Photos: Turks and Caicos

The islands of Turks + Caicos are renowned for snorkeling, scuba diving and, of course, expansive white sand beaches. Yet, I explored plantation ruins, nature reserves, salt ponds and small restaurants, including one with an offshore conch crawl. Curiously, most visitors never make it to pristine Middle and North Caicos. These images offer a window into the personality of Turks + Caicos beyond the beaches.

 

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Photos: Fiji

Fiji is almost solely known for its stunning white sandy beaches, perfect for sunning, swimming, diving and snorkeling. But on my recent trip, I found numerous other sights and activities, including hiking trails coursing through the Colo-i-Suva Forest Park. One trail allows access to numerous swimmable pools with waterfalls and also provides bird watching opportunities. I also found an eco ethic at many of the resorts, including Castaway Island, Fiji, a resort on a private island. Given that this and other waterfront resorts depend on healthy coral reefs that are home to a variety of different fish and shellfish species, it’s no wonder that conservation efforts are underway to restore coral that have died as a result of climbing water temperatures. These photos show some of the numerous sights and vistas I discovered in Fiji, including Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, Nanuku Auberge Resort, and Castaway Island’s North Beach that’s the focus of the myriad water-based and many other activities, including a massage table set up on the golden sands at the end of this beach where, at low-tide, you can walk around the rocky point to yet another and more desolate beach. (You can also kayak there.)

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A Must-Do Hiking Trail in Spain

Each hiking trail has a personality. Some are majestic, taking trekkers to high altitude where the summits seem to touch the clouds. Others wander through dense forests where the hiker feels enveloped by the foliage, hardly ever passing a village during their journey. As a hiker, I favor trails that allow me to connect with the land and its people, without having to risk life and limb to complete the journey. I recently journeyed to Spain's northwest corner where the province of Galicia is a treasured expanse of lighthouses, quiet coves, fishing villages and vast farmland. My journey took me along the Lighthouse Way (Camino dos Faros), a trail that may very well be my favorite trail in the world. To find out why, check out my recent article for Forbes on hiking the Lighthouse Way.

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7-in-1 Travel Wallet

My 7-in-1 travel wallet gives you versatility and practicality in a lightweight, minimalist silhouette, whether you’re traveling far afield or on your home turf. It can be used as a traditional wallet that you place in your purse, or wear it over your shoulder, as a clutch, a wristlet, crossbody, on your belt, or around your waist. (Bye,bye fanny bag that id’s you as a tourist.) Plenty of zippered compartments and slots allow you to organize your passport, credit cards, money, driver’s license, business cards, lip balm, sunscreen, pen, and more.

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Gear Review: New Eco Friendly Sunscreen

Most people start thinking about sunscreens when summer approaches. Many people just go by the numbers, choosing a product with a high SPF. But sunscreen ingredients are important, too. In fact, a recent report from the non-profit Environmental Working Group rated sunscreens in terms of safety and effectiveness, finding that only two ingredients -- zinc oxide and titanium dioxide -- are considered safe and effective. A according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. So, how timely that I just found out about a new product, SPF 30 TropicSport, that only contains these two physical sunscreen ingredients. The texture is light and, unlike what some people might have thought, applying this product with these physical sunscreen agents does not coat your skin so you look pasty white. Plus, because it doesn't contain any oxybenzone, a chemical sunscreen agent, it's reef friendly. The company also produces an SPF 30 face stick and an SPF 15 lip balm, both which contain zinc oxide, and no chemical sunscreen ingredients. This will be my sunscreen of choice. These products don't contain any parabens or nano particles, and can be used in children who are at least six months old. Plus, since I care about nature and the environment, it's also a plus that the company pledges to only use reef friendly, sustainable ingredients and packaging, and they donate up to 20% of sales to organizations that have similar sensibilities. 

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Gear Review: Minimalist Travel Accessories

I'm all about minimalism, whether it's the bags (and this bag also) and clothing I design or the products I buy to travel with. So, I was happily surprised to discover three travel accessories manufactured by Matador that fit my minimalist and practical sensibility. Below, in order, are the toiletry bottle, the soap bar case, and the toiletry case. What they all have in common is that they are ultra light, made of a flexible synthetic fabric, and are small and rugged.

Better than any of the other travel-size bottles on the market,  the toiletry bottle easily compresses, allowing me to have more room in my TSA-approved liquid's zip-lock bag for other items. You can fill it with anything from shampoo to sunscreen to moisturizer to body wash. And the little snap loop at the end allows you to conveniently hang it should you be staying at a hostel, or if you want to snap it to your backpack if you're hiking.

Maybe you don't travel with a bar of soap, preferring liquid soap instead, but doing so means you have fewer liquids to cram in your TSA-approved liquids zip-lock bag. What's super cool about this bag is that you can put a wet bar of soap in it and the fabric allows the soap to dry out. (After all, who wants to retrieve a slippery bar of soap from a bag?). The top rolls and snaps closed, again making it convenient and easy to carry. (The bag is waterproof.)

Finally, the toiletry case has that nifty feature that allows moist or wet items, such as a toothbrush, that you store inside to dry. Unlike so many toiletry cases, the soft fabric allows you to compress it, perfect for those who never check luggage -- like me! Like with the soap case, the top of the toiletry bag rolls and snaps closed and it can also be hung up or attached to anything, should you be enjoying at outdoor shower at a tropical resort, for example.

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Gear Review: A Bright + Rugged Mini Flashlight

No matter where I travel in the world, one item I never leave without is a small powerful flashlight. This can come in handy not only if there is a power failure at my resort or hotel, or if I find myself walking late at night on a lane with no street lights, or if I'm camping and need to set up my tent in the dark Any flashlight I carry has to have a wide beam that is ultra bright and goes the distance, it has to be small and withstand being dropped or getting wet in a downpour. My new flashlight of choice is the one below by 5.11. It's exceedingly bright: 107 lumens. It won't be damaged by rain or being dropped from some six feet off the ground, and the light beam distance is around 85 feet, which suits my needs. Plus, if I have to keep the light on for four hours straight, I know it will keep working on the two small AAA batteries. This is now my go-to flashlight, which I keep in a small zippered compartment of my carry-on soft luggage.

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Another Great Reason to visit New Brunswick, Canada

The little-visited Canadian province of New Brunswick is chock full of treasures waiting to be experiences. And, while most visitors tend to gravitate here only in the summer for the beach and water sport opportunities, New Brunswick is a year-round destination. In the winter, for example, numerous Nordic ski centers beckon with trails that provide plenty of solitude in woodlands. Whether you're coming in out of the cold after a day of skiing or looking for interesting sensory experiences any time of the year, you may want to drive to the tiny town of Petit-Paquetville. That's where you'll find a family-owned distillery and brewery that relies on locally-sourced ingredients. This is my recent article for Forbes on the award-winning Distillerie Fils du Roy in New Brunswick, Canada.

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Photos: Taiwan

Taiwan is a land of hot springs where steam billows over calm waters. A land of deep gorges and serrated peaks where wisps of mist float. A land of lakes where the sounds of cicadas cuts through the silence. And all of this can be experienced from a bicycle saddle. Taiwan is extremely bike friendly, with hundreds of miles of bike paths networking the country, and plenty of opportunities to rent bicycles. Among the numerous bucolic green spaces that are a must for cyclists is Sun Moon Lake that’s especially atmospheric if you visit in the early morning.

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