F1 Saudi GP in Jeddah, shows how Saudi Arabia is delivering on their 2030 vision …

Jeddah has clearly learned how to do a big event and after coming back from the 2024 #SaudiGP and knowing is only their 4th edition this city knows how to make sure tourist come back for more. Not only the event was A++ but getting to know more about the city history and talking with the local people made it even better. Their Saudi 2030 vision is into full throttle, go to Visit Saudi and see more info on what they offer, plus requirements to enter the country.

First F1 experience and it was a treat… Cheering for Checo all the way!!!

Jeddah a port city in the Makkah province in Saudi Arabia was established in the 6th century BC along the Red Sea coast; there are some experts that say it was settled more than 2500 years. It is the 2nd biggest city in terms of population and serves as arrival point to millions of Muslims that visit Mecca, a place where they go for pilgrimage especially for Hajj a sacred Muslim pilgrimage that ever-able bodied Muslim who has financial means should do after Prophet Muhammad farewell pilgrimage.

In Dubai Airport, many people going for their pilgrimage… On the right a photo of Makkah (From a poster)

Getting to Jeddah from Dubai by air is a quick 2:30 hours flight, landing at the King Abdulaziz International Airport. Immigration and Customs were a breeze and the people there were very welcoming. Airport is big with good signage in both Arabic and English; for transportation we arrange a paid transport that was waiting for us to take us to the hotel. The hotel offer is huge and you have many recognizable brands and also local hotels to choose, we stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel were the room and location was excellent.

Very nice airport, that gets you pumped for the race

If you are a fan to F1, you will know that each race is a fun filled weekend of activities leading to the big race that marks the end of that week Grand Prix; if you are not a fan of F1 but like entertainment the event is like a stop of a big festival where you get to spend a weekend doing outdoor activities like games, concerts, and in this case an auto race with some of the fastest car in the world with speeds of more than 250 km/hr and 4.5 G´s in the curves (crazy stuff when seen live)

The event is identified as the fastest street circuit in Formula One and is done at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit a 6.174 km motor racing street-circuit built in a beautiful setting by the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. The circuit staged the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on 5 December 2021, it looks that the race will be here until 2027 before moving to Qiddiya a planned entertainment and tourism megaproject in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia being built under the Saudi Vision 2030 program.

Don’t think of the F1 race as just the race; during the 3 day weekend you have multiple races of different categories like F1 Academy, F2, Porsche Carrera and of course F1, also many entertainment activities like F1 simulators, games, airplane shows plus live concerts in our case artists like Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Martin Garrix were playing during the weekend. The weekend is filled with so many activities that time literally flies, important to download the even calendar so you don’t miss all the action. Expect to spend 10-12 hours doing GP related activities and also, I encourage you to add some sightseeing to explore the city and get to know the local vibe.

More than racing is a mega event… With top artists and shows

I do not consider myself a hardcore fan of F1, but having the opportunity to see some of the best drivers in some of the best cars in the world racing one of the toughest tracks of the calendar was exhilarating. You see on tv these cars and look fast, but when you see them live in the track at the end of a DRS zone it looks like they are flying, simply amazing. We bought Grandstand B tickets and found a nice place to see some of the best live action (end of a DRS straight) plus a big monitor in front to follow the race. In my view you need to find a place where you can see good live action but also access to monitors, so you can follow all of what happens in the race.

Awesome Sunset by the Red Sea… Also the circuit from the ferris wheel

It was a hectic 3 days in Jeddah but had the opportunity to do some activities outside the GP and one of them was spending half a day in one of the local Beach Clubs (La Plage), arranged by one of my co-workers that lives in Jeddah. What a great place to relax, enjoy the Red Sea and chillax. If you are a Scuba diver, there is a station there where you can enjoy some diving and from what I read the Red Sea offers lots to see underwater. There are many great people in Saudi and my friend Farid clearly is an example of how welcoming people are and how they really want you to spend the best time in their country. Shukran my friend.

Nice to enjoy some vitamin Sea and Chillax before the big race…

The other activity before flying back to Dubai was an Old Jeddah (Known as Al-Balad) walking tour. Here in Old Jeddah, you will find many traditional buildings that dates back to the era before oil was found, it has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2014 and the crown prince has issued a royal decree to restore many of the buildings. I know that this area will be an iconic place to visit soon with many restaurants, hotels, and museums based on all the refurbishing they are doing; here you will see some photos of the very nice architecture the city has to offer.

Old Jeddah is a must when going there… Great people and food

We finish our tour eating fresh seafood from Jeddah at a local restaurant, it was a unique experience, the recommendation was done by our tour guide Muhammad that showed us the city in a very detailed way, truly recommend him for the tour. It was a great way to finish our 3 days in Jeddah before flying back.

Jeddah is transforming and becoming an even greater city; their history and architecture; their food, and more important the people will make Jeddah a great tourism destination in the years to come. Thanks for reading the post, please share it with your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, and Facebook search for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Muscat in Oman: Mix of charm and classic taste; a weekend escape destination in the middle east

After exploring some very modern cities in UAE and Qatar, we wanted also to explore a more traditional city in the Middle East and when searching for destinations we found Muscat to be an excellent alternative due to distance from Dubai (500KM) and the history they have. Muscat is famous for its ancient and modern structures, such as Portuguese forts from 16th century and the modern Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque; one additional important highlight that we found was their incredible fresh seafood (Omani Lobster was awesome!!!)

Taking advantage of a long weekend and to celebrate our wedding anniversary we flew flydubai into Muscat for a 4d/3n stay, this amount of time allowed us for a couple of day tours and also some time to relax at the pool and beach of a great hotel where we found a great deal. I can tell you that our itinerary was enough time to get a good taste of Muscat and explore the highlights the city has to offer.

When doing research for the stay, I found that there is a hotel in Muscat that was originally built as an Omani Royal Palace to host the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1985 and to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the late Sultan Qaboos accession to power. For more than 10 years the palace has been operated by the Ritz Carlton under the name Al Bustan Palace a Ritz Carlton Hotel and while they have modernized and upgraded parts of the property, their mission is to maintain the Omani essence and protect the heritage of the hotel.

The stay at the hotel was perfect, not only the property is beautiful but the employees and quality of food is top notch. Before arriving at Muscat, I shared that we were celebrating our anniversary and the hotel had some nice details to make our stay more memorable. If you come to celebrate a special occasion in Muscat, this hotel is a great choice to stay in, here are some photos that try to capture the beauty of the location. One thing you need to try is the Omani Lobster, what a great dish they prepared us in their chinese restaurant called China Mood.

Muscat is an old city, that traces back to the 1st century AD as a important trading port between the east and west it was ruled by indigenous tribes and also the Persians, Portuguese and Ottoman empire. Reading about Muscat, one interesting piece of information was that it was a military power with influence extending as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. It was on the 1970´s that Muscat started rapid infrastructure development with the accession of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan leading to rapid economic growth; his reign was almost for 50 years making it the longest serving leader in the Middle East at the time of death.

If you fly into the city, you will arrive in Muscat International Airport a small airport when compared to Dubai International but one of the nicest airports I have seen with very elegant details across the terminal. The immigration process was a bit slow when compared to other airports in the zone but after that moving around the city is very efficient with their taxi system, another interesting fact about Oman is that taxi drivers must be Omani locals making the trip more like a cultural experience.

One thing you will see in Muscat is that there are no really tall buildings, and they are similar white to beige color. It is said that the previous Sultan wanted Oman to maintain the natural beauty of the country and not change it with tall skyscrapers like Dubai, also maintaining similar colors of the buildings to be consistent to the eyes. You can truly enjoy Muscat natural views and how the city blends perfectly through the landscape, it is something rarely seen in other cities and great to experience.

If there is a concert in the Opera house, a must do…

During the tour we got to see some great places and sights, there are other attractions a bit farther that you should explore like Wadi Shab & Bimmah sinkhole that we did not go but should be done if you have time. Here a list of some of the must do that we experienced:

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque: Beautiful Mosque, with local people there to talk and learn about Muslim religion
Mutrah Souq: Fairly traditional Souq in front of the sea, can walk and have fun negotiating prices for souvenirs
Royal Opera House: Impressive building inside and out, if there is a show is a must do
Al Alam Palace: Very nice structure, with views to the sea and some forts
National Museum of Oman: Opportunity to learn more about the country and their history

Visiting the market and talking with locals is always fun…

Muscat charm and simple enchantment makes it a very nice city to explore in the Middle East and if you want a more traditional experience is a place to go. Thanks for reading the post, please share to your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, and Facebook search for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Bali: Unique sights, independent cultural heritage, and deep religious beliefs…

Just got back from a short break in Bali, enjoying this province island of Indonesia that is well known across the globe and is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Bali is the only Hindu majority province in Indonesia with more than 90% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism, making this a key highlight as a tourist since Hinduism is not a religion that I am very familiar. There are 4.3 million people living in Bali split in 9 regencies, with traces of people living 2000BC that migrated from Taiwan; it was under Dutch control until 1949 when Indonesia was recognized as a country and Bali became a province.

One of the iconic images from Bali is, called Candi Bentar. (Ulun Danu Beratan Temple)

Bali is a great place for surfing, with many beaches available to practice the sport and with impressive views like in Tanah Lot where people surf in front of beautiful temples. Since 80% of the economy is based on tourism, you will find accommodations of all budgets along the beaches and in the countryside with rooms overlooking into rice paddies or even the change to have a room looking towards Mount Batur an active volcano.

Once you arrive at Denpasar, capital of Bali and go outside you clearly see that the people of Bali are one of their biggest assets; the people are looking to politely provide service to you and very respectful of your space as you manage the busy arrival term towards the taxi or transportation that will take you to your destination. For us we decided to stay in Ubud, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency; is promoted as the arts and Culture Center of Bali and if you don’t stay there is a must place to go and explore.

There is lot of traffic in Bali, biggest roads are only 2 lanes with one lane at each side for rural roads also if you add the big number of motorcycles in the street it can get a bit overwhelming. My recommendation for a short stay is to hire a driver / tour guide that can take you to the different places, reducing the risk of driving in these roads that are unknown to you. Be prepared to spend a bit of time as you move from place to place, it was not a hassle but if you have a limited number of days you will spend 10-12 hours going to some awesome places so it´s worth it.

We decided to hire a 2 full days guide that would take us across the island to some of the best sights, plus had another full day for us to explore Ubud Center. After looking for tours, I found this company that had good reviews and local knowledge of Bali, here is the tour guide LINK if you want more info. Our guide was one of the partners of Putu Arnawad, Mr Kadek was a great guide very knowledgeable of the island he made us feel safe and the trip was very enjoyable.

Here is a list of things we did, Bali has tons more things to do and depending on the number of days you can include more things, for 2 days of tours I think we were very aggressive and got to see most of the great things Bali has to offer. You can use this as a reference if you are planning to go, I have also included some photos of the places so you can see some of the beauties of Bali:

Ubud Center – Spend 1/2 in Ubud enjoy some shopping and sightseeing, here 2 great places to eat and chillax: Lunch at Ibu Susu Bar (Mixology) / Dinner at Nusantara (Indonesian Food)
Ubud Palace – Go and do the Legong and Barong Dance show, interesting form of dance that is pure Balinese
Tanah Lot Temple & Batu Balong Temple – By the beach, is a beautiful sunset place
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple – Beautiful temple in a big space, great place to see some hindu ritual, lots of locals go there
Goa Gajah also known as Elephant Cave (Built in 9th century) – Smaller temple but interesting to see the fountain and bathing pool discovered in 1954
Pura Tirta Empul – Explore a local hindu custom of spiritual cleansing, can be experienced live
Tegallalang Rice Terraces – beautiful sight and ingenious water irrigation technology, you can see people working the land (Hard working people)
Blue Lagoon Beach – hidden cozy beach, great place to relax by the sea
Candidasa Beach – Beachfront lunch, there are many restaurants to choose and enjoy
Twin Lakes – Lakes were formed after the mountain collapse and separated the body of water, you can see them from the top of the road
Banyumala Waterfalls – There are many to choose but this one is impressive and you can even go in the water if you want
Luwak Coffee stop – Enjoy one of the most expensive coffees in the world and learn the process to get it (Or not)

Bali offers options for everyone; I recommend that you get to explore a bit of everything and have a full taste of their offerings including having some of the local food (Best Fried Rice in the world). Learning about their culture and religious beliefs help you understand why the Balinese people are so warm and acceptant of all foreigners; people make the difference and in this case Bali locals bring the experience to another level.

For our stay in Ubud we decided to stay at the Maya Ubud resort HOTEL LINK and have the forest-valley experience that you see in ads when you research Bali and it was worth it. This resort is a local company focused on providing great personalized service, the property offer different rooms and the facilities, specially the pool by the river are phenomenal. You can stay in this hotel if you want top notch service, with great food and best in class accommodations.

Bali is definitely a destination to go if you want to experience something different, great people and different traditions are a big hit. Thanks for reading the post, please share to your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, and Facebook search for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Dubai winter, you will love the time outside!!!

If Dubai summer is a tough time of the year to be outside in the desert heat with temperatures above 40 Celcius (100+F) every day, the winter seasons is completely the opposite with “cold” weather from 16 to 26 Celsius and do I need to add sunny with no rain. Is the time of the year where you only plan to do things outside enjoying the great places Dubai has to offer like going to the beach, seating outside in a restaurant for a drink/meal, watch a nice sunset or ride a bike across the city exploring it.

Beach during winter months is a great option, water is cold for my taste but just enjoying the sun is more than enough.

We have been living in Dubai Marina for the past 2 years and as empty nesters it offers a great environment if you don’t mind being in a tourist area; being so close to the beach, restaurants and bars makes it an enviable place to live. From Marina you have easy access to the metro, tram, water taxi, scooters, and bikes, there is no excuse to enjoy yourself outside and have a good time.

A couple weeks back we decided for a different outing and enjoy the benefit of having a Careem bike station in front of the building, for $20AED ($5.50 USD) you get to rent a e-bike for the day with unrestricted trips of 45 minutes. The service is very easy to use, you just need a mobile to download the app, register and be ready to enjoy the service, the only thing is that every 45 minutes you need to stop a a station lock the bike and then unlock it again to start new 45 min.

Dubai is a flat city, riding an e- bike is easy, plus the infrastructure help to get you along good distances. Our plan was to bike 40km, from marina to Dubai mall and do some sightseeing along the way, finishing in the mall for some shopping and a good late lunch. The route would be mostly across the beach shore making it more enjoyable, passing through some of the most iconic places in Dubai like the Burj Al Arab, Kite Beach, and the Burj Khalifa.

As you can see from the photos, it is a great way to explore the city and exercise a bit (bike e-system makes it easy). Now that winter has arrived, we will enjoy the next 3 to 4 months outside before is time back again to go inside the buildings and turn on the AC to manage the intense heat of the desert.

If you come to Dubai during these months, take advantage of the great weather and explore all the beauties of this great city. Thanks for reading the post, please share to your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, and Facebook search for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Kenya safari: Truly a unique experience, wildlife and nature at its best…

This past October I celebrated my birthday (the big 50) and after looking into many alternatives decided to do a big trip to Kenya, interesting enough it would be my 50th country visited. It was clear that Kenya needed to be the destination since the trip would be a celebration of the big 50 in my 50th country with the mission to see the Big 5 (most famous African large animals).

The Big Five captured through my camera lens… what an honor to experience this

There are many operators that do Safari in Africa and they plan with you accordingly to the budget you have, after comparing some of the companies I decided to go with a company called Spirit of Kenya. The service they provided in terms of communication and designing of the trip was very good and more important the 5 days / 4 night safari was top notch delivering high ratings in all aspect from the vehicle, food, lodging, and guide (Derick our guide was awesome, Vanessa our sales consultant great communication).

We combined the safari with a couple of nights at one of the top beaches in Africa called Diani Beach, this is a great plan to do since you can enjoy a different aspect of Kenya but with the benefit that you will continue finding great people. Here we stayed at a small property called Galu 723 , in a beach bungalow that was 10 steps to the beach, I will do a separate post on Diani Beach and will give share our experience in this great destination.

Just a sample of Diani Beach, more in an additional post (Really Impressive Place)

Our safari consisted in visiting 3 important areas of Kenya, where you can get to experience at a close range some of the best wildlife in this country and possibly in the world. Once we landed in Nairobi, we were greeted by the tour operator and arrangements for us to go into the first stop Lake Naivasha a couple of hours outside Nairobi. Our transportation for the trip was a very comfortable safari van, it worked very well for us 2 as we had enough space to move around the game drives and also was very smooth in the open road.

LAKE NAIVASHA / HELL´S GATE

What a great first stop with a different approach to the game drive, this one was on a small boat in the lake. Since it was our first activity in the safari it worked as a great introduction of the following days, a game drive is an activity where you get to admire nature always on the lookout to find animals being themselves in the wild, it is so great to see these beautiful animals roaming through the reserve.

Imaging you on a boat and get to see the Hippo just beside you!!!

In Lake Naivasha we encountered the hippo and got to see the massive size and their ability to swim in the water, impressive to see them in the water protecting from the sun and resting so they can go hunt in the night. Here at the lake, we had also the opportunity to see some birds at close range, even got to see an eagle and some birds fishing out of the lake. The way these birds feed is impressive with a very high level of success on getting fish out of the water. There are local guides that take you in this adventure, he was very knowledgeable and fun making this experience unique.

Water is very calm, you really enjoy the trip

The second part of the adventure here was Hell’s Gate National Park, a small park that provides the opportunity to do some hiking across different cliffs. The hiking was around 60 minutes and take you to some areas where you can see great views of the ravine including some hot springs along the way. This park serves as inspiration for the Lion King movie. Make time to come here and go hiking, it will be a great adventure.

Some Amazing views in the park, clearly you can see the Lion King inspiration

Before going to Maasai Mara, we stayed the night in the Enashipai resort and spa hotel, it is a hotel by the lake and provides great accommodation and food. In all the places we stayed people were great, always welcoming and open to sharing their stories and for this I feel very fortunate to cross path with all this great people. Maybe we stayed less than 12 hours in the property, but the quality made it unforgettable and with some rest to Maasai Mara.

Great hotel and great people in Lake Naivasha

MAASAI MARA

Maasai Mara is one of the most famous and important wildlife conservation and wilderness areas in Africa, world-renowned for its exceptional populations of lions, leopard, cheetah, elephants and is also host to the Great Migration. The reserve is contiguous to the Serengeti National park in Tanzania.

Bring a good camera to the Safari, it is a must (Good Zoom 8X)

Here you can find the Big Five, but due to poaching the Rhino suffered and got to a very low population and today the Maasai Mara is a protected area looking to preserve the black rhino. During our trip we did not encounter any rhino here and was at Lake Nakuru, where we saw both the white and black rhino. The most difficult animal to spot is the Leopard, since they are mostly hidden and not easily seen, we got to see a Leopard during our visit to the Mara and the pictures reflect how beautiful is this animal.

In the Maasai Mara we stayed in a camp inside the reserve for 2 nights, this provided more time to cover different areas of the reserve and admire the beauty of the park and the good number of animals you encounter during the day. As part of the game drives we got to see a couple of crossings used by thousands of animals on a yearly basis in what is called the Great Migration, a time when due to availability of food Gazelles, Wildebeest, Zebras began a roughly 800 kilometers journey. The Great Migration has secured a place in the Seven Natural wonders of Africa and as one of the new wonders of the world.

One of the crossings for the Great Migration

Here in the Mara, you understand the importance of having a great guide for the tour. The job of the guide is to truly make your trip one for the ages, our guide Derick not only had the knowledge of the place but know other guides and the ability of him to communicate with the rest of the guide was fundamental to really enjoy the game drives, being at the right place in the right time to capture some impressive images of this beautiful animals creating memories that will live with us for life.

Some of the great views we had thanks to our Guide interest for showcasing the best of the Mara

The hotel we stayed in the Maasai Mara was Mara Bush Camp a place inside the reserve and one of the unique attractions of this place is a Hippo Pool and river that sits in front of your tent and brings a very close encounter with this impressive animals the hippo. Our camp consisted of only 10 tents, with huge space and a balcony with open view to the hippos, here you can see and hear them from a close distance. The camp is a great property with very nice tents, good restaurant, a very cool bar and lounge plus personalized service that makes you feel secure and at home.

On the third day we said goodbye to the Mara, not after being extremely pleased with all of the attention of the people in the camp and with some out of this world game drives as you can appreciate in some of the photos. Leaving the Mara we were only one short to see the big five and this next day was going to be my birthday, I was looking forward to get a good present from Kenya and get pictures from the rhino so would be able to cross the big five from my list, this would need to come from Lake Nakuru our last stop.

LAKE NAKURU

Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley Lakes, it lies to the south of Nakuru and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park. Here in the lake, you will find many varieties of birds including thousands of flamingos (smaller to the ones I have seen in America), the park also has expanded to provide a sanctuary for black rhinos and making sure poachers don’t come near them. The park might be small, but the concentration of animals is important with Giraffes, Zebras, Baboons, Antelope and more than 100 Black and White Rhinos in the park.

As we entered the park the black rhino was ready to welcome us in the park and what a beautiful animal it is, I do hope that the actions to preserve them can be enough and not lose the species due to poachers. During the visit we also got to see the white rhino, also impressive size and very elegant roaming in the park, what a great day to finally finish viewing the big five. As the day ended, we had one last place to stay and this one is perched at the top of a 100 meter high rock looking at the lake it called The Cliff. This camp located inside the park provides great views of the Lake and the tents are placed so you can wake up with the sunrise into your tent, one amazing experience to have.

I will be doing additional posts on Kenya and try to fully capture the different stops in our trip, just wanted to share initial thoughts on this amazing destination and get you excited to come and visit Kenya. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Istanbul the city across two continents and one big heart…

Our first visit to Istanbul the most populous city in Europe was a great opportunity to understand better some of the greatest chapters of world history, I remember in school talking about the Roman Empire, Constantinople, the crusades and never imagine having the opportunity to visit and explore where history happened.

Some of the views of the Galata Towers are impressive, the Basilica cistern is an engineer marvel

When you visit Istanbul and walk the streets, you witness how great a city can balance between the old and historic, with the new and modern aspects of urban life. A city that have traces of civilization of more than 8,000 thousand years is a city that can definitely share a story or two about world civilization. Is an awesome pedestrian city with lots of connectivity (Walking, Metro, Bus, Tram, Taxi, Boat) to go and visit the multiple historic sites that the city offers to share their story.

You can travel in the second oldest railway in the world.. also you can use taxi and ferry

Because of work we stayed in both the European and Asian side, but after doing it I would recommend staying in both sides: in the Asian you find good places to enjoy awesome food, great sea views, and hip neighborhoods and in the European side there are tons of places to stay with great collective transportation options to the many tourist attractions. I was happy with our selections, here are links to 2 of the hotels we stayed at during our visit. First one is called The Marmara Pera with a very nice rooftop and a top restaurant is a good alternative to use as home base, the second one is called Fer Hotel, the location and their employees are very good.

This hotels are so close to the sights, easy to explore

We were only in Istanbul a total of 4 nights; it is not enough for sure but with a combination of tours and going by ourselves we were able to really see most of the top things you need to see and also taste some of the best food Istanbul has to offer. My recommendation to maximize your time is to do: 1 private city tour and explore the city with a local, this helps you when you are on your own / 1 food tour with a small group because food taste better when is shared with people / the rest of the time do some research and go explore by yourselves enjoy at your pace what the city has to offer.

Istanbul is a walkable city… enjoy fully

There are too many things to do in Istanbul and I could put a long list of things for you to do, but for me when you travel part of the fun is to create your own memories; let me just share 5 things you could that will help create and awesome Turkish experience:

Taste of 2 Continents Food Tour, for a gastro-cultural experience: You can find this tour in TripAdvisor, for me one of the best I had since they have a good blend of food and sightseeing.

Food tours wirth a group are the best… truly enjoy meeting new people, while having great food

Night dinner in one of the many fine restaurants Istanbul Offers: We had many good meals, one of them was at Mikla one of the top restaurants in the city with many recognitions. I did the tasting menu and was phenomenal.

Do a Turkish breakfast and eat all the sweets they offer: Turkish breakfast is very different from the western world with the mix of sweet and salty, but once you try it you will love it. Also, the Turkish sweets are out of this world and a must in Istanbul

Remember sweets and the Turkish breakfast… Don´t miss it

Go to one of the many rooftops, have a drink and enjoy the view: Finding a place where you can see 2 continents at the same time is rather unique in the world, if you throw a good drink and some music it makes for a wonderful time.

The city provides great places to relax and enjoy the view

By some good walking shoes and explore the many historic sites: Spend the time walking and exploring the city, you never know when you will find a 400/800/1,000+ years old structure with tons of history. Really cool!!!

So many great sights to see and explore… walk,walk,walk

Exploring Istanbul, plus doing Cappadocia was a great way to learn a bit of Turkey history, their gastronomy, and their people. Turkey will be one experience we will always cherish; the people are incredible with good attention and true desire that your time is well spent. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Cappadocia: Go back more than 2,000 years and get transported in history, plus a one in a billion hot air balloon experience

This past August we had the opportunity to visit Turkey and explore Istanbul (City in 2 continents), plus a 2-day escape to Cappadocia where the famous hot air balloon ride is done above some amazing sights with more than 2,000 years history. You will see some of the impressive sights in Cappadocia, a place where not only the balloon ride is a must but also the food, museums, and the cool cave hotels are a must do. Let me tell you this now that I was there, stay 2 nights in Cappadocia is completely worth it.

If you like sunrises or sunsets… Cappadocia is your place

To get there from Istanbul we took a fast 75-minute flight to Kayseri, after landing is a 50 min ride by car to the smaller cities of Goreme, Urgup, Ortahisar. These locations are the ones where all the action happens, if you book a balloon ride they will pick you up at your hotel. There are plenty of places to stay in Cappadocia, my recommendation is to try a cave hotel. We found one small one with a great view to a rock castle in Ortahisar; the hotel names is Doda Artisanal Cave hotel. Great experience with big rooms, nice outside sitting areas with awesome views but the most important part was the personalized service we received. Must do the Turkish breakfast in the terrace in the open air.

Because we went for only one night, our calendar was packed with activities but also squeezed time to relax and enjoy the small-town life. The first day we did a full day tour of Cappadocia, where they would take us to the main highlights and share some of the history of this place including the Goreme Open Air Museum, Fairy Chimneys and one of the many underground cities that were used from protection from the many incursions along hundreds of years. Getting a licensed tour is a must here, you get more details and some of the colorful stories that only a local guide can share; one last point is that you stimulate the local economy. Here some highlights from the daily tour:

GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE)

Imagine a place where thousands of years ago a volcano erupted. Ash and lava fell across the landscape and hardened to form rocks. After many years of erosion formed the fairy chimneys that we see today, plus locals realized that they could carve into rocks and turned them into houses and churches. In this museum you can see some Churches/Temples made inside the rock and the place was a monastery where people came and studied/learn Christianism then they could continue their journey and spread the word. The place is impressive if you understand the role of this place on the biggest religion of the world.

Tons of history to learn and reflect… BTW no WIFI available 🙂

FAIRY CHIMNEYS @ ZELVE PASABAGLAR

One of the best places to admire the fairy chimneys is Pasabaglar also known as valley of the priest it contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. In ancient times, Christian clergymen lived and served as missionaries in Paşabaglar. The priests, who lived here, created living spaces and religious shrines in the valley throughout their lives (Some of them lived secluded at the top of one of the chimneys). Is incredible how by walking through the area you feel transported to those times.

The Chimney formations are a great example on how it takes time to be iconic

We also went to other sights like one underground city and a cafe at the top of a mountain where you can see the Rock Castle and the many impressive cave structure around Cappadocia, our guide was great, very knowledgeable of the area and the history of Turkey it was a great first day. At night we went to Goreme one of the busiest places and had dinner in one of many rooftop restaurant called Haruna, it was a great choice made by our hotel and the best way to finish that day in preparation to our Hot Air Balloon Ride.

Goreme is a must place to visit: night for a great dinner or morning to admire the balloons

For sure the top activity in Cappadocia is the Hot Air Balloon ride, it is something spectacular and unique, the hour you spend flying is magical and more when you can truly admire all the beauty of the place, plus you get to see the sunrise from the air is something I will never forget. There was a good amount of research in order to select the company I would trust taking us a 1,000 feet in the air in a wooden basket and a hot air balloon and after analyzing I decided with Butterfly Balloons, what a great selection it was. They are true professionals with great logistics and communication, you feel comfortable in trusting your life in this adventure.

You may see lots of thing in the photos, but is so calm up there…

You start early in the day, pick up time was 4:25 am, at this time you go to their home base while they finish preparation and take you to the takeoff zone with the rest of the people. Is impressive the number of vans moving across the city in the morning getting the people to their respective places, I learn that only 100 balloons fly at the beginning of the day and then other 50 balloons it looks very well managed. You get to your takeoff zone early in the morning and see the preparation on the balloons, adrenaline starts pumping. Once they get the balloons ready, is go time. You receive one last security brief and up we go!!! Our balloon had a capacity of 20 people, but they kept it at 16 to have a bit more space, it did not feel crowded.

Pictures don’t make justice to the flight but give perspective to the grandeur of the place; it feels so calm when you are up there, it is time for you to connect you with the world. The captain showed great dexterity taking us up and down across the mountains; during the whole flight there was communication from the balloon to the people in the ground, making feel you secure. After the landing you get your certificate for flying (still not a pilot :-)) and the traditional champagne celebration that dates to 1783 when in one of the first balloon flights the captain used a bottle of champagne in goodwill to the farmers where he landed. From the landing site they take you back to the hotel, still early in the morning around 9AM to have another great Turkish breakfast before doing a bit of horseback and back to Istanbul.

I promise is not a photoshop pic… is real

Our whole Turkey trip was awesome and our 36 hours in Cappadocia were just spectacular, great experience and one we will always cherish. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam: where dragons came to rest… A good place to get lost and chillax…

A short 2 hours drive from Hanoi you can reach 1 of the 8 World Heritage sites Vietnam has to offer and is called Ha Long Bay (HaLong means descending dragon), the bay features thousands of karsts and islet in various shapes and sizes. It is part of a larger zone that includes Bai Tu Long bay and Cat Ba Island, this zone include the same geography and climate to Ha Long Bay.

Traveling through this water and just looking at nature is overwhelming, such impressive beauty you get the real feeling of being lost in the middle of the earth

We were on a tight schedule, so we decided to do a 1 night cruise and experience some of the highlights of the zone; you can also do 2 nights and get deeper into the bay and explore other places if you have the time and money to do it. After our experience I would say that the 1 day cruise is enough to appreciate Ha Long bay beauty and have a memorable experience in one of the many cruises they offer but, you will not be able to go far and see some other beautiful sights Ha Long bay offers.

Great road from Hanoi, you can get some rest or have a local delicacy in one of the stops… Once you arrive the pier you can relax before the boat to your cruise…

If you are taking a cruise most probably you will arrive in Tuan Chau port, we saw many companies that have their office for Check In to the Cruise here; different to other places that you get in the boat direct from the pier here they take you on a small ferry to the cruise and do the boarding along the bay. They do this to make sure you start deep into the bay and maximize your time there; logistics would not work if you take the boat from land. It is important to understand that if you are going from Hanoi it will be 3 to 4 hour trip to get into the cruise (Road + Ferry); is a lot of time but the next 24 hours are packed with great things to experience.

Boats are similar in size, important to check amenities and reviews from other fellow travelers

There are many choices of cruises for Ha Long Bay, most of them have similar schedules and amenities. As you do research you will find different levels to choose from, of course at the end will be based on the budget and the amenities you want; my recommendation is that you book direct with the company you want to use and ask for the latest photos and brochures before you make the decision. We decided for Mon Cheri Cruises and what a great choice it was; the boat was a classic one very well kept with great rooms (Ours had huge windows looking to the Bay and a big balcony), Food and Drinks were great, Activities and organization on point, and the crew were very professional and helpful.

Our room balcony was great to enjoy the awesome view, dining in the small restaurant meant to be cozy with a close experience with other passengers

The 1 night schedule is packed with activities but we did not fill rushed, it was laid out in a way that there was time to enjoy the boat and the beauty of Ha Long Bay. After you get on board, there is the final check in and a buffet lunch before the cruise start moving across Lan Ha Bay where you start enjoying breathtaking scenery. Here you can do a little bit of Kayaking or just enjoy from the top of the cruise (cocktail in hand), use the pool while surrounded from mountains coming out of the water. Being there you start to understand the legend about a mother dragon and her children who spat jewels and jade, which turned into islands and islets and created a firm wall intercepting the invaders. Later, the dragon family decided to stay here; and the name “Hạ Long” was born.

In the afternoon they offered a cooking demonstration at the top of the boat, with a happy hour where you could enjoy a couple of drinks and just admire the sunset in the Gulf of Tonkin. Before going to dinner you have time to enjoy your balcony in the room, it was a great opportunity for me to realize how blessed I am on enjoying this destinations and also get to know cultures little known to me. Dinner was held at the main dining room, very good food and the right amount leaving enough space to catch a nightcap in the bar and also try your luck in squid fishing (not that lucky in our case).

We met some great people, fellow travelers and also some local people that made the experience better

Next morning was an early breakfast before going in a boat for 30 minutes to visit Trung Trang, one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, this place was amazing and very different from other caves I have seen. After this visit you go back to the boat and prepare for the check out and one last lunch before going back to the Port and back to Hanoi.

All the boats light at night, you can hear some music and fun!!!

It was a packed 24 hours but the sights will be remembered forever, this place has a unique charm very difficult to find anywhere else. Is important that you find a good cruise because it also adds to the experience in particular good rooms with a view, less rooms making it more cozy and with enough reviews that you feel comfortable with the decision you are making. This stop in our trip was truly memorable.

Still one post to go on Vietnam, where I share a little bit on Ho Chi Minh city (Previously Saigon). Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Sri Lanka cultural triangle: a natural jewel – great escape from the city…

Just landed from a short trip to Sri Lanka and what a great decision it was… We stayed in the Uga Ulagalla hotel located in Sri Lanka cultural triangle for an escape from the city and connect with nature while exploring the history, food, sights and culture of Sri Lanka.

Some of the views from the cultural triangle. From Left to Right: DAMBULLA Cave / Sigiriya entrance / Minneriya Park

Sri Lanka a relatively young Independent country (1948 independence) is a nation of around 22 million people, similar in size to Lithuania but an island in the Indian Ocean. Their capital is Colombo, where close to 30% of the people; their main religion is Buddhism and Sinhalese is the official language but you can find many people that speak English since is the language to speak with many tourists (Also there is British history influencing).

First time flying flydubai, nice experience. Colombo Airport was fast and easy, check on E-visa for faster time

The Cultural triangle is situated in the center of the Sri Lanka and covers an area which includes the World Heritage cultural sites of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, the Ancient City of Sigiriya, the Ancient City of Dambulla and the Sacred City of Kandy. Due to historical events, some of which are thousand years old, these sites are of high tourist value; they are visited by many local and foreign tourists.

Since we had limited time, the decision was to explore Sri Lanka cultural triangle but also stay in the area so we could enjoy more time doing things and less driving between activities; also the plan included a day to enjoy the property since the hotel we booked looked like a great place to enjoy with many activities. We plan for a 5d/4n stay with a mix of external and internal activities that included Sigiriya Lion Rock, Dambulla Caves, Minneriya national and some horseback riding plus archery in the hotel.

Hotel selection was a hit: Uga Ulagalla property

The selection of tours was awesome and the support from the hotel to book and our guide Sakun made it even better, the tours included a picnic that added to the experience and felt like being part of Jurassic Park. Here is brief information on the different places we visited.

Sigiriya Lion Rock

Is an ancient rock fortress, is a site of historical and archeological significance in Sri Lanka that goes back more than 1500 years. The story is that King Kashyapa build the new capital here at the top of this massive granite rock 180 meter high. Is called Lion Rock because at the middle had a getaway build on rock in the form of a lion, today we can see the paws of what was this immense monument. The palace was abandoned after the king death and later used as a Buddhist until 14th century. Today Sigiriya is recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site, it was discovered in 1830’s and Archeological work began in 1890. It is one of the best-preserved example of early urban planning, the aqueduct system still works after more than 1500 years.

Dambulla Caves

It is the largest cave system in Sri Lanka, also known as Golden Temple of Dambulla is a Unesco World Heritage site. This place is more than 2000 years old, with an impressive collection of paintings and statues, we saw 5 caves that had many paintings and Buddha statues all made during different times and kings. The caves are part of a still functional monastery, it is well preserved and more important they continue to be very strict to ensure it remains in good condition. It is quite an impressive place and the vibe you get when you are there is a great one, lots of stories inside those caves for sure.

Each cave has it’s own story… 2,000 year in some cases, impressive

Minneriya National Park

It is a national park and is a feeding ground for the elephant population that lives around the surrounding area. In the park they have sighted 20+ different species of mammals, 150+ species of birds, 20+ species of reptiles but the star of the park is the Sri Lankan Elephant, there are reports of more than 700 elephants in the park in a specific time. The park is an important place for endemic species of Sri Lanka monkeys; you could also find Sri Lankan Leopard, Deer or Sloth Bear. The water reservoir is an important habitat for larger birds, you can easily see them across the park. For us it was a great experience, to see the Sri Lankan Elephant in their habitat, other species like the water buffalo and many different birds. We only hope the population continues to grow for all this species.

Park is big, takes 3 hours to visit, be on the lookout to find different animals. Bring your binoculars

We also had a great time with the activities we did in our hotel and it added to make the experience even better. The Uga Ulagalla hotel is a clear choice if you want to complement the great sights of the cultural triangle, not only the location but the facilities, the food, and their people makes it one of the best hotels we have stayed in the world. One tip is to do one day and enjoy the property; we spent it doing horseback riding, archery, and relaxing time in the both the common pool and our private pool in our villa. Having your own private pool in your villa makes it the best to cool down after a full day of activities.

If you stay at the Uga hotel, spend at least 1 day in the property

The property is situated in a more than 100 year old hacienda, with spacious villas and tons of amenities, a link is included in the previous paragraph. They even have an Elephant conservation project led by Katherina, you can go there and learn more about this and how they are protecting the ecosystem in the area.

Enjoy a bike ride through the property, talk with locals… Very nice days in the cultural triangle

Another tip during the stay is to do the Kamatha dinner: a 32 Sri Lanka dishes feast cooked the way it was done in previous generations with clay pots and cinnamon firewood. It was clear the level of effort and expertise of this great team, is something you will never forget from the beautiful location (Middle of a rice paddy field with an enormous Tree protecting you). Please don’t miss the food prepared by Chef Dulika and Manel supported by the great host Aruna (Secret Ingredient for sure is Love).

Kamatha experience is a must do… Love Sri Lankan food

Great first experience of Sri Lanka: the history, sights, hotel, and the people make this country a must go for any traveler who like adventure. I would like to give a special thanks to the team of Uga Ulagalla, they really made our days memorable, to all employees our most sincere gratitude and all the best in the future.

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Hanoi: Vietnam capital delivers great energy from their people, alongside some impressive sights and food…

Southeast Asia has many great countries to visit and explore; Vietnam is clearly atop of the list offering tons of history, great sights, energetic people, and delicious food that will satisfy all travelers. To fully explore Vietnam you will need a good 3-4 weeks, since the country offers many things from north to south. From my research the best way to plan is to divide Vietnam in 3 parts and plan around this: North (Hanoi), Central (Da Nang), South (Ho Chi Minh). For us we only had one week and needed to make choices of the places to see.

Active train line, with cafes and shops alongside

I am starting where we first landed in our Vietnam journey and is Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam located in the north part of the country. Hanoi is the second biggest city in Vietnam with more than 8 million people living in and around the city, one of the first things I want to highlight is how welcoming the people were during our stay; everywhere we went people were happy to greet you and have a few words with you making the trip even more enjoyable.

It was great meeting many people in our trip

Hanoi is divided into districts and this important to understand before you select where you want to stay; some of the famous areas of Hanoi include the french quarter, old quarter, Tay Ho, Ba Dinh. Every area has pros and cons, we decided to stay in the Old Quarter and was a great decisions based on location and how we were able to move easy my walking or taxi. The hotel we stayed was La Sinfonia Citadel hotel and spa, it is located at the Old Quarter very close from many attractions. Not only the location was good but the employees were phenomenal, did an awesome job in making us very welcomed. I would recommend the hotel and go back if planning to go again.

We stayed 3 nights in Hanoi with lots of activities to see and food to taste, you could tell that 3 days is not that much but the way we structured the calendar was enough to enjoy the highlights and also experience some great food. When on leisure travel I like to blend guided visits with locals and some alone time to get “lost” in the city in this way you have free time to spend as you like giving the opportunity to find your own highlights.

In our guided tour in Hanoi, we got the opportunity to learn more about Vietnam and Hanoi history; I was impressed with how much heavy stuff the people have faced, but most important how they used past experience and look into working to build a better country for them and the next generations present and future; also interesting to see how Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism beliefs play an important part in the everyday life of the people.

Hanoi is an easy city to explore, here you can fins some of the most go places to go in Hanoi and learn more about the history of the city.

1. Temple Literature: 1,000 year old Confucian Temple and the first university in Vietnam

2. Tran Quoc Pagoda & One Pillar Pagoda: Buddhist Temples where you can see locals expressing their beliefs

3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: Resting Place of Ho Chi Minh, 1,000’s of people visit every day to pay respect, also they have a museum

4. Hoa Lo Prison: Also known as the Hanoi Hilton, it served as prison during the multiple conflicts in Vietnam a. US Senator John McCain was prisoner here during Vietnam war

5. Thang Long Water Puppet Show: Vietnamese tradition, originated in the Red River Delta. Cool to see the live show at the theater

6. Walk around French and Old Quarter: Set time to get “lost” in the city and find unique sights and stories like Ngoc Son Temple or B52 remains in a small pond in the middle of the city

Hanoi traffic is impressive, mainly because the number of motorbikes is crazy. Vietnam is one of the countries with highest penetration of motorbikes in the world (65 million registered for 100 million population), you need to be careful when walking and crossing the street since they are coming from every place like mosquitoes. You can do lots of walking in the city and mixed with Grab (moto or car) getting across is very easy.

Vietnamese food is very tasty and fresh, is crazy the amount of noodles the people eat here in Vietnam but also they have other dishes that take advantage of the great local produce, fish and meats. I do strongly recommend you do a Food Tour at night where you will be able to have some great foodie experience with of course local beer. Here some of the things you most try in Vietnam and specially in Hanoi.

Pho: Probably the most well known Vietnamese dish consisting of Broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat (Ususally Chicken or Beef). This one is a must and not to be missed.
Ca Phe Trung or Egg Coffe: Its main ingredients are egg yolk, coffee, and condensed milk. Vietnam is the second biggest export country for coofee, and their coofee is really top quality. Egg coffee is served in cafes all over Hanoi, cold or hot.
Banh Xeo – Vietnamese Crepe: Is made out of flour and turmeric while it is filled with pork, bean sprouts, and shrimp. This savory dish is a very popular street food in Vietnam.
Bun Cha – Grilled Pork and Noodles: Consists of a soup bowl of diluted fish sauce that is filled with grilled pork, meat balls, rice noodles and fresh herbs. Let me tell you fish sauce here is the king of ingredients.
Bahn Mi – Baguette with pate: Bread in Vietnam is delicious, they really know how to do it, some people say is the best place to find bread in Southeast Asia. A combination of meat, coriander, cucumber, pickeled carrots, mayonnaise and pate all inside a baguette make a great combination.

This was our first stop in Vietnam, and let me tell you that Hanoi was a great introduction to an awesome country that has learned from the past and are focused to shine in the world defined by great people; when you add the incredible sights and their awesome food it is a must go place that you need to include on your travel plans.

Be ready to enjoy the rest of Vietnam posts in the near future. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….