Last Updated: 10/7/2022 | October 7th, 2022 I’ve been interested in Maori culture ever since I saw the movie Whale Rider (it’s one of my favorite travel movies). I am just fascinated by their history, cool tattoos, dancing, beliefs, and generally relaxed demeanor. As the indigenous people of New Zealand, they were greatly (negatively) impacted […]
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Rotorua Travel Guide
Rotorua (which comes from the Maori “Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe”) is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the North Island. Located in the Bay of Plenty region, tourists have been visiting here since the 19th century, flocking to the region to bathe in the geothermal hot springs. The dynamic geothermal landscape makes for exciting nature […]
New Zealand Travel Guide
New Zealand’s name inspires pictures of mountains, glaciers, forests, pristine lands, and lots and lots of sheep. And the country is the adventure capital of the world. Hiking, skydiving, caving, bungy jumping, skiing — everything here is geared towards getting you outside and doing something incredible. Backpacking through New Zealand is one of the most […]
Chile Travel Guide
Chile is one of the most slender and longest countries in the world — it’s just 150 miles across at its widest point! From the snow-capped volcanoes of Patagonia and blistering heights of the Andes to world-class wineries and Maoi sculptures of Easter Island, there are a lot of wonderful things to see in Chile. […]
Cook Islands Travel Guide
The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands scattered over an area stretching some 2 million square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. While the islands are named after 18th-century British explorer Captain James Cook, Polynesians have actually inhabited the islands since at least 1000 CE (Cook wasn’t even the first European to arrive here; the Spanish […]
13 Great Reasons to Visit New Zealand
New Zealand is one of my favorite countries in the world. Everyone will find something to enjoy in this country filled with adventure and wildlife. Here is a list of thirteen places to visit and things to see and do when you travel here next, including practical tips and links to other resources too!
Belgium Travel Guide
Belgium may be small (it’s one of the smallest countries in Europe) but when it comes to things to see and do it punches well above its weight. The country boasts over 1,000 breweries and Belgian brewers were some of the first in the world to perfect the beer-brewing process. And the country’s chocolate rivals […]
Madagascar Travel Guide
Madagascar, a country famed for its lemurs, massive baobab trees, birding, and jungles, offers visitors a rich playground to explore. I was enthralled by the country’s beauty during my visit. There are sweeping canyons and gorges, grand waterfalls, and a diverse landscape that spans the entire island. One day you’re in a tropical jungle, the […]
In Defense of Las Vegas and Other Maligned Destinations
Posted: 7/31/2023 | July 31st, 2023 If you’re like me, you probably have preconceived notions of certain destinations. Whether from books, movies, magazines, or blogs, whenever we think of these places, certain scenes, sounds, smells, and images appear in our heads — even if you’ve never been to them. It’s a natural human trait. We […]
The Top Things to See and Do in Madagascar
Last Updated: 8/31/23 | August 31st, 2023 Madagascar, a country famed for lemurs, baobab trees, birding, and jungles, offers visitors a rich playground to explore. I was enthralled by its beauty: the sweeping canyons and gorges, the grand waterfalls, and the sheer diversity of the landscape. One day you’re in a tropical jungle, the next […]
Walking Among the Dead at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Last Updated: 8/31/23 | August 31st, 2023 Death is not the end for the residents of Père Lachaise. Their tombs and graves are gawked at every day by hundreds of camera-touting tourists seeking the cemetery’s famous and not-so-famous inhabitants. The cemetery was built in 1804 as Paris ran out of room for new graves within […]
Morocco Travel Guide
Chaotic. Colorful. Eye-opening. Visiting Morocco is an intense experience. My time there was challenging, but it was also a reminder that the best part of travel is embracing the uncomfortable. Once part of the Carthaginian Empire, the first independent Moroccan state emerged around 225 BCE as the Berber kingdom of Mauretania. That kingdom eventually became […]