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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

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  • Marrakesh spices
    Travel Tips

    Why I Thought Marrakech Was Hell On Earth (And 8 Reasons Why You Should Still Go)

    September 22, 2014 / 16 Comments

    “What kind of hell did I just arrive in?”, I wondered as I found myself in a heated argument with the entire taxi cartel at the airport within five minutes of arriving in Marrakech. They were trying to make me pay 300 dirhams to get to my hotel, when I knew the rate should have been 70 (a difference of about $27 USD). Fortunately, I had help. An expat interrupted and helped me negotiate the rate down to 100. He offered to share the ride and the cost with me. I was relieved not to be alone in the taxi with my angry driver, so I agreed. However, once the…

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    Norwegian Air Review: How My Dreamliner Experience Turned Into A Nightmare

    August 11, 2014 / 22 Comments

    I hate having to write bad reviews, but my Norwegian Air experience was a complete nightmare, and I feel like I owe it to my readers to warn them about flying with Norwegian Air. What especially convinced me that this Norwegian Air review needed to be written was finding out about the many other complaints flooding in about Norwegian Air.  More than 200 complaints have been registered with the Transport Complaints Board alone. The board says they  have never seen this scope of complaints in a single case. I have read about everything from double-billed credit cards, a loss of air-conditioning on International flights, long delays, and false advertising. As if that’s not enough, there’s even…

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  • Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
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    Two Sacred Sites In Chiang Mai: Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and Huay Kaew Waterfall

    August 4, 2014 / 8 Comments

    Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is considered to be one of the most sacred temples by the Thai people. Yes, it’s very touristy, being the third ranked site to visit on TripAdvisor, but it’s still very much worth a visit. Many of the people who visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand aren’t tourists, but pilgrims, who come to this holy spot to pay respect. I recommend taking the 309 steps up the Naga serpent staircase to get the full effect, but if you don’t want to walk, you can also take a lift to the top for 30 baht ($1 USD). At the top, you will find the glistening…

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    August 21, 2025
  • meet the locals
    Travel Tips

    Meet The Locals While Traveling

    July 21, 2014 / 18 Comments

    Many people want to go beyond touristy activities and want to meet the locals while traveling.  If you’re like me, not only do you want to meet the locals, but you also want to taste their food. You don’t want the food that’s served at restaurants for tourists. You want the food that’s being cooked in people’s homes. I got just the opportunity to do that when Withlocals invited me to experience a dinner prepared by a local just outside of Chiang Mai.  Nicky, the host, really goes all out with this dinner. He doesn’t want people to just experience the food. He realizes that food is so interlaced with the…

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    TRAVELING TO SICILY? DON’T MISS ERICE! THESE PHOTOS SHOW YOU WHY!!

    July 14, 2014 / 6 Comments

    Trapani, Sicily captured my heart when I visited Italy.  This city was originally built to be the port city for ancient Erice, which overlooks Trapani from Erice Mountain. When I found out that I could visit Erice by cable car (known as the funivia) , I knew I just had to visit. (Note: the cable car is closed from mid-January to mid-March, but there is a bus that goes to Erice.) I was not disappointed. This romantic town made me feel like I had stepped back in time. Not only did this midieval town offer staggering views, it had two castles, quiet cobblestone lanes that I wandered without seeing another soul (though, I’ve…

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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.

©2026