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  • #MDVPSUMMER19: Everything you need for a Portuguese adventure!

    #MDVPSUMMER19: Everything you need for a Portuguese adventure!

    What is up, all you wonderful humans?! The gang and I are back with another instalment of our #MDVP adventures, this time we hit up Portugal and all it has to offer. Together with some old and new partners, we got to explore all there is to do in the Algarves in the South to the beautiful vistas of Lisboa. A little backstory about myself, I am half Portuguese half Angolan, born in Canada! I hadn’t been back to Portugal since I was a kid and was super stoked to get back and experience it again considering I don’t remember much. So without further ado, let’s get right into it.

    Mel and I met up with Vic and Peter in Lisbon for a night, then got ourselves a rental and drove the scenic route to the city of Lagos in the Algarve. An extremely popular area at the southernmost part of Portugal. Here you can find Vacationers from all around Europe, beautiful beaches, scenic vistas, and cool refreshing waters that will most definitely wake you up after taking a dip. That being said, If there are beaches on the menu I always like to have some good reading material to fill my downtime when I’m hanging out on the beach. This trip I teamed up with Chapters Indigo and got my hands on one of my summer reads I’ve been looking forward to.

    A copy of Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (A Targaryen History). Now that the TV series is sadly over it was time to get into the prequel and see what the next iteration may look like. Having a good book with the backdrop of cliffside engulfed beaches and the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach, few things make me happy. You can find all of Chapters Indigo summer must-reads ->HERE<-! Don’t want to carry around a 400+ page book? No problem, Get a Kobo! I have one for those trips I’m not in the mood to bring a physical copy. And I can bring my whole library along with me!

    So you’re want to check out Algarve but don’t know where to go? Here are a few places that WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!

    1. PONTA DA PIEDADE
      With one of the most beautiful vistas on the southern coast, Ponta Da Piedade will take your breath away. Standing on barrier-free cliffsides overlooking the ocean. It is definitely not for people that are afraid of heights though!
    2. GRUTAS DE BENEGIL
      For me, this is should be number 1, but won’t be accessible by everybody due to the fact that you literally have to swim and or kayak from the beach next door to this beautiful cave roughly 5 minutes away. With a perfectly placed hole up top giving you possibly the most epic photo you will get on your trip.
    3. PALACIO DE ESTOI
      A boutique hotel in the small town of Estoi. This Palace was built in 1840, and has all the charm you would expect from a small town in Algarve. Although it is a hotel, it is open to the public, however, you may run into it being closed to private events as it is a hot spot for weddings and swanky gatherings. On the grounds, you will find beautiful blue azulejo adorned walls, perfectly manicured hedges, as well as two sculptures of real-sized women imported from Italy in 2006. the Pink main building complimenting all the different colours is very pleasing to the eye.

    We made Lagos our home base while we explored the many beachside towns with our rental car. Lagos is a beauty in itself and I highly recommend it to anyone planning on staying in Algarve. Summertime weather calls for one thing when it comes to my wardrobe. Linen shirts and shorts! I found a perfect pair of cream-coloured shorts from the gap as well and a salmon coloured linen button-up that went perfectly for a stroll along the beach at dusk.

    Gap has really stepped up their game recently and I’ve really started to dig a lot of their pieces! But definitely get yourself some well-structured shorts that can be both dressed down for a casual afternoon or dressed up with a pair of loafers for a night out on the town. Pair that with a few linen button-ups and you are set! everything you need for a summer trip.

    Lagos is set right on the beach, and on low tide, you can take an amazing walk on the beach and through natural grottos and caves that you normally wouldn’t be able to access during the day. Staying at Airbnb would be the best option in my opinion as there is nothing like having a full kitchen and feeling like you live there during your stay. This also gives you access to rooftops, spacious rooms, and possibilities of meeting locals and other travels along your day. It’s a cheap alternative to staying in a hotel and I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I booked a hotel when I travelled somewhere.

    Speaking about saving money, I would highly recommend signing up for Ebates.ca to earn Cash Back on your everyday purchases (including your flight and accommodations!) It’s really simple, create an account (use THIS link for a $5 bonus after your first purchase) and then search their extensive list of retailers where you can get Cash Back on everything from that hot summer outfit you’re looking for to that camera you needed to pick up to get those beautiful travel shots. I love shopping at H&M and they just so happen to be on of Ebates retailers, getting me 1.5% cashback on my order. Be sure to signup for their email list so you can be notified when they are having their flash deals that can score you rates up to 30% Cash Back! I’ve only started using them recently but finding myself always checking out what special offers they have so I can save that money and travel more!

    After spending 5 days in Algarve we headed back to Lisbon to take on the Capitol. We happened to be there during Portugal Day (Month really). We stayed in the Alfama district which is the birthplace of Fado, basically the music of Portugal, known for being expressive in its nature and soulful in its delivery.  Alfama is “old lisbon” with its cobbled streets, steep hills, nightly street parties, and open flame barbecues. Be sure to have yourself a bifana no pão, some freshly grilled sardines, and grilled choriço. You can thank me later! The soul of Lisbon comes out at dusk and can be experienced in the month of June until the early hours of the morning. There is no shortage of places to eat, drink, and meet new friends! Spending all day in the sun and all night around BBQ smoke my skin wasn’t loving me for a minute.

     

    Enter some solid skincare! Underrated by most guys but for me it’s a big proponent people think I’m 10 years younger than I actually am lol. First off is always always ALWAYS a good cleansing bar! I’ve always been partial to bars vs other forms of cleansers and the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar was exactly what I needed every night when I hit the shower! With 5% of the bar being CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, I am all over this. after drying off the first thing iI reach for is my CeraVe Moisturizing Cream! My skin is normally dried out and having a non-greasy hydrating cream is super important. I throw it in my checked luggage after locking the pump and I’m all set to go. I’ve been using CereVe on an off for a little while now and I’m pretty happy with how it feels on my skin. It’s easy to use, doesn’t look fancy, and gets the job done!

    Lisbon and Portugal generally isn’t known for shopping so you will find yourself spending more time actually enjoying the city and eating A LOT OF DELICIOUS FOOD!

    PRO TIP: stay away from anyone trying to get you to teat at their establishment. If the joint needs a promoter to get you in, generally it is overpriced and the food will most likely suck! Find yourself a little hole in the wall or a spot that has a fair amount of people already eating there. 

    Must visit places to visit around Lisbon:

    1. Pasteis de Belem
      if you want what is probably the most iconic pastry to come out of Portugal find this bakery sit down and spend an hour ordering freshly made pasteis de nata, bolas de berlim, and a galão to bring it all together.
    2. LX Factory
      An artists paradise is probably the best way to describe this place, with a huge library housed in an old printing factory. With a local inventor giving free tours of the interesting creations he’s put together on the second floor. Artisans selling their wares, live music, and fusion foods and strong drinks! This place is a fantastic day or night out.
    3. Jeronimos Monastery
      A gothic monastery, that is on such a grand scale that you would be kicking yourself for not visiting!
    4.  Praça do Comerćio
      An area in Lisbon that you will probably end up in without even looking for it, it’s essentially the court of commerce where you will find basically all the shopping you will do while you are there.

     

    So, my thoughts on Portugal? I will definitely be going back sooner than later. Having been to a few other European cities this year, Portugal is cheap in comparison, the food is excellent, the people are funny, accommodating and always friendly. The ENTIRE country is beautiful and there is always something to eat, see, do at any hour of the day/night! I highly recommend it to anyone that is looking to go to Europe without breaking the bank and want to have a great time!

    Hit me up if you’re looking for stuff to do or places to visit!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Away In Belize For The Holidays With #MDVP

    Away In Belize For The Holidays With #MDVP

    *** This post was made in generous partnership with: NEUTROGENA Canada and GAP. All thoughts and opinions are exclusively my own.

    As some of you may know, every year @Melhwang @Thelustlistt and @Thedunklistt and I get together and enjoy the holidays together. This year, we decided to split it up an do a two-part holiday, which included “Stay and Away.” Mostly because we are all very indecisive people that can’t make up our minds haha. We found an amazing deal online for a flight to Belize and that’s all we needed to help make-up our minds on where to go. All we knew is that we wanted to get out of the cold for a bit and enjoy some sunshine and warm weather before the snow began at home!

    I hadn’t heard much about Belize leading up to our trip, so I did what I do every time I travel somewhere new. RESEARCH! First off, the one thing that still sticks with me about our trip has to be how amazing Belizian people are. Always extremely friendly and accommodating and genuinely HAPPY people!

    So, what is there to do in Belize and why should you go? Well, there are a few reasons for both and it all depends on what you’re looking for in a destination. So I’m just going to let you know what we did and let you make your own decisions based on my experiences. We spent 10 days in Belize, specifically Sand Pedro Island, it wasn’t the beach vacation I had originally anticipated, however, Belize proved to have so much more to offer.

    Things to experience while in Belize:

     

    Catamaran Excursion

    Any time I go down south to the Caribbean specifically any beach destinations, the excursion I ALWAYS recommend to everyone is the Catamaran! If you have never been, you are missing out. This catamaran was a little different than others I have experienced but still fun none the less, especially considering that Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia). As you would assume, diving here is extraordinary, as is snorkelling (which is what we got to do). We got onto a medium-sized catamaran with roughly 12 others, and set off to Hol Chan Marine Reserve to spend some time snorkelling and taking in the abundance of marine life that Belize has to offer. A word of advice: don’t forget sunscreen! I can’t stress that enough. Nothing will ruin your vacation and time abroad faster than a sunburn. Enter my sunscreen plan for a successful day in the sun!


    NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50

    This was my go-to during my stay in Belize. This sunscreen layers invisibly for a clean and non-greasy finish. Not only that, but it’s infused with hyaluronic acid, glycerin and Vitamin E to keep skin hydrated! Best part is that it’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes!

    NEUTROGENA ULTRA SHEER Face & Body Stick Sunscreen SPF 50+

    This was my first time trying a sunscreen like this, and it’s the best thing ever! It’s formulated with HELIOPLEX technology, which provides effective protection from aging UVA and burning UVB rays and Dry-Touch technology for a non-greasy finish. This sunscreen comes in a stick form, making it ideal for both face and body. It’s super convenient-and AMAZING for travel!

    Back to the catamaran adventure! After arriving at Hol Chan and anchoring in, we got our snorkelling gear and were ready to go. We spent the better part of an hour checking out coral reefs where we got to see some stuff you would only see on the discovery channel. Marine life included nurse sharks, stingrays, octopus (octopi?), an abundance of different fish including a GIANT grouper, and we had the pleasure of encountering an eagle ray as well (they look like they are flying through the ocean). Getting back to the catamaran we had a chance to go to shark ray alley, where James (our guide) put out some chum, and we were quickly surrounded by what seemed like 20 nurse sharks. We all jumped into the water to get a closer look! It was an amazing experience, truly. After spending some time there, we all got back on the catamaran and got dropped off at Caye Caulker a small island just northeast of Belize City (roughly one hour away by an express ferry). They also gave us two hours to go explore the island and get some lunch.

    [Not so] Secret Beach

     

    It may be called the Secret Beach, but it’s more like a not so secret an hour away from San Pedro by golf cart kind of beach. It’s a great day trip, off the beaten path and you can spend the entire day there lounging on the beach, snorkelling for seashells, hanging out at the beach bar, or just lounging on one of the two piers they have to take it all in. Do be sure to stay until dusk, the sunsets there are absolutely beautiful!

    Baboon Sanctuary and Horseback Riding

    Want to potentially meet some wild howler monkeys? Belize is home to an amazing Baboon Sanctuary. Now I say potentially because they are wild, so they might not be around when you visit. Luckily, our guide for the day was a man named Robert who has been part of the conservation efforts in Belize to protect the habitat of the native howler monkeys in the region. We took a walk through a nearby trail where Robert gave us the low down on all that nature has to offer, from the different plants available and uses they have for them. All while using his perfected howler monkey call to lure wild monkeys in. It might seem a little strange at first (I know it was for me) but it worked and a troop of howler monkey came by to hang out with us, mainly because we came bearing gifts….cocoa leaves! We got to take some photos with them as they got quite close trying to getting those tasty cocoa leaves they love so much. A wonderful experience for sure! And when you are done playing with the monkeys (or they get bored of you), you can head next door and go horseback riding! For me, it was my first time riding a horse. I had a blast the entire time-from my horse jumping up and trying to back kick Mel’s horse, to it taking off on me as I held on for dear life. I didn’t get hurt so it was fun, haha. A little sore afterwards but definitely wasn’t complaining; will for sure ride again! After it was all said and done, I picked up some local beet juice being sold by a local at the side of the road and we headed back to San Pedro.

    Cave Tubing

    Do you like short hikes and learning about fruit-bearing trees? You will pass a wide variety of these (which are all conveniently marked) on your hike up to the mouth of a cave system, where your tubes will be clipped into the rest of the people in your group. You can marvel at nature’s work while floating through dark caves, semi-fast rapids, and lazy river sections. You may encounter a few bat varieties along the way but worry not, they are generally sleeping and won’t bother you. Enjoy the fresh cool river water and the formations nature created in the caves (which resemble objects and animals), and once you’re done, grab a bite to eat and enjoy the rest of your day!

    Where to stay:

    We stayed at two places while we were there; -we wanted to make this trip affordable but enjoyable at the same time. So, we opted to stay at a mediocre spot for the first 5 nights, which I won’t get into because they are tearing it down in early 2019. The second half of our stay in San Pedro was at the Mahogany Bay Resort – now this place, I will def talk about! It’s brand spanking new and is basically one of the more luxurious places you can stay on San Pedro Island. The property itself still has some growing to do, as they do have lots for sale for people that are interested in buying a vacation property. The main lobby house is big and beautiful and home to the pool, as well as the 24 hour gym and restaurant. The rooms range from cozy cabins to not-so-cozy lofts, which is really cool. It has a lot of wood accents, rainfall showers, all in all, a really great place to stay if it falls within your budget. I had great nights of sleep on their comfortable beds and soft poofy comforters! But then again, I was rocking some of my comfy Gap sleepwear. There is nothing better I enjoy more than a solid pair of sweats, the cotton bottoms are super comfortable and they have a nice touch with varsity style branding on the hip. Raglan shirts are the most comfortable shirts ever, super soft and breathable too! all of which you can find below:

    OUTFIT ALL GAP:

    Shirt: Double-Face Long Sleeve Raglan T-Shirt

    Pants: Stencil Logo Fleece Joggers

     

    But the best part about Mahogany Bay Resort is that they own their own island beach! With a free shuttle going to the island every hour, IT IS A MUST VISIT! Considering Belize is known for its diving, you will be hard pressed to find any good beaches that are readily available.

     

    How to get around:

    San Pedro and Caye Caulker are both amazingly small beautiful islands, and the best way to get around is by golf cart. You can rent one for the duration of your stay literally on every block. That being said, there is a lot of competition and you can get the best prices if you shop around a bit. If you are staying in the city of Belize, I would say just taxi anywhere you need to go. I would recommend hitting up our driver we met at the airport when we arrived. We ended up booking him for everything we needed. As most drivers have partnerships with different excursions, he kind of became our fixer from the time we were there. He booked, picked us up, dropped us off, and took us back to the port for each excursion. And he was able to save us some money since we packaged a bunch of excursions together. You can find his details below:

    Norval Flowers
    +501.604.2948

    The best way to get a hold of him is on WhatsApp, give him a ring and he’ll take care of you!

    All in all, I would recommend Belize if you like adventure travel! It’s not a beach destination in itself and requires a few long boat rides to get to a beach I would call relaxing. But if you want to play with monkeys, visit Mayan ruins, go frolic in the rainforest, cave tube, and experience the second largest barrier reef, then I would 100% recommend Belize to you! One thing I almost forgot…make sure to enjoy a couple of Belikan beers for me if you decide to go!