solo travel Archives • Page 4 of 6 • The Bliss Movement

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

The Man Behind the Stone

If you walk along a particular stretch of beach, from Paradise to Batts Rock, you'll come across a number of coral stone statues, each of different shape and size. Clearly made by hand, stones delicately balance atop one another in such a way to make an intriguing piece of art. These stone statues appear along the beach, placed individually or in groups. I noticed them on my first afternoon at the beach and they always made me wonder what their story were. A few days ago, my questions were answered. As the sun began to set over the sea a man made his way down t[...]

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[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Three Accessories to Travel in Style

Call it vanity, but sometimes you just feel better when you don't arrive to a destination with red eyes, crazy hair and wrinkly clothes. It's happened to me too many times because I always put off purchasing these three accessories, claiming I could never find any that I loved. Well, times have changed and I am now fully prepared to arrive looking at least a little better than I used to. The Sunglasses Have you ever woken up and stumbled out of an airplane in the middle of the night, far earlier than any human should be awake with swollen, bloodshot eyes, eyelas[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing

What’s In My Carry-On

Deciding what to pack in a carry-on can be a daunting task for the inexperienced traveler, but it doesn't have to be as hard as you think! If you want to walk through security with ease, keep your carry-on baggage to a minimum. Keep jewelry to a minimum and leave most in your checked luggage to avoid setting off the alarm and keep your bag organized so that you can unload what needs to be unloaded quickly and minimizing that flustered feeling of having everything falling out all over the place. I have a few items that are always in my carry-on. 1. Passport - a n[...]

Alberta, Canada

Banff, Alberta: Spray River Horseback Tour

"This is Brew," is your only introduction to the animal being handed to you and you quickly begin to become acquainted to the gelding you're about to spend an hour with and trust to take you safely through the muddy trails. One foot snugly in the stirrup, it's a familiar feeling to swing your other leg up and over until you're seated up on the horse's back. Last weekend I took a day trip to Banff with a friend and the highlight of the whole thing was easily the horseback riding. Banff Adventures offer a number of different rides, from one hour up to an entire s[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

9 Ways To Make A Long Flight More Enjoyable

"When you get into an airplane by yourself and take off, you find yourself in this lovely, three-dimensional world where you can go in any direction. There is no feeling any more exciting than that," - Gene Roddenberry The harsh reality of travel (for some) is that it can quite literally take days to arrive at your destination, even by plane. For those on a budget, this is even more of a reality in which you end up having to take a plane, bus, and donkey just to get from one city to another in order to save a couple dollars. Even without all of the transportat[...]

Alberta, Canada

The Devonian Gardens Of Devon, Alberta

This might sound like a repeat post, like you've read the name Devonian Gardens somewhere around here before. And you did, right here. But there are two Devonian Gardens in Alberta, apparently. One nestled on the top floor of a shopping mall (which is a great escape from the winter blues) and one that is located just outside of Devon, AB that greatly exceeds the size of the one I've previously talked about. The Devonian Botanical Gardens have been around since 1959 and cover a whopping 240 acres. Whether you prefer flowers or plants, a space that is polished and m[...]

Asia, Thailand

How To Spend 24 Hours in Chiang Mai

So you’ve found yourself in Chiang Mai, a large city in Northern Thailand. Maybe you were told by friends how great it is or maybe it’s just a random stopover before moving on. Whatever your reason for being here, you might be wondering how best to spend your day. If you’re looking for cheap accommodation filled with young, lively folks like yourself, Little Bird Guesthouse and MD House might be two possibilities. Both located within walking distance from each other in the Old City, these two hostels are right where the action is happening but tucked away[...]

Solo Travel, Travel

Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Traveling Alone.

I recently wrote a post about having the courage to acknowledge and pursue a desire for an "unconventional" life, such as one of travel. That got me thinking about one of the biggest reasons people have that stop them from their travel journey: "I don't want to go alone." I can't count the number of times someone has told me how much they would love to go somewhere, if only they had someone to go with. For so many reasons on why people believe they shouldn't travel solo, I am here to tell you why you should. To travel solo is to let go of everything that you hav[...]