Last year I started the year off with my dream travel list for the year. I only managed to do 3 of the items on my list, but they were pretty lofty goals if I do say so. Instead of the several international trips I had hoped for, we ended up spending much more time locally than abroad which was good in a way. I am enjoying continuing to explore all there is on offer in SoCal.
America’s national park system is one of the greatest assets we have in this country, and is often the most underutilized. Growing up I never stepped foot in a national park. I didn’t even know anything about them until I fell in love with Ansel Adam’s photography in high school. But even then it seemed … Read more
I’ve been slow to do my year in review post. Instead I took the holidays off to just *be* with my family and not worry about writing or visiting places that I would later have to write about. It was a nice and much needed break after a year of going going going and writing writing writing.
One of the most popular experiences for travelers in the Southern region of India is to take a boat tour on the backwaters in the beautiful state of Kerala.
The Backwaters of Kerala is a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets formed by more than 900 km of waterways. The backwaters present a unique ecosystem where freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. Local oarsmen take tourists to an amazing world of lush greenery and tranquility hidden from street views. From small wooden boats to large rice barges, there is something for everyone on the backwaters.
One of the most unique adventures on our recent trip to Fiji was our Food Safari at the Nanuku Auberge Resort. Let me start by saying, I am not a foodie. I am actually not even an adventurous eater. I save that for my husband and apparently now also my son. What I do love is to get out of the confines of resort life to actually experience the places we visit. With less than cooperative weather during our stay at Nanuku, our options for outside exploration were somewhat limited. Dying to get out to explore, we opted to experience Nanuku’s Food Safari excursion.
In my post about Hiking the Narrows with Kids, I listed important items to take with you on the hike. One of the things I mentioned was a sarong and how it just might come in handy when someone needs to use the restroom on the river where there is no privacy to be found! Following that post, a fellow traveler and blog reader reached out to introduce me to her line of beautiful silk travel wraps made in India. We quickly bonded over our shared history of India and the fact that she couldn’t get the hilarious image of me using my sarong as a bathroom door out of her head! Anyway, I agreed to check out her travel wrap and even take it with me on my next trip, which was to Fiji.
I know what you are thinking. Why would I need a wrap/shawl on a beach holiday. Well I thought the same. I wasn’t sure how much it was going to come in handy while on a beach, but with some trepidation I left my trusty sarong at home and packed my shiny new silk wrap instead.
Fiji is a destination that people dream of visiting, often that dream persists for much of their life mainly due to the perceptions that Fiji is solely a honeymoon destination or one for people who have a lot of money. On the contrary, Fiji can actually be an affordable vacation at anytime during your life and yes, even with children in tow!
On our recent trip to Fiji, one hotel that I pursued on my own to visit was Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa. I had attended a presentation by Tourism Fiji where their representative spoke of the new Floating Bures and the wonderful family friendly vibe of the hotel which included a nanny for children. I was sold and had to see it for myself!
One of our favorite festivals during our time in India was Diwali, known in Sanskrit as Deepavali. It gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (or deepa) that are lit outside of people’s homes. Basically, Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the beginning of a new year. It is celebrated for 3 to 5 days every year between mid October and mid November, based on the Hindu lunar calendar.
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of India’s most popular and important festivals. To an outsider, it looks similar to Christmas and New Year combined. Houses are cleaned, presents are purchased, fairy lights are hung up and fireworks are set off. This is also the time of year (in India) when staff receive yearly bonuses, families buy new clothes and businesses start a new fiscal year.
Even though people from all religions participate to some extent, it is primarily a Hindu holiday which remains as important to Hindus as Christmas is to Christians.
We have just returned from a “once in a lifetime” trip to Fiji. I put it in quotes because I really hope that it is not actually just once in my lifetime! I wasn’t sure what to expect other than it looked similar to Hawaii, is known as a honeymoon destination and a getaway for the rich and famous.
Without fail, everyone we talked to about Fiji said it was their dream to go someday. Rightly so, who wouldn’t want to go to an idyllic paradise with beautiful white sand beaches in the middle of crystalline waters? Even with the weather not cooperating for most of our trip, I have to admit that it was still magical, but not for the reasons I had initially thought. Read on for the 5 reasons why you should visit Fiji too.
My trip to Cambodia for my 30th birthday, almost 10 years later, still remains one of my favorite holidays. Being in a country with peaceful kind people, monks peeking around corners when you least expect it and striking ancient temples coupled with a brutal history that makes your heart ache took the focus of aging away and let me see what time really does for things – heals and makes them beautiful. I couldn’t think of anywhere better to spend a special moment in time.
As I look ahead to my next milestone birthday, I took a trip down memory lane and wanted to share some of these amazing images with you. Come join me as we tour the best places to visit in Cambodia through photos.
A struggle many parents have when living in a large metropolis is getting their kids outdoors more than just at the local playground. We are so blessed in Los Angeles to have beautiful weather most of the year and an abundance of amazing outdoor areas to explore. So really, there is no excuse to not get the kids outdoors. Although, I recognize with shorter daylight hours and how quickly afternoons become filled with extra curricular classes (and homework) that it’s easy to find that weeks have gone by without getting meaningful outdoor time. There are also parents who just aren’t that into exploring the outdoors themselves, but want their kids to have that access. Nature classes and scheduled programs are the answer!
There is a growing movement to get kids back to the basics and outside. With that, comes more options for meaningful outdoor time for the entire family. Below are some of our picks to get your fill of the outdoors every week!
As I began packing for my next trip I realized that I have a few essentials that go with me regardless of my destination. Many of these items, in some form, have been coming with me for the last 15 years! If they are this essential to me, perhaps you will also find them useful in your travels.
One of my favorite Indian festivals is the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. This 11 day festival takes over the city of Mumbai, giving a festive feel to an already bustling city. For more information on the celebrations and tips on how you can experience it, read our post about it here.
While the immersion celebrations are fascinating to watch and participate in, my favorite thing to do during Ganpati was to visit as many of the mandals around town as I could during the 11 day festival. Seeing the Ganesha idols in their temporary homes with local devotees passing out sweets was the best way to experience this popular Hindu festival.
Ganesh Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrating the elephant-headed god Ganesh (also called Ganpati or Ganesha). Ganesh is one of India’s most well known gods. He is highly revered as the remover of obstacles, the god of new beginnings and the god of good fortune. Because of this, his image is found everywhere in India and he is invoked before the undertaking of any task.
Ganpati, as the festival is colloquially known, is one of my favorite holidays in India (second only to Holi). It is a long festival that completely takes over the city of Mumbai sweeping everyone up in its delightful chaos. It is also the time of year when my son was born. From a young age my son gravitated towards anything elephant. Maybe his being born on the auspicious final submersion day really did create a connection to Ganesh!
Ganpati is celebrated between August and September, based on the moon cycle. Celebrations last for 11 days ending with a raucous celebration and submersion into a body of water on the last day. While celebrated all over India, the most elaborate celebrations happen in Mumbai and throughout the state of Maharashtra. If you are in India during this time, find your way to Mumbai!
There are so many free things to do with the family in Los Angeles that it’s hard to keep up with them all. There are plenty of websites outlining free museum days, but I feel I am always missing something when I consult these. Instead, I decided to make my own calendar with reoccurring monthly events and free museum days. Since this is geared specifically for families with small children, I thought some of you might also enjoy checking this out. At the bottom of the post, you will also find a free calendar to download for your fridge!
India is one of those places that so many people dream of visiting. However, that dream often dies when children come on the scene. Everyone says “NO, you can’t go to India with kids!” Actually, you can. I won’t lie, a trip to India will be challenging, but it will fill your heart and soul like no other place on earth. Kerala, in the South of India, is a wonderful mellow introduction to India for the whole family.
From lazing on beautiful beaches, hiking in mountainous tea plantations to exploring the jungle and cruising the backwaters, a trip to Kerala is a dream for outdoor families. Without massive highways or crowded cities to contend with, a visit to South India can be full of quiet serenity, which is usually not synonymous with travel in India!
My son has been begging to go to the aquarium, but our membership recently expired and I wasn’t ready to commit to another year. To appease him, and my pocket book, I began looking for other aquarium options in the area, when I remembered the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium was on my to do list (along with a super awesome hike to the Sunken City in San Pedro) so we decided to make a day of it and check several things off of our never ending LA bucket list!
We recently returned from our yearly joint family summer trip. Three children. Five adults. Three Generations. I have to admit I was a bit nervous about our trip this year. Last year we stayed in the gorgeous Yosemite Valley for 4 days. Short and sweet. It was amazing. Everyone had a blast. We were ready to try another year of co-family travel. This year, however, our trip was slated for 10 days in 3 different places! Pre-trip jitters aside, it turned out amazing. With our positive experiences of co-family travel, I thought I would share some of our lessons learned to inspire you to travel happily with other families.
Looking for something new to do? A micro-adventure? Or perhaps you need some artistic inspiration? Head down to one of LA’s finest cultural gems, Watts Towers, for a visual treat. From the massive spiral towers resembling Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to the garden and adorable turtle pond out back, Watts Towers in South Los Angeles is a unique and fascinating outing with much to interest everyone in the family.
What is Watts Towers? It is a beautiful piece of folk art that is the result of one man’s imagination and his persistence of realizing his vision. Watts Towers, designed and built by Simon Rodia (an Italian immigrant), are a collection of 17 interconnected structures made out of rebar, glass bottles, seashells, concrete and broken ceramic tiles. Over a period of 33 years, Rodia designed and built this magnificent structure on his own without machine equipment, scaffolding or drawing board designs. One day, Rodia handed over the deed to his property and walked away, leaving all of his work behind. Neighbors fought the city to save it from being demolished. After 16 years of taking care of it themselves, the neighborhood group donated the towers and art center to the City of Los Angeles.
Malibu Creek State Park is a favorite weekend destination for hikers and bicyclists throughout the Los Angeles area. It also happens to be the closest campground to downtown LA, which makes its a great camping destination for families looking for an adventure without the drive. Upon first glance, it looks a bit bland, especially if you arrive in the parched summer months. Granted, it’s not as glamorous as nearby Leo Carrillo, but it does offer some great trails, guaranteed animal sightings and outdoor adventure for families. There really is much more than meets the eye with camping at Malibu Creek State Park.