After I had been in Mexico City for about 6 months I found myself trying to get away on a weekend into some sort of natural setting. I am not a city boy at heart and although I do love living here, there are always times when you just want to get away. I figured that I may have to take a vacation or something like that in order to get what I was looking for, but then my friend Rose Burillo said that I could find what I was looking for, without actually going too far from the city, surely this wasn’t true!

As it happens, the State of Mexico, which surrounds CDMX, is a place where you can find all that you are looking for and between the two states, there is plenty of nature to get involved in.

La Marquesa

La Marquesa is a national park which is around 40 minutes from the center of the city. Once you leave the city limits you quickly find yourself surrounded by sharp ridges and acres of trees, and then when you get the national park it is a wonderfully silent and relaxing place. La Marquesa is cold and almost like the rolling fields of the UK. Here you will find many places to take a walk, to go on a horse ride or to take your bike out for a spin.

Los Dinamos

This is another national park which is very elevated and found in the Mexico City. There are 4 places where our an get out and walk around, enjoy the river and the hug waterfall too. Alternatively you can go to the 4th section where there is a steep hill to climb, which offers absolutely incredible views from up the top. This takes around 30 minutes from the city center and is a popular place to go and get some fresh air into your lungs.

Xochimilco

Many people forget about the fact that Mexico City was once a vast series of canals and lakes, and this can still very much be explored today. The city itself is built on the dried out lakes, but the canals in the south of the city near Xochimilco, they are still there and perfect for exploration. Xochimilco is famous for these long boats which can be rented called trajineras, and they are certainly good fun. There are however many more places where you can go in this region, to really have some fun on the water in canoes and smaller boats.

And finally we should mention the fact that Mexico City has one of the world’s biggest urban parks in Chapultepec, and if you are not able to get out of the city to visit the other places on this list, then you can at least relax in a glorious natural setting here in this enormous city park.

There are always places to go, despite the fact that the city is so dense.

 

Some people visit Mykonos for the celebrities and parties but most go to see its beauty and experience its culture. If a trip to Mykonos is in your plans then you will want to consider these three ways to experience and tour the island just like Javier Burillo.

Take a Walking Tour of Mykonos Old Town

While you may not be able to walk in the shoes of the ancient natives of Mykonos, you can at least take a walking tour of the beautiful Old Town in which they lived and established themselves. Should you choose to participate, you will either be picked up at your hotel or meet up with other tour members at the Archaeological Museum which is close to the entry point of Old Mykonos Town. From there, an adventure into the history of Mykonos begins as you walk past monuments and wander through streets filled with whitewashed buildings and churches, led by an excellent English-speaking guide. When the tour ends you can get dropped back off at your hotel, or choose to find your own way back.

Private Jeep Adventure Tour

For those uninterested in the idea of walking for long periods, a private jeep adventure tour organized by one of the luxury hotels in Mykonos lets you experience the more unexplored parts of Mykonos while resting your feet. Go past the more popular beaches, bars, and streets, and really dig into the culture of Mykonos by going into the smaller villages to learn how the locals live. Visit their fishing harbors and farms, where you’ll learn how to tend to the animals as well as some basic farming techniques. Afterward, you will be treated to light snacks made from wholly organic produce. The tour does not end there, however. Drive on to one of Mykonos’ monasteries, as well as some of the more remote beaches and one of the old mines. The tour is usually wrapped up with a stop at a famous photo spot before returning back into town.

Yacht Cruise and Guided Tour of Rhenia and Delos Islands

If you have already explored both of the tour options above and want to see what Mykonos has to offer beyond its streets and villages, then take a cruise on a small, private yacht and check out two islands off the coast of Mykonos. You will be transported from your hotel to the docks where the yacht awaits, packed with drinks, food, and diving gear which you will need for the journey. Once you are settled onto the yacht by the friendly cruise staff, the boat will head south-west of Mykonos towards the unoccupied island of Rhenia. Once there, you will have the option to explore the island, which is still uninhabited today. You will also be able to go deep water swimming in the bay, or simply relax on the yacht. Afterwards, the boat will continue to the ancient Delos, where you will be able to walk among the historical and sacred artifacts.

 

Illinois is full of the most beautiful places. The national parks have wonderful landscapes and countless activities to enjoy. The state is also famous for cities that host a wide range of activities and places of interest, including world-class museums and famous attractions.

Illinois is home to many world class attractions. It is also full of fantastic restaurants and shopping centers. There are multiple attractions to visit.

Attractions in Illinois

This beautiful natural area has trails, forests and hills. There are several tours available that take you to try the region while contemplating the beautiful landscape. Of course, no trip to Illinois is complete without a visit to its main tourist spots. There is a wide variety of hotels such as the Congress Plaza Hotel in Illinois for all tastes. In the main cities, lodging options range from simple motels to luxury and 5-star hotels, which feature specialty cuisine and great services. There are endless hotels on the coast, which are great options if you want to be just a few steps from the sea.

The Congress Plaza Hotel

With a prime location right in the city center, Congress Plaza Hotel offers easy access to Chicago’s sights and entertainment. It provides 3-star accommodation and offers views of the city. This contemporary hotel offers a range of facilities, including express check-in / check-out, a lake and valet parking. Airport transfers, a laundry service and a dry cleaning service are available on request. The elegant rooms in Congress Plaza Hotel are all air-conditioned and have private bathrooms, movies on demand and internet access in the rooms. In the rooms there is a telephone, an iron and a radio.

Congress Plaza Hotel has a restaurant and a bar, where you can relax at the end of the day with a dinner and a digestive. Guests can opt for one of the many cafes and restaurants nearby. The hotel is within a 20-minute walk of the Chicago Board of Trade Building, Millenium Park and the Chicago Public Library. Multi-lingual staff will be available to suggest outlets and help you organize your stay in Chicago.

Cities Worth A Visit In Illinois

Belleville

This southern Illinois city is full of farms, museums and great hotels. Enjoy the charm of the old town as well as festivals, restaurants with delicious dishes and parks.

Rockford

It is the third largest city in the state of Illinois. But parks, festivals and museums in it will make you relax and feel yourself away from the traditional bustle of the big city. This city is a great place for shopping and dinner, as well as for dates with romantic boat trips.

Bloomington

This city is best known for hosting the Illinois State University. It hosts many concerts, sporting events, and historical events related to Lincoln’s legacy.

Peoria

This is the largest city on the Illinois River – a stunning coastal city famous for baseball, hiking, wineries and farms.

Carbondale

This beautiful city is full of history and interesting places and events, including a variety of festivals and parks. It is located near the Crab Orchard National Forest with picturesque rivers and hills.

 

The thought of going on a road trip can definitely get the adrenaline rushing but you need to take a responsible approach. Right from the stuff you pack to road safety and vehicle maintenance, you must plan everything with meticulous care. One of the prime concerns is the tires of your vehicle because they should be in top condition to ensure a safe and smooth drive through the trip. Everything boils down to choosing the right set of tires for your vehicle. Here are some tips to help you to pick ones that are good enough to ensure that you drive safe all the while you are on the road.

Determine if you need new tires

First things first, you need to know whether you really need a new set of tires before embarking on the trip. If you are taking a new car for its first road trip, you may not even need a tire replacement. For older vehicles, look for the warning signs of worn-out tires. If your vehicle skids and slips, you should absolutely look for replacement. Even better, have the tires checked by an expert to look for punctures or worn tread? Age is another telltale sign you should look out for.

Choose according to your vehicle

Obviously, the choice of the car tires will totally depend on the make and model of your vehicle. Further, you should always opt for the right size, which you can find by having a good look at the driver’s manual. You can check one of the Canadian Tire stores to buy tires for almost all the major automotive brands and models. What’s more? The retail store even offers money-saving coupons and flyers online and you can use them to secure great deals on your purchase.

Prioritize safety

When it comes to road trips, safety matters more than anything else. For this reason, you need to buy only the best and most trusted brands in tires. Quality and performance are some other parameters that you must bear in mind. Together, these ensure that even the longest-distance journeys are safe. Moreover, the chances of tire trouble on the way are reduced to the minimum if you opt for a trustworthy brand.

Consider the weather at your destination

Once you decide that you need new tires for your car, take the weather conditions of your destination into account. If you are driving to a severely cold area during the peak of winters, extra care is needed. With the snow and ice on the road, you will need special tires that are capable of carrying your vehicle on slippery areas.

Besides following these tips, make sure that you carry along with a spare tire or two for extra safety. Additionally, it would be a smart idea to check the map and find Tire stores on your route so that you can get a quick replacement if there is some problem on the way. Knowing the opening hours of the store in advance is another smart tip for road trip enthusiasts.

Author Bio: A travel enthusiast and the writer with the nerve, Helen has been working with OutreachMonks as a Lead Content Designer. She has helped thousands of readers with her witty writing and extensive knowledge.

 

Does your family get away as often as you would like to?

Some families make travel a big part of their lives. For others, trips are few and far between.

That said how can you come up with ways to improve your family’s travel plans?

Are You Finding Deals for Your Trips?

As you and your family look for better travel opportunities, keep these tips in mind:

1. Savings – Making your trips a lot easier to come up with and go enjoy means finding savings. So, are you doing enough research to see where you can find some deals on proposed trips? One of the keys here is planning and booking your trips far enough ahead of time to save money. By doing this; you more times than not will get discounted rates. You want to also look at attractions, events and other options you may want to be a part of it when traveling. So, if interested in Disney tickets, tickets to sporting events and more, search for them early. Doing this could allow you to lock in savings. It can also make definite you have entry into the events and attractions you want to be a part of during travel.

2. Scheduling – When you have a family, you have a lot of schedules to juggle. That said do your best to make sure everyone is on the same page. From work to school schedules and more, everyone being available at the same time for travel is key. Speaking of work, better family travel also means mom and dad do not think about work while away. Nothing can disappoint a kid more than seeing mom or dad on their laptops or cell phones. That is discussing or doing work while on vacation. Get as much of the work done as possible before you leave for the trip. The rest can wait until your return home.

3. Destinations – Last, where you end up going to plays a big role in how well your trip goes. With this in mind, do you tend to go back to some of your family’s favorite haunts or visit new places each time out? Some families have favorite beaches, mountains, resorts and more they love to visit. For others, a family day out is all about finding some new spots to travel to. You might end up deciding that a mix of old and new is what your family enjoys most. Either way, the goal of course is to have fun each time out. Since your family may only get a handful of trips each year, make the most of them. Before you know it, the trip will be over and it will be time to return to the real world. As such, soak up every minute of your time away from home.

In your quest to better afford travel, be on schedule and enjoy your time away, will you check off all your bases?

Given how quick kids grow up, savior the time you have as a family away from home.

Before you know it, you likely could be taking your grandchildren on your trips.

 

Cafés and coffee shops are everywhere in the Philippines! From popular foreign chains to homegrown brands, you can find one in almost every street corner, especially in Metro Manila. More than just crafted beverages, these establishments also usually serve pastries and meals, and as such, they have become ideal locations for romantic dates, for barkada get-togethers, and even for business meetings

One particular area in the Metro seems to have an especially great abundance of these cafés and coffee shops: Quezon City. Perhaps it’s because of the city’s huge land area or simply because it is home to popular foodie locations like Maginhawa Street, Timog Avenue, and Eastwood City. Whatever the reason, coffee lovers won’t run out of places to get their caffeine fix. If you’re someone who loves taking photos as much as you love your coffee, here’s a good list of cafés and coffee shops in QC. These are guaranteed to serve excellent coffee and picture-perfect ambiances.

Paper Moon Cafe

Where: Trinoma Mall and SM North EDSA

Let’s start off this list with a world-famous chain that originated in Tokyo: Paper Moon Cafe. It’s famous for the “mille crepe” or crepe cake, which in and of itself is a perfect subject for photos. The stores, meanwhile, have simple, clean lines with pale woods and mostly white and brown architectural elements. Order the Cafe Viennois with their crepe cakes for the perfect match.

Paper Moon Cafe has a few branches in Quezon City, but perhaps the most accessible are those in Trinoma and SM North. These malls are within walking distance from the MRT North Avenue Station. They’re also near condominiums and apartments like North Pointe Residences, as well as schools and transport terminals.

Kandle Cafe

Where: Mother Ignacia Avenue

Kandle Cafe features a vast industrial-style indoor space surrounded by vibrant gardens. The interiors feature dark wood and metal details, with touches of brightly colored accessories to liven up the space. You’ll love taking warm-toned photos both in and out of the cafe for a casual, comfortable vibe.

Most of the offerings in Kandle café, like their breads and burger patties, are made in-house, to guarantee the high-quality taste and flavors. Among their signature dishes is the Mr. Egoy and Ms. Eggy (squid ink pasta with poached egg). For the drinks, the house-blend latte and cappuccino are highly recommended. Meanwhile, those who love sweet-and-bitter flavors will love the iced dark mocha.

White Camp Coffee & Kitchen

Where: Sgt. Esguerra Corner Mother Ignacia Avenue

If you think that a place that’s bright and airy can’t be cozy at the same time, then you haven’t been to White Camp Coffee & Kitchen yet. Their interiors combine wood and glass details, along with white chairs and tabletops and colorful mugs and plates. The tall and wide windows also let in a lot of natural light so you can capture the best selfies and food photos.

When it comes to food and beverages, try their brioche grilled cheese with the flat white. For a fuller-bodied taste, try the Campfire. This is White Camp’s signature espresso blend with just the right amount of sweetness.

KKK Coffee (KapeTayo Coffee)

Where: Maginhawa Street

If you’re looking for a coffee shop with a Pinoy theme, visit KKK Coffee (KapeTayo Coffee) in the foodie haven that is Maginhawa Street in Teacher’s Village. The heavy wood furniture, capiz shell windows, and the red KKK banner hung on one wall are all reminiscent of old-world Philippines. The photos you will take here will certainly have a rustic vibe—rough-edged but still so charming.

When it comes to coffee, you’ll love the Kapeng Ginto. It’s Kapeng Barako with cream, sweetened and made more creamy by muscovado sugar and honey. They also have Ifugao Rice Coffee, which has a bittersweet flavor without the punch of caffeine. For a snack, you might want to sample their Suman de Luxe.

Stories by Lilypad

Where: Times Street

Stories by Lilypad is actually the ancestral home of one of the owners. Some of the decor are original pieces from the 1970s, while others have been repurposed—like wooden sewing machines stands that have been turned into café tables. There’s also a garden and a fountain made from ceramic coffee mugs, adding even more charm to the place. Inside, there’s a certain library-ish feel that makes Stories by Lilypad the perfect place to read. In fact, the cafe also has books for sale.

Stories by Lilypad has a variety of coffees available, but a must-try is their Viet Coffee, which you can get either hot or iced. The servings are called “short story” for a small size and “long story” for large. Cute, aren’t they?

Firefly Coffee

Where: Sto. Domingo Avenue

If you want a more minimalist look in your photos, head on over to Firefly Coffee. The shop has a black-and-white theme with dark woodwork that’s simple but not plain. The owner, Aldrich Shih, took inspiration from Japanese design and architecture. This allows the customers to focus more on the experience and the taste of the coffee.

Firefly Coffee specializes in affogatos, particularly their best-selling Cookie Butter Affogato. It uses homemade cookie butter ice cream, with banana slices at the bottom. You should also try the 2401 espresso blend with notes of roasted nuts, muscovado sugar, and dark chocolate.

Quezon City has many, many more cafés and coffee shops that you can explore. This list is just the beginning of your quest to find not just delicious coffee and food but also great experiences.

To read more on topics like this, check out the travel category.

If you want to ensure that your future trips go off without a hitch, simply continue reading to discover a few handy travel tips to make your upcoming trips more enjoyable.

Travel Tips: To Make Your Trips More Enjoyable

1. If you fly in economy on a frequent basis, always travel with a travel pillow

If you fly in economy on a regular basis and are searching for a simple way to make your flights a little more comfortable, make sure to travel with a cheap travel pillow, which will provide your neck and head with much needed support on long flights.

If you’ve never purchased a travel pillow before, you may be interested to read that the best travel pillows are usually filled with gel or beads and that you should avoid purchasing blow up travel pillows which are no where near as comfortable to use as traditional travel pillows.

2. If you can afford an upgrade, treat yourself to an upgrade

If money is no object it’s always worth purchasing an upgrade for a long haul flight. Especially if you plan on traveling on a long haul flight which lasts over 9 hours. However, if you’re wondering whether to splurge on a business class flight for a flight that is shorter than 3 hours, you may find that you’ll be comfortable in economy for short flights and may not need to splurge on a business class flight.

3. Treat everyone that you interact with kindly in order to increase your chances of enjoying a phenomenal trip

You may be surprised at how much more likely you are to receive phenomenal customer service around the world, if you ensure to treat all of the individuals who you come across with genuine patience, kindness and respect. When you travel simply remember to listen to the advice that you were given as a child and to treat everyone the way that you’d like to be treated.

4. Choose hotels which offer late check out times

Often when you’re traveling the last thing that you want to do at the end of a busy, action packed vacation is to wake up early, on your departure date due to an early check out time. That is of course, unless you have an early departure flight back to your home destination. So it’s a wise idea to take each possible hotels check out time into consideration before you make an online booking for a vacation.

5. Call your bank before you take off on your next vacation

In order to avoid the frustration of having your credit cards blocked when you travel abroad, it’s advisable to call your bank a week before your departure date, in order to ensure that you’ll be able to use your credit cards without any hassles on your overseas adventure. After all, the last thing that you want to do is to try to book a tour abroad or to purchase a souvenir and to have your transaction declined.

7. Book layovers on long journeys to avoid being hit by jet lag

One way to avoid jet lag is to book layovers on long journeys, that will give your body a chance to recover from flying for countless hours in a row.

So go ahead and try all of the travel tips listed above in order to make your future travels a little easier and a whole lot more enjoyable!