Poets have written a million words inspired by the beauty of birds and flowers. There are few flowers more beautiful than orchids. And there are even fewer birds more impressive than the Resplendent Quetzal. If you want to see both orchids and quetzals, you have to travel to Cobán, located at the edge of the […]
Quetzals to Orchids: A Travel Guide to the Birds and Flowers of Cobán, Guatemala Read Post »
There’s a magical place nestled up in the Guatemalan highlands: an azure lake, surrounded by volcanoes and towering cliffs. In 1934, Aldous Huxley called it “too much of a good thing.” Today that beauty has attracted a marauding horde of tourists, ranging from drunken Israeli frat boys to German hippies who’ve swallowed one acid tab
Diving into Lago Atitlán: Travel to Guatemala’s Most Beautiful Lake Read Post »
There are plenty of interesting things to do in Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela, if you know where to look. Okay, you actually don’t have to look that hard. The city is manageably sized and a fascinating destination full of interesting places to visit. The colonial Spanish and gothic German buildings have a worn, tattered
Discover Xela: A Guide to the Best Things to See and Do in Quetzaltenango Read Post »
Is Guatemala City worth visiting? Even though I’ve been there, I’m still not sure I can answer that question. Guatemala City definitely has a bad reputation. The city conjures up images of ugly, sprawling slums, streets crammed with traffic and shirtless gangsters with gold teeth and face tattoos loitering on every corner. These are exaggerations,
Is Guatemala City Worth Visiting? Read Post »
Antigua is probably the number one travel destination in Guatemala. Every year, thousands, if not millions, of tourists flood the city’s elegant collection of cobblestone streets, restored Baroque Spanish colonial buildings, and ruined fragments of towering cathedrals. All of it ringed by a series of sometimes smoldering volcanoes. You’ve probably seen pictures of Antigua on
Wandering in Antigua: a Travel Guide to Guatemala’s Most Touristed City Read Post »
What do you want when you travel? Do you want highland treks along the slopes of smoldering volcanoes? Do you want to wander cobblestone streets, drinking coffee in front of grand colonial edifices? How about scaling ancient ruins to peer above humid jungle canopy? What about witnessing the modern traditions of the descendants of the
Go to Guatemala: A Travel Guide Without the Tourist Traps Read Post »
Shanghai is China’s modern, pulsing heart. It’s home to millions of people, and as the economic center of the country, home to billions more dollars and yuan. Aside from being an economic powerhouse, Shanghai is also mainland China’s most international city. It’s one of the few places outside of Hong Kong where you’ll find someone
Ten Must-See attractions in Shanghai Read Post »
According to the legends, Shangri-La is a green Himalayan paradise. A mystical Buddhist haven where people never age. A peaceful, magical utopia where everything is wonderful all the time. The real Shangri-La is not like this. It might not be a Buddhist utopia, but it is a very nice place to experience Tibetan culture without
I Got Altitude Sickness in Shangri-La Read Post »
Do you want to travel back in time? Be careful. Anything you do in the past might alter the present, with grave consequences. Better yet, skip the dangers of causality altogether and visit the ancient city of Lijiang, China. Visiting the ancient city of Lijiang is like stepping back in time—albeit with a modern twist.
Exploring Lijiang: A Timeless Tourist Gem in China Read Post »
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The name sounds like something out of an ancient myth or a 70s Kung Fu movie. The mountain towers over the city of Lijiang in the Northwest corner of China’s Yunnan province, at the far edge of the Tibetan plateau. It’s the Southernmost snow-capped mountain in the Northern Hemisphere and was
The Magic of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Read Post »
