Historic church

Exploring Cusco, Perú

Cusco (also, Cuzco) is a city located on the southeastern end of Perú near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes Mountains. This colourful and vibrant city is the former capital of the Incan empire and proudly preserves traces of its Incan ancestors. These ruins seamlessly exist alongside Spanish colonial and modern-day buildings. Cusco is the seventh most populous city in Peru with a population of about 428,000 inhabitants, and is located at 3,400m (11,200 feet) above sea level. This city hosts nearly 2 million tourists each year because it is the gateway to Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Incan citadel which is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. However, Cusco deserves more recognition than a transit town as Cusco is recognized as the Archaeological Capital of the Americas. Here’s how I spent a day in Cusco, what to expect and how to plan trips around the city.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle26 Comments
Girl sits in Machu Picchu

What They Don’t Tell You About Travel

Social media often misleads people into thinking that travel is cheerful 24/7 but I’m here to tell you that that’s not so. This does not affect my love for travel in the least, but I want to paint a more balanced picture. Travel can quickly become stressful and induce anxiety. I’ll start with my story.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle22 Comments

10 Affordable Places to Stay in Jamaica

Over the past few weeks I’ve shared lists of the best places to stay in Jamaica under categories such as hotels, villas and eco-lodges. Those lists were not necessarily budget-friendly, so I knew I had to make one for the average traveler. Most travelers are not traveling because they are rich, myself included. We travel because we have an insatiable desire to see the world around us, experience new cultures and meet new people. As a result, it is important for frequent travelers to spend wisely. Staying at budget-friendly accommodations is a good way to stretch those travel dollars. Here are 10 affordable places to stay in Jamaica (prices included).

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Seven Annoying Things Bloggers Do

A lot takes place behind the scenes when creating a blog, vlog or even an Instagram post which non-creators may never fully appreciate. Thus, there can be a bit of friction and eye-rolling from non-creators when they are around creators in their element. Over the years, I’ve met and interacted with dozens of different personality types that coexist in the blogosphere and some interactions are better than others. Also, since I often travel with non-creators, this means I’ve probably been the annoying blogger to someone else too, ha! A bit of introspection is good for the soul. Here are the seven annoying things which bloggers do.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle26 Comments

8 Easter Traditions in Jamaica You Should Know

Easter is here! Easter is a Christian holiday and over 60% of Jamaicans identify as practicing Christians. As a result, Good Friday is a solemn national holiday in Jamaica where all businesses are closed. Good Friday commemorates Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and devout Christians observe the day by fasting, re-enacting Christ’s last hours and attending church. On the other hand, Easter Sunday is a joyous day commemorating Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the grave. The day after Christ’s resurrection, Easter Monday, is a national holiday in Jamaica as well. Jamaicans eagerly look forward to this four-day Easter weekend each year, and there has been an increase in secular Easter weekend events too. That being said, here are eight ways in which Jamaicans celebrate Easter holidays– past and present.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle28 Comments

What does ‘Green’ mean to you?

WordPress has introduced a new blog challenge called WordPrompts designed to encourage hobby bloggers to publish one post per month surrounding a theme. The WordPrompt for April is ‘green’. As a happy WordPress-er I couldn’t be happier to participate in this challenge. I’ve had blogs before in the past which never amounted to anything, so I’m glad that I’ve managed to be more or less consistent on this platform for the past five years. When I found WordPress, the rest became history. WordPress feels like home. I began travel blogging in Jamaica long before it became trendy to do so, and unlike most Jamaican ‘travel bloggers’ I actually blog. I enjoy writing as my means of self-expression. I don’t travel just to make content. I travel and write because I genuinely love both activities. These are my main source of happiness. As I write this post now, I feel my mood significantly improve. I get lost in my own little world and forget all my troubles when I write and when I’m outdoors. The trees, mountains, rivers and beach make me happy.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle31 Comments

‘Cyaa Stall’: A Jamaican Dancehall Art Exhibit

Kingston is the capital city of Jamaica, located on the island’s south-eastern coast on one of the world’s largest natural harbours. This vibrant city is home to the most recording studios per capita in the world, and gave rise to six distinct musical genres– namely ska, mento, rocksteady, dub, reggae and dancehall. For this reason, Kingston was awarded UNESCO Creative City status in 2015. Kingston has famous museums which immortalize the origins of our musical genres but our music does not stop there. The Rastafari religion, reggae music and its raunchier cousin dancehall are intimately tied to the fabric of the Jamaican culture and its people. Named for the lyric in artiste Vybz Kartel’s song Dancehall (2015), Cyah Stall is an exhibit which narrates Jamaican dancehall as a musical genre, aesthetic, language and resistance. Here’s why you should catch it if you can.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Folly Ruins & Lighthouse, Portland

Isn’t it magical that everywhere has a story to tell? Tales of romance, tragedy, wickedness, bravery, cowardice etc. If you’re familiar with my travel posts, you’ll know that I love to give a historical perspective. That’s because the past explains the present– how did a place get its name, why does it looks the way it does now or even just for general knowledge and appreciation. However, history is sometimes the only thing that entices people to visit a place. That, my friends, is how I found myself at the old Folly Mansion (Folly Great House) on my way back to Kingston from the Portland Sea Cliff Resort & Spa.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

The Sea Cliff Resort in Portland, Jamaica (Review)

Portland is easily the most beautiful corner of Jamaica. The parish is home to unspoilt beaches, cliffs, mountains, rainforests, rivers and waterfalls. For an island which thrives on tourism, Portland has been spared from mass tourism by some miracle. The all-inclusive hotel model was introduced to Jamaica by local hotelier John Issa in 1978, but to date, there are still no all-inclusive hotels in Portland. Instead, the welcome alternatives are luxurious waterfront villas, rustic wellness retreats, intimate bed-and-breakfasts and secluded boutique hotels. Before now, my only trips to this parish had been via daytrips which limit the number of places and activities one can accomplish each trip. Thus, when a special occasion came around last December, I traded my usual daytrips for a weekend stay in the parish. Here’s how the Sea Cliff Resort exceeded my expectations.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Kingston Reggae Garden, Saint Andrew

I’m a city girl with a love for the country and thankfully in Jamaica, the country is never too far away. A short drive of fifteen minutes can land you in lush peaceful 360° greenery, seemingly far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Every time I visit the country and admire the slow laid-back pace of life, I can’t help but think that this is how we were meant to live. I’m happy to report that I’ve found a new chill spot near the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica for us nature-lovers to unwind and reset. Kingston Reggae Garden is a restaurant, bar and oasis in Golden Spring, St. Andrew which opened in May 2021.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle14 Comments