• Start Here
  • Contact Me
  • Advertise/Hire Me
  • Privacy Policy

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

  • Why High-End Travelers Matter So Much to Resorts
  • Holiday Homes in France
  • Why The People You Meet Are What Make Travel Unforgettable
  • Sports Tourism by the Sea: How Beach Cities Turn Matches into Mini-Vacations
  • The Best Pacific Northwest Road Trip from Portland: Routes, Stops, and How to Plan Yours
Escape Guides

From Dolphins To Fish Tacos: The Best Things To Do In Loreto

I just returned from Loreto, Mexico, and while I can’t say it was my favorite place in Mexico, it still had its charms. Zipolite still gets my vote for being…

read more
August 5, 2025
Travel Tips

San Pancho & Sayulita Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know

I just got back from my travels to San Pancho and Sayulita in Mexico, and I had a wonderful time. These two beach towns are right next to each other,…

read more
November 28, 2025
Travel Tips

Unforgettable Things To Do in Portland, Oregon

I moved back to Portland, Oregon after living in Charleston, SC and St Pete, FL the past four years. Moving back has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever…

read more
April 1, 2025
Link 1
My Favorite Greek Island
Link 1
Sacred Sites of Mt Shasta
Link 1
Best Things To Do in Milos, Greece
Link 1
The Secret Beach on the Big Island
Link 1
Do You Know About the Florida Springs?
Link 1
Some of the Best Florida Beaches
  • lotus flower how to travel mindfully
    Travel Tips

    How To Travel The World With Mindfulness

    January 6, 2014 / 18 Comments

    Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.-Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle How many times have you come back from vacation only to feel like you need a vacation from your vacation?  So many tourists rush around trying to see all the sites at their destination that they completely miss what the place they have traveled to is really about.  One museum or temple starts to look like all the others, and they even start to forget where they are. I used to be this type of tourist, but I have learned from experience that it is much more enjoyable when I travel the world with mindfulness. I started to realize that…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    A boat on the beach in the Dominican Republic

    Dominican Republic

    February 27, 2013
    Boat on Gili Trawanagan

    They’re Coming To America-Why This Neil Diamond Song No Longer Holds True

    March 16, 2013
    Puuhonua O Honaunau-Be Forgiven At The City Of Refuge On The Big Island

    Puuhonua O Honaunau-Be Forgiven At The City Of Refuge On The Big Island

    April 24, 2017
  • 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…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    Be Astonished By The Magical Hawaiian Ko Olina Lagoons

    Be Astonished By The Magical Hawaiian Ko Olina Lagoons

    February 14, 2017

    A Complete Family Travel Guide to Exploring Gatlinburg

    January 27, 2026

    7 Awe-Inspiring Things To Do In Iceland

    December 22, 2015
  • 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.…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    Accessible Casino Travel with Mobility-Friendly Hotel Choices

    January 14, 2026
    Tep Wireless Review: Use This Travel Wi-Fi Hotspot To Get Wi-Fi Anywhere You Travel

    Tep Wireless Review: Use This Travel Wi-Fi Hotspot To Get Wi-Fi Anywhere You Travel

    October 27, 2016

    Sports Tourism by the Sea: How Beach Cities Turn Matches into Mini-Vacations

    May 11, 2026
  • 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…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    Road Travel Mistakes Vacationers Should Avoid for a Safe Journey

    April 2, 2025
    Sky view of clouds from airplane

    Yep, I’m A Goofball-How That Fact Saved The Day (And Had Half of SFO Airport Cheering Me On)

    March 2, 2013
    Why Mallorca Stole My Heart

    Why Mallorca Stole My Heart

    August 31, 2016
  • 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…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    The Raja Ampat Islands: Conscious Diving in Raja Ampat

    December 9, 2013

    Planning a Trip to Kamuela on Hawaii’s Big Island? Here is Your Travel Guide

    October 10, 2014
    Hotel Kerameion, An Apartment Hotel In Athens

    Athens Greece Hotels: Hotel Kerameion, An Apartment Hotel In Athens

    May 24, 2016
5152535455

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