Welcome to the Instinct by KITI where we move the world though first-hand, new generation travel and lifestyle storytelling.
All in Travel
Although I would never intentionally seek out a taxi without a windshield, of course, I’m glad the only cab I could find to take me from Santo Domingo de los Colorados in Ecuador to a hummingbird preserve a few miles west didn’t have a windshield, nor windows either for that matter. My two-dented-doors vintage cab made Columbo’s battered old wreck look like a sleek new Jaguar.
It's a most undignified way to roll up to former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's favourite restaurant. We arrive at Lucca, in Sacramento's leafy Midtown, hooting and hollering on one of those 15-person party bikes that resembles a bar on wheels.Usually, Sac Brew Bike's tours hit rambunctious pubs. But, our group has chartered the party bike to peddle the eight blocks from Sac Brew Bike's bar and headquarters to fine-dining Lucca.
Elizabeth and Andy Beyer’s drive along California’s Sonoma Valley Wine Trail was a lifelong dream. They satisfied their love for the beverage during tastings at favorite vineyards. It was food that tempted Mary and Roger Nicholson to visit Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. They sampled traditional dishes like fresh-from-the-sea food and lip-smacking desserts.
All around Las Vegas lie areas of breathtaking natural beauty, offering families with young children the easy opportunity to explore unspoiled wilderness without traveling great distances. To compose this list, I tapped the memories of three experts: my children, who spent much of their childhoods hiking Southwestern trails with me. These came up as the five places they most enjoyed when they were small.
Everyone has heard of Colonial Williamsburg with its dozens of buildings from the late-17th to mid-19th centuries. But it's not real, folks! Although few people have heard of New Castle, Delaware, it has almost as many buildings from that same era and real people live there. Okay, they're not dressed up like Revolutionaries, but the history there is even more...well, historic. It’s a genuine Colonial town but without the colonists.
Humans have developed a fascination for things we cannot explain. Our nature is to reason, that is what separates us from the animal kingdom.How do you explain that feeling that bristles the hair on the back of our neck? The alarm goes off, your heart starts beating quickly, your senses sharpen, your legs are ready to run and yet we always want to know more.
As self-imposed exiles go, this one is exquisite, sexy, opulent and indulgent.My wife, Kerry, and I are holed up in one of the new, sumptuous over-the-water bungalow at Sandals South Coast Resort in Jamaica, and, we don't want to leave. So, we don't. We sequester ourselves in a four-day cocoon of over-water coupledom to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
For the record, Switzerland does not have a royal family and is actually as close as you get to a direct democracy in this day and age. But these are just details. If there was a Swiss royal family, I imagine they would live in a modern castle like The Dolder Grand, with Warhol and Dalí paintings hanging casually on the wall.
There is very little that can entice me to get up at 4 a.m. but how often do you get a chance to bathe a Buddha? And not just any Buddha but one that the actual real Buddha is said to have embraced himself. The statue at Maha Muni Pagoda in Mandalay, Myanmar is believed to be one of only five likenesses of Buddha created during his lifetime. And the daily cleansing ritual for the hundreds of pilgrims who attend is both literal and spiritual
My first surprise came during a visit to a vast pagoda complex in Myanmar. A Buddhist monk spoke to my wife Fyllis and me in English which, while not perfect, was good enough to be easily understood. Imagine, then, how astonished I was when he pulled a smartphone from the folds of his saffron-coloured robe and showed us pictures he had taken during his recent trip to Japan. More about the friendly monk later. This was but one of many fascinating encounters we have enjoyed during several trips planned by Myths and Mountains. That tour company promises journeys that “explore and experience,” and our time in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) lived up to that expectation-- and more.
Enjoying our first dinner during a group tour of Sicily, we turned to our guide and told him that the meal was excellent. This being Sicily, the reply was not all that surprising. “You can steal my money but don’t touch my food,” Alessio remarked. He followed that remark by claiming: “If lunch or dinner doesn’t have at least five courses, it’s just a snack.” I suspect the largesse ahead of us was a paltry morsel.So yes, food plays an important role in the lifestyle of Italians. Very important. Portions often approach gargantuan in size. And growing, harvesting, cooking and eating hold a place of near reverence in their daily lives.
Sandwiched between other spectators on a wooden bench, I nod my head enthusiastically to the six-piece jazz band tearing it up at New Orleans’ Preservation Hall. New Orleans celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2018, and I’m in Louisiana’s largest and most diverse city to fight my obsessive need to associate everything with 1980’s pop music. (Especially Van Halen.) If I can’t broaden my historical knowledge and musical appreciation in the Mississippi River mecca for everything from Cajun and Creole cuisine to Mardi Gras partying, there really is no hope for me.
The "wonderfood" of the future? Are you a food lover? Mexico City is famous for its tasty food, history, color, and crowds.
“Huerto Roma Verde” in the heart of México City, in Colonia Roma Sur, hosts “El Bonito Tianguis”. A highlight of the fast-growing annual event is “Insect Feast Festival 2018” each June to enlighten people about pre-Hispanic food through entomophagy gastronomy or insect-eating.
Sometime between being shot out of the waterslide like a cannon ball and jumping off the top deck into shimmering Shuswap Lake, we declare houseboating our new favourite way to vacation.
But, of course, there will also be simple lounging in the sunshine, awe-inspiring vistas around every bend, soaking in the top-deck hot tub, barbecuing on the front deck, outdoor showers on the back deck, wine at twilight and sleeping like a baby as the water gentle laps against the boat.
Mangoes are beloved in Nevis, but nobody buys them. They don't have to. Nearly ever Nevisian has a mango tree or three in their backyard and even if you don't have one, in the summer it literally rains mangoes and people can't give them away fast enough. There are officially 44 different kinds of mangoes in Nevis; the Amory Polly, Julie and Long mangoes are just a few of the most prized. Known throughout the Caribbean as St. Kitts' smaller, more luxurious sister island, Nevis has the laid-back luxury you'll crave after tiring of the ritz and glamour of St. Barts. Here you can chase monkeys barefoot or sit by the pool sipping an iced almond milk latte. Just one road circles the whole island, an easy 45-minute drive to circumnavigate.
This August in Hong Kong, gamers get together to cheer more than one hundred contenders for e-sports glory. Three tournaments players from all over the world who will compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars, the highest prize pool in Hong Kong’s e-sports history. Whether travelling with teens or e-sport lovers, there is more in store beyond the tournaments. An Experience Zone showcases e-sports products from game displays and VR experiences to mobile game trials and more. For more information and tickets see
Baltimore has a booming coffee scene. Hipsters are roasting, different types of milk are being frothed or just warmed, the coffee is served cold, warm, iced, drip, with mocha and in many variations in the coffee shops of Baltimore.However, what really stood out about the coffee shops in Baltimore to me was they take their coffee very very seriously.
Despite the early morning hour, the sun’s rays warm the blacktop covering Route 301 from Gainesville heading north. Inhaling the warm moist air, you notice a horse statue atop a sign towering over the green plains blanketing Alachua County. The Waldo Farmer’s Flea Market begs you to explore “Central Florida’s Largest Flea Market” for a while on the way to your flight in Jacksonville. Dust swirls with the breeze in the gravel covered parking area, while cars creep into the lot on this Sunday morning. Early risers already scored the best bargains, now neatly tucked away in plastic shopping bags and eco-friendly reusable totes. The satisfied patrons make their way back to their cars as you pull into a vacant spot.
Just south of where the Caribbean Sea collides with the Gulf of Mexico is a stunning and spiritual nexus.
It’s here, a little shy of the northern tip of the Isla Blanca peninsula, that the white-sand Play Mujeres meets dual-coloured water the hue of melted green and blue gemstones.
This junction is much more than a pretty place in Mexico.
It happens all the time with Overseas Adventure Travel. I start out expecting to write about the trip itself – in this case, Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions -- and I end up writing about all the things that are not on the itinerary – what OAT refers to as Learning and Discovery. Sure, I wanted to focus on the extensive ruins of the Greeks and Romans from the 8th century BC; the city market initiated by the Arabs in 900 A.D. which still operates today almost as it did then. The Norman Church built in 1174 which was proclaimed by one of the trip participants as “The most magnificent cathedral ever!” and a boat ride to a Phoenician island dating back 2700 years. But that’s where the story veered into trouble… I found myself being equally surprised and delighted by all the little extra things we were seeing and doing -- and yes, often eating -- that were NOT on the itinerary, the L&D moments that reflect the culture and deepen the immersive experience already embodied within the OAT itinerary.
