If you are looking for a beach vacation you are probably in the wrong place, but if an adventure is your idea of a good time you have arrived! This island is about as close to Africa as it is to Europe and is full of places to explore with a quaint town offering tasty treats and a hot meal just around the corner.
Carnaval in Madeira is a colorful combination of dance, humor, and fun, usually with an edge of the taboo. You never know if around the next corner you will run into women in feathered costumes or men in drag dancing with a pig. The festivities were spread out across a couple weeks with a live dance show every night and most of the events were free to the public.
Kathmandu has vibrant culture and countless beautiful temples, but brittle infrastructure and hazy air. It is a hard place to describe since it is so multi-faceted. Each neighborhood had a personality and specialty of its own. The city was hit hard by the 2015 earthquake and parts of the city are still struggling to rebuild, while others have luxury accommodations.
Rochester, New York has something for every season. These are a few local gems that aren’t a secret, but even if you have lived here for years you may not have experienced them all.
The lush greenery of the southern coast provided more stunning vistas at every turn with dozens of waterfalls cascading from the cliffs above. While this part of the country is known for hordes of tourists, and we did deal with some, we also found a few magical places to enjoy in peace.
Hanoi has an incredible energy to it. It is tradition unapologetically melded with city life and flowing chaos.
It is exhilarating to be right on the edge, totally alone, with millions of people below you.
Whether you are shopping for food or souvenirs, or just experiencing the local culture, I recommend checking out the markets. Exploring local markets is always one of my favorite things to do and Peru’s markets are some of the most colorful I’ve seen and are perfumed with wonderful aromas of fruit and herbs.
A capital city with colonial architecture and history.
The affluent area of Lima. This is the place to go for city surfing, paragliding, people-watching on the beautiful cliff top promenade, and friendly police.