5 Global Destinations That Are Outside The Norm And Worth A Visit
It's great to check a few of the tried-and-true popular U.S. and global locales off your travel wish list, but it's even better to add a few other spots that are not quite as overpopulated with tourists. You can create a few unique memories and get those IG moments that don't seem so overdone or cliche while exploring a different part of a country.
Now that travelers are packing airports again, it might be a good idea to visit a few top destinations that are off the beaten path. These spots are just as enjoyable, are often much less pricey to visit, and allow for a different travel experience. Check out a few options below.
JAMAICA: Lucea
While tourists often flock to the resorts and beaches of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, or Negril, Lucea, a region in Hanover Jamaica, is definitely on the come up as a must-visit town. Located less than an hour away from Negril, Lucea is home to the luxe Grand Palladium resort properties, where you can enjoy all-inclusive amenities with affordable and luxe options.
The ride alone, from both Kingston's Norman Manley Airport and Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport, is colorfully lush, peaceful, and beautiful. You can get a glimpse of history with a stop at Fort Charlotte, one of the oldest structures in the region reflecting the days of shipping and pirates, and you can enjoy a bit of water fun at Bull's Bay Beach, Paradise Falls, or Dry Hill Falls.
CAMAROON: Yaounde
While everyone flocks to popular cities in West or South Africa, this capital of Cameroon can be a perfect spot to check out, even if it's part of a tour of central Africa. There's hilly terrain with a city center, and key public monuments to visit include the Monument of Reunification and the National Museum. Other interesting places to go are the Mefou National Park, which houses a world-famous primate sanctuary, or the Boise Sainte Anastasie, an oasis of gardens and groves in the city. And of course, a visit to Africa is not complete without visiting a vast open market for street food, handmade items, and souvenirs, and Marché a Bafoussam is one of the most popular.
NEW ZEALAND: Cook Islands
Travel enthusiasts have said this location often gives Hawaii vibes, and you'd definitely be able to enjoy the beauty of lagoons, particularly the Muri and the Aitutaki, glorious mountains like the Te Rua Manga, and beaches like Black Rock, that aren't as overpopulated with tourists during certain seasons as other South Pacific islands. The Punanga Nul street market is also where you can find fresh fish, fruit, and clothing, and the famous Trader Jack's restaurant is a local favorite.
DUTCH CARIBBEAN: Saba
Known as the region's smallest island, it has a legendary solar park that provides electricity for the whole island, and it has a luxe, but small-town feel with the island vibes. Cove Bay, a swimming area noted for its black rock and park, is a popular place where you can enjoy mountain and ocean views. The town includes delightful white homes with signature red roofs, several of which are vacation rentals or boutique hotels. The region also has a rainforest, which is also a must-stop for hikers. Other spots to visit are the Harry L. Museum, located in a 19th-century home of a sea captain of the day, the Queen's Hotel Restaurant part of the exquisite resort and spa property, and the Kakona, an arts center and shop.
SPAIN: Cartagena
Visitors enjoy coming to the region for Cartagena’s ruins, particularly the Roman theater. The city is full of art deco allure, prominent among buildings found along Calle Mayor, the main street, and another great place to check out is the Punic Walls remains. You can also local cuisine, featuring fresh fish and rice dishes that travelers rave about.
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How Content Creators Hey Fran Hey And Shameless Maya Embraced The Pivot
This article is in partnership with Meta Elevate.
If you’ve been on the internet at all within the past decade, chances are the names Hey Fran Hey and Shameless Maya (aka Maya Washington) have come across your screen. These content creators have touched every platform on the web, spreading joy to help women everywhere live their best lives. From Fran’s healing natural remedies to Maya’s words of wisdom, both of these content creators have built a loyal following by sharing honest, useful, and vulnerable content. But in search of a life that lends to more creativity, freedom, and space, these digital mavens have moved from their bustling big cities (New York City and Los Angeles respectively) to more remote locations, taking their popular digital brands with them.
Content Creators Hey Fran Hey and Maya Washington Talk "Embracing The Pivot"www.youtube.com
In partnership with Meta Elevate — an online learning platform that provides Black, Hispanic, and Latinx-owned businesses access to 1:1 mentoring, digital skills training, and community — xoNecole teamed up with Franscheska Medina and Maya Washington on IG live recently for a candid conversation about how they’ve embraced the pivot by changing their surroundings to ultimately bring out the best in themselves and their work. Fran, a New York City native, moved from the Big Apple to Portland, Oregon a year ago. Feeling overstimulated by the hustle and bustle of city life, Fran headed to the Pacific Northwest in search of a more easeful life.
Her cross-country move is the backdrop for her new campaign with Meta Elevate— a perfectly-timed commercial that shows how you can level up from wherever you land with the support of free resources like Meta Elevate. Similarly, Maya packed up her life in Los Angeles and moved to Sweden, where she now resides with her husband and adorable daughter. Maya’s life is much more rural and farm-like than it had been in California, but she is thriving in this peaceful new setting while finding her groove as a new mom.
While Maya is steadily building and growing her digital brand as a self-proclaimed “mom coming out of early retirement,” Fran is redefining her own professional grind. “It’s been a year since I moved from New York City to Portland, Oregon,” says Fran. “I think the season I’m in is figuring out how to stay successful while also slowing down.” A slower-paced life has unlocked so many creative possibilities and opportunities for these ladies, and our conversation with them is a well-needed reminder that your success is not tied to your location…especially with the internet at your fingertips. Tapping into a community like Meta Elevate can help Black, Hispanic, and Latinx entrepreneurs and content creators stay connected to like minds and educated on new digital skills and tools that can help scale their businesses.
During a beautiful moment in the conversation, Fran gives Maya her flowers for being an innovator in the digital space. Back when “influencing” was in its infancy and creators were just trying to find their way, Fran says Maya was way ahead of her time. “I give Maya credit for being one of the pioneers in the digital space,” Fran said. “Maya is a one-person machine, and I always tell her she really changed the game on what ads, campaigns, and videos, in general, should look like.”
When asked what advice she’d give content creators, Maya says the key is having faith even when you don’t see the results just yet. “It’s so easy to look at what is, despite you pouring your heart into this thing that may not be giving you the returns that you thought,” she says. “Still operate from a place of love and authenticity. Have faith and do the work. A lot of people are positive thinkers, but that’s the thinking part. You also have to put your faith into work and do the work.”
Fran ultimately encourages content creators and budding entrepreneurs to take full advantage of Meta Elevate’s vast offerings to educate themselves on how to build and grow their businesses online. “It took me ten years to get to the point where I’m making ads at this level,” she says. “I didn’t have those resources in 2010. I love the partnership with Meta Elevate because they’re providing these resources for free. I just think of the people that wouldn’t be able to afford that education and information otherwise. So to amplify a company like this just feels right.”
Watch the full conversation with the link above, and join the Meta Elevate community to connect with fellow businesses and creatives that are #OnTheRiseTogether.
Featured image courtesy of Shameless Maya and Hey Fran Hey
Exclusive: 'Praise This' Producer Will Packer And Director Tina Gordon Pulls For Non-Traditional Audiences With Film
Praise This has a uber-talented cast helmed by the multi-hyphenate Chloe Bailey. But before the cast, filming, and other things came to play, it started out as a vision from executive producer Will Packer and director Tina Gordon. In our exclusive interview with the visionaries, Will shares that when he received the screenplay, he knew that Tina would be the perfect person to make the script come to life.
"She and I were so aligned in terms of the mission of this movie. We said that we wanted to make a movie that if you were [a] traditional, staunch, church type of person who believes that church should fit into a box, that we were gonna blow that out. That this wasn't the movie for you," Will says. "We wanted to make a movie that was for that non-traditional audience that is open to a church movie. You get that audience in by mashing up gospel with Drake, and with Beyoncé, with Cardi [B]. That's how you do that, and so you come in for the music, and you stay for a powerful story; Tina understood that."
He continues, "And so when I thought about who could helm this, the project was originally pitched to me by an amazing young executive named Antoine Jenkins, and I knew I wanted to do this praise movie in this world, Tina was the right one. I was really hoping she would say yes, and when she did, we were off to the races."
Watch Will's full interview below:
Executive Producer Will Packer Shares How Film Appeals To All Walks of Life
Tina, who directed films like Little, expresses her excitement about working on the Peacock film.
"Will sent me the script, and I had been like circling doing a musical. I hadn't really done something music-driven since Drumline, and so I was excited about the idea of showing gospel choirs, praise teams, specifically 'cause I thought that it would just be a really, just new facet of our culture to show," Tina explains. "And once I kinda nailed down the personalities of the praise teams and how they would be just a little funny, a little bit of a wink and a nod to church culture, I kinda got it, and I was ready to go."
Tina hopes audiences are surprised and inspired by Praise This and wants them to walk away feeling uplifted.
Watch Tina's full interview below:
Praise This is available on Peacock.
Director Tina Gordon Wants Audiences To Be Surprised By Her New Film “Praise This”
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Feature image by Terence Rushin/Getty Images
