Category: Tours

Review of the Little Havana Food and Walking Tour in Miami with Viator | Things to do in Miami, Florida

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I’m not sure why it took me so long to make it to Miami. It’s been on my bucket list for YEARS but I was always a little intimidated by it. I knew I’d love the bright colors and beautiful Art Deco architecture, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the city. Each year for my birthday in February, my husband and I take a trip to the South for some warm weather and sunshine. We’ve made our way through all of the East Coast cities, from Wilmington, NC to Charleston, SC to Savannah, GA and finally St. Augustine, FL. Miami was really the last big one we hadn’t made it to yet so this was the year!

Whenever I’m traveling to bigger cities, I love to take a food tour. We took one in Porto, Portugal (you can read more about it here!), as well as a super fun Port wine and vineyard tour in the Douro Valley in Portugal too. You can read more about it on our blog here! We’re hoping to visit New Orleans later this year and I definitely want to take one there! When I saw that there was a Little Havana Food and Walking Tour in Miami, I signed up as soon as I could! I’ve heard so much about Little Havana and it was honestly one of the highlights of our trip. It’s such an interesting and historical part of the city and it truly feels like you’re stepping back in time. There’s even a park called Domino Park where older men play dominos! Every restaurant and bar has an incredible history behind it and you can even see people rolling cigars in the cigar shops. One of the most interesting parts of visiting Miami was that it didn’t feel like I was in the United States at all. It was such a beautiful and unique blend of cultures. There were so many different languages being spoken as we wandered the streets and we encountered people from all over the world. There were so many delicious restaurants with sidewalk patios and people sipping wine at all times of the day. It was so refreshing because it was like visiting Europe only I didn’t have to leave the country!

I’ve been on a few food tours and I can definitely say this one included the most food and drinks so far. We were stuffed by the end of it! Our tour guide was Helena and she knew everything about the area and the history behind Little Havana and how the area began. She was super sweet and happy to answer any questions we had. She made everyone laugh the whole time but was also very in tune with how serious the impact of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Revolution were on the area and the locals.

The group met outside of the Tower Theatre which was right in the center of the action of Little Havana. Our tour started at 5 pm so we got to watch the area’s nightlife slowly start to come to life. Helena gave us a little bit of history about the Tower Theatre and then we headed across the street to our first stop, El Cristo Restaurant. We got to try some (super strong) Cuban coffee, which definitely kept us going the rest of the evening! And then we were each given a rather large empanada that was incredibly delicious while Helena told us a bit about Cuban coffee and the staples of Cuban cuisine.

We then made a stop at Clandestino’s Cigars where we go to see a woman rolling cigars while Helena walked us through the process. It was amazing how many generations back the woman’s family history went with cigar rolling. She definitely knew what she was doing and it was a surprisingly interesting activity to watch! We were given a few minutes to shop and of course, I picked up a cigar to bring home for my dad. 🙂

Our next stop was CubaTa Tapas Y Vinos for a Mojito and a traditional Cubano sandwich! I was looking forward to this the most because I love Mojito’s and it definitely quenched my thirst after a long day in the hot Miami sunshine. My only qualm is that I wish I could have had another! The Cubano sandwich was the best one we had the whole time we were in Miami too. It was so delicious and the bread was amazing. On our way out, we passed by the Ball & Chain, an incredibly famous rum bar that often has live Cuban music. It’s has an insane history with musicians like Billie Holiday and Chet Baker playing there, not to mention that it has quite a shady history with mobs and illegal gambling. Chris and I actually popped in there after the food tour for a rum flight and enjoyed some amazing local music and culture. Make sure to stop in here for a drink after the tour! It’s a such a fun place.

Helena led us by Domino Park before grabbing a super tasty guava pastry at Party Cake Bakery. It was the perfect sweet treat after the Mojito. On our way to our last food spot, we stopped by the Bay of Pigs monument and Helena told us some interesting facts about the invasion and how it affected the community and the culture of Little Havana today.

We ended the night with some of the most delicious ice cream I’ve ever had at Azucar Ice Cream Company. We got to try the Abuela Maria flavor and I highly recommend trying this flavor if you ever go to Azucar! It has a vanilla ice cream base with guava chunks and marmalade, cream cheese, and Maria cookies. I love an ice cream with crunchy cookies and it was just “simply divine” as my grandmother loves to say!

The tour ended here but as I mentioned, we weren’t ready to go back to our hotel in South Beach quite yet, so we ended the night at Ball & Chain for a rum flight. The rum flight included a LOT of rum so we only got one and split it. It was the perfect way to finish celebrating our visit to Little Havana.

If you are in Miami, you just have to take this tour. If you’re interested in booking the same tour that we did, you can find it on Viator here! We learned so much and it was the one thing from our trip that we can’t stop telling everyone about. Little Havana is such a unique area and I truly don’t think there’s anywhere else like it in the United States. It’s incredibly special and I hope it always stays that way. We had the best time in Miami and I’ll be writing a post about our Gator Tour and Airboat Ride in the Everglades soon too so make sure to check back! You can book that tour on Viator too. You can find out more about it here!

If you’re looking for affordable hotel recommendations, we stayed at the Kasa La Flora in Miami Beach. We had a lovely, super clean, large room and we were in a great area with easy access to the beach (only 1 block!) and close to tons of amazing restaurants. We walked pretty much everywhere the whole trip. I also considered staying in the Barcelona Studios Guesthouse because they apparently have a bunch of cats that roam the cute courtyard! I’ll definitely be staying there next time! We did have to take an Uber to the Little Havana tour though because it is downtown. Just something to keep in mind! 🙂

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy travels!

❤ Myles Katherine

Review: GetYourGuide’s Rome: Colosseum Underground and Arena Tour

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We knew we had to see the iconic Colosseum during our first time in Rome, and I am so happy we booked GetYourGuide’s Rome: Colosseum Underground and Arena Tour! We were able to “skip-the-line” and walk right in with our tour group without worrying about fighting the crowds or wondering where to go.

What really sold me about this tour is that we were able to explore the underground section, which is often has restricted entry. This aspect made the tour stand out to me since we got to weave through the basement of the Colosseum and see where animals were housed and other parts of the mechanical systems of the venue.

Rome was the last stop on our honeymoon, and I couldn’t wait for this tour. We stayed at the luxurious St. Regis Rome, which we found to be centrally located and easy to explore around the city (see my full hotel review here!).

The morning of the tour, we walked over to our pre-arranged meeting spot and found our guide easily. We followed him to the Colosseum as he told us the history and stories of gladiators and the many different phases of the Colosseum throughout history. Because we went to the underground section, it felt like we had VIP access, and it was a nice break from the more crowded areas of the Colosseum.

We had plenty of time to take photos and explore the upper parts of the Colosseum as well. Seeing the Colosseum up close is an absolute must for any visit to Rome.

After we finished exploring the Colosseum, we walked with our group through the Roman Forum, and our guide told us more stories and insight into how it would have looked thousands of years ago. He narrated well, creating great visualizations for us and the beautiful ruins to life. Again, we had great opportunities for photos, and the views were stunning.

As a bit of a history buff, I loved the tour and exploring the Roman Forum. I also found that the tour wasn’t too long or drawn out either. It was the perfect amount of time for storytelling and solo exploration. After the tour was over, we had continued access through the Roman Forum and could leisurely stroll throughout for the rest of the afternoon.

Overall, the tour was easy-going, concise, and informative. I would definitely recommend the Colosseum and Underground Arena Tour to anyone looking for a more structured visit to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and to learn lots of facts and stories!

❤ Natalie Anne

Essential Travel Tips for Planning Your Own Trip without using a Travel Agent – Portugal Edition!

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I’m not sure how it happened, but at some point my sister and I became the designated travel agents for all of our friends and family. And no, we don’t do it professionally! We just love traveling, we love researching, and we love having memorable and easygoing travel experiences. Ever since our summer abroad in Paris when we were in high school and college, we’ve slowly learned a thing or two about being abroad. It’s always a little overwhelming in the beginning of planning a trip. Flights, hotels, rental cars, day trips, restaurants… it’s a lot to think about it. But if you just focus on one thing at a time, the rest will fall into place. I also wrote this list in the order that I follow throughout the booking process. 🙂 I hope it helps simplify your travel planning!

FLIGHTS

I always start with booking my flight first. It just feels like the “biggest” thing to get out of the way – figuring out the dates! Plus, the plane ticket is usually the largest and most expensive part of traveling so I like to make sure I get the best deal on the plane tickets first and foremost. I typically try to research flight prices on Mondays-Wednesdays when the tickets are usually the cheapest. It’s also helpful to book at 6-8 weeks out for domestic flights and 2-6 months out for international flights. Though, if you’re dates are flexible, I recommend watching the flight prices for a few days (or weeks if you have the time) before making your purchase. I tend to use Booking.com most of the time because it’s easy to find the cheapest flights with their search engine and they offer mix-and-match flights from multiple airlines. Oftentimes, booking directly with an airline site is more expensive. Just make sure to read their refund process because it’s usually different for each airline, even when you book through Booking.com. I tend to do way too much research when it comes to booking flights because I’m always looking for the one with the least amount of layovers for the best price. Yes, sometimes I’ll even make spreadsheets and charts before purchasing… but that’s probably overkill. 🙂 I booked our Portugal trip for 10 days. I always find this to be a good timeline if you’re going to be traveling between two-three cities. And honestly, 10 days wasn’t even enough for Portugal! In Japan, we were there for about 11 days, which felt just about perfect. If you’re spending all of this money on plane tickets, you might as well make it worth your while! And remember, you only live once!

HOTELS

Okay, so you finally pulled the trigger and booked a flight! Yay! After I book a flight, I usually take a few days off to let my brain recharge. Hotel research is a whole other beast. BUT! Booking.com actually offers package deals that include flights and hotels, which makes it even easier! I usually do my initial research on Booking.com and then make sure to read a few reviews on each hotel on Google too before officially deciding. If you’re traveling to Portugal, make sure to check out my blog post – Cute and Affordable Hotels in Porto and Lisbon – for recommendations! I’ve learned the hard way to keep the hotels to a minimum. Meaning, stay in the same hotel for as many nights as possible and avoid switching hotels if you can. It’s such a pain dealing with check-in/check-out times and dragging suitcases down the street and on public transportation. TRUST ME. I recommend only one hotel per city. In many cases, you can take day-trips out of major cities to see landmarks and use your hotel as a home base for the majority of your trip. Also, I definitely recommend reading some travel blogs or reddit posts about the best areas for visitors to stay in for the city you are visiting. You’d be surprised how many people have already done the research for you! Reddit is a lifesaver, in case you haven’t discovered it yet. I use it all the time! You can usually figure out how convenient a hotel is by reading the reviews as well. In Europe, I tend to like hotels that are located near the river, as most European cities were built around waterways. In Porto, I’d recommend the Ribeira and Baixa areas. In Lisbon, we stayed in the Chiado area!

TRANSPORTATION

Booking transportation can be the most stressful part of planning a trip – trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B in a foreign country. Honestly, I just read other people’s travel blogs! After doing a bit of research, I figured out that Omio is one of the easiest ways to book bus and train tickets in Portugal. They have a super easy to use phone app, so just make sure to download it before you go! I booked our train ticket from Porto to Lisbon on the app before we left but I’ve read that you can book train tickets on Omio even on the day of your train ride. You can also book buses and ferries on Omio, all over Europe. It’s a super helpful app! For rental cars, you can also use Booking.com. They always have super competitive rates!

EXPERIENCES AND DAY TRIPS

This is the fun part! What do you want to do while you’re there?! Booking day trips and experiences are the best way to get to know a new country. You can do food tours, ghost tours, boat rides, entertainment, wine tastings, etc. The list goes on and on! I prefer to use Viator for this kind of thing because the experiences usually have a lot of reviews from previous travelers. Sometimes there are multiple versions of the same type of excursion but the schedule of the day is different. They do this so that tour groups don’t run into each other. For example, the Douro Valley Wine Tour with River Cruise that I booked in Portugal had a few different options. You could either do the tour that included two vineyard visits and a boat ride OR a tour that included three vineyard visits without a boat ride. We also did a 3 Hour Food & Wine Tour in Porto, Portugal that we loved – you can read more about it on the blog here! These kinds of tours are typically great for older travelers too because everything is pre-planned and you can choose the tour that works for your accessibility. I try to book at least 2-3 tours/excursions for each trip we take. The tour guides are usually super friendly and willing to share information about their culture and country. You might even find that you make friends through your tour group that you keep up with throughout your travels. And maybe even friends for life!

RESTAURANTS AND FOOD OPTIONS

This can often be the most stressful part of a trip when you’re exhausted, lost, jet-lagged, or starving. Every country is different, which is why I make sure to create a list of restaurant ideas before we even leave for our trip. I make sure to pick restaurants that are close to our hotel for those nights when our feet are throbbing and we just want to hang out in our temporary neighborhood. You can also create your own map using Google My Maps, which is an incredible tool. You can add the restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, landmarks, and anything else you’re planning to do to your map so you can see how far away everything is from each other. Make sure to download your map to make it accessible offline just in case you don’t have wifi or service at some point during your trip.

OTHER TRAVEL TIPS

-Bring a charged power bank with you everywhere. Your phone will die FAST when you’re using it all day for maps, directions, restaurant research, etc.

-Bring a camera! As a photographer, I often bring multiple cameras, but a camera like the Canon G7X Mark II is great for travel because the images are beautiful but the camera itself is super easy to use. You can read more about this camera on my photography blog here! Plus, it’s a tiny point and shoot camera and can fit in your pocket!

-Invest in a rolling suitcase with spinner wheels. These are SO much better than the old school suitcases that you have to drag behind you. It makes the airport experience a million times better, believe me!

-GET AIRTAGS FOR YOUR LUGGAGE! I’ve heard so many nightmare stories about lost luggage. Airtags allow you to track your luggage throughout your trip. Even if you just accidentally leave your suitcase outside of the elevator at your hotel. Airtags are truly amazing. I use them for everything in my life now. Plus, it’s kind of fun to watch your suitcase travel along with you from airport to airport.

I’ll be sure to add more tips as they come to me, but for now, I hope these tips help you in your planning process! Feel free to leave any comments/questions below!

Happy traveling!
❤ Myles Katherine

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New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour by Viator – Review – NYC Travel Tips & Ideas

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(This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links.)

There’s a LOT to see in New York City and it’s not always easy to navigate the city, especially if you’ve never been there. I still remember my very first trip to NYC when I was about 13, and the stress on my dad’s face as we tried to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B. If only we had known about this New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour by Viator. At this point, I feel fairly confident getting around the city since I’ve been there quite a few times. But on my latest visit, I was only going to be there for two days, but I still wanted to see all of the famous sites and landmarks. Is it really a trip to NYC if you don’t visit Times Square and Central Park?!

This tour was perfect because it’s only from about 9:00 am to 3:30pm, so you still have plenty of daylight left afterwards to continue exploring on your own. And the tour starts and ends right next to Times Square, so you can spend the rest of your day visiting all of the fun shops and restaurants in the area.

Our tour guide, Don, was incredible. He grew up in the city and knew everything about every single building we drove by. He had so many entertaining stories and truly brought the city to life. It was amazing to hear about how the city has changed over the last few decades.

Some of the highlights of the tour included Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Staten Island Ferry, the 9/11 Memorial and so many others. I can’t imagine trying to do all of this in one day on our own. It was so nice to have a bus driver who kept us on track and got us everywhere in a timely fashion. Plus, the fact that this tour also included a two-way trip on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty truly made it a full, classic NYC day. It was pretty rainy on the day of our tour, but we were given rain ponchos from our tour guide which we were very grateful for, considering we totally forgot to bring an umbrella.

When we were near Rockefeller Center we got to see some of the famous TV filming locations, and we got lucky and saw Jenna Bush and Leslie Bibb filming live on the Today Show! If you’re a White Lotus fan, then you know Leslie Bibb. That totally made my day!

This tour is perfect for families with kids of all ages because it takes the guess work out of the day. I’m sure my dad would have felt much more relaxed back in the day if we’d had a guided bus tour to drag us all around the city. He also would have loved our tour guide, an NYC native with that classic New York accent and personality that you’ve seen in the movies. This tour is also great because it doesn’t involve too much walking, and you’re always welcome to stay on the bus at any point and skip one of the visits. The bus was super nice and fully air-conditioned, which I’m sure makes a big difference on those hot summer days in NYC. I feel like this tour would be perfect around the holidays too, since it gets so crowded in the city near Rockefeller center. Our tour guide knew the best ways in and out of everything to avoid crowds, so I think it would really help make your holiday trip to NYC more relaxing and easygoing. Not to mention, you’ll get to see the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree and ice skating rink!

If you’re interested in reading more about this tour and seeing more photos from our day, make sure to check out my photography blog here! And if you’d like to book this exact same tour, you can find it on Viator here. And make sure to check out my Viator Shop for all of my recommended tours all around the world. Take it from me, tours are the best way to see everything without the hassle of figuring out transportation yourself. And if you’re traveling with your parents, grandparents, or children, these tours are a game changer. If you’re looking for a hotel in the Times Square/Hell’s Kitchen area, I highly recommend the StayPineapple Hotel in Midtown. It’s great for couples and super affordable. The rooms are somewhat small so I’m not sure I’d recommend it for larger families, but it’s super cute and quirky! We loved it.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy travels!

❤ Myles Katherine

Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Transport from London with Viator Review – Best London, England Tours & Travel Tips

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Oh my goodness, this tour! I just got home from our trip to England last week and I’ve been itching to write a post about the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Transport from London. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! We almost didn’t even go on the tour because we’d already spent 10 days hiking through the Cotswolds on the 103-mile Cotswold Way Trail (don’t worry, I’ll be sharing posts about that whole experience soon too). We ended up booking it for our very last day in London and it was 100% worth it.

While my husband and I both enjoy watching the Harry Potter films about once a year in the fall, we’re not super fans by any means. We weren’t sure if it was going to be a fun experience for us or if the whole thing was really meant for true Harry Potter fans only. But it is honestly an experience that anyone of any age could enjoy.

The bus ride from London was about an hour long and then we were given from 9:30am to 2:00pm to enjoy the Harry Potter experience on our own. There is no designated tour guide for the day but you have the option to purchase digital headsets to listen to key facts as you’re moving along. However, we didn’t opt for the headsets and we still thoroughly enjoyed everything and didn’t feel like we missed out on anything. There are plenty of signs, videos, and plaques along the way so you’ll get tons of information from those.

You start off in the Great Hall where you get to see the actual set that they used for the movie, including the magical floating candles and long tables! It was stunning. After the Great Hall, you enter a much larger room filled with props, videos, outfits, entire sets, and so much more. It was insane how much there was to see! We were lucky enough to be there for the “Tri-Wizard Tournament” so there were actors and dancers adding even more magic to the day. I don’t want to spoil too much so I’ll just include a few photos of my favorite moments from throughout the day. I will say that it’s important not to spend too much time on any one thing. There’s so much to see and do and you don’t want to run out of time!

Once you reach the cafeteria, you’re about halfway through the experience. We finally got to try Butterbeer and even got a Butterbeer cupcake and doughnut too! There are burgers, hotdogs, burritos and all sorts of food options for lunch. They have vegan options as well! I tried the vegan burrito and it was pretty good. Not amazing or anything, but decently yummy! The Butterbeer cupcake was delish though. 🙂

Throughout the day you’ll wander through the Forbidden Forest, stroll through Diagon Alley and board the Hogwarts Express. You’ll see thousands of props, hundreds of outfits worn by the cast, and dozens of different activities and interactive experiences. It was truly such a fun day and so incredibly memorable. I’d even go back and do the whole thing again next time I’m in London!

There’s a section of the tour that is outside so just make sure to bring an umbrella if it’s a rainy day! Though you could easily view those sections from inside the cafeteria and some of them are walk-through or have indoor portions, so even if you don’t have an umbrella, you’d be perfectly fine.

We didn’t have much time in the gift shop but we ended up visiting the Harry Potter shop at Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station in London and we were able to buy most of the same products there.

If you’re interested in booking the same tour, you can find it on Viator here! I’d 100,000% recommend this tour, as it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! It’s amazing to see the sets they used to film the movies and we learned so much about how much time, money, energy and work went into their creation. We both came home wanting to watch documentaries about the making of the Harry Potter films because the lengths they went to to make these movies magical is truly epic. I’ve been raving about this tour ever since we got home. The only downside was that I would have liked a little more time to look at everything, but it also left me wanting more which is probably better than being “over it” by the end of the day. I’d gladly go back on this tour again if any of my friends or family members want to go next time we’re in London. We absolutely loved every second of it.

Thanks so much for reading! You can find out more about this tour on my photography blog here. If you’d like to see more of my recommended tours around the world, check out my Viator shop here! Happy travels!

❤ Myles Katherine

(This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links.)