Travel has taught many things over the years and each time I return back home I realise just how much it really does change you as a person. I always wonder exactly what it is about travel that shifts your paradigm and turns your life upside down. What I love most about travel is that it challenges my earlier life and it constantly challenges the best out of me.

On returning from our 2 year journey around the world I soon began to notice that I wanted a different life this time. I realised when we left I was lacking something and I didn’t know what. Well, really I did know what it was but it was easy to ignore it and continue on with day-to-day life.

Life is all about balance

I am talking about balance.

My life lacked balance before leaving to go overseas and each time I returned I promise myself that I would sort it out and redesign my life so the things that mattered were in balance.

Before leaving to travel the world, I was working up to 90 hours a week as a chef and I would see Elise for a couple of hours a day if I was lucky, I barely saw the rest of my family and I was missing my niece and nephews growing up, some of whom lived in my own neighbourhood!

Friends, what friends? I would try to see them on the odd weekend I had off from the busy restaurant, but I rarely caught up with my old friends as I was working myself into the ground. Sure I was making more money than I had ever made before, but I just didn’t have the time to enjoy all this money that was being put into our bank account. Sure, all the money I made during my time at my old job entitled us to travel without working for 2 years and I am forever grateful for that opportunity, but my life back then was way out of balance.

My mate Simon and I

I have learnt from my earlier mistakes and I am taking on a delicate balancing act which involves putting people I love around me first.

How did I get it so wrong?

I think I know where I get my killer work ethic from…My Father. He is the biggest workaholic I know, he is 70 and still working a 45 hour week and when he has time off he just doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he continues to work at home doing the garden and odd jobs around the house. Maybe this work ethic has been bred into me and although it is a good trait to have, I need to control my constant need to work my butt off and place friends, family and more importantly my soon to be wife Elise first.

My nephew Taj and I in his Cot

This balancing act revolves around one thing…”love”. Don’t worry I am not going get all soppy on you! It is simple… if I love something then that will be the centre of my world and everything else around it falls into place. So I place higher priority on the people who I love around me and then everything else is an extension of that love. Whether it is work, exercise or hobbies I have decided people are what matter first and the other areas of my life thrive because of this balance.

Why did travel teach me this balancing act?

When you travel you have one thing on your side. Time. This time allows you to think in ways you never were able to before, because of time constraints. Over the course of long-term travel  you can begin to re-evaluate priorities in life and questions whether you are being true to yourself.

I started to think why travel brings so much joy to my life and I realise  it isn’t the place I visited or the tourist attractions I saw. It is the human connections with locals and other travellers which bring the most excitement in my life when travelling.

In our busy lives we begin to lack that human interaction and focus too much on money and career and we miss the communication and connection of other people.

Elise and I having fun

One of my favourite movies is Into the Wild (warning…spoiler alert ahead!!!) and at the end of this film the main character realises that he didn’t want to be alone and that life was about connecting with people. Shame he didn’t survive to share his realisation with his friends and family.

I am bringing balance back into my life and I have never felt so alive. Sure I am not making a six figure income anymore but with this rearrangement of priorities I know if you believe in yourself, your passion and money will follow as long as I put the hard work in and keep plugging away for the perfect balance in my life.

What do you find hard to balance?

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Part 1 of a 3 part video series.

We had been travelling for just over a year and had crossed the border from India to Nepal, with plans to do some trekking in the Himalaya region.  In previous years, we had already trekked Everest Base Camp, so this time we wanted to try other areas. Elise’s Dad, Michael has been teasing us over Skype, that he really wanted to come over to visit us somewhere in the world. I thought Nepal would be a perfect opportunity for him to see us and experience something he loves doing in a landscape so far removed from ours back in Australia.

I mentioned it to Elise and we invited him. Before we knew it, 2 weeks later we embraced him at the airport and began our preparations for our 5 day Poon Hill Trek throughout the Annapurna Region.

3000 steps on the Poon Hill Trek

We began our trip with a thrilling ride in a mini van along a twisted, cascading road all the way from Pokhara to Ghorepani which would be the beginning of our gruelling trek up the mountainside. The video below will show you the spectacular view and the some 3000 steps we needed to climb to get arrive at our first tea house!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYPinyFFKUI

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These Mayan carvings are located in Tulum Mexico and are in the main square. There are a number of these Mayan Cravings located along the main street in Tulum Mexico. They have been created by a local artist to depict Mayan Cravings that are seen at many of the ancient Mayan ruins.

Mayan carvings

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I am waiting to the side of the Mojo Stage at Bluesfest in Byron Bay and energy from the crowd is electric. We have been lucky enough to be asked to cover this event as part of the media and I am awaiting our escorts to usher us into the photographers pit from where I will attempt to gain a multitude of photos of one of my favourite artists, John Butler…

John Butler Trio at Bluesfest

There is double the media waiting side stage as usual and we need to be split up into two groups in order to fit in the photographers pit. I squeeze my way into the first group and we all get our positions as the band is walking out onto the stage. Instantly John Butler commands respect from audience and his presence on stage instantly sends the fans into hysterics.

John Butler singing at Bluesfest

John is of average height but he looks 10 feet tall on stage as he strums his slide guitar and tunes it to his desired frequencies. By this stage I have taken a number of photos before John has even started singing and I remove the camera from my eye and just want to breathe in the moment before I get back to work. I am standing only a metre away from one of the modern-day poets of our time, his lyrics can be have such potent meaning in only a few phrases and this is where John shows how honest his is with his music. He dives into the first track with the rest of his band and the crowd behind let out a huge roar of excitement and applause. The atmosphere is electric and I never want them to stop playing.

John Butler Trio at Bluesfest 2012

After clicking away with my camera I remove myself from trying to get the right shot and just attempt to watch John and his passion for music and his guitar playing. He sits before me only a metre away and it the closest I have ever been to him watching him live on stage. It is a joy to experience him living his music through his instrument, alongside the rest of his talented band. When he plays his songs it seems as though he is inside the music and giving a small gift of himself as he strums his guitar and sings into the microphone. His finger picks away along with tapping on the sides of his guitar and I can see that this is why he creates music, for sharing it with everyone on stage. He seems to be getting a huge buzz from the crowd and he feeds off their screams and cheers.

John Butler in his Element

John has been quoted that “he is merely the gate-keeper to the songs, they come from somewhere out in the universe”, and watching him on stage you can’t help but think that there is an higher power of spirit at play somewhere and something special is present when he is performing. It is a spectacle not to be missed.

John Butler singing at Bluesfest

I find myself captivated by his songs and I realise I should be taking more photos of this great performance before my time is up in the photographers pit. I begin snapping away and I find myself singing along to all three tracks whilst taking photos. I am his biggest fan and love his blend of folk, blues and pop music and it is an honour to be before him, able to take such up close and personal shots.

John Butler Trio rocking out at Bluesfest

Our time is up and we are ushered out backstage and I now need to run the entire distance of the tent to gain access back into the public areas to watch my favourite band play the rest of their set. Lucky for me John Butler Trio are playing for 2 hours and I haven’t missed much,  I return back into the crowd and weasel my way to the front.

Being among other fans and watching him play on stage is an entire different experience than being up close and personal and taking photos in the photographers pit. When surrounded by like-minded people all singing the words of his songs there is an indescribable energy in the air and all the fans know it and just turn around to each other every now and again with a smile and a nod to acknowledge each other. This is escapism in its purest form and John Butler Trio have accomplished what many other bands sometime struggle to perform. The audience is onside and John have them eating from the palm of his hand and he feeds off every clap of the hand and scream from the crowd. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

View from the crowd

I have seen John Butler Trio play numerous time over the past ten years and this performance was in my top 3 performances that I have seen by any band in the world. It is not often that you come away from a performance and you continue to talk about it for weeks later to your friends and family. John and his band did something special that night and it only happens every now and again, but I think all stars and moons were aligned for this performance and I will be talking about it for many year to come. Easily the best performance of Bluesfest 2012.

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This is the 3rd and final part of our Antigua Guatemala Photo Tour. Feel free to browse Part 1 and Part 2.

When we arrived in Antigua Guatemala we were greeted with a several days of rain. We walked around the city in the wet conditions and we were still impressed with what we saw. We then left on a 3 day trek which we did with Quetzal Trekkers and upon our arrival back we were happy to see that the sun was out for the first time.

Sit back and enjoy the beauty of Antigua Guatemala in this photo tour.

The Main Square with the Volcano in the background

It was very rare to see the top of the Volcano when in Antigua. it only pops it head out of the clouds for brief moments through the day. We were so pleased that we had an opportunity to get this photo with the Volcano in full view from the main square in Antigua.

Flower cart in Antigua Guatemala

On the weekends the main streets of Antigua are closed and only open for pedestrians. The streets are then decorated with flower carts and ans seats are placed along the streets. This city is a tourist mecca and it is beautiful city to wander around in.

Clock Tower and Volcano in Antigua

Flowers and Volcanos in Antigua Guatemala

Horse and Carriage

There are many horse and carriages waiting to take tourist on a ride around the main square. I would recommend that you opt NOT to take a ride as the horses are not feed and very poorly treated. Do your bit for animal cruelty and refuse to fuel this tourist industry.

Bubbles in the main square, Antigua Guatemala

This local is selling a turn at blowing bubbles for children. In Guatemala the locals come up with new and inventive ways to make money from tourists. This seemed to work as their were many children blowing bubbles in the main square.

Street Markets in Antigua

Flower Carts and Volcanoes

I can understand why so many people fall in love with Antigua Guatemala. Many artists paint scenes just like the one above. Don’t you just want to sit and relax in the sun on this bench seat?

Locals at the markets in Antigua

All the locals we met were full of smiles and always happy to help and keen to have a chat. With the little spanish we learnt we loved trying to converse with the locals at these markets. They would usually just laugh at our mispronunciation.

BBQ in the Main Square in Antigua Guatemala

Men Sharing an ice cream and a chat

Street March in Antigua Guatemala

When travelling through Central America you will soon realise that every second weekend there will be a street march for something. Central Americans love street celebrations and this was a school march to mark the end of the school term.

Hope you enjoyed this 3 part photo tour series and maybe it has you inspired to travel to Guatemala.

What city would you love to visit in Guatemala?

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We have been travelling across the world for some time now and we are still blown away by our own beautiful city. Living in Sydney all our lives, we really do think it is a beautiful city with a real elegance. Sure Melbourne is hip and cool with thriving restaurants, but I am here to tell you that Sydney has a culture all of its own.

Recently, we spent the weekend in Surry Hills in Sydney at Cambridge Hotel and once again were amazed at how much fun we can have in a city we have known and loved for many years.

Our room at Cambridge Hotel

The hotel is in the upper part of Surry Hills and closer to the buzzing Oxford Street which makes it extremely accessible for finding local restaurants or catching cabs to other locations across the city.

We were eagerly welcomed by Raj at the front desk  and were taken through all the incidentals of the hotel. Sometimes these can be dull and boring but Raj made sure we were well-informed from the start and knew all about the Hotel and what could be organised for us during our stay.

Upon arrival to our room we realised that we had been placed in the best room in the Hotel with 180 degree view of the city skyline. It was just getting on dusk and the city lights glistened below, while cars wizzed by. The room was clean and inviting and had a certain business appeal to it. We were staying in the a suite and it was quite spacious with our own lounge and flat screen television.

View from our Balcony at Cambridge Hotel

Some of the cooler features was a radio that had a dock for your iPod or iPhone which made it easy for charging and playing our own selection of music which we thought was a unique touch to this trendy city hotel room.

iPod dock in our room

As always when we arrive in a room we run directly to the mini bar to see what is available and to check out the ludicrous prices. Elise and I often go through the usual banter of what people would pay for the items in the fridge. We were surprised to see that the prices on the mini bar items were extremely reasonable. A Crown Larger was only $4.50, that is unheard of and we were a little taken back by the generosity of this inner city hotel.

Cambridge Hotel mini bar

Next on our hit list was the bathroom and we were pleasantly surprised with the spacious shower and bath.

Raj from the front desk recommended a few eateries around the corner and we took him up on eating at a Thai restaurant located on the lower part of Oxford Street. We had both had a busy week and we were considering going out to a bar for a couple of drinks, but we decided to reside back to our comfortable accommodation and laze around all night watching the cable television included in our room. The following night was going to be busy and we needed all the rest we could get.

There is always something special about waking up after a good night sleep and the sheets were as crisp as the night before when we entered the bed. Waking up at the Cambridge Hotel was no different and we just needed to get all the comfort we could so we both rolled over and slept in till 10am to get the most out of ‘munchie‘ double bed.

Elise in our room

We stumbled down to the dining room just in time for breakfast and swiftly loaded our plates up with the buffet breakfast of bacon, eggs, beans, tomato and the usual breakfast fare.

We had a busy day planned ahead and we spent the morning wandering around Surry Hills and walking down Crown street and people watching. This one of our favourite past times and Surry Hills is the perfect place to do it. The streets are filled with arty eccentric types of people and on Saturdays there are loads of markets where you can pick up some reinvented vintage items for sale. We grabbed a coffee from the local Bean Temple coffee shop and walked all the way from Surry Hills to Darling Harbour.

Crown Street Markets

After a big day of walking we had a Degustation Meal planned at a local spanish restaurant and we wanted to get a quick afternoon cat nap before heading out. We grabbed 30 minute rest on our lounge and watched some music videos on channel V and we were on our way again to enjoy dinner.

Our dinner ran longer than expected and we gorged ourselves on a delicious 5 course Spanish menu, we stuck around for one extra glass of wine and were then on to Newtown to watch one our favourite new emerging artists, Dallas Frasca play at a pub. Come 1.30am it was time to grab a pie whilst waiting for a cab and we couldn’t wait to return to Cambridge Hotel to rest our weary heads. It was a joy to have a piping hot shower and slide into a comfortable bed after the exhaustingly busy day we had.

View by night from our room

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Cambridge Hotel, although there were a few mishaps during our stay, we do believe this came down to a lack of communication between departments. It is annoying sometimes to have to explain yourself a number of times to staff members, when a simply memo could have be sent to all departments. Other than the communication issue we enjoyed the hotel and what it provided and we would consider staying there again when staying in the city.

If you would like to find out more about staying at Cambridge Hotel, you can visit their website or their Facebook page.

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Adam Pervez left behind his high-flying corporate life to take the road less traveled and actually enjoy being alive every day. He took what he calls “The Happiness Plunge” in June, 2011 and now lives a life full of his passions of traveling, writing, volunteering, learning, teaching, and telling stories. His goal is to leave each place he visits a bit better than how he found it is willing to try everything once. His “Happy Nomad Tour” is still young and adventures are served up daily on his website.

Thanks for wanting to be part of our Positive World travel Community! What’s the way you make your travels positive?

I make my travels positive in a variety of ways. First, I go off the grid and try and get to know the countryside and the non-touristy places. They are often a wealth of knowledge, culture, and positivity.

But besides going off the grid to tell the stories I encounter outside the cities, I volunteer at each place I go. The type of volunteering doesn’t matter to me. I’ve done everything from removing excrement in dog cages in Mexico to making lunch at an orphanage in Costa Rica to installing solar panels in Honduras to working on strategy and a business plan for a new NGO in El Salvador. Each place is an opportunity to do something positive and my goal in traveling is to leave each place a bit better than how I found it.

Adam With Mariachi in Guanajuato, Mexico

We hear you love slow travel. Tell us why you enjoy slow travel so much?

I used to do “hit and run” travel, where I’d get to a place, run around for two or three days, take pictures of all the monuments and then leave feeling like I knew the city. Ha!

So now I tend to graze and stick around for a lot longer. In each country I try to spend a couple of weeks in one place so I really can get to know its character, culture, and people. This is usually where I volunteer as well. My previous travels were more focused on what I could take from a place. Now I focus on what I can give back, though inevitably I still end up taking more than I give. I’m working on that though!

But as for why I like slow travel so much, it’s more comfortable and it really does allow you to get to know the people in the place. In the end, that’s the most important thing.

But I also almost exclusively stay for free everywhere I go. So my slow traveling is sometimes constrained by my ability to find free places to stay.

Share with our readers 2 songs which make up your travel playlist or remind you of your travel adventures.

It’s My Life by Bon Jovi is kind of like the anthem for my Happiness Plunge and taking the road less traveled for an engineer/MBA.

Good Life by One Republic is a song any nomad can associate with waking up in different places all the time. But I do feel like I’m living “the good life” as defined by me and when this song comes on my playlist I give thanks that I was able to have the courage to take the plunge into “the good life.”

Can you give us an overview of your “Happy Nomad Tour”?

On my website I advocate taking The Happiness Plunge. Simply put, it’s the process of figuring out your passions, creating a plan to live a life based on your passions, and then taking the plunge and diving headfirst into this happier and healthier life you’ve created for yourself.

The Happy Nomad Tour is my personal Happiness Plunge. I’m the case study for what I advocate. On The Happy Nomad Tour I pursue my passions of traveling, writing, volunteering, learning, teaching, and telling stories. It’s the ideal life I created for myself while sitting in my apartment in Brande, Denmark trying to figure out how to live a happier, more balanced and fulfilling life.

I almost never pay for accommodations. Six months in I think I’ve spent $150 on accommodations so far, a bulk of that because I visited a friend in a remote city in Nicaragua and couldn’t stay with her. Ditto for a friend in Honduras.

I volunteer each place I go in some capacity and approach each place with an open mind and willing heart. I don’t turn down any opportunities and seek to maximize experiences and minimize things.

Solar Panels In Honduras - Teaching Indigenous Villagers How To Set Up Solar System

What book or movie has inspired you to travel and why?

I had already traveled to over 40 countries by the time I started The Happy Nomad Tour. It all started with a 10-day spring break trip to Egypt when I was a student at Ohio State. I had always wanted to visit the pyramids and I realized all I had to do was get on a plane to see them. I sought after an international career and the rest is history.

But while in the midst of trying to figure out what to do with my life when I had “a perfect life” in Denmark yet felt miserable, I read two books that had a big impact on me.

The first was Eat, Pray, Love. I identified a lot with her sense of adventure, her slow traveling, and her inward journey in far away locales. However, I didn’t like how narcissistic it all was, focusing on her, her, her. I saw myself doing something similar, but having a balance between me, me, me and giving all I can to each place I visit.

The second book was The Art of Non-Conformity. I realized I was different, but this book showed me an example of someone living a location-independent life, living his passions, and having the time of his life doing it. A great guide full of empowerment when you know you need to do something different in life.

Tell us a little more about your Crazy Hair Fundraiser!

Unfortunately, a few days before Christmas 2011 my uncle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At a distance there is little I can do for him, but I saw how much it affected my whole family. I realized how difficult it must be for families with kids suffering from cancer.

I have always had really, really short hair. To try something different I started The Happy Nomad Tour bald thinking it would be the easiest hair maintenance technique. Far from it. Once I started growing out my hair I thought I should try and grow it longer than normal to, again, try something new.

With the cancer diagnosis, it just made sense to grow my hair out for donation to one of the many charities that make wigs for kids suffering from cancer. I approached the best-known charity doing this in the U.S. and they blew me off. By googling I found an organization doing this in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. They were wonderful from the start!

My goal is to raise $1000 per inch of hair I grow. The minimum for donation is 12 inches, so my goal is $12,000. Each wig they make requires 20-30 ponytails and costs $1500-$3000. I can only provide one ponytail, but I can help cover the cost of making 4-8 wigs in honor of my uncle!

If someone wrote a book about your travels what would the title be?

The Happiness Plunge – A corporate dropout’s journey of self-discovery and world betterment

What were 3 things you had to change before you took your ‘Happiness Plunge’?

I had to change my attitude. I had to break the bonds of what I thought was a given and true and instead realize that there are no walls in life. You can do whatever you put your mind to and if everyone says that you’re crazy you are probably on the right track.

I had to see abundance where I once saw scarcity. The economic system we have is one based on scarcity, but in reality the world is abundantly full of the important stuff like love, culture, and happiness. I had to focus on filling my proverbial bank account with these immeasurable things while accepting and not fearing that my bank account green paper decreases daily.

Lastly, I had to change my underwear. Literally I had to switch to nylon ones so they can be used days in a row without absorbing bacteria. But figuratively, I was leaving a six-figure job in one of the most advanced, stable, and high quality of life countries in the world – Denmark – in the middle of the worst economic recession in living memory. Though I wasn’t too concerned about being successful as defined by the outside world, I was worried about living up to my expectations for myself. And, of course, I was a bit worried about safety given the reputation of Latin America.. So far I’ve been robbed twice (Guatemala and Colombia), but in both cases I won and the robbers lost. I have good systems in place to prevent/minimize robbery! But it’s still an unsavory aspect of the way I travel, trying to be amongst the real people in the places I visit. However,  it fills me with perspective on what their lives are like and how they life.

Me With Mariachi in Guanajuato, Mexico

What is the best travel gadget you have and why?

Well, when I take my battery out of my phone to change sim cards, upon turning it back on it asks me if it’s 01/01/2005. So it’s definitely not my dinosaur phone! I like my Amazon Kindle, my LED headlamp, my pocket translator, etc.

But I think in my case, as a blogger and as someone trying to create a different career for myself, it has to be my computer. It’s a small laptop, though its 12-inch screen is much more comfortable than a netbook. It has taken a beating, but still works well and I can still squeeze seven or eight hours out of the battery with wifi turned off – perfect for my long bus rides.

What was it like eating tongue on a taco?

In all honesty, I’m an aspiring vegetarian! When I finish traveling I’ll be a strict vegetarian – almost vegan actually since I’m lactose intolerant as well. But on my trip it’s very difficult to be meat-free, especially in Latin America. Here they often substitute cheese for meat in vegetarian offerings. Plus, food is often a piece of the culture and I have to remain open to trying different dishes so I can experience the culture.

Anyway, the meat in Southern Mexico and Guatemala was tough as the animals are raised naturally. It’s real meat, but having grown up used to eating Frankenstein meat, it was tough to adjust to. When presented with the chance to try a tongue taco in Guatemala, applying my “try anything once” philosophy meant I had to try it!

In the end, it was the most tender meat I had in weeks. It was good! And just last night in Colombia I tried fried cow lungs. Tongue is better..

If money was no object where would you travel to and what would you do there?

I would go to Antarctica and weep in solidarity with Mother Nature.

You love 2nd Hand Stores (and we do too!), what is one of the best bargains you have picked up from one of the shops?

Denmark has a thriving second-hand culture and there I got many items I needed for my kitchen and apartment. I got my desk there, for example, which was a great bargain.

On my trip, I got a hooded sweatshirt in Antigua, Guatemala. Thinking it would be warm everywhere I went, I didn’t bring anything warm. This hooded sweatshirt has kept me warm in countless places!

If you would like to find out more about Adam and where he is on his Happiness Plunge you can check out his website or catch him on Facebook and Twitter.

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There was a time where I would long to hang out with other backpackers, sit around all night drinking at the hostel bar or coming home from drunken nights and making new friends  where we would all be crammed into a dorm room the size of a small closet. But I feel myself changing…

Water Festival Thailand, a backpackers dream location

I don’t exactly hate hostels. I think I am just outgrowing them. I see now there is a whole other side of travel options. I still love to meet new people, but some of out latest hostel experiences left a bad taste in my mouth.

Hostels are somewhat a hangout for the younger crowd for people who have usually finished college or on a gap year break. I know I was one of those people a few years back and I used love that scene. But now I feel like I enjoy getting up early and exploring the place I am in, instead of drinking into the morning and waking up in the afternoon.

Elise backpacking in Asia

I am not one to judge, but the last few times we have been in a hostel where they have their own bar, we have felt so out of place.  For example, one hostel in La Paz in Bolivia, seemed to have such a a braveardery in the air, where everyone is trying to impress each other and compete for god knows what. I just don’t have time for all that anymore and maybe it is because I am travelling with Elise now and we have each other, but I am more about meeting interesting people on the road who may change my perspective on my life.

No I am not getting deep on you. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting loose and having a big night out as much as the next person, but it seems the people I meet in hostels are only there to do one thing and it seems to be getting drunk and getting laid. Good on them for wanting to do that, but my travel style has now changed.

Our Own Private Boat in India

Travel for me know is about making long lasting connections with people abroad, whether they are a tourist or a local. It is more about people and their stories rather than how many beers I can drink in one night and whether or not I can find my bed. I don’t need to add everyone I meet as a Facebook friend. Sure, if I find people interesting and we have similar interests, I’ll gladly shout you a couple of beers, but I don’t need to be strutting around the bar talking loudly so the girl at the end can hear my wild travel stories.

I have a British friend who was backpacking around the world and only made it to USA and Australia. He now resides in Australia and when I ask him what he saw during his time abroad his answer is “A lot of bars and a lot of women”. Granted that is what he wanted to do when he was away and he successfully spent all his money in the USA and hasn’t really travelled since.

Who am I to judge though?

I understand everyone has their own style of travel through different periods of their life and this is just another period I am going through.

I now like having my own space and my own room and bathroom. Many times we have stayed in beautiful hostels which have these facilities and a more relaxing environment. I like to sit down at the end of day, have a couple of beers and a good chat with people from around the world who have something decent to say. I love to learn about peoples lives and putting ourselves in accommodation environments which assists that is what we prefer.

Tight squeeze accommodation

We now look for more private accommodation in hostels, hotels or short-term rental apartments. This gives us the added privacy we want at the end of the day.

Change

I never would of thought that my travel style would change so much and now I wouldn’t consider myself a backpacker anymore. What is a backpacker anyway? I think that is another topic for discussion!
Change will inevitable  and I am embracing this new chapter in my life. I am enjoying waking up early and seeing the best part of the day and going to bed by 11pm!

Well….maybe I’m just getting old!

Has your travel style changed?

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Just 10 minutes outside the village of La Fortuna is Hotel Campo Verde. Quite literally it is located under the impressive and imposing Arenal Volcano. Although dubbed as one of the world’s most active volcanoes-it does seem to be having a ‘rest’ for the moment!While we were there, only the odd puff of smoke would rise out of the volcano every now and again.

The hotel itself is more a series of small cabins and lodges on a beautiful garden property. Each cabin is private and spaced enough apart so you can enjoy the garden and views all by yourself. The whole concept of the hotel is simple yet affordable for the facilities and services provided.

Cabins at Hotel Campo Verde

All lodges are spacious, with sitting areas, large comfortable beds, cable television, air conditioning and huge bathrooms with plenty of hot water. It is one of the few places we have visited that have rung true to their statement saying ‘All rooms have a view’. Here at Hotel Campo Verde, each lodge faces to the Arenal Volcano, so you can sit in awe of it all day from your room!

Arenal Volcano

There is also a mini bar and tea and coffee making facilities in the room, so it really is a small home away from home!

The only downside was the WiFi was an issue while we were there and even though there is supposed to be a signal and available in every room, we had to sit our at the breakfast bar to receive it. But this is only a small issue in the grand scheme of things.

Spacious rooms at Hotel Campo Verde

The staff here are very friendly and will help you with whatever you may need-whether it be tours, booking transport or even finding out places to eat in the area. Their English is limited but they are very patient with you if you are practicing your Spanish!

Breakfast is served each morning in the small open air dining room and consists of fruit, eggs, coffee juice. A decent quality meal to start the day sight-seeing, trekking or even just relaxing in the hot springs around the area.

If you are travelling with a car then Hotel Campo Verde isn’t really that far from town, however, if you are not travelling with the luxury of your own transport (like we were) then it is a little far away from everything. Add to that transport to and from town is very expensive, you really need to plan your day and how you will get around.

The most stunning views of Arenal Volcano

Overall, Hotel Campo Verde is an excellent mid range option available in the Arenal area, considering the plethora of hotels around. Quite simply it is a family owned business that seems to know how things work, provide good service and decent quality for the price.

While we did receive complimentary accommodation while staying at Hotel Campo Verde all thoughts and opinions remain our own. For the most up to date pricing and information visit Hotel Campo Verde

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We would have a brick BBQ a couple of times a week when we were in Tulum Mexico. It was simple enough to make. We simply got some bricks and built then up in a U-shape and then placed a grill on top. We would light our brick BBQ about 40 minutes before cooking and then when the coals were nice hot we would BBQ meat or fish for dinner. Nothing tastes better than eating food off a wood fire brick BBQ.

Brick BBQ in Tulum Mexico

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