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Nicole, her boyfriend of over 6 years Kris and her family, walked 60K in Montreal at the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers to help raise money and awareness for cancer. They flew all the way from BC to do this event in Montreal.  It was such a great day – they met some wonderful people, had a lot of fun (despite the scorching weather) and enjoyed the sights of Montreal. At the finish line, Nicole was so excited to have completed the 60K walk. Then, she got the surprise of her life.

https://vimeo.com/137151085

At the finish line, her mother nudged me and said, “You may want to take a picture of this! I did better, I got videos and photos. This you have to see.

 

 

Portraits of Hope’s latest community art project tossed over a thousand colorful, inflatable spheres in LA’s MacArthur Park Lake. All of the gigantic, playful balls were hand painted by 3,500 to 5,000 members of the community, both young and old. Entitled “Spheres at MacArthur Park,” this public art and civic initiative has been seven years in the making.

Los Angelenos were treated to this delightful exhibition early this week at MacArthur Park (Address: 2230 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90057). The inflatable floating spheres were painted in brightly colored floral and aquatic designs and ranged in size from 4 – 6 ft. in diameter making for fantastic vistas at the park.

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https://vimeo.com/138131242

The minute I saw it, I just have to have it. The MonoRover is kind of like a Segway without the handlebar.  They range in price from $200 to $1000, but they’re pretty much all the same. I bought mine from Amazon at almost $300 and it took about 3 weeks to ship. They’re manufactured in China, so the instructions were in Chinese (I kid you not. LOL). But you don’t really need an instruction book to learn how to use it. You plug to charge, and a few minutes later, you can zoom around the neighborhood with it.

PS: Wear a helmet!

I asked 6 of my Australian friends which, in their opinion, is the most beautiful part of Australia. I would have bet my house they would all say the Great Barrier Reef or Whitsunday Island, but I couldn’t be more wrong. They unanimously voted Tasmania.

I was working in Melbourne and I had 4 days off between photo shoots, so I booked a flight to Tasmania. From Melbourne, it is a short 55 minute flight and several major airlines including Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, flies to Hobart, the capital and most populous city of the Australian island.

I have my travel basics: My cameras, driver’s license, iPhone/GPS, hiking shoes, American Express cards and my passion for adventure. Once in a while, I like to travel this way; There was no set itinerary, no travel companion, no hotel reservations, and no agenda other than take gorgeous photos and enjoy the scenery.

For 4 days, I drove from Hobart to Swansea and Freycinet National Park. I would like to say that I saw so much of Tasmania. Unfortunately, 4 days wasn’t long enough. Over 40% of the island is protected in national parks and reserves and there is so much to see and explore.

The island is roughly the size of Switzerland and ranks as the 26^th largest island in the world. If you are interested in visiting, make sure you have the most essential element of all … time.

Here are a few images from the trip:

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Any Kiwi will recommend you try New Zealand’s famous green-lipped mussel (or sometimes simply called the New Zealand mussel). That’s because you can only find them here in New Zealand and everyone’s proud of them.

While on the water taxi to my hotel in Raetihi, I asked the driver what makes them so famous and he offered to take a detour to take me to his very own mussel farm. “You should have a taste,” Pete insisted.

After our short adventure, he gave me all the mussels and told me I can give it to the hotel chef at Raetihi Lodge and they can prepare it for me in time for lunch.

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY! I had an amazing lunch and met an amazing guy- thank you Pete! (Kiwi hospitality at its finest).

Planning our trip to Coron, Palawan was kind of difficult and frustrating. I asked a few friends, Googled it and read blogs, and no one could really explain how to plan a trip to Coron.

Having visited the island, I can go on and on about the beauty of Coron, but instead, I’d like to dedicate this article on helping you plan your trip. Just follow these simple steps and you’re guaranteed to have an amazing time:

1) Book your plane ticket thru Philippine Airlines (www.PhilippineAirlines.com). There are two flights from Manila to Busuanga (Coron) daily. Flight takes 45 minutes and costs anywhere from $90 to $350 depending on how far in advance you book your flights.

2) Book your hotel at Asia Grand View (AsiaGrandView.com). It’s one of the best hotels on the island and it’s pretty reasonably priced from $100-$150 depending on the season. And for $7/person, their van can pick you up at the airport. Just give them a call to arrange for pick up.

3) Upon arrival, the front desk will ask you if you would like to book an island hopping/beach excursion. They have four options and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. They have an amazing team of people who picked us from the hotel, took us on a boat to the crystal clear lagoons, and cooked us our lunch on the boat while we snorkeled. Menu included grilled fish, grilled pork chop, pork steak, cucumber salad and drinks. Packages start at P1200/person ($30). You have an option to join a tour group or have a private boat.

4) Pack your bags.

Yes, it’s that simple! So book your flights today before the entire world discovers these islands.

 

 

The main attraction at Changi International Airport in Singapore is not its fancy duty free shops, state of the art lounges, or its fancy architecture – but its art sculpture.

“Kinetic Rain” was created by Berlin Firm ART+COM. It consists of two sets of 608 suspended raindrops made from lightweight aluminum covered in copper and is computationally controlled by complex programming and computers. Each raindrop weighs 180 grams (6.3 oz) and is suspended by a thin wire. These beautiful raindrops are raised and lowered in a 15-minute computationally designed choreography controlled from motors embedded in the ceiling. The raindrops morph into different shapes such as airplanes, kites or hot air balloons.

 

This unique moving sculpture was installed in early July 2012 in the Departure-Check-in hall of Terminal 1 of Singapore Changi Airport.

According to Art+Com, the sculpture “aims to be a source of identity for its location, and provides a moment for passengers to contemplate and reflect.”

 

The natural beauty of Oia’s unique stone topography, dark blue waters in combination with its traditional Greek architecture of white washed houses, gorgeous villas, winding streets, windmills and blue domed churches, make this village unique and popular among photographers. All that beauty, along with the gorgeous sunset in the afternoon, make this an unbelievable place you have to see and experience in your lifetime.

Oia is a picturesque town in Santorini, Greece beloved by artists, locals and the tourists alike. If you’re a photographer or a painter or you simply enjoy sunsets, you have to come and experience this daily phenomenon. (It’s also named one of the most romantic spots to propose to your loved one!).

During daytime, it is a busy destination for visiting cruise ship passengers. So it’s best to avoid it! It is better to arrive in the early evening, allowing plenty of time to meander, shop and take photographs, then have a relaxing meal in one of the restaurants while watching one of the most beautiful sunsets you would ever experience.

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I’d like to take credit and say that I discovered this incredibly decadent hotel after a long, exhaustive research. But the truth is, a friend I was traveling with booked it for us.

When my friend Ethan told me that he has booked our hotel, I immediately asked for the website. “You don’t understand Ethan,” I warned him, “I want something straight out of the ‘King and I’ set … I want a hotel that has Balinese charm, but with Western amenities.” Sure enough, Arma Hotel Bali provided both. Arma Resort is what you have envisioned your magical Balinese vacation to be (and more).

ARMA RESORT offers beautiful, comfortable accommodations in a serene and lush environment. The resort is set amidst 10 acres (4 hectares) of landscaped gardens, rice fields, lotus ponds, pools, stream and fountains. This place truly reflects the essence of Bali in sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

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1. 1. You don’t remember your mother’s birthday but you have your frequent flyer number memorized.
   2. Your idea of porn is Travel and Leisure Magazine
   3. Your wallet (or home drawer) has at least 5 types of currencies
   4. You have a selfie with a parrot, a monkey, a koala, an elephant and a kangaroo.
      
   5. Your profile pic is of you in an exotic country
   6. You don’t name drop celebrities at dinner parties, you name drop countries you’ve visited
   7. Your yearly goal in life is to get status with an airline (and you actually have a plan in place)
   8. You’re still in the middle of your vacation and you’re already planning the next one
   9. You can name all the restaurants at the airport
   10. You think that travel where you don’t need your passport doesn’t really count as travel
   11. You can’t name the Khardashian sisters but you can name every country in the Eastern bloc
   12. You’d pick a rainy day Argentina or a snow storm in Zurich over a sunny day at home
   13. Your credit card was issued by an airline
   14. Half of your Facebook friends are people you’ve met in a foreign country
   15. You actually enjoy seeing your friends’ vacation photos
   16. You have the double-sized 32 page passport
   17. You got more excited planning your honeymoon than planning your wedding
   18. You’ve spent more time on TripAdvisor than CNN
   19. You can name 5 Amazing Places to watch the sunset
   20. Your favorite Thai Restaurant, is actually in Thailand
   21. You’ve thought of giving up your amazing job to one that will allow you to travel for free
   22. You work extra hard so that you have more money for more trips
   23. You re-consider having pets as it may affect your ability to travel
   24. When you haven’t travelled in 3 months, you start getting antsy and think your lie is B-O-R-I-N-G!
   25. You don’t get jealous when your friends post about their new car, but you do when they post a pic of them frolicking in Greece
   26. You can’t name the 5 members of One Direction, but you have heard of countries like Myanmar, Mongolia, Morocco, Georgia, and Laos
   27. Your friends know it’s better to email you for travel tips and ideas than use Google
   28. You know that Ottawa is not a city in Japan
   29. You love your family but you will only spend Christmas vacation or Thanksgiving vacation with them. The other holiday is for traveling somewhere.
   30. You’d rather do Paris the City, than Paris Hilton
   31. When you’re deciding where to go for your vacation, it feels like Sophie’s Choice.
   32. You have ridden a horse, an elephant, and a camel
   33. Your screensaver is a gorgeous landscape photo, not of Jake Gyllenhaal.
   34. You’re most happiest when you’re on the road.
   35. You couldn’t care less that Kim Khardashian and Kanye got together, but if airlines merge …. Oh, you try to get all the facts!!!!
   36. You know what Global Entry and Priority Pass are, in fact, you’re a member
   37. You know more about a plane’s configuration than your own car
   38. You know how to say “Thank You” in more than 5 languages
   39. You learn that your friend just bought a $1,500 purse, you’re thinking “God, I’d rather use that money for a trip to Bali.”
   40. You can’t name the past 5 US presidents but can name at least 40 US states
   41. Your hottest sex experience, is with a foreigner
   42. The only time you pray is before each flight “God, I hope I get upgraded!!!! PLEASE!!!!”
   43. 90% of your junk mail are from travel-related websites
   44. You absolutely hate airline food by now
   45. You judge people who travel with super large suitcases. You think they’re crazy.
   46. At the airport, you have a favorite sitting area and you know where all the charging stations are.
   47. You know that Bellagio is not just a hotel in Vegas
   48. Given the choice, you would rather hug a koala than Hugh Jackman
   49. You may not remember where you put your car keys, but you know exactly where your passport is.
   50. You actually have a bucket list.

If you are a Travelholic, join our support group NOW! We meet at the Airport Executive Lounge every first Friday of the month! See you there! 

(Share in the comments below how you scored!)