Great Places to go in Florida, while avoiding Disney World!

So, in the blog before last I promised you all that I would find great places to visit in Florida, without following the Mickey Mouse going crowds travelling to Orlando, and I certainly did.
The best way to travel around Florida is to hire a car as there is little or no public transport in some places and a lot of places in the towns and cities are far away from each other. You will often also find that there are no sidewalks/pavements. Distances are surprisingly not that bad, so a few hours driving a day will suffice if your heading down state.

The local Floridians told me that the weather is generally better on the west side of the state, as it is cooler and there is more of a breeze, so we'll start our tour there. If you want to avoid Orlando all together, there are direct flights from many places straight to Tampa.

St Petersburg - Just south of Tampa, is the beautifully located city of St Petersburg, which sits looking out over the bay. Head down to The Pier where you can take part in a whole range of activities, such as boat trips around the bay, fishing trips and dolphin sight seeing tours. There are also Segway tours around the city and quad bicycles that you can hire from the pier. Don't forget to check out the 'pelican feeding station' where people of all ages will have a great time throwing fish for the pelicans to catch. At the end of the pier there is a large building full of great restaurants, the best being Cha Cha Coconuts, where you can enjoy great Mexican and tropical Caribbean inspired food while taking in the gorgeous views over the water. Up until a few years ago, there wasn't much in the way of culture in the city, but this has all changed thanks to a new Dali museum that has opened up. The museum is housed in a beautiful yet quirky building designed especially and is home to the largest collection of Dali's work outside Spain - this is a definite must see for all Dali fans.

Bradenton and Sarasota - Heading south again are the cities of Bradenton and Sarasota. While there is not much to do in Bradenton itself, taking a trip to Bradenton Beach is well worthwhile. The beach area is like a separate town in itself, with loads to do including visiting the old historical town. The road along the beach is lined with Southern style multi-coloured buildings serving as home made ice cream parlours, shell shops and beach apparel shops. There are wooded picnic areas lining the beach where you can even cook your own barbecue and don't forget to visit the beach itself, with it's pure white sand and clear turquoise sea. Sarasota has a great harbour and marina to visit which is perfect for ambling along looking at the pelicans and admiring the view. You can hire out boats here or simply sit outside with cold ice tea and one of the tiki-hut style beach bars.

San Marco Island - For a bit of luxury, why not visit San Marco island, located at bottom west side of the state. It is home to beautiful houses, beautiful beaches and beautiful people, albeit most of them old and retired. This is the place to just sit back and relax.

Everglades City - A 30 minute drive from San Marco island and you'll find yourself in a different world of the everglades. Here you will feel like you are miles from anywhere and is not too unlike the Australian outback. Strange bird calls sound out through the forest and thick mist hovers just above the ground giving the area a magical yet spooky feel. Mangrove swamps are in abundance here, as are the sly-eyed alligators who watch you from there muddy pools. The Everglades are also a grate place for bird watchers, being home to many exotic species. There are a few place that hire out kayaks and canoes and a myriad of places that will take you on airboat rides across the marshes.

Best Travel Movies

Since the Oscars were a couple of days ago, and we all have movies on the brain, I thought I would talk about my favourite travel movies. So, if you can’t afford to go anywhere right now, or don’t have the time then these movies will transport you to far away lands and show you windows in other cultures.

Hideous Kinky – This movie follows the story of a young English woman in the 1970’s who goes to live in Morocco with her two small daughters and stars Kate Winslet. The film shows stunning shots of Marrakech that are so realistic that you’ll feel like you are actually there. It also gives you an insight into Moroccan culture and it’s peoples, from the people that the mother and her daughters meet along the way.

La Casa del Los Locos / Auberge Espagnole / Pot Luck – Believe it or not, these are actually 3 different names for the same movie depending on weather you get the Spanish, French or English version. The truth is though, it doesn’t matter which version you get, as the movie is in all 3 languages. It follows the story of a French guy who moves to Barcelona to study abroad for a year. There, he shares a house with Spanish and English students and communicates with them in their respective languages. The film shows beautiful scenes of Barcelona and is a must see for any of you who have gone to study abroad and those of you wanting to brush up on your Spanish or French language skills.

The Beach – One of the most iconic travel movies, but maybe one of the most untrue as well (or maybe not, I guess there could be a secret paradise island of foreigners somewhere). The movie does in parts give great insight into what it is like to travel around South East Asia and shows great shots Thailand’s cities and beaches. Although ‘the beach’ does not actually exist, it is maybe one of movies that actually fulfil our travel fantasies. If you don’t know the story, it follows a group of traveller’s who find a secret paradise island and all choose to stay there to live.  It stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

Broke Down Palace – Ok so this movie is pretty old now, but for me really shows the essence of a travel movie, going to discover a new place, to have an adventure. Unfortunately it doesn’t turn out quite as expected for the girls, Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale. It is not exactly the way you want your adventure to turn out – getting locked up in a Thai prison for drug smuggling. So this might be more like a nightmare travel movie, but is still a great watch and shows some beautiful shots of Bangkok, as well as giving a great insight on Thai culture. 

Motorcycle Diaries – The film tells the story of the young Che Guevara, who travels around South America with his best friend on a motorcycle. The film has some really beautiful cinematography of the scenery in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and into the Amazon. In the end, it turns out not to be so much about the actual travel, but about helping people along the way. A beautiful must see film.

My Top Five Most Romantic Travel Destinations

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Since today is the day of love and romance, I thought I would share with you some of the most romantic places I have been to on my travels.

…and before you ask – no Paris and Rome are not listed in my top five. I can’t think of anything more unromantic than my time spent in Paris amid a riot, trying to escape tear gas and police, only to run into a guy taking a dump behind his car.  And, although Rome has some gorgeous places, it is too stressful trying not to get run over every 5 minutes to be romantic. Take my advice and stick to these places for a little romance and you can always save Paris and Rome for when you want a bit more of an adventure.  

1) Siem Reap, Cambodia – Travelling around some of the world’s most beautiful temples in a tuk tuk made for two could be one of the most romantic trips you ever take. Explore these ancient wonders together and loose yourselves in a place that time forgot. 

2) The Beach, The Philippines – Any beach will do, they are all stunningly beautiful and the Philippines is home to over 1,500 islands, so you are never short of one. Think paradise – are you picturing white sandy beaches and sea the colour of bright aqua marine, filled with tropical fish and dolphins jumping through the waves?  Yep – well that’s not just in your imagination; those places do really exist in the Philippines.

3) Barcelona, Spain – I can’t think of a city I’d rather be in for a romantic weekend than Barcelona. Barcelona has everything, the beach, great food, stunning architecture, relaxing parks and cosy bars. Hold hands while you explore mazes of tiny winding streets and sip wine in secret bars tucked away in the labyrinth of El Borne.  

4) Cordoba, Argentina – Here, you wander the streets hand in hand beneath cathedrals and churches while from a distance you can hear the faint sound of the accordion playing soft passionate tango music. As you approach the main square you come across couples, young, old and new tangoing in their own styles beneath the starry sky.

5) Sevilla, Spain – Take a horse and carriage ride through this sun-drenched city, eat dinner outdoors by candle light, watch a heart pumping flamenco show or sit by a fountain listening to the sounds of the Spanish guitar all under the spires of this amazing city bathed in golden light. It is so indescribably beautiful you will have to go there to appreciate how romantic it really can be.

Photos: Copyright of Dan Convey