Travel Archives • Page 6 of 10 • The Bliss Movement

On Living, Learning and Leaving

Time moves at a different pace when your senses are being stimulated by all the wonders that the world has to offer. Home feels stagnant; there is a desperation to continue living a life that is elsewhere. The mystery of the earth and all that creates it pulls me from home time and time again. This time, I was pulled when I least expected it, to a place I had never dreamed of experiencing. Uprooting in the middle of my final year of my degree, I boarded a plane and stepped out onto a Caribbean island, determined to create a life for myself during the following fo[...]

Caribbean, Mood and Mindset, Self-Care, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Travel

Giving Yourself Permission To Do Nothing

I have a cup of tea beside me, a bowl of mangoes and am looking out over the waves from the Atlantic Ocean crashing onto the black sand beach at the bottom of the hill. My only plan for today is to have a pot of tea being constantly refilled and perhaps taking a stroll down to the water. There's no urgency to play tourist today, no desire to leave the house at all. I know, it sounds blissful, doesn't it? To be sitting up in a beautiful, open concept home for free thanks to an amazing offer on Couchsurfing.com, perched on a hill high above the sea in the Caribbea[...]

Caribbean, Travel, Trinidad and Tobago

Leatherback Turtle Nesting, Trinidad & Tobago

When night falls upon Turtle Beach it is transformed into a home for endangered leatherback turtles. A popular nesting site for these animals, they choose the hours of darkness to pull themselves from the sea and drag their massive bodies across the sand to settle in a spot of their choosing. We made our way to Turtle Beach around 10pm. As we walked along the shore, flip flops in hand, we saw her. A leatherback turtle, larger that I ever could have imagined, had nestled herself into the sand and was in the process of laying her eggs in the hole she had just finis[...]

Barbados, Budget Travel, Caribbean, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

How To Travel To Barbados on a Budget

Barbados is known for its white sandy beaches and being the birthplace of Rihanna. What it's not known for is its affordability. The Caribbean isn't a popular place for those on a backpacker budget, as many are drawn to the extreme budget prices seen in Southeast Asia or South America, but the Caribbean is home to some of the most beautiful islands in the world and shouldn't be missed just because it seems a little pricy. Here are some traveler tips to make the most of your time in Barbados without breaking the bank: Shop Local Food prices in the supermarkets can[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

The Day I Learned to Crack Open a Coconut in Barbados

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour, but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun." -Unknown The bus weaved it's way up and over the hills that make up Barbados' east coast, winding down the road until at last it came around a corner presenting the most beautiful of views, capturing us all into silence. We were high above the rugged coastline, looking down upon the many cliffs that jutted out into the Atlantic and the palm trees that dotted the shore. A very religious island, Easter in Barbados[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Off The Beaten Track Barbados: The Hot Pot

Amidst a long stretch of the white sand beach off the shores of the Caribbean is a natural little pool that flows out into the sea. Though shallow, there is a strong undercurrent that allows the pool to shift it's shape often and will carry you out to sea if you're not careful! Situated in front of a factory, the water that cools the generator of the factory becomes warm from the machinery and flows back out into the ocean, causing this small body of water to become unusually warm. Locals flock to Brighton beach to bathe in this water, adults chatting as they lou[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Mood and Mindset, Self-Care, Travel

The Traveler’s Shift

I zoom through. Cities, countries, museums and temples, I zoom through them all. That has been my past travel experience nearly everywhere but Thailand. It paved the way for the title of this blog, a whirlwind. A travel affair where I leave after one short, intense kiss. I land in one destination and move frantically through it, desperate to see it all in three days or a week and then I disappear, leaving a city or a country behind me without seeing but a sliver of it. I've questioned this way of travel before and yet I continued to justify it. In some places th[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Grenade Hall, Barbados: Mahogany Forests and Coastal Views

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree," - Michael Crichton If you took my suggestion from my previous post about visiting the wildlife reserve in Barbados you will be pleased to find that your admission into the animal kingdom also allows you a jaunt up to the Grenade Hall signal station and the mahogany forest that surrounds it. Walking to the left of the ticket booth and, if you're lucky, a monkey taking a rest on the bench, you'll find yourself walking up a trail made of brick that wi[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Monkeying Around at Barbados Wildlife Reserve

Imagine a place where diverse wildlife are allowed to roam freely, interacting not only with one another but also with the people visiting the reserve. You walk down a brick path lined with mahogany trees and a family of monkeys come jumping out in front of you. Red brocket deer walk past close enough to touch without a care in the world, completely unafraid of your presence. Tortoises saunter slowly down the path and rest in the cool dirt, peacocks show off their beautiful colors, and a giant python sleeps the day away. These are just some of the things you[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Barbados’ Holetown Festival

Each year in mid-February, Holetown celebrates the anniversary of the first settlement in Barbados by hosting the annual Holetown Festival. A mix-mash of tourists and locals crowd the streets to get a glimpse at all of the local products on offer in a long jumble of tents. As you make your way through you'll pass bands playing local bajan music and can enjoy the tastes and smells of bajan foods like fish cakes, macaroni pie, and lots of barbecue chicken. Warning to the vegetarians attending the festival: it can be difficult to find vegetarian or vegan foods but t[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Take a Stroll Through Batts Rock Beach, Barbados

"The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul." - Wyland Just a short stroll away from my dorm is a white, sandy beach with turquoise waters kissing the sand. It's a popular place for snorkeling and picnics but is never too crowded and it's quickly becoming my go-to spot to relax after a hard day at work. I don't believe I can do it justice through my words, so put on your flip-flops and take a walk along the sand for yourself.[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Errol Barrow Day at Rockley Beach

Everybody loves a good reason to have a day off. For Bajan's one of those days lands on January 21, or what is more commonly known as Errol Barrow Day. Everybody seems to know of and speak highly of Errol Barrow, Barbados' former prime minister. A man who, from what I've been told, was not only a fair leader of this island but also a devoted activist who led Barbados to independence and contributed to many great things for Barbados. To commemorate his memory, January 21 has been declared a national holiday in his name and the majority of Bajan's on the island are[...]