Welcome to the Instinct by KITI where we move the world though first-hand, new generation travel and lifestyle storytelling.
All in Travel
Ottawa has always been a favourite Canadian destination of ours. It’s an easy place to get to from Toronto, Montreal or anywhere in between. It has a beautiful, compact downtown that is a joy to walk or bike, not to mention its plethora of museums and galleries where there’s always something new to see.
The Chobe river acts as the northern boundary of Chobe National Park, Botswana’s first national park, and joins four countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. It’s the region’s heartbeat – a year-round, life-giving source of water.
Vacationing where the Wright Brothers invented motorized flight means taking to the air ourselves, fishing, horseback riding and eating barbecue.
Join KITI Contributor Debbie Stone on a journey to Namibia, on the trail of the hidden five. “The tour revealed another sand dweller, the Fitzsimmons Burrowing Skink. These slithery lizards typically forage later in the day when the sand is of a more suitable temperature. “
As the sun rises and paints the landscape fiery orange, I finally grasp the sheer magnitude of Bagan’s ancient monuments from my bird’s-eye perch in a hot air balloon. It’s an otherworldly skyline, dotted with pagodas, temples, shrines, stupas and monasteries as far as the eye can see.
It will become my wife, Kerry, and I's mantra during a long weekend of self-regulated revelry in West Hollywood. For every drink sipped at the rooftop pool of The London West Hollywood Hotel there will be an hour of cycling in Beverly Hills spying the mansions of the rich and famous.
Welcome to Greece? If you were blindfolded and transported to Tarpon Springs, Florida you might well think you were in the land of Aristotle, Homer and Plato. That town of about 25,000 inhabitants claims a higher percentage of residents of Greek heritage than any other place in the United States.
A half a kilometer off the west coast of O'ahu, Matthew Solomona is in the midst of an esoteric explanation of why the water is so blue. It has something to do with the Pacific Ocean being a prism that captures and concentrates the wavelengths of all the azure in the visible light spectrum. It's very informative. But really, all we want to do is submerge ourselves in this aquarmarine stuff. So, my wife and I and our 15-year-old daughter grab the snorkel gear provided on the Hawaii Nautical catamaran tour and take the plunge.
Christian Estrosi, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, along with Maurice Lévy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, and Stephen Kaufer, President & CEO of TripAdvisor, launched “French Merveilles,” an innovative promotional campaign conceived by the teams of Publicis Groupe.
Tuesday April 4, Christian Estrosi announced the international partnership to re-launch the tourism industry in this region. The concept surrounds reinforcing the beauty of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur; which is home of incomparable wonders.
Under the gaze of the Alhambra Palace, and on soil trodden by poet Federico Garcia Lorca, the two hundred year old La Casa Grande de Zujaira sits proudly. I stand looking through the original metal gates at part of the ‘big house.’ Now split in two, the imposing white house, with its clock built by Gustav Eiffel’s apprentices, rests majestically with its terraced garden sprawling at its feet.
There’s nowhere quite like Cape Town, the jewel of South Africa. This fascinating city is a meld of cultures, history and landscape, crowned by the magnificent Table Mountain. Often regarded as synonymous with the “Mother City,” (Cape Town’s affectionate moniker), this landmark is the single most welcoming icon to its people, as well as to travelers from around the globe. Named a New Seven Wonders of Nature, the mountain is one of the oldest on earth, six times older than the Himalayas and five times older than the Rockies. It forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, which extends all the way to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern extremity of Africa.
Ancient tortoises, deserted beaches and travelling by catamaran are the highlights of this island-hopping holiday in the Indian ocean. Tyson stretches his wrinkly, 120-year-old neck as an invitation to stroke it. It feels much like it looks: dry and leathery, yet utterly wonderful. T
Just like many days and nights before, the aroma of Conch Butter Sauce, Souse and Potato Salad, and many, many, other traditional Caribbean dishes wafts through the air. Like magic, the aroma beckons you, leading you to the heart of Estate Princesse, right off Northside Road to the Cast Iron Pot in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. And the man behind the magic, no other, then award-winning, Chef Burton Peterson. Peterson who once worked in the famed Waldorf Astoria in New York, is no stranger to creating eventful and intricate dishes for U.S. Presidents, celebrities, royalty, and brides. This is probably why the Cast Iron Pot possesses an air of seclusion that makes you feel like royalty from the moment you enter the main dining area. You know you have officially arrived to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, when you’ve had a meal or two, at the Cast Iron Pot.
McMenamins Grand Lodge (Mic MIN i mins) in Tualatin (T’WAL-i-tin) Valley, Oregon (OAR-i-gin) – you get the idea -- gives new meaning to the word funky -- also whimsical and droll and quirky. Oh yes, and historic. But if you're looking for glitz or glamour -- not to mention basic amenities such as a TV or a dresser -- the hotel is not for you. If you want a little bizarre, you're in the right place.
A Duchess, a baker, a plantation history maker: Meet this coterie of capable ladies of the river, including a duchess defined by her all-suite staterooms; a nationally known chef who has cooked for the likes of Mick Jagger, Lily Tomlin, and Shirley MacLaine; and a Louisiana rebel who saved the history of the Creole plantation that bears her name. You’ll find them all on the waters or near the shores of the mighty Mississippi. FIRST ALL-SUITE PADDLEWHEEL VESSEL
Tail a waggin', Simba leads the way like he knows where he's going.
It's the first time this Chihuahua-Terrier cross has been on the Koloa Heritage Trail, but that doesn't damper his ears-perked, tongue-hanging-out canine enthusiasm.
Are you a writer, blogger, contributor or commentator? Do you write about TRAVEL, WORK, PLAY, HOMES, STYLE, HEALTH or LIFESTYLE subjects? If so, we want to publish your work! We are open to stories, videos, photos and more from KITI members under these categories.
With cruise season here, many folks who love that mode of travel will be taking to the season mega-ships that resemble floating ‘round-the-clock buffets and offer shore excursions too brief to provide a real sense of the destination. Others will opt for vessels and itineraries which provide very different experiences. They include Civil War buffs Tom and Elaine Preston, who take to shore to wander through reconstructed forts and trenches where one of the most important battles of that conflict was fought. Betsy and Andy Cross follow a machete-wielding guide as he clears a path through a dense rainforest that covers an area the size of India. Fun, rather than tropical foliage, attracts Lauren Davis and Jim Goodman to a Go-Kart race track, a ropes course and an exhilarating water slide.
The funky, cafeteria-style restaurant in Dallas' warehouse-turned-hipster Deep Ellum neighbourhood serves you only after you join the long line up and order from the limited menu.
Quebec’s French-Canadian allure is integrated with countless immigrant populations that have made this a prosperous area with an energetic blend of people and cultures. Despite being a family travel writer that lives on the East Coast of the United States, I had never visited our friends to the North. Our family decided it was time to go and explore this stunning area with our children Anna Cecilia (8) and Luca (5). A mere ninety minute flight from our home city of Washington, D.C., we had to find out what marvelous Montréal and it’s Eastern Townships were all about.
