budget travel Archives • Page 2 of 5 • The Bliss Movement

Barbados, Personal Development, Self-Care, Travel

4 Lessons Learned from Living on an Island

Before living on an island I had no idea what to expect. Warm weather, the sea and days relaxing on the beach, obviously, but I had no idea just how life changing it can be to immerse yourself in island living. It has shifted my perspective on reality and I am determined to incorporate the life lessons I've learned for the rest of my life. Island time is a real and inherent thing that you will come to love if you end up living on an island. As you embrace this concept of time, the stress and anxiety begin to fade and you finally begin to take in the life that[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

Welcome To The Belly of The Dragon: How a Stigmatized Barbados Community Opened My Eyes and My Heart

Those of you who have been following me will know that from January to June of this year I was on a study abroad program in Barbados. Lucky me, right? Usually, when people think of Barbados or the Caribbean in general their immediate thoughts are beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, and the warmth that we all desperately crave for eight months a year up here in Canada. You'll probably be staying in all-inclusive resorts, living in luxury for a week or two for a reasonable price. Barbados is your island getaway where you can eat, drink and[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Are Toiletries Taking Over Your Backpack? Take COCONUT OIL Instead!

This may seem like an odd travel staple to some..... Carrying coconut oil has saved me from having my backpack weighed down with toiletries. Toiletries are the number one thing that I, and many friends, have complained about. Sure, it can be easy to downsize your clothes and shoes, but toiletries always seem to take up so much space! Not only that, but they're heavy! All of my toiletries could easily weigh up to an extra ten pounds strapped to my back and you know what? It is completely unnecessary. Since discovering coconut oil a few years ago, it has made pac[...]

Travel

An Ode to On the Road Friendships

There you were, sitting in the hostel common room. On the same tour. At the same pub. In the same meditation class. Exploring the same temple. Climbing the same tower. Tossing the same lucky coin into the same fountain. Sitting in the same first-day orientation class on our exchange abroad. You were just another stranger taking in the beauty of new cities and new experiences, eyes wide with wonder and unwavering smiles upon your faces. Some of you were with friends and some of you were also traveling solo, but each of you became significant pieces of my favorite m[...]

Italy

A Letter of Hope to Florence

I came with the best of intentions, the greatest of hopes for your city, with dreams of marveling at world-famous art, strolling the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, and eating my weight in gelato on my 19th birthday. I envisioned classy Italian women going about their daily business, young locals sitting along the riverside, and throngs of tourists with eyes wide open in wonder. "Ding Dong goes the bell at Bacillia di San Lorenzo" I wanted to love you, to bask in sunlight perched upon the Piazzale Michelangelo and stare down at all of what you had to offer. I wanted to soak[...]

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[...]

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

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, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

A Misadventure Turned Serendipitous Moment In St. Vincent

The palm trail was a straight forward hike, no more than an hour, or so they said. That hour came and went when we came to the conclusion that we definitely missed the trail - this shrub and dirt covered mountainside surely could not have been the right way. Just as we were about to admit defeat, a head popped out from further above. A Rasta man holding a machete was hollering something at us but with distance and difficulty understanding his accent, we were unsure what he was saying. After some yelling back and forth over the sound of the wind, it became c[...]