backpacking Archives • Page 3 of 6 • The Bliss Movement

Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Thailand, Travel, Trinidad and Tobago

The Things I’ve Done For Luck.

If you've traveled anywhere, I can guarantee you have been told that by touching something, swimming in a certain body of water, or doing some odd activity will bring you luck and good fortune. I was thinking about a few things I did on a recent trip to the Caribbean that was supposed to be healing for the body and it reminded me of all the things I have done since beginning my travels in 2010, some silly, some scary, and some just plain gross. So I thought I would compile a list of the moments that stand out for me in terms of doing something because it was consi[...]

Caribbean, St. Lucia, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Staying with a Local Host Family in St. Lucia

Traveling through the Caribbean is not cheap, especially if you're looking for accommodation. It might be cheap by some standards, but by backpacker standards everything can be a bit pricey. There's no $2 rooms like in Southeast Asia and virtually no hostels to be seen. We found our best bet was to look on websites like Couchsurfing.com, which we didn't get a chance to use, and Air BnB, which we used in Tobago and St. Lucia. Lucky for us we found an amazing host in St. Lucia, who welcomed us into her home like we were family. I had never before stayed with a loca[...]

Caribbean, St. Lucia

Gros Islet’s Famous Jump Up in St. Lucia

A Friday night in St. Lucia is not complete without making an appearance at Gros Islet's jump-up, the street party that has made this town famous. Once the sun sets, the town locals and all the tourists flock to the streets to celebrate another week done and another weekend beginning. Our local host, Noa, and her friend Steve had been talking about the party all week and were eager to show us a good time. Sections of town are closed off to vehicles, allowing people to eat, drink, dance and party in the streets all night long. After stopping at the fish fry down t[...]

Caribbean, St. Lucia

Soufriere, St. Lucia: Soaking in a volcanic mud bath

Dunking myself in warm, scratchy mud was at the top of my list when I headed to the island of St. Lucia. It might seem counterproductive to take a bath in mud, but the effects on your skin are truly amazing! Soufriere is one of the world's only "drive-in" volcanoes, meaning exactly that. Instead of hiking up a volcano you can drive your car right up and into the volcano itself, parking the car and going by foot to get up close and personal. The drive to Soufriere is breathtaking, with the road winding through the mountains and giving you incredible views of the P[...]

Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago

Traveling to tobago, the picture perfect caribbean island

I've got a bit of a long one for you today, so pour yourself a cup of tea or a glass of wine, kick back and dive in. The first thing I noticed about Tobago was the heat. The sun felt hotter and the air thicker. After the hustle and bustle of Trinidad, coming back to a small and slow-paced island was a breath of fresh air and we melted into it easily. Tobago exudes a relaxed atmosphere of island living; time moved slower, smiles were more common and everyone that passed us by were extremely friendly, always wishing us a great stay. In true tourist fashion, we spe[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

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, Trinidad and Tobago

day trip to Pirate’s Bay, Tobago

We spent two days road-tripping around the island, getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road and slowly getting comfortable with the narrow and winding roads. From the south of the island we followed the road along the east coast with the Atlantic as our view. After stopping at Argyle Falls we headed on to Charlotteville, with a few more picture stops along the way. Charlotteville is a small fishing village on the north coast of the island. Colorful homes perch upon the lush mountains that surround it and groups of locals lime over Cari[...]

Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

exploring the caribbean island of st. vincent

I've been away for a little while as I try to adjust being back in my hometown but although I'm home I still have a bunch of stories to share with you all. Today, I want to bring you back to a quiet corner of the world in St. Vincent. A short walk from the highway, down a bumpy road and past a friendly goat eating his grass, you'll come to the house of an artist. It was in this open-concept inspired home filled with colorful paintings and a porch that overlooked the ocean that we lived in for our last weekend on the island. After four months of travel this house[...]

Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Chasing Waterfalls in St. Vincent

I have been spending my days chasing waterfalls, in search of the tallest, most beautiful one. Ideally one that is hiding a secret cave for me to explore. After a turn in the wrong direction and a hike up the side of a mountain, we finally made it to the main road just north of Chateaubelair. We said hello to the goats, donkeys and cows that we passed by until we reached the sign. The fact that there is a very obvious sign to Dark View Falls is a blessing. In my experience in the Caribbean even notable tourist attractions are completely unmarked, making dire[...]

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, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Hiking La Soufrière, St. Vincent

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity," -John Muir His name is Franklin and at the age of 58 he has hiked St. Vincent's active volcano 317 times. His trip with us up to the summit will bring his count up to 318, with the majority of his hikes being on the leeward side, where the hike doubles in time and the difficulty intensifies. Feeling a little intimidated by the thought of hiking up this 4049 ft. active volcano on the more difficult side (Ba[...]

Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago

A Day Trip To Maracas Falls and Maracas Bay, Trinidad

If you're in Trinidad for any amount of time, spend a morning exploring Maracas Falls and then make your way to Maracas Bay. The falls are a nice little hike up a somewhat well-maintained nature trail that shouldn't take you more than twenty-five minutes at a slow pace. At the start of the trail is a fountain of fresh spring water that you can safely fill up your water bottle with for the journey. As you wind your way up through the woods, be careful where you step as rocks may be loose and if it has recently rained or is raining, the path can be slippery. Br[...]