August 30, 2014

The Best of All Worlds – Ghent Belgium!

Located in the northwest of Belgium, Ghent (or Gent) is a beautiful canal-laced city that is often overlooked on most people’s Belgium itinerary who often opt to blow through it via train from Brussels to Bruges. While my mom vehemently suggested I go to Bruges (I had only 1 extra day to spare after Brussels), I decided to give the “ugly” sister a chance, and I’m so glad I did… While Bruges might be the world-renowned UNESCO beauty, Ghent is most certainly no DUFF. Thanks to Belgium’s extremely easy-to-navigate and frequent trains, I just showed up at the central train…

August 25, 2014

2 Days in Brussels – The Capital of Europe!

After 12 days in Germany, it was time for me to head somewhere new. I had no plan after Berlin until a few days before when I was checking out cheap flights to wherever I could go without changing planes. I saw one pop up on Easy Jet (low cost European airline) to Brussels, Belgium so I thought, why not?! Brussels Airport is pretty massive and I’ve flown through it a couple of times in the past. This was the first time I’ve actually passed all the way through to the baggage claim, but I have to say, it’s a…

August 20, 2014

Ich bin ein Berliner! Or at least for a long weekend…

My last stop on my Germany tour landed me in one of my favorite cities in the world, Berlin. I have multiple friends that live there and this was my 2nd time in the city – here’s a post I did about some of the touristic things to see/do in Berlin which I really didn’t do much of this time around. I essentially just came to Berlin to hang out, live the good life and visit my friends. Berlin is actually MUCH cheaper than most of Germany, which is kind of an interesting truth considering it’s the largest city and…

August 17, 2014

Going HAM in Hamburg!

Well, I really didn’t go that nuts, I just wanted to be cool and use HAM (stands for Hard as a Motha Fuc*** ) as YOLO is already played out. Anyways, my second stop on my Germany marathon was in fact way up in the north of the country in the port city of Hamburg, about 4.5 hours north of Frankfurt via rail. Why did I choose Hamburg as my 2nd stop? Because that’s where a couple German friends recommended I go, and it was a good rec. Hamburg is the 2nd largest city in Germany and is often described…

August 12, 2014

Being Frank about Frankfurt…It’s Legit!

The first stop on my 6 week Euro Trip started in Frankfurt, Germany. Why in the world did I choose this place of all places to start? A $350 direct flight from Fort Lauderdale is the reason why, so I figured why not just get to Europe as cheaply as possible and then worry about where to go. After an uneventful flight and rapid passing through immigration at Frankfurt International Airport which was a breeze, I was on the subway rounding a bend on the Main (pronounced Mine) River when the city skyline came into view. Yes, you read right,…

August 8, 2014

Starting My Euro Trip Off Right at Roomers Hotel in Frankfurt!

So as you can see from the above video, I’ve been living the good life since day one of my “Location Independence“. Roomers Hotel in Frankfurt graciously put me up my first day which was a godsend after an extremely long flight from Fort Lauderdale. The airline made me check in my carry-on bag and I forgot that I put my melatonin in it. So, as I saw others popping all sorts of tasty looking pills and slowly fading into a numbed bliss, I sat awake with only crappy wine to relax myself. Getting to the city center from Frankfurt…

July 18, 2014

The Flight Search Engine That Changes The Game!!!

Firstly, I just want to establish that this is not a sponsored post. This is my genuine review of a tool I’ve discovered a few months back and it’s consistently been awesome enough that I’m ready to share it with you all, the ITA Flight Matrix. While it might look rather unassuming, and something even I could have designed in Microsoft Paint, this little puppy is powerful. The company that produced the flight search engine is ITA who was absorbed by Google a few years back to help them develop their own flight search capabilities. Before Google bought ITA, they…

June 20, 2014

Miami International Airport Hacks!

If you’re like me, then going to the airport is both an enjoyable and miserable experience. Yesssss Noooo!!!! For me, being in the airport is mostly enjoyable. The long anticipation of going somewhere is almost over as you will be boarding a plane to XYZ in a matter of minutes, you can pick up your favorite magazine to peruse at the book shop and you can indulge in an overpriced unhealthy snack because, “screw it I’m traveling, I can eat whatever I want for the few hours!”… One of my favorite things to do at the airport is people watch…

May 30, 2014

Why I Love Medellin, Colombia!

Introducción en Español: Este fue mi tercer viaje a Medellín, Colombia. Para mí, Medellín es una ciudad especial. He escrito este blog para compartir algunos de las razones que Medellín tiene el poder para seducir a cualquier persona que la visite. I can’t believe it either, but I just got back from my 3rd trip to Medellin, Colombia, and the 2nd time in the past 3 months. I don’t know what it is about this place, but I just keep going back, and I’m always excited to land at the airport and take in my first breath of the ultra-refreshing…

May 9, 2014

Travel Scams to Look Out For in 15 Countries Around The World!

Every year, millions of eager travelers jet around the world to top tourism hotspots, with the vast majority having an excellent time. Their collective experiences change them for the better, validating the risk of venturing away from the familiarities of home. However, some voyagers wander around these foreign environments aimlessly and carelessly, and put themselves in a position where savvy con artists and smooth criminals can exploit their naivety (it’s even happened to me in Argentina, China and Hungary!). This leaves this unfortunate minority with an intensely sour taste regarding travel, made even worse by the fact that virtually all…

April 28, 2014

Paddle Boarding in Miami Beach and Lunch at The Local House!

This past week, I had the pleasure of going paddle boarding with Diamond PR, Ciro Campagnoli (owner of the Sense Beach House hotel) and a bunch of other great journalists/editors working in the travel niche as well as enjoying a great lunch at Ciro’s restaurant, The Local House. We met at 10 AM on a warm, crystalline day outside the Sense Beach house. The quaint, 18-room boutique hotel is located at 4th and Ocean on South Beach in the South of Fifth neighborhood. I personally like this area of South Beach the best as it’s full of great restaurants, great…

April 24, 2014

5 Food Dishes not to Miss in Thailand

Among the nations of the world, Thailand stands above many others when it comes to the flavors encountered within the dishes of its mind-melting cuisine. To achieve this, Thai food takes at least two flavor elements (such as spiciness and sweetness) and blends them together in a harmonious marriage that leaves its diners coming back for more. While Thai food can be accessed with ease from restaurants and street stalls, some of the best versions of this countries’ best dishes can only be sampled from the woks located in the kitchen of a local Thai family. When you try eating…

April 10, 2014

When You Should Hire a Tour Guide

In most cases, independent travelers are adept at making their own way through the world. Battle tested through the discomforts of self-guided travel, they are accustomed to organizing their own accommodations and transport, and they often take the initiative to read up on the history of where they are visiting to get the backstory of the place. Despite all this, there are times where even the most determined solo traveler should seriously consider hiring the services of a professional tour guide. They often enrich one experiences in certain destinations, and in others, their presence is almost essential if you wish…

April 9, 2014

A Real Life “Amazing Race” For The Rest of US!

How many of us have watched the popular travel reality TV show ‘The Amazing Race‘ and muttered to ourselves ‘I could do that’. You are intrigued about the idea of a travel competition, but you don’t like the show’s onerous tryout process, the risk of early round elimination and having to put up with other teams’ drama queens! Competitours (www.competitours.com) offers a team travel competition that the Chicago Tribune calls ‘The Amazing Race’ for regular people! For 10 days, up to 12 pairs of teams are sent zigzagging across Western Europe to accomplish fun, quirky and hands-on challenges while in…

April 8, 2014

When is the best time to book a plane ticket to save money?

Of all the problems a traveler will tackle in their lifetime, there is perhaps no art more mysterious than booking a plane ticket at the right time to save the maximum amount of cash. These days, the quoted prices of airfares bounce all over the place, from week to week, day to day, and even in some cases, hour to hour. On balance though, there are several patterns to watch for and rules to follow to avoid getting soaked when you go to book a flight. By adhering to the advice to follow, you’ll be able to save your hard…

April 1, 2014

Staying at The Amazing El Beaterio Hotel in Santo Domingo

If you’ve read my blog a bit, you’ll know I’m pretty into history and architecture, especially in regards to the Spanish colonial era. Be it my current home base of Miami where nothing is more than 80 or 90 years old, or just the thought of centuries old structures still being utilized, I like to travel to colonial cities. Santo Domingo is one of those places. It is actually the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in the Americas and was founded by Christopher Columbus’ brother at the end of the 1400s. You can spend a couple of days just meandering…

March 31, 2014

Video: 27 Charcos Water Falls Tour!

So I just spent a few days up in the Puerto Plata region of the Dominican Republic which is located on the central northern coast. I didn’t really know much about it accept there were supposed to be lots of cool things to do, decent nightlife, and bit less touristy than Punta Cana. Believe it or not, this was the most physical vacation I’ve ever had and it wasn’t even planned. My hotel was on a beach called, “Kite Beach”, which is one of the meccas for an amazing sport, kite urfing (check it out if you’ve never seen it,…

March 25, 2014

First Impressions: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

exterior of the oldest catheral in the americas

After boarding my flight in Miami at 10 AM, I landed a mere 1 hour and 40 minutes later in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Nothing like traveling to another country and not having to deal with a time difference or draining flight. Customs was quick and easy, and after I paid my $10 “tourist card” fee, I was strolling out of the airport with a big smile on my face. I opted to take a taxi into the city as the airport is about 30 minutes away. It wasn’t cheap, $40, but I didn’t feel like being any sweatier than…

March 19, 2014

Officially Announcing My Plans for Complete Freedom – Location Independence!

So I’m officially announcing that in a short amount of time (hopefully), I will become completely location independent. What is location independence you ask? Freedom. The freedom to be anywhere you want to be, whenever you want to go, and for however long you want to stay. The thought is giving my goosebumps as I’m typing this post! For the past 3.5 years, I have always wanted to be able to travel indefinitely. See the sights of the world on my bucket list, learn new languages, essentially, grow. I feel my knowledge and intellect, beyond trying to figure out ways…

March 9, 2014

Black Miami – The History You Never Learned

When people talk about Miami, you often only hear a few things – vacation, partying, sun, Latin culture, etc. While Miami is most definitely all of the aforementioned things, it wasn’t just dropped out of a catalog for the quintessential Caribbean getaway. Like many cities in the US, modern Miami was built through blood, sweat (a lot of sweat) and tears, and unfortunately the majority of all those liquids came from one demographic, blacks. Before you think I’m not being PC by using the term, “blacks”, the truth is, it wasn’t just African Americans who built Miami. In fact, the…