopping at the Forum Shops

Las Vegas has some of the best shopping! I have two teenage girls in the house, so we snuck away for a girls day, and hit the shops. We visited several malls, but the Forum Shops at Caesars were our favorite. The hotel is really beautiful, and you feel as though you are shopping in Rome, Italy.

5911530106553745815_IMG_7251 — Shopping at Caesars Forum Shops.

Best Restaurant To Dine At On The Strip: Sugar Factory!

Our kids are crazy for sugar (who’s aren’t?), and when we spoil them with a sugary treat they are so so so happy (before they turn into little monsters). What better place to take them than the Sugar Factory!? This place is located right on the Strip, and the menu is filled with things like Cheeseburgers with donuts for buns, fried chicken and waffles, or a truly gourmet stack of pancakes and chocolate. The $20 milkshakes are pricey, but you simply have to try one. Everything is a total sugar masterpiece. It’s a really beautiful restaurant too with elegant decor, and is a true sugary fine dining experience. We ate dinner here, and then returned for a milkshake on our girls day in the middle of shopping. Yum yum!

331549356565085590_IMG_7193 — The milkshakes at the Sugar Factor are an absolute must!

9149876229136739744_IMG_7136 — Candy Shop at the Sugar Factory.

Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden, Tiger and Dolphin Habitat

We set the teenagers free one day to do more shopping, and went to see some tigers and dolphins with our little guys at Siegfriend and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Here, you come face-to-face with some of nature’s most exotic creatures. Explore, learn and play in an enchanting world of bottlenose dolphins, white tigers, white lions, and leopards. The little guys loved it!

SEIGFRIED AND ROY — LOL. My son had to have this photo…what can I say?

Slotzilla Zipline Over Fremont Street

SlotZilla is a 11-story slot machine-inspired zip line attraction on Fremont Street, and is one of the best things to do in Las Vegas! It was $25 per person or $45 if you want to do Superman Style. I thought these prices were great for the experience you receive! Making a reservation in advance is a must. I made mine one week in advance. The wait could be hours if you don’t have a reservation. I personally think it is best to do this once the sun goes down and the Las Vegas lights are shining as bright as can be.

Seven Magic Mountains

Ok, so now that you’ve walked up and down the strip and gotten a taste of all the Las Vegas action, why not take a 15 minute ride outside of the strip to see a beautiful place in the middle of the desert called Seven Magic Mountains? A large scale desert artwork comprised of seven towers of colorfully stacked boulders standing more than thirty feet high. If you can believe it, our kids wanted to go at dawn to experience the sun coming up in the middle of the desert. I can never get my kids to catch a sunrise. This was an absolutely beautiful experience, and one I think they will remember forever!

8201082450129557784_IMG_7475 — Catching a sunrise in the dessert.

3652089858639879010_img_7527 — Never a bad idea to get up early. Perfect lighting for great photos.

New York New York

I think this was our favorite strip hotel to visit as a family. We visited Houdini’s Magic Shop, which the kids stayed at for over an hour learning magic tricks. There was a bar right outside the magic shop where mom and dad posted up for some adult beverages. We road the Big Apple Roller Coaster…well, half of us did. The other half who were either too scared or too small, stayed back in the enormous arcade. We ate awesome pizza by the slice, and snuck in a little gambling. This was definitely a day of fun for everyone, with a good mix of adult and kid things to do.

Little smooching after we won some money at the tables!

roller coaster 1 — Big Apple Roller Coaster.

New York New York was our favorite hotel on the strip that was fun for everyone.

Town Square

Located within walking distance from Tahiti Village is Town Square. Town Square is a shopping, dining, and entertainment center. There is a huge park in the center of the square with a train ride, playground, and hoolla hooping for all. A lot of the restaurants have patios that overlook the park so the adults can enjoy some wine while keeping an eye on the kiddos. This is an awesome place to go out to eat or shop if you don’t feel like dealing with the craziness of the Strip.

Silverton Casino Mermaid’s Aquarium

Named the “Best Free attraction in Las Vegas” is the Mermaid’s Aquarium. It’s a huge tank filled with tropical fish and live mermaids that interact with the guests. My kids are Disney’s Little Mermaid fans, so this was a really cute experience for them to wave and blow kisses to real mermaids.

mermaid 3 — Mermaid’s show at the Silverton Casino.

So there you have it!! These were my top things to do with a family in Las Vegas. This ended up being one of our favorite spring break vacations! Easy too if you live in California or Nevada. Hopefully this shows Las Vegas in a different light for you, and that this trip really can be fun for the entire family!

Thanks for reading!!! For the vlog version of the Blog, see my YouTube video below. If you are a youtuber, please like and subscribe. 🙂

XXOO,

Jessica

-4698310534388431912_IMG_7160 — Exploring the Strip at night.

W Scottsdale: Hotel Review

When my best friend called to chat about where she should have her adult only birthday getaway, we were a bit stumped. As a group of friends traveling together, we had done Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Lake Tahoe. ” What about Scottsdale, AZ?” she asked. We had heard so many great travel stories from people who visit for Major League Baseball’s Spring Training that raved about the great weather, awesome golfing, and endless nightlife. It sounded like a perfect idea!

When I had heard about travels to Scottsdale, the W Scottsdale always came up in conversation. It is definitely known as THE place to stay in this area of Arizona. Once we had decided on our destination, we knew there was only one place we wanted to call home for this trip….the W Scottsdale. This hotel is the perfect mix of luxury and party! It is a modern hotel with epic weekend pool parties. The biggest plus is that the location can’t be beat. Walk out of the hotel and across the street, and you are in the heart of downtown Scottsdale. This is known as the Entertainment District and has a true reputation for pulsating nightlife.

W hotel drone — Bird’s eye view of the W Scottsdale. Walk right across the street and you are in the heart of the Entertainment District.

From the moment you walk through the doors at this beautiful hotel, you are treated like kings and queens. The service is stellar! The hotel lobby is gorgeous with uber chic furnishings, and an illuminated stairway that takes you to the Wet Deck. This is where the pool is located, and they hold all their outdoor events.

-1095354750051390291_IMG_8362 — Illuminated stairway in the hotel lobby that takes you to the Wet Deck.

I chose the newly renovated Cool Corner Suite for my room on this trip. This suite is absolutely stunning! Floor to ceiling windows and a large balcony with a perfect view overlooking the pool. I had some major breakfast goals on this balcony while sipping some bubbly, and living the true lap of luxury.

created by dji camera — Breakfast goals on the balcony of the Cool Corner Suite.

-668825217839326910_IMG_8223 — Our beautiful room, the Cool Corner Suite…and my crazy hubby doing a belly flop! LOL

I have been to some pretty fun pool parties, but the Wet Deck at the W Scottsdale is by far one of my favorites. It was an absolute blast! The sexy VIP waitresses bring you bottle service on the shoulders of their sexy male helpers, while the DJ thumps some liquid lounge meets hip hop tunes. The music definitely had me shaking my bon bon all day long! They have an array of comfy day beds, lounging pods, and private cabanas. But the real party is in the pool!!

4341710672866825312_IMG_7854 — Pool at W Scottsdale.

The W Scottsdale’s motto is “Lust For Life”, and after spending the weekend here, I can understand why! Myself, my husband, and our group of friends had the time of our lives at this hotel that is a haven for style. Scottsdale has most definitely joined my list of favorite party cities in the United States!

-7588154939559842262_IMG_8204 — Lust For Life!

Thanks for reading! For the Vlog version of this trip, see my YouTube video below. If you are a youtuber, please Like and Subscribe! 🙂

XXOO,

Jessica

Greece: Land Of Party Time, Views, And Rich History…Opa!

Greece has always been at the top of my bucket list. It was #2 on my list to be exact. I assure you that I can not accurately describe in words how over the moon excited I was to take this trip! I will say this right off the bat..this certainly was not the cheapest vacation I have ever taken. I started out with a budget, and went way over. I had to take side job after side job to cover this dream of mine, but it was worth every penny.

Greece has so many islands, all which are very spread apart. Unless you are taking a cruise or traveling for a long period of time, you need to plan what islands you want to see. It isn’t one of those places that you can island hop day by day and see all there is to see, like my trip to the British Virgin Islands or Croatia (which is next up on my list to do a barbeboating trip). I had two weeks in Greece so I chose the Cyclades Islands . I decided on three stops: Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens. I was so happy with these choices! Each stop was so polar different from the other, and it really mixed things up. Mykonos was party time, Santorini was relaxing time, and Athens was a beautiful city.

route map — My route for my trip to Greece. Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens.

MYKONOS:

My stay in Ornos Beach

San Francisco to Mykonos is quite the journey. Long travel days are not ideal, but if that’s what I have to do to get to places like this, then that’s what I have to do. I will never skip a place to see in the world because the flight is too long. After a long day and night of travel, I arrived at my Ornos Suites Airbnb in Ornos Beach, Mykonos at about 2:00am. I was about 90 feet from the sand, which is why I chose Ornos Beach. It was really difficult to find Airbnb properties that were oceanfront on Mykonos. I was excited to check out my surroundings, anxious for my first Greek cocktail, and feeling a little hungry. I assumed I would have zero options at that hour. Wrong!!! All the bars and restaurants stay open super late, and are straight up crack-a-lackin all night long. Ornos Beach was beautiful and actually ended up being my favorite after I had explored the entire island. Mykonos beaches are filled with beach clubs that thump music played by world renown DJs from the day to the night to the morning. It doesn’t stop. I wouldn’t call this island the most relaxing. It was party time….all the time. Ornos Beach was just the right amount of party mixed with the ability to unwind and relax. I would say it is one of the more quiet beaches on Mykonos. It is a beach cove lined with amazing restaurants in the sand. The bars play music here, but they don’t have that beach club vibe that most of the other beaches had in Mykonos.

Scorpios

Being that I enjoyed my first meal and cocktail at 3:00am it was safe to say that I was sleeping in the next morning. A bit of an understatement as I woke up at 4:00pm panicking that I would miss my sunset table reservation at Scorpios Sunset Party. Scorpios is said to be one of the best beach clubs in Europe, and I can see why. This is by far my favorite beach club I have ever been to in my life! And it is the ONLY place to be on a Sunday. They throw their weekly sunset party on Sundays, and honestly it is a “must see” when visiting Mykonos. The music and vibe at this club were so good! Dress to impress in your sexy beach wear and get ready to see a very beautiful crowd of people. I danced the night away, which turned into dancing the morning away back at one of the bars in Ornos Beach, and then lead to watching one of the most beautiful sunrises I have seen. I’m not much of a morning person so this was a huge perk of not being adjusted to the time difference just yet.

greece2 — Perfect seats to say goodbye to the sun before Scorpios turned into a full blown raging dance party.

Lohan Beach House

On day two I slept half the day away, and I rented an ATV to explore the island. I landed at Lohan Beach House. Lindsay Lohan went from Hollywood star to Beach Club Owner in Greece. Talk about reinventing yourself! This beach club has a sexy boho chic vibe with a great DJ on a beautiful beach. I want to copy her decorating style and make my home look exactly like her club. It was beautiful…you go girl!!

Mykonos Town

Mykonos Town is filled with all the classic white and blue traditional Greek homes. Wandering around here truly makes you fall in love with Greece. It also has tons of shopping, and lots of bars and restaurants. I visited Mykonos Town once in the day and once in the night. Just exploring the streets of Mykonos Town is worth the trip to Greece alone! While here, you can also check out the Windmills and Little Venice. The entire area is pretty small and walkable. At night you can choose from an array of amazing restaurants (OMG the food in Greece is so good) and do…what else…shake your booty all night long at any one of the fun bars that are everywhere. I chose to eat a seafood dinner at Nice and Easy Restaurant . It’s right on the water and the seafood was to die for!!

More beaches to see exploring on a quad.

We wanted to see every square inch of Mykonos, so we rented a quad to do more exploring. Honestly, this is a “must do” recommendation of mine. Riding a scooter or quad in Mykonos is extremely common, and it is how most tourists get around on their own. Of course you can rent a car, take the bus, or call an uber, but I really encourage you to explore on a quad at least for one day, if you are experienced enough to drive one of course. Most people don’t wear helmets, and although this was a bit scary to me, I went with it. Not only did I go with it, but I ended up getting comfortable enough to cruise around in a bikini. LOL. Driving through the mountains and seeing the most beautiful views of Greece would have been enough of an adventure, but we beach hopped the day away.

Cruising through the middle of the island on the mountain tops.

greece 7 — Typical parking lot at Mykonos beach clubs.

Elia Beach: This is the most beautiful beach on Mykonos (IMO). It was also the most relaxing on the island. Definitely the most family friendly as well. The water was crystal clear! It was absolute paradise. There is a restaurant and bar here, so you can post up for the whole day in total relaxation mode.

greece 5 — Floating in the most beautiful ocean water at Elia Beach.

Psarou Beach: This beach is where the world famous beach club Nammos is located. We had planned on spending an entire day here, but the locals talked us out of it. Although it is the most famous club in Mykonos, it is also crazy expensive. We were told to expect to spend $1,000 in our afternoon there. Although an experience to dance on tables, spray champagne on each other, and stare at multi-million dollar yachts sounded amazing, we opted to save our duckets.

Paradise Beach and Super Paradise Beach: These beaches are right next to each other but are separated. Seriously, these places were wild. They had world famous DJ’s thumping the beach while everyone, and I mean everyone, danced their butts off. I’m sure it has become clear through this blog by now that coming to Mykonos means sleep when your dead!!

greece 6 — Always a dance party. Sleep when your dead!!

ON TO THE SECOND LEG TO THE ISLAND OF SANTORINI

We took the ferry from Mykonos to Santorini, which took close to three hours. The ferry was really nice, and fast. That baby was cookin’, and it was so beautiful to see all the little Greek Islands along the way.

greece 8 — Catching a ride to the next island, Santorini.

I can’t even put into words (again) how magnificent the views on this island are. This island is straight up and straight down, but truly the most beautiful views I have ever seen. Santorini was so different from Mykonos! It is so incredibly romantic, scenic, and relaxing. I was ready for this after all that hooting and hollering in Mykonos.

My Stay in Oia

I chose to stay in a traditional cave Airbnb property in Oia. It is called Armenaki. It was awesome! It was a true cave room that had the most postcard worthy view of any other place I have ever stayed in. A cave room is exactly what it sounds like…a room that’s a cave. It was sort of a studio tube in the mountain with a bedroom, full kitchen, bathroom, and breathtaking porch. It was perfect for a couple. I love staying in hotels, but this Airbnb property was a genuine Greek experience. Let me just say that this is one of those vacations that I am so thankful I took while I am able, and in shape. The hike up/down from our cave room to town was no joke, and would never work for anyone with any sort of disability, elderly, young children, or someone who isn’t in decent shape. If you fall into any of these categories, I would suggest staying away from the mountainside properties in Oia, and recommend going to a hotel.

greece 10 — Eating breakfast on my beautiful porch in Oia, Santorini. Pinch me!

greece 25 — Making some coffee in our cave in Oia, Santorini.

Hike Oia to Fira

The hike from Oia to Fira is a must! You need to be in good shape, but it is just breathtaking! The hike is around 8 miles (one way). It is much more challenging from Oia to Fira, as it’s all uphill. If you were going Fira to Oia, you can count on a pretty easy walk downhill. I can officially say I sweat out all of those Mykonos toxins on this day. Haha! But you don’t do this hike for the work out, you do it for the views. These words come to mind: grandiose, magnificent, stunning, unbelievable, and scary. Again, just the most amazing views I have ever seen in my life. Fira is much more laid back than Oia. Oia is filled with romantic restaurants, art galleries, and very high end hotels. Fira is the Capital of Santorini and has bars, cheaper eats, great souvenir shopping, and cheaper stays. It is a really great place to stay if you don’t want to pay the Oia prices, but still want to be close by.

greece 24 — The most magnificent views on the hike from Oia to Fira.

Exploring Santorini by road.

Next up was exploring the other side of the island. We rented an ATV and ventured out to explore. I wore a helmet everywhere in Santorini. The roads were nothing like the back road feel of Mykonos, and felt much more like highways. Although a lot of people went without helmets, I did not feel safe. You’re welcome mom! 😉

greece 31 — Exploring the other side of Santorini.

Astarte Suites: I was invited to stop at the Astarte Suites to have a drink and enjoy the beautiful hotel. Huge perk to writing a Travel Blog! I initially wanted to stay at this hotel for my Santorini leg, because it simply looked like the most beautiful hotel on the island from the internet. I decided to go Airbnb, but if I had chosen a hotel, this would have been my dream place to call home for my time on the island. It was everything I imagined!!! It starts off with a stairway to heaven. It’s true! These steps have become pretty Instagram famous, and I see the stairway entrance to this hotel everywhere on the internet. Astarte Suites had a very boutique feel, yet so luxurious and high end. It was relaxing, while still playing great music that was loud enough to create a vibe, but not too loud to disrupt the peacefulness of the property. The best part was the most beautiful infinity pool overlooking the ocean. This is the definition of pool goals! And of course, the cherry on top was the swan floatie. You can never go wrong with a swan floatie!

You had me at swan floatie! Pool goals at Astarte Suites.

Red Beach: The road to Red Beach feels like you are headed to no where. If you feel like you are lost the entire time, you are on the right path to Red Beach. After questioning our directions for quite a while, we decided to ask Siri for help. Believe it or not, she got us there. This is an absolutely beautiful beach with red rock and sand. It has a restaurant and bar too, so you can post up.

Surprisingly on the right path to Red Beach.

Parissa Beach: This is a very laid back beach lined with restaurants. Most of the restaurants own umbrellas on the beach in front of their places. After a meal, they will set you up with an umbrella and chairs, and serve you drinks in the sand.

Exploring Santorini by sea

OOOOMMMMGGGG!! Exploring Santorini by sea was my favorite day of the entire Greece trip! It was the one thing I wanted to do that was somewhat of an “excursion”. The problem (which is always the problem) was that my husband hates group activities. So that leaves us always having to do days like this privately, which is usually four times the cost. We knew we wanted to rent a boat without a captain. A boat in Santorini without a captain is so over the top expensive. So I found the absolute cheapest option possible. I kid you not, this boat looked like a big dingy with a motor. It was a total piece of crap. Piece of crap that cost $400 for the day! But it didn’t matter. It was all ours for the entire day to explore the beautiful ocean around Santorini. Old Betsy did the job, and we had the most amazing day! Having the freedom to explore at our own pace was the best. We swam in caves, bobbed in the water at the volcano eating cheese and drinking wine, went to lunch at a private beach club that you can only get to by boat, and watched the sunset before heading back to the marina. It was a full day at sea, and we swam in the ocean all day long.

santorini-2 — Looking for our cave room from below.

santorini1-2 — I swam in the warm waters ALL DAY LONG. Paradise!

THIRD LEG IN ATHENS

The ferry ride from Santorini to Athens is about 5 hours. We opted for first class, which is not much more, but it was very nice to have a bit more plush of a ride for that length of time. As we arrived at our Airbnb by cab we unloaded our bags to the sidewalk. We couldn’t locate the apartment right away, and apparently weren’t paying enough attention, because bam….we got robbed. Our backpack was plucked within minutes out of our pile of stuff sitting right next to us. This bag had our computer, Ipad, credit cards, batteries, money, and worst of all, our passports. What do you do when you lose your passports and you are out of the country?

Step 1 – Call your parents for advice. LOL.

Step 2 – File a police report so that you have proof of your loss, and you can hopefully make a claim through your insurance back at home.

Step 3 – Head down to the US Embassy to have emergency passports issued.

greece 15 — Anything for a photo shoot! LOL. New Passport photos!

greece 16 — Proud to be an American in a sticky situation. The Embassy treated us like gold!

We only had three days in Athens and one of them was now designated to spending it at the Embassy. I was really thankful this happened at the end of our trip! This was completely our fault, and we know better! We consider ourselves to be very aware travelers but this goes to show you, anything can happen. Lesson learned…never again! On a more positive note, the US Embassy treated us like gold. I have to say, in a bad situation such as this, it felt pretty good to be an American.

Enjoying our final days in Greece

Athens is an absolutely beautiful city! Our Airbnb property was a penthouse apartment with a view of the Acropolis. This was the cheapest leg of the trip, and I got this penthouse for just over $100 per night. So cool to sit out on our patio enjoying some wine while staring at this beautiful site. Right below our apartment, the streets were lined with little alleyways of great bars, coffee shops, and shopping. We loved roaming around this area and getting lost in these alleys. Besides getting our bag stolen upon arrival, I never felt unsafe here. We roamed around into the wee hours of the night, and I never felt threatened.

greece 12 — Drinking wine on my patio. What a beautiful front row seat to the Acropolis!

With one day left to spare, we decided to head up to the Mont Parnes Casino on the recommendation of my aunt. I had planned to spend an entire day at the Acropolis, but we decided to sacrifice that day for the day spent at the Embassy, since we were able to stare at the Acropolis from our balcony. So we headed to the Casino to see if we could get a stroke of good luck. The gondola ride up to this casino was a bit scary, but wow what a view! Athens is huge, and we got a bird’s eye view of just how big the city really is. Once up there, we didn’t hit it big, but we ended up winning a couple hundred bucks to pay for our day of fun. It felt good! We finished our trip off with a huge shared plate of seafood spaghetti at the harbor in Athens. We cheersed a lot to how every moment of this trip was different. Opa! As always, I was feeling like I wanted a couple more days to spend here. This truly was the trip of a lifetime. Check off number two on the bucket list for Jessica Lynn!!

greece 14 — Gondola ride up to the Mont Parnes Casino in Athens.

Enjoying a huge shared plate of seafood spaghetti at the Athens harbor. Final meal in Greece!

Panama City, Panama: Old World Charm Meets Modern Day.

I flew into Panama City on a red eye and was lucky to be picked up by business associates of my husband, who gave us a tour of the city. I learned a lot in those three hours, along with having the best empanada of my life. Street food is safe to eat in Panama, and delicious! There are also fresh juice stands which are quite common, and so refreshing. I had two large fresh juices, which didn’t quite sit well with my three hour car ride. Best to always have quarters on you in Panama City as the bathrooms are public, but cost 25 cents. I learned interesting facts along this tour, such as the tap water is safe to drink, everything is negotiable in Panama (even the high end retail stores), and I got a detailed explanation of the definition of a Push Button. A “Push Button” in Panama is a very private motel (aka a love motel). Complete discretion and privacy is the main goal of these establishments. They are called “Push Button” because typically you can pull up to a window, push a button, slide some money through a slot, get a key, and head to a room all without actually seeing a person. Being that prostitution is legal in Panama, I’m sure these motels come in quite handy for those in need of privacy. This was personally not the most useful information to me, however it made for a very comical conversation. Our final stop along the tour was at the Fish Market for some ridiculously delicious, fresh, and cheap ceviche. After a red eye flight and a three hour tour, I was ready to relax at my hotel.

I decided to stay in the Casco Viejo area of Panama City. Casco Viejo (Spanish for Old Quarter) is the historic district of Panama City. It was built following the near total destruction of the original Panama City, which was attacked by pirates in 1671. I guess you can say it is the new old Panama City. After reading blog after blog about how this neighborhood is the hip and trendy area of the city, it sounded like a good fit. In the Casco Viejo neighborhood, you will find a huge difference from the busy metropolis of Panama City. This area is filled with old world charm of Spanish colonial buildings, boutique hotels, rooftop bars, and amazing restaurants. You won’t find any chain hotels or restaurants here. Everything is mom and pop.

Chasing sunsets on the rooftops of Casco Viejo.

Panama City metropolis vs Casco Veijo neighborhood.

I booked a room at the absolutely stunning American Trade Hotel. It is located in the heart of Casco Viejo, and everything you would want to see in this area is within walking distance. This hotel is the epitome of mixing old world charm with modern day luxury. This is one of the only hotels in the area with a pool. Let me tell you…it is necessary. Panama is hot and humid and I did not accomplish to have even one good hair day during my stay. Back to the hotel….Did I mention it was stunning? From the beautiful balcony room, food, ambiance, location, pool, grounds, service, adjacent jazz club, bar….I could go on and on. I spent a lot of time at the hotel on this trip, and it truly made my vacation unforgettable.

Old world charm meets modern day luxury in the lobby of the American Trade Hotel.

Having some vino on my beautiful balcony.

Headed in for some smokey scotch, cigar, and smooth jazz at Danilo Perez’s Jazz Club, which is part of the American Trade Hotel.

The food in Panama was phenomenal! I love to eat, and some of the dishes I had here completely blew my mind….dishes I had never heard of or tasted before. The cocktails are also superb. Rum is Panama’s alcohol of choice, however those that read my blogs know that I am a spicy margarita kind of gal. Panama did not disappoint! Every cocktail I had was fresh squeezed, and delicious. As you take the first sip of these drinks, you already want a second one.

Enjoying some fresh squeezed spicy margaritas at the rooftop bar Casa Casco.

I was only in Panama City for six days. I can officially say that I ate and drank my way through Casco Viejo. My favorite dining experience for traditional Panamanian food was Diablicos. They put on a show while you eat, and it was very lively, and fun. It is located directly in front of the President’s Palace, so you get to check that out during your walk to/from. My favorite Rooftop Bar? Well, I have two! Casa Casco, which is directly across the street from the American Trade Hotel, is a super chill spot with great drinks and postcard perfect views of Panama City. If you want a more lively rooftop scene, the best place to go (hands down) is the Tantalo. It is the closest you will get to a nightclub experience in this area. It is all outdoor on the rooftop with great music to dance to and a VIP area. BTW, the restaurant at this hotel is also amazing! I had my favorite meal of the trip at the Tantalo Kitchen. It was a clay pot of tamale mash on top of a bed of slow roasted pork. YUMMMY!

Eating traditional Panamanian food and enjoying the show at Diablicos.

Ok, I think I have beaten in how great the food and cocktails were in this old world Spanish neighborhood. On to the Panama Canal! If you go to Panama City, you simply can’t miss out on visiting the Panama Canal. It is the number one visited site in Panama. The Panama Canal is a waterway that has created a shortcut between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. It takes ships (on average 8-10) hours to travel the Panama Canal. This compares to 2 weeks if a ship tried to bypass the canal, and travel around South America. The best place near Panama City to see the ships go through the lock system is Miraflores Visitor Center. The viewing center is directly in front of the locks, so you get a front row seat to watching these huge ships pass through. They also have a restaurant buffet where you can eat lunch, and have wine while taking in all the action. You can visit the museum, and watch a film in both Spanish and English about the history of the Panama Canal. The best time to visit the Panama Canal changes daily, depending on when ships are scheduled to go through.

Having a Titanic moment…waving hello and goodbye to ships passing through the Panama Canal.

When you look at the Panama Canal on a map you can see why they chose this location to create this shortcut.

With one day left to spare, and being so close to so many beautiful islands, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. I got up at 6:00am to catch a 1.5 hour ferry ride to Contadora Island. I felt like I had been transported to another world! It was a small and jungly island with beautiful white sand beaches, and crystal clear waters. I purchased a day pass from the Mar y Oro Hotel which included lunch, two welcome drinks, and umbrella/chairs on the beach. It was absolute paradise, and a really relaxing ending to my trip! If I had one more day (which I always wish I did on vacay), I would have most definitely visited the San Blas Islands. Here you can rent private cabanas to spend the night in paradise. The cabanas don’t have much to them. They have no electricity and sand bottom floors. But who cares, because you can almost have the entire island to yourself for the night. Although still in Panama, these islands belong to the Kuna Indians On this excursion you can snorkel with star fish, and see how these indigenous people live. It wasn’t so bad leaving something behind that I was desperate to do and see because now I am anxious to go back. Until next time Panama!!