Travel Archives • Page 4 of 10 • The Bliss Movement

Hiking Salento’s Valle de Cocora

Visiting Salento was high on my list of things to do in Colombia, mostly for the stunning Valle de Cocora. The valley offers a great hike that you can do easily from town. A new friend and I woke up bright and early, walking up the hill to Salento's one and only main square, where all of the Willy's (jeeps and the town's main form of taxi) are lined up eager to be filled with the absolute maximum capacity of people wanting to drive into the valley. GETTING TO THE VALLE DE COCORA The Willy's that I mentioned are the only way to get to the valley. About 3,000 CO[...]

Colombia, South America, Travel

The Best Day Trip From Medellin: Guatape and La Piedra

The main reason people choose to jump on a 2 hour bus journey from bustling Medellin to the colorful pueblo of Guatape is for it's main tourist attraction: La Piedra del Penol - "the stone of El Penol" or "the rock of Guatape". Towering 1263ft. above the ground and 7005ft. above sea level, La Piedra is truly enormous. After putting off my visit to La Piedra for a solid week (Medellin has great nightlife that I couldn't help but experience for myself. Unfortunately, this meant that I continued to be too tired for the prospect of climbing up 740 stairs the next m[...]

Guides + Itineraries, Travel, United States

The Road To Hana: A 1-Day Adventure

The Road to Hana is one of those activities that everyone insists you need to do if you’re ever in Maui. With 64 miles of road from Kahului to the small town of Hana, you’re in for a long stretch of hairpin turns, narrow roads, one-lane bridges and impeccable views of the scenery along the way. From the lush jungle to the coastal waters, your eyes will be delighted no matter what direction you’re looking. While the road to Hana is best enjoyed over a couple of days, we only had a single day to explore. You have two options for experiencing the road to Ha[...]

Solo Travel, Travel

4 Solo Travel Fears And Why You Shouldn’t Let Them Stop You

If you had asked me seven years ago if I would ever get on a plane, fly across the world and proceed to backpack around without much of a plan, I would have called you crazy. I wouldn't have given solo travel a fleeting thought. Hell, I wouldn’t have even gone into my local Walmart alone and don’t even think about asking me to sit and have a coffee all by myself! Being all on my own was easily one of my biggest solo travel fears. Now, I tell my friends that they’re crazy not to. I get that it is a scary feeling to take such a huge leap of faith in yourself[...]

Solo Travel, Travel

10 Safety Tips for Solo Travelers in Any Country

I can’t count the number of times people have warned me not to go somewhere for fear that I will be kidnapped and sold into the sex trade a la Hostel, mugged, drugged, scammed or worse. In reality, these are things that happen all over the world, regardless of how nice you think the city you live in might be but our (or our family’s) apprehension might be a little higher when we announce that we’re about to trek off across the globe. And truth be told, the safety tips for solo travelers that I'm going to share today are probably things that you have done at[...]

Canada, Guides + Itineraries, Travel

Tofino, British Columbia: A Drive To The End Of The Road

I woke up to a sunrise peeking out over the mountains - there's a reason I will wake up at 2AM to catch a flight. After dozing off in an uncomfortable aisle seat, you're rewarded with a view like that! I'm on my second airplane this morning, making my way to Tofino. People say it's Canada's surfer town; a little piece of paradise tucked away at the very Western point of Canada. The End of The Road, it's been called. It's a place that I've hoped to visit for the last few summers and now, it's time. *** People talk about great American road trips but they must not[...]

Barbados, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

5 Things You Should Know Before Studying Abroad

Check The Boxes You’ve received your acceptance letter – now what?! First things first: the practical things. Book your flight, order some foreign currency to get you started over there and do some research. What does the weather look like at that time of year? Pack accordingly. Make sure you have the documents needed: passport, student visa, travel and health insurance, etc. Read up on the culture, customs and laws. If, like me, you have a practicum to work while there, figure out what the appropriate professional dress-code is! What was appropriate in[...]

Budget Travel, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Travel More: 5 Steps to Afford More Adventure In Your Life

There is a misconception that traveling can only be for the top 2% of the world - that you need to have a lot of money or that travel is expensive in itself. I absolutely hate being asked how I afford to travel so much. Not because I don't like talking about money (I do), but because the people who are asking usually aren't the ones who are actually interested in making it happen for themselves. The question usually comes from people who say it as a backhanded compliment. I will say that no, it's not available to everyone but for the average middle-class person, i[...]

Travel

Journey To Bliss – The New Site Makeover!

You guys!!! I know I’ve fallen completely off the grid but it’s because I’ve been making big plans. A few months ago I stumbled across Marela Klepo and she has helped me put my heart and soul into the creation of something that I truly love. In case you haven’t noticed, Whirlwind Travel has had a huge makeover – starting with a name change. I had some people warn me against a name change, saying that my readers know Whirlwind Travel, but I couldn’t stand by something that I no longer identified with. When I started Whirlwind Travel, I was a shy eightee[...]

Alberta, Canada, Guides + Itineraries, Travel

Road Trip Through The Canadian Rocky Mountains: A 7 Day Itinerary

The Canadian Rocky Mountains are Alberta’s most prized possession and are visited by thousands of tourists every year. Luckily for me, I've grown up with these beauties in my backyard since I was a child. For the most authentic, mind-blowing experience, load up a vehicle and set off for a week long road trip down the Icefields Parkway. You'll make your way from Jasper to Banff, winding through roads in and around the mountains with spectacular views at every turn. Suitable for travelers of all ages, this rocky mountain road trip is enjoyable for the solo trav[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

4 Signs You Need To Quit Your Job And Travel ASAP

So, you've graduated college and here you are - the real world. It was exciting at first; your very own desk, a work phone, your name on a shiny gold nameplate at the front of your desk. You even had free reign to personalize your office space - you had your seashell collection from around the world in a mason jar, some inspirational quotes, perhaps some flamingos hanging from the ceiling? If you were going to be spending the majority of your life in this office, it was going to be a place you wanted to be. At the very least, it would remind you of the best momen[...]

Canada, Guides + Itineraries, Travel

Salt Spring Island: Perfect 5 Day Getaway

It was a series of unfortunate events that finally got us to step off of the ferry and onto Salt Spring Island. After missing our early morning flight thanks to my car breaking down on the way to the airport (I just need it to hold out until January), our quick hour and a half journey turned into a nearly five hour trek of planes, taxis and a ferry ride to hop over the Pacific Ocean. At last, we stepped onto land and were greeted with the salty scent of the ocean that sparkled like a million diamonds in the sunshine and tree covered mountains that make Salt Spr[...]