Year: 2015

7 Things Only Available at All Inclusive Resorts in Cancun

Resort Pool

A few months ago we published a post entitled “7 Things to Do in the Yucatan Region of Mexico Not at an All-Inclusive.“  This post was to try and clear up the misconception that the Yucatan is all party resorts where people go to eat, drink, and swim in a nice pool.

Although I’m thoroughly convinced that there are tons of amazing things to do in the Yucatan that does not require being at a Cancun all inclusive (we spent three weeks there without running out of things to do outside of the resorts), our time also enjoying all-inclusives during our visit opened our eyes up to a completely different world.

What can you do in the Yucatan while staying at an all-inclusive? The following were seven of our favorites that may help you when planning where to stay in Cancun!

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Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua – Because, Why Not?

Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua

Originally, I had planned to start my world trip in Nicaragua because every time I googled adventure activities, Nicaragua always seemed to have something to offer. The most obvious and unique of which is volcano boarding.

I saw it on CNN, on blogs, on wanderlust lists.

I added it to my list, because why not? Sitting on a metal board whilst flying at reckless speeds down an active volcano will be a wonderful story to tell the grandkids. If I lived.

Volcano boarding is offered up in Leon, the old colonial capital city of Nicaragua. I booked a couple nights at Bigfoot Hostels, the main operator in town. It’s a party hostel, and while I am definitely getting sick of the party atmosphere barely two weeks into my trip, I liked the idea of going in a big crowd.

There are a couple other outfits in town who do the tour at a slightly cheaper price and a much smaller group if you don’t like a big boisterous crowd of hungover twenty-somethings at 9 in the morning.

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Republica del Cacao Chocolate Tasting – An Ecuadorian Treat

A Chocolate Tasting fit for a King

For those who know me, you should know that I love chocolate.

My addiction has little to no limits and when I visit a country known for its chocolate, I’ll go all out. In knowing this, it should be no surprise that our recent trip to Ecuador ended up with us trying over 20 chocolate bars during our exploration of the country.

After trying some of the country’s best, we also purchased another 50 to send home for later consumption.

Out of all of the brands that we tried, there was one that we knew we were not giving a fair shake: Republica del Cacao. We could only try a few bars from this particular company as, by Ecuadorian standards (and even some American standards for premium chocolate), they are a bit pricey at upwards of $6 per bar.

Well, it turns out that Republica del Cacao read our review, and asked if we would be interested in trying some more bars to give their chocolate a second chance. Being a chocolate addict, it was hard to say no.

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Sony a6000 Review – Is it The Best Camera for Travel Photography?

New Sony Mirrorless a6000

There is no secret why the Sony a6000 mirrorless camera is the best camera for travel photography. It is small, powerful, and takes incredibly gorgeous photos for a price point that wont deter most photographers.

As I am someone who loves to rant on Sony cameras after having several point-and-shoot failures, and even once made a promise to never buy one again, I am voluntarily putting my foot in my mouth for buying another (and publishing this Sony a6000 review to publicly state my love for this camera).

Ignoring my misgivings against the point and shoots, I always stood by the fact that in terms of image quality, my HX20V and HX50V cameras were the best I ever had- possibly even beating my old SLR. So it should be no surprise that when I made the leap to mirrorless photography, I ended up buying the Sony a6000 despite my reservations.

It has been well over a year since that purchase, and I am not looking back- the Sony a6000 is worth the price.

If you are looking towards buying the same, especially if you are using the camera for travel photography, the following are the most important things you need to know.