Because travel is better with two - By writer/editor/photographer Melanie Wynne
This giveaway is now closed – thanks to all who entered!
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I’ve been invited on some wonderful trips in the months to come — including Puerto Rico and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts — and feel like sharing the travel love.
To inspire some romance, fun and exploration in a tropical setting: I’m giving away three sets of three DK Eyewitness Travel’s guides to the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Cancun & the Yucatan!
Coronado Island, a national park off the coast of Loreto, Baja, Mexico
Jimi Hendrix perhaps said it best:
I’m goin’ way down south
Way down to Mexico way…
Way down where I can be free
Ain’t no one gonna find me
Sure, Jimi was talking about a guy running from the law ’cause he’d just shot his cheating wife, but the sentiment is there:
Heading south to explore the colonial history and natural delights of Baja, Mexico is an ideal form of escape.
Climb into a small van with a local Loreto tour guide…and leave your weapons at home.
The view from my room at the Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, taken at 6am on a Friday morning
When it comes to travelling in Baja, Mexico, there are a few things to consider:
The gentle blue Sea of Cortez, white-sand beaches and private coves, lush green winter hillsides spiked with cardón cactus, craggy mountains aglow with rose-gold sunsets, fresh seafood, several centuries’ worth of colonial history, and a night sky so full of stars, it’ll blow your mind.
A 2-hour direct flight from Los Angeles, the Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto will show all this to you with a focus on comfort and cultural connection to Mexico — with a side of the best handmade tortilla chips you’ll ever have.
Baja Med cuisine at Tijuana's Mision 19
In Tijuana, Mexico, the largest city in the Baja state, there’s certainly a lingering fear of drug violence and a strange tendency to paint donkeys like zebras. But amongst a vibrant backdrop of street art and mariachi music there’s also a growing focus on creative, elegant and locavore-friendly cuisine.
Tijuana’s emerging foodie scene offers both a cultural connection and, glass by bottle, a gateway to Baja’s thriving Guadalupe Valley wine country. So have a seat and tuck in, con gusto.
Please forgive me for being remiss, dear readers: I’ve known about Mr & Mrs Smith for years, but have neglected to share until now.
Allow me to remedy my oversight and introduce you to some truly spectacular couple-friendly ”hotel porn” from around the world.
