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This Way To Paradise

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Travel Tips
  • Escape Guides
    • Belize
      • Ambergris Caye
      • Caye Caulker
    • Cambodia, Koh Rong Samloem
    • Costa Rica
      • Arenal and La Fortuna
      • The Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park
      • Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guatemala
      • Lake Atitlan
    • Indonesia
      • Ambon, Maluku
      • Bali
      • Gili Islands
      • Kai Island, Maluku
      • Raja Ampat
      • Sumatra-Belitung Island
    • Mexico
      • Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo
      • La Paz
      • Patzcuaro
      • San Miguel De Allende
      • Todos Santos-The Antidote To Cabo!
      • Zipolite Beach: A Complete Travel Guide
    • Portugal
      • Beach Porn Alert: 7 Reasons Why You Need To Put Lagos, Portugal On Your Bucket List Now
      • The Top Portugal Beaches To Visit
    • Sri Lanka
      • Colombo, Sri Lanka
      • Ella
      • Mirissa Beach
      • Yala National Park
    • Thailand
      • Bangkok
      • Koh Lipe
      • Phi Phi
      • Phuket
      • Railay Beach-Krabi Town
      • Your Thailand Songkran Water Festival Guide
  • Places To Stay
  • Food
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Travel Tips
  • Escape Guides
    • Belize
      • Ambergris Caye
      • Caye Caulker
    • Cambodia, Koh Rong Samloem
    • Costa Rica
      • Arenal and La Fortuna
      • The Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park
      • Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guatemala
      • Lake Atitlan
    • Indonesia
      • Ambon, Maluku
      • Bali
      • Gili Islands
      • Kai Island, Maluku
      • Raja Ampat
      • Sumatra-Belitung Island
    • Mexico
      • Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo
      • La Paz
      • Patzcuaro
      • San Miguel De Allende
      • Todos Santos-The Antidote To Cabo!
      • Zipolite Beach: A Complete Travel Guide
    • Portugal
      • Beach Porn Alert: 7 Reasons Why You Need To Put Lagos, Portugal On Your Bucket List Now
      • The Top Portugal Beaches To Visit
    • Sri Lanka
      • Colombo, Sri Lanka
      • Ella
      • Mirissa Beach
      • Yala National Park
    • Thailand
      • Bangkok
      • Koh Lipe
      • Phi Phi
      • Phuket
      • Railay Beach-Krabi Town
      • Your Thailand Songkran Water Festival Guide
  • Places To Stay
  • Food
  • Contact Me

Recent Posts

  • Discover Two Unforgettable Southern Hemisphere Campervan Road Trips
  • The Woman’s Guide to Solo Travel in Colorado
  • Easy Daily Transport in Thailand for Tourists Using eSIM
  • Paradise Found: The Ultimate Guide To Paradise Island’s Tropical Wonders
  • Skip the Hotel, Skip the Villa: The French Summer Luxury Everyone Overlooks
  • Valen Dawson at the Castaway Resort, Koh Lipe www.thiswaytoparadise.com
    Travel Tips

    Other Travel Articles Written By Valen Dawson

    December 30, 2013 / 2 Comments

    I have written for many other travel websites, and many of you would like to follow my experiences in those articles, too.  Here is a roundup of the other places where you can read about my travel experiences on other great travel websites: 1.  Beyond Bali:  The Morning Of The World on Eye and Pen: An article about where to discover the real Bali and the spirituality that it evokes.   2.  7 Travel Scams That You Should Know on Eye and Pen: 7 tricky travel scams that you should be aware of.   3.  Celebrating Life in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on Vagablogging.net My observations in San Miguel…

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    3 Thailand Beaches That You Just Shouldn’t Miss

    September 3, 2013
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    March 6, 2013
    Gili Meno www.thiswaytoparadise.com The Powerful Reasons You Should Follow Your Dreams

    Winter Holidays-Where To Go Sun Chasing

    November 25, 2013
  • Travel Blog

    The Raja Ampat Islands: Conscious Diving in Raja Ampat

    December 9, 2013 / 15 Comments

    The Raja Ampat islands are by far one of the most breathtaking diving spots that I’ve ever seen. However, what I found even more impressive was that these islands are the world’s most environmentally conscious place to dive. Raja Ampat consists of four major islands in the Indonesian part of Papua, although there are actually 1,500 islands which make up the Raja Ampat islands if you count the uninhabited ones! In the crystal-clear water, I was surrounded by untouched coral gardens in brilliant colors, giant clams, turtles, sharks, and huge manta rays. There are 537 species of coral and about 700 species of animals found in the waters of the Raja Ampat islands.…

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    Costa Rica

    January 18, 2013
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    More Pictures Of Ubud, Bali

    March 15, 2013
  • Bird in Yala Park, Sri Lanka
    Travel Blog

    What The Animals in Yala Park, Sri Lanka Taught Me

    December 2, 2013 / 10 Comments

    Sometimes I think that there are no better teachers in life than animals.  If we spend the time to really watch them, we can learn so much.  I had the opportunity to do just that in Yala Park in Sri Lanka, and this is what I learned. 1.  Determination I watched an  elephant struggle with a tree branch for 15 minutes just to get to the leaves on the top of a tree.  There were plenty of other trees around with leaves that would have been easier to reach, but the elephant refused to move on until it had gotten all the leaves off of this one.  It made me…

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    How to Choose the Right Luxury Yacht Based on Your Needs

    September 19, 2025

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    October 30, 2025

    Top Kayak Fishing Spots in the U.S. Every Angler Must Visit

    September 25, 2025
  • Gili Meno www.thiswaytoparadise.com The Powerful Reasons You Should Follow Your Dreams
    Travel Tips

    Winter Holidays-Where To Go Sun Chasing

    November 25, 2013 / 7 Comments

    I used to live in Portland, Oregon, and every Winter I would have to book a plane ticket and head for somewhere with some warmth and sun.  I wouldn’t care where I went for my winter holidays as long as there was sun. I would search the internet for the best winter vacation package and just go.  Are you in the same boat (or wishing you were on a boat) and trying to figure out where you should go? Here are a few of my favorite destinations for spending Winter holidays in the sun: 1.  Cuba There is no place to fill your heart full of sunshine like Cuba.  The…

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    January 18, 2013
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    January 21, 2013
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    The Top 29 Things I Learned From My Travels

    May 15, 2013
  • San Miguel de Allende food, cookies
    Food

    San Miguel de Allende Food: 4 Places For Sweet Treats

    November 24, 2013 / 10 Comments

    Yes, I’ve got a sweet tooth.  My favorite book as a child was, “The Sweet Touch” where everything the girl touched turns to candy.  I am loving all the San Miguel de Allende food, but my particular favorite are all the amazing desserts that San Miguel has to offer.  Here are 4 of my favorites for dessert in San Miguel de Allende. 1.  La Buena Vida Bakery La Buena Vida is my favorite bakery in San Miguel de Allende for many reasons ( the bread, the cinnamon rolls, the chocolate croissants, cookies) but my favorite thing by far are their doughnuts.  They are absolutely perfect.  My favorite one is the…

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About Me

I am always looking for the perfect escape, the perfect paradise, the kind of place that tosses your cares into the sea. Fortunately, I have discovered many! I created this site to show you where to go and how to get there. My goal is to show you that Paradise is only a plane ticket (or boat ride) away. I have inspired many others to travel and to create a better life. I am available for inspirational speaking, coaching, writing, travel planning, and photography.

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