North America – Page 2 – Don't Stop Living

Best Family Spots to Visit in Mexico in 2023

Posted on March 2, 2023November 20, 2024 by Jonny Blair

Reflecting on my journeys is something I do often and I’ll never quite have the time to be able to cover every single adventure I had. There are just too many. For 7 weeks in 2014, I spent my time in solely Mexico and Guatemala. In fact, apart from a stint in Hong Kong, Poland and Kyrgyzstan that’s the longest double country stint in my last 10 years of travel. I loved Mexico and especially the food. I toured it with my ex-girlfriend but how about touring it with your family? I thought I’d compile a list of my favourite spots in Mexico for 2023 for a family.

backpacking mexico — Backpacking in San Cristobal de las Casas – enjoying the food in Mexico.

Best Family Spots to Visit in Mexico in 2023

1.Mexico City

Who could neglect spending a few days in the pulsating streets of Mexico City? This is a huge city with so much charm, so many bars, cantinas, churches and what a vibe it has. For the family, a treat food wise and an easy transport system to negotiate – the metro is easy to use.

backpacking mexico city jonny — Mexico City – WOW!

As well as the incredible food such as nachos and blue tacos, there is also the chance to “do the Maradona” on a stadium tour to the Azteca. If your family is feeling brave, there is also the option to head to Barrio De Tepito, often classed as the most district in Mexico City, as my fellow blogger Trevor Warman covered on his blog. Trevor has spent some time living in Mexico and has some really great stories about it.

Doing the Maradona at the Hand of God end! Mexico City.

2.Island Life

Families love the relaxation of an island or a beach and Mexico offers so many options for this. You can stay mainland loyal in glorious Cancun of course, but how about a little boating adventure off the coast to a classic island? You can take the Ferry from Chiquila to Holbox and feel that magical Caribbean Sea atmosphere and fresh air. Cocktails, Micheladas for Mum and Dad while the kids swim in the clear blue waters.

3.Aztecan Ruins

Basically Mexico has so many Aztecan Ruins it can be hard to know which ones to visit, so maybe a road trip and tick off a few of them? I managed to nab a hat-trick and for families whose kids love a sense of adventure intertwined with history, this is a perfect option. Plus the kids love the freedom of escaping the madness of the big cities for a few hours.

In front of the astronomical building in Gran Plaza.

Get snap happy too – these archaelogical ruins are so inspiring and pretty to look at, whilst you are also educating your kids at the same time. For the record, I visited Teotihuacan, Palenque and Monte Alban and love them all!

Best memories from backpacking in Mexico

4.Waterfalls and Lagunas

Aside from the hotel swimming pools and the beach life, there are many other places to get your fix of swimming and bathing in water. I headed to Misol Ha waterfalls and Agua Azul pool and loved the relaxation of it all.

Swimming in the waters in front of Agua Azul waterfalls in Mexico.

5.Oaxaca

The lofty city of Oaxaca is a treat for anyone who visits, officially known as Oaxaca De Juarez. I’d recommend staying in a family style abode, such as La Betulia Bed And Breakfast. Try some really good ice cream and backpack the marvellous sights of this stunner!

Cool grafitti in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico.

Eating Tequila Ice Cream in Oaxaca de Juarez.

And so those 5 ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a family visit to Mexico this year. There is also San Cristobal De Las Casas, Acapulco, Chichen Itza and Guadalajara which I haven’t even mentioned yet! Safe travels out to marvellous Mexico!

Monday’s Money Saving Tips: Free Nachos in the Cantinas and Bars in Mexico City, Mexico

Touring Monte Alban: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico.

best hostel mexico city — Loving the Relaxing Charm of Casa San Ildefonso: The Best Place to Stay in Mexico City, Mexico

Touring the Tequila and Mezcal Museum in Mexico City, Mexico

Jumping for joy in the Mexican countryside – visiting Teotihuacan in Mexico.

Enjoying the street markets of colossal Mexico City

Visiting The Ocean Club in The Bahamas🇧🇸 Where James Bond Hung Out During Casino Royale

Posted on February 18, 2023August 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

“When the storm arrives would you be seen with me by the merciless eyes of deceit?” – Chris Cornell.

Visiting The Ocean Club in The Bahamas Where James Bond Hung Out During Casino Royale

While backpacking around the world I’d often end up in places where famous films/movies have been filmed. Sometimes that was by accident. I rarely watch films and I’m cinema unloyal so I never go looking for a whackpacking film adventure. However a few examples of accidental visits to film sets include the Indiana Jones sets of Petra in Jordan, the Charlie/Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory sets in Munich in Bavaria and many The Sound Of Music venues around Austria. I was just whackpacking the hat-trick and happened to research or find out that the shebang took place there.

Doing the Indiana Jones tour at Petra, Jordan

Backpacking Bond

I even backpacked Bond a few times…The MI5 Building and The Millennium Dome in London as well as the Oil Fields in Azerbaijan. These are just a few of the many locations around the world where you can backpack Bond.

“Warm sun feed me up; cos I’m leery, loaded up” – Bush.

james bond oil fields azerbaijan — The name’s Blair, Jonny Blair – doing the James Bond Oil Fields in Azerbaijan.

Bond And The Caribbean

The Caribbean has long time been a set location for a plethora of James Bond movies. This dates back to the very first Bond film, Doctor No. In that episode the mysterious Ursula Andress appears in pristine waters under the name Honey Ryder.
“Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me can watch for the moon…” – Doctor No, James Bond Movie (1962)

“Underneath the mango tree, me honey and me can watch for the moon…” – Doctor No, James Bond Movie (1962)

Jamaica was enveloped too and many Caribbean locations were used for Bonds down the years. I planned to visit both Paradise Island and New Providence when backpacking in The Bahamas. On the flight in (from Haiti), I flew backwards with a French backpacker called Antoine. We decided to tour some of The Bahamas together and just after arriving, we decided to walk to Paradise Island from New Providence. I had already planned to visit the beach and the Ocean Club, however I honestly did not know that Casino Royale was filmed here until Antoine told me. It was Daniel Craig who played James Bond in that one. And so, I had to do the Bond! Here are some James Bond locations –

James Bond Away

“Martinis, girls and guns. It’s murder on your love affair” – Sheryl Crow.

cluedo pub crawl — Pub Cluedo with the lads in Manchester baxck in 2012 – top day out.

Getting To The Ocean Club on Paradise Island in The Bahamas

Getting to the Ocean Club in The Bahamas was easy enough on foot. I was staying at the Humes House Backpackers Hostel in Nassau on New Providence island in The Bahamas. I walked across the bridge and it’s easy to visit 2 islands in The Bahamas without using a boat or a plane.

The Ocean Club on Paradise Island, The Bahamas

I backpacked it loyal from that adjacent island, New Providence by bridge across to Paradise Island. I was with my French mate Antoine, and we decided to walk across the bridge between the two islands. This was not only to save money but also for the views, the adventure, the randomness and keeping fit.

The bridge is a 5 minute dander on peak but we took photos and savoured the place along the way. Cars and vehicles have to pay some kind of tax, toll payment or fee. On foot, it’s free. It was the Sidney Poitier Bridge we used to cross over onto Paradise Island. Coming back, we used the other bridge. There are only two bridges and the trip is easy to do and it’s easy to navigate. I had a paper map but you won’t need one. Paradise Island is a cool and quirky place and it’s not big.

Backpacking Bond Away – Getting to Paradise Island

Once on Paradise Island we did a bit of touring around including a main street full of shops, restaurants and bars slightly akin to a wacaday Caribbean version of Walt’s Disney World. We headed through the pedestrian area as well as the swanky Atlantis Resort. It looks like this…

Arrival At The Ocean Club

Then we headed to the grand entrance and gardens to The Ocean Club. It’s actually part of The Four Seasons Hotel and although you might think it’s private property, we just walked on in. The Bahamas seemed very safe to me, one of the safest countries I have been in. We walked through the gardens past the entrance to the Ocean Club, saw the spa and a swimming pool and a bar, plus a Livingstone statue.

“Name’s Bond; James Bond. Name’s Blair; Jonny Blair” – JB loyal.

Jonny Blair doing the Bond at the Swimming Pool at the Ocean Club

Daniel Craig doing the Bond at the Swimming Pool at the Ocean Club

Arrival At The Ocean Club – gardens and pool

Next up, and past a swimming pool and bar overlooking the Caribbean Sea, it’s time for a swim in the gorgeous waters here at the oddly named Cabbage Beach…

Cabbage Beach

When I backpack in the Caribbean, I love a swim in the waters here – simply beautiful. I headed to Cabbage Beach for my dip. This is really as good as swimming in a Sea or Ocean gets – so clean, clear and pristine.

Oh and my latest (at the time) paperback book made it here too, with the subject matter “somebody” whose lies inspired it all…I Went To Gdansk With Somebody.

Cocktails at The Ocean Club Bar overlooking Cabbage Beach

After a dip in the pure sky blue turquoise waters, I craved a cocktail and this was one of the dearest drinks of my life but it had to be done. I opted for a Pineapple Mojito At Ocean Club 4Seasons Cabbage Beach. The price was 24 Bahamian Dollars. I was to learn that the dollars in The Bahamas are pegged to the US Dollar. So actually, this was the dearest drink I can ever remember buying. A close second would have been my Singapore Sling in The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, but that was two decades eaerlier!

Pineapple Mojito At Ocean Club 4Seasons Cabbage Beach

Even though it was dear, and I paid on card here, this was a truly delicious drink, well deserved and I did it on the 31st December 2022 so a nice end to the year with a gorgeous view.

Actually Doing The Bond At The Ocean Club: Casino Royale Away

So after all that, I finally copied something Bond did in the film Casino Royale. Firstly please note that this is the second Casino Royale film – the 2006 one with Daniel Craig as James Bond 007, as opposed to the 1967 Casino Royale. Though being in a soapy bath with a babe like David Niven once did with Angela Schoular, would still be up there with the Connery Andress scene…

David Niven as James Bond 007 in the 1967 Casino Royale, with Angela Schoular.

Then it’s time for the main reception entrance to the Ocean Club – in the 2006 Casino Royale, James Bond arrives here by car and is seen in this car park by this building a few times in the film…

Actually Doing The Bond At The Ocean Club: Casino Royale Away

The front entrance to the Ocean Club is the place which reminds us most of the iconic Bond moment from that film in terms of Bahamas filming. Before that in the film, he was seen driving by the coast on a road I also took by taxi earlier that day. I did the Bond including the walk up the steps from the movie. I have linked both the Bond version and the Blair version below.

The James Bond Scene From The Ocean Club, Paradise Island, The Bahamas in 2006:

The Jonny Blair Scene From The Ocean Club, Paradise Island, The Bahamas in 2022:

Here are the details of The Ocean Club in The Bahamas where James Bond hung out in Casino Royale:

Address: One Ocean Drive Paradise Island Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas

The Spa at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas

Phone: +1 242-363-2501
https://www.fourseasons.com/oceanclub/

https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsResortOceanClubBahamas
https://www.instagram.com/fourseasons/

Tweets by FourSeasons

Here are the details of the James Bond Movies:

David Niven as 007 in The Original Casino Royale (1967)

Daniel Craig as 007 in The Newer Casino Royale (2006)

Here are some videos from my visit to The Ocean Club in The Bahamas where James Bond hung out in Casino Royale:

Underneath The Mango Tree:

Fake Backpacking In Turks And Caicos Islands🇹🇨: My Shortest Country Visit Ever!!

Posted on February 18, 2023September 24, 2024 by Jonny Blair

“You come and go. You come and go” – Culture Club.

Fake Backpacking In Turks And Caicos Islands: My Shortest Country Visit Ever!!

This story is way too long to be included here, and indeed I’m pencilling it in for a future book but a snippet asked to be included on here, for the sake of the blog dipping in and out of all that madness. I still can’t believe that I have been to Turks And Caicos Islands officially, but yet I haven’t actually seen anything other than a runway, an airport and the views on the way in and out. Therefore, while I include the country in places I have officially been (since I’ve been there and hate liars), I haven’t included it in my backpacking country visit count, which is currently on 227 real countries that I recognise and have been to for longer. Still for 10 minutes I was out and about in Turks And Caicos Islands – officially my shortest country visit EVER!

On this trip, I was travelling with Inter Caribbean from Santo Domingo in The Dominican Republic on Hispaniola. This flight was arranged late due to another two flights being cancelled. Travel dreams since COVID-19 all began have been horrific and I estimate that I have wasted about 8 weeks of travel and amassed $10,000 US more than I would have done had I done all my post-COVID travel before it began. Madness and sadness.

InterCaribbean Airlines post-COVID starting

I was supposed to visit Haiti first, but twice, my flights into Haiti were cancelled and so I settled on an early entrance to Jamaica and expected to get a direct flight. You would expect Dominican Republic to Jamaica to be easier and cheaper direct. Well there was a direct flight, but it ridiculously worked out cheaper to go via Turks And Caicos, where I’d land on the island of Providenciales. Initally of course, I checked the possibility of spending a night here in Providencials, so I could say I’d spent 2 days, 1 night there and actually backpack it but there was no flight out the next day to Jamaica or Haiti, so it was to be a quick connection only…after some visa debates and flight confusion, I almost missed this flight due to the staff at Santo Domingo Airport.

Leaving Santo Domingo on Hispaniola For Providenciales, Turks And Caicos Islands

Finally they let me have my boarding pass and I was to learn that the flight from Santo Domingo was in fact delayed. Typically. Officially too, I’d be doing my immigration forms so I would actually land and “visit” this country Turks And Caicos Islands however due to the delay, I was bound to the aeroplane and runway only – at late notice, they decided to use the same aeroplane for my connection!! And I was the ONLY customer booked on those two flights that day, so I found myself alone. I also found out that Turks And Caicos is a HUB for The Caribbean, similar to how Nauru is a hub in the Pacific Ocean.

I found out that Turks And Caicos is a hub!

After a crazy chase around the airport, I boarded in Santo Domingo. The crazy chase involved the boarding gate being changed THREE times, including sticking us on the same gate as the Miami flight which was a huge Boeing 747, while ours was a small plane for about 25 people!

Also my flgith was delayed by three hours so I grabbed 2 beers and a Michelada at the airport and munched the rest of my snacks from my previous breakfasts/lunches (which I always save for “when I’m hungry”).

Eventually after 3 gates changes, 3 hours and my Michelada, I boarded! I was leaving Santo Domingo and Hispaniola for Providenciales in The Turks And Caicos Islands!

The short flight (I think it was about 50 minutes) landed in the beauty of Providenciales. I filled in my immigration forms and so officially I have been to The Turks And Caicos Islands! I’m a bit strict on myself and I don’t count it as I didn’t leave the airport, although I could have done! I could have seen The Turks And Caicos Islands, but if I had done that, I’d have missed my connecting flight to Kingston, Jamaica. I filled in my forms and we landed in a beautiful tropical island.

Filling in my immigration forms for Turks And Caicos Islands

So I landed in Providenciales in The Turks And Caicos Islands. Originally I would have loved to visit Grace Bay Beach and Turtle Cove, but due to the three hour flight delay, the fact that I had done immigration already (and had my connecting ticket), I was unable to leave the airport or see the country. I was in and out in about 10 minutes! Yes I had 10 minutes in the country (not couting the time sitting on the plane on arrival and before departure). After reboarding the plane, I realised it was the exact same plane in fact and now, I was the ONLY passenger onboard. There was another delay and as I waited, more passengers did join me, though in the meantime, I did turn the flight into a Northern Ireland fan’s solo away trip…I put my fleg up and I was totally shocked that I was the only passenger who was transiting here. It’s certainly a rare thing to do that for me – to visit a country without really visiting it. I was alone on the flight, besides the staff…

I was alone on the flight, besides the staff…here I am in Providenciales!

In the GAWA end, I waited and nobody else boarded. The plane refuelled and an air hostess boarded to inform me that there were more passengers coming but they were currently going through immigration due to another separate flight being delayed. She also confirmed I was the only transit passenger to be on both these flights! And that it was rare for that to happen on the Jamaica connection…

GAWA away trip till Turks And Caicos Islands!

Finally, other passengers came on and a Jamaican lady actually sat beside me. I had 4 flights in total cancelled during my 2022 – 2023 Caribbean adventure, but finally this one went ahead and landed, only about 40 minutes late into Kingston in Jamaica. The rest of these adventures are saved for the book, here are some photos on my flight into Jamaica.

Leaving Providenciales in Turks And Caicos and landing in Kingston in Jamaica

Here are some videos I made during my shortest stay ever in a country – Turks and Caicos Islands:

Curious in Curacao🇨🇼: My Unexpected Debut in the Famous ABC Islands

Posted on February 12, 2023August 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

“It’s easier than learning your ABC” – The Locomotion.

Curious in Curacao: My Unexpected Debut in the Famous ABC Islands

When I boarded my flight in Madrid to Havana in Cuba in December 2022, Curacao was NOT on my itinerary. The main reason was that I knew I would visit the ABC Islands together in the future on a different trip. It seemed that it was best to visit these three famous ABC Islands in one hit, it just felt logical to me. The ABC are of course Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and I recognise all three as real countries (in a similar way that I recognise Guernsey, Jersey, Sark, Herm and Alderney as separate countries). For a start they have their own currency, FIFA international football team, borders, immigration forms and flags.

Passport Stamp at Curaçao International Airport

However, since COVID began in December 2019, travel has become a LOT more difficult. I have had over 10 flights cancelled since then. On this trip, the airline company Inter Caribbean cancelled my flight from Kingston to Port Au Prince in Haiti. Oh dear, this meant I couldn’t make my connections and my entire Caribbean adventure was likely to be ruined with me not able to visit Turks And Caicos or Haiti as originally planned.

Arrival in...🔵🍊🇨🇼 Curaçao — Arrival in…🔵🍊🇨🇼 Curaçao

Finally, I found a cheap flight option that would still allow me to land in Haiti on the day I planned (albeit a bit later that day) and as a bonus ball, I got a full evening, night and early morning in Curacao. This was a treat.

All BLUE – having a Blue Curacao before my trip to Curacao

As I was there in winter time, the nights get darker earlier which was a pity. I didn’t need a visa to backpack Curacao, but I needed an embarkation card in advance. Once I had shown that, and my passport, the border guard stamped me into Curacao, country 210 on my wacaday journey.

Arrival at Curaçao International Airport

By that time, the sunset had almost ended though I did savour the sinking sun from the front of the airport as I considered options on getting to my hostel, The Bed And Bike Hostel in Willemstad.

Backpacking In Curaçao: Dorm Pod Life At Bed And Bike, Willemstad

I decided to hire a car, as that way I could drive around the island a bit and also save having to pay double taxis to and from the airport. It was too far to walk to the capital city and back to the airport for my morning flight the next day.

However, a huge shock then occurred. I asked at three different car rental companies and the price of hiring a car would be around $90 USD which I thought was reasonable, BUT…they wouldn’t accept payment in cash, on PayPal or by my Mastercard. It had to be a CREDIT card – a game I escaped as soon as I left Hong Kong in 2015. I don’t do credit cards anymore!! Despite begging to pay in cash, it was not accepted so I had to bite the bullet and get a taxi to my hostel. I was told in advance that taxis would be $15 USD from the airport to Willemstad. At the time I landed, there seemed to be very few taxis waiting. Everyone else on my flight had a pick up arranged or a car.

Thirsty Thursdays: Actually Drinking Blue CURAÇAO🔵🍊🇨🇼 in Curaçao at The Hemingway Bar, Mambo Beach

I couldn’t bargain the taxis down any lower than $30 US in the end, which was a shame but I had to bite the bullet and pay it, but alas here I was in Curacao to explore this country for an afternoon, an evening a night and a morning. There was the absolute joy of actually having a Blue Curacao drink in Curacao, even better I had it in the Hemingway Bar on the impressive Mambo Beach!

I found The Hemingway Bar, Mambo Beach, Curacao

Here are some videos from my time in Curacao:

Friday’s Featured Food: Conch (Sea Snail) Fritters At Sharkeez Bar, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas🇧🇸

Posted on February 12, 2023August 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

Friday’s Featured Food: Conch Fritters At Sharkeez Bar, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas

When backpacking in The Bahamas I heard of a tasty local speciality called Conch. Conch is pronounced Konk and it’s seafood that comes from sea snails. Having previously tried land snails in Yangshuo, China in 2013, 9 years later it was time to finally try Conch – the meat taken from Sea Snails and the best place to do this is in The Bahamas.

Friday’s Featured Food: Conch (Sea Snail) Fritters At Sharkeez Bar, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas

Conch is indigenous to the Bahamas and is typically served in fritter, salad, and soup forms. It is also eaten in Turks and Caicos and Jamaica. Jamaicans eat conch in stews, curries and other dishes. Restaurants all over the Caribbean Islands serve Conch. In the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Haiti, Conch is commonly eaten in curries or in a spicy soup.

Conch Fritters Nassau The Bahamas — Friday’s Featured Food: Conch (Sea Snail) Fritters At Sharkeez Bar, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas

I had to try it and it’s widely available and easy to find in most places in The Bahamas. It also made me think of The Conch Republic, a breakaway wacaday country that is claimed by the USA.

On New Year’s Eve 2022 I kind of did a mini pub crawl in Nassau in New Providence in The Bahamas. I started that pub crawl actually at the airport on arrival as there I grabbed my first ever local Bahamian beer to consume in the taxi I shared with Antoine to my hostel, Humes House. The pub crawl took me across two islands and all the way to Cabbage Beach and Ocean Club in The Bahamas where James Bond hung out in Casino Royale.

My mid evening I was back on New Providence and I headed to Sharkeez Bar in Nassau for a feed and a tipple. I expected them to have Conch and I was right. They had a huge Conch dish, plus Conch salad, however I liked the idea of the battered Conch snack with a spiced sauce, so I ordered the Conch Fritters! It was definitely a great choice and in Sharkees, I also enjoyed two of their cocktails – a blue one and a red one.

Here are the details of Sharkeez Bar in Nassau in New Providence in The Bahamas:

https://www.facebook.com/SharkeezNassau/

Page · Bar & grill

Woodes Rodgers Walk, Nassau, The Bahamas

+1 242-322-8519

[email protected]

sharkeezcaribbean.com

Here is a video of my Conch Fritters in Sharkeez Bar in Nassau, New Providence in The Bahamas:

How To Get An Immigration Pass For The Dominican Republic🇩🇴 (Another Visa In Disguise)

Posted on January 29, 2023June 16, 2024 by Jonny Blair

“You lied to me” – Mark Morrison.

Colonial Charm on Hispaniola: My Comfy Stay At Novus Plaza Hotel In Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic🇩🇴

My recent two trips to The Caribbean have involved a lot of red tape. I’ve always been paperwork loyal but since COVID began in December 2019 it’s been manic street preaching for all sorts of documents. It was 17 PCR tests in 2021 for me as I backpacked through 10 new Caribbean countries. Visas and online documents were only needed for Dominica, Barbados and Grenada on my 2021-2022 Christmas adventure and I haven’t actually written about those yet, though recently I have covered how to get a Haiti visa on arrival and a Mauritania visa on arrival. By 2022 things had improved in the PCR test world. Despite more media scaremongering, PCR tests were not now needed for many of my next 6 countries. Just to be safe though I did a passport switch heading into Jamaica who still claim that you need a PCR test negative if coming from the Dom Rep.

Completing The Visa Form / Electronic Ticket For Entering Dominican Republic

What started to annoy me is the amount of countries that fake that we don’t need a visa – what utter bullshit. If you need to pay for entry to a country or need to fill in an advance form before a flight/boat/train/bus etc. then that’s a visa!! Yes it’s a visa stupidly disguised as something else. Cuba claimed it’s a “tourist card”, yet you need to pay for it, you need to do it in advance and it’s a strict process. So that’s a visa and this website will not dress it up as anything else. In short, here are just a few countries that faked that I don’t need a visa, yet they lied.

Cuba (needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)
Turkey (I needed to pay for a visa on arrival 5 times)
Indonesia (I needed to pay for a visa on arrival 3 times)
Kuwait (I needed to pay for a visa on arrival)
Sri Lanaka (I needed to pay for an e-visa in advance)
The Seychelles (I needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)
British Virgin Islands (I needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)
Dominica (I needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)
Haiti (I needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)
Curacao (I needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)
Cape Verde Islands (I needed to pay, fill in a form before boarding a flight)

And that’s just some of the countries that do that. Just admit it, Dominican Republic – we need a visa! Even using a British passport, I needed a visa, a form and a PCR test (on the spot) at Beef Island. I was negative of course.

Arrival on Beef Island, British Virgin Islands

In December 2022, I visited the Dom Rep. Wee Dominican Republic would be my first country on Hispaniola to visit, with Haiti to follow later. A quick online check revealed that Northern Irish passport holders (British and Irish) apparently do not require a visa to visit The Dominican Republic. However, an immigration pass is essential and therefore, this MUST be filled in before your trip and you need to do it in the 48 hours before your flight in – I flew in so I am not sure of the way to do this by boat or land border.

On The Christopher Columbus Trail in The Dominican Republic

Visa Situation For Dominican Republic

As a Northern Irish citizen I don’t currently need an actual visa for the Dominican Republic, but I do need the immigration pass and need to pay $10 US – in other words I do need a visa – you lied like many other countries. The lies grill me but the love of being a tourist runs me on…plus the thrill of a Michelada on a beach on Hispaniola…

Michelada on Boca Chica Beach, Dominican Republic

Relaxing on the gorgeous Boca Chica Beach, Dominican Republic

Completing The Visa Form / Electronic Ticket For Entering Dominican Republic

It is a digital form required by everyone entering or leaving the Dominican Republic. It is mandatory for each passenger to truthfully complete the information on the electronic Ticket for the General Immigration Office, the General Customs Office and the Ministry of Public Health, according to dominican laws 285-04, 115-17, 72-02 and 226-06. That main website is this one. So wait a moment, it’s mandatory well that means it’s a visa…you click on this link (which can be translated into Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, German) –

https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/

Then you fill in the form online, in your preferred language. The questions are the usual ones like name, nationality, date of birth, date of entry, flight you are on, airline, hotel you stay at etc. I put the correct flight but a fake hotel – I mean how can they proive you stay at that hotel and why do they care? What happens if that hotel closes down or goes on fire the day after filling in the form? They’re not clairvoyants and neither are we. They will send you an email as well as giving you a confirmation code.

How To Get A Dominican Republic Visa – my confirmation code fro my Visa (“Immigration Document”)

Luckily, after filling in the form, they confirmed my visa and emailed me a PDF of it. That can be downloaded or printed, so I did both. It has what is known as a QR code – I still don’t know how to scan those on my phone – tried to scan it many times and cannot but a print out is all you need for the visa. Even their website uses the word “visa” then claim it’s merely an “immigration document”!

Even their website uses the word “visa” then claim it’s merely an “immigration document”!

Boarding My Flight To The Dominican Republic

I was flying into The Dominican Republic on a direct flight from Havana, Cuba and I had my printed visa (“immigration document”) and guess what – you do NEED this form. You MUST have it before boarding the flight and it is checked – there goes their fake theory on visa free. It also costs $10 US though they try to waiver that by claiming it is included in your flight ticket – well it is, but it costs $10 US more!!

How To Get A Dominican Republic Visa - my Visa ("Immigration Document") — How To Get A Dominican Republic Visa – my Visa (“Immigration Document”)

Sometimes I forget to ask for the passport stamps and oddly, on entry into Cuba, they didn’t stamp me. To make up for this I asked for a stamp when leaving and they obliged. A nice one – my Cuba exit stamp on Christmas Day 2022.

A nice one - my Cuba exit stamp on Christmas Day 2022 — A nice one – my Cuba exit stamp on Christmas Day 2022

Also on entering the Dominican Republic, I wanted an entry stamp – I love collecting passport stamps. I had a final beer at Jose Marti international airport in Havana, bizarrely a Bavaria.

Leaving Jose Marti international airport in Havana

Mine was an early flight – 4.40 a.m. which worked out well as I was able to maximise my first day in the Dominican Republic. I was quite surprised by the fact there are flights from Cuba to the USA. I was convinced there was some kind of politcal issue with that, but again another travel myth you hear, just like the Nauru myths!

Arrival In The Dominican Republic

It was a short 2.5 hour flight from Havana in Cuba into Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where I was staying in the excellent Novus Plaza Hodelpa and touring the Zona Colonial of the capital city, as well as trips to the Christopher Columbus Museum/Mausoleum/Grave and the fantastic Boca Chica beach. On arrival, they checked my immigration form (read visa!)

Here are some videos of my trip from Cuba to the Dominican Republic:

Friday’s Featured Food: The Delicious Quantico Patacon🍌🥓And Pina Colada🍍🥥🍹, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic🇩🇴

Posted on January 29, 2023October 28, 2024 by Jonny Blair

Friday’s Featured Food: The Delicious Quantico Patacon and Pina Colada, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

I was feeling peckish just before the sunset while backpacking through the beautiful old town of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Little was I to know the sheer treat that lay ahead here in Quantico Restaurant! This was not only a textbook Friday’s Featured Food, but on cocktail standards and generally in life, good enough for a Thirsty Thursdays too, given the expertise of the cocktail I was to feast my eyes and lips upon…

In Santo Domingo, I was based in the city centre, or should I say the old town – it is known as Zona Colonial and is very pretty. Streets are architecturally rich, flying us back to the colonial era and giving me an unexpected buzz in a city I expected nothing from, but got a lot out of.

Pretty old town streets at Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

It came as a surprise to see such a charming old town here, and looking back it’s probably my favourite old town from my entire travels in The Caribbean to date.

Hotel wise, I loved my stay at the Hotel Novus Plaza Hodelpa. Having toured the sights of the very pretty Santo Domingo, it was time for dinner. There are a myriad of restaurants scattered around the old time and sometimes, I just make spontaneous decisions by chance. Sometimes it’s the name of a venue, sometimes the location, often I choose places with no queues and empty seats – these are the best places. Those with long queues and rave reviews are usually the popular excrement that don’t care about customers, and live off a falsified reputation including idiotic review fake sites such as Tripadvisor (Tripped on Cider). This led me to the incredible Quantico Restaurant.

First off all, I ordered a Pina Colada and I had no idea how delicious and good looking this Pina Colada would be. It looked almost too good to drink. These photos won’t do justice to how tasty and stylish this was. To date, aside from my beloved “Micheladas”, this was the best cocktail I have ever drank!

After ordering and loving the Pina Colada, it was time to order the restaurant’s signature dish – the Quantico Patacon. I had never heard of this before and had come across it by chance due to the couple sitting opposite me ordering it. “What’s that?” I asked the waitress and the reply was “A Quantico Patacon”. I ordered in and when it arrived, it just looked amazing…

It was so delicious that I didn’t care what was in it – but it seemed like – avocado, coleslaw, potato, pulled beef, pepper pork, chicken and with banana / plantains on top and at the bottom. A feast of multiple proportions!

Thanks to my waitress Liz who served me, the barman from Cuba who chatted to me and all staff at the Quantico Restaurant. On my journeys around the world, sometimes we just never return to the same place. This restaurant will live long in my memory and soon it was time to visit Christopher Columbuses Grave, the beach at Boca Chica and be on my way to Jamaica.

Here are the details for getting to Quantico Restaurant in Santo Domingo:

Quantico Restaurante, Calle Isabel La Católica 204, Santo Domingo 10210, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

+1 809-807-5533

[email protected]

quanticorestaurante

quanticorestaurante.com

Home

https://www.facebook.com/QuanticoRestaurante/

Here is a video I made of my delicious Quantico Patacon:

Backpacking In The Bahamas🇧🇸: My Dorm Room Stay At Humes House, Nassau, New Providence

Posted on January 23, 2023August 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

“Name’s Bond, James Bond” – James Bond.

Backpacking in Bahamas Best Hostel — Backpacking In The Bahamas: My Dorm Room Stay At Humes House, Nassau, New Providence

On my 2022 – 2023 Christmas and New Year trip, my last destination in The Caribbean on that trip was The Bahamas. I chose to stay on the island of New Providence, which houses Nassau, the capital city and I went backpacking glory days loyal by choosing a good old dorm room in a hostel. The Humes House Hostel seemed quite centrally located in Nassau and relatively cheap so I opted for this one.

Backpacking In The Bahamas: My Dorm Room Stay At Humes House, Nassau, New Providence

It was atop a hill and I arrived into the Bahamas with torrential rain beating down so I was glad of a bit of shelter – I wasn’t worried about myself of course as I’m not a weather freak – but my backpack houses my laptop and cannot get too wet.

I arrived a bit early and couldn’t check in yet but no problem, I was able to leave my backpack here and after the rain cleared, I headed out to visit another island in The Bahamas – Paradise Island. I would head there with a French backpacker I met on the flight, Antoine and we decided to tour Paradise Island and Nassau together, including visiting the Ocean Club where Daniel Craig aka James Bond once hung out in the hit film Casino Royale. I also tried local speciality seafood, Conch (Sea Snail Meat) in Sharkeez.

Beach Loyal in The Bahamas – Cabbage Beach!

“Murder On Your Love Affair” – Sheryl Crow.

Backpacking In The Bahamas: Name’s Bond James Bond

Later when I checked in, I was in Lignum Vitae dorm room, which had 6 beds. Humes House has a bit of history within this tropical paradise, it’s a newly renovated house, built in the 1930’s and nestled into a quiet community. You are 15 minutes walk from downtown Nassau where you can find local restaurants, beaches, bars, cafes, souvenir joints, both hospitals, and embassies. It’s actually called Humes House Hillcrest.

This hostel was quite small and simple which I felt would give me a chance to meet others here. Unfortunately when I arrived the other three guests didn’t seem so chatty. This was a pity as I was here over New Year’s 2022 – 2023 and instead I headed with Antoine to tour the two islands.

The hostel has a nice kitchen with all amenities.

The Kitchen At Humes House, Nassau, New Providence

There are a brace of shared bathrooms.

Shared Bathroom At Humes House, Nassau, New Providence

There is a balcony and garden out the back and front.

Balcony and Garden at Humes House, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas

There is free Wi-Fi which was important as I was able to get online here after having troubles being online in certain parts of The Caribbean. The second day was actually sunshine in the morning as I welcomed in 2023 here in the sparkling Bahamas.