If you’ve been following me on social media, you know I’ve been traveling personally and virtually to many new places over the past year researching destinations for my clients. If not, click on my social media to follow me and check out the 20+ countries and hundreds of photos featured just in the past year.
On Friday, I flew home from a destination evaluation trip to Turks & Caicos. As I cruised 34,000 feet above the Caribbean, I reflected on how wonderful and unique the many different islands are in this part of the world. I’ve been to several of them and recently enjoyed visiting St. Thomas and St. John earlier this year for my vacation. For those of us on the east coast, the Caribbean is just a short direct flight to a beach paradise.
And this reminded me of a wonderful article written by a fellow traveler Sarah Khan for Virtuoso. The insights are spot on and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
What to do (and where to stay) on nine of our favorite islands.
Rum bars and seafood shacks, music and mega yachts and boutique resorts galore. This time of year, we’re ready to drop it all for a splash of sun – and the Caribbean’s top of mind. But in a sea of tempting sands, how to choose between Saint Lucia and Anguilla, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (while steering clear of tourist traps)?
We asked nine high-profile locals what their Caribbean islands mean to them, where they take friends, and how travelers can make the most of their next beach break.
It is so exciting to see that additional destinations are welcoming back travelers with open arms and big smiles! It is an incredible feeling being the recipient of this grand welcome! It is hard to describe and something you will need to experience yourself. So… on that note… where would you like to travel to next?
If you need a few ideas, how about one of these destinations…Key West, St. John USVI, Dubai, Morocco, Maldives, Croatia, Costa Rica, Argentina, Panama, Greece, Egypt or Turks & Caicos! In fact, any one of these destinations sound amazing right about now!! :>
If you are ready to pursue a new adventure, let’s do it! Don’t wait! Life it too short!
I grew up in a home where everything we ate was homemade. My mom made jams, jellies, breads, relishes, canned fruits and vegetables, and baked too. She also loved to try new recipes. Quite often she would look through cookbooks or magazines to see if something sparked her interest. And if it did, she would create her grocery list and then head out to the local market and gather the ingredients she needed to make the recipe. Upon return, she would spend quite a bit of time making something tasty for our family.
My sister, brothers and I would return from our after-school activities and find another newly inspired, delicious meal waiting for us on the table.
My mom also started a Dinner Club with 6-8 couples in our neighborhood. The ladies would gather each month and after lots of discussion and opinions, they would select a theme or country to feature at their party.
It was fun to watch them flip through the pages of Bon Appétit and various cookbooks to find new and interesting recipes. There were so many books and magazines that they piled them high on the table or on the floor.
Our kitchen was always buzzing with a lot of activity. Something was on the stove or in the oven all the time. I am sure this is why my siblings and I developed an interest for cooking. What makes it so much more fun nowadays is taking it beyond the cookbooks and magazines and actually traveling around the world and trying various specialties in destination. There’s nothing better than experiencing a new culture through their food…and being on location is the best!
The language of food has no limits because a foodie’s love crosses borders and connect cultures!
Travel is about broadening your horizons – seeing new sights, meeting new people, and understanding new cultures. And it’s one of the best ways is to immerse yourself in the diverse flavors of the world. Every country has its own unique cuisine, often inspired by waves of immigration, the local environment and the ever-growing community of travelers.
My recent trip to Morocco certainly checked the box of smelling new smells, tasting new foods and learning how to cook in a way that I had never done before. Nor had I seen my mom prepare food like what I learned from a cooking class at La Maison Arabe in Marrakech.
Moroccan cuisine is known for its numerous tagine dishes. A tagine is both the cookware and the dish that it is cooked in. Tagine food, otherwise known as Maghrebi, is a slow cooked stew made with meat, poultry or fish, vegetables (potatoes and carrots) and topped with fruit (dried lemons, prunes or apricots), spices and nuts. A small hole at the top of the cookware’s lid periodically releases some of the steam, to make sure that the food does not get too soggy.
Tagines are normally shared dishes served with lots of flatbread; the tagine vessel will sit in the middle of the table and families or groups will gather around, using fresh bread to spoon up the ingredients. Eating in this way brings a great social element to mealtimes!
At our cooking class, we made Chicken Tajine. It was so delicious that I thought you may want to try it too. So, here’s the recipe.
If you do not have the special tajine cooking dish, then you could use a heavy pot or skillet. If you decide to make it, let me know how it tastes!
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. whole chicken (cut into large chunks)
1/2 red onion (finely chopped)
1/2 of a preserved lemon
10 purple or green olives
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 tbs parsley finely chopped
1 tbs cilantro (finely chopped)
2 tbs of olive oil
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
water
SPICES
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of saffron threads
Let the Cooking Begin!
1. Cut up one preserved lemon, separating the flesh from the peel. Set the peel aside and finely chop the preserved lemon pulp.
2. Place the chopped lemon pulp in a heavy pot. Add the olive oil, ghee (clarified butter), garlic, parsley, cilantro, all the spices and a cup of cold water. Mix well.
3. Add the chicken pieces. Then pierce the chicken with a sharp knife in several places so it soaks up all the spices. Mix all the ingredients until the chicken pieces are well coated with the marinade.
4. Add the onions to the pot and mix well.
5. On low heat, sear the chicken pieces for about 15 minutes. The tajine lid should be on the pot to keep the moisture in. Otherwise, the chicken pieces will dry out and stick to the bottom of the pot.
6. Turn each piece of chicken every so often so it does not burn.
7. After 15 minutes, add a cup of cold water and increase the heat to medium. Then cover it and let the juices boil. Continue cooking for about 30 more minutes. Check on the chicken from time to time and add water if necessary.
8. There should always be enough sauce on the bottom, so the chicken does not burn.
9. Once it is cooked, taste & adjust the seasoning if you’d like.
10. Now add the lemon peel and olives. Continue cooking for a few minutes uncovered until the sauce thickens a bit.
**Serve the Chicken Tagine with some delicious bread. Often you can add vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms & onions in the same pot as the chicken. It is so delicious!
ENJOY!!
The Moroccan cuisine was so tasty! They not only have tagines for cooking but, they also have some that double as beautiful serving dishes. Some of the decorated ones are truly a work of art with elaborate handmade mosaics and even silver decorations. Of course, I brought 2 home with me…one that is painted with bright colors and has an interesting design and the other from our cooking class!
One of the most memorable aspects of travel for me is the food. I’m talking about the luxury to taste all those new foods around the world, broaden your culinary horizon, and calibrate your taste buds.
The marketplaces and souks are just as memorable. I love the bright colors of the produce, the smell of the freshly baked goods and sweets and watching the people go about their daily routine of shopping and gathering their necessities.
My mouth is still watering after tasting some amazing cuisine in Morocco. It’s a country bursting with unforgettable culinary experiences!
Now that the world is opening back up, where would you like to go? Is Morocco on your “bucket list” now? If so, let’s plan this adventure together!
The summer is flying by, and I hope you are enjoying every minute of it. What are you doing to savor this time? We’ve enjoyed traveling to Michigan to celebrate my 2 nephews’ graduating from high school and my niece’s 10th birthday. We also enjoyed a fun-filled 4th of July weekend with our kids and their friends. And I went on a fabulous adventure to explore Morocco and shortly after Panama. The common denominator in all of this is TRAVEL…. either my husband and I went on a road trip or family came to us.
There are so many places to visit that I am in awe of the endless possibilities. One thing I know for certain is that traveling fosters a medium to build human connections with one another by learning about culture, food, new sites, music, and the way people live their day to day lives in different parts of the world. It’s the best on-site learning a person can get. And I have the bug to get out and explore a new destination whenever an opportunity arises.
My latest adventure was to Panama which is the southernmost country in Central America. Panama borders Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the south-east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Panama is known as a transit country because of the Panama Canal which is the connection of land that links Central and South America.
While the country is known for its famous canal, its natural attractions include birding, whitewater rafting, and snorkeling. It’s a tropical destination that has a little bit of everything – stunning turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, lush rainforests, laid-back surf towns, misty mountains, and vibrant cafes.
There’s cultural diversity, cloud forests, and colonial charm. Panama’s biodiversity has been said to be three times higher than the United States, Canada and Europe combined.
“There’s a sunrise and sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.”
Panama has a vibrant culture that’s an electrifying mix of cosmopolitan growth and indigenous traditions. From the historic old towns to the rural villages, it’s easy to get lost in the unique atmosphere that surrounds the region.
If you’re looking for a country that’s overflowing in natural beauty and influenced by centuries of ancient cultures, then look no further — it’s in Panama!
Here are my top 5 Experiences!
1. Catching the Sunrise on Volcán Barú
One of Panama’s most recognizable landmarks is Volcán Barú. At 11,400 feet, the active volcano is the tallest mountain in Panama. Barú Volcano National Park has several scenic (albeit rugged) hiking trails. The volcano, which has seven craters, is no longer active…thank goodness!
My alarm went off at 3:30am and I was ready to leave at 4:00am. We headed out for an exhilarating, off-road Jeep 4×4 tour of Barú Volcano. We trekked up and over volcanic rock, bouncing around the car until we reached the summit to catch the sunrise. The ride was quite the experience!
It was awe-inspiring when we reached the top. It was a beautiful clear morning, so we had picture perfect panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It was so peaceful at the summit. The sunrise was spectacular and the views in the distance were impressive!
After we hiked a bit further, we enjoyed freshly brewed coffee or hot chocolate with marshmallows, pastries, hot grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit and other snacks. It was a perfect way to end our trek to the summit of Volcán Barú.
2. Watching the ships pass through the Panama Canal
You can’t go to Panama and not see the Panama Canal, right?
On our first full day in Panama, we visited the Agua Clara locks and saw a ship make its way through the locks with the guidance of a few tugboats. It was fascinating.
But one of the best ways to see the canal is by helicopter 🚁, zooming through the skies, over the canal and in between the skyscrapers of Panama City. And without doors! That will really add to the adventure and thrill! It’s a “must do” exciting experience! 🚁
The Panama Canal was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. It’s considered one of the seven modern World Wonders. It is also one of the most strategic artificial waterways of the world.
The Panama Canal is a 48-mile ship canal that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and it is thought that going through the canal saves about two weeks in journey time (and all the costs associated with this).
Ships sailing between the east and west coasts of the United States, which otherwise would need to travel around Cape Horn in South America, shorten their voyage by about 8,000 nautical miles by using the canals.
People pay for that privilege… a lot of money. The average toll is about $150,000. But since the new expansion has allowed larger and heavier ships to pass through, the tolls can be as high as $800,000 per trip. As a result, it’s estimated that the existence of the canal generates approximately 30% of the country’s GDP. That’s a lot of money coming into their country.
3. Visiting the Emberá Querá Village
One afternoon, we rode in a dugout canoe up the Gatun River, near the Panama Canal. The river is large, fascinating and dense jungle. After about a 20-minute ride, we arrived at the Emberá Querá Village. They welcomed us at their wooden pier playing their traditional music. The village chief gave us a brief explanation of the history of their tribe, their traditions, and beliefs.
We spent the afternoon enjoying a traditional lunch of fried tilapia and plantains. All their food is grown and caught locally. We also toured the village with the Shaman. He taught us about the many medicinal plants that are growing on the property. The ladies and children are quite talented and make beaded necklaces, bracelets, and outfits. They enjoy selling their handicrafts to the visitors. The Emberá tribe still lives in harmony with Mother Nature.
4. Visiting Casco Viejo
Historical cities have so much charm and character. We took a stroll through Casco Viejo (“Old Quarter”), the historic district of Panama City and the oldest city in the Americas. These days, the city’s red-bricked streets are lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars, though the Spanish-colonial style architecture makes Casco Viejo feel worlds apart from the glitzy skyscrapers of the newer parts of Panama City. There’s a coastal fortification walk, some churches, and cute little squares. It’s a popular place to stay and eat in.
As we were walking down the street, we came upon a lady in a traditional dress. She stopped long enough for us to take a closer look and to take a few pictures! The dress was very intricate and all handmade…piece by piece and stitch by stitch. It was stunning!
5. Boating in the Gulf of Chiriqui
We explored the virgin shores of Isla Palenque’s Island neighbors in the Gulf of Chiriqui National Park. We enjoyed a day of swimming, snorkeling, walking on the beaches and dining on some incredible food. The chef made seared tuna (freshly caught), avocado and mango salad, quinoa with feta cheese and hot lava brownies! It was so tasty!!
My journey through Panama was more than I expected. It’s a country bursting with unforgettable cultural experiences! From off-roading and seeing the sunrise in Barú Volcano National Park to watching the ships maneuver through the Panama Canal to boating in the Gulf of Chiriqui to walking through the red-bricked streets of Casco Viejo, there is so much to see and do in this incredible Central American country.
Now that the world is opening back up, where would you like to go? Is Panama on your “bucket list” now? If so, let’s plan this adventure together!
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