Don’t Skip: Clovelly, North Devon, UK
Clovelly We debated long and hard over visiting Clovelly. Internet research led us to believe it would be over-touristed and cliché. How could a town require an entrance fee just to walk its streets, after all? In reality, we decided to skip it, but when an alternate route took us within a few miles, we […]
Don’t Skip: Rotorua, New Zealand
Intro to Rotorua Located on New Zealand’s North Island, a 2-3 hour drive south of Auckland, Rotorua is an established attraction for visitors. The town is located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua and is part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. We’d been warned that it might be more “touristy” than we typically like, […]
Don’t Skip: Pucon, Chile
Intro to Pucon Many of the destinations in the Don’t Skip series are off the beaten track. That’s not the case with Pucon, which is hardly unknown. As a matter of fact, it’s long-established as a hub of outdoor activities in this part of Chile. Depending on the season, you can skydive, kayak, ski, swim, […]
Don’t Skip: Ollantaytambo, Peru
Intro to Ollantaytambo The town of Ollantaytambo lies at the intersection of three valleys, at the western end of the Sacred Valley region in Peru. Traditionally, it was a place to rest and restock on the way through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Remains of temples show religious significance as well. During the 1400s […]
Don’t Skip: Nagasaki, Japan
Intro to Nagasaki Fishing village to busy port Modern visitors to Nagasaki may not realize there’s a lot more to the city’s history than its sad title as one of the places an atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. Nagasaki was once a sleepy fishing village. When the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, they […]
Don’t Skip: Montagu, South Africa
Intro to Montagu Known as the Gateway to the Karoo, Montagu is a quaint town known for fruit, hot springs and outdoor activities. A scenic, two-hour drive from Cape Town, Montagu makes a great weekend trip. If that’s not enough reason, Montagu’s location on Route 62 secures it a spot on the longest wine route in the […]
Don’t Skip: Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
Intro to Labuan Bajo Labuan Bajo lies on the westernmost coast of the island of Flores in Indonesia. Known best for its proximity to Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo does see a fair number of tourists. At heart, it’s still a small fishing village, but the tourism industry is growing fast, and there is a wide […]
Don’t Skip: Qingdao, China
Intro to Qingdao We visited Qingdao quite unintentionally, but it turned out to be a great stop. Located at the southern tip of the Shandong peninsula, this charming port city has a different feel than any other place we visited in China. From 1897 to 1914, Germany administered Qingdao as a concession, and made a […]
Don’t Skip: St. Kitts
Intro to St. Kitts The little island of St. Christopher Columbus first spotted St. Kitts from afar in 1493, but it wasn’t colonized until the British arrived in 1623. It later became the first island to be permanently colonized by both the English and the French, who shared the island for many years. The Amerindians […]
Don’t Skip: Jeju Island, South Korea
Intro to Jeju Island Jeju is marketed as the “honeymoon island,” popular with couples who take the opportunity to visit Love Land and the Museum of Sex after their walks on the beach. Get past the tourist promotion though, and volcanic, subtropical, Jeju will surely reward you with its unique history, culture and charm. Jeju is best known […]