Tag: travel

10 Days In Amsterdam! What You Need To Know (#MDVPSpring19 Edition)

MDVP Spring 19 has wrapped and here are some tips to maximize your time in Amsterdam and the Netherlands. First things first are travel essentials that I never leave home without:

Grooming Goodness:

My toiletry bag changes all the time as I like to try new products but still like to make sure that I have my bases covered. This trip I got to try out a few new Estee Lauder products including:
Estee Lauder Nutritious Micro-Algae ,Pore Purifying Cleansing Jelly, Pore Purifying Shake Tonic, and Pore Minimizing Hydra Lotion. Keeping my skin fresh and clean and looking good has become more and more of a focus for me as I get older. Especially when travelling I find my skin can get a bit tired when spending extended time in airplanes and with increased sun exposure. Gents if I have one piece of advice is take care of your skin, it’s so easy to overlook but worth the time to invest in.

Comfy Kicks:

Every time I have a trip planned, one of the first things that comes to mind is footwear! having an extensive collection of shoes, It can sometimes be hard to decide what to take. The single most important pair that I take are my day to day kicks. Walking 15-25km per day, the last thing I want are sore feet and blisters. Not having proper footwear is hands down one of the fastest ways to ruin a trip! Basically the entire Amsterdam trip you could find me rocking my Merrell MQM Flex Gore-Tex hiking shoes. Weighing just 648 grams, breathable, includes a waterproof membrane, it’s honestly the perfect travel shoe.

Solid Timepiece:

As you may know I’m a huge fan of a good watch! More recently I have been really into Citizen pieces. Specifically any of the Eco-Drive pieces, I have been in the market for a good dive watch as I tend to visit a lot of beach destinations so getting a jump on it I picked up the Citizen Promaster Aqualand it’s a clean piece that goes with a variety of outfits. But above that, functionality is key for me. Being Eco-Drive, it’s a solar face which means i never have to worry about replacing batteries just go about your day and it will charge automatically with the power of the sun! Water resistant to 200m which is perfect for when i’m snorkeling or just diving for shells.

So now that you have a few essentials time to get on the road and start exploring Amsterdam!

Amsterdam is a city of cyclists! It’s much faster, cheaper, and much more convenient to get around the moderately sized city of Amsterdam. With a population of just over 800,000 people, you can essentially get to anywhere you want to get to via a 20 min bike ride. Bike rental stores are in abundance as it’s the most used form of transportation. It’s also the best way to see any city in my opinion. you get to experience all the sights, sounds, and smells with the ability to stop whenever you want and you won’t have to waste your time looking for parking and things like that. If you want to take a break from all the biking you’ve been doing, I would highly recommend taking an afternoon, renting a small canal boat and explore the vast canal system that Amsterdam has to offer. You don’t need a license for the boat and will cost you roughly 40 Euros.

As the Netherlands is part of the European Union you will be using the Euro as currency, so depending where you are coming from you can find that the city might feel a bit expensive as is most of Europe. However you can always find cheaper eats on the street, famous for their frites and mayo as well as their pickled herring. You can’t go wrong eating most places. Amsterdam has a huge southeast asian influence, so the city is rich in authentic Indonesian, and Thai food that can be found in most neighbourhoods.

Museums can be around all over Amsterdam and the art scene is amazing! I would highly recommend the Moco Museum for modern pop art which includes Banksy, Kaws, Kieth Herring, Yayoi Kusama, as well as a Lichtenstein room which is not to be missed!

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If traditional art is more your speed I would definitely tell you to visit the Rijksmuseum where they showcase well known as well as not so well known Dutch artists. You can find pieces by Rembrandt such as the famous The Night Watch painted in 1642. You can lose yourself in history just walking around the museum.

Now the real reason to go is tulips, hands down! A short drive outside the city you can find yourself in what seems like never ending fields of tulips. In every imaginable colour the tulips fields are a wonder to look as and experience. Just standing in one of the gigantic fields can make you feel lost and so small, it’s truly humbling.

Everything from Keukenhof where you can view huge fields of tulips from a top a old renovated windmill, to a random field off the side of the road. It’s breathtaking to see and I 100% recommend to experience if you are there during tulip season.

These are just some of the things that you can see and do while in Amsterdam! Just remember when you travel anywhere, always be safe and try to explore off the beaten path to truly experience what your destination has to offer!

What’s your favourite place in Amsterdam?

May 30, 2019
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!

December 12, 2018
Travel Essentials For That Beach Vacation

Being someone who loves traveling and taking photos, there are a few things I try to come in my bag when I go away. below is a list of items that will ensure you get the most out of your vacations!

Dope Photogenic Beach Towel

            I don’t know about you but when I’m at the beach with all the obligatory beach shots my towel tends to either end up in the photo as an afterthought or as a main piece of the actual photo. That being said, having a beach towel that shoots well will go a long way.

Tripod

            For someone who shoots most of my content on my own, a tripod is SUPER CLUTCH! I have tripods for various occasions, some bigger and heavier than others. I recommend picking up a gorilla pod style of tripod for travels as it’s easy to carry, doesn’t take up much space if you are packing it in your suitcase and is crazy versatile for most situations.

24mm Lens

Being a photographer, I have a crap load of lenses in my kit. At times it can be difficult to pack all the gear you want to while packing clothes and everything else and still be under weight for your luggage. A 24mm lens is compact and is probably my favourite prime to walk around with when I travel anywhere.

Extra Camera Batteries

I cannot stress this enough! When you are traveling, you never know how long you will be out and about or when you’ll have a chance to charge up your gear. So having 2 extra batteries is a MUST. The last thing you want it s to spend the whole day shooting and run out of juice just as that perfect sunset happens and you standing there recording it to memory! SADFACE!

Sunscreen

            I’m super hypocritical when it comes to this because 99% of the time it’s the one thing I always forget. But for those times that I do end up remembering to pack some it’s always a lifesaver. The sun will destroy your skin and make for a very uncomfortable vacation if you spend most of your day at the pool or beach.

Lotion

Anytime I travel a tube of l’occitane cream comes with me! (this is not sponsored) I actually love their products. I find when I travel sometimes shower water is harsh on my skin and I get all dried out after I get out of the shower. This stuff is great, not greasy, and absorbs into your skin super quick.

What are your must haves?

June 17, 2017
That First Class Flight Experience

How many times have you had to walk enviously past those rich/business/lucky people sitting in first class on your flight on the walk to the economy section of the plane? Yeah me too! Having to sit in confined space with kids crying, knees being crushed by the seat in front of you, and of course wonderful strangers snoring on your shoulder. I had the opportunity to hang out with the other half on my way to Tokyo, Japan.

Yeah, sitting up front is basically everything you think it is. Leg room? Check! Good food? Check! Bigger TV? Check! Noise cancelling headphones? Check! All in all, it’s by far the best flying experience I’ve had on a long haul flight. Generally if you were to book this seat ahead of time, you would be paying somewhere in and around $10,000+ for a return airfare to Asia. But what many people don’t know is that if there is spaces open at checkin, generally airlines will allow you to upgrade for the leg of the flight for roughly $800. I know it still seems steep, but once you fly first class….well you don’t want to go back to economy EVER!

From the solitary pod, like something out of a movie. Where flight attendants wait on you hand and foot pretty much. If the reclining seat that becomes a bed isn’t enough, the food is actually better than some restaurants I’ve been to. Complimentary glass of champagne as you arrive to your seat, no one sharing your overhead compartment, no weight restrictions on your luggage. Ah the good life!

Now would I book first class every time I went somewhere? Absolutely not! Unless I won the lottery and money was no object [guess I better start hookin’ or something]. But for people who are over 6 feet tall and are en route to Asia or any flight 10+ hours, HELL YES it’s worth every damn penny! Your knees will thank you later.

September 16, 2016
My Love Affair With Tokyo

I think for those who know me personally, they know that I do in fact have a love affair with Japan [Tokyo in particular]. Many people have Tokyo or Japan list on their bucket list as a place to visit before they die.

I have been fortunate enough to have visited Tokyo every year at least once a year since 2008. From my first visit until now and most likely until i die, it will be a special place for me.
Now you may say, “but Dave there are so many places that are more beautiful, more exciting, less expensive!” and I would say you are right there, you really are! However, for me Tokyo is more than just a place to go see and visit, it’s my reset button each year.

Let me explain. Everyday I wake up and go to work for 8 hours, when I’m done work I help Mel work on her blog and take her photos and videos for her. When I’m not doing that I’m generally making content for Nextlevelgaming.ca [a recently launched gaming website I put together with some friends of mine].
On top of that I try to have a social life, see family, and find other ways to occupy my time.

For 7-14 days out of the year I go to Tokyo, and my day to day stuff disappears for that time. But something else happens while I’m there. I get motivated, seeing how hard people work there and how dedicated they are to the daily grind. I set new goals, come up with new ideas, and generally just defrag my brain in the time I’m there. Deadlines don’t matter, 100% of the time is free time, and i can just enjoy the city, people watch, eat, drink, and just enjoy myself.

How can I do that in tone of the busiest cities in the world you ask? By appreciating everything around me, filling my belly with amazing food, drinking delicious sake, and partying until today becomes tomorrow with the sunrise. Priorities change, and with it, new ideas begin to flow.

I hope that one day when I have children I can take them there and hopefully they will have a connection a kin to mine. But until then I will continue going back at least once a year! If you are interested in going to Tokyo hit me up and I will gladly give you tips and places to visit during your stay.

Stay tuned for my Favourite places to eat in Tokyo!

July 13, 2016