The following is a guest post by Mohamed Khazma.

Cape Town, South Africa is a populous city that’s a hub for both business and tourism. Here are some of the best activities for visitors to Cape Town, both inside and outside.

INDOORS

The City Centre

Sitting on an ideal location between mountain and sea, The City Bowl (city centre) connects nightlife, hotels, restaurants and entertainment, the waterfronts, as well as Cape Town’s notorious blue flag beaches. Hop-on, hop-off bus tours provide an ideal way of viewing Cape Town’s canvas. If a full day’s shopping is desired, The Canal Walk shopping centre serves any shopaholic right; Africa’s third largest shopping mall brings with it the Ratanga Junction theme park to make the visit for those who don’t enjoy shopping a little more bearable.

Museums

Cape Town hosts a number of interesting heritage-filled museums. The Gold of Africa Museum situated in the city centre holds 350 West African gold artifacts together with gold from the ancient civilizations of South Africa. Home to the drama of the world’s first human heart transplant, The Heart of Cape Town Museum shows the fascinating and epic development in medicine by reconstructing the procedure on replica silicone models. Other notable museums and galleries include The South African National Gallery, Two Oceans Aquarium, and District Six Museum.

Wine Estates

Cape Town’s location and climate serves a great environment for producing some of the world’s best wines and beers. Stellenbosch is one of the best known wine estates in the region along with Constantia, Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington, and Robertson. Most wine estates offer accommodation for a romantic getaway with stunning scenery.

OUTDOORS

Skydive Cape Town

Interested in the best views of Cape Town and its vast landscapes? Skydiving offers the ultimate perspective. The adventure begins with a 40-minute drive to the north of Cape Town where small Cessna aircrafts climb 9,000 feet before unlocking their doors allowing eager divers to plummet over the Cape Peninsula for roughly 30 seconds before opening their parachutes.

Table Mountain

Exploring Cape Town’s landscape on foot is the best way to experience most of what the city has to offer. Its most significant structure is Table Mountain, a flat-top terrain overlooking Cape Town’s central business district.  It opens its landscape to abseiling, biking, and for a hearty workout, there’s a choice to hike on foot – with Platteklip Gorge being the most popular route.

Langa Township

The Langa Township provides an alternative tour of the historic black Cape Town. The township, developed in 1923 for the Xhosa tribe, hosts guided local tours to experience its history, art, food and drink, music, education and social issues. Gugus’thebe Arts and Culture Centre is the focal point of the town and represents its rapid socioeconomic development.

Robben Island

Taking tourists back to the 17th century, Robben Island housed a prison, where Nelson Mandela spent his jail-term, and a training/defense station used in World War II. The island, accessible by a 7 km boat ride from Cape Town, provides guided tours of the derelict prison by ex-inmates – guaranteeing a first-hand account. Tours last approximately 3.5 hours long and include a 45-minute bus ride of the island. The penguins surrounding Robben Island make the visit that little less haunting.

About the author: Mohamed Khazma is a freelance travel writer for My Destination–locally informed, globally inspired.

Photo credit: Martin Power

In short, it’s because it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I used to say that about the Colorado Rockies, but when I went to Greece several years ago, I was enthralled by Santorini. Simply being there felt surreal, like I was really just in a daydream or an IMAX theater.

When I went to Greece, I took a cruise that gave me a sampling of several Greek Islands. I had originally planned to just spend several nights in Mykonos and Santorini, but the Greek ferry system was baffling, and taking the cruise made the logistics far easier. As I expected, Mykonos and Santroni were my favorites. While I was happy to see more of Greece than planned, and even some of Turkey, I fell in love with Santorini the moment it was in sight and was heartbroken to leave after only half a day.

The craggy cliffs of Santorini are too dangerous for cruise ships to get close (major shipwrecks have happened there), so we docked off-shore and took dinghies over. The white buildings sprinkled atop the cliffs were hard to see from where we anchored down. I couldn’t wait to get closer.

When we arrived on the ground in Fira, Santorini’s main town, the cliffs were so steep that you could barely see the buildings up top. To get up there, you either ride a cable car (you can see a cluster of them near the top left corner), ride donkeys, or hike the switchbacks.

Yep, we chose the cable cars.

The height is intimidating, but the views are worth the stomach-flipping. And you’re in an enclosed car, so there’s no risk of you or your belongings falling out.

If you look closely in the bottom right corner, you can see some of the folks ascending on the donkeys.

Almost there!

From the cable car, you could perfectly see the island’s caldera, which was formed by volcanic explosions thousands upon thousands of years ago (you may recognize this as my Twitter background!).

Finally on the ground! My sister (to the right) and I instantly loved this charming little place. It had a similar feel to Mykonos, but a completely different landscape and more colorful buildings. We later learned that Oia, a smaller town in Santorini, has the white-washed, blue-capped buildings that Mykonos has. Sadly, we didn’t have time to make it over there.

Due to the jagged shape of the land, buildings are stacked in all kinds of levels with no seeming rhyme or reason.

We stumbled upon a Greek Orthodox church and decided to go inside and check it out.

The inside was ornate and colorful, with the walls completely covered in murals.

There was also a massive chandelier so pretty that even a priest stopped to admire it.

We walked through the narrow maze of streets to explore shops. We got lost a few times, and street names were hard to understand, but I was told that’s the norm. I came home with a classic white Grecian dress.

From Fira, you can see two uninhabited islands made of black lava (Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni). You can actually go visit those islands by boat and bathe in the hot springs at Nea Kameni.

As soon as we saw the view from this cafe, we stopped in for a drink. I don’t think there is another cafe in the world with such a stunning view. That’s our cruise ship in the background.

While walking around, we came upon several “doors to nowhere,” which were a bit haunting when you looked through and realized they went straight out into the ocean. Merchants seem to like putting these at the steps that lead down to their businesses.

My sister took this picture of me with the reflection of the ocean in the background before we had to leave.

The view going down was just as beautiful as the view going up, but it looked very different bathed in the setting sun’s golden hues.

On the way down, I saw these bizarre doors that went straight into rock. I was dying to know where they went. I might have to go back and see…

Before I knew it, we were back on the dingy and saying goodbye to Santorini.

When we got back to our cruise ship, we still had some time to enjoy the view before we took off. It was that perfect time of day when the sun starts to set but is still shining. I was a happy girl.

Then it was time to set sail in the Aegean Sea. But don’t worry. I’ll be back.

Have you ever been to this magical place?

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The following is a guest post from the guys at Trip and Travel Blog. I haven’t been to Poland myself, but my dad’s side of the family is orginally from there, so I really want to go!

Krakow, Poland

The major cities in Poland have a particular and unique character. Lodz is famous for its well-known road, Piotrowska, and its construction in the nineteenth century. In this city there is also the largest park in Europe.

Krakow, the ancient capital, the former residence (at the Wawel) of the old Polish monarchy is now a city very active culturally. According to their city guide and this travel blog, the museums as well as clubs and social gatherings are too many to be listed. Breslavia is famous for its architectural monuments in Ostrow Tumski, for the church of St. Elizabeth, and the Aula Leopoldina. You can also admire the modern construction of “Hala Stulecia” (Centennial Hall), made of reinforced concrete.

The Polish landscape is not only formed by big cities, but especially by small towns. Kazimierz Dolny has always been particularly popular to artists. In Sandomierz there are underground labyrinths, Suwalki buildings are thickened into a single path, and Borne Sulinowo is a demilitarized city, which for over 40 years did not appear even on the map of Poland.

At Plock you can find a Romanesque cathedral and a castle overlooking the Vistula. Pultusk is famous for the longest market in Europe. Biecz is a small architectural gem, which owes its origin to its nobility that has been enriched with the commerce of the Hungarian wine and has kept a medieval structure. It is also considered as the “city of love” in Poland, and there are in fact relics of St. Valentino. The capital of Poland from the sec. XVII, totally destroyed during World War II, Warsaw was rebuilt and restored in its original form. In the old town you can find many restaurants with traditional cuisine. The streets are lined with everything from ultra-modern skyscrapers to simple and elegant pastel palaces. You can find many pubs, discos, and cafes here.

Gdansk, Poland

You’ll see the picturesque Market Square frequented by artists, the Royal Castle, the Gothic Cathedral of St. John, and the Church of Santa Croce, which houses the urn with the heart of Frederic Chopin’s Palace of Culture and Science, the monument to the Unknown Soldier (where is the spectacular changing of the guard) and one dedicated to the famous Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus. Following Vistoia, the river that runs through Warsaw, we reach the princely Ujazdowski Castle, the Palace and Lazienki Park, eighteenth home of the last king of Poland, then to the presidential residence of Belvedere and Wilanów, the country residence of King John II. In Zelazowa Wola (54 km from Warsaw) is the house where Chopin was born. You can attend concerts of music by the composer in the museum or go on tours arranged on request.

Back to Krakow: Formerly the residence of the kings, it is considered the capital of Polish culture. The historic city center has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the 12 most valuable architectural ensembles in the world.

Among the many monuments including The Great Market Square are dominated by the splendid Renaissance palace Sukiennice (old cloth market) and the Gothic Church of Santa Maria, which has a famous wooden altarpiece. There’s the Collegium Shift – headquarters of Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1364), the Royal Castle on Wawel, and the Kazimierz district, with its magnificent Renaissance synagogues. All the old town is surrounded by a ring of green – the Planty – built in place of the old city walls. In the vicinity of Krakow you can visit the salt mine of Wieliczka, the Royal Castle of Pieskowa Skai, the mountain resort of Zakopane, and Auschwitz.

Danzig (also known as Gdansk), one of the largest ports in the Baltic for centuries, has a beautiful old town that is home to most of its monuments. See the Court of King Arthur, or the Gothic Church of SS. Virgin Mary, one of the largest in Europe, capable of accommodating 25,000 people. It now houses the Maritime Museum.

Wroclaw, one of the oldest and most beautiful Polish cities, Southwest, on the Oder River, is crossed by numerous tributaries and canals, and built on 12 islands connected by 112 bridges. It’s also home a university, which has over 50,000 students and a beautiful campus.

Photo credit: robsw18 and ciaranz

The following is a sponsored post from DialAFlight.com. I’m trying to save up for a new lens for my new DSLR so that I can take even better photos for Maiden Voyage!

So you’ve bagged yourself a couple of bargain flights to Sydney in the off-peak travel season. Congratulations. Sydney is one of the most sought after city break destinations in the world, promising sun, sea and surf alongside plenty of art and culture and a heady dose of stylish city living. If you’re keen to start planning your break away, here are five of the top recommended sights, sounds and surf locations to experience…

1. Manly beach is one of the most famous surf spots in Australia but in order to make the most of your seaside excursion, why not indulge in a Manly beach boat trip? The boat allows you to get some of the most spectacular views over the city, encompassing iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

2. A real one-off Sydney treat is a visit to the Open Air Moonlight Cinema. Be sure to book in advance as this is one attraction that continues to be popular with residents and visitors alike. Once you’ve got your tickets, pack a bag full of salted popcorn and fizzy pop and sit back and enjoy the old-school cinema experience.

3. The Royal Botanic Gardens are a real hit with family travelers. Wander the grounds at your leisure or sign up for one of the gardens’ comprehensive bike tours in order to be sure that you’ve seen everything that this delightful destination has to offer.

4. In order to get a glimpse at a little more of Australia’s enchanting landscape, get yourself on a tour of the Jenolan Caves and Blue Mountains. There are a range of tempting add-ons available including kangaroo spotting venture and a trip to see the famous Three Sisters rock formations.

5. If your visit happens to coincide with the main sway of the Opera season then be sure to take this unique opportunity to enjoy a performance by one of the world’s most prestigious opera companies inside one of the world’s most spectacular architectural accomplishments of the 20th century. It won’t come cheap, but it’ll be worth every penny.

On my August trip to Vancouver, one of the attractions I was most looking forward to was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown. It was the first large-scale classical Chinese garden outside of China. It’s also a non-profit that aims to serve as a cultural exchange between Chinese and Western cultures. This stunning landscape opened in 1986, and it’s free to wander around the main area of the garden. We immediately knew we were in Chinatown when we saw this:

The garden is named after Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, shown in the bust below, who is recognized as a symbol of modern China. According to the garden’s website, he worked toward establishing democracy in China and helped lead a revolution in 1911 that overthrew the Qing dynasty. In 1912, he became the first president of the Republic of China, but quickly resigned in order to work toward the economic development of China instead.

The architecture brings together all of the elements of a traditional Chinese garden from the Ming dynasty: jade green water, weathered rocks, mystical plants, and beautiful buildings that appear to be floating.

The park is full of beautiful wildlife, including these critters:

The most amazing part was that this garden was set amongst urban Vancouver, as you can see from the condos and office buildings in the background, but it felt like you were in a quiet part of China.

The garden was a joint effort between the Canadian government, Chinese government, and private workers in both countries. They brought 52 master craftsmen all the way from Suzhou China, who worked with local Canadian to build this within one year.

The halls and walkways of the garden were built so precisely by the master craftsman that they didn’t use any nails, screws or glue.

The garden also had several indoor rooms that you could explore, many with traditional Chinese art, writing, and clothing. You have to pay a small fee to enter this area.

The garden was such a peaceful and quiet respite in the midst of a busy city. Have you ever been?

The following is a guest post by Isabel Clift.

Berlin is a real playground if you’re in your twenties: food, drink and travel are cheap, and there’s a wealth of DIY art galleries, underground clubs and cafes to explore. No cheesy check-box sightseeing here, either: Berlin’s raw recent history gives edge and immediacy to its landmarks.

Landmarks to see

Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

Holocaust memorial: A tight, oppressive grid of concrete blocks you walk between, whose sides grow taller the deeper you go: the Peter Eisenman-designed Holocaust Memorial is a masterpiece whose effectiveness will shock you.

The Wall: A remaining section of the Berlin Wall runs along Mühlenstraße near Oberbaum Bridge. It’s been nicknamed the East Side Gallery after being covered with graffiti art.

TV Tower: This GDR-era ’60s landmark on Alexanderplatz looks like it was drawn by a Jetsons cartoonist. Climb to the observation deck for the highest views in the city.

Babelplatz book-burning memorial: The less you know before you go, the more poignant this is. Go to Babelplatz at night, walk towards the light shining up from the middle and look down…

Clubs

Berghain club in Berlin

Berghain/Panorama bar: A Friedrichshain power station turned clubbing Mecca, Berghain operates a strict door policy and confiscates cameras on arrival. If you do make it in, expect Bladerunner-style surroundings and relentless, vocal-chord-shaking minimal techno played til 3pm Sunday (yes, you read that right).

Golden Gate: You know a club’s intimate when you feel like you’ve stumbled in on a particularly grimy house party. Found behind an unmarked door underneath a railway bridge on Dircksenstrasse, drinks are cheap and the dancefloor’s sweaty.

Watergate: Your go-to for sleek and stylish clubbing on the Spree. Grab a breath of fresh air on the floating terrace and be mesmerized by the giant, glowing Universal logo on the opposite bank.

Restaurants, bars and cafes

Breakfast: The Soviet-themed Gorki Park serves a fine ‘worker and farmer’ breakfast platter for two including fresh potato pancakes, salmon caviar and blini rolls.

Lunch: Eat lunch in former factory Michelberger Hotel’s shabby-chic courtyard; think fresh European fare like seasonal veg risotto and spicy tagines.

Dinner: Want a glass of wine with your dinner? At Weinerei you rent a glass for EUR 1.50, then sample from a range of bottles. Soak it all up with a buffet of German fare made with organic ingredients, and pay what you think you owe at the end.

Takeaway: Hipster takeaway Angry Angry Chicken serves finger-lickin’ Korean chicken at varying spice levels: friendly, sexy, angry and furious. Brush the crumbs off afterwards and duck through an unmarked door at the back to secret bar Soju.

Shops

Voo: Indicative of the area’s slide from grit to gentrification, Voo is a fancy new concept store off Kreuzberg’s main drag Oranienstrasse. Pick up threads from Acne, Pendleton, Wood Wood and Surface to Air, plus books and artisan cosmetics.

Made in Berlin: With several outlets around the city, Made in Berlin specializes in affordable vintage edited with an eye on current trends. Perfect if you love vintage but hate rummaging.

Parks

Mauerpark: Join the crowds every Sunday for amphitheater karaoke, flea-market riffling and impromptu beers ‘n’ barbeques.

About the author: Isabel Clift (@Isabel_Clift) is a London-based travel blogger for AnyTrip, the budget travel specialists – check out their selection of cheap Berlin hotels. A fan of all things currywurst and techno, Isabel’s got into the habit of visiting Berlin at least once a year.

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When I went to Greece two summers ago, I fell in love. After daydreaming about the country for years, that didn’t surprise me one bit. The white-washed buildings, sparkling sea, unusual geography, and extraordinary history swept me off my feet. My sister and I took a five-night cruise on Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines with Contiki, and it allowed us to explore several of Greece’s most incredible islands.

Here are some of my photos from several twilight hours we spent in Mykonos Town (aka Chora).

Octopus was on many menus here

Even this gay bar is white-washed!

That section of buildings on the water is called Little Venice

The windmills are no longer in use, but remain iconic here

I normally research heavily before deciding to travel somewhere. But I based my first trip to Costa Rica around set dates of a yoga retreat, so I didn’t bother doing the research about the best time to travel there. It turns out that October is during their rainy season. And it’s the worst month of rainy season.

Before heading to Peace Retreat in Playa Negra a few weeks ago, I decided to spend two nights solo in Tamarindo. It’s a small surf town on the Pacific Coast only around 20 minutes from Playa Negra, so it seemed like a good side trip. I arrived to torrential rain and felt like an idiot when I learned that I came at the worst time of year. No wonder the chic hotel room was so affordable.

On the downside:

• I was supposed to go on a half-day boat tour, and it was canceled due to rain and choppy seas. It was going take a group of us around the coast to see lots of wildlife, secluded beaches, etc. I was so sad it was canceled.
• Many of the town’s shops were shut down for the rainy season.
• Even when the rain stopped, the beach was soaking wet and there was nowhere to sit.

But on the plus side:

• My hotel room overlooked the ocean and a beautiful land mass (that you could see when it wasn’t raining quite so hard).
• I saw howler monkeys on trees from my balcony. They weren’t terribly close, but I had never seen monkeys in the wild before, and it made me feel like a giddy little kid.
• It gave me plenty of time to read. I buried myself in the Stieg Larsson trilogy. I spend most of my waking time writing for a living, so I don’t get to read for pleasure very often. It was lovely getting to read crime thrillers for hours on end.

I stayed at Hotel El Jardin del Eden. It’s a modern and affordable hotel with an ocean view and a short walk from the beach. I spent a little extra to treat myself to a room with a large oceanview balcony. I got to spend some time out there, but it was often raining so hard that I couldn’t go out there without getting soaked. It had a beautiful view of the water, tropical trees, and verdant landmass.

On the first evening, the rain stopped for a bit, so I decided to walk around town while it was still light out. But I quickly discovered that it is very dark by 5:30, and pitch black by 6, so by the time I got to the main street, it was hard to get a feel for it. Most stores were closed and the restaurants empty.

I ate at Walter’s, where there were only two other groups there. It overlooked the beach, but it was so dark I couldn’t see it. I was mad at myself for not even thinking to ask when it got dark, because I would have come earlier so that I could have enjoyed the view. The streets were wet and dimly lit, and several local men were hanging around staring at me and cat-calling me. I didn’t feel very comfortable, so after dinner, I headed right back to the hotel room and read.

The next afternoon, there was a lull in the rain, so I walked down the street to check out the beach. There were homeless dogs running around, which broke my heart, and the sand was soaking wet. I was hoping there would be a bench or chair I could sit in, or even a spot dry enough to put a towel down, but no such luck. A handful of people were out, but everyone was just walking along the beach–there wasn’t really anything else to do. I went back to the hotel room.

That evening, I didn’t feel like going back to town for dinner, and my lunch at the hotel restaurant the day before was really tasty, so I decided to go there for dinner. I ordered the pesto sea bass steamed in a banana leaf, topped with asparagus, snap peas, and other veggies. It was divine.

This trip reminded me that I should always research when it’s the best time of year to visit a place. Yes, I came when things were more affordable and less crowded, but the weather prevented me from doing nearly anything outdoors in a place known for its endless outdoor activities. My experience at Peace Retreat was amazing, and I’ll be writing about that soon. While the downtime was nice, my trip to Tamarindo was a bit of a disappointment. But travel is full of surprises and rarely goes exactly as planned. Sometimes that’s the beauty of it.

Earlier this month, I went to Savannah, Georgia for the first time for a wedding. I live in Texas, and while people here definitely have Southern hospitality, we aren’t quite “the South.” New Orleans is the closest I’ve gotten to it, and both Savannah and New Orleans ended up really reminding me of each other. It had true Southern charm and made me wish we had more time to explore.

It was a pathetically quick two-night trip. We arrived late on a Friday night and flew out at the crack of dawn on a Sunday. But the wedding was on a Saturday night, giving us the afternoon to explore the city’s Historic District. We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton at the edge of the Historic District; it was very affordable, very nice and clean, and a pretty short walk to great bars and restaurants. It wasn’t as central as some of the other hotels, but it was just fine.

I enjoyed Savannah’s ornate architecture and incredible American history. We kept stumbling upon plaques that told of the events that took place in the city. In certain areas, I felt like I was transported back in time. Many of the beautiful older homes are now B&Bs, and while I really wanted to stay at one, the group rate at the hotel was just too good. Next time, I definitely plan to stay in one of these historic inns.

I was told by several people before I went that Savannah was known for its wide streets shaded by large, mossy trees. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined:

I found out when I got there that the Historic District was filled with squares. Every few streets, there is a massive square that stretches several blocks. They all featured large, old trees and massive historic monuments.

I took this in Madison Square (named for the president), which has this beautiful monument to William Jasper, a man from Savannah who was a sergeant in the Revolutionary War:

The architecture of the homes in the Historic District was very regal and detailed, and reminded me a lot of New Orleans:

The couple we were there to see get married recommended checking out Forsyth Park, which has a famous fountain in the middle of it. If you keep going, you pass by acres of grassy lawns and more historical monuments. With its long walkways, shady trees, and massive fountain, the park looked like something from a love story. In fact, I took a photo for a couple who said they got engaged right there exactly five years ago! I couldn’t pass up getting a photo of me and my husband in front of the fountain:

I also saw some fun street art in the city:

And let’s not forget the Southern food. We were in Savannah so briefly that we hardly had any meals there, but we had a fabulous dinner at The Olde Pink House. It’s where the wedding reception was held, though several people on Twitter actually recommended it to me as a place to eat before they found out I was already going there for the wedding! It’s a gorgeous old mansion with a very elegant, stately feel, and massive amounts of history took place in it. The appetizers were mini crab cakes, beef tenderloin crostini, fried green tomatoes, and I think the last one was friend macaroni and cheese with jalepeno poppers. For my entree, I had a fabulously moist pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes and collard greens. My husband had one of the most famous Southern dishes around: shrimp and grits (pictured below). All of the staff there were so friendly and funny (we were at a table full of people from the Northeast, and they just couldn’t get over how hospitable people were in the South). They also served dessert to the guests instead of a wedding cake, and my chocolate torte with graham cracker crust was just sinful. We left blissfully stuffed.

Have you been to Savannah? What did you think?

As I’ve discussed before, my first solo travel experience was sad. It was unintentional, I wasn’t prepared, and I wasn’t as experienced a traveler as I am now. I was in Paris, a city I always dreamed of visiting, alone in a heap of tears. I eventually broke free of my “woe is me” attitude and got out and explored the city for the several days I had there. While I didn’t have that great of a time, I still left feeling proud of myself for surviving alone in a foreign country and wanting to try it another time in a planned way.

On Saturday, I leave for Costa Rica for a full week, all by myself. I’ve never been there. I know nobody there. I’m trying solo travel with open arms.

I’m going to Tamarindo, a cute little surf town for a few nights. For what? To relax. On the beach. By myself. With a book. On one of the days, I’m going on a half-day boat tour that takes a large group around the coastal area. It will be a safe and fun way to see more of the area and hopefully see some wildlife. Then I’m taking a quick jaunt over to the nearby Playa Negra, where I will take part in the Authentic Life Retreat at Peace Retreat. It’s primarily a yoga and meditation retreat–something I have always wanted to do.

I have a busy day job in the travel industry, my husband is in law school, I do a lot of freelance writing, I don’t sleep well, and I am generally a big ball of stress. I have decided that it’s the time to give myself the gift of peace, quiet, and solitude. Meditation has always eluded me, and I’ve never really enjoyed yoga. I have a feeling that being in such a peaceful and welcoming environment will help me learn how to do both, and in a way that will help my body and mind moving forward. I’m going to go spend a night in Liberia before I head home.

Part of why I think this will be a good solo trip is that it’s not an urban vacation where I’m trying to see major sights and navigate a large, new city alone. I’m not going to worry about finding a nightlife activity to do solo. I’ll be in an environment that encourages introspection and relaxation.  I don’t want to get on the computer at all, though I know I may need to check in here and there. I’m going to run some posts, but I’m writing them in advance.

I’m heading out to get my Zen on. I’ll be back with a clearer head and lots of great photos and travel tales!

Me skiing Schoolmarm in Keystone

Colorado is my favorite place on earth (other than Santorini). I grew up going to Estes Park every summer, with some spring breaks in Aspen. I’ve also visited Durango, Boulder, Keystone, Breckenridge, and more.

What do I love about it? The fresh, crisp mountain air is intoxicating, and the verdant scenery is breathtaking. Soaring peaks, sparkling lakes, massive valleys. Wildlife is abundant. Our main activity in Estes Park was hiking in the stunning Rocky Mountain National Park. I have also gone white water rafting and skiing in Colorado.

Vail Resorts owns the famous Colorado resorts of Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek. They also own two ski resorts in California, North Star-Tahoe and Heavenly. The Vail Resorts team makes a stop in Austin each year, and I joined them recently for the third year in a row to learn about developments at the resorts this winter. I thought a lot was happening last year–in December, my husband and I went to Keystone for a few nights and went out to Breckenridge for the day (see my posts from day 1, day 2, and day 3). But this year is also full of fun events, great deals, and new things to do.

Epic Pass

Skiing is not cheap, so I was happy to hear that this year, their Epic Pass is an amazing deal. It’s $649 per person for unlimited, unrestricted skiing at ALL of their resorts (Colorado and California), all winter season. While that may sound like a lot at first, a seven-day pass is $499, so it’s actually a fantastic price for unlimited skiing at six resorts in two states! This year, $5 from each Epic Pass will go toward St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Shaun White’s charity of choice.

EpicMix app

Their EpicMix app now lets you take and share photos (it works on iPhone and Android). This innovative smartphone app that was new last season is free when you buy the Epic Pass. Your pass is scanned when you ride a lift, and the app keeps track of your ski paths, vertical feet skied, days skied, and more. You can earn pins and share your stats on Twitter and Facebook. If you’re skiing with friends, you can also use it to track where they are on the mountains and use it communicate for a meet-up point. So cool.

Here are just a few of the cool new developments at the Colorado resorts. There’s plenty more at the California resorts, such as a partnership with Shaun White, but I don’t want to make this too long, and I’m a Colorado girl!

Beaver Creek:

• This resort is famous for serving fresh-baked cookies at 3 p.m. to skiers on the slopes. They’re launching their 8th annual Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition. Anyone can turn in a recipe, and submissions are due by Oct. 21. Judges will select five finalists, and on Nov. 23, locals and guests can eat the cookies and vote for their favorite. The winner will win a cash prize of $1,000, and their recipe will be the official Beaver Creek cookie for the year.
• This December, they are opening the new Rose Bowl high speed Doppelmayr quad chairlift. Transporting 2,400 people per hour, the new side-load chair’s ride time will be nearly cut in half at five-and-a-half minutes. This means more ski time!

Breckenridge:

I took this at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge in Dec. 2010

• The resort is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year. Leading up to opening day on Nov. 11, they are doing “50 Days of Getaways.” As it gets closer, the prizes get better. Prizes are given out through their Facebook page, so go there and like it to be eligible.
• Another way they are celebrating the 50th anniversary is giving 50% off stays in the Village of two nights or more from opening day until Dec. 15. Book on their website.
• Breckenridge Gold Runner Alpine Coaster! New on Peak 8 between two ski runs, The Gold Runner twists and turns down 2,500 feet of elevated rollercoaster and speeds through hairpin curves, twists, and dips at a maximum speed of 30 mph. You control the speed of the two-seater car, so you can take it easy navigating the corners as well. It will operate in summer and winter.
• They are hosting the Dew Tour from Dec. 15-18, an extreme winter sports competition. I went last year and it was a blast! There will also be International Snow Sculpture Championships in January.

Vail:

• On Dec. 1, a highly-anticipated new table-service restaurant, “The 10th” is opening. It’s a ski-in, ski-out restaurant. The name, is a nod to the veterans of the 10th Mountain Division, many of whom, including several of Vail’s founders, became involved in the ski industry upon returning from World War II and dramatically influenced the development of skiing in the United States.
• There are also two new restaurants opening up in the town of Vail. One is Elway’s, named after former Denver Bronco quarterback and NFL Hall of Fame Inductee John Elwaywide. It will serve an array of steaks and seafood as well as its terrific atmosphere and nightlife. The other is Matsuhisa, which is part of the Nobu brand. This will be only the fourth Matsuhisa location, and it serves traditional Japanese cuisine infused bold South American and Western flavors.
• Vail Snow Daze: From Dec. 5-11, early season skiers will enjoy a week of live entertainment from headliners like Weezer, O.A.R., Dwight Yoakam and Mix Master Mike, plus contests, parties and giveaways throughout town.

Keystone:

• This year, there will be a brand-new Dercum Square Ice Rink in River Run Village (where the slopes are). It’s 7,200 square feet and has day and night skating. It’s free, though there is a charge to rent skates.
• The resort’s award-winning pastry chef sculpts a miniature alpine village every December from 2,500 pounds of imported chocolate at the Keystone Lodge & Spa. I saw it last year in person, and it was unbelievable. She adds on more each year, so there will be something new this December.
• Adventure Point Tubing: One of Colorado’s best tubing spots is at the summit of Dercum Mountain at Adventure Point. With a good pitch and long runout, the park’s four tubing lanes are fast and fun. Snow biking is also available at Adventure Point. New this year–every Thursday is Disco Tubing night, so get ready to dance!

Have you been to any of the Vail Resorts? What did you think?

The following is a guest post by Sophie Collard.

Plaza del Mayo

Tell someone you’re off to South America and they’re unlikely to make comparisons with Europe unless they’ve been to the wealthier South American countries. They’re probably even less likely to imagine you checking out car hire and driving yourself around the place.

But Argentina does feel European. The Spanish colonized it in the late 1500s, and by the late 1700s was the capital of the Rio de la Plata (which includes Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay).

Large squares, like the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, mirror the numerous squares in Spanish cities. The Plaza de Mayo is where Eva Peron gave her ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’ speeches (although it’s unlikely Evita used the same words as lyric writer Tim Rice).

It is possible to Evita-theme your stay in Buenos Aires. You can visit the Evita Museum, which holds many artifacts, video clips and sound bites from the life of the Argentine woman who rose from poverty to end up becoming the most influential woman in the history of Argentine politics, marrying the president at the time. She was diagnosed with cancer and died at the age of just 33, solidifying her place in the country’s memory as an idol.

La Recoleta Cemetery

She is the most famous of the deceased that you will find in La Recoleta Cemetery. The cemetery, in Buenos Aires’s Recoleta district, is filled with the tombs of Argentina’s wealthy–like a village of the rich and dead. Large mausoleums have photographs of the people buried underneath affixed to the walls. Hundreds of cats weave their way between the tombs. Candles and chairs are placed by altars where the families of the past can come and pray for their souls. Evita has the largest crowd of tourists around her at any one time.

Beyond Evita, Buenos Aires is also famous for being the birthplace of tango dancing. There are many bars decorated with tango memorabilia and numerous places you can go to take tango lessons.

On Sundays in the San Telmo district, there’s an antiques market. At the market amongst the old books and gramophones you will find a few old tango hats. Try them on before you buy, and if you’re buying for someone else, find someone with a head their size, as many of the hats are quite small.

San Telmo is also one of the most fantastic places to hang out in the evenings. A lot of the best steak houses are here. And unless you’re veggie, the bife de lomo is the best you’re ever going to have. Eat it alongside a glass of Mendoza’s famous Malbec.

Before you leave Buenos Aires, be sure to check out MALBA, which has several works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in it. Outside is the impressive metallic Floralis Genérica sculpture, which opens and closes according to the amount of sunlight hitting it. Go also to La Boca, famous for its multi-colored corrugated iron houses and tango artwork as well as for its Boca Juniors football ground.

Sophie Collard writes about fascinating places to visit and people she’s met while on her travels. She’s traveled in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia and loves the sense of distance and changing landscapes.

Photos by Ernesto and Christian Haugen