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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

  • 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
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…

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April 1, 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
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
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My Favorite Greek Island
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Sacred Sites of Mt Shasta
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Best Things To Do in Milos, Greece
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The Secret Beach on the Big Island
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Do You Know About the Florida Springs?
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Some of the Best Florida Beaches
  • Beach View Gili Air
    Travel Blog,  Uncategorized

    Learning To Slow Down On Gili Air

    March 12, 2013 / 1 Comment

    I think there is a lesson that I need to be learning on this trip.  The art of slowing down.  It seems that every bit of stress has been caused when I rush, when I go against the flow of  the pace of time that is here.  Always rushing to catch a plane, find a ATM, a boat.  That’s not the pace of these islands.  That is especially not the pace of Gili  Trawangan or Gili Air.  Yesterday, I ate lunch at the most relaxing place.  They were playing chill out music and I felt my body totally surrender as I sank into the brightly colored purple and green cushions…

    Read More
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  • Places to stay in Kuta, Billy Pendawa
    Places To Stay

    Billy Pendawa Homestay-Kuta, Bali

    March 12, 2013 / 1 Comment

    Searching for places to stay in Kuta, Bali can be overwhelming.  You definitely have many hotels in Kuta to choose from.  Kuta is a very busy area, so it’s nice to find a haven where you can relax and be away from all the traffic.  I found such a place at Billy Pendawa Homestay.  It is located down a really cute gang or alley very close to the airport. It was nice staying with a local family. I felt very looked after and cared for.  The rooms were very clean and comfortable and are very much like hotel rooms in the sense that you have your own bathroom.  I loved…

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    A Casa di Amici: A Friendly Hostel In Palermo

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    Trapped In Asia: How It Took Me 2 Credit Cards, 5 ATM Machines, 4 Travel Agents, And A Bike Ride Through Horse Dung To Buy A Plane Ticket

    March 10, 2013 / No Comments

    First of all, know that Singapore is a great place to open a liaison office if you’re thinking of opening a business there, so make sure to do some research before you do so. All I wanted to do was to buy a ticket from Bali to Ambon and then to the Kei Islands, the next stop on this amazing journey through Indonesia. Pretty simple, right? But it took me four days to do this. Because I am the type of person who likes to get the best possible deal, I checked on the internet first. But, I know the travel agents in Asia often offer better deals than the…

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    November 28, 2023
  • Bali Ceremony For Baby
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    A Bali Ceremony: How One Culture Celebrates The Purity Of New Life

    March 7, 2013 / 2 Comments

    Today I had the most special experience I’ve had since being in Bali.  Sri, the woman who cooks our Breakfast in the mornings, invited us to a very special Bali ceremony for her baby.  It is known as the three-month ceremony and is the ceremony celebrating the first time the baby is allowed to touch the ground.  Before three months, the baby is considered to have a holy and pure soul and is not allowed to become unclean by touching the ground or floor.  Before the baby is three months, it is usually always in someone’s arms.  I imagine a Bali baby feeling very loved and protected.  We were very…

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    February 25, 2013

    Blooming Journeys: Top Flower Destinations and How Delivery Services Bring Their Beauty Home

    October 15, 2025
  • Bali offerings
    Pictures

    Pictures From Kuta, Bali

    March 6, 2013 / No Comments

    Most people see Kuta  as a busy, hectic place.  It is, but if you wander aimlessly down hidden alleys and look for secret spots you can find the sacred among the traffic because underneath everything, the Balinese bring sacredness to everything they do.  I hope these pictures give you a feeling of the essence that is Bali.

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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