Friday, May 9, 2014

My Authentic Argentinian Experience (Don Silvano Ranch Day) | Things to do in Buenos Aires

Ingrained in Argentinian culture, the gaucho lifestyle has always been a little bit mystical, sometimes mischievous, but always noble.

authentic argentinian ranch experience header

Yesterday we visited the traditional Argentinian ranch Don Silvano on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. With a few spare days to fill we found a tourist agency that convinced us a trip to Argentina would be incomplete unless we had a full day experience on a ranch. All inclusive with food, transport and a full days entertainment, we booked it in.

Friday, May 2, 2014

One Unforgettable Week in Buenos Aires | Things to do in Buenos Aires

Famous for its steak, cowboys and tango, Buenos Aires is a cultural and artistic hub often called the "Paris of South America".

buenos aires header

We arrived in the charming and cosmopolitan Buenos Aires a few days ago. Every tourist book and guide I've read has referred to Buenos Aires as the "Paris of South America", so I've made it my task to find out why! Even though its not my first time here we've been doing the typical "tourist activities", such as taking the tour bus and ticking off places in our local guide. Feeling overwhelmed by the numerous landmarks and the large distances between them, we found the tour bus the easiest way to get around and see almost all the places listed below.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The 6 BEST Museums in Lima | Things to do in Lima

The diverse facets of Peru's history and culture is displayed in museums scattered throughout Lima.

lima museums header photo

Among the various things I've done in the past few days I've visited a variety of museums. Lima has a lot of museums. There are museums dedicated to almost anything you can think of, even a museum all about death. These are my favourite six, each having something eclectic or special about it (but remember, there are so many more to see not covered on this list):

Friday, April 4, 2014

Bewitched by the Peruvian Scissor Dance (Goodbye Mexico, Hello Peru)

This morning we arrived in Lima. I was super exhausted and wanted to spend the rest of the day in bed, until I found out we had a roof top pool in our hotel.Yay! So I spent the rest of the day sleeping under the sun until 4pm.

Peru has so much history packed into it, with a blending of the vibrant Andean culture and its much newer, modern culture. We don't have an itinerary yet, all we know is we will be here for a few weeks (with a small trip to Argentina in between). No one can visit Peru without taking a pilgrimage to Machu Picchu (which I did during my trip in 2011 before I started this blog). But Peru is so much more than just Macchu Picchu. Sand dunes and an oasis, the ancient Nazca Lines, cities surrounded by volcanoes, canyons and the Amazon jungle, this time we will be exploring a few different places.

rooftop pool hilton lima miraflores peru

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

48 Incredible Hours in Queretaro | Things to do in Queretaro

On our journeys through the cradles of Mexican Independence we visited Queretaro City, the once capital of the nation, considered to be the safest city in Mexico and the most dynamic city in Latin America.

queretaro city aqueducts

We left behind San Miguel and arrived in Queretaro City (Santiago de Queretaro in Spanish) just over 2 days ago. Like the past 3 cities I have visited, Queretaro is brimming with history and considered to be part of the cradle of Mexican Independence. Not only that, it is apparently the safest city with the highest quality of life in Mexico. Plus, it was voted to be the most dynamic city in Latin America. As a medium sized city, I was recommended to spend 2-3 days here. In a city that ticks of so many boxes, these are the best things to do in Queretaro City when you have only 48 hours.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Visiting Dolores Hidalgo and Atotonilco (Day Trip From San Miguel De Allende)

Historically speaking, Dolores Hidalgo and Atotonilco are among the most important places in Mexico, considered to be the cradles of Mexican Independence.

dolores hidalgo church of the grito

Today we did a day trip to Atotonilco and Dolores Hidalgo from San Miguel de Allende. We booked a private day tour with our own personal guide from an agency in the main square of San Miguel de Allende. Dolores Hidalgo is a very small town, so if you want to visit it is better to do it in a day trip rather than stay there for a night or two. Our tour guide, Jose was enthusiastic and lively, and really made us revved up and excited from the moment we stepped in his black cruiser. Of course, you could hire your own car and take your own personal trip to these places, but one of the things I really like about personal day tours is the guides always make the tour more fun by telling you anecdotes and bits and pieces of information along the way. Plus its nice to sit back and relax while someone else drives you around for once in a while. Let's get started on the best things to do in Dolores Hidalgo and Atotonilco on a day trip.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Mexico's Secret Fairytale City | San Miguel De Allende Travel Guide

San Miguel is the city that everyone falls in love with. Maybe it has something to do with its fine architectural details mixed with a stunning landscape of valleys and mountains. Or maybe its because you can live in the art that thrives in every street and square of the city. But without a doubt, there is something special about San Miguel de Allende.

most beautiful city in Mexico San Miguel de Allende

We arrived in San Miguel De Allende two days ago, and were warned before arriving that this is where all the English speaking expats in Mexico flock to retire. As such, life here is made very easy for English speakers to find services catered to them (in case you were wondering a day trip to San Miguel De Allende from Mexico City is totally doable if you're an early riser). As we drove through the streets searching for our hotel I noticed all the buildings were painted only in deep earthy colours, such as red, brown, orange and yellow.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

The Essential Guanajuato Travel Guide - Discovering Mexico's City of Frogs

Guanajuato derives its name from the indigenous language to "Quanax huato", which means "hilly place of frogs".

guanajuato city of frogs


MAZE OF TUNNELS


I've had an exciting few days wandering around this charming city, taking tours and sampling the local cuisine. I thought it only natural to commemorate my time here by writing a travel guide on the best things to do in Guanajuato. First things first. To get into the Guanajuato valley you must go through the Guanajuato tunnels. You can truly get lost in this compact city with its hundreds of cobblestone passages and underground tunnels. In fact, one of the most striking features of this city is the network of underground tunnels that connect Guanajuato to the outside world. Since Guanajuato is built into a valley, the only feasible mode of transport is using the tunnels built under the mountains. Everywhere you walk in the city, you will see tunnels just like this one. In fact, this one was right next door to my hotel.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Mexico's Most Beautiful City? Guanajuato Day Trip From Mexico City

As I pulled back my curtains I was immediately met with the sight of brightly coloured houses tightly crammed into the mountains that surround this picturesque city.

most beatiful city in mexico

Yesterday I arrived in Guanajuato. We arrived just before sunset so we couldn't do much, but I just had to share a few photos of this magical city. Below is the outside of our hotel (beautiful, right?), and driving around all the buildings had this colonial style. This city, which is a mishmash of colours, cobblestone streets and baroque architecture, retains its old charm since it was founded as a mining city in the 1500's.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Electrifying Tokyo Street Photography

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." - Lin Yutang

tokyo city picture

Sooo I arrived back in Australia on Christmas Eve. Weirdest feeling ever... leaving a place I lived in for almost 2 years. But I'll be back though. Not for a while, but I'll definitely be back. Even though I have hundreds of Tokyo city pictures from my 2 year stay (maybe thousands?), I wanted to upload a small photo diary with some of my favourite Tokyo street photography with everything from food, fashion, host clubs, idol groups, robots, street art, crepes and traditional architecture... enjoy!