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Guatemala Itinerary – 1 Week Guatemala Trip to Tikal, Antigua + Lake Atitlan: Travel Daydreaming

1 Week Itineraries: Travel Daydreaming Series, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Guatemala, Hiking + Adventures, Lodging Tips, Nature, Tours

Guatemala is an incredible, diverse country and it’s impossible to do everything in a week. But we’ll visit 3 distinct regions during our 1 week Guatemala trip. From the jungle and ruins of Tikal, to the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, to magical Lake Atitlán, we’ll learn about Mayan culture, history, artisan work, and typical […]

Best Hotels in Puerto Escondido: Villasol in Playa Bacocho, Puerto Escondido

Beach Escapes, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Nature, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast

One thing I love about the Oaxaca coast is that there are so many different types of beaches and hotels, you can find something perfect for every type of traveler. Villasol is one of the overall best hotels in Puerto Escondido because it fits the needs of so many – families, groups, couples, and more.

Antigua Travel Guide: What to do in Antigua Guatemala, Prettiest Colonial City in Central America

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Guatemala, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Nature

Antigua Guatemala is a place I visit often, so I finally decided to put together an Antigua travel guide. This beautiful and lovely little city is one of my favorites in Central America, it’s full of gorgeous historic homes and churches, colorful walls, leafy greens, incredible textiles, and mountains + volcanoes on all sides. So

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Best Places to Visit in Guatemala: Lake Atitlan Things to Do + Lake Atitlan Hotels

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Guatemala, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Retreats

After several trips to the country, I can absolutely say that Lake Atitlan is one my favorite places to visit in Guatemala. When I think about Guatemala, I picture the magical lake surrounded by epic mountains and volcanoes, and the vibrant traditional Mayan towns that surround it. I want to write about all the villages

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Palenque Ruins Guide: 1 or 2 Day Palenque Tour Itinerary with Hotels, Misol Ha + Agua Azul

Budget Travel Tips, Chiapas, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Tour Reviews, Transportation

Planning my Palenque tours from San Cristobal was probably the most difficult part of my Chiapas travel planning. The Palenque ruins are quite far from San Cristobal, and there is mixed information online about the safest way to get there. So after lots of research and actually doing the trip, I want to write about

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Where to Stay in Oaxaca: The Best Hotels in Oaxaca City

Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca City

One of my most frequently asked questions is – where to stay in Oaxaca? So I put together a list of the best hotels in Oaxaca. I will only be including hotels that I have stayed at and loved or that I have very strong recommendations from trusted sources. There are hundreds of hotels in

A Roatan Vacation for Adventure Lovers: Camp Bay Lodge in Off-the-Beaten Path East End

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Central America, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Honduras, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path

I’ve already established that my time on the Caribbean island of Roatan was above and beyond anything I expected. I loved this interesting and beautiful island. One of the most surprising parts of my Roatan vacation was my 3 days on the wild and undeveloped East End. The East End of the island receives

Roatan Travel Guide: Non-Diver’s Guide for Where to Stay, What to Do + Where to Eat on Roatan Island

Beach Escapes, Caribbean, Central America, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Honduras, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Tours

Roatan is an beautiful Caribbean island that seems to be on very few non-divers’ radar. It’s actually fairly little known in the travel world in general. This small island is part of a chain of 3 islands in the clear Caribbean waters off the coast of Honduras. Most Roatan travel revolves around exploring the second

The Best Puerto Vallarta Beaches for Instagram-Worthy Photos

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Hiking, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Nature, Transportation

In my humble opinion, the Puerto Vallarta beaches south of the city are the most Instagram-worthy, beautiful, and dramatic beaches, and yet they are usually mostly empty. It baffles me because they are SO easy to get to, whether you have a car or are taking the bus. During my last trip to Puerto Vallarta,

Naturalmente Hotel in Las Lajas Panama: A Foodie’s Paradise on the Pacific Coast

Beach Escapes, Central America, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Panama

When we mentioned to anyone that we were heading to a hotel in Las Lajas Panama next, we were met with blank stares. Even many locals in the country hadn’t heard of this tiny Pacific town minutes from a wide stretch of black sand beach. So it wasn’t a surprise to us to find this

5 Tips to Finding Budget Hotels and Hostels in Central America, South America and Mexico

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Nicaragua, South America, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

Are you scared of hostels? Do you fear pre-booking a budget hotel, only to walk into the bedroom and find stains on the sheets and cockroaches in the corner? Fear not, there are tons of great budget hotels and hostels in Central America, South America and Mexico. I’ve traveled through this region for years, staying

Dreamy Design Hotel in Tulum: Review of Huitzical

Beach Escapes, Caribbean, Hotel Reviews, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Nature, Travel Tips, Tulum, Uncategorized

Mention Tulum and you’ll get some strong opinions. Some people love it, while others think it’s over. I just visited Tulum for the second time, and I loved it just as much as the first time a few years ago. However, because it’s now quite touristy, I think there is a specific way you should

Colombia Travel Guide: Top 4 Things to do in Cartagena

Beach Escapes, Caribbean, Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Food, Lodging Tips, South America, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

Cartagena is a Unesco world heritage site located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It’s the one of the oldest cities in Colombia, founded in 1533, and has loads of Spanish colonial charm. The majority of the city’s population are of Afro-Caribbean descent, so the local culture is totally different from the culture inland. Vibrant colors, colonial

The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia: Part 3 – Visiting the San Bernardo Islands

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Food, Hiking + Adventures, Islands, Lodging Tips, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Transportation, Travel Tips

Visiting the San Bernardo Islands is the final part in my series about the 3 best adventures in beautiful and diverse Colombia. Be sure to check out my previous posts about hiking epic Valle de Cocora and camping Parque Tayrona. Grab my customized map below with accommodation options on the islands and links to book! [thrive_leads

The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia: Part 2 – Camping Parque Tayrona

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Colombia, Food, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Lodging Tips, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Travel Tips

This is part 2 in my 3 part series about the best adventures in Colombia. Head back to my previous post about hiking epic Valle de Cocora. And stay tuned for the final adventure in the series! Here is Part 2 – Parque Tayrona is a national park on the northeast Caribbean coastline of Colombia. It’s well

Hiking Valle de Cocora: The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia Part 1

Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Travel Tips

My 3 favorite adventures during my month long trip around Colombia weren’t found in the main tourist destinations of Bogota, Medellin, or Cartagena, they were in beautiful remote areas that took some work to get to. One of my absolute favorite days in Colombia was hiking Valle de Cocora, walking amidst the tallest palm trees in the world,

Hotel Tip in…Las Galeras, Dominican Republic

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Food, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Lodging Tips, Off-the-Beaten Path, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

As I’ve previously mentioned, budget hotels in the Dominican Republic didn’t impress me much. In Mexico or Central America you can find many stylish hostels or quaint local guesthouses in every town, but in the DR it’s much more challenging. The budget options here tended to be a bit rundown, with bare bones furniture and