Lodging Recommendation: Casa Del Mar, Isla Bastimentos

Isla Bastimentos is not very touristy, so there are only a few places to stay if you choose to make this island your base.  There’s the popular Red Frog Beach Resort, but majority of the lodging… More

12 MUST have experiences in Grenada

Grenada 🇬🇩! (the Spice island of the Caribbean) is an amazing island popularly known for its production of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, etc. Her population is about 112,000 and per Wikipedia, the… More

Your ultimate packing list for Trinidad Carnival

So you’ve decided to go to Trinidad Carnival after all! It’s not a decision to be taken lightly as Trinidad Carnival requires a lot of planning and can be expensive. Let me set the scene:… More

Cayo Zapatilla

Cayo Zapatilla are a group of two uninhabited islands in the protected Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. What makes this island amazing is how pristine and untouched it is. It means there might be natural debris of leaves, tree branches, and dead trees strewn all over it. It also means there are no facilities, restaurants, or conveniences here. Expect soft brown sandy beaches, gorgeous turquoise waters, coconut trees gently swaying, ocean calmly kissing the shores,and if you are lucky, no one else on the beach but you.

Experience Isla Bastimentos

Isla Bastimentos is one of nine islands in Panama’s Bocas Del Toro Archipelago. This island is much quieter than nearby Isla Colón where Bocas Town is. It’s less developed, sees fewer tourists, and has an abundance of lush vegetation. This is exactly what appealed to me.

Old Bank, Isla Bastimentos

Isla Bastimentos (“Bastimentos Island”) is one of nine islands that make up the Bocas Del Toro Archipelago. As one of the largest of the islands, it is known for Old Bank Town, Bastimentos National Marine Park, Red Frog Beach, and the postcard perfect Cayo Zapatilla islands.

Starfish Beach, Bocas Del Toro

Starfish Beach (“Playa Estrella”) is located on Isla Colon, the main island of Bocas Del Toro. This picturesque beach is secluded with very calm waves. It’s a perfect beach for younger kids as there were no waves. But that’s where the solitude ends! It was recommended as a great spot for Saturdays to get a feel for the local vibe and culture.

Exploring Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo  (“The Old Quarter”) also known as Casco Antiguo or San Felipe is a huge contrast from downtown Panama City. For me, it was very reminiscent of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico or The French Quarter, New Orleans. What a gem with so much character! I enjoyed our visit here and wished we could have spent more time here. Despite the apparent and ongoing gentrification of this UNESCO world heritage site, there’s still a lot of dilapidation around. This neighborhood has been around for 340 years and its constantly changing and evolving.

Hiking the Ancon Hill Panama City

I’m not a hiker; I’ll be honest and say the idea scares me a bit. The first things that come to mind are encountering bad people and dangerous animals. I know, I need to stay off the news!

So the thought of hiking up Ancon Hill, a 654-foot hill overlooking Panama City, Panama, was met with some hesitation. But I had seen pictures of the breathtaking views at the top and I decided to just do it. What an experience it was!

2020 Trinidad Carnival Fete Review

To fully experience Trinidad Carnival, you must “fête” for days before Carnival! Fêtes are parties that kick off after Christmas, ramp up and then wrap up the day before Carnival Monday. This was our first time at Carnival and we chose to attend 2 fêtes a day for 4 days leading up to Carnival. That in itself is a whole other experience: Little sleep, 4 a.m. fêtes, themed parties, and loads of great food, drinks, and people to meet. Below is my graded review of the 8 fêtes we experienced. These are not in order of preference. The listed dress code is suggested for ladies but you could really wear whatever you want but no heels!!). Ticket prices include all fees and we paid for them so these are genuine reviews. Enjoy!

A/M BEACH – LIVING IN CORAL
Review Grade: A
Ticket: $150 USD
Time: 5am -11am
What to Wear: Beach wear/resort wear
Highlights: This is a Caesar’s army event. Held in Maracas Bay (45 minutes drive from Port of Spain). Venue was enclosed but you are free to go into the bay. All inclusive for food and drinks. All premium brands for alcohol. You get a branded cup for drink refills Excellent and varied food options but food lines were mostly long. They even had chicken feet lol (yum!). Easy access to food and alcohol. Excellent host and DJ. Great crowd. Bathrooms were OK but long lines all the time. I would definitely go again!

Farmhouse
Review Grade: B
Ticket: $55 USD
Time: 4pm – 12am
Dress code: Summer shorts/maxi dresses/rompers
Highlights: Held at the Chaguramas Boardwalk (25 minutes drive from Port of Spain). Took an hour as there is only one way to get there and traffic was crazy. We didn’t realize this was a cooler fête- i.e. you can bring your own food and drinks or purchase at the venue. We had just enough money to buy food. Luckily, there were lots of alcohol sponsors so we got a lot of free drinks. We also ran into friends who generously shared their drinks. Excellent host and DJ. Great crowd. Bathrooms were not great – outdoor porta potties that were dark and smelly. They also ran out of water for hand washing but they had lots of hand sanitizer. Would i go again? Probably not.

Duck Work Pool + Cabana Party
Review Grade: B
Ticket: $85 USD
Time: 3pm – 9pm
Dress code: Swim wear/Cover ups
Highlights: Held at the Hilton Hotel in Port of Spain. All inclusive drinks. Excellent DJs and hosts. Good crowd. Met some really cool people. Bathrooms were pretty nice with hand washing stations activated by foot pumps. They also had large mirrors for ladies to touch up hair and makeup. They had some free food available. Easy access to get drinks. No one got in the pool lol. Most patrons were gathered around the stage area. Few celebrities sighted. Fun overall but my least favorite fête. I would be OK skipping it next time.

Sunrise Breakfast party
Review Grade: A+
Ticket: $145 USD
Time: 4 am – 10 am
Dress code: Bright/Florals/Jumpsuits/Sun dresses
Highlights: Held in Santa Cruz (15 minutes drive from Port of Spain). This fête was hosted by Sunnation, a premium Jamaican event and party hosting company. We arrived at 4.30 am. but doors didn’t open until 5.15 am. Despite this, i have to say this was one of the best fêtes we attended. They had a TON of goodies and swag giveaways for guests. The food was incredible and expansive. So many choices and never ending throughout the fete! They even had a Starbucks station. Top end and premium alcohol served. Never a line at the bars. This was an all inclusive food and alcohol fête. Excellent host and DJs featured. High energy throughout! We had a lot of fun. I highly recommended this fete!

A.M. BUSH TT 2040: The Future is Yours
Review Grade: A++
Ticket: $151 USD
Time: 3 am – 11 am
Dress code: T shirts provided. Pair w/ shorts & a waterproof cap/shower cap
Highlights: This is a highly sought after fête by Caesar’s Army. It’s a J’ouvert style party held at a location released a couple hours before it starts. You have to pick up your kit ahead and it contains a t shirt which you can cut up anyway you like (but images/letterings must still show). Drinks and food are inclusive. Be prepared to get dirtyyyy with paint and foam sprayed all over you. It was an extremely liberating and exhilarating experience!! You get to spray others with paint as well. Word of caution – don’t wear anything you can’t throw away (shoes included). I was able to salvage my undies but nothing else. Oh, you will find paint in strange body parts days later no matter how well you wash off afterwards. They have washing stations to rinse off. Keep a change of clothes in your pick up car. This fête is a must if you can get tickets. If you do this, you may skip Monday J’ouvert as its a great alternative

Soca Brainwash: Treasures of the Orient
Review Grade: A
Ticket: $191 USD
Time: 12pm – 8pm
Dress code: Asian Inspired (changes every year)
Highlights: This is a fête organized by world renowned DJ Private Ryan. We arrived late around 4-ish but still had a blast. They had an excellent array of food and drinks (all inclusive). There were so many food choices to sample but there were lots of queues for food. The energy was out of this world and it was non stop dancing. DJ Private Ryan was incredible. I highly recommend listening to his mixes before you come to carnival. You get a great preview of what’s to come. A highlight of the fete was people watching in their Asian inspired themed outfits. Another highly recommended fête to attend

Beachhouse
Review Grade: A+
Ticket: $171.20 USD
Time: 4pm – 9pm
Dress code: Summer best/Maxis/Jumpsuits
Highlights: Held at the Upick Farm in Chaguramas (25 minutes drive from Port of Spain). This was the last fête we attended before Monday Carnival and one of the fancier ones. It was an inclusive food and alcohol fête. Premium alcohol included a Moet and Chandon section for a great selection of champagne. Gourmet style food at all the stations with chefs in tall white hats. This had the best food presentation of all the fêtes and the food was excellent. No queues at any of the food stations. The ambiance started off calm and chill with only a DJ playing for a while. Eventually the host came on and the energy ramped up. Bathrooms were amazing! Air conditioned with proper porcelain toilets and mirrored sinks with running water. Highly recommend this one!

Vale Breakfast Party
Review Grade: A++
Ticket: $165 USD
Time: 4am – 11am
Dress code: Summer best/Maxis/Jumpsuits
Highlights: Held in Santa Cruz and just a 15 minute drive from Port of Spain. This is one of the “fancier” fêtes if not the fanciest of them all. They offered all inclusive premium food and liquor. They also had a bubblies bar station. I loved their air conditioned bathrooms with proper porcelain toilets and mirrored sinks!! They had lots of entertainment including men on stilts. The food was really great! We had to deal with some food queues but not too bad. Great DJ and host kept the crowd energized and dancing the whole time. Sighted Usain Bolt! This was one of my favorite fêtes without a doubt and would highly recommend this one!

Hope you enjoyed this Trinidad Carnival fête review! On a final note: There are tons of fêtes to attend, as many as 20 daily on the days leading up to Carnival. Some are more popular than others and not all fêtes are all inclusive for alcohol and food. Some just get you in and you have to pay for food and drinks or bring yours. Ticket price points vary from $40 to $200 USD per person. We had good guidance and input from friends who had been before and helped us pick the fêtes they thought we would enjoy and that we did!

Thinking of going the next Trinidad & Tobago Carnival? Read this now!

Did you get caught up the social media avalanche of pictures and videos from last month’s Trinidad & Tobago Carnival? Perhaps now, a wee bit of you or your entire body, soul, and spirit is seriously considering attending the “Greatest Show on Earth” known as the Trinidad & Tobago Carnival . Well this was us last year and after much deliberation, we made the decision to experience it this year in its full glory. As a first timer, there were 11 things I wish i had known before making the decision to go. We learned these things during the planning process. I’m sharing them with you to help with your decision making. Enjoy and maybe i’ll see you there in February 2021!

1. You need to start planning early!: We started planning 6 months before Carnival and that was considered late! It meant we paid a premium for airfare, had limited options for our Carnival costumes (many sell out within days of release) and had to scramble to find accommodation. Secure your airfare, accommodation, and Carnival band (If you intend to “play mas” i.e. participate in the parade) at least 9 months ahead.
2. Expect to do a lot of planning: We’ve planned trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Without a doubt, we did more planning for this trip than any other trip I can think of: A spreadsheet for the many to dos and another for our packing list. A WhatsApp chat group to stay connected with your crew, a cost splitting app for expenses incurred on behalf of the group, and a few conference calls over the 6 months to make group decisions.
3. Expect to do more than the 2 days of Carnival: To fully experience Carnival, you must “fête” for days before Carnival! Fêtes are parties that kick off after Christmas, ramp up and then wrap up the day before Carnival Monday. We chose to attend 2 fête a day for 4 days leading up to Carnival. That in itself is a whole other experience: Little sleep, 4 a.m. fetes , themed parties, and loads of great food, drinks, and people to meet.
4. Plan to get a driver for your stay: The fêtes and Carnival events are spread all over Trinidad. Some start as early as 2 am and could be up to an hour drive away. Let someone else do the driving so you can focus on fully experiencing Carnival. Our driver would pick us up at our apartment, drop us off at the venue, and then return to pick us at a prearranged time and place. It worked out great. Plus we could catch extra zzzzs on the car rides!
5. Consider a trip to Tobago after Carnival: Carnival events happen mainly in Trinidad. However a lot of people fly (just 25 minutes) to unwind in the smaller quieter island of Tobago. We flew to Tobago the day after Carnival and spent one night there. I would suggest 2 nights at the minimum to really enjoy the island. Book early! Flights are very inexpensive (~48 USD round trip!) and sell out early.
6. You can take advantage of Carnival concierge services for your planning: If the idea of planning kicks up your anxiety, fear not! A whole range of Carnival concierge services are available. Full services concierges can take care of your accommodation, events/fêtes, transportation, etc.. We chose to take advantage of their inside access privileges to secure hard to get event tickets. We also had them pick up our event packets/kits and Carnival costumes (saving us 2-3 hours each time).
7. It can will be expensive: Expect to spend a good bit of money. Fête tickets will range from $40 to almost $200 USD per ticket. The more expensive and popular fêtes are typically premium food and alcohol all inclusive fêtes. If you choose to play mas with a band, you would be paying $700 – 1000+ USD for the 2 day experience (food, alcohol, costumes, events, etc.). Realistically you will spend $3000-6000 USD for the whole experience.
8. Join Carnival groups on Facebook or whatsApp or subscribe to Carnival blogs: There is sooo much information to navigate through: What bands to choose, when costumes would be released, the best fêtes to go based on your preferences, what to wear to fêtes, how and when to get fêtes tickets, what to pack, what happens on Monday Mas vs. Carnival Tuesday, etc.. There are tons of forums to help. Make sure to read first time experience posts too.
9. You will need to build your immune system and stamina in preparation: My Fitbit registered a daily range of 25000 – 37000 steps! Factor in the blazing sun and it could be challenging. You don’t need to be extremely fit – Carnival is very body positive. But for your own good and max enjoyment, start cultivating a habit of working out; ramp up (or start) cardio so you can keep up with the hours of street dancing and wining!
10. Pick your Carnival crew wisely: Think hard before bringing your high maintenance, super tardy and party pooper friends! If you do, tell them to hold their “vex money” (extra money for taxi cab fare). With shared transportation, nobody wants to sit around at 4 a.m. waiting for tardy friends to get ready or be made to leave events earlier than planned. Events will get crowded and sweaty, toes will be stepped on and on rare occasion, drinks spilled. Don’t bring friends that would make a big fuss about this – Carnival is a total lovefest!
11. Expect to hear Soca music all day every day during Carnival: You will hear the same 10 -12 most popular Soca songs of the year at all fêtes and Carnival events. If Soca is not your thing, then Carnival may not be for you. Make sure you brush up on the popular Soca songs ahead of Carnival. You can find them very easily online (and in the Carnival groups and forums)

8 things you need to know before booking your Cuba accommodations

So your flight to Cuba is booked! You have decided to skip the hotels and resorts and opt for something more authentic. The question is how do you navigate the thousands of possibilities and options offered on Airbnb or similar websites? These accommodations known as “Casa Particulares” are private homestays run by Cuba families and are very similar to bed and breakfasts. We’ve compiled 7 things to know before you book!

1 You don’t have to stay in Old or Central Havana: Your first instinct might be to stay in Old/Central Havana because that seems to be what everyone does. Once night falls, there isn’t much to do here. We opted for Vedado instead; It’s next to Old Havana and 10 minutes or less by car. Vedado is home to the best of nightlife and restaurants with direct access to the Malecón (Havana’s most famous boulevard). Miramar (further west) requires a car as taxis are hard to come by so we do not recommend.

2 Having a local cellphone from your host is a plus: Many hosts will offer you a local cellphone which makes it convenient to call your taxi (after late nights), make dinner reservations, call local businesses, and stay in contact your tour guides and new friends! You will need to buy phone credit to make calls or text. We loaded 5 CUCs (~$5 USD) and did not run out of credit over a 6-day stay. You can buy the phone credit and internet scratch cards from any nearby hotels.

3 You will not have WiFi unless explicitly stated: Pay attention to your homestay details. Don’t assume you will have WiFi; most do not. Some are able to connect to a network but you are still required to buy internet access cards (provided by Etecsa) to get internet time. If you are not able to get a Casa Particulares with WiFi, confirm from the host that there are connection points close to the home.

4 Your host will take a picture of your passport and send it to the Cuban Government: This is to let the government know your whereabouts and to know who they have let into their country:). Not doing so will incur a fine for the host. In most cases, they want to see the actual passport. We had an incident outside Havana where we provided a copy and the host said she needed to see the actual passport or we could not stay. She called the authorities and they okay-ed the copy.

5 Consider accommodation options on the Malecón : You will be rewarded with beautiful sunsets and sunrises daily over the ocean. The Malecón is a 5 mile (8km) boulevard/highway and seawall that runs from Old Havana to Vedado. It has very wide sidewalks and is a very popular (and inexpensive) hangout for locals. There’s lots to see and do along the Malecón . Another bonus is being that it’s quite busy, you can easily hail taxis on the Malecón as taxis are scarcer at night.

6 You likely will not be able to flush toiletries down the toilet: You will definitely not see this in the details, although you might find this in traveler reviews. Cuba’s plumbing system is quite old and sensitive so most homestays will tell you not to flush toilet paper, wipes, or feminine products, down the toilet but throw them in the trash. It took some getting used to, so prepare your mind!

7 Your host can arrange a taxi pick up from the airport: This is one thing we’d do differently next time we visit Cuba. You have to pay cash for taxis; This means standing in line at the airport money exchange (Cadera). We waited in line for an hour after landing just to get local currency. It costs about 30 CUCs (~$30 USD) from the airport to Vedado. You host can arrange it for you. Once you get into town, you can buy local currency quite easily and we found the airport and in town exchange rates to be quite comparable. P.S Keep that taxi driver’s number, you will need it at some point during your stay! (Taxis are harder to come by at night and more expensive).

8 A well stocked homestay is a major plus: Cuba is not a place where you can easily walk to a corner grocery store or pharmacy to pick up supplies. So bring everything you need. Seriously. If you find a homestay stocked with bottled water, juices, tea, coffee, snacks, internet scratch cards, etc., go for it. Ours was well stocked and while some items were complimentary, the price on everything else was very nominal (1-2 CUC/USD). Our host had a price list on the fridge and we just left cash after our trip on everything we consumed.

We 100% recommend the following accommodations:

1. Havana: Casa Lyany. Located in Vedado. Absolutely beautiful, super clean, modern and very artsy. Well stocked and the hosts Liana and Yany were amazing hosts. This was a whole apartment rental.
2. Vinales: Casa Renga and Julia: Located in Vinales. Super ultra modern. Lovely outdoors area for hanging out. We spent a night here and we had a bedroom with a private entrance. Perfect for a couple nights stay.

Thank you for coming along on my adventures!

10 MORE things I discovered on my first trip to Cuba

Cuba was full of unexpected discoveries. It was a constant learning experience over the 6 days we spent on the island. This prompted my initial post on 10 things we discovered about Cuba. But there was more! Here is the part 2 write up of our discoveries. Enjoy!

1. The Cuban culture is very intimate. This was probably one of my favorite things to observe. Everyone “knows” everyone even if they don’t know each other’s names. They always greeted each so other warmly and enthusiastically. There was also a lot of serious PDA action all around.
2. Rum is cheaper than bottled water: Both are primarily produced locally by government. Things that make you go hmm.
3. Taxis are harder to come by late at night. Prices are higher and illegal taxis abound. A taxi from Vedado to Old Havana would cost 5 CUCs during daytime but doubled at night. You can typically haggle down to 7-8 CUCs but the later it gets, the lower your bargaining power. .
4. Cuban Spanish pronunciations are slightly different. We noticed the Cubans tend to drop the “s” at the end of their words such as Buena , Adió , Gracia, etc.. My favorite had to be their very fluid and musical pronunciation of “Cuba” -> “Coo-bah”.
5. Most things cost the same all over. I suppose it makes sense based on a socialist country. While restaurant pricing may vary in pricing, the general cost of things we found to be the same no matter where you are within the city limits.
6. Cuban women love to wear stripes. My sister made this observation while we were out one night where a large number of local women noticeably had on striped outfits. Interestingly, we observed this every night we were out and out we were! 🙂
7. Cuban food is not spicy. We found the food to be pretty good overall but the food was not spicy at all. Our broken Spanish request for “Picante comida” (hot/spicy foods) were met with a vigorous head shakes or no no. The best food we had was a home cooked meal in Pilotos, Cuba! Delicious but not spicy!
8. Cuban passport is only visa free to 26 countries. We’ve traveled with our Nigerian passports for the longest and know the visa struggles only too well as Nigeria is only visa free to 27 countries, most of which are in Africa. So to find out that Cuba is actually worse off, was quite surprising!
9. There is propaganda everywhere. E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E. Murals, posters, words, banners, radio, and more. Cubans are probably immune to it by now but looking in as an outsider, it was quite jarring at times.
10. Cuban men’s catcalling is on another level: Not for the faint of heart. It can get quite graphic in content and intense. Best response is to ignore it or say “No gracia” and avoid any prolonged eye contact!
11. *Bonus* The Cuban government is very complex. They seem to make a lot of money off the citizens through different avenues such as tobacco farmers, hotel workers, overseas doctors program, taxes from the Casa Particulares (private home-stay businesses), etc. However, the average Cubans still seem to be struggling! Its mind-blowing to discover that the Cuban government still utilizes a form of its 1959 food rationing program with the state issued ration books (La Libreta). This is where citizens have an allotted amount of food and other goods that can be redeemed per month. There were many other things we learned about the government but I’ll end on this note.

Thank you for reading!

10 things i discovered on my 1st trip to Cuba

We do a lot of research ahead of our trips to get an understanding of the culture/history, and then put together a loose itinerary of what we want to experience. The itinerary is typically modified once we get to our destination and feel our way around. In general, our perception of the destination is fairly in line with reality. Cuba, on the other hand, was full of surprises. Here are 10 things that we discovered on our 1st trip to Cuba. I will caveat this and say this was written from my perspective – Born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa and now living in the U.S. I’ve been exposed to life in both developing and in westernized countries. So enjoy!

1. You can’t flush paper products or toiletries down the toilets. Cuba’s plumbing system is old so you have to throw the used paper products directly in the trash. Our Airbnb had signs in the bathroom stating this as well as some restaurants but lots of other places did not.
2. Cuban women uniforms featured a lot of short skirts. Like really short. School uniforms, airport workers, etc. We wore school uniforms growing up with fairly strict length requirements. We found this quite interesting and mildly shocking to say the least.
3. Most Cubans we encountered really really dislike Trump. It could also be due to the current tension around the new US travel restrictions to Cuba; this was announced in April 2019 while we were in Cuba. There were no shortages of debates and conversations about Trump!
4. Ciego Montero is the only beverage company for water and soft drinks. It’s mostly government owned with a “joint” enterprise with Nestlé. It’s everywhere. It comes in still/sparking water, and a range of soft drinks – cola, orange, pineapple, tonic water, lemon-line, and ice tea. You will not find coke, sprite, etc. in most places.
5. Architecture is beyond stunning. We read about Havana’s grandiose mansions; Seeing them was another story. Wow! Take a trip to neighboring areas like Vedado and Miramar. Here, the streets are lined with jaw dropping opulent mansions, many of which have been restored for embassies or government offices.
6. Cuba is really a developing country with first world costs. The average Cuban makes $15-70 a month. The living costs are relatively high: A shared taxi costs $0.50 to $1 per ride, 1 hour of internet access is $1, a cocktail $1-5, and meals $1-6. While Cubans don’t pay rent, and food is subsidized, I can’t imagine how they survive. We learned many Cubans engaged in other businesses to make ends meet.
7. Cuba doesn’t seem to have discovered Afrobeats, a globally popular music genre from Nigeria, West Africa. All the Caribbean islands we’ve visited love to play Afrobeats and its commonly heard in clubs, streets, and radio/TV. We were out every night and heard mostly Pop, Reggaeton, and Cubaton (Cuban Reggaeton).
8. Some nightclubs and bars require a minimum spend. You pay a cover of ~10 CUCs and that goes toward your drink tab. You can easily get 3-4 drinks with that (including bottled water). The other option was you’d get a card upon entry and every time you order a drink, the bartender stamps it. At the end of the night, you pay your tab on your way out.
9. Cuban coffee is an espresso. When you ask for a Cuban coffee (Café Cubano), you are served an espresso with sugar: Strong, dark, sweetened, and full like character just like the country and its history.
10. Classic cars are really only classic on the outside. They are mostly modern on the inside and have Honda and Toyota parts under the hood. The original dashboards are also retained but with modern hints like new AC units and CD players. Their mechanics are also very resourceful and can fix almost anything!

Overall, Cuba was a great and rich cultural learning experience. Not everything was positive but so many things were. The unpredictability and the unexpected discoveries has made it one of our most unforgettable trips. An added bonus for us? The beautiful people of Cuba – Warm, friendly, and welcoming. Perhaps our favorite aspect of Cuba! Stay tuned for my part 2 of more discoveries from our first trip!

Hiking the Erin Ijesha waterfalls

I just took a quick trip home (Nigeria) to surprise my grandmother at her 90th birthday party. While at home, we took a trip to the amazing wonder that is the Erin Ijesha Waterfalls (also known as Olumirin Waterfalls) in my hometown of Ilesha, Osun State.

The 7 level waterfall (yes!) was discovered in 1140 AD. But the identity of the discoverer is up for debate – One source says it was one of Oduduwa’s daughters while another says a couple of hunters discovered the waterfalls. Almost 900 years later, the powerful magnificence of Erin Ijesha has not waned. What an incredible wonder of nature!

We set out around 1 p.m (later than we really should have). It was a hot, humid and steep hike up the water falls. Once through the gate entrance, we climbed up these steps through what felt like a forest.

The scenery was so beautifully green and lush all the way up!

Lots of beautiful rock formations like this were seen on our hike up.

We came across a few “mini” waterfalls on our way up

Over this bridge and up the stairs got us to the first level of the waterfalls

Phew! The cool and breezy 1st level was a welcomed relief from the humidity and heat. The powerful thundering of the waterfall can be experienced from the video I made. It’s such an amazing thing to witness, that in almost 900 years, the waterfall intensity has remained the same.

Me taking it all in! 🙂 and yes the water was very cold.

We continued our hike to the 2nd level, but first more stairs! (Hellooo glutes!)

Some parts of the hiking paths had stairs, otherwise we followed the well trodden foot paths, climbed over rocks, and waded through shallow streams. It felt really good to dip in the water on the way up especially with the heat. These shots were from looking down from the hiking path

The 2nd level is quite a sight. You can feel the intensity and experience it’s splendor in this video snippet i made.

Unfortunately our hike stopped here 😦 as there are no steps after the 2nd level and we had a few people who couldn’t go further . It was getting more treacherous as we got higher up. Our tour guide said a round trip hike to the 7th level would take us 5 hours. It’s interesting to note that there is the indigenous Abake village all the way at the top. Abake translates to “Village at the Top” and its residents have remained there and have not ventured down (per our guide). I definitely plan to go back and hike this all the way to the top!

One note: We encountered a lot of trash on our hike up – plastics, bottles, etc.. I was saddened by this and felt like the government can do a better job of managing it, as well as general maintenance. In addition, better access to the 3rd to 7th floor is also something the government should invest in, so the waterfalls could be better promoted as a tourist attraction and have its revenue benefit the villages around it.

Nevertheless, it was a great , humbling, and awe inspiring experience!

Tips for your hike up!

1. Bring a water proof bag for your phone and camera. A zip lock bag would do just fine. There was a constant mist around the waterfalls, so expect everything to be covered in light moisture.
2. Entry Fee was N500 (~1.50 USD) per person and per camera. If you are using your phone for pictures, there is no charge for that.
3. Bring good sturdy shoes! Preferably water shoes with good griping bottoms – you’ll be walking through water, stepping through rocks, steps, and brushes.
4. Tour guides are available to walk you up and provide the history of the area. Don’t forget to tip them. The entrance fee is so small, I doubt they get any of it.
5. Start early in the morning because it gets pretty hot in the afternoons. Make sure to bring sun block as well as a hat for shade.
6. Bring cold drinking water with you on the hike. You will need it. You may also purchase water from the hawkers lined up at the gate entrance.
7. The only toilets are available right at the gate entrance (at the beginning of the hiking trail). Make sure to use them before you start your hike, else you might have to go in the bushes later on 🙂

Thanks for coming along on my adventures!

Top 10 Panama Experiences

Oh Panama! You stole a little piece of my wanderlustin’ heart! A beautiful country with so many unexpected contrasts, Panama exceeded my expectations. I fell in love with the vibrant colors, people, culture, architecture, food!, beaches, and music. We did not get to do everything we wanted to and did some things we never planned to do (The beauty of traveling, right?).

I cannot say that i have checked Panama off the bucket list yet so I  will be back! Here are 10 Panama experiences i enjoyed immensely and left an incredible impression on me. These are not in particular order of awesomeness!

1. The Donde Jose dining experience: A 9 course (yes!) culinary experience that tells the story of Panama. The ingredients, cooking techniques, and serving presentation are Panamanian based. Chef Jose is quite passionate about what he does. I have to say we enjoyed every single course. Your taste buds will be blown away – everything was rich, flavorful, and delightful.  Every course had a story related to Panama, some of them personal to Chef Jose. The restaurant has only 16 seats, of which 4 are located right in front of the chef (Chef’s table). We chose the regular seats (didn’t want to smell like cooked food! haha).  Though it didn’t seem like there was much cooking by the chef, just a lot of food construction. Note that wine is not included in the pricing. Portions are small for good reason – its 9 courses. Trust me, when you are done, you won’t be able to eat anything else. Any experience that educates me and feeds me amazing food is definitely a winner in my books! Book early! I hear it takes a few weeks to get reservations, we called just four days ahead and lucked out because a party cancelled. Visit Donde Jose online for reservations and more on this incredible culinary experience. The restaurant is located in Casco Viejo.

   

   

2. Exploring Casco Viejo: (“The Old Quarter”). Also known as Casco Antiguo or San Felipe is a big contrast from downtown Panama City. For me, it was very reminiscent of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico or The French Quarter, New Orleans. Despite the apparent and ongoing gentrification of this UNESCO world heritage site, there’s still a lot of dilapidation around. This neighborhood has been around for 340 years and its constantly changing and evolving. Casco Viejo has a large concentration of restaurants, bars, and shops. We did not base ourselves here but found our way back here literally every day we were in Panama City. I loved the diversity of Casco Viejo – in architecture, people, culture, and cuisine. There’s much to see and do. For more, check out my blog post on exploring Casco Viejo!

   

3. Weekend chilling with the locals on Starfish Beach: If you want to see how locals do beach on Saturdays, check out Starfish Beach on Isla Colon, Bocas Del Toro. It was an interesting experience. The beach is buzz-i-n-g-g – Several DJs are spinning, rustic restaurants serving local delights, thatched bars serving yummy drinks, and just a lot of people around. Don’t come here for a calm beach experience (I have a recommendation for that below!). Come here to people watch and experience life with the locals. I can best describe it as a beautiful sensory overload! Check out my Starfish Beach blog post for more pictures and tips on this experience.

   

4. Exploring the pristine Cayo Zapatilla Islands: The complete opposite of Starfish beach above! Cayo Zapatilla islands are uninhabited, pristine, and untouched. They are located in Isla Bastimentos, another island within the Bocas Del Toro Archipelago. It was an incredible experience to be able to explore these two islands with no other visitors on the island. The beaches have no facilities so you need to bring everything you might need. For more beautiful pictures and tips, check out my Cayo Zapatilla blog post.

   

5. Discovering the best seafood at Peach Fuzz International:  I still have mouthwatering memories of the food at Peach Fuzz! It’s located in Curundú area of Panama City. The fried fish is seriously the best I’ve had! Every bite was bursting with flavor. The menu changes daily depending on what the owner (Danny) picks up from the fish market that day; so its guaranteed to be fresh from that day’s catch. If you get a minute to chat with Danny, make sure you do so. He’s a walking history lesson and he gave us a lot of insight and background on Panama and particularly on Curundú. Don’t be put off by the surroundings, it’s not fancy and you’ll pass some sketchy areas to get to the restaurant. We never felt unsafe. One thing to note is that the restaurant signage  says “Pescado Frito” (Fried Fish) and not Peach Fuzz International. (This is as of June 2017). Check out their Instagram page for more details. Don’t forget to ask Danny on the history behind the restaurant name. I’ll let him do the honors;)

   

   

6. Hiking Ancon Hill: For the most breathtaking panoramic views of Panama City, a hike up the 654 foot Ancon Hill is in order. The hike takes about 30 minutes; there were parts of trail that were steep but overall not too bad if you are in decent shape. The trail is full of beautiful lush dense vegetation, but not much animal life. Check out my Ancon Hill blog post for more pictures and tips for making the hike. Here’s also a video I made on the way to the top.

   

7. Live Music at Bubba’s House Isla Bastimentos. If you happen to find yourself close to Isla Bastimentos on a Monday evening, take a water taxi ride to the Old Bank water port of Isla Bastimentos and seek out Bubba’s House hostel. Everyone – locals, backpackers, and other tourists, congregates here on Monday nights for live music. The music is popping, drinks strong and inexpensive, and its a fun, interesting, and diverse crowd. I made a couple short video clips here and here.

   

8. Titillate your taste buds at Firefly Restaurant, Isla Bastimentos: Can you tell yet that I love to eat?? 🙂 The food was amazing! Fresh, full of flavor, and a wide variety of options offered. Most items were tapas style plus a few entrees. They are a little pricey but worth it. They also have an amazing cocktail menu. We dined here on our last night but visited several times for cocktails. The staff is really awesome, another reason why we kept coming back. Visit the FireFly online for contact info, directions,  and more on the restaurant.

   

9. Experiencing the Panama Canal: We stopped at the Miraflores lock to see how ships transit the 48 mile (80 km) long Canal. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it but it’s pretty cool seeing ships getting lowered and raised through the lock. Best times to catch a ship going thru the lock are 9-1030 am and 3-430 pm. We went at the 3 pm time and saw 2 ships going thru. It was crazy crowded and hot as hell.😩 But it’s one of those things worth checking out for the engineering feat that is the Panama Canal.
   I recommend a stop at the very informative 4-level museum. The most mind blowing memory for me were the almost 20,000 people that died during the construction of the Canal and the incredible diversity of races involved.

   

10. Living Isla Bastimentos: For our time in Bocas Del Toro, we had to choose between staying in Bocas Town on the main Isla Colón or Isla Bastimentos. Both are very different- Bocas Town is party central, lively, and very touristy. Isla Bastimentos is much quieter, colorful, less developed, sees fewer tourists, and has an abundance of lush vegetation. For this reason, we decided to make Bastimentos our base for exploring Bocas Del Toro. We are glad we did! It was close enough to Bocas town (10 minutes by water taxi) if we wanted to have a night out at the bars and restaurants. We rented a beach house in the Old Bank area, which doesn’t even have a road; just a sidewalk. It was a great experience for us. Check out my blog posts on Old Bank and on experiencing Isla Bastimentos.

    

Thank you for coming along on my adventures!