I used to land in an exciting destination and then leave my phone on airplane mode the entire time. Have you ever done that? I did this to avoid racking up expensive roaming charges and stupid data fees no one tells you about. Smartphones come in handy for navigating cities or translating local language but […]
Make Coffee. Not War. My Ultimate Guide to Coffee in Medellin
A long wall of graffiti art on the side of a brick building in upscale Provenza reminds passersby that coffee is better than war. It wasn’t always. A decade ago Medellin, Colombia was fuelled by heroin and cocaine; murder, kidnapping, and endless turf wars. Not coffee. At the height of its production, cocaine was a […]
Where to Stay: Hip and Chic Selina
We decided to head south for the winter and explore Medellin, Colombia for the very first time. We had an amazing one-month long assignment house and cat sitting in the Provenza neighbourhood (I’m already missing Ollie, our adopted cat). Since we happened to be in the city, we added a short stay at Selina Medellin […]
Where to Stay in Playa del Carmen: Boutique Luxury at The Reef 28
Is this what paradise is like? Sipping on an iced coffee (because what else would I be drinking?) under a white draped cabana by a rooftop infinity pool overlooking the city, I had to pinch myself a few times. Was I at home, dreaming? It certainly did not feel like home. And why would I […]
Coffee-Hopping in Laureles
Did you know coffee was first found by goats? Legend has it that, around 850 A.D goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats behaving strangely. They were eating red berries from a small shrub and acting hysterical. Wondering if there was some special power to the fruit, the herders decided to cook the berries in […]
Ostrava Coffee Guide
Who knew good coffee could be found in a beer-drinking, once-socialist culture like Czech Republic? In Prague, fair trade baristas and artisan roasters have put Czechs on the craft coffee map in Europe. Now, about 3.5 hours east of the Czech capital, little-known Ostrava is emerging with their own coffee scene. The city actually hosts its own […]