Lost in the Bermuda Triangle

the aqua water off the Bermuda coastline

"The Rock" sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 650 miles off the mainland, no other islands near, no other islands far. The sound of waves softly rolling onto the deserted shore amplifies my sense of isolation.

Solace is momentarily broken, a head pokes out of the crystal waters. I wade out to say hello to my only friends here, a pair of sea turtles, who, frankly, make me do most of the talking. 

sea turtles just off the coast

I walk back to our Airbnb in Somerset Village. Few sidewalks exist on the island and I find myself squeezing up against walls and gates to offer vehicles the safest passing lanes. Fortunately there is little pressing to do for most islanders, and they treat their gas pedal accordingly.  

Bermuda vegetation- bright flowers

Plant life flourishes and vivid colors accent the emerald green base;  it feels like the Garden of Eden.

You'd be hard pressed to find a building painted less brightly than the surrounding vegetation, with pink, orange, green, and blue hues being the most common. Whatever you can critique Bermuda for, drabness is not on the list

a Jamaican restaurant, note the colors 

$18 for less than a gallon of bottled water.
Tap please

At night, the melody of insects and birds helps create a sense of pure tranquility. Walk down to the beach to add the sounds of the ocean for an unparalleled meditative experience.

I meander to the store in the morning and my reflective state gets concussed by sticker shock. At least in part due to the isolation of the island, Bermuda was ranked as the world's most expensive country, handily beating out Switzerland and Norway.
Groceries cost anywhere from double to triple what they do in the US. A small house starts at 800k, and a half hour taxi ride will run you $70-80.
Dining out is almost a non-starter, due to the food being both exceptionally high in cost and terribleness.

The island is tiny- 20 square miles. Even with the windy, hilly roads, driving from tip to tip takes less than an hour; width wise you can walk from one side to the other in half that. 

Fortunately, no matter your location you're surrounded by spectacular aqua water and some gorgeous beaches, which is frankly the best reason, and likely the only reason, for anyone to visit "The Rock." Just make sure your savings account is flush when you land, it won't be upon exit. 

my little crab heads towards the clear water

palm trees swaying on the Bermuda shore

My son enjoying himself down a a tubular slide in Bermuda. 7 seconds of bliss

Bermuda tips- if you do decide to see Bermuda, SKIP Hamilton altogether, sit yourself down on a nice beach around Somerset Village, and only come for a couple days. The beaches are very nice, but that's all there is really. 

Palawan Island- El Nido- the amazing beauty of the Philippines

The El Nido area is a 6 hour drive, the last stretch of which is over some very rough road, from the Puerto Princessa airport on Palawan Island, but what you'll discover upon arrival will make more than worth it. 

Tucked away on this mountainous isle is the small, touristy town of El Nido. The rock formations here are similar to those found in one of my favorite spots in the world, Krabi, Thailand, and while perhaps not quite as spectacular, the water here is cleaner, lighter, and more transparent.
The main economic staple- definitely tourism, and rates compared to other tropical paradises such as Hawaii or Tahiti are incredibly cheap.
Not too far from town, are beaches of unbelievable beauty, only much less crowded and built up. I spent an afternoon by myself, swimming and playing in the surf, then meditating on the beach, opening my eyes every so often to appreciate the exquisiteness around me.
There is little to do here besides water activities, but it's tremendously fun to sail away with a group to the surrounding islands, snorkeling at each stop.
Below you'll find photos of such an expedition. If you know of a prettier place on the planet, leave a comment and let me know where.

maybe my white shirt reflects light creating the halo-
that's the sciency explanation at least

clown fish, underwater I believe :)

them there rock formations- a lot like Krabi

Are we clear?

Crystal! 

a little slice of paradise

look how clean the water is

amazing beauty!

if you can show me a prettier place on earth, I'd love to visit- leave a comment!

This concludes my three month trek for the summer of 2014, til next time, happy travels and may you live in a state of joy, excitement, and gratitude!

Boracay Island, Philippines- the Most beautiful Beach on Earth

The sand on Boracay's main beach is so powder white, cokeheads believing they hit the motherlode have attempted to snort it.

tiny rock formation/ island, literally on Boracay beach

The beach itself is visually STUNNING. It will take your breath away and make you wonder why you live where you live, wherever it is that you do. The water is a crystal light blue color, which just a little bit offshore becomes  a darker, deeper, but still largely translucent blue.  

All the photos I offer you here are looking out towards the ocean. The beach itself is not terribly wide, and only maybe 40 feet away from the water are a plethora of businesses crowded together: hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. It is quite built up, but stunning nonetheless. 

actual water color- amazing!

The island is small, you could easily walk around it in a few hours, but only if you were blind, otherwise you're undoubtedly stopping to gaze around at the beauty surrounding you. 

Aside drink and eat, which tourists are doing a plethora of, the only activity here are watersports, diving and snorkeling being atop the list. 

about to dive into the H20

the underwater world

 The snorkeling here is the best I have ever seen. There is tremendous amount of aquatic life, from a variety of brightly colored tropical fish, crabs, lobsters, and squid, to sea snakes, which are in quite an abundance and highly venomous.
I surface and report the deadly serpents to my boat operators who shrug it off. "How often do people die from a bite?" I inquire.
"Not too often," they nonchalantly reply.
Satisfied, I dive back into the waters.

tropical foliage of Boracay

In the past I would have told you Krabi, Thailand was the most beautiful place on earth. if you're looking purely at the perfection of the beach area, then without a doubt, Boracay surpasses. 

Stunning, Gorgeous, Take Your Breath Away Landscape of Krabi, Thailand

Monkey see, monkey do. They're a little too used to people

People always ask, "What is the most beautiful place you have seen? Where should I go with one week of vacation?" The answer, Krabi, Thailand.

Watch the reaction on the face of a girl seeing the Ao Nang area for the first time

At midnight, on a deserted beach, I would strip off my clothes, jump in the warm water and lay upon my back, my ears submerged in water creating a nearly perfect silence around me as I gazed up at the starry sky and the sheer vertical cliffs rising above me. Thought vaporizes, a deep relaxation come into being, it feels as though one is back in the womb, no care, no worry, only the beauty of nature and being.

Tsong Tsai/ Railey Beach Area of Krabi

The Jungle of Krabi

coastline view of Krabi from ocean

Approaching Railey Beach via Boat

All I can say is if you get the urge to travel and see a beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, take your breath away tropical area, definitely book a trip to Krabi. 

Note on the above video: A moment of inspiration during a gorgeous sunset in Thailand. My sanity and eccentricity of making + posting such videos was recently called into question, and I was interpreted as "narcissistic/self involved," by someone who had never met me.  If such a video elicits a positive emotional change in even one of you out there, it's a price worth paying a hundred times over. Like the sun behind me, if you have warmth and light to give the world, isn't it your duty to do so before your own being sets? 

standing offshore with my camera