Do the holidays make anyone else feel the need to hibernate for a month straight? After running around trying to find the perfect gifts, hosting guests, and eating like it was your part-time job over the holidays, you could use some time to devote a little TLC to yourself. After all, what are all those visa gift cards for if not to spend on yourself? As a huge self-care advocate, I decided to compile a list of New York City activities for those of us who need a little me-time to reflect or connect. Or maybe for those of us who are still unsure of what day/year it is! I made this post New York City specific but if you don’t live in New York you might be able to find similar ideas in your own hometown.

Spa Day

Of course, I was gonna start with a Spa recommendation. Seriously, the Sojo Spa Club is just a quick stop over the river in New Jersey, they provide a complimentary shuttle bus. You will then arrive at what I call the adult playground of relaxation. I went as a plus one with my bestie who’s a beauty writer and this place was HEAVEN! For the small price of $60-55 dollars, you can purchase a day pass which includes access to an array of amenities including pools, hot tubs, saunas. Plus, you can get buried in volcanic ash, an ancient Japanese beauty practice that feels like what I would describe as a messy gravity blanket sauna. Of course, you can purchase other spa packages, at an additional cost, ranging from massages to acupressure, facials, and my personal favorite, the Korean body scrub. They also have a café so you never have to leave the facility and get the most out of your spa day!

The Wrecking Club

This one is a little out there but honestly some of the best good-ol fashioned fun I’ve had in a while. The Wrecking Club is essentially a place where you rent a room with x amount of stuff to smash. Yea, you read that right. I bought the “double dip” package which included two electronics and one bucket of dishes. In the room, we had crowbars and baseball bats to smash our goods and an aux cord to play the music of your choosing. You can also add more to your package via “à la carte” should you destroy all of your electronics too quickly. I ended up purchasing another bucket of dishes and felt that was enough. This was a great way to blow off steam post-holiday stress. Maybe even cheaper than therapy, just saying.

Mountain Escape

Escape to the mountains. You won’t find Wifi but you will find a better connection. Getting in touch with nature is a great way to decompress from the everyday chaotic city life and a great way to just unplug/relax. I’m planning a trip up to Hudson, NY and plan on doing a day ski-trip to Hunter Mountain. Even if you don’t ski, there’s plenty of fun to be had at the lodge with cozy fireplaces and plenty of cocktails. Hunter Mountain is only a few hours from the city and is easier to access than you might think. I’ll update this post after my trip with more details of course, however, highly recommend you get into the upstate New York vibes. You won’t regret it.

Yoga to the People

So for those of you who don’t know, although you probably do, Yoga to the People is a donation based yoga studio that offers a variety of yoga classes. If you’re like me and have a love-hate relationship with the gym or find juice cleanses appalling, this a great way to move your body, detox some sweat, and clear your head. I’m not a yogi by any means but this place is truly a gem. The recommended donation amount is $10 dollars but their policy is “give what you can.” Perfect if you’re on a budget or don’t know if you want to commit to the yogi life yet. Plus, they have several locations around the city so it shouldn’t be hard to hard to find one in your area. Na-Ima-stay in the realm of positivity/sunshine as should you.

After a recent Instagram poll, you guys mentioned that you wanted to see more travel tips on the blog for the new year. If you’ve been following this blog from the beginning you might remember I used to do an annual tip of the week. I got great feedback from this feature, however, when I went back to working full time the extra weekly posts proved to be quite the challenge. These days a post once a week is all I have to give. Although, my posts are much more detailed oriented and I thought about bringing back the weekly tips, however, I figured it would be better to post one detailed post where you can find all the info you need as opposed to dragging it out over weeks. So with that being said, when I first started traveling, I’m convinced I read every article about finding cheap flights in the history of the internet. I’ll often post about a cheap flight on my Facebook or Instagram page but these are the methods I use and find the most effective. I’m always still learning but any info I don’t know chances are I know someone who does, so after extensive research and interviews, these are my best recommendations for finding cheap flights.

Use a search engine

When looking for a flight it can be intimidating trying to look up what airlines to fly with beeing that there are so many options available. If you’re not loyal to a specific airline, i.e you don’t use miles and just want the cheapest flight, use a search engine. I’d recommend Google Flights or Skyscanner. I’m more partial to Skyscanner though because if I know I have time off and want to plan a vacation I’ll use the explore option and search for the cheapest flights then plan my vacation accordingly. The search engine will scan ever website for you and then provide you with every option available. You can search by, time, date, airline, layover preference, etc. Which leads me to my next tip…

Be Flexible 

Are you flexible on time or dates off? Flights are always cheaper if you leave on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Sunday is the most expensive day to fly back so if you can avoid it and fly back on Tuesday you can save hundreds of dollars. Be mindful of peak seasons. Traveling in the summer months are more expensive than in the offseason. Tropical places can still be enjoyable in the offseason and colder destinations can be just as nice in the Winter. Another good general rule of thumb is to avoid traveling during popular holidays. Everyone travels during Christmas time and airlines know that hence a larger than normal price tag.

Search incognito

It’s not necessary for every website, but in general, it’s a good idea to search incognito when you’re looking up flights, hotels, car rentals, etc. Several websites will use “cookies” to track your search history. Websites like Expedia will see that you are searching flights based on your history and will raise the price of flights because they know that you are looking to buy. By searching incognito, you’ll hide your search history so companies won’t have access to this information. You can open up an incognito window by opening up your search engine, I use google chrome, clicking on the “file” tab and then by clicking on “new incognito window.”

Embrace the Layover

Flights with long layovers tend to be lower in price than direct flights simply because most people hate them. If you’ve ever had to sleep overnight in an airport or book a stay in an airport hotel than you definitely know why it’s awful. However, sometimes long layovers can work to your advantage! For example, I recently found a $400 round-trip ticket to the Philippines from NYC with a 13/15-hour layover in Shanghai, China. Shanghai has been on my list for a while now so I was more than happy to entertain the idea of a quick pit stop. I arrive in Shanghai at 6 am and depart at 10 pm, giving me a full day of exploring Shanghai on the way there and back. I don’t need to book a hotel since I can sleep on the plane for my next flight and I can always check my carry-on luggage at the airport or check a bag and just take essentials in an easy to carry carry-on. This is a great way to explore a city and get a, as I like to say, “flavor,” to see if one day you’d like to come back. Sometimes airlines will even offer you free layovers as a special promotion to entice you to visit their country like Iceland air in Iceland or Etihad in Abu Dhabi.

Fly into a city outside of your destination 

Have a destination in mind but flights are expensive? Do some research on Skyscanner and see if there’s an airport a bit outside of the main city that you can fly to and take a cheap train or bus to the main city. Popular budget airlines will typically do this but you could fly into Frankfurt, Germany for example and rent a car and drive to Paris. It’s not always that easy of course but definitely worth investigating if you are looking to save some money. When I flew to South Africa, for example, I flew into Johannesburg and rented a car and drove 8 hours to Kruger National park instead of taking an expensive connecting flight to Kruger.

Price difference refunds

This one can be tricky. I’ve personally never been able to pull this one off but I certainly know people who have. Essentially, if you are stalking airline tickets and see that a price has dropped you can call the airline and see if they’ll refund you the difference or negotiate a full refund and book a new ticket with the cheaper price. If you go through a second party agency website they might not refund you but a major airline might honor it, especially if you’re a loyal member.

Get alerts

Have a destination in mind that you’ve been dying to visit? Sign up for flight alerts! Google flights and Skyscanner offer this option for specific destinations that will email you when prices have gone up or down. This also works well if you are interested in negotiating for a price difference refund. Typically the best time to book a flight is three months prior to your planned departure. As you get closer to your departure date prices will start to increase. That’s not always the case in the wild west of flight booking but generally, that’s the most common trend.

Skip the last leg of your trip

To be honest, I haven’t personally tried this but know many people who have and they’ve saved tons of money. For those of you not as familiar, skipping the last leg of your trip refers to booking a flight with a layover and missing the second flight. The idea is that the layover is actually your intended destination and you simply miss the second flight. Now, this only works for the second flight as once you miss the first flight your whole itinerary gets canceled. Not to mention, you can’t travel with a checked bag as it will continue on to your final destination. Overall, this method provides a lot of finesse and would only recommend experienced travelers do this. Websites like Skiplagged are great for looking up these flights with their homepage alma mater saying, “Our flights are so cheap, United sued us…but we won.”

Budget Airlines

If you travel, even a little, you know exactly the kind of budget airlines I’m referring to…Spirit airline, Frontier, EasyJet, Ryan Air, etc. So let’s break down the pros and cons. Are you traveling in luxury? Absolutely not. Does everything cost extra? Sure does. So when is it beneficial to fly on a budget airline? If you’re traveling a short distance, as in anything under three hours, it’s worth it, in my opinion. If the trip is broken up with a short layover, it’s worth it. Some tips when flying budget airlines are: buy a checked bag as soon as you purchase the ticket. Checked bags are cheaper in price when you book in advance and carry-on’s typically aren’t included. Bring a snack with you. Snacks and food are extra so come prepared and buy a water bottle before you board. Print your boarding pass before your flight. Some budget airlines will charge you for this and it’s better to have it printed and not need it than get hit with an extra 15 dollar fee for printing the boarding pass.

Credit card points

Credit card points and miles are a great way to get credit towards flights from everyday spending. Of course, you have to be careful with credit cards as they can end up doing more damage than good, however, if you use them responsibly for everyday purchases you could earn a significant amount of miles and credits towards flights. This method is best for frequent travelers and long-term use but if you have one dream destination in mind and want to use those free sign-up miles this is a good option.  The Points Guy is a great website for finding out more info on travel cards.

Have any other tips? Any questions? Leave a comment and let me know! Hope this helps you on your next vacation.

Happy Traveling,

Riss

This holiday season I got so many questions about what hotels are great to stay in during the month of December in New York City. There’s so many to choose from in Manhattan, however, my favorites vary based upon the type of experience your craving this Winter. If you’re a foodie, check out the Innside by Mélia, if you have kids, stay at the Peninsula, and so on and so forth. Of course, most hotels will have decorations but if you’re gonna do it once, do it right and choose a hotel that caters to your style. I tried to include suggestions that had a little something for everyone but of course if you have any other recommendations or thought I missed something, let me know! You can read the full article at CBS Local NY, here.

New York City’s Best Hotels For The Holidays

Wishing you a happy holiday!

Riss

This past month, October 17th, marked the official National Pasta Day. Of course, October also happens to be dubbed Italian heritage month here in NYC. Kicking off the biggest Italian celebration in NYC is the famous San Gennaro feast, one of the cities longest running street fairs on Mulberry St. As an Italian-American myself, I go there for the best sausage and pepper sandwiches and zeppoles. Although I grew up on fried dough and chicken parmigiana, I’ve been lucky enough to make it to Italy several times. Not to mention, it’s my favorite cuisine to whip up on a Sunday night. I can’t say I make it to Italy as often as I’d like for authentic Italian cuisine, however, New York City is home to some of the best Italian restaurants in the nation. If you’re in town, I’d highly recommend checking out a few of my favorites…

L’Artusi

228 W 10th St

West Village

This West Village restaurant is a favorite for pasta lovers. Although it’s hard to come by reservations on a weekend, you can always hang around for seating at the bar. When at the bar, I’d recommend ordering a starter followed by two pastas to share and an olive oil cake to finish. The staff is also extremely knowledgeable on wine pairings so I’d say ask away when it comes to recommendations. Regardless, one night at this sleek West Village stop and you will see why everyone’s saying A’more.

Bella Gioia

209 4th Ave

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Probabl the only restaurant I’d travel for! Italian-American chef Nico uses his Sicilian background and old school family recipes to bring new life to Sicilian classics. Bella Gioia had the best calamari I’ve ever had in awhile. I went for an Italian-American heritage night, which was just as delightful but on a typical night you can find dishes like, deep-fried burrata, charcuterie, pappardelle pasta, truffle fries, and Sicilian style pizza, to name a few. Not to mention the incredible wine pairings and charming decor that make you feel like you’re in a cozy alleyway in Sicily amongst friends. When I was there they had live music featuring a vocalist and guitarist playing a mix of classic beatles as well as classic Italian numbers. I was a BIG fan! The live music was such a great touch and would be a great choice for a first date or family outing.

I Sodi

105 Christopher St

West Village

I stumbled upon I Sodi as most do, through a recommendation through a friend of a friend. Italian food is my favorite cuisine and I always like to ask foodies where they go for their favorites. I Sodi was one that kept coming up time and time again. I couldn’t figure out what was so special? Simple Italian dishes with few ingredients and very straightforward menu items like fresh bread, fried artichokes, and lasagna. After a visit to see for myself, it was clear why New Yorker’s kept raving about this place. Here you won’t find over played flavors all competing to be something revolutionary. What you will find are delightful combinations of fresh ingredients, classic to the point menu items, and an explosion of flavors. Even the decor is to the point and crisp lending a pleasant atmosphere to the restaurants biggest star, the food.

Spaghetti Incident

231 Eldridge St

Lower East Side

To be honest, I haven’t had a chance to sit down and have a meal at Spaghetti Incident. I have, however, gone to experience what they’re Insta-famous for…the take out spaghetti! It’s served up nice and hot in a big cone. GENIUS! The pastas, are rich, creamy, and the flavors are delicious. Simple pasta comfort dishes like pesto, pomodoro, and carbonara. It’s cash only but these prices are worth trading paper for. Perfect for grabbing and walking around the streets or to the park. Talk about ambiance!

Palma

28 Cornelia St

West Village

Another West Village gem, this little Italian restaurant is what Instagram dreams are made of! After walking through the entryway, which I would describe as a picturesque rustic italian kitchen, past the bar you’ll enter a beautiful courtyard. With gorgeous tiles, plenty of greenery, flowers, and a retractable rooftop this place is like an escape. So you already know summers at Palma are a warm weather must! And the food? Delicious Italian classic just the way grandma used to make it. I’d recommend the Ravioli’s with a side of broccoli rabe. Caio Bella!

Happy Italian Heritage Month,

Riss

The One with Fire and Ice

…and they are not joking about that tag line. I rented a car on the last leg of my Iceland trip and on our drive from Vik to Reykjavik we experienced sun, hail, partly cloudy, rain, wind, everything within an hour! Which made driving through one car bridges, over mountains, through big snow storms quite challenging. I’m happy to report this was the only “hiccup” on this trip and for that I’m grateful.

On my first visit to Iceland, I went right after I moved back to NYC from Germany. Apparently, I couldn’t stay away from Europe for very long. I once bought a coffee table book called “Make the most of your time on earth,” which I highly recommend. In this book, one of the things they recommended was snorkeling with wild Orca whales in Norway. If you’ve been following along on my journey you know how much I love the ocean! If I wasn’t a writer, I would have went to school for marine biology.  So naturally, I put this as a top priority on my bucket list. I’ll do a separate post on Norway but when I knew I was traveling to Scandinavia again, first time was Sweden, I immediately thought of Iceland. It’s been a dream destination of mine for quite some time.

I remember hearing through the grapevine that Iceland Air was offering free layover stops, in Iceland, if you were flying to a neighboring European country. I believe they still have this deal so if you’re interested definitely check it. Of course, you know I am the cheap flight guru and I found a great deal through Wow air, $250 round trip from NYC. However, I decided to keep my plan the way it was for the best deal so I spent two days in Iceland, then flew to Norway for three days, then came back to Iceland for another 3 days. It wouldn’t be a vacation for me unless I took an obscene amount of flights to a remote, hard to reach destination halfway across the world.

If you’re thinking of planning a trip, you’ve probably heard by now that Iceland isn’t the cheapest place to travel to. The US dollar doesn’t stretch as far with the Icelandic króna. Of course, it’s still possible to visit this beautiful country on a budget. Here are some of my tips and recommendations. In addition, to everything you may need to know about beautiful Iceland.

When to Go

The most popular times to visit Iceland are during the summer months from May to September. The sunlight is almost 24/7 as Iceland experiences it’s summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. I went in January during the Winter months, from November to April, where I experienced significantly less sunlight. It was snowy and much colder in the winter months but I personally don’t mind the cold. When packing, definitely bring snow appropriate attire. The summer month’s are warmer ranging around mid 50’s so layers and rain gear are a MUST.

If you’re trying to catch the Northern Lights, the best time to go is during the Winter months, however, you need complete visibility to see them aka no clouds. So it’s best to leave yourself at least two weeks to see them. Most people would recommend going to see them in September or March/April. Gray Line bus offers Northern Light tours that allow you the opportunity to re-book if you don’t see them the night of your scheduled tour so it’s a great question to ask before you commit.

Lastly, bringing important camera gear is crucial for capturing the Northern Lights. You won’t be able to capture a good picture on an iPhone so a DSLR camera is recommended. My best advice would be to get as far away from the city as you can. You need complete darkness with minimal light pollution. I’d also recommend bringing a tripod, although some tours provide them, and, most importantly, a shutter release for steady pictures. To capture the lights you’ll need to adjust your camera settings manually. Your ISO should be set to 800+ and your aperture should be set to the widest setting, between f/2.8 anf f/5.6 with a shutter speed between 15-30 seconds.

Getting There and Getting Around

As a small island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, your only option to getting to Iceland is to fly. As I mentioned before, Icelandic Air runs a deal that allows you to book a long layover in Iceland at no additional cost. This a great option to explore the main city of Reykjavik and get a quick feel of this beautiful country. Although I’d highly recommend staying for a while and checking out the rest of the country. I ended up flying with Wow Air who offers great deals to Iceland.

From the airport we used the Gray Line bus from the airport to our hotel. We then booked our tour for the next two days through Gray Line buses. The first day we did the Golden Circle Express tour and the following day we took their bus to the Blue Lagoon. Tours are a great way to get around if you don’t want to drive yourself.  You can even find tours that schedule everything for you and include your own private driver.

Of course, if you’re looking to stretch your dollar, you could always rent a car. We did this on our second time back to Iceland. I booked through enterprise care rentals. Our car was fine and we drove during winter and although we had some crazy weather, we had no problems. I choose Enterprise because you don’t have to put a deposit down, which is not the norm for renting cars in foreign countries. We used to kayak to book, very simple. At the end of the day my best advice would be to choose the cheapest options with the best reviews.

Accommodations

Wether traveling alone or just looking for a great budget option? Try staying at a hostel! Hostels are my go-to when visiting expensive cities. I stayed at the Reykjavik City HI Hostel just a few minutes away from the downtown area. I stayed in a four person mixed dorm, which I thought was perfect. The hostel was conveniently located in front of a public bus stop that you could take to get downtown, which was fairly easy to navigate. The staff was helpful, the rooms were clean, and the common room and breakfast was lovely. So I’d highly recommend this location. They even have a campsite in the back if you really want to rough it.

For my second portion of the trip, we rented a car from Reykjavik and drove down to Vik to see the black sand beaches. It’s a great hop off point on the southern coast to go see the glacier, the lagoon, and the beach. Of course, you could always do a day tour from Reykjavik as it’s only a few hours away. Vik is a popular destination and can get pricey during peak times. Even in Winter, a lot of accommodations were booked up and we ended up staying at the Puffin Hotel. Basic accommodations, great service, and great breakfast. We stayed in a two person private room which was lovely.

What to See

Iceland is a beautiful country with vast landscapes tha offer everything from stunning waterfalls to glaciers to volcanoes. Hence the popular coined term, “Land of fire and ice.” As I mentioned, I started my trip in Reykjavik. On our first day, we took the Golden Circle Gray Lines Express Tour. You can always rent a car and drive this yourself as well.

The Golden Circle

The Golden circle tour we did consisted of three attractions: Thingvellir National Park, The Geysir, and the Gullfoss waterfall. The Thingvellir National Park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of 2 tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the huge Almannagjá fault. The landscapes are absolutely stunning! If you’re really brave you can even snorkel the Silfa, between the two tectonic plates. Dry suit anyone?

The Blue Lagoon

The next day we took another bus over to the infamous Blue Lagoon. The day we went to the Lagoon, it had been raining on and off, however, we didn’t mind since we were already in the water. The Blue Lagoon is a bit on the pricey side. There are tons of other spa’s and hot springs in the area if you’re looking for a more budget friendly option. To justify the bigger price tag, I decided to spend the entire day there to really get my moneys worth. This would be a great option in combination with the golden circle for a quick day or layover in Iceland. My number one tip would be to buy tickets in advance to get your desired entry time before it’s all booked up.

Vik, Reynisfjara Beach

Formed from volcanic rock, the black sand beach offers miles of dramatic coastlines as far as the eye can see. From staggering columns to volcanic sea caves, this beach is an adventurer travelers dream. In the summertime, you may even be able to spot a puffin or two. I went during the winter, so no puffins and definitely no sun. It actually snowed. First time I can say I’ve been to the beach while it’s snowing. Something to keep in mind, the water at this beach can be deceiving and quite rough. In the week I was in Iceland, someone had passed away because they got too close to water and unfortunately couldn’t recover. Look for signs regarding safety and always be respectful of mother nature.

Jökulsárlón  & Diamond Beach

Also known as the Glacier Lagoon, Jökulsárlón is probably one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. I could have sat there for hours listening to the sounds of glass breaking as one glacier collides with another. On the other side of the bridge, after the melting icebergs exit into the ocean, you’ll find remnants of shattered ice scattered all over this shoreline at diamond beach. Another notable mention, which comes highly recommended from friends, is the boat ride onto the lagoon. There you can get a up close and personal view of the lagoon and, if you’re lucky, you may even be able to spot a seal or two.

Vatnajökull Glacier

Although home to several glaciers, the Vatnajökull glacier is not only the biggest glacier in Iceland, it’s the biggest in the world. From ice caves to ice hikes, this glacier offers everything. I did a tour with Glacier Guides  and had the best time! I did the half day glacier hike combined with an ice cave tour. You must go with a guide to hike the glacier as it’s extremely dangerous to go on your own.  You can even do a full seven hour extreme ice climb. I didn’t do this here but I did in Alaska and it’s a lot of fun. In the summertime, I’d also recommend a stop to the Fjaorargljufur Canyons for a great “non-ice” hike and stunning dramatic landscapes.

Waterfalls

Some of the best I’ve ever seen, Iceland is brimming with waterfalls as far as the eye can see. As I mentioned earlier, in the golden circle you can find the Gullfoss waterfall. The most famous one, would be the Skógafoss waterfall. In the summer, when the light reflects onto the fall it creates rainbows. You can even walk behind the waterfall and climb up to the top. Other notable waterfalls would include the Seljalandsfoss, Svartifoss, and Goðafoss.

Where to Eat

Although Iceland is not the cheapest country in the world it’s not difficult to find a decently priced meal. One of my favorite budget bites is the Icelandic hot dog, at the famous chain Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. Doesn’t taste quite the same as the American hotdog, I actually think it’s better, and you can customize and choose your toppings. My second favorite meal was a Nordic classic, Icelandic Fish and Chips. Freshly caught fish with a flakey buttery crust and deep friend potatoes, yummy! Of course, if you do plan on indulging a bit, definitely check out the Grillmarket, try the trio of Reindeer. I had my first taste of Reindeer in Sweden and it’s delicious. It tastes like a cross between venison and veal, in my opinion. Highly recommend!

Any other suggestions or questions? Drop a comment below! Hope you enjoy as Iceland as much as I did!

Happy traveling,

Riss

Labor Day is only a few weeks away! Start planning your weekend vacay with this article I wrote for CBS Local New York, 5 Labor Day Weekend Getaways in New York. My top three picks would be the Montauk Yacht Club, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, and Hunter Mountain. I love long hike’s up to Hunter Mountain and nothing beats a nice relaxing beach day in Montauk. Not to mention a nice day on the boat, preferably wakeboarding, at the Chautauqua Lake. If you’re staying local and plan to throw your own party, I’ll do a post rounding up past LDW article’s that cover everything from food to entertainment. In the meantime, I’ll be trying to make the most of these last few weeks of summer. Clink the link below to check out the article I wrote.

5 Labor Day Weekend Getaways in New York

Happy traveling,

Riss

I posted this “travel tip of the week” on my Insta stories but since this tip is an important one I thought it was worth mentioning on the blog. To be honest, this is the first time before a vacation I’ve gotten all my vaccines and shots. I usually just take my chances, however, since I’ll be traveling to Africa and malaria is very prevalent I decided to take my chances with the doctor this time. Unfortunately, this past week I caught a bad virus and the antibiotics would have made my current vaccines and medicines less effective so I had to let the virus pass on its own. So, that’s why I’ve been quiet on social media lately. After chatting with my doctor I found out before going to any country you should check the CDC website, Center Disease Control. From there, you can search your exact destination and the CDC will provide you with their recommendations for vaccines and medications. Some vaccines and medications need to be taken in advance so best to check the website first and book an appointment with your doctor as soon as your destination is picked. Some destinations might not require any vaccines, however, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. With that being said, travel insurance is always a good idea!

Happy Traveling,

Riss

The One With the Bloody Nose

Yup, you read that right! No better time to get a bloody nose than when you’re scuba diving with over 40 sharks. Earlier in the summer, I had two sinus infections as well as an ear infection. When you’re scuba diving and you descend deeper into the ocean, you have to equalize the pressure build up from your sinus cavities by popping your ears. Similar to what you experience when you descend on an airplane. The nosebleed was most likely caused by my left ear’s inability to equalize. Obviously, I made it through the experience in one piece but what I came away with was something far more valuable than just another log in my dive book. I finished my second dive, at Stuart Cove’s Dive, with a whole new outlook on a beautiful creature that once upon a time I feared to no end. When I think about it, in every shark movie I’ve ever seen, the tiniest scratch of blood will turn any shark into a cold-blooded killing machine. While it is true that some sharks have killed before, it may be possible that these massive creatures are just severely misunderstood.

So let’s look at some facts about the Carribean Reef Shark…

“While it is considered dangerous to humans, this shark does not have a history of attacks on humans.”

“Although laws ban the hunting or fishing of this species, the fishing industry in South America still finds these sharks in about 40% of their fish catch. While the catches are unintended, there has still been a drastic impact on the population and the population continues to dwindle.”

When we look at facts about sharks as a populous…

“The odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067. In a lifetime, you are more likely to die from fireworks, lightning, drowning, a car accident, or heart disease.”

“There are 70 to 100 shark attacks worldwide every year, 5 to 15 result in death.”

“Over 100 million sharks are taken every year by humans. That is approximately 11,000 sharks killed every hour.”

In conclusion, these beautiful creatures are being hunted to the point of extinction. Without sharks, the ocean’s ecosystem will collapse. With no large predators to monitor the fish population, the ocean’s plankton will, in theory, go extinct as well. Scientists believe that phytoplankton is responsible for creating 50 to 85 percent of the world’s oxygen. These tiny ocean plants use photosynthesize – that is, they use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food. A byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen. So for every other breath you take, you can thank these tiny ocean plants.

My hope is that by watching this video you’ll see just how majestic these creatures are and why they’re worthy of our protection. The dive master, Evan (who you can see feeding the sharks in the video), explains that not only do the sharks remember the boats that belong to Stuart’s Cove, but they also remember the dive masters. I witnessed one shark snuggle under his arm and sit on his lap waiting to be pet, just like a dog. The sharks are naturally inquisitive of you and their eyes will move and follow you, meaning they show signs of curiosity and intelligence.  You may even notice some of the sharks have scars and scratches from hooks used and left by fishing boats. I managed to get one close up of a shark who they’ve dubbed, “The Joker,” after the sides of his mouth were altered from embedded hooks. Once every few month’s, the dive masters will remove these hooks in their efforts to conserve and protect these species. I would rate my experience and satisfaction with Stuart Cove’s Dive a 10/10 and would highly recommend.

Thank you, Stuart Cove’s Dive!

Riss