Showing posts with label Blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogger. Show all posts

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from blogger Natty P of 

nattyponline


Read about Natty's travels as she uses the world as her playground: 

About Natty P...

Natalie Preddie is a freelance travel writer living in Toronto, Canada. She contributes to the Travel & Leisure, Toronto Star: Travel, Star Touch Magazine, PAX Magazine, The Baby Post, Travel & Style and her popular travel blog, The Adventures of Natty P. In 2014, Natalie won the Canadian Public Relations Society: Young PR Pro of the Year Award. This year, Natalie won Travel Writer of the Year 2015 for her series on Ontario’s Norfolk County. Follow her on Twitter @_nattyp.



Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel


This past June, I beach hopped, spent time in Thomas Edison’s lab, ate homemade ice cream and was overwhelmed by the beauty, wildlife and history of Fort Myers & Sanibel. A short two-hour flight from Toronto, this destination more than triples in population throughout the winter months, mostly Canadians and Americans looking to escape the cold.

But that’s not all. Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel 

Spring break attracts crowds of University students looking to get their ‘wet n’ wild’ on and in between, the area hosts families, couples and other vacationers looking for a well deserved, relaxing and restful holiday. Located in Florida’s Lee County, the area boasts 50 miles of sparkling white sandy beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The sunsets alone are worth the trip.

I was ‘born to beach’ so for me, Fort Myers & Sanibel was the ultimate destination. For my fellow sun lovers, you know that nothing tops lying on a giant towel along a pristine beach and searching the horizon for jumping bottle nosed dolphins, riding Seadoo’s or bobbing in the salty water with friends. For shellers, Fort Myers & Sanibel is famous for their 400 species of shells collected by the county’s unique ‘scoop’ shape in a prime current location. Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. 

As a pregnant traveller, this was a fantastic ‘babymoon’ destination and I was outfitted in the best summer gear from Thyme Maternity. My favourite three beaches were Fort Myers Beach North, Fort Myers Beach/Times Square and Captiva Beach. Here is why:

Fort Myers Beach North


We checked into Sandpiper Gulf Resort located directly on the white sandy beaches of Fort Myers Beach North. My room looked directly onto the Gulf of Mexico and it only took minutes to get out of my travel gear and onto the sand.



Separated from the masses and with other properties far enough away, this beach was clean and quiet while families built sandcastles, couples played in the warm water and small groups of girls flipped in their sun chairs.


Captiva Island


Captiva Island itself is the perfect beach town. Green and luscious, here wild and plant life is protected by the government and beaches are award winning. Zero fast food joints, no traffic lights and a speed limit of 35 mph, this island provides a true eco-friendly tropical getaway.




Located off of the equally as stunning Sanibel Island, Captiva has some of the areas most beautiful (and expensive) vacation homes. From Gulf view mansions to palm tree-surrounded condos, Captiva is a destination where I could definitely see myself spending winters…and summers in fact.


The main ‘street’ is Andy Rosse Lane, a quaint stretch with boutique shops, eclectic restaurants and quirky art galleries that leads directly to the beach. The water is clear and many shades of blue, a white sandy slope taking one once again into the Gulf. The lush backdrop that lines the beach makes Captiva Beach a truly serene experience.

 


Fort Myers Beach/Times Square


The sunset. While on Fort Myers main beach, I grabbed an ice cream and walked along the boardwalk to watch the sunset over Lee County.

 

I was mesmerized as the red, yellows and oranges painted the sky. The sun glowed majestically in the sky, sinking lower and lower until he took his final bow, leaving a crowd in awe of what they just saw. I think someone actually clapped. It was truly beautiful.


Visit http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/ for more information on beautiful Fort Myers & Sanibel.




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Saturday, August 20, 2016

Turkey’s Aegean Hideaway: Your Guide to Alaçati

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from blogger Jenny of 



Read about Jenny and her husband, Ian, as they use the world as their playground: 


About Jenny & Ian...


Jenny and her husband Ian are the travellers behind the A Taste of Travel blog. They are avid travellers who have been fortunate to visit many countries which they write about on the blog. A highlight of their travels was an eighteen month gap trip which meant they could spend a couple of months in one of their favourite countries, Turkey. Another couple of months was spent in Croatia island hopping and driving up the coast. This year they are about to head off on a four month trip which will take in Ireland, the Geek Islands, Italy, Portugal, Israel and Jordan. Jenny loves Instagram so you can follow their trip on the above social media accounts.



Alaçati is a Turkish town with a Greek history that today blurs the boundaries of both. It’s a popular place for both tourists and locals to enjoy lazy days by the beach and busy nights in the bars and restaurants that line the cobbled streets. This way of life appeals to us…We loved Alaçati and will definitely return.

Greece or Turkey?

History explains the conflict…


In the 1830’s a well known Turkish family reached out to the Greek families on nearby Chios Island whose homes and livelihoods had been destroyed by earthquakes and offered them work in the vineyards and olive farms. Alaçati was built on a swamp and malaria was thriving in these conditions, so the Greeks also helped build a channel to drain the swamp.

The workers set up a town…Alaçati, and built the traditional Greek stone houses that still remain today. With its fertile soils producing excellent vineyards and great wines, the town became and important trading centre and flourished until after the Balkan War in 1914 when Bosnian and Albanian immigrants came to Alaçati.  The Greeks started to leave.  In 1923 a formal ‘exchange agreement’ was signed returning the Turkish Muslims in Greece to Turkey and the Orthodox Greeks in Turkey to Greece.

Wooden houses, blue shutters and trailing bougainvillea in Alaçati


What to do in Alaçati


Explore the town

As you walk around the town, you really do feel as though you are in Greece. The old stone houses have been beautifully restored. Painted shutters and doors are covered in rambling bright coloured bougainvillea. Many of the homes have been converted to hotels whilst others are now trendy boutiques, bars and cafes.

Explore the side streets that run off Kemal Pasa Street, the main street of the town that is home to many of these bars and restaurants. Wander up to the 19th century windmills that overlook the town.



At the Town Square turn into the side street and head towards the mosque. Follow the winding street on the right hand side that will take you past two of Alacati’s best restaurants and into the Haci Memis Quarter. The old wooden homes and stone buildings have been restored and are now fabulous antique shops, interesting boutiques and busy cafes and bars.

Dinner at Asmi Yapragi is a must!

Aliçati’s boys club!

At night, the streets that were quiet during the day are busy. There’s a party atmosphere in town as people head to the bars and restaurants that spill onto the street.

One of the many bars in the town


The Saturday Market



Every Saturday the farmers market comes to town. Vendors come from far and wide bringing their locally grown produce to town. It’s large market. It takes over several streets in the town. The produce is some of the freshest produce I have seen, with sellers spending time proudly displaying their wares.  I watched one vendor as he hand polished each tomato and stacked it neatly on display. There’s also a textiles and clothing market at the back of the market but it is the fresh produce that most come for.


The Fish Market



The daily fish auction is fun to see. Fish caught overnight are bought to the market and expertly sorted into parcels of approximately one kilogram. These numbered lots are then auctioned off to the highest bidder. Go about 10.30 am to catch the action!

Go Windsurfing


Alaçati has been the home of windsurfing since the nineties and is now one of the most important windsurfing centres in the world. The strong winds that prevail here have bought windsurfers of all abilities to its shores. Don’t worry about bringing your board to Alaçati, windsurfers can be hired and lessons taken.


The Beaches


Being in the centre of the Cesme Peninsula, Alaçati is surrounded by the water. Its beaches are all are within easy reach. To the north is the sandy, Ilica Beach whilst beach clubs are found along the southern shores. Our favourite was Klum Beach Club where clear waters and a beautiful sandy beach encourage you to lounge all day on bean bags or rent a shaded waterfront bed.

Klum Beach Club

Wine Tasting at Urla


The Cesme Peninsula has become an important wine producing area again returning to the days when the Greek workers were cultivating the land. One winery not far from Alaçati is Urla Sarapcilik Winery, a stunning modern winery that produces award winning bio dynamic wines.


The discovery of vineyards over 1000 years old on his property motivated owner Can Ortabas to establish his own vineyards. Today Urla Sarapcilik Winery is one of the leading vineyards in Turkey.  The winery is a beautiful modern building with an ultra modern production plant. There is even a two room hotel in the building with stunning views over the vineyard.


Visit Ephesus


You may be heading down the coast but if not, a visit to Ephesus is not out of the question….you could be there in just under two hours! If this is your only chance to see this UNESCO listed site, you may want to take it! It took us about two hours to see the sights without a guide. Don’t miss seeing the Terraced Houses which require a separate payment. For us, they were the highlight of Ephesus.


Where to Eat


Two restaurants stand out from the crowd, both showcasing the fabulous produce that we saw at the markets but in different ways.
Asma Yapragi


The display of fresh produce sitting on a table outside the restaurant is more than enough to tempt you inside but the if you’ve done your research on eating in Alaçati you will also know that this is one of the best restaurants in town. We popped into make a booking and wanted to stay. Fresh local greens, peppers and eggplants were being chopped and diced….I couldn’t wait to try the dishes they were being cooked.

That night as we sat in the courtyard garden, the anticipation grew. I didn’t realise that we would be returning to the kitchen to choose our entree from the fabulous selection of meze dishes that now covered the table. Traditional cooking at its best.
Even though this was a meal in itself, once I had seen and smelt the slow cooked lamb, I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed! A superb meal.

My only disappointment that was they were booked out for the following nights were were in Alacati. The restaurant is very popular, especially in summer so make sure you make a reservation well ahead of time.

Asma Yapragi Web Site

Babushka


Since our visit to Alaçati, there is a third restaurant that I’d like to let you know about. Chef Olga Irez and her husband Özgür have opened a restaurant called Babushka. I met Olga and Özgür at Özgur’s family home in Sapanca where we spent a week with them and photographer David Hagerman visiting the local markets, cooking and experiencing her delicious food. Olga is an avid fan of using the fresh local ingredients and I’m sure the food at their restaurant is just as good.

Babushka Web Site

Where to Stay


Tas Otel
The first of the boutique hotels, the Tas Otel opened its doors in 2001 and now there are over 100 hotels in the area.

The Tas Otel is still one of the best. Staying in this small boutique hotel is like staying in a private home. Infact this 120 year old stone building was once a private mansion. A peaceful garden surrounds the pool and the outdoor tables are the perfect place to sit and enjoy the afternoon tradition of tea and freshly made cake. The cakes are famous and all feature in the beautiful cook book that is waiting for you in your room. They were the reason I was back at the hotel by 5!

Tas Otel






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Saturday, August 13, 2016

Beach Hoping in Kuta Lombok

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from bloggers Charlotte & Josh of 

thespindrifters



Read about Charlotte & Josh's travels as they use the world as their playground: 

About Charlotte & Josh...



Photo: @thespindrifters

We’re Charlotte & Josh, a 26 & 27 year old couple from London with an insatiable passion for travel. We met 3 years ago bonding over a mutual love of travel having both travelled the world before. It took 2 years to decide we would set off together on an adventure of a new kind. We wanted to travel spontaneously; Drifting from place to place depending on where our mood, people or work took us, so we saved like crazy for 10 months and now here we are living the dream...



Photo: @thespindrifters 

Our passports were being escorted somewhere for a single stamp which was seemingly a harder process than it should be but this allowed us to scoot off away from the misery of soulless Mataram and head to the 'better' Kuta Lombok.

Whenever you talk to someone about Lombok the first thing most people utter is 'Kuta' and 'amazing beaches' so we needed to check it out! Accompanied by our German friends we all jumped in a car and headed South in search of the white sands and amazing surf we had heard so much about.

If Senggigi was a disappointment then Kuta was on the complete other end of the spectrum. Unbroken white and golden sand beaches with incredible surf and turquoise water! Where to begin?

Here's our guide to two days of beach hopping!

Day 1 West of Kuta 


Mawan Beach

Photo:  @thespindrifters


Park up your bike and walk over the small ridge and be greeted with a half moon stretch of white sand, amazing crashing beach break waves and deep blue sea! The pictures can do the talking but it was basically deserted when we arrived apart from the small kids asking you if you need a coconut, pineapple or Bintang...dreamy! The waves were incredibly powerful when we arrived and we all spent a good 2 hours playing around being swept off our feet and dragged out to sea, which was awesome, just tie up your shorts....!

Mawi Beach

Photo:  @thespindrifters


Ooohh Mawi, beautiful Mawi. If this wasn't the most difficult 'road' to get to a beach we have ever encountered we may have been able to spend more time admiring the majesty of Mawi's surf and cliff back drop. Its a stunning little beach and once you get over the 'shakes' from bouncing up and down on your bike for 30 minutes its a great place to laze away the day and watch the insane left hand break waves and the amazing surfers trying to conquer them! Please don't be put off by the road, just be ready for it, embrace it and remember that what you find at the other end if most definitely worth it!

Selong Belenak Beach

Photo:  @thespindrifters


The longest beach of all that we visited to the West of Kuta and definitely the busiest as well! This is the beginner surfers paradise with small waves and many surf shops/warungs offering lessons and board hire. The beach itself is a long stretch of white sand with insane views of the Lombok coastline and little Islands in the middle of the sea. Park your bike, pay the man, get to the beach, turn right and walk into secluded beach heaven! Everybody as usual congregates by the warungs and surf shops but the best part of the beach is further to the North so wander through the breaking waves and find a little spot in the distance to see out the day!

Kuta Beach


Unfortunately, you will get hassled by little kids on this beach but only to buy bracelets and more often than not they just want to take a break and have a chat! They speak surprisingly good English and will leave you too it after a couple of minutes, unless you make them laugh then they could stay for hours! A huge beach with golden (slightly stony) sand stretches off into the distance and has quite a lot of seaweed on it. Maybe not the beach to spend the whole day on but walk away from the main car park and it can seem surprisingly quiet!

East of Kuta
Seger Beach

Photo:  @thespindrifters


Another crescent moon shaped beach with unfortunate amounts of rubbish and seaweed on the beach. Still boasting great views out to sea and the hills that separate it from Tanjung Aan. More of a quick stop off this one, or a destination to park up relax until the sunset starts and race up the hill to the viewpoint to watch the sun setting over Kuta...

Tanjung Aan

Photo:  @thespindrifters


A tourist destination. Lots of buses and tours were stopped here when we arrived and the beach was overrun with people taking selfies and generally disturbing the peace we had come to expect throughout the day. This makes us sound like boring old farts but when the previous beaches set such a serene precedent this was a bit of a surprise...Anyway, who are we to judge, each to their own. The beach is still great and you have to go and see it for the sunset or just to walk up and down to take in the coastal views.

The second day scootering around was revisiting our favourite beaches to spend more time playing in the sea and generally relaxing on the sand but not before we looked round a 'traditional' Sasak village. We aren't sure how traditional this was unfortunately as it seemed very commercial and too many people spoke English while walking around for us to believe it wasn't just a tourist trap. However, we had a good guide and you can choose how much you pay them once you have finished depending on how informative they are. (we were recommended to pay no more than 5k each but pay what you want!)
Photo:  @thespindrifters


We spent a total of 3 days in Kuta and loved it. Its chilled, relaxed surfer vibe is still ever present and the locals are incredibly helpful and friendly. Just be careful about transport back to Mataram. Its expensive in high season, we paid 250k for 4 people which we thought was steep but after negotiating with what seemed like every tour shop its the best we could find! Enjoy!

C & J


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