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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

  • The Power of Adventure Vacations: Exploring Nature and Curiosity
  • The World’s Most Exciting Long-Distance Travel Routes
  • What to pack for the Camino de Santiago (and what to send ahead)
  • Trading Palm Trees for Twinkle Lights: Finding Winter Paradise in Europe’s Festive Old Towns
  • Hidden Alpine Destinations That Deserve More Attention
Escape Guides

10 Hidden Beaches in Mexico You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

If you’re looking for an uncrowded escape, you need to know about these hidden beaches in Mexico. Everyone tends to gravitate towards Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and to Cabos,…

read more
May 29, 2026
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
Escape Guides

The Ultimate Olympic National Park Itinerary: Best Things to See and Do

It can definitely get a little overwhelming when trying to plan an Olympic National Park itinerary. There’s a lot of beautiful things to see and do, and you definitely will…

read more
September 5, 2026
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
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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
  • Gili Meno Boat in Water, Gili Islands
    Pictures

    Pictures From Gili Meno

    March 24, 2013 / 5 Comments

    Gili Meno is the quiet island.  It has the best beaches of the three Gili Islands, and is the only one of the three islands with rooms on the beach.  Gili Meno is a place to visit if you just want to spend time getting lost in your own thoughts, enjoying the beautiful scenery, listening to the lapping waves, and watching the world go by.

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    Goat in Crete

    A Beautiful Spring Road Trip Through The Hills Of Crete

    March 29, 2014
    Tanjung Tinggi Beach, Belitung Island, Sumatra

    Pictures From Belitung Island, Sumatra

    May 5, 2013
    Flower petals in Ubud

    Pictures From Ubud, Bali

    March 13, 2013
  • Durian in Ambon, Maluku
    Food

    Was That Dog I Just Ate? Uncovering The Food Of Maluku

    March 24, 2013 / 7 Comments

    Oh, the food of Maluku. Or really, I should say the lack thereof. I thought Cuba was bad. But, there was always peso pizza or ice cream to be had. Here, it is impossible to find a restaurant, and once you do, they are out of everything on the menu except for rice and maybe some fish that’s been fried and sitting out for about a week, judging by the smell of it. I am now in Ambon, Maluku and I pretty much spent the entire first day trying to get lunch, and, yes, once I found it, the chances are that I was eating dog are actually pretty good.…

    Read More
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    7 Best Restaurants You Shouldn’t Miss In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

    December 6, 2014
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    A Perfect Meal At La Teca

    January 21, 2013
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    Belize Food-Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker

    January 27, 2013
  • View from the Kei Islands
    Travel Tips,  Uncategorized

    Planning A Trip- Should I Plan Everything Ahead Of Time Or Just Wing It?

    March 23, 2013 / No Comments

    Oh, the dilemma.  When planning a trip, should you book everything ahead of time, or just do it as you travel, allowing yourself to be spontaneous and to go with the flow.  I am a planner.  When I travel for short time periods, I usually book everything in advance and know where I will be on a certain day.  However, at the moment, since I am traveling for three months, I decided to do something different and be spontaneous.  After all, I have plenty of time, and it’s OK, if I’m not in a certain place on a certain day.  However, not planning ahead of time can have it’s drawbacks…

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    paradise

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    How To Combine A Kentucky Derby Trip With Local Sightseeing

    February 18, 2026

    Things To Do In Bali: Bali Healing And Its Balians

    April 16, 2013
    Valen Dawson at the Castaway Resort, Koh Lipe www.thiswaytoparadise.com

    Other Travel Articles Written By Valen Dawson

    December 30, 2013
  • Sunset on the Kei Islands, the Spice Islands of Moluku, Indonesia
    Travel Blog

    Going Outside Of My Comfort Zone On The Spice Island Of Kei Kecil

    March 23, 2013 / 5 Comments

    I write these words to you on the front porch of my bungalow, waves gently lapping down below. Butterflies as big as birds fly around me, and I stop for a minute to gaze at the crystal clear waters, the sunlight dancing on them, as a boat gently glides past. I now see why when I would tell people on my plane ride here, that I was coming to the Kei Islands, people would stop and say, “Aahhh, the forgotten island.”  This Spice Island feels very forgotten, like the last place on earth, and here I have witnessed extraordinary beauty and gone way beyond my comfort zone to do so.…

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    Imperfection Peeling paint building in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

    Embracing Imperfection: 3 Magical Ways Mexico Is Causing Me To Love My Flaws

    October 7, 2013
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    Being Circled By Sharks-My Adventures In Raja Ampat

    March 29, 2013

    Vesak Day in Bangkok

    May 1, 2014
  • Boat on the Kei Islands, Maluku, Spice Islands of Indonesia
    Travel Blog

    How My Wine Obsession Almost Got Me Confused For A Terrorist

    March 22, 2013 / 4 Comments

    What a day! I write this at the end of a very long twelve-hour day. An exasperating day, one of those horror stories of Asian travel kind of days, but at the end, I have found one of the last untouched paradises on Earth.  The Kei Islands of  Maluku-the Spice Islands. The islands that Christopher Columbus was trying to find when he found America instead. An island full of stories and mysticism, not all of them happy. Here is my story of getting there. I arrived at the airport in Bali at 5 AM ready to set out on the journey. However the check-in didn’t go so smoothly as I…

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    How to Master the Art of Packing Light without Sacrificing Style

    April 2, 2025
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    The Punishment and The Reward: How My Illegal Entry Into Cuba Changed Me

    February 13, 2013
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    Yep, I’m A Goofball-How That Fact Saved The Day (And Had Half of SFO Airport Cheering Me On)

    March 2, 2013
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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