Life is a journey

While visiting Emilia-Romagna, we spent two nights in Rimini at the duoMo hotel. I’ve stayed at a lot of interesting and wacky hotels in my life…but nothing tops the duoMo for the sheer coolness factor. Is this not the coolest front desk you have ever seen?!  I felt like a geek taking pictures of it…but seriously! Step off the elevator and you’re greeted by these graffiti-style mirrored room numbers. Each floor has an honesty bar filled with beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.  Take a drink, write your name down on the clipboard, and you’ll be charged at the end of your stay! Is it charming or naive?  Apparently it works well for them. The front entrance to the room, also known as AdventurousKate.com’s Rimini office…   The bed, desk and flat-screen… Most impressive was the bathroom, complete with an incredibly deep bathtub and what I dubbed a “Jetsons toilet.” I hate to admit this, but I kind of ...

San Francisco is a fascinating city with lots of things to see and activities to indulge in. If you are a first time visitor recently arrived from flights to San Francisco, you should be happy to know that the city is only around 6 miles square, which means that sites are not too far away from one another. That said, here are a few guidelines to help you get along if you’re looking to visit this magnificent city any time soon. San Francisco Skyline Places to Visit and Things to Do One of the first places you should visit while in San Francisco is Alcatraz Island. Also known as ‘the Rock’, it was originally a federal penitentiary between 1934 and 1963, hosting some of the country’s most notorious criminals, and while there, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as check out the cell-block and gardens once maintained by hardworking prisoners. Another place to visit is the Aquarium of the Bay, a non-profit center where you can get up close and personal with skates, sharks and b...

This is not a post about moving to the other side of the world. I am not going to give you instructions on how to quit your job tomorrow and start a business in one day. If you want to live an unusual life by taking severe decisions, that is cool with me.  However, I don’t think you have to get extreme in order to live a life of enjoyment and fulfillment. To me, it all starts with a change of attitude.  A lion is a lion in Africa, Asia and Europe.  But you are a human being.  A change of mind will change your life. You may have noticed I changed my blog’s tagline to “Exploring life’s off-the-beaten-path options”.  Therefore, this is my version of living an unusual, unconventional or exciting life.  These are the thoughts I want to spread with this website. 1. Savor every moment – If you are eating, enjoy the flavor in every bite. If you are in a reunion with your family or friends, stop giving attention to your phone. If you have hundreds of things to do, give your undivided atte...

  The popularity of some posts surprises me.  Some time ago, I wrote an article expressing my shock once I discovered the high prices in Rio de Janeiro. That piece became one of the most read posts on this blog. Due to the popularity of that post, I have wanted to write in detail about the traveling costs in the Rio de Janeiro state .  Brazil is a country avoided by a lot of backpackers and travelers.  I want to help people who may be considering a visit soon or in the future. I am focusing in the state I visited.  Brazil is too big to draw general conclusions based on the visit to one of its regions. Also, take into consideration that the prices expressed in here are applicable to low season.  The price of some goods and services can increase during high season.  And let’s not forget about that wild party Brazilians celebrate once a year: Carnaval.  The prices increase in an exponential (or should I call it catastrophic) way during that time of the year. All prices are in dol...

I’ve been wandering for a while now. Moving from place to place, traveling, exploring and seeing as much as I can of the world. In my 20’s that meant backpacking on a tight budget, with just a well-thumbed Lonely Planet guide clutched in my hand and a huge smile on my face. I was lucky enough to backpack in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Costa Rico, Belize, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, USA, Fiji, New Zealand, Cook Islands & Australia I just couldn’t settle During my travels, I realised that I just couldn’t settle. I worked for a few months in between each trip. Just to get enough cash to plan the next adventure. I lived and worked in Cyprus, Greece, Holland, France, Australia & Scotland. I didn’t spend more than 2-3 months a year at home. My friends thought I was crazy. My family thought it was just a phase. However, everyone supported me and understood that it was something that I needed to do. When I hit 30 I got sucked i...

Thinking of visiting Chiang Rai while in Thailand? Known for its beautiful temples, Chiang Rai is located in the Northeast of Thailand. If you’re visiting Chiang Mai during your stay in Thailand, why not add one day to visit the famous temples of Chiang Rai.  Wondering if it’s possible to visit Chiang Rai in one day? Yes. We visited Chiang Rai on a day trip from Chiang Mai. It was a packed day, but it was a lovely experience. We visited Chiang Rai with Tinggly. Tinggly offers gift boxes for travelers. It’s an excellent gift for travelers, expats and digital nomads. You can pick amongst a wide variety of epic travel experiences. Ready to visit Chiang Rai? In this post, you’ll find details on how to see Chiang Rai in one day. If you want to do this exact trip, I’d suggest booking through Tinggly (you’ll find more details at the end of this post.)   Itinerary Chiang Rai, Thailand   Pick up from Chiang Mai, Thailand   Our driver picked us early in the morning (a...

Last week three young, energetic and happy travelers who are also from Canada died in Shannon Falls in British Columbia. I was shaken up. They were pretty well known in the travel industry as they were what we call “social media influencers”. In fact, a few months ago they were also in Bali (where I’ve been based since last year). They were part of the travel group High on Life. You can read more about this tragedy here. Life is weird. A few months ago a friend invited me to participate in a big beach clean up organized by All About Adventures. The guys from High on Life were also there cleaning up the beach. I don’t think I met them directly but, I believe we were all giving a bit of our time to clean and take care of our dear planet on that day. I was shaken up because we’re talking about a 29-year-old woman and two 30-year-old men. I myself am 29 years old. These three seem to be living their life to the fullest. When I was watching their last video posted about three months ago...