I’ve long been in love with the powerful and majestic beauty of Scotland. There is nothing that can compare with the sight of fog rolling down the rocky hillsides in the Highlands, or the sharp cut of the wind on the plains of Skye. But the wild country isn’t the only place worth exploring.
The ancient city of Edinburgh lies in the south of the country, alongside the Firth of Forth. Full of history and beauty, this charming city is worth a visit.
When you think of traveling to France, it’s no surprise that the first thing that comes to your mind is Paris. Affectionately known as the City of Lights, over thirty million tourists visit France’s capital city each year.
But next time when you’re voyaging all the way across the Atlantic, why not extend your stay and venture beyond Paris to see more of what makes this country so unique?
From standout cities to sprawling vineyards, to historic castles and more, here are some my favorite spots to explore in France that are easily accessible by train or short flight.
In a world that’s leaving so little to remain untouched or unexploited, we’ve been so refreshed and encouraged by Tory Jones.
Not only does her company, Ixchel Triangle, make some of the most beautiful, unique bags that we’ve seen in along time, but after getting to know her story and the mission that gets her out of bed in the morning, we’re hoping hers is a business model that others can take note of.
Read on below to learn more about Tory’s bags, the stories they are woven from, and how they are helping to change lives in Guatemala.
Wanderlust is alive and well all around us. From Instagram feeds to Pinterest scrolls and any travel sites in between, the global community is more accessible than ever. When we travel boldly and encounter new cities, countries, and cultures it can be beautiful yet overwhelming. That period of adjustment back to our own world might feel welcome for some who love routine, but it may also carry with it a hint of sadness.
When we travel, we change; when we see new things, we grow. And instead of diminishing that, we should embrace it with zest.
As a fashion blogger bitten long ago by the travel bug, I’ve often wondered: When we wander the world, see new places, and meet new people, how can we translate even small parts of those experiences back into everyday life through fashion? After extensive travels abroad and significant coast-hopping, I’ve fostered three simple ways to incorporate those voyages into an evolving wardrobe.
“If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
My hometown of Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents; it’s the perfect blend of both Asia and Europe, with an Asian side that’s full of ethnic vibes and exotic, colorful bazaars and a European side that’s newer, more modern and hip.
During its more than 2,000-year history, Istanbul has been the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Now Turkey’s most important city from a cultural and economic perspective, it’s also the fifth-largest city in the world by population. It’s a city that offers something unlike anything I’ve experienced anywhere else in the world, and I’m excited to share my favorite places and bits of travel wisdom with you, below.
Adventurers are living in a time when satiating our deepest sense of wanderlust is no longer a luxury reserved for the rich and famous. With frequent flier programs, “travel hacks” and cheap accommodations marketed specifically toward explorers of the world, we are increasingly able to book vacations in the most exotic locations without having to break the bank. And let me tell you, it’s a great feeling to book an adventure of a lifetime on a dime!
Yet, while I traipsed through the wild jungles and gritty city streets of Thailand, pleased with my penny-pinching plans and ready to see the best of the “land of smiles,” there were moments filled with incredible wonder and splendor followed by an intense feeling of guilt and privilege (a strange and new emotion for me).
Most have heard about Amsterdam as the crazy European destination where travelers stop to explore and indulge in the liberties of the city. But this beautiful Dutch city filled with canals has so much more to offer its tourists than a trip down to the Red Light District.
With over one million residents, Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ largest city and a creative and cultural hub. Known as the “Venice of the North,” there are over 1,500 bridges that cross this charming European City. Amsterdam is also one of the largest registered historic city centers in Europe with over 7,000 registered historic buildings, a collection of eight windmills in the city center and numerous streets lined with their iconic narrow houses.
Travel addicts are dreamers.
We long for the far away, picture ourselves on planes, and love to imagine strange surroundings. That is, until reality sets in and we look out the window only to see the same view we see every single day. For most of us, travel is a luxury we only get to indulge in a few times a year, but it just takes a simple shift of the mind to make the most of home.
I’ve lived abroad a few times, but have recently returned to the UK and Ireland to explore more of my motherland. I set out to see it from the viewpoint of an outsider, and now I wonder why I hadn’t explored it much, much sooner. Below are a few things I’ve learned about how to be a traveler at home.
Traveling with a dog is rewarding, but it does take work.
In the past, my dog Maya and I have lived in Turkey and traveled from Athens to Prague. As of June 2015, we are traveling through Europe, Asia, Oceanian, South and Central America. As a travel partner, Maya doesn’t whine about where we go, what we see (or what we don’t), or how fast we go. She is content to lie at my feet in a café, sleep next to me in a tent, and walk at my leisure. While there is great deal of effort that goes into traveling with a dog, I prefer Maya’s long-term companionship to a trip by myself.
People have often asked me how complicated it is to travel with a dog. If you are interested in adding your pup to your travel plans, here are a few of the most important things to consider based on my life-learned experiences.
Thanks to technology and today’s relative ease of travel, the world is becoming smaller than ever. Far-reaching places are becoming more and more accessible, spurring on daydreams of travel, vacation, and exploration.
In turn, many of us are checking travel-related dreams off of our bucket lists. For a lot of explorers, that entails planning a trip to Africa. As we would for any trip, we plan extensively, crafting packing lists and itineraries, researching sightseeing opportunities, restaurants to enjoy, and places to play.
However, there are also some things that are specific to Africa that may help as you plan a trip, whether you’ll be perusing spice markets in Morocco or serving at an orphanage in Uganda. I’m sharing a few of those things with you, below.
A Note From The Editor: We are big fans of Pons Avarcas and their sister line, Laro. We firmly believe that they are the perfect summer shoe. In addition to offering you a chance to win up to two pairs of the sandals for yourself (see the giveaway we’re kicking off today over on our Instagram account!) we asked Noelia to share how to best experience the tiny region in northern Spain where the Laro espadrilles are made.
We moved to California from Barcelona in 2004 when my husband, Jose Fuentes, accepted an engineering position in San Diego. Among many packed possessions were a few pairs of Pons Avarcas, which we both grew up wearing. It only took a couple dozen compliments to realize there was an unmet demand for the Mediterranean product in the U.S. market, and that is how our adventure began.
We have since launched a sister line of classic and traditional espadrilles, which are also from our Mediterranean summers growing up in Barcelona. We work exclusively with the company Laro Espadrilles for its timeless, handcrafted artisan methods. Laro Espadrilles is a family run business located in La Rioja (the smallest province in the north of Spain) and is operated by the original founding family who has continued the family tradition generation after generation.
While La Rioja is a region well known for manufacturing artisan espadrilles, it is especially recognized for its world-class acclaimed red wines and rustic farm-to-table gastronomy.
This post is sponsored by Booking.com. Wing everything. Except your accommodation.
Ever wanted to just get up and go … within a matter of 48 hours?
If you have even an ounce of wanderlust coursing through your veins, of course you have. Jetting off on a moment’s notice is the backbone of any adventurer’s dream; it’s the spark that catches thought, quickens the heartbeat and ignites the thrill of envisioning a new daily routine.
So, why don’t we do it more often?
Vacation is fun, packing is not. Personally, there’s always a little anxiety associated with packing.
Will I forget something? Will everything fit? What should I pack?
Over the years, I’ve developed a few helpful tips to mastering the packing process and I’m sharing my six best with you below.
Summer is synonymous with travel, so we thought that this month we’d round up a few of the products we’re loving that you can also conveniently take on the go. From snacks to packs, amenities to indulgences, we’re loving a range of goods that help us explore … more.
Bon voyage!
The only way to arrive on the shores of Cumberland Island is by boat. Once you step off the dock, you have entered into a living history book. Tangled branches overhead lock antiquity and mystery into the fabric of the island. Under Spanish moss tinseled throughout the branches of Southern Live Oaks, and up the well-worn dirt paths laden with prints from horses’ hooves, there is a gracious southern mansion from a bygone era. This was the playground of the Carnegie family and now the legacy lives on as the Greyfield Inn.
Cumberland Island boasts a long lineage of strong women. While most have heard of steel-tycoon Andrew Carnegie and his brother Thomas, as some of the founding men of America, it is less likely that the names of Margaret Carnegie Ricketson and Lucy R. Ferguson ring a bell.
Yet, it is these tenacious women that helped make Cumberland what it is today.
“The fact is, we cherish our disasters… that’s what we like. They can hardly wait for us to finish before they launch into stories of their own suffering in foreign lands.” Martha Gellhorn, the great adventurer, war correspondent, and third wife to Ernest Hemmingway, met quite a few disasters in her 50-year career.
What delicious stories these make for an audience! But, for a main actor in real life, a crisis can be absolutely frightening. What are we to do when a mishap is more than a bump in the road and becomes a real threat to our safety?
It’s June and despite the lazy summer sun beginning to filter through the air, it seems like our schedules are only picking up speed. As we race through ribbons of concrete, feet pressing the pedal forward, the very idea of looking for something new to wear often sounds more exhaustive than exhilarating.
With our hectic pace of life, it can be easy to wish for an escape; our fashion choices can give us that. We dream of scattered skylines around the world, and search for ways to incorporate a far-off touch into our wardrobe.
Yet, in glancing away from the cities we dream about to look at what surrounds us, I’ve found that we’re often greeted with nothing but collaged chaos. A bit ironically, here in the States, our “convenient” sea of fast fashion retailers and skyscraper department stores can feel overwhelming at times, doing little to spark creativity or mindful (over mindless) purchases.
At just 31 miles long and 16 miles wide, it’s hard to believe such a small island can contain such a vast array of smells, colors, sights, and sounds.
Singapore is home to such a variety of cultures and people groups that it’s created a culture of it’s own, making it one of the most unique and fascinating stops in Asia. From the rainbow painted colonial buildings of Little India to the high-rise glass sky scrapers in the Financial district, Singapore is a history of old and yet-to-be-written, an identity unto itself and still being defined, and a land of beauty and intrigue that is a joy to explore but impossible to completely experience as it continues to grow and create.
We’re only scratching the surface, but hope today’s city guide leads you to amazing places on your next visit to Singapore.
Planning for our first big “adventure” to Europe, my husband and I expected to find an easy way to jump to and from the seven countries we wanted to visit with ease. Not “planners” by nature [smile] we of course waited until our flight date was two weeks out to even start laying our plan.
But after one night on the computer, we were quickly overwhelmed with so many options that we wanted to give up and “just figure it out when we got there.” What ever happened to travel agents and choose-from-a-five-option-menu?
But then we found Eurail. If you go to their website, they have several (but not too many) travel options between most European countries by train. We found a route we liked, pre-chose all our departure times (you need reservations) and went for it — done, easy. Choosing backpacks over suitcases so we wouldn’t be lugging rolling bags (my pet peeve is their dysfunctional wheels), we got the tickets in the mail, booked a few hotels and airbnb’s five days prior, and flew over the ocean.
The days leading up to my trip to Argentina were nothing short of hectic.
When I’m in a good place and connected with myself, God, and loved ones, social media is a part of my life, but it is not a lead role. I could do or do without it, and be fine.
When I’ve lost connection to the things and people that matter most to me, I find that I am like an addict looking for my next hit. I’m on the prowl just looking and hoping for someone, something or that magic number of followers or likes to tell me I’m important, loved, worthy, enough. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I’ve lost touch until a few days or a week goes by, and something inside feels off.
Here’s how it can play out for me (and maybe I’m not the only one):
I moved to Barcelona, by myself, in January 2012 and lived there for seven months. It was the first time I had lived outside of the UK – my home – and deeply experienced a new culture. Despite having visited the country a few times before, living in Spain was an entirely different scenario. I was faced with the challenge of adopting a new way of thinking, and it was simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking.
At the time, I had no idea how much Spain would change the course of my life; I’ve traveled the world and lived nomadically ever since. Barcelona paved the way for that. Locals are masters of the slow life, and living there taught me a lot about the importance of balance, self-care, and simplicity – essential items for life on the road.
I’m sharing the five biggest lessons the country taught me, below.
In need of a vacation? Or how about just a mental break? While many might be quick to associate Laguna Beach with MTV’s reality (or was it scripted … ) show of the same name, in actual reality Laguna Beach is a shorefront California gem that’s sure to top any explorer’s short list.
It’s a town worthy of everything from a road-trip pitstop to a week-long getaway, and recently Darling had the opportunity to spend a few days south of LA discovering Laguna’s Surf & Sand Resort, one of the few hotels in the entire state that’s technically situated right on the beach.
So, how to know if this place is for you?
I got the travel bug like so many people often do. I remember it clearly. I was in Mrs. Morrison’s second grade class and she shared Steve McCurry’s “Afghan Girl” National Geographic issue. It was the first National Geographic magazine that I had ever seen. I instantly wanted to pick up a camera and go see the world. That same year, Mrs. Morrison also taught us the “Seven Continents” song and I made it a personal goal to see them all before I turned 30.
In college, I traveled around the world on credit cards with all the naivety one is filled with during their younger years. More passion than planning, more whims than wisdom. During this time the words “interest” and “credit limit” were just words I skimmed over before signing my name on the dotted line. (Credit card companies are like vultures, but that’s for another article.) Needless to say, it took years of hard work to get out of debt. I’m now 28, live in Los Angeles, and run my own small business. I’m so thankful that while my debt has disappeared, my travel ambitions have not. I’ve been fortunate enough to see over 40 countries, and in these past two years alone I’ve been able to explore more than 10 countries while freelancing.
So, how do I do it? And how can you, too?
A city marked by ancient history yet bursting with modern innovation, few places have captured my heart like Milan has, and it seems I am not the only one who is smitten. The world, too, has taken notice as Milan will be home to both
Located on the coast of Queensland, Australia, this cluster of 74 islands forms part of the Great Barrier Reef. Known for pristine beaches and incredible coral reefs for snorkeling and diving, the majority of the islands in this region are designated national parks in an effort
My hands touched raw meat and smoke from the fire clung to my hair. I hand-mixed dried spices and traded four tires for single horsepower. It's easy to check out, dulling our senses with whatever distraction is between our fingertips; I needed some time to check in,
The next time you’re planning a trip to Europe, why not venture a bit further north and explore the stunning Scandinavian capital of Finland, Helsinki? Renown for its world-class architecture, Helsinki's busy downtown core is filled with landmark design gems such as the Saarinen-designed Central Railway Station,
Sometimes travel is more than a dreamy, filtered photo. Sometimes a new land grips your heart in such a way that you're reoriented around new perspectives and deeper conviction. Actress Shay Mitchell recently traveled to India with fair-trade company Raven + Lily, and we are honored to
What dreamy travel curiosities come from a stylist and a cartographer who've fallen in love? The answer, Maptote: environmentally friendly, reusable totes made in the USA that are inspired by both time abroad and pride at home. Hailing from Brooklyn, Rachel and Michael Berick created their line
This central European city has quickly become one of the “must-see” destinations for tourists both young and old traveling around the continent. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage List for cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and