One of Thailand's more beautiful islands is located about 1:15 minutes from the pier in Chumphon by water taxi. This is the shortest distance from the mainland although ferries also run from Surathani, further to the south. All tickets can be purchased online. This island offers an ideal balance between tourist infrastructure and natural beauty. Normally Koh Tao would be crowded with both Thai tourists as well those visiting primarily from … [Read more...]
Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage with Holland America: Helicopter Ride + Dog Mushing on Norris Glacier, Juneau
Arguably this experience is one of the most memorable on shore excursions offered by Holland America on a visit to Alaska's Inside Passage. I always gravitate towards unique experiences and this one is truly special, featuring stunning visuals of the mountainous interior from a helicopter including the Juneau Icefield, a landing directly on a glacier and dog mushing, all in the same afternoon. Northstar Helicopters (founded 1998) is located … [Read more...]
A Most Memorable Experience: Swimming with Pigs in the Bahamas
One of the activities synonymous with visiting the Bahamas is swimming with pigs. I have long heard about this, especially during multiple trips to the Bahamas over the past several years. Prior to our latest trip to the Bahamas, the closest I've ever come to swimming with pigs was wading with swimming pigs in the remote Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. So, when I was invited by EMBRACE Resort in remote Staniel Cay in the Exumas to join … [Read more...]
Reaching Paradise, EMBRACE Resort Staniel Cay Bahamas
Dodging clouds, discovering sunshine in between and finding inspiration below I found myself on a tiny 12-seat prop plane on my way from Nassau to Staniel Cay (note that 'cay' is always pronounced as 'key') in the Bahamas. The captain briefly announced our flight plan; 28 minutes to Black Point Cay to drop off a few passengers and then a quick 5-minute flight from there to Staniel Cay. There are not many passengers on board; these planes are … [Read more...]
Looking for Gold in Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia
My first introduction to gold mining in Colombia was through stories told years ago by a friend of the family. His father had been mining in the country sometime in the 1920s and hit it rich. He brought the gold back with him to the states by ship. But partway into his journey he began to suffer from yellow fever and probably malaria which left him delirious. His findings were stolen from him on the ship, leaving only a few nuggets in his … [Read more...]
A Night in Florida to Remember, But for All the Wrong Reasons
I was super excited; I was flying back to Florida from Medellin, my first time in the U.S. in nearly 3 months. I had booked my hotel several weeks before, remembering the sticker shock of the price for one night, as compared to the cheap living I had experienced in Colombia. I arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport, one of my favorite smaller airports to arrive into after an international flight. No one was at customs, the agent asked me what my … [Read more...]
Sips to Remember: My Top 5 Unforgettable Drinks
I have been fortunate to have sampled a lot of alcohol on my travels around the planet, ranging from regional beers, to homemade rice wine, local concoctions in various villages including illegally made home-wine in a remote Iranian dessert village and some truly special beverages that were memorable due to their quality, pedigree and age along with external factors including companions and location. But there are a few drinks I count as being … [Read more...]
A Visit to Hump Island Oyster Company: a Shore Excursion with Holland America, Ketchikan Alaska
Hump Island Oyster Company is located about a 30 minute drive from Ketchikan. This visit and on-shore experience was arranged through a Holland America Inside Passage cruise. This business was founded in 2010 by civil engineer Trevor Sande whose family has lived in Alaska since the early 1920s. He located an ideal place along Clover Passage on the shores of Hump Island, only a few miles from his family home - an area that takes full advantage of … [Read more...]
The Noisiest Place I’ve Ever Stayed At
In choosing the title for this post, one would think the noisiest place I ever stayed at would be in a city somewhere, with a room above a nightclub or in a part of town featuring endless partying. But not so, in actuality this not-so distinguished award goes to a rural located eco /glamping lodge on the outskirts of charming Santa Fe de Antioquia in Colombia (about a 90 minute drive from Medellin). I have never stayed at such a noisy place in … [Read more...]
Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage with Holland America
One of the great things about cruising is leaving the logistics to others. Certain destinations are ideally suited to cruises including Alaska, due to its vast geographical distances, remote landscapes and rugged coastal beauty. Our Alaskan Inside Passage cruise was on the Holland America Eurodam, a ship whose inaugural sail was in 2008. We first cruised on this particular ship in 2015 in the Caribbean. One certainly becomes spoiled, merely … [Read more...]
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