After four trips to Costa Rica, I've learned two things: one, my hair NEVER looks good in the jungle; and two, there are a few essential pieces of travel gear that will help you fully embrace the concept of "Pura Vida" ... and prevent you from … [Read more...] about Costa Rica Packing List: 42 Essentials to Pack for Costa Rica
How to Save Money for Travel (& How We Saved $30,000 for a Year-Long Trip)
Finances are often the biggest hurdle to travel. Everyone has a trip they dream about taking, but too often, that once-in-a-lifetime vacation seems like a faraway dream. Well, I'm not here to tell you that it's super easy to save money for travel. … [Read more...] about How to Save Money for Travel (& How We Saved $30,000 for a Year-Long Trip)
The Best Swim Leggings: Waterlust Leggings Review (by a Plus-Sized Traveler)
Some people are born to be on the beach. All year long, they dream about dipping their toes in bright blue water and frolicking on soft white sand, and they return from their beach vacation with sun-kissed skin, positively glowing with beachy … [Read more...] about The Best Swim Leggings: Waterlust Leggings Review (by a Plus-Sized Traveler)
The Best Credit Card for International Travel (& Why I’ll Never Travel Without It Again)
The summer after I graduated college, I took my first independent backpacking trip. I'd won a fashion design scholarship (RIP, my sewing skills pre-blogging) so I decided to use the cash prize to treat myself to 2-week trip across Europe. I … [Read more...] about The Best Credit Card for International Travel (& Why I’ll Never Travel Without It Again)
What to Pack for Maui: Essential Hawai‘i Packing List
Swaying palm trees and crashing waves. Turtles laying on sandy beaches. Sweet shave ice and fresh poke. Maui has long held visitors entranced by its charm and beauty, but Hawai‘i is so much more than a travel playground: its history and culture run … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Maui: Essential Hawai‘i Packing List
The 6 Best Swimsuits for Curves: Comfortable, Cute, & Field-Tested
I have a confession to make: I did not own a matching swimsuit until I was 28 years old. Yes, y'all: I spent 28 years on this earth cobbling together whatever mismatched swim separates happened to fit on my body. On my year-long honeymoon, I actually … [Read more...] about The 6 Best Swimsuits for Curves: Comfortable, Cute, & Field-Tested
How to Be a More Responsible Tourist: a Traveler’s Guide to Ethical Tourism
At the risk of starting this post with a generic travel cliche, being a responsible tourist is a journey - not a destination. You make responsible choices little by little, learning from your mistakes and aiming to do better each trip. There may … [Read more...] about How to Be a More Responsible Tourist: a Traveler’s Guide to Ethical Tourism
The Best Travel Pants for Women: Cute, Field-Tested, & Plus-Size Friendly
Finding the perfect pair of women's travel pants is no easy feat. But finding a pair of travel pants that are both technical AND cute? How about technical, cute, AND sized to fit on my tall, curvy Amazonian body? HA! Forget about it. How dare I have … [Read more...] about The Best Travel Pants for Women: Cute, Field-Tested, & Plus-Size Friendly
Ultimate Camping Checklist: 42 Car Camping Essentials
Eating s’mores around a crackling fire as stars twinkle overhead. Waking up with the birds at dawn to sip a mug of hot coffee and watch the sun rise. Camping is all about those quiet, peaceful moments of simplicity and bliss. Moments when you take … [Read more...] about Ultimate Camping Checklist: 42 Car Camping Essentials
The Best Backpacking Travel Insurance: Complete Travel Insurance Guide for Backpackers
Here’s the thing: I am a walking disaster. I am clumsy, forgetful, scatterbrained, and generally prone to mishaps. But up until a few years ago, I had never purchased travel insurance in my life. I’d never even heard of it. Now, I refuse to travel … [Read more...] about The Best Backpacking Travel Insurance: Complete Travel Insurance Guide for Backpackers
The Ultimate Packing List: 43 Must-Have Travel Items (by a Full-Time Travel Blogger)
"What are your must-have travel items?" is one of the most common questions we get asked. And while we’ve written a bunch of very specific packing guides for everything (see them all here), we have yet to create a big ol’ chunky ultimate travel … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Packing List: 43 Must-Have Travel Items (by a Full-Time Travel Blogger)
The 4 Best Travel Pants for Men: Technical, Field-Tested & Not Hideous
I would have never thought finding the best travel pants for men would be a chore. Since when is it hard for guys to buy pants? What are we, women?! JK... mostly. But I digress. I spent ages searching for the perfect pair of travel pants to … [Read more...] about The 4 Best Travel Pants for Men: Technical, Field-Tested & Not Hideous
Beach Vacation Packing List: What to Pack for the Beach (by a Curvy Girl)
Some people are born to be on the beach. All year long, they dream about dipping their toes in bright blue water and frolicking on soft white sand, and they return from their beach vacation with sun-kissed skin, positively glowing with beachy … [Read more...] about Beach Vacation Packing List: What to Pack for the Beach (by a Curvy Girl)
What to Pack for Bali: The Essential Bali Packing List
Bali, Indonesia: land of white sandy beaches, glittering temples, cute but evil monkeys, lush green jungles, and active volcanoes. It's no wonder that Bali tops the bucket lists of everyone who's ever watched Eat Pray Love (or casually browsed … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Bali: The Essential Bali Packing List
What to Pack for Disney (& What NOT to): the Ultimate Disney Packing List by a Former Cast Member
Years ago, when I was a Walt Disney World Cast Member, I didn't think about what I threw into my bag on my way to the parks. Some days, I didn't even have to pack a bag at all: I would just hop on a bus and go have lunch in Epcot or grab a Mickey … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Disney (& What NOT to): the Ultimate Disney Packing List by a Former Cast Member
42 Backpacking & Travel Essentials for Hot Climates
Backpacking and hot climates go together like people without a lot of money and ... destinations that are inexpensive to visit. Look, I'm not great at writing analogies, but I AM great at researching travel gear and field testing it. After a … [Read more...] about 42 Backpacking & Travel Essentials for Hot Climates
25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel: Winter Travel Packing List
Living in California makes us antsy for winter. We crave snow and cold weather and yearn for hot mulled cider and a crackling fire. The good news is that living in the San Francisco Bay Area means snow is only a few hours away from us, so we've … [Read more...] about 25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel: Winter Travel Packing List
Europe in Winter Packing List: 32 Backpacking Essentials for Him & Her
Living in California makes us antsy for winter. We crave snow and Christmas weather and yearn for hot mulled cider. But other than watching cheesy Christmas movies and crying into our peppermint bark every night, the only way we can get our Christmas … [Read more...] about Europe in Winter Packing List: 32 Backpacking Essentials for Him & Her