Photo: FireTom

Asian cultures prize the quiet mind, controlled emotions, and the peaceful way of what Buddha called “the middle path.” But the path many travelers are taking on Koh Phangan, Thailand, is yoga, which can produce similar results of inner transformation.

Photo: lulumon athletica

The island of Koh Phangan was uninhabited until about 600 years ago when passing monks realized its tranquility and spiritual importance and settled there. It currently hosts five yoga and healing centers.

Agama Yoga

Agama Yoga is by far the biggest and most well-attended yoga school on Koh Phangan, with three big halls and hundreds of students.

They teach the ancient kundalini- and tantric-based form of hatha yoga, which emphasizes the awareness of the chakras during the asanas (poses), as well as the full teachings of the eight limbs of yoga, including pranayama breathing and meditation.

This deeply spiritual and subtle style of yoga is said to be the original form of yogic science, which unfortunately is a lost art compared to today’s more gymnastic popular versions.

It’s once again becoming well known to the world, popular to many “heart-core” yogis, some claiming it to be an accelerated path to reach samadhi (aka, enlightenment) — the highest goal of yoga.

For their one-month intensives (8 hrs/day, 6 days/wk), they offer lectures and yoga in the morning and evening — a full day of tuning into this ancient art of slowing down.

Photo: Judepics

This school is really like a yoga college that offers an impressive program of up to 24 months of yoga studies.

Besides yoga, they host many workshops on other esoteric topics, such as Kashmir Shaivism, Taoism, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, Gnostic Christianity, complete femininity, tantric sexuality, and a monthly 10-day silent meditation retreat.

Agama Yoga has schools worldwide, but the main one is on Koh Phangan. For more information, check out AgamaYoga.com.

The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary, another popular yoga center on the island, is located in Haad Thian on the remote eastern side. To get here, take a boat taxi or 4WD vehicle over the very rugged roads.

In addition to yoga courses, The Sanctuary offers an array of workshops on massage and healing training, a wonderful restaurant serving vegetarian and seafood dishes, and full spa treatments — including fasting and colonic irrigation.

Blooming Lotus Yoga

Blooming Lotus Yoga, located in quiet Haad Yuan, is one of the newest yoga centers on the island. Just minutes behind the popular Bamboo Hut restaurant, Blooming Lotus is a small cozy studio.

The building is distinctly Thai traditional style with dark teak wood and open-air netting for the “walls” — hence it’s consistently cool and airy, with a nice view of the lush jungle all around.

This center offers hatha yoga, yoga nidra (art of relaxation & psychic sleep), and instructor training. Check out www.bloominglotus.ca.

Photo: lulumon athletica

Monte Vista Retreat Center

Monte Vista Retreat Center runs cleansing, detox, and fasting programs with colonic treatments. Stress reduction and self-healing programs are available, along with reiki, energy, and chakra work, plus massage, counseling, life-coaching, and daily yoga.

I taught yoga here after my course and can confirm this place is a “gem” — the quiet hilltop setting with amazing ocean views makes it really special.

The Yoga Retreat

The Yoga Retreat is located on the northwest side of Koh Phangan, up in the mountains about 5 minutes from Haad Salad beach.

It’s a family business run by highly qualified instructors with courses available at every level — from the Basic Elements, chakra healing, Pilates, or Alexander technique — all taught in peaceful jungle surrounds.

There’s also a restaurant with a wide range of healthy drinks, veggie foods, and three bungalows. They offer 5-14 day retreats, as well as an herbal steam room and plunge pool.

Destinations

Community Connection to Thailand

Going deeper into the inner-self

You’re lucky if you get to spend many months here on this tropical island ‘tuning-in’ and stepping out of the mainstream.

Maybe this type of inner-work should be mandatory for all citizens of the Earth, to really produce a global village of peaceful people.

The beautiful thing about going deeper into the inner-self with arts such as yoga and meditation is that we realize the immensity of our true nature.

What we have all been seeking is truly inside, like buried treasure.

It just takes the persistence of a daily practice to create that stillness of mind where peace and equanimity remain. It helps to have a paradise like Koh Phangan for the journey!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Want more bliss? We’ve got a whole page of yoga travel resources for you, right here on the Matador Network.

Photo: aaronbflickr

Most visitors to northern Chile make a beeline to the small inland town of San Pedro de Atacama and never look back. Yet, the best combination of the region’s two most rewarding natural resources — the desert and the coast — is found a few hundred miles to the southwest.

Natural diversity: from desert, to beaches, to penguins

Pan de Azucar National Park occupies over 43,000 hectares, straddling the border of Chile’s Regions II and III. There’s a thin strip of coastal paradise, flanked by miles and miles of desert stretching away from the shore.

Photo: ^riza^

Beach camping is what’s on tap. Wake up to an ocean sunrise, join the seagulls and sandpipers for a quick dip in the sea, and then relax on the sand.

Once you’ve had your fill of beach soccer, surfing, and sunbathing, take a hike to the top of the Mirador for an excellent view of the stark Atacama landscape. Ask the park rangers for more information on the Mirador walk, along with other hiking opportunities.

And don’t forget the penguins! Boats depart from Caleta for tours around Isla Pan de Azucar. There you’ll see sealions laze and bark and Humboldt penguins chatter amongst themselves on the shore.

How to get there

The park lies 800 km north of Santiago and just 30 km from Chañaral. Renting a car, which can be done in Antofagasta or Copiapó, is the most convenient way to reach Pan de Azucar. Hitchhiking is also possible, helped by the fact that Chile is probably South America’s safest country.

A third option is to take a bus to Chañaral, conveniently located on the Pan-American Highway, and then hop a minibus or collectivo to the park.

Where to stay

The four campgrounds (Caleta Pan de Azucar, Piqueros, Soldado, and Piqueros Norte) sit on long strips of white-sand beach, ten minutes from the park entrance.

Photo: ~chicchun~

Soldado and Piqueros Norte are group areas — Soldado mainly sees families, while Piqueros Norte is where young singles flock.

These two campgrounds are the best; the sites are located farther apart from each other for more privacy, and they offer the best views of the ocean. They come with a canopy, campfire ring, and table and chairs. Nearby are bathrooms and cold-water showers, plus sinks for washing dishes.

Also available are a few “fully equipped” beach cabanas, each sleeping six.

Caleta and Piqueros are less expensive but sites are cramped — your view may very well consist of the back of another tent.

Sign up for a campsite at the administration station, which is open from 8:30-12:30am and 2-6pm.

Costs

Photo: law_keven

Beach cabanas: $20,000-$40,000 CLP per night, depending on the season
Campsite at Piqueros Norte or Soldado: $3500 CLP per person, per night
Campsite at Caleta or Piqueros: $2000 CLP per person, per night
Park entrance fee: $3500 CLP per person ($1500 CLP for children)
Boatride to Isla Pan de Azucar: $5000 CLP per person

Special tip: The budget-conscious can try talking to the rangers about a “servicio.” Depending on their mood, you might be able to convince them to let you pick up litter on the beach or empty the garbage bins in the bathrooms in exchange for a night’s stay.

Additional tips

* Though Caleta has a small store, its prices are exorbitant and its selection meager. Buy food and supplies before arriving. There are also vendors who come through in the afternoon with empanadas and sweets, but you shouldn’t rely on them either.

* Pack a flashlight, matches, a knife, plastic bags for trash, sunblock, and sunglasses. These are must-haves for camping in Pan de Azucar.

* A visit in spring (October, November, and December) will give you a look at the blossoming of exotic desert plants and families of guanacos (related to llamas).

* Despite the ocean’s tempering influence, this is still the desert — it gets cold at night, so bring a good jacket and a hat to stay warm.

*If you love the night sky, you’ll love Pan de Azucar. Pack your star map for some serious star gazing.

Community Connection

Matador is the place to read up on Chile! Relevant titles include:

Destinations

Community Connection to Chile

Chile’s Best Coast Towns (which, incidentally, happens to feature Pan de Azucar)

8 Natural Wonders of Chile

10 Reasons to Base Your Study Abroad Experience in Chile

7 Reasons to Learn Spanish in Chile

What People Are Listening to in Chile

Trekking Torres Del Paines, Patagonia, Chile

Beach at the Green Turtle Lodge / Photo above and feature photo: Stig Nygaard

1. Zebrabar

Location: near Saint-Louis, Senegal

At this upscale campground, human-size monkeys cross the beach and a resident zebra playfully steals guests’ belongings.

Photo: author

With a river that’s safe for swimming and a deserted ocean beach, Zebrabar accommodates the solo backpacker as well as families with young children, making it a fabulous place to meet travelers from all over the globe.

During the high tourist season around New Year, birders flock to the campgrounds to explore National Park Langue de Barbarie.

But from June to September, just a handful of guests are around to relax in the resort’s hammocks, paddle kayaks across the river, and gather for three-course dinners at the water’s edge.

Website: http://www.zebrabar.net
Cost: $13/night for a single bungalow with shared bath, $19/night for a double
Currency: West African CFA franc
Language: French. Swiss owners also speak English and German.
Getting there: Taxi from Saint-Louis (30 minutes)
Tip: If you’re not a bird watcher, go in the off season (June to September) to have things all to yourself.

2. Green Turtle Lodge

Location: near Cape Coast, Ghana

Backpackers and volunteers in Ghana talk about Green Turtle as though it were the very definition of paradise, which it might well be compared to some of the country’s other accommodations.

Solar-powered bungalow / Photo: Stig Nygaard

This is a true getaway from the hustle of Ghana’s cities, and since it revolves around environment- and community-oriented tourism, there’s no need to feel guilty for lounging here for days on end.

Visit nearby fishing villages, canoe through mangroves, and stroll the beach looking for the sea turtles that nest here between October and March.

The highlight of the day? When the cook posts the menu. From coconut fish curry to jam on homemade bread, the food is cheap — a few dollars for a meal — and tasty.

Website: http://www.greenturtlelodge.com
Cost: $4 for a tent, $5 for a dorm bed, $20 for a double chalet with shared bath
Currency: Cedi
Language: English
Getting there: Bush taxi from Cape Coast (several hours)
Tip: If it’s raining, pass on the tent and spring for a bed instead. Book one from within Ghana by text message, since cell service is spotty at the resort.

3. Kribi

Location: southwest Cameroon

Relaxing in Kribi / Photo: gizzle

This isn’t one resort; it’s an entire beach town overflowing with hotels for you to choose from. Some are pricey for the backpacker’s budget, but once you get a taste of the spectacular coastline and succulent seafood, you’ll see that Kribi is worth splurging for a few days.

The town is also home to one of the world’s few freshwater falls that feeds directly into the ocean.

Nightlife here is hoppin’! Bars and clubs are crowded until late, and street vendors hawk grilled fish and brochettes — meat on skewers — to accompany the ubiquitous 22-ounce beers.

Cost: Budget hotels at $20/room, others starting at $35/room
Currency: Central African CFA franc
Language: French
Getting there: Bush taxi from Douala (several hours)
Tip: Prices are negotiable in the off season, particularly if you’re willing to forgo air conditioning.

Community Connection

After splurging in Kribi, why not keep heading south to check out Trips’ 5 Reasons to Go to Angola in 2009 (And Beyond) with your own eyes?

Or hang out longer in Cameroon to investigate Volunteer Opportunities in Africa.

And for those who think beaches are a bit dull, may we suggest coming Face to Face with South Africa’s Great Whites?

Photo: Wonderlane

An hour’s drive through the desert from either La Paz or Los Cabos will bring you to the wonderfully strange Pacific coast town of Todos Santos.

Imagine a Marin County artists’ colony crossed with a sleepy Mexican pueblo. Throw in a handful of baby-boomer tourists and a literal oasis of palm trees and cool blue water surrounded on three sides by desert and on one by the Pacific.

On a dark desert highway…

The main attraction in Todos Santos is — and has been since 1947 — the Hotel California.

Photo: author

While this particular hotel didn’t actually inspire the Eagles’ song, it’s easy to see why that myth has been so persistent: the “dark desert highway” that leads you there, the candlelit alcoves, the funky combination of modern art and Mexican handicrafts, the mysterious air of the old building.

You can almost believe it’s a hallucination, or a song.

It’s worth the splurge to spend a night or more in one of the comfortable, colorful rooms (each one’s different), especially if you’re traveling with your sweetie.

Either way, drop by for a shot (or a margarita) of the Hotel California’s award-winning tequila in the hotel bar, La Coronela — or check out the stars (and wild modern art) from the outdoor dining room as you sip.

More digs

For the backpacker’s budget, Todos Santos and the nearby town of Pescadero offer relatively few, but extremely cool, accommodations.

In Pescadero, Jaime’s Surf Camp gives you the option of camping-style palapas or more private casitas — AND a BYOB swim-up bar. Also get deals on surfboard and boogie board rentals, as well as a shuttle to the beach. Pizza and beer (and reggae night on Wednesdays) are within easy walking distance.

In Todos Santos, try La Sirena — again, rentals for ocean sports and basic but comfy casitas with a shared kitchen at reasonable prices.

Photo: kumar303

Run by American expat and turtle warrior Francesca and her Mexican partner (and their two bicultural kiddos), you’ll get friendly advice on how to best spend your time in Baja, including tips on hikes, wildlife viewing, great food, and of course all things turtle-related.

Or, you can always go for the classic surf vacation option of camping on the beach — for free.

Away from the surf and sand

If you tire of the beach, the Todos Santos museum is free, and a weird, disorganized, and oddly fascinating jumble of local history (including haunting photos of Todos Santos’ founding families), reproductions of Frida Kahlo paintings, the work of local artists, and artifacts from the indigenous groups that once inhabited the area.

Photo: Tokyo Tanenhaus

While Baja doesn’t have much to offer in the way of local handicrafts (most of the ones you’ll see for sale are from Oaxaca and Tlaxcala), it has local artists in abundance.

You could easily spend an entire afternoon browsing the galleries, and if you take a look at one of the local papers or magazines, there’s a good chance you’ll find an opening, reading, or at least a yoga class to attend.

Ask around for directions to the oasis when the heat gets to be too much. Swimming under towering palm trees, plucking a convenient mango when you get hungry — the whole trip might just be worth it, right there.

Community Connection

Destinations

Community Connection to Mexico

But…Is Traveling to Mexico Dangerous? Read Julie Schwietert’s take and decide for yourself.

Matador contributor Misty Tosh knows Baja well. Make sure to give her piece on The Ultimate Baja Escape a read.

Many community blogs have also been written on the region.

There are plenty of opportunities to give back in Baja. For starters, click over to First Person Dispatch: Caring for Orphaned Kids in Mexico and Saving Turtles in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

The latest giveaway from Matador Goods was all about therapy. We’re not talking shrinks, pills, and office visits — no, the name of the game is Travel Therapy, as explained by author Karen Schaler.

Up for grabs was a copy of the book, which offers tips on how to “change your attitude by changing your environment.” Several readers entered the giveaway contest, commenting with descriptions and photos of their favorite travel therapy destinations.

Here are the spots recommended as particularly therapeutic, including the one nominated by the winner of Travel Therapy!

1. “While traveling South East Asia things can get pretty hectic. Touts will hassle you, the traffic will test your nerves and the noise can drive you crazy. In Thailand’s far south on the Malaysian border the small island of Ko Lipe will take you away from it all, where you can relax on the beach and enjoy the serenity.” – Dave Bouskill

2. “The beaches inside Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. You have to pay to enter the park, so it stays much cleaner than the public beaches in Manuel Antonio. The day I was there, it was closed when I arrived in the morning, but by the afternoon they had opened it with free entry, but by that time people had left, so the park was really empty and it was like our own private beach!” – Powered by Tofu
Photographer: thombo2

3. “I would have to say this photo captures my idea of travel therapy. This was on a hike that I’d wanted to do for a few years but could never work out the logistics to do it. It required 20 miles of kayaking on two different lakes, a 2 mile land portage and a 5 mile hike with 4,000 feet of elevation gain. I eventually found someone crazy enough to do it with me and the weather turned out to be absolutely amazing. Ross Lake is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen and the view from Desolation Peak is worth every sweat drop of effort getting there.” – Asa

4. “The most perfect day I’ve ever had was in Bourgas, Bulgaria, and I spent a large portion of the day at the beach there…good food, gorgeous day, just wonderful.” – Emilie S
Photographer: Boby Dimitrov

5. “After cycling 4000 km and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro there is no better place to relax than Nungwi, Zanzibar. Turquoise waters, fresh seafood and sandy beaches that reach far out to sea at low tide will wash your blues away and rejuvenate you for the road ahead. Here is my photo of zen.”
- Dave and Deb

6. “I want to escape somewhere where there is nothing to do but look at the sky, the water, and sleep. A beach is great, but being in the mountains in a cabin with a breeze and a beautiful sunset would be awesome too.” – MRS.MOMMYY
Photographer: annia316

Drumroll please: AND THE WINNER IS…

7. “I find Bali very therapeutic. It can be very hectic & the traffic is sometimes horrendous (especially around the main tourist areas) but there’s something about the charm and grace of the Balinese, the enchanting scenery and temples, and the amazing spas (the concept was probably invented there!) that I find absolutely soothing. Sinking my feet into the cool sand of Jimbaran or Seminyak with a cold beer and a lobster platter while watching the sunset is my idea of bliss!” – Keith Jenkins

Community Connection

The isn’t the first time Trips has teamed up with Goods to announce the winner of a giveaway. For more photo essays and more winners, check out:

Photo Essay: Readers’ Favorite Family Vacation Destinations
Matador Goods Photo Contest Finalists

Also, make sure to keep an eye on Matador Goods for their next contest!

Photo above and feature photo: Gret@Lorenz

Tasty Cuisine

Rabat and Fez are the best places for serious culinary explorations. While Rabat is the most modern and comfortable Moroccan city, Fez is traditional and fascinating. Both offer perfect moods for culinary adventures and both have attracted some of the best chefs in the country.

Some might argue that Marrakech is also a great culinary destination — and I wouldn’t disagree — but what’s happening in Rabat and Fez goes beyond catering to tourists and is directed at locals as well.

Here are some unique Moroccan culinary experiences worth seeking out:

White truffles

Photo: Gret@Lorenz

You can find these for sale along the road from Rabat to Meknes.

Artfully stacked on overturned buckets, they’re sold near oak trees growing in a special soil that stimulates the symbiotic relationship between the truffle and the oak roots.

Argan oil

A specialty of Morocco. It’s a toasty, nutty oil, traditionally derived from a complex process: the undigested pits of the Argan fruit, after being eaten by tree-climbing goats, are picked from the animals’ dung, then cleaned and toasted.

Next, the pits are ground or pressed and the oil is bottled for culinary uses or further processed for cosmetic creams and ointments.

But worry not, today the oil is produced in a more sanitary way. Its taste is a cross between peanut oil and freshly mashed green olives — an absolutely delicious way to dress a salad.

Saffron

Taliouine — south of Marrakech — offers a unique twist to the more commonly available Spanish and Iranian saffrons. The saffron of Taliouine has its own flavor due to southern Morocco’s soil makeup.

Wine

The Meknes Valley yields the finest Moroccan wine, which has come a long way. While wine grapes have been grown here since Roman times, in the past twenty years the industry has begun to make certain vintages that wine lovers the world over would gladly add to their cellars.

Photo: dominikgolenia

A particular favorite of mine is Château Roslane Premier Cru from A.O.C. Les Coteaux de l’Atlas.

Escargot

Steamed and ladled cups of brothy escargot are a fun snack that you will most likely see on the street at night.

People gather around the snail seller’s cart and sip and nibble on these hot little striped-shell delicacies.

Sacred Experiences

The biggest challenge to travel in Morocco is that non-Muslim visitors are not allowed into mosques and shrines, with the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca being the exception.

Yet, the natural beauty of Morocco more than makes up for this and possesses what my Moroccan friend Saadia would call “the Big Waloo” — the Big Nothing — as in total, pure divine presence.

From ocean vista to mountain pass to the Big Waloo of the rosy-orange desert dunes of the south, the natural world’s sacred is open to all. You can take your pick following your own preferences.

For ocean-lovers, explore the Atlantic coast from Asilah to Essaouira.

Photo: Rosino

If you’re into mountains, anywhere in the interior — from north to south — gives way to great views whose only sign of human habitation comes from the shepherds and their brown-faced sheep, black goats, and sturdy donkeys.

Those who hear the desert’s call should head south to Merzouga and ride on a camel trek into the dunes.

For a rare chance at experiencing Moroccan sacred traditions as a local, come to Fez in June and July for The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, when sacred spaces otherwise closed to visitors open their doors throughout the city.

Another similar music festival unfolds annually in Essaouira in June: The Gnaoua and World Music Festival.

Romantic Locales

Asilah and Essaouira command a romantic air, with their oceanside settings and well-established art scenes. These are also two cities with an open, international mood that makes them relaxing.

Asilah is smaller and a bit more intimate, while Essaouira has more expansive possibilities. Both have the dramatic backdrop of fortified old towns against the great watery blue of the Atlantic.

Rabat is Morocco’s most mellow and cosmopolitan city, one that invites visitor interaction with the locals. Numerous cafes offer comfortable places for men and women to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.

Photo: Vibragiel

Seaside Rabat’s medieval neighborhood, the walled medina, is a welcoming place to walk, shop, and talk to artisans carving or painting wood or working silver and gold.

Finally, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the Roman provincial capital of this part of Africa (and known in Arabic as Walili), is worth a mention.

Its romantic appeal lies in the beautiful Meknes Valley that surrounds it, and in the ancient stones and mosaics of the old city.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Other guides in the Eat, Pray, Love series can be found on Portugal and Spain.

Three more articles that will satiate your food, spirit, and love needs are The World’s Best Cities for Late Night Food, How to Respectfully Visit Holy Places Around the World, and The Romantic’s Cheap Guide to Southern France.

Photo above: notsogoodphotography, Feature photo: the trial

It’s a time when many take to the beach to relax or get their sport on, and the Guardian’s travel section recently released a top-10 list of the world’s best stretches of sand.

Who’d they ask? People who know their beaches — marine biologists, surfing instructors, and divers, among others.

Photo: notsogoodphotography

Here’s what they came up with:

1. Kapalua Bay, Maui, Hawaii, U.S.
2. Hossegor, France
3. Hyams Beach, New South Wales, Australia
4. Porthtowan, Cornwall, United Kingdom
5. Bingin Beach, Bali
6. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Island
7. Sifah beach, Oman
8. Namotu, Fiji
9. Punta Lobos, southern Chile
10. Pease Bay, Scotland

Look at the geographical diversity of this list. You can literally find your favorite anywhere in the world.

They offer different colors and textures of sand, different crowds, different surf breaks…different ways to enjoy the summer.

We at Trips want to know: what are your favorite beaches? Where can you be found come June 21, and what will you be doing there? Let us know in the comments!

Community Connection

Matador has covered a variety of beach-related topics, from the Best Nude Beaches in the World to Simple Beach Yoga for Backpackers.

Need help figuring out your family summer travel plans? Maybe a photo essay of reader-recommended family destinations is what you need.

Photo above: donrenexito, Feature photo: felixion

Valparaiso

Photo: Vitriskel

Valpo, as it’s affectionately known to locals, is a place of details.

Every corner, every nook offers something different and new: a clothing flea market, a gigantic mural, a purple house, a rustic restaurant with unobstructed views of the ocean, a coffeeshop that serves black coffee and refuses to offer Nescafe (instant coffee is ubiquitous in Chile).

It’s a city that must be walked. Take the ascensor accessed from Esmeralda Street and wander Cerro Concepcion, where you’ll find Café Concepcion on Papudo. The restaurant — and the hill for that matter — has a spectacular view of the bay.

Near the main plaza, order buttery Mil Hojas ice cream at La Vitamin on Avenida Pedro Montt 1746.

Viña del Mar

Since the 1800s, Santiaguinos have flocked to Viña’s beaches to escape the city’s summer heat.

If you don’t mind a crowd (and the towering condominiums), the beach and accompanying boardwalk offer a variety of treats: sunning yourself on a stretch of sand, a seaside artesanía (handmade crafts) market, and smaller stands with refreshments and ice cream.

Vendors wander the beaches selling cuchuflis and dulces. You can watch sand sculptors turn tiny grains into octopi, buffalo…even the Simpsons.

Since the roads can be congested, a bus from Santiago is most convenient. The ride from the University of Santiago station takes an a hour and a half, and you arrive in Viña, a twenty-minute walk from the beach.

Isla Negra

Photo: Author

Isla Negra is the site of Pablo Neruda’s favorite beach house. The famous Chilean poet referred to himself as a “cosista,” one who collects “things.”

His retreat is filled with glass paperweights, masks from around the world, colorful dishes — anything that caught his eye.

Outside, you can admire the view that inspired Neruda’s many poems and walk the beach.

The bus from Santiago drops you five minutes from the main highway, with nearby restaurants serving up quality fish like corvina and congrio.

Algarrobo

Photo: Author

Located to the south of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, Algarrobo’s tall waves and expansive sand provide a peaceful respite from the crowds, especially the farther you wander from downtown.

Rent kayaks, swim in calm waters, and take a ride on a raft, all within a protective alcove that makes the ocean look like a lake. Near the private condominium resort San Alfonso del Mar, walk for miles on the beach and lay out in relative isolation — a delightful alternative to normally crowded Chilean beaches.

While you’re there, take a peek at the resort, which claims the Guinness Book of World Records title for largest swimming pool in the world.

La Serena

La Serena is a beachtown, plain and simple. Its broad sidewalks and grid layout are easy to navigate, its people chill.

Visit Mercado La Recova for handmade jewelry, musical instruments, clothing, and plenty of food. Be sure to purchase a jar of homemade manjar, a sweet cream made from condensed milk popular in Chile.

Looking for the beach? Avenida del Mar, the coastal road, provides access to at least 10 of them.

La Caleta (Pan de Azucar National Park)

Pan de Azucar is a beachside national park located in the Atacama Desert. Though technically too small to be considered a town, it’s too pretty not to be on this list.

Photo: aaronbflickr

Bring your tent and for 3,500 pesos a night you can sleep under a cabana at Piqueros with a view of the beach to the west and the stark beauty of the Atacama to the east.

Or for even less, camp in the more crowded, party-friendly sites at Piqueros Norte and La Caleta. La Caleta is the “town” in Pan de Azucar, with two restaurants and a mini-market for stocking up on essentials.

Once you’ve had your fill of beach fun, take a boat tour for 5,000 pesos (about $9) to the island where 5,000 penguins have taken up residence. The boat gets close enough to see rows and rows of them, the juveniles still puffy with feathers and the couples standing together in the shade.

You can also hike up to the mirador for a killer view of the desert plain as it spreads out against the coastline.

Community Connection:

To get beyond the coast, check out this list of Chile’s 8 Natural Wonders. Thinking about getting a closer look? Here are 10 Reasons to Base Your Study Abroad Experience in Chile.

Feature photo and photo above courtesy of Samantha Brown.

With 10 years of travel experience, Samantha Brown is no stranger to overnight stays. Here are her five top hotel choices, from the lavish to economic. She also gives us tips on how to find a great hotel in the midst of a not-so-great economy.

1. Sunset Key Guest Cottages, Key West, FL

“It’s where I spent my honeymoon.”

Located on a luxury island 500 yards from Key West, Florida, the Sunset Key Guest Cottages offer patrons individual bungalows endowed with front porches and rocking chairs. Every morning warm muffins and freshly squeezed orange juice are left on the porch in a picnic basket for guests to enjoy over ocean views.

Rates start at $500 and climb depending on how high guests want to take their levels of luxury.

2.The Library Hotel, New York City, NY

Touted as Manhattan’s most celebrated luxury concept hotel, The Library Hotel defines modern elegance and extravagance. Rooms are filled with books on myriad subjects. From architecture to biographies, even to erotic literature, each floor is dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System.

Around $375 lands guests complimentary breakfasts, including espresso and cappuccino, a wine and cheese reception, and in-room access to the top 100 films from the American Film Institute. On the penthouse floor, The Library Hotel offers a poetry garden and writer’s den.

Photo by drewsaunders.

3. The Pod Hotel, New York City, NY

“Create more space by holding on to each other; you were going to do that anyway right?”

For young hipsters on a budget but unwilling to stay at Motel 6, the Pod Hotel is the perfect alternative. Established on 51st Street, the Pod Hotel offers a great location at an affordable $79-99 a night with cool features (mp3 docking stations, free WiFi, LCD TVs), and a dimmer lights.

4. Hotel San Jose, Austin, TX

This former motor lodge is now a very cool hotel with a desert Zen atmosphere. Sitting in one of Austin’s hippest neighborhoods, Hotel San Jose offers a great location on South Congress Street.

Right across the street is one of the best live music venues, The Continental, and Joe’s Coffee, which plays movies in the parking lot and live music on Sundays.

Not for quiet lovebirds, Hotel San Jose is tailored more for the party couple looking to love it up and live it up together. And with $100 rates for shared bathrooms on weekends, this hotel is definitely an affordable option.

Photo by Beard Papa.

5. Inn of the Five Graces, Santa Fe, NM

“This was one of the best beds I have ever slept in. And being on the road 240 days a year, let’s just say I’ve slept around.”

Ranging on the more expensive side, the Inn of the Five Graces averages $375 a night for an intensely romantic, mysterious, and exotic experience.

Guests feel like they have been transported by Aladdin’s magic carpet as rooms are decorated with beautiful textiles some would expect to find on the silk road. The slow, relaxed dripping water sounds of the courtyard fountains and the superbly comfortable beds make this establishment truly phenomenal.

Value added extras: free mini bar, breakfast, wine and cheese reception every evening. One of the rooms even has carving of the Kama Sutra on the headboard.

How to find the best hotel for your ever decreasing buck:

• Brown advises lovebirds to look for off-season destinations as one of the ways to help mitigate travel costs.”Right now it’s beaches, especially in the Northeast. Sure it’s cold, but you’ll have the place all to yourselves, which could be incredibly romantic.”
• Or as an alternative to traveling on the amorous holiday, Brown suggests couples create a personal version by reserving their celebratory weekend for another day: “Valentine’s Day weekend is one of the busiest in the hotel industry, so hotels are going to be able to charge whatever they want.

  “But if you hold off and go just one weekend later, the rates will be substantially lower. So give your sweetie your gift of a romantic weekend on Valentine’s day, but scheduled for another time. If they don’t appreciate it, then my advice would be to break up with that person; they are only going to get worse.”

• In the city, business hotels offer cheaper rates on the weekends (think Wall Street in NYC). “Take advantage of the road warriors going home.”
• Las Vegas and Orlando have cheaper rates during the week.
• Check out the destination’s Visitor’s Bureau website. “These sites really cater to people in search of deals.”
• BedandBreakfast.com: B&Bs are great, inexpensive options for the cozy couple just looking to get away from it all. “They are no longer like staying at an aunt’s house that smells of bad perfume and cats.”

Community Connection:

For more information on Samantha Brown, including her taping schedule, you can visit her page on the Travel Channel website.

Photo above by Wolfgang Staudt

Feature photo by G u i d o

Cheap and Romantic Lodging Options

Forget staying in hotels, even the budget ones. Southern France is filled with self-catering urban apartments and rural bungalows. Renting one of these for a week or two cuts down lodging costs by 30% to 50% and honestly, they up the romance and authenticity of being there by 200%.

The beauty of renting a place is that you unpack once and spend the rest of your time exploring the area– eating, drinking, wandering, hiking– without stress. And that is how one arrives at the good life.

Some suggested sites to search for your temporary home away from home are:

• Top Rural in France
• Homelidays in France
• Craigslist: Look for housing listings under France for Marseilles, Montpellier, Lyon, and Toulouse).
• For gîtes (rural, self-catering houses and apartments) in Provence French Connections has some romantic bargains if you hunt about.

Photo above by van Ort

Eating and Drinking

Having your self-catering accommodation offers the next big economic and romantic move: the ability to shop at the famous Provencal daily and weekly markets and sample the true terroir of the land: locally-grown food and wine.

Buy your fruits and vegetables, cheeses and sausages from the people who make them, as with the wine. Rent a bike, land your hands on one of the GR foot trail maps, and cycle and walk to villages and towns on market day.

Weekly food markets occur in nearly every town and village. When you arrive at your home base, ask the tourist office for a list of nearby markets.

And always ask the locals. If there is one thing people love to talk about it’s their local food and wine, and where and from whom to buy it. Tourist offices are also well equipped to help you with details.

Flea Markets

Most flea markets occur on Sundays, though some are on Saturdays. Flea markets bring out the diverse color of society and are a great way to see the old fashions and aesthetics of a place.

Moreover, flea markets let you find a one-of-a-kind treasure to take home at a bargain price. Again, the local tourist office can tell you when and where these occur. Avignon and Montpellier have terrific flea markets as do other main towns.

Cultural Activities for Free (or Almost)

Music in the open air, galleries showing off the artistic genius of the area, hikes, sunset vistas from perfect perches– these are many of the free experiences you can find easily in Provence. Concerts are listed on church doors and at tourist offices. Gallery exhibits often have a sidewalk billboard announcing a little hidden plaza where there’s an exhibit.

The person from whom you rented your apartment can tell you the best place to watch the sunset in their town. (In Avignon, it is at the top of the Rocher des Doms gardens). Also ask them where the best trails are for hikes.

If museums are a must, take advantage of the all-city admission deals where you purchase a pass for a one or two-day access to all sites, rather than paying the higher individual admission fees.

Finally, rent a bike and/or buy a good walking map and use your own muscles to motor about. Slow Travel France is a great resource and offers terrific ideas and guidance for hikes in the Luberon.

Photo above by Wolfgang Staudt

Two Itineraries for Touring Provence

These two one-week itineraries capture the highlights of Provence. They complement each other well so if you have two full weeks, I’d give them both a go.

Week One: Arles, Nîmes, and the Camargue, or, The Roman, Romany, and Cowboy Route

• Make Arles your home base—renting a studio in the heart of town, where you can enjoy strolls in the streets Van Gogh once walked.
• Dine at the family-run places that advertise plat du jour, repas à prix fixe, or formules (set menus). These reasonably-priced set menus and specials tend to offer local, seasonal foods at the best prices.

• Arles’ market days are Wednesday and Saturday.

• Rent bikes to tour the Camargue, which you can do from Arles. Be sure to have plenty of sunscreen and mosquito repellent. July and August are the worst months for mosquitoes, but May, June, September and October (maybe even November) can be bad as well.
• Take the train for a day trip to Nîmes. If you want to go further afield, make another day trip to Montpellier, to the west, or Marseilles, to the east.

• Nîmes’ market day is Monday.

• Take a local bus to Les Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer for a beach day, enjoying shellfish, chilled dry rosé wine, and this pilgrimage site where it is believed many sacred Marys, including Mary Magdalene, and other biblical figures, arrived by boat from the Holy Land around AD 40.

• Les-Stes-Maries’ markets days are Monday and Friday.

Photo above by Wolfgang Staudt

Week Two: Avignon, Le Luberon, and the Pont du Gard, or, the Medieval Towns and Villages Route

• Make Avignon your home base. A great hotel, if you decide on that option over the lodging suggestions above, is the Hotel Medieval, which rents studios with kitchenettes at weekly rates. It’s in the heart of medieval Avignon.
• Allow 2-3 days just to soak up Avignon’s cultural, culinary, and social scenes. Enjoy the gallery exhibits, the church concerts, the food and flea markets, and the bistros scattered throughout the old Papal town.

• Avignon’s market day is Monday. It also has the daily Les Halles covered food market that is a treat to shop.

• Take a bus to Gordes and hike around this mountaintop town for the day: Take a linking bus or hire a taxi to the Abbaye de Senanque in a hidden valley nearby.

• Take a day bus to Uzès and the Pont du Gard, preferably during Uzès market days of Wednesday or Saturday.

• Take the train to Aix-en-Provence for the day and soak up the university atmosphere (which also means good eats at good prices).

• Aix’s market is open every day on the Place Richelme.

• Make a day trip to St-Rémy-de-Provence and enjoy a smaller-scale but quintessential Provencal town on the edge of the Alpilles limestone mountains.
• St.-Rémy’s market day is Wednesday.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

For more tips to travel France on the cheap, check out How To Travel in France for Less Than $100 a Day, or our list of 10 Free Things To Do in Paris.

And for a more personal take on travel in France, check out these blogs from Matador community members: The Quiet of the Dordogne, by member Maija, or Is There Any Where I’d Rather Be?, by member terryodee.

Feature photo by Turner Wright. Photo above by TED_KANAKUBO.

Take it from someone who’s experienced Japan’s bathing culture firsthand: there’s nothing quite like listening to your heartbeat slowing as you are immersed in soothing waters that haven’t seen the light of day for millennia.

In general, there are two different ways hot springs occur: magma close to the Earth’s crust may come into contact with an underground water source, or water may be heated directly from the energy produced by the Earth’s core — a geothermal spring.

Hot spring culture is universal, yet the baths themselves exist in a variety of environments – not every spring is the stereotypical picture of water boiling to the surface of a stone-covered pond in the midst of a dense forest or jungle.

In fact, you can find the familiar steam in urban sprawls, near ancient ruins, and even amongst the ice of Antarctica! Where in the world should you go if you’re looking for a good soak? Here are ten places:

1. Japan

Photo by NileGuide.com.

The hot springs culture is Japan is second to none. Onsen, as they are called, are available wherever a volcano looms on the horizon. In the west Japanese city of Beppu, there is so much hot water beneath the surface it appears small fires are constantly burning on the streets, steam releasing some pressure and providing picturesque scenes.

In northern Honshu, near Nagano, snow monkeys are clever enough to go in for a soak themselves, as Japanese tourists snap some truly original photographs.

2. Iceland

Photo by reemer.

Iceland is actually the source of the name “geyser”; the original, geysir, has longed stopped spewing hot water at regular intervals and is hardly the best place to go for a decent soak. However, if you’re looking for an impressive bath, be sure to check out the blue lagoon, floating right on a lava formation in southwestern Iceland.

3. Antarctica

Though technically a continent, Antarctica must be mentioned: Who would have thought there would be hot springs in the middle of the land of ice? There’s one place you can do it: Deception Island, close to the tip of South America. Dig your own little place to soak out of the black sand and you’re all set.

4. Peru

Photo by shashiBellamkonda.

If you’ve ever hiked to Machu Picchu, then no doubt you’ve passed through the town of Aguas Calientes (guess… “Hot Waters”). Only six kilometers from the ancient ruins, these baths offer a respite for those going up or down the mountain.

5. Taiwan

Photo by Prince Roy.

Taiwanese hot springs culture was incredibly influenced by nearby Japan, and now some would say they are even surpassing their northern neighbor in quality and variety of baths. Be sure to check out Hell Valley in Beitou and enjoy the indoor pools.

6. United States

Photo by stephend9.

The US has a large concentration of geothermal springs in and around the Rocky Mountains and scattered around Alaska. Many of the National Parks, including Death Valley, Big Bend, and Yellowstone, have hot water rising to the surface. For a real treat, make your way to Hot Springs, Arkansas and try one of the large bathhouses.

Photo by Drew And Merissa.

7. Canada

Photo by magical-world.

Western Canada has hot springs too numerous to mention: in the middle of forests, next to a waterfalls, surrounded by stalactites… Liard River Hot Springs and the Fairmont Hot Springs in British Columbia are some of the more well-known areas, but there are a few pools in Alberta and the Yukon as well.

8. New Zealand

Photo by plαdys.

To soak like a Kiwi, stick to the north and relax in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Waiariki in New Zealand really help dissolve your pain. Check here for a comprehensive list of all the pools.

9. Chile

Chile also has the reputation of being a hot springs country, with over 275 places to soak and the biggest source of natural hot spring water in Liquiñe. No matter where you go, look for a “termas” sign and you’re all set for an abnormally hot bath.

10. United Kingdom

Photo by Howard.Gees.

What? You thought you were born 2,000 years too late to enjoy baths that the Romans themselves built, with grand marble columns and open atria? Well, you’re half right; in the city of Bath in Somerset, one can view the perfectly preserved Roman Baths… but officials might frown on you actually jumping into the water.

For that, it might be best to try the Thermae Bath Spa; only recently opened, one can now enjoy the same waters that soothed the line of Caesar. On top of that, Bath is a sister city to Beppu, Japan.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Have you soaked in the thermal waters of the world? What are your favorite hot springs?

If you want to be sure you’re not hassled, here are 10 popular beaches where bathing attire – actually, any attire at all – is optional.

Little Beach

Maui, Hawaii

What good is a Garden of Eden type Paradise if you can’t enjoy it Adam and Eve style? Fortunately, the authorities in charge of Makena State Park, on the island of Maui, understand that – and the locals appreciate the tourism dollars naturist travelers bring.

No less beautiful than Big Beach, Little Beach is kept clean and sociable by the Friends of Little Beach/Maui Sunseekers, who also sponsor nude half-day cruises several times a year. littlebeachmaui.com

Wreck Beach

Vancouver, British Columbia

The setting of Wreck Beach, Canada’s first and largest legal clothing-optional beach, couldn’t be more different from the tropics – but it is no less stunning.

Located at the confluence of the Frasier River with the Straits of Georgia and English Bay, this 5-mile long beach draws more than 500,000 visitors annually to admire the surrounding white cliffs and emerald-green forest. As befits one of the largest nude beaches in the world, it enjoys the allegiance of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society. www.wreckbeach.org/

photo by Vox Efx

San Onofre State Beach

Orange County, California

Yet another enclave defended by an active “Friends of” organization is the two-mile stretch of beach at the southern end of San Onofre State Park in the sun-drenched OC. A judge just ruled that the clothing optional section of the beach could stay that way, so come down and help the naturist enthusiasts celebrate their 30-year tradition.

Not far away along this surfers’ paradise coast is another Southern California clothing optional recreational area, San Diego’s Blacks Beach. friendsofsanonofre.org

Cap d’Agde

Vermeille Coast, France

Cap d’Agde is much more than just a nude beach: it is the “World Capital of Nudism.” In the “naturist quarter” of this Mediterranean resort town, nudity is legal not only on the beach but also in banks, restaurants and shops.

Of course, France is the home of laissez-faire, so just about every beach in southern France is topless. While the clothing optional atmosphere here is as wholesome as anywhere, there are sections of the beach at night where friskier activities are reported to take place. www.capdagde.com

Haulover Beach

Miami, Florida

This lovely beach in metropolitan Miami has been featured as one of the Travel Channel’s “Top Beaches” – and 1,000,000 visitors a year give it its reputations as one of the most popular clothing optional beaches in the country.

Haulover was once a very unsavory place, until it was reclaimed from drug dealers by naturist activists; to make sure it stays family-friendly, the city of Miami maintains the amenities, including patrolling lifeguards, barbecue grills, refreshment stands and showers. If you get bored just soaking up rays, there are volleyball games and even occasional surfing contests.

photo by diluvi

Apollo Beach

Volusia County, Florida

More centrally located in the Sunshine State than Haulover, Apollo Beach is at the north end of Canaveral National Seashore, an undeveloped area (i.e., few amenities) shared by hardy beach enthusiasts and a number of endangered species under the protection of the U.S. National Park Service.

“What’s not to love about a nude beach in Florida?” says Steve Vickers, 28, who works for AANR (the American Association for Nude Recreation). “It’s a great place where my friends and I escape for a ‘detox weekend.’”

Available parking (in lot number 5) has not kept up with the demand, so plan to arrive early. And don’t come expecting a bird’s eye view of a shuttle launch: Apollo is closed the week of a planned space shot.

Hanlan’s Point Beach

Toronto, Canada

Hanlan’s Point Beach was an experiment that succeeded: nude sunbathers who had been frequenting the place for years persuaded local authorities to declare it officially clothing optional on a trial basis, and it soon became more popular than the “textile” (i.e., swimsuit) area.

Access to Hanlan’s Point is via a 15-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto, followed by a 10-minute walk to the clothing optional area of the beach. The Hanlan’s Beach Naturists have equipped the beach with courts for playing volleyball, European “lengoteke” and French petanque. www.pathcom.com/~frebeach

photo by Richard Berg

Gunnison Beach

Sandy Hook, N.J.

Gunnison Beach, the largest clothing optional beach on the Atlantic coast of the United States, is one of several beaches in northern New Jersey’s Gateway National Recreation Area. Located on the Sandy Hook peninsula, Gunnison affords a panoramic view of New York Harbor and the famous skyline of lower Manhattan.

Legally recognized as clothing optional, with official signs, a lifeguard and police protection, Gunnison’s proximity to metropolitan New York means it can draw in excess of 5,000 visitors a day on a sunny summer weekend. gunnisonbeach.org

Samurai Beach

Port Stephens, Australia

The Beijing Olympics are over, but there’s no need to wait another four years to watch – or even participate in – riveting Olympic games of a totally different sort: the annual Nude Olympics held every November at Samurai Beach on Australia’s east coast.

Located within the bounds of Tomaree National Park, about 120 miles north of Sydney, ruggedly unspoiled Samurai Beach was one of the first legal nude beaches Down Under. Even when not hosting events like the Nude Torch Relay, the fun-loving Samurai Beach crowd gets to frolic in the Pacific Ocean in gorgeous weather all year round.

photo by pedrosimoes7

Anse de Grand Saline/Anse du Gouverneur

St. Barthelemy

All of the beaches on tiny St. Barts are topless (that good old French influence), and two of them are topless and bottomless, Anse de Grand Saline and Anse du Gouverneur. Lesser known than the clothing optional Orient Bay Beach on St. Martin, these fairly long beaches are consequently less crowded.

On the other hand, neither Anse de Grand Saline nor Anse du Gouverneur have any facilities whatsoever — no food or drink for sale, changing facilities or even public restrooms – so come prepared.

Community Connection!

Watch the legendary video of Matador editor Tim Patterson getting naked in Patagonia and flapping his arms like a condor: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jFnOhCNBmBg

Before You Go:
[NUDE TRAVEL GUIDE]
Naked Magazine’s Wordwide Guide to Naked Places, 6th Edition

Photo above by judepics. Photo above by Emma and Michael’s Excellent Adventures.

Imagine doing yoga in the great outdoors, surrounded by some of Spain’s tallest mountains. Imagine clean, pine-scented Alpine air mingling with a sultry sea salt breeze infused with orange blossom each time you inhale.

This heady mix exists in Órgiva, 52 kilometers south of Granada, 29 kilometers north of the Mediterranean coast, and set deep in the Alpujarras mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Spain.

Photo by judepics.

Órgiva is a mountain town that, like its Alpine-Mediterranean air, mixes traditional Andalusian and New Age international cultures. The blend is like green tea and mint, olives and sherry, churros and chocolate.

Best of all, Órgiva is home to one of the most earthy and beautifully offered yoga retreats I’ve encountered in my travels, Yoga Under the Sky.

In the heart of such a diverse, New Age, and organic farming scene and town, Yoga Under the Sky is in the perfect setting to offer organized or tailor-made retreat options for one person, couples, or groups.

Set near the Chico River that flows through town, Yoga Under the Sky offers many modalities of yoga styles and a terrific roster of talented, compassionate, and certified yoga teachers and massage therapists.

You can contact Yoga Under the Sky to arrange for an organized retreat (such retreats are on their website) or to create a retreat of your own that will address your and your partner’s particular needs. The staff also suggest great lodging and dining options.

Essentially, Órgiva is the retreat setting and within it are several rural and village houses for week-long stays as well as several all organic, local produce, and regional wine-serving eateries. The town has a vibrant energy and there is a lot happening any day of the week throughout the year.

Photo by diluvi.

Lodging

My favorite place to stay is Casa Rural Jazmin. Though “casa rural” means “rural house,” it is a lovely old stone farmhouse in town that is surrounded by a garden filled with fruit-bearing trees, such as pomegranate and lemon, and a refreshing swimming pool.

Casa Jazmin has four rooms, each with a private bath. The two proprietors are warm and welcoming and every morning they get up early to create a unique, healthy, and homemade breakfast that is often served in the garden.

Rooms for two people, including that breakfast for two, are between 48-70 euros. Given that you are in the heart of town and everything is central, in spite of the wonderful rural feel of the place, you don’t need your own wheels to get here or to stay here.

It’s an easy downhill saunter to yoga sessions, to the bus stop for buses to Granada, Malaga, Motril, or to other Alpujarran destinations, and shops and markets are all within a few hundred yards away in the town center.

Photo by Joi

Organic Dining Out in Órgiva

For such a small town, Órgiva has terrific dining out options that won’t kill your budget. Here you’ll find places where organic, Slow Food, and Buy Local, Buy Fresh drive the standard meal.

Three favorites are Café Libertad, El Limonero, and Café-Tetería Baraka. The latter is a fun hangout run by local Sufis that offers diverse vegetarian cuisine, a variety of tea, as well as other non-alcoholic beverages, including natural fruit juices and smoothies.

Organic Food Markets in Órgiva

Everyday is market day if you go to the central covered market near the Plaza de la Alpujarra in the heart of town. Therein you’ll find the organic farmers, wine makers, bakers, and cheesemakers.

But the highlight is the weekly open-air market on Thursday mornings, on the long, narrow plaza on the northern end of town (the uphill end, near Casa Jazmin).

It’s a riotous and colorful gathering of farmers, clothes-sellers, and craftspeople. Dogs, guitars, and long-haired and short-haired folks alike mingle and embrace their hybrid traditional and alternative ways of living and eating.

Photo by judepics.

Getting There

Getting to Órgiva is easy.

It is 52 kilometers south of Granada. By car, take the A-44/E-902 south of Granada and after 34 kilometers exit east for Lanjarón. Follow signs to Órgiva. Or, just get on a bus in Granada destined for Órgiva, costing fewer than 5 euros one way.

Alternately, Yoga Under the Sky can arrange for a taxi to pick you up at Granada’s airport and deliver you to Órgiva for 50 euros. While this might sound like a lot, it’s a bargain for a private driver and no car rental. Still, the bus is pretty easy.

Adventures Beyond Yoga

Hiking Options:

Take the local bus from Órgiva to Pampaneira, a twenty-minute ride, and hike from the mountain village of Pampaneira to Bubión and on to Capileira. You can either hike back to Pampaneira for the bus, or take the bus from Capileira to Órgiva. In all places, you will find ample cafes for a tapa and refreshment. Beer or chilled fino sherry are favorites. Drink lots of water, too.

Tibetan Retreat:

Consider a silent meditation retreat at the O Sel Ling Tibetan Buddhist retreat, between Órgiva and Pampaneira. If you go as a couple, you will need to do this stint in separate huts and in silence.

Visit Granada:

Photo by pasotraspaso.

Granada is an easy 45-minute bus ride away from Órgiva, so you can make a fun day-trip to the city and soak up the magical Alhambra fortress-palace complex and hit the streets in the old neighborhood of the Albaicin.

Albaicin is filled with vegetarian and organic restaurants, especially along Calle Nueva Calderería, the center of Granada’s alternative, progressive, New Age, Bohemian scene. A day trip can be a boon if you are traveling during the peak summer season, when finding lodging in Granada can be stressful.

Relax, secure a week or two at the Casa Jazmin in Órgiva, do some yoga, eat locally, and unpack just once in your peaceful mountain retreat.

Community Connection!

The author of this article, Beebe, was recently featured in 50 Inspirational Travelers. If you liked Beebe’s guide to Orgiva Yoga, please be sure to read her surf guide to Asturias, a lovely rural section of the Spanish coast.

Feature photo and photo above by Tony Gatti.

Standing nearly 50 feet above the ethereal, blue Caribbean with mammoth, granite boulders all around and a few snorkelers here and there, I plunge into a ring of coral below, gaining a moment of clarity only attainable by falling freely into a welcoming sea from a high precipice.

If one wanted proof of the BVI’s volcanic origins, there is no need to look further than Virgin Gorda. Here, you will find what is arguably the most famous land feature in the entire Virgin Island archipelago and a truly romantic locale: the Baths.

At the southwestern corner of the island is a seaside labyrinth of massive, granite boulders that form a series of grottoes in which to play and explore.

Some of these boulders tower 50 feet high and there are cool, shaded pools at their base that sneak out into the sea.

Constantly refreshed by the mellow tides, these pools offer the most delightful respite from the hard sun of the tropics and the linear quadrants of city blocks back home.

Once you add the tall and slinky palm trees that mingle among the rocks, it all looks rather like a tropical Bedrock.

For anyone who has been before, the National Park known as ‘the Baths’ becomes a hallowed memory as one recalls the day crawling, climbing, and duck-walking along a maze of rock, sand, and penumbra.

Photo above by Tony Gatti.

While there is a trail that runs through the boulders, it is easy to find a secretive grotto in which to frolic with your sweetheart or philosophize alone about why you didn’t bring one!

This place is a geological Barry White.

By Land or By Sea

Accessing this wonderful place can be achieved easily by land or by sea. Unless you have a boat or swim from afar, you arrive at the park by taxi or foot; it is only a mile from Spanish Town (and one of the ferry terminals). The entrance fee is $3.

From the entrance, ithe walk to the Baths is a leisurely 10 minute stroll down a dirt and stone path. On the path you will begin to see boulders piled upon each other in Flintsonian fashion. Once at the beach, you might be surprised to find some lockers and a shanty with simple fare and some of the best frozen drinks in the Virgin Islands.

At Poor Man’s Bar, you can get a refreshment and a hot dog, as well as lock up your valuables.This is where crowds tend to congregate, so do your business and get to exploring this stupendous marvel.

Up and over and through, down and under and across: this is how you will go as you navigate the boulders, pools, and ever-changing light and sound.

You will be overcome with an intense desire to have the Baths all to yourself, so you will have no choice but to poke around until you find that perfectly private spot—and then wish you could share it with everyone you love.

At the southern end of the Baths is Devil’s Beach. The 20-minute journey (if you weren’t waylaid by the igneous sirens) will bring you to a lesser visited beach with no services other than peace and beauty.

Here the boulders above extend below for an inverse view of this natural wonder accented by pulsating squid, elusive rays and schools of blue tang casually moving in a crystal-liquid atmosphere. Bring your snorkel gear.

At the end of a day here, what could be better than relaxing pool side with a cocktail of your choice as you look out over the wild scene of strewn megaton boulders that was your playground?

At the top of the Baths–back where you entered earlier and paid your entrance fee–is an ingeniously named bar and restaurant called…the Top of the Baths Restaurant. I recommend the flying fish sandwich.

*It is important to note the Baths are often overrun by cruise ship passengers and other day visitors between 10am and 3pm. Click here for a list of cruise ships visiting the area.

Photo above by Tony Gatti.

Had Enough of the Beach?

There is nothing large about the island Christopher Columbus dubbed the Fat Virgin. At eight square miles, Virgin Gorda is the third largest island in the British Virgin Islands and the second-most populous, although you would never know it.

Virgin Gorda is two trapezoidal “masses” joined by the narrowest of isthmuses. On the southwestern mass known as The Valley, you will find the Baths, Spanish Town—a sleepy village of boutique shops, bars and a mini-market– and the Coppermine National Park.

Between 1837 and 1860, over 10,000 tons of copper were extracted from a mineshaft that reached a depth of over 240 feet below sea level.

You can tour the ruins and enjoy the views of the sea from the bluff. This is a great place for a picnic. Buy your lunch items at Buck’s Market in Spanish Town.

On the northeastern mass of land is the Gorda Peak National Park. For a view of the entire island and its surroundings, why not climb to the top of Virgin Gorda Peak?

At 1,359 feet, this vista boasts an incredible panorama. Most of the altitude is covered by a car ride with only a 30-minute walk to get you to the top.

At the top, you will find a platform that raises the viewpoint to 1,370 feet. Here, you can look out upon all of Virgin Gorda. See if you can discern the reason why Columbus named the island so.

Anything Else to Do?

There are innumerable opportunities to sail, kite surf, SCUBA-dive, kayak, or fish on and around Virgin Gorda, as well as a few bicycle and moped rentals.

Numerous islets, cays and islands abound with a plethora of coral reefs, hidden beaches and protected waters in which to probe.

Photo above by Tony Gatti.

Should I Stay (Overnight) or Should I Go?

Getting to Virgin Gorda is easy from the other islands in the archipelago, particularly Tortola. In fact, one could easily make daily day-trips here to explore if the cost of lodging proves too much for your budget.

As there are no campgrounds and you would be hard-pressed to find anything under $100 a night, this might be your best option. But if your budget is a bit fatter, there is no shortage of wonderful properties.

Getting Here

While the Virgin Islands may feel like a world away, they are actually rather accessible without incurring great expense. The regional hub of St. Thomas (STT) is one of the cheapest places to fly into in all of the Caribbean.

Once on STT, you are only a ferry ride (or two) away from getting away from everything. There are two ferry terminals on STT: Charlotte Amalie (CA) is a five-minute cab ride from the airport and Red Hook (RH) is about 30-40 minutes.

Seaborne Airlines offers non-stop service between St. Thomas and Virgin Gorda via an amphibious seaplane for $100 each way. It lands at Gun Creek–on the opposite side of the island from the Baths—but only a 20-minute drive away.

The seaplane port on STT is located right next to the Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal, only five minutes from the airport. The flight is a quick and scenic at just 19 minutes long.

While direct ferries exist from STT, keep in mind that everything connects via Tortola. Pay attention to where your ferry is going from and to; some of the islands have numerous terminals (Tortola and Virgin Gorda each have three!) and going to the wrong one can mean a long (and costly!) cab ride to the part you wanted to access.

For full ferry schedules throughout the US and British Virgin Islands: www.bestofbvi.com/info/info_bviferry.htm

One More Thing

Both the US and British Virgin Islands use the US dollar as their official currency and it is important to note that while Americans don’t need passports to travel to the US Virgin Islands, they DO need one to enter the British Islands. No visa required in either case.

Please see “Jost Van Dyke: A Chill Caribbean Getaway” and “Magic Mushrooms and Dolphin Rides” on www.matadortrips.com for more information about the Virgin Islands. Also, look for the next article in the Virgin Island series, which will take us to St. John.

Basata Huts at Sunrise, Photo by Benjamin Orbach

Basata, simplicity in Arabic, is about 20 kilometers north of Nuweiba in Sinai, the peninsula
south of Israel and Jordan, east of Suez, and across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia.

In the last ten years or so, I’ve traveled to Sinai seven times. Each time, it was to escape, whether from Jerusalem’s bus bombs, Ramadan fatigue in Amman, or just the honking of Cairo’s relentless traffic.

To me, the appeal of Sinai is, well, its simplicity. Basata and my previous haunts of Tarabin
and Ras al Shaytan are small stretches of beach that border the turquoise colored Red Sea.

Rather than the five-star hotels and grand buffets of Sharm al Sheikh and Taba, these beaches are home to bamboo-thatched huts, handmade colorful Bedouin rugs, and those thin mattresses that are meant to be slept on under the stars.

Where the Desert Meets the Sea

Each of these desert-meets-the-sea paradises offers something unique.

At Soft Beach in Tarabin, it’s pancakes topped with slices of melon and banana, chocolate nutella, and coconut shavings.

Egyptians, Israelis, and assorted internationals travel to Ras al Shaytan to play music together.

And in simple Basata, the beach’s uniqueness lies in its vegetarian, eco-friendly state of affairs.

Basata boasts a small bakery that churns out fresh bread, pastries, and pizza. The camp offers a vegetarian communal dinner ­ alternating each night between a red vegetable sauce over rice and the fried catch of the day.

Aside from the veggie food, Basata runs an impressive recycling operation. Guests sort their glass bottles and metal, and there is a separate can for table scraps and other unwanted leftovers that make up the stuff of doggy bags for the local cats.

Ras al Shaytan, Photo by Benjamin Orbach

Peace and Violence

In 2004, al-Qaeda terrorists bombed Ras al Shaytan’s peaceful huts. Sadly, there were major terrorist attacks in Sinai each of the last three years.

The Taba Hilton, located along the border with Israel, was bombed at the same time in 2004. Militants attacked Sharm al Sheikh in 2005, and Dahab ­ another Sinai beach ­ in 2006.

All told, close to 150 people were killed in these attacks with hundreds more wounded.

Still, on Friday night at the border, Israelis speaking Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic fill the terminal, many headed for the Taba Hilton’s casino for the night, similar to a Tijuana night out.

Sinai is a place to get away, not just for Israelis looking to gamble, but for middle class Cairenes too; Basata was full of young Egyptians away for the weekend. Europeans fly down for long weekends, especially to the resorts of Sharm al Sheikh.

Amid these travelers, the mostly poor, local Bedouin population lives off of the tourism industry, but also by commerce and smuggling.

Sinai doesn’t have urban areas with the trappings of government buildings and courthouses, town squares, or central parks.

Despite an increasing number of security stations and checkpoints that are charged with protecting tourists, Sinai remains a potential target for those who want to commit an attack.

So, if that is the case, why risk a trip to Sinai?

Well, it is a wonderful place. While terror attacks are attention-grabbing events that make the news; they aren’t a common killer.

For 2006, the U.S. Transportation Research Board projected that 43,300 people died in traffic
accidents on U.S. roads! Driving your car is more dangerous than visiting
paradise.

Basata Beach, Photo by Benjamin Orbach

Anti-American Fish

Trips to Sinai aren’t about stress and terror, but rather swimming and snorkeling in the Red Sea and then retreating to covered bamboo shelters to read, nap, and play backgammon.

A couple of visits ago, while snorkeling amid the greenish yellow coral, I came across a school of inch-long orangish red fish.

There were thousands of them, and they swam so close together that they appeared to be a giant Chinese New Year’s banner being pulled through the water.

On my last trip, I swam with some long, pencil thin, sky-blue fish that hovered close to the surface and pretended to be baby sharks.

Also worth mentioning was the little black fish with a silver dot that stalked me and bit my calf. It was the closest I came to anti-Americanism the whole weekend.

Red Sea Snorkeling, Photo by Benjamin Orbach

Stillness and Beauty

More noteworthy than anti-American fish, are Basata’s stillness and beauty.

Evenings here are clear, and as the sun retires and the fading light bounces off of the aqua sea, the Saudi hills turn reddish brown.

After dark, the night grows congested with constellations. Shooting stars tail across the field to the sounds of dried bamboo roofing rustling against the wind.

Tonight, lying in my hut, the stars are only a first act, as a giant orange half-moon just rose over the Saudi coastal lights. It sits low on the horizon, almost bobbing on top of the sea, before rising into the brightening night sky.

—-

If you are going, Basata takes reservations and the English speaking staff can be reached at www.basata.com.

If you are looking to love the nature but to sleep indoors, the Movenpick in Sharm al Sheikh is quality place and a good launching point for trips to Ras Mohammed, the fantastic Egyptian national park that is home to world-class diving and 2 million year old fossil reefs.

On the border with Israel, there is the Taba Heights complex and The Taba Hilton; both are higher end places with diving centers and casinos.

Community Connection!

Matador members who know and love the Middle East include Muttabal, an expert on Lebanon, Abha, who knows local corners of Dubai, and dwb, who writes:

“I’m currently living in Syria working on a project about contemporary Syrian society. But mostly I just try to find excuses to travel around the Middle East taking pictures.”

Matador is a community of engaged travelers who care about social justice. Join us today.

Beautiful Bottom Bay, Photo by Eva Holland

One of the most popular and heavily-touristed islands in the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados certainly offers its share of generic resort experiences. In fact, the peaceful west coast, sheltered from the open Atlantic, is devoted almost entirely to high-end, gated resorts, duty-free shopping, and over-priced daiquiris.

Fine, if that’s what you came for.

But in spite of the heavy development in some areas, Barbados retains a distinct personality, a regional cuisine, some stunning natural areas and plenty of local traditions and culture.

If you’d like to experience the best that the island has to offer, this guide is the place to start.

Oistins Fish Fry

Friday nights mean one thing to locals, tourists and ex-pats alike: fish fry time. Head down to the waterfront in the village of Oistins (on the south coast, east of Dover and Maxwell) anytime after sundown for a delicious, filling plate of the day’s fresh catch.

A double row of shacks serve the crowds, and everyone has their own favorite. Offerings vary from week to week, but red snapper, dolphin (the Bajan term for mahi mahi), swordfish and tuna are all common.

Try Annie’s, on the eastern end of the row facing the road, for the best selection of typically Bajan sidedishes, like peas’n’rice, grilled sweet potatoes, or macaroni pie. For an appetizer, check out the “Hot Legendary Fishcakes” booth, in the middle of the row.

After you’ve eaten, grab a bottle of island-brewed Banks beer and stick around; a DJ will be spinning the latest soca and dancehall reggae until at least midnight. Shake a leg with the locals if you dare.

Bathsheba, on the rugged east coast. Photo by Eva Holland

Bottom Bay

Just before the south coast turns a sharp corner and becomes the east coast at Ragged Point, you’ll find Bottom Bay, and it’s as perfect a tropical beach as I’ve ever seen.

Though there are some new suburb-style housing developments going up in the area, the nearest hotel is miles away and the beach – tucked between rocky cliffs, and reachable by a narrow dirt path – is almost totally undeveloped.

I say “almost” because no trip to Bottom Bay is complete without meeting the beach’s resident “coconut guy,” a young local who calls himself Dr. Mongoose.

For a small fee, Dr. Mongoose will shimmy up a 30-foot palm tree, bring down a fresh young coconut, and hack it open for you to enjoy the refreshing water inside. He also rents a couple of lounge chairs.

Dr. Mongoose in action at Bottom Bay. Eva

Bottom Bay is a little out of the way, and the waves are too heavy for swimming most days, but if you’re looking for a stunning dose of icing-sugar sand, swaying palms, and colors worthy of a Corona ad, don’t miss it.

Bathsheba

Because the Atlantic surf on the island’s rugged east coast is heavy at best, and legitimately dangerous at worst, this side of Barbados has been largely ignored by developers.

The sole exception is the ragged, laid-back little resort town of Bathsheba, which caters to surfers – local and foreign alike – who want to test themselves in “the soupbowl”.

The waves here are not for beginners, but even if you’re not a serious surfer it’s a gorgeous spot to while away an afternoon, watching the show.

Try the Roundhouse Inn for a beer and a bite to eat (budget tip: listed as a sidedish, the macaroni pie is nearly a meal in itself), or even stay for a night to fully savor the vibe. The Roundhouse, the Atlantis Hotel , and the Sea-U Guesthouse all offer rooms in the area at varying rates.

Beautiful Bottom Bay, Photo by Eva Holland

North Point

The jagged cliffs and frothy, pounding surf at the island’s northernmost point feel worlds away from the sedate beaches further south. Bring a picnic and enjoy the waves and the wind; wander a couple hundred yards east from the main point to see water being forced out and up into the air through a nauseatingly-deep blowhole.

Don’t let any handicraft vendors convince you that you need to pay to visit the point; there is no admission fee, and the parking and washrooms are also free of charge.

Waves crash at North Point. Photo by Eva Holland

Carlisle Bay

If you’re going to do fun in the sun you might as well do it right. And Carlisle Bay, on the south coast just east of the capital city, Bridgetown, is the place to go for beachy hedonism: think banana boats, jet ski rides, water trampolines, and more.

The action is concentrated at the beach’s western end; rent an umbrella and sip a daiquiri, join the beautiful people already splashing flirtatiously in the water, or pay the cover charge to gain access to The Boatyard, a beachfront club where a sound system blasting reggae-lite (Shaggy, Maxi Priest) keep an all-day dance party going.

The best part about Carlisle Bay, though, is that it’s a massive strip of sand: start walking east from the heart of the hedonism, and you’ll quickly find yourself on an undeveloped stretch populated mainly by a sprinkling of local residents.

On a Sunday, you might even see a born-again baptism taking place in the shallow, calm water.

Oistins Fish Fry. Photo by Eva Holland

Practicalities

The Barbados dollar (B$) is fixed at a rate of 2 to 1 with the US dollar; hotels generally quote prices in greenbacks, but Barbados dollars are used most everywhere else.

Barbados receives daily direct flights from Toronto, New York, Miami and London, to name a few. Grantley Adams International Airport is one of the best facilities in the Caribbean; it’s also a hub for smaller carriers serving the other islands.

Most of the mid-range and budget accommodation in Barbados is scattered along the south coast, in areas like Rockley, Dover, and the St. Lawrence Gap. Here’s a list of the island’s guesthouses organized by rate – note that costs will vary according to the season.

There’s not always a lot to choose from between these budget places, but The Dolphin Inn is recommended, clean and friendly.

In high season (roughly mid-December to early April) you may want to book all your accommodation in advance; from late March on, though, vacancy rates will start to rise, and you could probably just book the first couple of nights and then shop around.

(You’ll need to provide an initial hotel’s address to Barbadian customs, so you have to at least book your first night.)

There are also a number of Couchsurfers based in Barbados.

Public transit is pretty good in Barbados, and particularly along the south coast, where large government buses and smaller vans rush up and down the coastal road between Bridgetown and Sam Lord’s Castle. A single fare costs B$1.50.

These south coast buses will take you to Oistins and Carlisle Bay; Bottom Bay is not far past their terminus at Sam Lord’s, and is clearly signposted from the road. Bathsheba is also served by buses from Bridgetown; ask around for the routes headed up the east coast.

North Point is not on a bus route, and you’ll need a rental car or a taxi to get there.

Taxis are plentiful, safe, and reasonably priced; agree on a rate for your destination before you set off.

Community Connection!

Do you want to escape to a beautiful Caribbean island where you can hang with locals instead of scarfing down the travel equivalent of an Extra Value Meal at Club Med?

Check out our series on chill Caribbean islands by browsing related posts below, or get in touch with the remarkable individuals who wrote them -

Anna, who speaks French and Swedish and knows the lush jungles and romantic waterfall plunge pools of Dominica.

Tony, who eats rainbows and lives in the Virgin Islands with his wife and new baby.

Eva, a Canadian travel writer who can hold her own drinking beer with a New Zealand rugby team.

Matador is a community of aware travelers who are working together for a better world.

Join Us.

Feature photo by kk. Photo above by maurice

For a durable sense of well being, you’ll have to dig deeper than your pores. With wellness travel on the rise, retreats are sprouting everywhere.

The following eco-friendly retreats rely on local resources, offer multidimensional treatments for body, mind and soul and cost under $150 a day with accommodation included.

Since “retreat” suggests escape from the crowds, I favor smaller establishments on roads less taken.

Enjoy the scenery.

La Plâtrière, France

Healing seeps from the ground in this region of France. The volcanoes that forged the Auvergne’s valleys and mountains deposited precious minerals in its soil and springs.

The Auvergne region is studded with spa towns, but La Plâtrière hangs back on a quiet country road. A three-hundred-year old stone farmhouse welcomes guests in bright rooms equipped with en suite facilities, electric kettles and fluffy duvets.

Guests can also unwind around the in-ground pool or cycle the gently lilting countryside.

Between them, owners Jackie and Andrew Diaper can cater to almost every need.

Jackie, a trained psychotherapist, runs de-stress workshops and life counseling sessions.

Andrew is an experienced builder and fisherman who can help you purchase property in France, choose fish at the market or find your way around the region’s many lakes and streams.

A four-day de-stress “weekend” costs about $540 and includes daily relaxation sessions, an Ayurvedic head massage that loosens all your knots and meals prepared with fresh food from local markets.

Flexibility characterizes the spirit of La Plâtrière, from treatment approaches and scheduling to meal choice. I was even invited to come along to Saint-Amand Montrond and pick some ingredients from the extensive covered market.

The presence of personable pets, including two pygmy goats who enjoy massages, just adds to the intimate, homey feeling of the center.

La Platriere website

Photo by singsing_sky

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp, Canada

Resting in the palm of Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains, the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp offers contemplation and outdoor recreation.

Winter weekend getaways combine yoga and meditation with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing over a forested landscape that rises and falls like a gentle breath.

In the summer, yoga classes are held on an outdoor deck, and guests can go canoeing or swim in the in-ground pool.

The rooms are clean but ascetic, consisting of bunk beds, a desk and a wicker armchair.

Weekend getaways, in shared occupancy with private bathrooms, cost $130.00 and include two daily yoga classes, afternoon sports and workshops, two brunches and one supper.

Workshops vary throughout the year and may include vegetarian cuisine, Indian music or the art of forgiveness.

Meals are buffet-style vegetarian, in keeping with the philosophy to choose things which have a positive effect on the body and have the least negative impact on nature.

Herbs come from the nearby garden and water is drawn from a local artesian well.

You should be aware that guests are urged to respect the atmosphere of the camp and follow the schedule, which includes early morning and evening Satsang, a silent meditation followed by group chanting and readings illustrating yogic principles.

In keeping with Vedanta’s emphasis on harmony among religions, hymn books include Christian and Hebrew prayers as well as Sanskrit verses.

Sivananda Ashram website

Photo by wanhoff

Harmony Dawn Retreat, Canada

What better way to practice mindfulness and gratitude than through the grounded, sensuous art of cooking!

Under the guidance of a professional chef, learn to create nutritious meals based on local and organic ingredients.

The three-day Cooking for Health, Qigong and Meditation workshops (about $350), held during the fall, include three vegetarian meals a day and accommodation in airy rooms.

Space is limited to ten people, so guests receive lots of individual attention and the atmosphere is light-hearted.

Renowned chef Nicola Lawrence also practices Tai Chi and Quigong, which uses breathing, movement and visualization to enhance energy flow, and she applies some of these yin-yang principles to her cooking.

The center is housed in a solar and wind-powered building decorated with wall-length windows overlooking Rice Lake. Visitors may forget that Toronto is about an hour away when they see deer and foxes scampering in the nearby woods.

Similarly priced interpretive dance and detox weekends are held during the spring.

Harmony Dawn website

Photo by kk

Weihrerhof Hotel, Italy

Set in a “Sound of Music” landscape, this compact, four-star hotel is shielded from the noisy outside world by the Dolomite Mountains.

Rooms are equipped with balconies overlooking Lake Wolfsgruben and the sunny, forested plateau of Renon.

The Dolomites have many sides, from rolling meadows to stark, lunar landscapes of limestone peaks and turquoise lakes.

You can explore the region through a guided-hiking week package that includes a visit to the famous earth pyramids, natural clay sculptures carved by erosion.

A Relaxing Week Package (about $798.00) includes seven days of half-board, 2 walking tours, two aqua-gym workouts in an elegant indoor pool and three sessions of yoga and Qi Gong.

Weiderhof website

Kalani Oceanside Retreat, Hawaii

Hawaii’s idyllic setting, rich diversity of plant and animal life and growing expertise in wellness vacations makes it an attractive retreat option.

Kalani, an educational nonprofit organization located on The Big Island, offers a wide array of therapies.

Rooms are equipped with light screens that allow guests to enjoy maximum airflow and stunning views of the tropical jungle and the Pacific Ocean.

A conch calls visitors to the outdoor terrace for meals concocted from exotic combinations of fruits, vegetables and seafood.

A three-day yoga escape package costs about $425 and includes access to the sauna and low-chlorine pool, one private yoga class as well as group classes, meals, double occupancy accommodation and a choice of activities including hula lessons, aromatherapy and meditation.

Hula, in its traditional form, includes chanting and story telling and allows participants to connect with their emotional and physical being.

Guests who can’t bear to go back to the mainland may work as volunteers and earn free accommodation and yoga classes.

Kalani website

Community Connection!

Planning a journey of spiritual awakening? Check out these inspiring articles in the Brave New Traveler archives:

Simple Beach Yoga For Backpackers by BNT editor Ian MacKenzie

How To Choose Your Perfect Yoga Retreat by Cam Karsten

Can You Development Your Spirituality Without Visiting India? by Christine Garvin

Here’s a link to BNT’s complete spiritual travel archive.

Chairs for Rent, Lower Bay. Photo by Eva Holland

What to say about Bequia?

I could call it enchanting, idyllic, or seductively laid-back – all that would be true. I could tell you it’s a gem, or a jewel, a pristine and undeveloped (by Caribbean standards) oasis in a world of all-inclusives. Those things, clichéd or not, would also be true.

But everyone has their own idea of paradise, and yours might not be anything like mine. So instead I’ll just say that I love Bequia, and I think you might just love it too.

Here is all the information you need to discover the best of Bequia:

“Leave only footprints behind”. Photo by Eva Holland.

Get There

Bequia (pronounced Beck-way) is the second-largest rock in the island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – and at seven square miles, that’s not saying a whole lot.

High-end resort-goers and Hollywood celebrities drive the economies of neighboring Canouan and Mustique to the south, while rumor has it that the global narcotics trade fuels the “mainland” – the island of Saint Vincent – just nine miles north.

There’s a tiny airport on the island – small carrier SVG Air lands there – but the simplest way to arrive is to fly into Saint Vincent and catch one of the regular ferries.

LIAT is your best bet for decent prices; try connecting in Barbados, a hub that receives daily flights from the US, Canada, and the UK, or in Trinidad.

A taxi from the airport to the ferry terminal should cost 25 Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC$), and a one-way ferry ticket costs another EC$20. (The EC$ is pegged at $2.75 to the US dollar – good news for Americans!)

Ferries run regularly on weekdays and are much less frequent on weekends; check the online schedules, but ask around when you arrive or call ahead as they aren’t always reliable.

Food and Shelter

Most of Bequia’s accommodation options – chiefly simple guesthouses and small boutique hotels – are clustered around the edges of Port Elizabeth, the tiny town in Admiralty Bay where the ferry docks.

Good news for solo travelers: many of these hotels offer reduced single-occupancy rates on double rooms.

The best bargain on the island is The Frangipani, on the Belmont Walkway, which offers five “original rooms” on the second floor of an old house. Pricier air-con cabins with en-suite bath are out back, but the simple rooms, equipped with mosquito nets, fans, and sea breezes, are all you need.

The Frangi is gorgeous, with friendly staff, an excellent restaurant and an outdoor bar/patio with occasional live music.

Isola and Julie’s Guest House, directly across from the ferry jetty, is a simple budget option with a loyal following. For total isolation, check out the Crescent Beach Inn, on Industry Bay. Bear in mind that you’ll be a longish walk from most eating options, though.

If you have a group, inquire with the tourist authorities about apartment and villa rentals. You can save a lot of cash on Bequia by self-catering; stock up on groceries at Food City, next to the ferry terminal in Saint Vincent, before coming across to the island.

There’s a string of restaurants and bars along Port Elizabeth’s Belmont Walkway, a beach-front stone path that runs along the south side of Admiralty Bay. Most have affordable lunches and pricier dinners; The Green Boley is an exception, where even at dinner you can get filling plates of local specialties like conch curry for between EC$30 and EC$40.

Try The Porthole for lunch, where rotis go for around EC$12 or, further afield on Lower Bay, Dawn’s Café for cheap sandwiches.

In Port Elizabeth itself, Maria’s has sandwiches and snacks, internet terminals, and long hours. Most places have a daily special – some variation on seafood and rice – that will give you good value.

Bequia’s handful of giftshops is centered around the ferry dock. There’s also a small produce market there, and across the street is an ATM and a post office. The Bequia Technology center (follow the “Digicel” sign) next to Maria’s has comparable prices for internet, but better machines and air-con.

Be aware that almost everything shuts down on Sundays; hotel restaurants will be virtually the only places open, and they are welcoming to non-guests.

Admiralty Bay. Photo by Eva Holland.

Hit the Beach

The secret to Bequia’s success is Admiralty Bay, where yachties from around the world drop anchor. It’s the traffic from these yachts that keeps the restaurants and bars running – you’ll see rubber dingies zooming in from across the bay at sundown – while simultaneously keeping Bequia’s beaches completely undeveloped. Yachters, after all, do not require hotel complexes.

Start with the amenity-free, local-frequented Princess Margaret Beach, clearly signposted from the main road leading south out of Port Elizabeth. The next beach over is Lower Bay, which – thanks to a couple of sleepy cafes and a handful of lounge chairs for rent – is the closest thing to a “developed” beach that you’ll find on the island. (Cancun it ain’t.)

On the south side of the island, Friendship Bay is where Bequia’s only higher-end accommodation is located; at the time of writing, construction was underway there, too. Funnily enough, it’s one of the less attractive spots on the island, so it’s no huge loss – still worth a visit for the views on the way there, though.

North east of Port Elizabeth you’ll find Industry Bay, Spring Bay, and Park Bay – where you may be lucky enough to stumble on a local BBQ. Be sure to check out the Turtle Sanctuary while you’re here. It’s on the water between Spring and Park bays.

Friendship Bay. Photo by Eva Holland.

Special Events

Bequia was a major whaling center back in the day, and islanders are still permitted to hunt two whales per year in honor of this heritage. The hunt – which isn’t always successful – occurs each January and is a major occasion. The island also hosts a regatta every Easter. You’ll find a couple of small museums dedicated to Bequia’s whaling and ship-building heritage scattered around the island.

The Bottom Line

I could go on about that artist’s studio in the hills, or this model boat shop in town, but the key to Bequia is to simply get out and walk, and discover its treasures for yourself. The island is safe, compact, and enjoys perfect weather pretty well year round.

So take a walk. Take a nap on the beach. Drink a papaya juice and watch the sun go down. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like paradise to me.

Community Connection!

For more information on Bequia, check out Eva’s blog ‘Smitten in the Grenadines‘. For other guides to chill Caribbean islands, check out Tony Gatti’s pieces on Tortola and Jost van Dyke, or Anna Brones’ lovely guide to Dominica.

Matador blogger Julie can tell you all about her favorite islands, including Vieques and Cuba.

Matador is blossoming. Join the community today!

Photo by Elsie McIverSelling organic produce

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then France just might be the word worth a thousand pictures.

The world’s most popular tourist destination manages to seduce a lot of people, be it because of the language, the countryside, the French joie de vivre or simply the wine. But France is more than the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and a Nutella slathered baguette.

One of the best ways to dive into French culture is to spend time in a rural community. If you are willing to work for your room and board, you can often score a pretty inexpensive French vacation with the added bonus of getting to truly enjoy the local way of life.

Instead of re-packing your backpack every few days and only seeing various tourist attractions, you get the chance to have a semi-permanent base camp, integrate into the local community, practice your French language skills and experience authentic French culture.

From working on vineyards and farms to restoring medieval castles, here is your guide to discovering France from the inside, getting you away from glossy tourist brochures and into the everyday rhythm of la vie française.

photo by Elsie McIver

Working the land

What is more symbolic of the French lifestyle than wine and gastronomy? The two are integral parts of the French economy, and more importantly, French tradition.

France prides itself on agriculture and wine production; taking part in either of the two therefore means not just consuming the delicious drink and food that France has to offer, but helping to produce it.

A popular and relatively hassle-free way to do farm or vineyard work is to join World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). For a small registration fee you get access to a whole network of farms across France; to make your life even easier, they let you pay with Paypal.

The registration fee gives you access to the WWOOF France guidebook, published in paper (25€) as well as in an online format (15€). The guide contains listings of over 300 participating farms that you can contact and at which you can volunteer.

Time commitment varies from farm to farm; some want workers for only a few days or weeks and others want you to stick around several months. Working as a WWOOFer means you will get free room and board in exchange for labor, and you’ll probably end up working with some other interesting travelers from all around the world.

Beyond vineyards and farms

Agricultural work might not be your life passion, but there are still several options for seeing rural France up close and personal – and cheap. One way is to partake in an archeological excavation or work on an historic site.

photo by Elsie McIver

There are several organizations that put together these kinds of work-trips, and although they require fees, they are minimal in exchange for the room, board and local experiences that you receive.

Workcamps through Service Civil International (SCI) require an application fee of $235. Although you are responsible for paying all travel expenses, room and board is covered. The two to three week volunteer projects range from environmental protection to renovating medieval castles.

Volunteers for Peace, based out of Vermont, offers over 300 programs in France for the upcoming summer months. The average project length is about three weeks and costs $300 plus a $30 VFP annual membership fee.

If you want to spend your summer in romantic Provence check out La Sabrenenque which offers volunteer restoration projects of architectural sites. The two week program costs $710 for 2 weeks, which includes room and board as well as organized activities and excursions.

Where do I go?

France is a big country with many regions, traditions, and even climates. So how do you pick where to explore?

For wine lovers, remember that in France wine is named by the region it comes from. If your favorite wine is a Bordeaux, makes plans to head to the southwest. Or how about the smooth taste of Burgundy? Look no farther than the vineyards of east-central France.

The exception to the rule is with white wines, which are named after the grape used to make them. If you want an in-depth discovery of white wine, look no farther than Alsace, in northeastern France; this is where the best white wine in all of France comes from.

Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage? In the words of Charles de Gaulle, “How can you govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?”

It’s true: France has a lot of cheese, and if you have difficulty governing the country, you’ll definitely have difficulty choosing where to go.

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Normandy is home to the infamous Camembert, and also superb crepes and hard cider. Savoie, a region in the French Alps, produces Roblochon. Comté is another popular cheese – in fact it has the highest production figures of all French cheeses – and is made in the region of Franche-Comté.

photo by Elsie McIver

For all of the French cheeses, check out this helpful list at Wikipedia.

Another way to decide your destination is by way of gastronomy. Cuisine varies from region to region in France, and every one has its specialty. Southern France has more Mediterranean influence, lots of vegetables, fish and olive oil, while the northeast sticks to its heavier German roots with delicacies like sausages and sauerkraut.

Remember that the great thing about France is that anywhere you go their will always be a selection of wine, cheese, regional specialties and locals that are proud of where they live.

Exploring on your own

After a few weeks of working or volunteering, you might want to take off on your own French adventure. One of the most inexpensive ways to explore France, and especially the wine regions, is by bicycle.

Alsace and the Champagne region are two ideal places for wine and wheels; they both feature “wine routes,” roads weaving through the vineyard dense countryside, and villages are close together, meaning your cycling days don’t have to be overly strenuous.

Here you can pedal from village to village, or vineyard to vineyard, take in an afternoon tasting and get a room for the night.

For inexpensive accommodations, many regional tourist offices offer rooms chez l’habitant, basically in the room of a local villager’s house. These provide an excellent, and inexpensive, way to enjoy rural French hospitality.

In terms of budget, life is a little easier if you have a travel partner; rooms chez l’habitant can run as low as 40€ per night for two people, and usually include a homemade breakfast complete with fresh croissants.

photo by Elsie McIver WWOOF farm

Getting around

Transportation is an inevitable cost, even if you manage to score free room and board by doing some WWOOFing, but there are a few ways to get good deals.

If you are under 25 years old and planning on traveling in France for an extended period of time, you may want to consider getting a SNCF 12-25 card. The card costs 49€ but gets you up to 60% off all train ticket purchases. Valid for one year, you are guaranteed a minimum of 25% off normal ticket prices.

If your stay in France is shorter, or you are over 25, try to buy your tickets in advance. Although SNCF sometimes offers last minute promotions, you will have an easier time getting a good deal on a ticket if you plan ahead.

The TGV Europe website is also helpful in planning train trips, but keep in mind that to get to smaller destinations in France you will most likely need to take a regional train at least once during your adventure.

Comment dit-on…???

Often, a big concern of traveling to France is whether or not your dusty high school French is going to cut it. Some volunteer programs require participants to have a certain level of French, but for the most part as long as you keep an open mind, a pocket dictionary and use merci, bonjour, and a repertoire of hand gestures, you should be able to do just fine.

Once you and your hosts have had a few glasses of wine you’ll find that language suddenly becomes unimportant.

Community Connection

Finding a Matador Traveler with some France experience isn’t too difficult. Elsiek, who graciously provided the photos for this article, spent several months WWOOFing in southern France. If you’re stopping in Paris on your way to rural France, check out jgbrandt’s article How to Enjoy Paris on $100 a Day.

Photo by Tony Gatti

Rugged and formerly volcanic, ringed by a series of coral reefs and powdery beaches and the commercial, political and transportation hub of the British Virgin Islands; Tortola is impossible to overlook.

As bustling as Tortola can be, there are numerous ways to escape cruise ships and the other hubbub of day-visitors. Like so many places, one has just to step a few feet off the path to find solitude. In this article, we will make a deliberate attempt for discovery on Tortola—keeping our modest budgets in mind but splurging when we must.

Firstly…What to Avoid

Unless you need to purchase an engagement ring, catch a ferry or meet the Chief Minister, it’s best to avoid Road Town, the Capitol. Keep in mind that Road Town does not offer much at all late at night and Virgin Island taxi drivers are loathe to hang around too late.

Likewise, avoid the temptation of Cane Garden Bay when cruise ships are about. Instead, go early in the morning, late in the afternoon or when no ships are in port. Click here for a complete schedule of cruise ships to Tortola.

Where to Spend Your Days

Cane Garden Bay is as delightful a beach as one is likely to find save the fact that the taxis dump 80% of the cruise ship passengers here.

It’s unfortunate that the ships offer very little else to do on land and the slow-going, sinuous roads make further destinations time prohibitive for cruise ship visitors.

Cane Garden Bay is a large, half-moon shape, turquoise bay with eateries and lodging for all budgets–and a beach to die for. You can also find numerous renters of water sports gear. I recommend hooking up with Last Stop Sports which offers everything from bikes and kayaks to SCUBA gear and small boats with weekly-rates available.

One could bring camping gear in a large, waterproof bag and kayak to innumerable cays and islets that dot the area. Needless to say, this suggestion is for experienced kayakers only.

Right in Cane Garden Bay is the Callwood Rum Distillery. Come to see the local Arundel rum being made in what is touted as the oldest-continuously operating rum distillery in the eastern Caribbean.

Brewer’s Bay

In contrast to the crowds of Cane Garden, Brewer’s Bay is mellow like yellow, with a great beach and fantastic snorkeling. This is the island’s only official campsite and at Nicole’s, a beach bar and burger shack, one can rent full snorkel gear.

Bring your own tent or rent one already prepared. Sometimes a shuttle is available but you need to call ahead for that. I have actually seen wild cows laying on the sand and wading in the water here. Most would say that this is the best beach-accessible snorkeling on Tortola.

Photo by Tony Gatti

Mountains and Dolphins

Want to stretch your legs? Sage Mountain National Park offers hiking trails across 91 acres with the reward of standing at the highest point in the Virgin Islands – 1,780 feet.

You can pick up maps at the Mountain View Restaurant which sits at the trailhead. Horseback riding is available at Shadow’s Ranch (284.494.2262).

Like dolphins? Who doesn’t? At Dolphin Discovery, just outside Road Town, one can get in a pool with these playful creatures and with some supervision ride them, feed them and learn a great deal about them.

This probably isn’t the “swimming with the dolphins” fantasy you’ve been harboring, but it gets you in the water with them until that chance encounter occurs somewhere in the wild. $80 buys you 45 minutes and a dolphin kiss while $140 gets you a kiss and two rides plus a little more!

The Full Moon Party

The most (in)famous party in the Virgin Islands occurs once a month on the full moon at Bomba’s Surfside Shack.

This beach bar, built with the flotsam and jetsam found on the shore and then tastefully decorated with bras and panties, is not to be missed at any time of the month; but on the full moon something special happens: a reggae band plays all night, a traditional West Indian barbeque is prepared and a large cast-iron kettle brews psychedelic mushroom tea for one and all.

Magic mushrooms are legal to possess and consume here on Tortola but illegal to sell – although that doesn’t deter the multitude of vendors who line the road that runs parallel the beach.

“Magic, magic, get your magic here, mon!!” These sales calls can be heard up and down the street. Some people partake and some just observe, but the best advice is to participate if you have tried shrooms before, but not to try them for the first time here.

The wild scene, the sometimes rough surf, loud music and crowds and the ubiquitous presence of strong rum drinks can all contribute to a good time gone bad if you’re not careful (or experienced).

I’ve tried to understand how such a law slips through the cracks. The best explanation I’ve heard is that long ago there was an attempt to write a statute outlawing these indigenous psychoactive mushrooms; but instead of using the correct binomial nomenclature for the funny fungi, the statute-maker used one for a completely normal mushroom that doesn’t even grow on Tortola and it never got corrected. Sometimes it’s good to have aloof lawmakers!

Bomba bases his full moon dates on the Old Farmer’s Almanac and a hand-written sign can be found on the premises with dates for the year.

Where Do You Go from Here?

While Tortola offers a wide range of activities and experiences, so do a number of other islands that are all within an hour’s ferry ride (see complete ferry schedules). There are some other-worldly spots to be found like the Baths of Virgin Gorda, the caves of Norman Island, snorkeling the Indians; and some out-of-this-world party hangouts like the Willie Thornton, the Pirate’s Bight and Foxy’s Tamarind Bar.

Anything can happen in places like these when society gets left behind by time (and geography) and the bygone sub-culture of revelry springs forth out of the sea.

Here you have a plethora of good-natured, eccentric human beings able to convincingly imagine themselves as pirates, sea-rogues and the like. It is all rather like a carnival.

Tortola itself is only a 45 minute ferry ride from St. Thomas.

One More Thing

Both the US and British Virgin Islands use the US Dollar as their official currency and it is important to note that while Americans don’t need passports to travel to the US Virgin Islands, They DO need one to enter the British Islands. No visa required in either case.

Please see “Jost Van Dyke: A Chill Caribbean Getaway” here on www.matadortrips.com for more information about the Virgin Islands and look for the next article in the Virgin Island series where we will explore the seaside labyrinth of towering granite boulders known as the Baths of Virgin Gorda.

Photo by Tjeerd Creative Commons.

Twenty-five years ago a few intrepid travelers found paradise in the Andaman Sea. Phi Phi Island, off the coast of southern Thailand, was almost totally undeveloped.

There were no resorts on Phi Phi – just white sand beaches and palm trees, plus a small village of sea gypsies who called themselves “the island people.”

Travelers who made the epic journey to Phi Phi returned to the mainland with glittering eyes and epic stories. More travelers caught the once-a-week cargo ship to this new island paradise, then more and more and more.

Today, Phi Phi is packed with tourists. Dozens of resorts line the once-empty beaches and trash floats in the water off concrete piers built to accommodate large ferries.

Phi Phi is still beautiful, “a discovered paradise still worth checking out,” as Matador founder Ross Borden wrote last year, but for those who knew the island before the crowds arrived, Phi Phi is a tragic example of Paradise Lost.

A Call For RESPECT

Some of the islands described below are on the track to development, though early in the stage. Some are already protected. It’s up to you, as a sensitive and engaged traveler, to respect the information below, to preserve the natural environment and to honor the people who call these island Edens home.

-Tim Patterson, Editor, MatadorTrips.com

Koh Rong Crab. Photo by Ryan Libre

6. Koh Rong, Cambodia

Koh Rong is bigger and more beautiful than the most famous Thai islands, but there are no established beach resorts on Koh Rong yet, simply because it’s in Cambodia.

Last year your faithful Koh Rong correspondent camped in an abandoned house on 6 miles of white sand beach, and survived scary encounters with illegal loggers and Cambodian Navy men.

Now there’s word of heavy investment on Koh Rong, with big money flowing to the boss man in Phnom Penh and rumors of Russian, Japanese and Chinese investors.

Here’s the secret guide I wrote to Koh Rong 2 years ago, along with a follow-up article in Traverse – for more updates, keep your ear to the ground at TalesofAsia.

Beach Day on Bohol. Photo by The Wandering Angel. Creative Commons.

5. Bohol, Philippines

I have a confession. The Philippines intimidate me. There are just too many islands, too many languages, too much history.

How to pick just one of more than 7,000 islands?

Matador expert CaseyGusto lived on Bohol island in the Philippines for 2 years. Bohol gets a lot of tourists, he says, which it should – it’s one of the most beautiful islands in the whole archipelago.

But there are gorgeous parts of Bohol that are not developed, including outlying islands, where you can chill with some of the friendliest locals in the world.

Here’s Casey’s complete online guide to Bohol.

Cuttyhunk is a great place to catch big stripers. Photo by jedstr. Creative Commons.

4. Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, USA

Cuttyhunk is one of the most laid-back island “summer communities” off the coast of New England. There’s nothing to do except catch enormous striped bass, breathe fresh sea air and sniff about the new money that ruined Nantucket.

Cuttyhunk.net says it best:

Cuttyhunk does not have discos, bars, malls, a singles scene, a party life, video games, parking lots, traffic, or much action.

What Cuttyhunk does have is a quiet, isolated, beautiful, ocean environment, perfect for getting in touch with yourself.

For bonus points, arrive in Cuttyhunk on your own sailboat.

Lily walk on Teuri with Mt. Rishiri in the background. Photo by Stephanie Guico

3. Teuri-to, Japan

Teuri-to is a lot like Cuttyhunk, except it’s off the northern coast of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, way north of Vladivostok, Russia.

The fresh sushi and sashimi on Teuri is quite simply the best and cheapest I found in 2 years of traveling around Japan and the locals will be thrilled to see you.

Here’s a feature article I wrote last year about the sea-urchin roe festival on Teuri.

Providencia from the air. Photo by Speculando. Creative Commons.

2. Providencia, Colombia

Providencia is the less developed of two isolated islands that lie off Colombia’s Caribbean coast, near the border with Nicaragua. Thanks to Richard, one of Matador’s many Colombia experts, for the heads-up:

Long stretches of white sandy beaches, verdant hillsides and palm trees lining the streets. Over the five days we rented a moped to explore the island, lazed on deserted beaches, drifted in the breeze in hammocks, slept late and enjoyed some cold ones with the locals. It was a cliche, it was paradise.

Read Richard’s complete Blog Post On Providencia.

Salt Cay South Point. Photo by M.C. Blanton.

1. Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

I thought I’d never write about Salt Cay. It’s a special place to my friends and family, truly a second home, just a low-lying slab of coral, sand and memories 90 miles north of Haiti, as far from the corruption and resort glitz of the capital island Provodenciales as you can get in the Turk and Caicos islands (which are south of the Bahamas).

Salt Cay is the most beautiful island I know, not because of the sunsets, empty beaches, neighborly humpback whales or free-range donkeys, but because of the pious, good-humored and hard-working people who live there.

Now, the whole island will be literally ripped in half for a mega-resort, complete with golf course and yacht marina. There will be worker dormitories at the airport, next to the runway – now lengthened to accommodate private jets.

The donkeys will be shot, or worse, shipped to Haiti. The development in the Turks and Caicos is getting ugly. Rape ugly. I wonder if I’ll ever go back there, and I can’t write about this anymore.

Salt Cay Historic Preservation

Salt Cay Resident’s Prayerful Protest (video)

Naturally heated pool, Photo by Mikael Lavogiez

If you thought the Caribbean was all about cruise ship and cocktails, think again.

Often bypassed for more touristy destinations, with only 40,000 or so inhabitants, Dominica is small but charming, the ideal spot for a romantic getaway.

Dominica is mountainous, and the towns boast a friendly, rustic elegance. Countless jungle trails lead to waterfalls and steaming hot springs. Don’t expect to lounge in a beach chair; Dominica is all about exploring, getting dirty and embracing romantic discovery.

Orientation

Middleham Falls, Photo by Mikael Lavogiez

The Commonwealth of Dominica lies in the middle of the Lesser Antilles, with Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. Roseau, the capital, is on the southwestern side, facing the Caribbean.

Getting to Dominica can take some planning. There are two airports on the island, Canefield near Roseau and Melville Hall on the northeastern side, but flights can be expensive.

Neighboring islands Martinique and Guadeloupe are better hubs for connecting flights to North America and Europe. From there you can take a ferry through L’Express des Iles, which will take you to the Port of Roseau.

Dominica uses the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD). Many places accept US dollars, but this can lead to confusion and paying more than you need to. In Roseau there are several ATMs which make getting cash easy. Exchange rate (as of April 23, 2008) is 1 USD= 2.67 XCD.

If you stay in a small guesthouse, plan to budget about $30-60 USD per night for a double. Eco-lodges and resorts run a little more expensive and can range anywhere from $50-$250 per night for a double.

Dominican Hospitality

Strangers will greet you with a friendly smile and an additional “be cool maaan.”

To take advantage of this ambiance, stay in a local guesthouse. Despite a small population, people all over the island open up their houses and beds to tourists. You can expect a genuine morning “how are you” and breakfast, complete with a glass of passion fruit or sorrel juice.

In Roseau, your best bets are Ma Bass Guest House and St. James Guest House. For a more romantic getaway, nothing compares with one of the eco-lodges.

Dominica has become a hot spot for the adventurous travelers who stay in charming but authentic rainforest lodges. On the east side of the island, near Rosalie, check out the 3 River Eco Lodge. This lodge also owns the adjacent Rosalie Forest Lodge which can hook you up with a treehouse, a Creole cooking class, or even a local homestay.

Close to popular Trafalgar Falls is Papillote Wilderness Retreat, which offers four hot spring pools and a yard with clucking chickens and preening peacocks.

The Perfect 10 day Itinerary

10 days on a small island can seem like a long time, but once you fall into the chill swing of things you might wish for 10 weeks.

For a good introduction to Dominica, you’ll want to have at least 2 days to hang out and explore Roseau. Stay in the city for 5 nights and use the other days for day-trip excursions.

After you’ve have your fill of “city” living, work your way up north for 2 nights in Calibishie. If you haven’t made it to Portsmouth yet, now is the time.

For your last 3 days, explore the Carib Territory and the eastern side of the island. Take a drive down to La Plaine; this section of road takes you along an impressive section of Atlantic coastline where you’ll feel like you’re in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Relaxing in Roseau

Roseau is tiny by capital city standards, but there’s lots to do. Botanical gardens, zouk music bars, fried chicken, and colorful daily markets are only the beginning.

Roseau can also be used as a base camp; from here you can easily take day trips to Champagne Beach, Scott’s Head, Trafalgar Falls, Emerald Pool, Soufrière Springs, Boiling Lake and maybe even try some whale watching.

Staying in the capital also allows you to take advantage of a variety of restaurants and bars after a day of exploring; what better way to enjoy a strenuous day’s hike than drinking a fresh Kubuli while watching the sun set over the Caribbean Sea?

Valley of Desolation, Photo by Mikael Lavogiez

Welcome to the Jungle

If you’re in the mood for something more secluded, reserve a few days for a stay in the jungle; there’s nothing more romantic than holing up in the heart of tropical trees and waterfalls.

Dominica’s various lodges and cabins are ideal for this; you’ll be nestled into your own tropical wonderland, free to explore the surrounding areas. If the beach is calling you, make your way up to the fishing village of Calibishie, which features the only sand beach on the island.

Here you can spend a few days lounging around and taking part in the local fishing life, complete with seafood dinner with a view.

Take time to plan for some of the top excursions that are Dominican favorites: Boiling Lake, Scott’s Head which is known for some excellent diving and snorkeling, the Carib Territory – home to the indigenous population of Dominica – and finally, the northern city of Portsmouth and Fort Shirley.

Hot Springs and Waterfalls

Maybe the most romantic aspect of Dominica is the plethora of waterfalls and hot springs. Known as the “nature island” Dominica offers a pristine Caribbean wilderness. In fact, Dominica is the only island in the Lesser Antilles with a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Most of Dominica’s environmental attractions are in Mornes Trois Pitons National Park and therefore require an eco-tourism site pass. Single site passes can be purchased for $5 XCD, usually close to the site. Unlimited week passes are $26 XCD.

From Roseau you can reach most of the major waterfalls and outdoor attractions, although some take longer hikes to get to than others.

Trafalgar is the closest to the capital and therefore the most crowded; go in the morning to avoid the mid-day crowds that flock in from harbored cruise ships.

For a more secluded hike, put Middleham Falls on your list. The most popular trail access is from Laudat and consists of a winding jungle path that takes you through the depths of the Caribbean flora and fauna before arriving at the impressive Middleham Falls.

Because of the longer hike to get to the falls, Middleham is less frequented.

On the east side of the island you will find hikes to both Sari Sari and Victoria Falls; both are classified as medium to difficult, but well worth the effort. Keep in mind that the trails can often be slippery and tiring; you’ll need sturdy shoes and some sustenance.

Pick up a few baguettes, fresh fruit and a loaf of homemade banana bread at one of the local stores before hitting the trail.

Volcanoes and Spas

Emerald Pool, Photo by Mikael Lavogiez

Beyond waterfalls, Dominica is one of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, meaning that its volcano base is constantly changing the landscape.

Active volcanoes mean a wealth of natural hot and sulfur springs scattered around the island. One of the island’s favorite natural hot springs is Screw Spas in Wotten Waven – just up the valley from Roseau – run by a quirky man with dreads and a constant smile.

For more luxurious spa destinations check out Rainforest Paradise, Jungle Bay Resort and Spa and Rainforest Shangri-La Resort which offer luxurious specialties like aromatherapy massages, mud scrubs and yoga.

Chowing Down

With all the physical activity that your Dominican adventure will entail, there’s no question you will build up an appetite. The staple Dominican diet consists of a hearty amount of chicken, rice, plantain and manioc root.

Roseau offers a variety of restaurants from traditional Caribbean to Chinese. Fresh fruit is served as is or pressed into juices, and you can’t come away from Dominica without a new addiction to passion fruit juice.

For a quick bite, many roadside “snackettes” offer a selection of meat pies and sandwiches; the best ones made with a codfish. These are often the best places to get the low-down on local life. Stop in, buy a sandwich and a local Kubuli beer and prepare for a story.

Getting Around

Mini-van ‘buses’ run often and are dependable. If you want to explore independently at a slow pace, renting a car is a good way to go. Remember that Dominicans drive on the left side of the road.

Dominican law requires a Dominican driver’s license, which costs $12 XCD. Pick one up at the car rental agencies. Keep in mind that 4 wheel drive vehicles are helpful but not necessary, but beware of the many potholes which cover the roadways, and you’ll be driving on the left hand side of the road!

Other sources of information

Once you start doing some research, you will find that many Dominican websites look like they were made in the early 90s; don’t hold it against them, the information they contain is up to date and helpful. Good places to start are A Virtual Dominica, Discover Dominica and Visit Dominica.

You can also check out Dominica: The Nature Island of the Caribbean an online book which I designed and wrote last spring.

Community Connection!

Having hitchhiked across the Caribbean, Matador traveler anthonygatti knows his stuff about a lot of the islands. Deva has spent the last month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, giving a good insider perspective to Caribbean travel that doesn’t include cruise ships.

Photo by Voralak Suwanvanichkij

From the lonely shores of Changlang Beach on the Thai mainland, the view is of a calm sea dotted with craggy, verdant isles. As the sun sets, the receding tide barely laps the shell-studded sands while locals wade in placid waters, trailing fishing nets.

It’s a wonderfully languid scene, epitomizing the perennial laid-back vibe of this province way down on the western coast of Thailand

Tranquil Trang

Trang (pronounced ‘Dtrang’ with a hard consonant) encompasses an area with a 120-mile coastline as well as 47 islands stretching from the lower Andaman Sea to the Straits of Malacca.

The provincial capital of Trang was once a bustling port, attracting Fukien Chinese settlers at the turn of the 20th century.

Although the town moved thirty miles inland due to flooding, it retains charming outside influences in its architecture, temples, and food; the latter includes a unique breakfast consisting of strong coffee (‘kopii’) laced with condensed milk, dim sum, and hot soymilk.

Unlike nearby Phuket or Krabi, Trang has been spared from rampant development, thanks to a vibrant local economy not dependent on tourism.

Trang will probably remain pristine, given that two thirds of the province, replete with lushly forested hills, white sand beaches, limestone caves, and waterfalls, has been designated as national parkland.

Trang sustained relatively little damage from the 2004 tsunami, although on Muk and Libong islands, tidal waves destroyed fishing boats and homes.

Today, the only readily visible indications of the devastating event are tsunami escape route signs posted throughout coastal areas.

The islands beckon during the sultry month of April, especially if your idea of paradise includes getting back to basics. The Changlang beachfront has no vendors, Internet cafes, and fast foods joints, and the islands hold promise of even more blissfully simplistic surroundings.

Island Idyll

photo by Voralak Suwanvanichkij

You could spend months exploring all the islands of Trang. But for starters, there are five larger ones off the coast that are regularly serviced by ferries from the mainland: Muk, Kradan, and Hai in the north, and Libong and Sukorn in the south. For easy island hopping, hire your own long-tail boat with an operator/guide.

Ko Muk

Ko Muk is the most well known, not because of its sun-drenched beaches or Muslim fishing village, but because of an intriguing natural formation located on the uninhabited side of the island.

Called the Emerald Cave (‘Tham Morakot’), its name becomes obvious once you swim through a concealed tunnel that breaks into a green lagoon fringed by white sand and contained by tall limestone cliffs framing a patch of sky.

The cave is only accessible during low tide, and a guide will be especially handy as you may bobble for 260 feet in pitch darkness, depending on when you go. Plan carefully; otherwise, you may be stuck inside until the tide goes down.

Ko Kradan

photo by Voralak Suwanvanichkij

Ko Kradan holds the Guinness Book of World Record for the largest underwater wedding, where couples (and diving enthusiasts) exchange vows and sign marriage certificates under the sea every Valentine’s Day.

Aside from this quirky, fun-loving extravaganza, Ko Kradan boasts some of the best snorkeling spots in the deep azure waters off its cliffs.

Schools of brilliant fish weave around pink sea fan and rounded brain coral, and other multicolored sea life.

Ko Libong

Nature lovers will enjoy Ko Libong, Trang’s largest island and sanctuary to a variety of local and migratory birds. It is also home of the dugong, or manatee, that feed off of the island’s sea grass beds. The timid mammal is now endangered, and sightings are extremely rare.

Ko Sukorn, Ko Hai, and the uninhabited isles in between are less frequented, but offer hidden reefs and quiet spots for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Island Living

Accommodations are readily available on Muk, Kradan, Hai, Libong, and Sukorn islands, ranging from spartan to more kitted-out bungalows. Mid-range to luxury hotels can be found on the mainland. Check sites such as www.hotelthailand.net for an extensive listing of places to stay.

While there is no bad time to visit, the drier months from December to April are considered the high season, reflected in higher hotel rates and visitor numbers. If you’re on a budget (or slightly misanthropic), go during the monsoon season from May to October. Sunshine is still aplenty, and short bursts of rain offer relief from the heat.

While food choices are an eclectic mix of Thai, Chinese, Muslim, and international fare, there is not a wide range of dining venues. At hotels, food and drink prices tend to be on the high side, compared to the mainland. However, the seafood cannot be fresher, and you can usually grill the catch of the day to your own liking.

You can also visit the many Muslim fishing villages in the area for inexpensive meals and possible accommodations.

There isn’t much in terms of nightlife outside of open-air resort bars and the occasional impromptu beach party. Expect mellow evenings spent sipping beer while watching karaoke or bonding with fellow travelers.

Getting There

photo by Voralak Suwanvanichkij

Nok Air, the low-cost affiliate of Thai Airways, flies directly from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport to Trang every day. Weekday fares are cheaper (starting from $60 one way, 80-minutes) and bookings can be made online.

Two “express” trains leave Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station every evening. Second class sleeper fare starts at $17 and the 540-mile journey takes 15 hours. Click here for train information.

Buses also depart regularly from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal on Pinklao-Nakorn Chaisi Road. Click here for bus information.

Once you’re in Trang, get on a taxi or ‘song thaew,’ a pickup fitted with narrow wooden benches and tin roof, bound for one of the piers (if you’ve opted for train travel, you’ll already be near Kantang pier).

Certain piers are much closer to some island groups: Pakmeng, Chaomai, and Kuantunku piers are north, nearer to Ko Muk and surrounding isles; Kantang and Taseh piers are south, closer to Ko Libong and Ko Sukorn.

Ferries depart regularly and a one-way ticket costs from $4 to $10, depending on your destination. If traveling in a group, it may be just as cost-effective (and faster) to charter your own long-tail boat at the pier.

Alternately, you can get to the mainland or islands from Phuket, Krabi, Ko Lanta, and other nearby provinces. Check with local travel agents for options.

Community Connection!

Many Matador members are backpacking in Southeast Asia right now!

The intrepid Noellejt wrote some beautiful blogs about her time at the best little cooking school in Thailand.

The awesome SE Asia travel website TravelFish has a solid Trang travel guide.

Justin88 is traveling in South East Asia until he runs out of money, currently bound for Malaysia. Compash is the founder of a permaculture farm and natural building center near Chiang Mai. Nora Dunn is traveling in Thailand and Malaysia…

Matador is blossoming. Click here to join today.

Photo by Hal Amen

Zipping down from Luang Prabang?

Cruising up from Phnom Penh? Shooting over from BKK? Make sure to cool your jets for a few days in the southern Lao town of Champasak.

Orientation

Champasak lies 25 miles downstream from the southern hub of Pakse. It’s on the shore opposite the highway, accessible by boat from the Ban Muang docks.

Nearly the entire town is laid out along a single road that parallels the Mekong River. In the center, a traffic circle (with no traffic to speak of) rings a decaying stone fountain that hints of this town’s distinctive past.

Faded Grandeur

photo by Hal Amen

In Champasak you’ll find the same “go with the river’s flow” mentality celebrated by backpackers further north at Muang Ngoi Neua and further south on the Four Thousand Islands. But there’s more to Champasak than banana milkshakes and hammock naps.

Before the French consolidated the region and added that pesky “s” to the name, there were three separate Lao kingdoms. One of them just so happened to be the Kingdom of Champasak, seated in the town that still bears its name.

It may be hard to believe this lazy village once hosted royalty. But while it lacks anything approximating Pakse’s Champasak Palace Hotel, there are faded reminders of greatness to explore.

Some of Champasak’s grandeur remains in the colonial buildings, stained by the weight of time and humidity, that line the main road. Enjoy the atmosphere conjured by these shadows from the past as you relish a slow meal of laap, sticky rice, and Beer Lao at one of the many delightfully mellow riverside restaurants.

The Main Attraction

Champasak boasts something else unique in southern Laos: a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins of Wat Phu Champasak straddle the mountains and the Mekong plain 7 miles south and west of town on the main road.

If you’re planning a visit to Angkor Wat later in your trip, Wat Phu is the perfect prelude for what you’ll see there. Travelers who have already been to Angkor will appreciate the elevated location of these ruins. Wat Phu affords impressive views, something you don’t often find at Angkor.

This temple complex served as the spiritual nexus of an ancient culture as early as 2,000 years ago.

Centuries later, Champasak became part of the vast Khmer empire, and you’re sure to note the similarities between the sculptures and carvings here and those at Cambodia’s world-renowned site. If you look closely, you can see remnants of the pilgrimage route that once connected the two.

Today, Wat Phu invites you to relive the experience of a devotee as you ascend the stone staircases scented with sweet frangipani blossoms that connect the site’s multiple levels.

Along the way, you’ll pass statues decorated in saffron robes and fresh flowers, perhaps with a group of monks in attendance.

From the top level, it’s possible to look back over the entire complex, further out across the colorful plain, and eventually to the Mekong shimmering in the distance.

Each year, the ruins are overrun with local revelers during the Bun Wat Phu Champasak. Sporting events, Buddhist ceremonies, and live music abound at this popular festival.

If your visit happens to coincide (festival dates are determined by the lunar calendar and usually fall in February), book your Champasak accommodation well in advance. At other times of the year you’re likely to have the place to yourself.

Other Sights and Activities

photo by Hal Amen

While it’s a safe bet any visitors to Champasak have come for Wat Phu, other nearby sights reward travelers who choose to linger. For an active temple, check out Wat Nyutthitham one block west of the main drag.

There’s another wat north of the circle where the ferry docks, and yet another can be found about 5 miles to the south, past where the road curves toward Wat Phu.

More Khmer ruins are on display at Um Muang, downstream a piece on the opposite bank. To get there, hire a boat from Champasak for around $10 round-trip. Floating lazily along the Mekong is half the fun.

The flat dirt roads around Champasak are great to explore on your own. Most guesthouses rent out bicycles, and some have motorbikes.

Follow any path and you’re sure to come upon conical-hatted farmers at work in green fields, laughing Lao children, and maybe a water buffalo cooling off in a mud puddle.

Arriving and Departing

Champasak, located just off well-traveled Highway 13, is a breeze to reach. Buses from points north and south travel this road and will probably drop you at Ban Lak 30, a couple miles east of the Ban Muang docks. You shouldn’t have any trouble arranging local transport to cover this distance.

Unless you specify otherwise, your boatman will ferry you a mile or so north of Champasak’s traffic circle. The standard crossing runs less than 10,000 kip ($1).

Alas, the heyday of boat travel in southern Laos is over, and the slow boat connecting Pakse to the Si Phan Don island of Don Khong seems to have been discontinued. Private boats can still be chartered (expensively) in Pakse for the journey to Champasak if you so desire.

Circle of Asia’s “Vat Phou Cruise” package is a roundtrip between Pakse and the Cambodian border, with onboard accommodation.

From Thailand, use the border crossing east of Ubon Ratchathani. Despite its continuing obscurity, there’s also a crossing with Cambodia at Voen Kham. Embassy employees, guidebooks, and tour operators alike may tell you it’s not possible to purchase a visa upon exit/entry, but this author had no trouble doing so.

Your best bet is to arrange transport through a guesthouse on your way down, or in Stung Treng, Cambodia, if coming the other way. As always, check with passing travelers for the latest updates.

Guesthouses and Restaurants

photo by Hal Amen

Champasak guesthouses offer a variety of accommodations, from the standard $3 fan bungalow to larger, indoor rooms with A/C, private bath, and hot water for up to $15. Try to find one with a nice seating area facing the river, where you can string a hammock and contemplate the Mekong’s swift current.

In addition, most of the guesthouses have attached restaurants. The one associated with A Nou Xa Guesthouse, north of the fountain circle, serves carefully prepared and deliciously authentic Lao cuisine, with an atmosphere that can’t be beat.

Cash and the Net

There are no banks between Pakse and Stung Treng, so remember to conduct any necessary financial business before striking out. U.S. dollars are sometimes accepted, Thai baht less so—it pays to stock up on kip.

A couple houses (one just south of the circle) advertise Internet connections, but this is nothing more than a local’s personal computer. Rates are twice what they are in Pakse.

Fewer services means more time for relaxation. Enjoy it while you can!

Community Connection!

Many Matador members have a soft spot for Laos. Check out Matador contributor Justin Landrum’s guide to Muang Ngoi Neua, maybe the chillest backpacker hideout in all of SE Asia.

TravelFish, an online resource dedicated to SE Asia travel, has an excellent Champasak travel guide.

Nomadic Matt recommends Southern Laos in his excellent list of 8 ways to get off the SE Asian tourist trail. Your faithful editor Tim Patterson fell in love with Lusty Luang Prabang. Although his profile is a little sparse, Robb Cadwell knows more about Laos than just about any Westerner.

Matador is blossoming. Click here to join today.

Photo by Matthew Kepnes

In Southeast Asia, all roads lead to Bangkok, and for most backpackers, Bangkok means Khao San Road. Khao San is the first stop on the Southeast Asian tourist trail, which loops through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

You could follow the tourist trail to Chang Mai, float down the river to Luang Prabang, cross over the mountains to Vietnam, dip into Cambodia, and finally head back to Bangkok, hitting all the major tourist stops along the way.

Or maybe you could follow the trail south to Krabi or Ko Phi Phi, rock out under the Full Moon on Ko Phan Ngan and go diving in Ko Tao. Maybe you’ll even drop into Malaysia. Maybe not.

But why stick to the major sights? Sure, places like Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang are famous for a reason, but unique and memorable experiences await if you take the initiative to explore a bit further than the average backpacker.

Here are 8 fresh ideas for how to get off the Southeast Asian tourist trail.

Bike the Mekong River.

Many tour operators offer cycling trips through the Mekong delta. This is a more adventurous way to see the area than the typical bus/boat package tour option.

photo by Matthew Kepnes

Bike tours take you off the main roads and along dirt tracks in the rice paddies. You feel less like a tourist being shuttled from attraction to attraction, and more like a traveler, exploring at your own pace.

I had a great experience with Delta Tours. But if you are an experienced biker, why not do it yourself?

Editor’s Note: Check out Hal Amen’s excellent guide to cycling Highway 1 in Vietnam.

Visit a National Park in Vietnam.

Most people travel to Vietnam and do the typical nature tours of Halong Bay, Sapa, and the Mekong Delta.

But Vietnam has a plethora of National Parks that allow each traveler to see what I think is the best part of Vietnam – its natural beauty. Most of the parks go unvisited by tourists, but offer rewarding scenery, excellent trails, the chance to spot rare creatures and a little bit of solitude from the masses.

Editor’s Note: Matador’s Vietnam expert knows a great deal about the National Parks of Vietnam, especially in the North.

Check out the temples in Lopburi, Thailand.

Those seeking historical ruins in Thailand tend to focus on the two main sights: Ayuthaya and Sukkothai. While Lobpuri doesn’t compare to these places in terms of grandeur, there are some really nice temples here that make the city worth a visit.

Most people come as a day tour from Bangkok but those who stay longer can experience a typical, rural Thai town. Enjoy the great night market by the train station, watch the school children socialize in the town center, and meander through the town and immerse yourself in small town Thai life.

Watch out for the hyperactive troop of monkeys that roam the city. They are known to grab things right from your hand!

Chill out in Kep, Cambodia.

photo by Ross Borden

This quiet French colonial town is a nice alternative to Sihanoukville, the fast-paced, party capital of Cambodia’s beach scene.

Kep’s beaches are peaceful and you won’t find as many people here. You can get to Kep by detouring to Kampot instead of going straight to Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh.

Be sure to make the trip out to Koh Tonsay, or Rabbit Island, where there are basic bungalows and locals serve up fresh seafood dishes like shrimp or crab with local cracked pepper sauce.

Editor’s Note: I love Kep. The best place to stay is Le Bout de Monde.

Explore the Northeast of Thailand.

Sometimes referred to as Isaan, this area is mostly rice paddies and dusty towns. The Northeast is the poorest region of Thailand and also the least touristed.

Most people don’t speak English here and there are few major attractions, but the area holds a friendly, laid-back charm and gives you a unique view of rural Thai life. The roads are unpaved, the towns have few tourist services, and you certainly won’t find any posh hotels, but you will experience Thai life at the local Thai price. For those looking for the real Thailand, you’ll find it in Isaan.

Editor’s Note: Ryan Libre has spent a lot of time in Isaan – check out his recent podcast at the travelers notebook.

Escape to a Random Thai Island.

photo by Ross Borden

Ko Phi Phi, Samui, Phuket, Ko Chang, Ko Tao…you’ve heard the names. They are all amazing islands, but also some of the busiest in Thailand. Secluded beach life is hard to come by on these developed islands.

If you really want peace and quiet, find a random island. Thailand has hundreds of islands, and although most have some form of tourism infrastructure, if you make the effort to catch one extra ferry or visit a place that isn’t in the guidebook, you just might find your paradise.

For example, Ko Chang is surrounded by a large chain of islands, and although most are private and used for dive trips, there are many that most people never even think to visit.

Down south near Malaysia there are many undeveloped islands, too. Thai beach paradise is out there, it just takes a little effort to find it.

Looking for an quiet island? Ask Voralak, a Matador contributor who lives in Bangkok and just published a Backpacker’s Secret Guide to the island of Trang, Thailand.

Meander through Southern Laos.

Most people tend to skirt through Laos, hitting the major destinations before crossing into Vietnam or looping back to Thailand.

The typical backpacker sees Vien Vieng, Vientiane and Luang Prabang – all of which are heavily touristed. There isn’t much to do in Laos and the road is pretty rough, so most people skip over the really exciting part of the country – the south.

Don’t miss a chance to check out this area, especially the amazing Bay of Islands, a large expanse of the Mekong River with over 4,000 islands to explore.

Who knows, maybe you will see the famous pink dolphin before it goes extinct!

Editor’s Note: Check out this Backpacker’s Secret Guide to Champasak, a chill temple town in southern Laos. Can’t quite make it to the south? Go to the organic farm outside Vien Vieng!

Seek Adventure in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Sarawak is rugged Malaysia. Most people follow the Southeast Asian tourist trail from Thailand to mainland Malaysia and on to Singapore. Some make the effort to cross over to Sarawak, but the mountainous region still feels remote.

If the Malaysian mainland is an interstate expressway, Sarawak is a small side highway. Those who take the initiative to explore Sarawak will find deep jungles and unexplored mountains. Want to channel your inner Joseph Conrad? Sarawak is the place.

Editor’s Note: Check out islandhapa’s awesome blog about participating in a tattoo convention in Sarawak (which is on the island of Borneo, by the way).

Community Connection!

Many Matador members are backpacking in Southeast Asia right now!

The intrepid Noellejt wrote some beautiful blogs about her time at the best little cooking school in Thailand.

Justin88 is traveling in South East Asia until he runs out of money, currently bound for Malaysia. Compash is the founder of a permaculture farm and natural building center near Chiang Mai. Nora Dunn is traveling in Thailand and Malaysia…

For up to date travel guides and guesthouse reviews, be sure to check out TravelFish, our favorite resource for trip planning in Southeast Asia.

Matador is blossoming. Click here to join today.

photo by denisema4, creative commons

Recently, some friends asked me to recommend a Caribbean island getaway that would put them beyond the reach of the cruise ship crowds while keeping them within their modest budget.

They wanted to go somewhere lesser-known, somewhere that wasn’t arduous to reach but felt like light-years from home—a place where they could wash all the woes of the world away with tropical cocktails, plenty of beach time and a dollop of Caribbean culture.

Without hesitation, I told them to go to…

Jost Van Dyke.

Nestled in the Virgin Island archipelago some 1,100 miles southeast of Miami lies the former Dutch pirate haven of Jost Van Dyke (pronounced “yost”), named after the obscure marauder who used it as a base for his illicit activities.

This eight square-mile island in the British territory has volcanic origins and a rugged landscape graced by some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world. The approximately 150 inhabitants take great pride in keeping their island outside the boundaries of time.

As a Virgin islander myself, I can tell you that Jost Van Dyke (JVD) is the place where those of us who have already escaped the rat-race go when we want to escape completely.

Stress Free Zone

photo by denisema4, creative commons

The relaxation capital of the Caribbean is Ivan’s Stress Free Bar at White Bay.

Imagine a mile of soft, plush, white-sandy beach coupled with electric-blue water.

Tall, svelte palms watch over the paradise like loyal sentinels determined to keep any reality spoilers from robbing you of your timelessness; hammocks sway; a tree-swing dangles; waves gently lap the shore–there are bikinis–and no one is behind the bar.

Wait a minute! No one behind the bar? Now, what’s so stress free about that?

No one is behind the bar because at Ivan’s, you make your own drink and record it in a ledger á la the honor system. There’s no chance of getting stressed out because your drink wasn’t strong enough or the barkeep wouldn’t make eye contact.

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar is a one-of-a-kind hangout. The insides are decorated with seashells as wallpaper and photographs of revelers. Live music can break out anytime.

If you are a Kenny Chesney fan, you’ll be interested to know that this is the famous Ivan Kenny sings about in the song, “Somewhere in the Sun”. In fact, Ivan’s Bar is the setting for Kenny’s video, “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems”.

Ivan even offers equipped and bare camping sites, as well as cabins. Up the hill, Ivan has a comfortable guesthouse for rent with A/C. He throws a traditional West Indian BBQ on Thursdays only, but meals can be found down the beach within walking distance.

Beyond The Bar

For travelers who don’t want to drink their entire holiday away, JVD offers plenty to do away from the bar. There’s no shortage of snorkeling and SCUBA opportunities, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, sailing, bone-fishing, and one should not miss a visit to the natural wonder known as the “Bubbly Pool.”

This is a tidal pool with a narrow opening to the sea that catches any big swell and harnesses its energy through the opening to create a million tiny bubbles that tickle the skin in a whirlpool effect.

In addition to activities on JVD, one could easily visit the numerous enchanting islands that make up the US and British Virgin Islands via the convenient ferry network.

There are camping facilities on Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, Tortola, St. John and St. Croix.

Shelter

Various accommodations await at White Bay from bare campsites to luxury villas on the hillsides.

White Bay Campground (Ivan’s)–Equipped campsites for $35.00 ($25.00 in summer); bare Campsites for $15.00; Cabins for $50.00 to $60.00 ($40.00 – $50.00 in summer). All with shared kitchen and rest room facilities.

Vittles

photo by denisema4, creative commons

White Bay has no shortage of eateries. Several places exist to cater to your savory needs from burgers to four-course dinners.

Expect to pay $6-12 for breakfast and lunch and up to $32 for a four-course candlelit dinner at the Sandcastle Hotel. That is, of course, at the extravagant end of the spectrum.

A short taxi ride away ($10) is Foxy’s Tamarind Bar at Great Harbour where you can find a comparable range of plates as described above.

Nocturnal

It is impossible to know which nights will be lively and which ones mellow here. The best bet is to go on a walkabout beneath the stars and beside the waves and look for the lights and listen for the music.

One thing to count on is the above Foxy’s Tamarind Bar which has a crowded dinner rush and a consistent lively atmosphere, often with live music. You will be more than content no matter what you find; just accept the night for what it is.

Diurnal

With a 1,054-foot peak, numerous hidden coves, coral reefs galore, perennial trade winds and clear water, water all around; there is no shortage of activities to help purge the previous night’s indulgences from your pores.

A couple of adventure companies are there to satisfy your need to explore. Sea and Land Adventure Sports—Located in White Bay, this outfit offers a comprehensive selection of bikes, kayaks, boats and the like.

Jost Van Dyke SCUBA and Eco-Adventure Tours—Located in Great Harbour, this outfitter has a fuller list of options and a website that is worth a look.

Getting In and Out

While JVD feels like a world-away, it’s actually rather accessible without incurring great expense. The regional hub of St. Thomas (STT) is one of the cheapest places to fly into in all of the Caribbean.

My friend flew recently from LAX to STT for under $350 R/T with only one stop on Spirit Airlines.

I have seen fares for under $50 each way from Ft. Lauderdale on this airline. I can hook you up with great fares through my website.

Once on STT, you’re only a ferry ride (or two) away from complete escape. There are two ferry terminals on STT: Charlotte Amalie (CA) is a five-minute cab ride from the airport and Red Hook (RH) is about 30-40 minutes.

Pay attention to where your ferry is going from and to; some of the islands have numerous terminals and going to the wrong one can mean a long (and costly!) cab ride to the part you want to access. Here are ferry schedules throughout the US and British Virgin Islands.

A direct ferry goes from RH to JVD and back on Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays. For all other travel days (or if those times don’t work), it is best to go from CA to West End, (WE) Tortola and then transfer to a ferry to JVD.

And that works going the other way, too. Just check out the ferry link above and work it out. A roundtrip ferry ticket to JVD from STT will cost you between $50-$70 plus a $5 departure tax upon leaving JVD. The journey is 45 – 90 minutes depending on transfers and customs.

One More Thing

Both the US and British Virgin Islands use the US Dollar as their official currency and it is important to note that while Americans don’t need passports to travel to the US Virgin Islands, They DO need one to enter the British Islands. No visa required in either case.

For more information, visit www.jostvandyke.com and www.bviwelcome.com

Malbec and Mountains. Photo by Nicole Heyman

After a week in Buenos Aires dancing the tango and discovering just how delicious a malbec can be, it’s time to head to Mendoza to visit Argentina wine country.

Mendoza produces what is widely considered the best malbec in the world. Even though tons of foreign investment has poured in over the last few years, the commercialization of wine tourism has not yet caught up with the newfound popularity.

Visiting wineries in Mendoza is still an adventure, with the possibility of getting up close and personal with the winemaking process. Walk through the madness of crush during the peak of the harvest and you can see, touch, and taste the grapes as they make their transformation into wine.

Arriving In Wine Country

An overnight bus or quick 1 1/2 hour plane ride from B.A. will leave you face to face with the dramatic snow capped Andes. This towering mountain range protects the vines, while the runoff from its peaks irrigates the arid land.

Head straight to Aristedes Villanueva, the nexus of happening hostels and outdoor restaurants. Damajuana Hostel is a good pick for its clean, bright rooms; nice sized pool with adjoining ping pong table; attentive and friendly staff; and overall festive atmosphere (50 pesos/ $15 USD per night). Other guesthouses to consider are Break Point and Itaka House.

Wine Tasting Time

Start your wine education at Vines of Mendoza in the center of town, where you can sample a selection of the region’s best. The tasting room here gives a solid introduction to the Mendoza wine scene through guided pours.

I opted for ¨Los Malbec,¨ (45 pesos) a side-by-side tasting of the region’s infamous grape produced in 5 different styles. Continue tasting at Winery, a cooperative chain wine store, started in Buenos Aires.

Located just off the main plaza in a charming colonial building, one of the few that survived the devastating 1861 earthquake, Winery has a hip restaurant and a new center called ¨wine point¨ which focuses on tastings and seminars.

Further Afield

Photo by longhorndave

The route around Mendoza to visit wineries can be large and overwhelming, but with the right map and a bit of planning, it is easily navigable.

Splurge on the wine map, ¨caminos de las bodegas,¨ (30 pesos) found at any main wine store to begin planning your tour. You´ll find a set of 3 maps conveniently breaking down the three main wine destination areas: Lujan de Cuyo, Maipu, and Valle de Uco.

Plan on fitting 3 to 4 wineries into a day’s visit, since each bodega tour lasts an hour to an hour and a half. Many wineries are open to the public without reservation, but it’s best to call at least a day ahead to secure a booking.

You don´t want to make the same mistake I did, showing up to a winery ready for a day of fun only to be rejected by a gun-toting guard at the front gate.

Lujan de Cuyo

Begin your wine tour in Lujan, the closest region to Mendoza city, and the one with the highest concentration of quality wineries, not to mention the sunniest climate.

Wake up early to watch the clouds part over your first vineyard stop of the day, perhaps a traditional style adobe winery like Hacienda de la Plata or Lagarde. These historic buildings are rare since most were demolished in the earthquake, and new regulations don´t permit building with adobe.

For a stellar tour make your way to the larger production Tapiz winery. After a horse-drawn carriage ride through the vines, veteran tour guide Caroline will bring you into the vineyard to taste the difference between the ripe berries of malbec, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and merlot; show you how their leaves vary in shape and color.

The tour ends with tank samples of juice that is in the process of being fermented into wine.

After two wine tours and an early morning buzz, it’s time for lunch, and several bodegas offer a sumptuous feast. My favorite, Ruça Malen, serves a 5 course gourmet interpretation of traditional fare, paired with their line of malbec, in the middle of the vineyards. Only a glass wall separates diners from the surrounding vines (90 pesos).

The Best Wine In Mendoza?

The author working in a Mendoza winery. Nicole Heyman

Achaval Ferrer produces the region’s highest scoring wine, and is also regarded by tourists and locals alike as the crème de la crème.

Here you will see the specially selected grapes gravity-fed into all-cement tanks. Their philosophy is that cement gives the most consistent temperature control, where open fermentation is conducted to bring out all of the flavors of the wine.

Even though they are in the heart of an area subject to hailstorms, the Achaval Ferrer team would rather risk losing all of their crop one year, than reduce the amount of sunshine — and therefore potentially the quality of the grape — by installing protective netting.

High standards and an excellent tour complete with barrel tasting of their exclusive wines make this winery an absolute must visit.

Round off the day with another version of ultra modern at Pulenta Estate. Here they employ all three methods of fermentation–barrel, tank, and cement—depending on the desired style and vintage.

Although once inside you might feel like you are on a space ship surrounded by aliens instead of in a tasting room surrounded by barrels, a sip of their ripe and clean sauvignon blanc will bring you right back down to earth.

Alta Vista, Vistalba, and Catena Zapata are other noteworthy wineries to visit in Lujan de Cuyo for their architecture and tasting rooms.

Maipu

For day two of wine touring, change the pace by throwing a bicycle into the equation. This is easy in Maipu where vendors have created bike and wine tours.

Since the wineries in Maipu are fewer and the area to cover less vast, biking is an ideal way to get around. The roads are scenic, especially those just off the main drag of Urquiza, lined with trees that once acted as a shady cover for the grapes being transported to and from the winery.

The streets can get a bit dusty — after all this is the desert — so go prepared with lots of water, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

A smart plan of attack for the day is to rent your bikes at the beginning of town where the bus lets you off (a 45 minute ride on #10 from city center), then head straight to the far end of Maipu. This way you limit your mileage the more you drink.

Start at Carinae, a quaint boutique winery owned by a French couple, and named after a constellation only visible during grape harvest. From here, it’s only a short journey down the road to Tempus Alba, where you can sit outside and enjoy some artisanal cheese and wine perched atop the vines at their outdoor terrace wine bar.

Many bikers dine at the gourmet Almacen del Sur, conveniently located in the middle of the bike route. I opted for Casa de Campo, a small country style restaurant serving home-made local fare like wild rabbit and suckling pig.

If you´re thirsting for more, La Rural is a grand old winery back at the beginning of Maipu with an extensive wine museum, where you can witness the revolution in technology and winemaking from a century ago.

Valle de Uco

Photo by ANOXLOU

Valle de Uco is about an hour south of Mendoza by direct bus, and is considered the up and coming wine region. The valley is known for greater temperature variation between day and night, creating thicker grape skins and in turn more complexity in the wine.

Many wineries have vineyards in all three regions, as a sort of security against hail and poor vintages. It’s common to create a blend from the different regions, although estate-single vineyard wines are also coming into fashion, catering to a discerning clientele.

Three state of the art wineries worth visiting for their striking architecture and wine are Andeluna, O´Fournier, and Salentein. Keep in mind that the distances between these wineries are great, so you´ll need a car or taxi to get around even if you bus it down to the Valle.

The perfect marriage between food and wine always discussed in culinary circles is brought to life at O´Fournier where the owner of the bodega is married to the chef of the restaurant. Needless to say, the food and wine pairing here is harmonious.

Salentein also boasts an excellent restaurant. Once you’ve completed a day in the Valle de Uco, you’ve covered the best of Mendoza wine country. You can return to wherever you came from full and buzzed, with back vintages of wine that would never show up at a wine store back home.

Community Connection!

For more on sipping vino in Mendoza, check out Christian Denes’ article on MatadorTravel, Mendoza’s Secret or for a comical take on Maipu’s ‘wine and bike’ tours, check out this blog. Mendoza is also the jump-off place for big adventures such as rapelling, climbing Mt. Aconcagua or skiing in nearby Las Leñas.

For the very latest on Matador in Argentina, check out our Destinations section.

Photo by Jenny Williams

My boyfriend and I were walking too fast our first day on Caye Caulker.

“What de hurry, man?” teased a dark-skinned, dreadlocked youth, grinning from the shade of a dive shop. “On de Caulker, you go slow.”

It wasn’t just a suggestion, as we soon learned: “Go Slow” is the formal motto of the island. With the aid of swaying hammocks, cheap rum, and the sparkling green-blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, it’s not hard to see why.

Blissed-Out Belize

photo by Jenny Williams

Geographically, Belize and its islands belong to Central America, but Belizean people, music, and food are more closely aligned with the Caribbean than with neighboring Mexico or Guatemala.

English and Creole are the two lingua francas, and Belizean people claim a mixture of cultures as diverse as Mestizo, Maya, Creole, Garifuna, and Mennonite.

In Belize, Caye Caulker is second only to resort-y Ambergris Caye in terms of tourism, but it has retained a small-island vibe that’s second to none in terms of charm.

Except during the Christmas and Easter holidays, crowds are so minimal that it’s not uncommon to be the only guest at your hotel for days at a time.

The town is intimate enough that you’ll soon be on familiar terms with the waitress at your favorite breakfast haunt, and it’s developed enough to support Internet cafes and WiFi hotspots.

The island’s blissfully car-free streets are quiet except for the occasional hum of a golf cart, the leisurely rattle of a bicycle, the faint tune of a Bob Marley track, or the yap-yap of tiny dogs (the Chihuahua-to-person ratio here is off the charts).

Houses are splashed in brash tropical hues, electric yellows and blues and pinks; iguanas sun themselves along the roadsides and pelicans hover overhead.

Slow, Not Lazy

photo by Jenny Williams

Though it’s entirely possible to go so slow that you cease moving altogether except to rouse yourself for BBQ and booze, some of Caye Caulker’s best features do require a little motivation on your part—and they’re well worth it.

If you get bored here, it’s nobody’s fault but your own.

For adventure junkies, kite-boarding and wind-surfing lessons happen just offshore, and you can get your PADI open water certification for as little as $250 (one of the cheapest programs in the world).

Kayaks and fishing poles are available for rent, or you can organize a deep-sea fishing tour with any number of local operators. For nature-lovers, Swallow Caye hosts dozens of native birds, and Caulker conservation celebrity “Chocolate” Heredia runs highly recommended tours to see endangered manatees in nearby mangrove swamps.

Snorkeling at the world’s second-longest barrier reef is Caye Caulker’s main attraction.

The most popular trips include visits to Hol Chan Marine Reserve off Ambergris Caye (presenting up-close-and-personal encounters with sea turtles, Green Moray Eels, Spotted Eagle Rays and more), and Shark-Ray Alley, where you can swim with Nurse Sharks and giant stingrays.

Raggamuffin Tours operates excellent half-day and full-day snorkeling trips (including lunch, a real sailboat, and mixed-en-route rum punch on the ride home).

They also offer three-day sailing adventures from Caye Caulker to Placencia in Southern Belize, during which passengers make camp on uninhabited islands and get the chance to swim in pristine Caribbean waters.

If you’re only interested in white sandy beaches (and the inevitable spring break crowd), look elsewhere; while there are a few scattered swimming areas, most of the shoreline around the town is outfitted with rickety wooden piers to accommodate the many fishing and sailing boats.

Slow Food

photo by Jenny Williams

Meals will be your biggest expense on Caye Caulker, but if you’re willing to splurge, you can get heaping plates of freshly grilled seafood with veggies and other tasty side dishes along the beachfront (up to $10 per person).

Rose’s Café does great grills and sells ice-cold beer to boot. For special occasions, Habanero’s serves outstanding international and Belizean dishes ($15 to $30) in a rustic balcony setting.

Cheaper options include the Sandbox for burgers ($3.50) and Syd’s for Mexican fare ($2 burritos). A must for the budget-conscious, Glenda’s Bakery and Cafe serves delicious cinnamon rolls (25 cents) and scrumptious burritos ($1.50) out of a cozy blue house away from the main drag.

Slow Dancing

photo by Jenny Williams

The Lazy Lizard—right on the Split, where you can drink a beer while dipping your toes in the water—boasts sweet sunset views and great people-watching.

The cheapest mixed drinks, including the infamous Panty Ripper (pineapple juice and coconut rum), are made with Belizean rum and go half-price ($1.50) during happy hour.

Having conducted a thorough survey of Pina Coladas all over the island, I can confidently say that the Sandbox owns the number one spot; other good bets are Happy Lobster, Agave, and I-I.

The latter is also the best-known nightclub on the island, with three stories of solid reggae beats and a breezy rooftop with swings and hammocks; on a busy night, Oceanside Club can also give the ol’ I-I a run for its money.

Slow In Bed

There’s no shortage of clapboard hotels and beachside cabanas on Caye Caulker, though some options are far better than others.

Private cabanas on stilts ($15-25) offer respite from irksome sandflies, and be sure to check a few different rooms in each hotel, as windowless closet-sized holes sometimes cost the same as the ones with a view.

When a short visit turns into a week, and a week turns into months (as it did for me and my boyfriend), furnished apartments are widely available—just ask around.

Arrivals and Departures

Despite countless vows that you’re “leaving tomorrow,” there will actually come a day when it becomes necessary to rejoin the world beyond the Caye.

Ferries ($15 one way, 45 minutes long) run every few hours between Belize City and Caye Caulker, and from Caulker it’s not far to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.

There’s an airstrip south of the main drag, but flights are pricey; you’re better off flying or busing in and out of Belize City and coming by boat.

For more information, Go Caye Caulker and Cyber Caye Caulker are good places to start, and Toucan Trail provides detailed listings for budget hotels across Belize.

Community Connection!

Matador traveler ameenehan makes some solid suggestions on her Seven Days in Belize trip guide.

I’m also happy to give advice or meet up if any travelers are headed this way—I’m living on Caye Caulker through June 2008, so send me a message through Matador and I’ll hook you up.

Photo by Jochen Westermann

You float down the Nam Ou, a large, clear river flowing through the tropical mountains of northern Lao PDR.

A light breeze cools your face and tranquility resonates in your bones. The holy city of Luang Prabang was magical, but now you are leaving the luxury hotels and package tourists behind, venturing deeper into the heart of Indochina.

Village children play by the edge of the water and wave and smile as you slowly float by. Other villagers wade in the river, casting silver fishing nets.

Your boat catches sand by a landing dock and a shocking sound of silence overwhelms you: no motorbikes, no cars – not a trace of man-made clatter.

Welcome to the village of Muang Ngoi Neua.

Orientation

photo by Jom Manilat

Muang Ngoi Neua is a day’s boat ride north of Luang Prabang. The riverside village consists of a single path that is only 100 meters long. The word ‘path’ must be used instead of ‘street’ because there are no vehicles or bicycles in the village.

There is generator powered electricity for a few hours in the evening, but even then it’s used sparingly. It’s precisely this lack of modern technology that gives Muang Ngoi Neua its charm and appeal.

What to do without electricity? Some travelers head straight into the jungle to follow hiking paths that snake between the mountains, but many others crash into their hammocks and lounge away the days. Muang Ngoi Neua exemplifies the word “chill”.

Laid-back Locals

The people of Lao are widely regarded as some of the most friendly and easy-going people in the world, and Muang Ngoi Neua locals are even friendlier than folks in the larger towns.

They are accustomed to hosting travelers, but are still eager to chat you up over a bottle of Beerlao or shots of lao lao (sticky rice whiskey). Most locals are enthusiastic about practicing their English, while others just pass time Lao-style: “take it easy, no problems, same same.”

Sights and Activities

photo by Jochen Westermann

Two days is plenty of time to enjoy the village and explore its surroundings, but many travelers fall in love with the tranquility of Muang Ngoi Neua and stay for weeks.

An excellent hiking path originates on the south side of the village. Follow the path by the school and after about 5km you’ll come across Tham Kang (Middle Cave) and Tham Pha Kaeo (Holy Image Cave). The caves extend deep into the rocks, so bring a torch and watch your head.

For the more adventurous, a narrowing hiking path continues deep into unsettled wilderness and winds between soaring mountains. The path splits at least twice, so be sure to get a map from the village, bring a compass, or hire a local guide if you plan on venturing more than 5km past the caves.

If you’re interested in the 130 foot waterfalls of Tat Mok and the swimming holes they crash into, you’ll need to find a local guide with a boat. Fear not, however, as the guides will find you! It’s a half-day journey to go and return as it requires a short boat ride and a hike into the wilderness to the falls.

Haggling with your guide is expected, but 50,000 Kip (about $5) per person is a typical fee. Don’t forget your swimming trunks! Locals and guesthouse owners are happy to arrange other various river activities like tubing, kayaking, and fishing – simply ask and they’ll set you up.

Lao Lao and Malevolent Roosters

One lazy afternoon a local teen convinced me to buy a bottle of lao lao for 10,000 Kip (~$1), which I considered a pretty good deal. He then led me over to his family’s shop and proceeded to dunk a used water bottle into a rusting 30-gallon vat of moonshine.

“Hum,” I mused, “this can’t be good.” Later that night I presented my bounty to a crowd of fellow travelers and locals huddling around a bonfire and was surprised to find that my lao lao was actually better than the labeled glass bottle variety.

Please be forewarned: even good lao lao is not very good. It’s certainly a matter of opinion, but most Westerners only drink it because it’s local and does the trick – certainly not for the taste.

Muang Ngoi Neua rejects vehicles and technology in favor of naked babies and exceptionally loud roosters. The roosters sound like they could raise the dead. Be prepared for the bird alarm clock to sound at 4 am and for the choir to last until noon. People go to bed early, get up early with the roosters, fantasize about turned the birds into chicken soup, and then take an afternoon siesta.

Life in Muang Ngoi Neua is relaxed, easy-going, and very Lao.

Arriving and Departing

photo by Yabbox

Slow boats up and down the Nam Ou are becoming less frequent as Lao roadways are improving and regular buses become more frequent. Slow boats still run to and from Muang Ngoi Neua, however, and the scenery makes it worth your while to haggle with boat drivers.

If coming from the south, arrange for a boat from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw. Slow boats have sporadic schedules that are subject to demand, so you might need to make a few trips to the dock before finding a boat.

Chartering a boat tends to cost around 1 Million Kip (~$100) and comfortably holds 10 people, so it’s possible to bargain for 10,000 Kip (~$10) per person. If the slow boats do not gather enough riders to travel, less scenic buses regularly travel from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw. Once in Nong Khiaw, regular boats go to Muang Ngoi Neua for 20,000 Kip (~$2) and take about an hour.

If coming from the north, arrange for a boat from Muang Khua to Muang Ngoi Neua or Nong Khiaw (the driver will drop you off at Muang Ngoi Neua if the boat continues to Nong Khiaw).

Once again, departure times from Muang Khua depend on demand. There’s generally one or two each morning and it’s sometimes possible to charter a boat and front the 1 Million Kip (~$100). Waiting for a full boat, however, gets the price down to 10,000 Kip (~$10) per person. The journey from Muang Khua to Muang Ngoi Neua takes about 7 hours.

Guesthouses & Restaurants

There’s no shortage of guesthouses along the village strip. Yellow signs with red lettering advertise most of the guesthouses and restaurants. Standard accommodation is a bungalow with hammock and outside bathroom for ~30,000 Kip (~$3) per night. There are some guesthouses that offer rooms with private bathroom, but no electricity means no A/C, fans, or hot showers.

Many guesthouses have attached restaurants and balconies that overlook the river.

Restaurants serve local Lao food along with local interpretations of Western food. Laap is an excellent Lao dish served everywhere.

Look for a sign towards the end of the main stretch that says “BBQ Fish” with an arrow pointing to the right and you’ve found my favorite eating and bonfire stomping grounds. May is the plump old lady who runs the place and she’ll take care of you like one of her own. Definitely try the fish: caught that day a mere 20 feet away from your plate.

Drugs, Cash, and the Internet

Drugs are illegal in Laos. That said, teenage locals in Muang Ngoi Neua may offer to sell you marijuana and you’ll likely see more than one backpacker with a joint. The village is nothing close to the free-wheeling drug scene of Vang Vieng, but soft drugs are common place.

As far as cash is concerned, there are no ATMs, banks, or Western Union stations. Most guesthouses will accept US dollars and a few may be persuaded to accept Thai Baht, but they’ll quote poor exchange rates for their troubles. You’re best off stocking up with Kip before arriving.

At the top of the boat landing stairs is a small building with a sign that proclaims the existence of “Internet!” in Muang Ngoi Neua. Don’t be frightened, however, because I’m not convinced it really works. Posted hours of internet operation are 5pm-6pm, but separate day visits at 5:05pm and 5:30pm revealed locked doors, lights off, and no sign of a generator. Write any necessary emails before departing for the village.

Happy Travels!

Muang Ngoi Neua is short on luxury, but rich in character, Lao culture and roosters. This sleepy little village has certainly been discovered by your fellow backpackers, but it’s off the beaten track and provides a revitalizing destination for jungle treks, swimming and just chilling out and watching the river flow by.

Community Connection!

The Gibbon Experience is hands-down the best eco-tourism experience in Lao. Check out the article “The Gibbon Experience” in Matador’s Traverse magazine, or Punchy’s blog about his zip-line experience in the canopy jungle.

Ever wonder what writing for a guidebook is like? Matador member LornaNorth’s blog “Laos – Working As A Rough Guide Writer” offers a behind the scenes picture of guidebook research in SE Asia.

Also check out the uncensored version of an article MatadorTrips.com editor Tim Patterson published in the San Francisco Chronicle – Lusty Luang Prabang.