7 Amazing Secluded Beaches

Who doesn't dream of that perfect secluded beach you can have all to yourselves, tucked away beneath a cliff or fully exposed on a mile of sand? On these 7 heavenly beaches you won't find any flying volleyballs, loud music, or kids kicking sand on you as they run by. Your only companions here will be relaxation, the sun, and the ocean breeze. It's not just for couples anymore.

The Best of Iguazu Falls

Parque Nacional Iguazu is a subtropical rainforest that's split between Argentina and Brazil, though you'll want to make sure you're on the Argentinian side for the grandest of all waterfalls - Garganta del Diablo (Throat of the Devil). This one dwarfs them all in density and power and is an awesome sight to see, especially when there are butterflies fluttering all around like party confetti and landing on every surface, including your hands. Iguazu Falls comprises of over 250 individual waterfalls stretching across 2 miles and is absolutely teeming with wildlife. The moment that really stuck in my head though was turning a bend to a clearing in the park and being completely dumbfounded by the sheer beauty of this rainforest. I couldn't imagine there was a place more gorgeous in the world. 

Salta - Argentina's Most Beautiful City

If ever you feel the urge to look into the face of a 500 year old Inca girl, then make sure you travel to Salta, Argentina. I mentioned Salta in my last post as a jumping off point for my trip to Humahuaca but is an interesting enough place to while away a day or two as I did. The town, founded in 1852 by the Spaniards, is lined with gorgeous 19th century colonial buildings, one of which happens to house MAAM - The Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana where you'll find those 500 year old kids frozen in such perfect state, they might as well just be sleeping. 

Stay at the Hotel Salta, equipped with a spa and pool, and then hit up the Iglesia de San Francisco (above), Convento San Bernardo with its gorgeous backdrop of Cerro de San Bernardo (cerro means hill or small mountain) and the pink Catedral of Salta in the town square. 

This city quickly became one of my favorites in all of Argentina and could easily be one of its most beautiful.

I Heart Street Art : Lisbon

Tourists are Terrorists and 'cops kill', Haha! 

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Design Elements : Portugal

One of the most beautiful things about Portugal are the highly artistic azulejos adorning thousands of indoor and outdoor surfaces throughout the country. Particular to the Spanish and Portuguese (due to their Moorish history), the best place to see these designed tiles is the Museo Nacional do Azulejo in Lisbon.

The ancient convent turned museum holds a collection of fantastic inspiration for designers and enthusiasts of all backgrounds – textiles and fabrics, interior design, history buffs, creative thinkers, and even jewelry designers. If you can't make it there, regardless, it's all around you in Portugal.. all you have to do is keep your eyes open!

Vintage Photos

{ Eiffel Tower, Paris }

As I was going through my computer files a little while ago, I stumbled across these pics I took a while back from my European travels. Though not actually vintage, I edited them to look like historical photos. I think it brings such character to certain images... Don't you just love the look of old shots?.. Happy Weekend :-)

 {Westminster Abbey, London }

 {A cathedral in Belgium through my rainy window seat. }

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The Middle East: A Tour Through Wadi Rum, Jordan

Part adventure, part safari, and all sublime, a tour of Wadi Rum is akin to a journey through another time and place and undoubtedly one of the most stunning desert landscapes in the world. Although there are many spectacular 'wadis' (valleys in Arabic) in Jordan, none other can claim the fame of having been stomping grounds for the real Lawrence of Arabia or the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I hitched a ride to Wadi Rum from the owner of my hotel in Aqaba and easily found a tour guide once there. If you have the choice, stay overnight at Captain's Desert Camp, a truly spectacular place to take in the beauty of the desert, the stars, and the Bedouin culture. The camp off the same comforts of a regular hotel and also makes a great stop for tea and music after watching the sun set behind the dunes.

The Bedouins of Petra

Besides the unbelievable sites and history, what makes Petra so exotic are the Bedouins of the ancient city. I will never forget looking to my left as I approached The Siq and seeing Aladdin ride by on a white horse and look over with electrifying eyes rimmed with liner. I thought, "Goodness who are YOU?!" LoL.. I kept going though and soon met a Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow look-alike, then came to know a few other Bedouins that were born and still live in caves, including a man who claimed to be somewhere around 110 years old. 

I ended the trip to Petra with a cave-cooked dinner after sunset prepared by Ibrahim (smoking cigarette) and Promise (red shirt) which was unexpectedly delicious, and very traditional, no plates or utensils so thank God for Purell. Then off to Wadi Rum in the south of Jordan.. next post!

View Part I  /  View Part II

New Wonder of the World

Petra was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007 and hopefully you can get a feel for why through these photos and from my previous post. I'm exhausted so I'll let the pics do the talking... Stay tuned for the last part of the Petra series in a few days! 

View Part I   /  View Part III

The Siq : Petra, Jordan

If there is any ONE place that I recommend you MUST travel to in your lifetime, it is PETRA.

A while back I saw a picture of The Siq in Petra, Jordan opening into this ancient carved cliffside known as The Treasury, and I instantaneously said to myself I had to go. A year later I was staring up at a scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... Did you think I was kidding when I said I was basically becoming the new Indiana? (Petra was in the film which I didn't know at the time.) 

To get to The Treasury, you must first pass the Siq, an event in itself and one that I recommend walking on foot. The Siq, a dim and narrow gorge (approx. 600 ft high and only 10 ft wide at some points) winds its way through a mile of carved niches and ruins left by the Nabateans. This was the grand entrance to the old city of Petra and even today, horse chariots whiz by over the same cobblestone streets that are believed to have been in use over 2500 years ago.. Amazing!

Then all of a sudden, there's a crack in the gorge that reveals a sliver of the Treasury. The feeling you get once finally there is beyond description but I will compare it to being a lot like the very dramatic music used for the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack. No one knows for sure what the Treasury was ever used for – a tomb? a palace? a temple? The mystery remains as do the bullet holes (see pic below) as proof that throughout history it was thought to house real treasure though none was ever found. I still find it astonishing how entire buildings were carved so ornately BY HAND, into mountain sides. It's just unreal, you must see it for yourselves. 

Travel Tip: Get up at dawn and head over to the The Siq and The Treasury before the crowds and tour groups arrive. It's so worth it having the place all to yourself.

View Part II   /  View Part III

Palmyra and Ancient Syria

I've always loved the look of old photos during the early age of discovery and the nature of archaeology. Unfortunately, I don't like getting dirty or being hexed with a death curse upon entering a pharaoh's tomb, otherwise this would've been my career of choice for sure. Here are a few shots from the ancient Greco-Roman city of Palmyra which was a crucial stop for travelers crossing the Syrian desert in antiquity. I felt a little like Indiana Jones and those travelers, following their same route as I made my way through Syria to Jordan. Digs and discoveries still continue to this day, isn't that so interesting? 

My Little Pony

An Idyllic Scene in Playa Blanca

Paradise lost? Naaa..it's right here in Playa Blanca, Punta Cana (not to be mistaken with Bávaro where the beaches don't even come close). Walk out as far as you like here, the water will still only brush your knees. Dominican Republics's pristine beaches are unrivaled in sheer beauty and what makes them even better is the absolutely dee-licious food served straight to your humble little abode on the sand. I'm really craving one of those fresh piña coladas in a pineapple. Yum!

I Heart Street Art : Chile

From the streets of Valparaiso to the beaches of Viña del Mar in Chile, art is all around. Keep your eyes open for the pieces that decorates some of these hidden alleys, staircases, and sand dunes... It's just a rather cheap flight away. Don't forget to visit Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's home La Sebastiana, with its expansive views over the colorful city!

New Orleans Revelry

Speaking of masks, New Orleans must be a fun place to celebrate Halloween, right? I went in September though and the first order of things: the colorful, loud, feathery, kitschy shops! I usually hate those, but c'mon, it's part of the culture here.. how do you like my necklace? :-P... A walk through the French Quarter with its elaborate iron details and beautiful architecture lead to the old slave-auction site which now houses an outdoor market. I searched high and low for some real voodoo stuff but no luck. And yes, that is in fact a man in full feather gear of some sort.. The Big Easy indeed.

Happy Snoween!

Can you believe the snow and weather in New York right now??? Autumn, you have abandoned us. Therefore, my wintery Halloween masquerade ball mask for a Wintery Halloween weekend..  Happy Snow-ween!

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The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

An 18th-century riverside town in the haunted Hudson Valley, I got lost in a corn field, chased by pirates, caught in a web of spiders, felt haunted at a house, almost stomped on by fighting dinosaurs, attacked by a swarm of honey bees, and was stalked by disembodied heads. Can you brave a night time stroll through the 4000 carved pumpkins at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze? Watch out for the headless horseman in the next town over... hehehe..

Day-Tripping in Pisa

Though best known for its Leaning Tower of Pisa, this medieval town has tons more to see and do and has managed to retain that enchanting old appearance. The famous tower was built as a bell tower for the 1000 year old Duomo right "next door" which is full of amazing artwork and sculptures. The buildings (including the round Baptistery) combine Moorish, Gothic and Romanesque architectural design and just outside of the Piazza dei Miracoli, a walk along the gorgeous Arno river and through the town are just as nice, if not more. And did I mention how delicious the food was? Yeah, go. LoL

When to Go: Avoid the crowds and go during off season, late Sept - Nov. and May- Jun. 

Le Souk

The Middle East practically invented the all-in-one shopping extravaganza thousands of years ago with their souks (markets) and grand bazaars. They're an excellent place to take in local culture and you can find anything here – offerings run the gamut. They're like small independent cities within a city and one of the coolest places to check out. Here are some of the best I've seen so far.. (I can only imagine the one in Marrakech, Morocco!)

Big Sur's Best Views

The best views in Big Sur are served with food, particularly the one above that comes with Nepenthe Restaurant. No trip is complete without stopping in to see what might as well be a painting. It was such a dramatic landscape that I had to stop eating to go outside and take pics of the spectacular display of sunset colors, shadows and fog. You can actually see the clouds roll in low over the ocean and across the mountains while the shades go from blue to pink to purple. Bea-u-ti-ful!!