Top travel bloggers reveal where they wish they could stay forever.
Ever uttered the words “I wish I could stay here forever?”
For most of us, travel is one of life’s biggest pleasures. We hop on board a plane, leave our lives behind, and absorb ourselves in a different way of life. We relax on beaches and explore cities. A few times while we’re away, we’ll utter the words “I don’t want to go home” and “I wish I could stay here forever”. But how true is that? How often do you think about uprooting your life and staying somewhere completely different… forever?
This food tour of Barcelona promises the best tapas, Catalan cuisine and a trip to a very special market.
The history and culture of a place is best told through its cuisine.
Food is at the heart of every community and is heavily influenced by surroundings and situations. So, when I was invited to take a food tour of a Barcelona neighbourhood that I didn’t know… I couldn’t resist!
Devour Barcelona Food Tours, the sister company to the already successful Madrid Food Tour was set up in September. It took the organisers months to research the Gràcia area and find the best eateries to showcase what the neighbourhood is all about.
I met tour guide Renee on Passeig de Gràcia on a cold but sunny February morning. She was a young American girl with a huge passion for history, architecture, Catalan culture, and most of all –food! Over the next four hours she guided me through the streets to a variety of cafes and restaurants.
Find out all about visiting Pasteleria Escribà – Barcelona’s most famous patisserie.
Dating back well over 100 years, Pasteleria Escribà is the most famous patisserie in Barcelona. With stores on Las Ramblas and Gran Via, it is a cake shop with a difference. Christian Escribà and his team are famed for creating awe-inspiring sugary masterpieces.
Over the years they’ve made exploding cakes, signature red lip truffles, sugar jewellery, chocolate walls, edible landscapes, and more. Nothing is impossible! When I spent the morning at their home on Gran Via, I felt like I was entering Willy Wonka’s famous factory, and I didn’t even have a golden ticket!
As small boutique hotels go, Primero Primera is pretty special. When visiting Barcelona, most people want to be bang in the centre of the action, but sometimes it’s nice not to be caught up in the hustle and bustle! This hotel is located in one of the upmarket suburbs of Barcelona, close to the fashionable Sarrià district. It sits on a suburban street, lined with apartment blocks. It’s not an area littered with shops and restaurants, but in some ways that is part of this hotel’s charm. Since re-opening in 2012, it has shot up the Trip Advisor reviews, currently 3rd of all the hotels in Barcelona.
It prides itself on being a family run hotel – the Perez Sala family have owned the building since 1955 and still live on one floor. The rest of the building has been converted into 30 luxurious hotel rooms and suites. Reception is smart and inviting with a grand staircase ascending from it.
Why you should consider visiting Yal-Ku instead of Xel-Ha in Mexico.
Every now and then I come across somewhere really special, and face a dilemma: Do I keep it to myself so it stays a hidden gem… or share it with you guys so you can enjoy it too?! With Yal Ku, I felt I needed to tell the world!
In Quintana Roo, the state which runs down the Caribbean coast of Mexico, there are a few water-themed adventure parks. Xel-Ha is one of them. It’s an aquatic park built around a large lagoon with crystal clear waters, perfect for snorkelling. It’s set in a beautiful landscape of forests and cenotes (Mexican sink holes).
I enjoyed a day there in May 2014 – I snorkelled for a few hours, travelled down the lazy river on a rubber ring and zip-lined over the water. I had a great day… but there was one part of the park that bothered me. There were numerous opportunities to ‘swim with dolphins’, ‘hold a stingray’, and have a ‘manatee encounter’. For a park with an emphasis on ecotourism and environmental awareness, something didn’t add up. It’s not cheap either. You can expect to pay $80 + for a day pass (which includes all food and drink).
So when I returned to Mexico recently I was excited to find about a beautiful natural lagoon called Yal-Ku, close to the picturesque turtle beach of Akumal.
