“My velvet escape travel tip” is a guest series about what the name ‘Velvet Escape’ evokes and what that would be in the hometown of the guest writer. With this series, I hope to uncover travel tips from places around the world to help visitors have a truly local experience.

What do the words “Velvet Escape” evoke? When I think of those words, I think of escaping from the outside world, in search of the peaceful spot for getting in touch with your inner world. That’s what it evokes in me.

I was born in Cancun and I’ve been living there for 20 years. As much as I love my hometown (if you haven’t been here what are you waiting for?), it does get kind of… noisy, sometimes. It is a densely populated paradise, with population numbers increasing yearly. So, being a big city now, it can become stressful. Sometimes I literally need to escape from all that. A sweet escape, to a sweet spot, where I can get in touch with myself, breathe, and return refreshed. To me, that place is Tulum.

Located 130 kilometers south of Cancun (an approximate 1hr 20 min drive by car), Tulum is one of the last semi-virgin, “unspoiled” spots on the Riviera Maya or ‘Costa Maya’. Tulum is a place that offers many things for your enjoyement: it is home to a very big & important Mayan archaeological site, the ruins of Tulum. It is also a small village full of little bistros, charming little restaurants, and places with a very relaxed ambiance. You can also find world-class Spas and even a few resorts, although the place is more well-known for its cozy rustic style “Cabañas” or huts, located right on the beach.

What I love about Tulum is that so far, the community of cabaña owners have been developing it right. Slowly, respecting nature.  Most of the power used in Tulum is generated by alternative sources: wind, solar panels, etc. There is a recent initiative to develop a more “city-like” neighborhood, which I personally (and many more people) don’t like. I think the very reason for the charm of Tulum is precisely its semi-virgin, secluded, relaxed ambiance. Turning it more city-like would end all that.

And let’s not forget about the beaches! The beaches of Tulum are some of my favorite beaches in the world (and I have been to a few!). They are like how the beaches of Cancun were decades ago: mile after mile of pure white, powdery sand. Warm & calm (a coral reef barrier keeps the wave activity low) turquoise blue sea, and best of all, the people there all share the same vibe: relaxed and laid back. People go to Tulum to seek relaxation, not to party. It’s the complete opposite of Cancun! And that’s why I love it so much. To me, it’s a way of disconnecting from the city life.

Tulum is also, depending on where you go, very cheap! At least compared to Cancun and Playa del Carmen, in my personal opinion, it is! You can stay at cabañas ranging from a couple of dollars a night, to more upscale resorts. It really depends on your preferences. Me, I personally prefer the cheap cabañas, they are right in front of the ocean, and you have the sand of the beach as your natural floor!

To me, that’s my Velvet Escape! The beautiful town & beaches of Tulum, Quintana Roo. The perfect place to disconnect from the city and embrace nature! I hope everybody gets a chance to visit it someday!

About this week’s guest writer
Camilo Olea is a Computer Systems Engineer / Social Media Marketer born and living in Cancun.  Founder of Cancun is Safe!, a website devoted to promoting the good image of Cancun, Riviera Maya & Costa Maya as safe & beautiful destinations to visit. In his spare time he loves to drink wine and tea, and travel whenever he can.

Follow Camilo and Cancun Is Safe on Twitter.

Read more ‘My velvet escape travel tips‘:

• Phoenix, Arizona, USA
• Tuscany, Italy
• Melbourne, Australia
• Seville, Spain
• Zambezi River, Zambia
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Liguria, Italy
• Tokyo, Japan
• New York City, USA
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Paris, France
• Lanzarote, Spain
• Whitsunday islands, Australia
• Normandy, France
• Lake District, Cumbria, England
• Nova Scotia Atlantic Coast, Canada
• London, England
• Miami, Florida, USA
• Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
• Bali, Indonesia
• Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Tucson, Arizona, USA
• Toronto, Canada

I’m honored to present a special guest post by Stefanie Michaels a.k.a. Adventure Girl. Thank you for sharing your tips Stef!

Ten Things to do in Macau

1. Adventure enthusiasts – Jump of the 10th tallest building in Macau: the Macau Tower. The freefall lasts 10 seconds! Don’t worry – you’re harnessed for the 700 foot drop!

2. Try and plan a trip to Macau in November for the famed Macau Grand Prix. It’s one of the few street circuit racing events in the world and many famous Formula One drivers launched their careers on this demanding circuit.

3. ‘Get lost’ in the Three Lamps district, where the locals go to shop!

4. Take in a show. Cirque du Soleil’s ZAIA at the Venetian Hotel Macau is a stunning display of mastery in balletic circus. This amazing show highlights a young girl whose fantasy unfolds in space among the stars and galaxies.

Chinese Poles performance at ZAIA

5. If you’re a runner – try hashing. It’s an international running group that has worldwide chapters. So, wherever you go, you will have people to run with. Macau’s two groups schedule runs, and then hit the local bars and restaurants for some socializing. It’s a great way to meet locals and expats, and tour the city.

6. Karting in Macau isn’t like anything I’ve seen before. It’s not your local “go-kart” racing experience. These guys are serious. So suit up and be prepared to race against some pretty serious competitors.

7. The Macanese love Karaoke. Hit one of the dozens of Karaoke bars and sing a tune or two. Makes for a fun and interactive evening in Macau. Most karaoke bars also offer private rooms for groups.

8. Gambling is a major attraction – Macau is often called the Las Vegas of the Far East. From Las Vegas Hotels and Casinos comes Steve Wynn’s The Wynn. Also a hit, The Sands and most impressive – The Venetian with its own exterior canal that’s scaled to the exact size of the canals in Venice, Italy.

9. Head to Coloane Island for a special restaurant called Espaco Lisboa – 8 Rua das Gaivotas, Colôane Village – a family-run Portuguese restaurant that makes you wonder if you’ve stepped into old world Portugal. The food is amazing. It’s also been voted Macau’s most romantic restaurant.

10. Portuguese Egg tarts are everywhere! These lightly sweetened egg breads with caramel are a daily snack for locals and a must-try when in Macau. From specialized egg tart patisseries to egg tart carts – they’re everywhere… thankfully!

About today’s guest writer
Stefanie Michaels, known to legions of fans as “Adventure Girl®,” has carved a unique niche in the world of travel and entertainment. Her website, AdventureGirl.com, has been utilized by millions looking for tips on exciting places to visit, be it sleeping in an Ice Hotel in Reykjavík, Iceland, swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas, or tapping into the chicest eco-friendly destinations in travel today.

Within just 7 months of joining Twitter, Stefanie has been named Twitter’s Top Global 100 and Top 50 Tweeple to follow. With 1.5 million+ followers and growing, she is the Go-To Girl for everything travel.

Follow Stef on Twitter.

Read other articles in the Velvet Escape “Ten” series:

• Ten things to do in Birmingham (UK)
• Ten incredible bridge walks
• Ten velvet escapes for 2010
• Ten unforgettable city cruises
• Ten things to do in Cape Town
• Ten things to do in Kuala Lumpur
• Ten things to do in Hamburg
• Ten things to do when you travel alone
• Ten reasons to travel alone

Reflections in the Laguna Chaxa, San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile.

Read the accompanying post ‘A desert full of wonders‘

In the ecological jewel that is Costa Rica, Tortuguero National Park stands out as one of the country’s main eco-attractions. The park is located on a strip along the Caribbean coast that encompasses a network of canals, estuaries, lagoons and dense tropical rainforest.

You can venture on hiking tours or boat through the numerous naturally-formed canals to observe the awesome flora and fauna in this area. The boat trips are especially unforgettable. Cruise through the canals which are sometimes completely covered by the canopy of the rainforest and spot a wide variety of animals (monkeys, sloths, tapirs, jaguars, crocodiles, caimans, etc..) and birds (herons, toucans, brightly-coloured parrots, kingfishers, etc..). I’ll never forget one particular hair-raising moment during the boat trip when a large caiman tried to jump into the boat as we got a tad too close.

Throughout the year, different species of turtles (green turtles, giant leatherbacks and hawksbills) come to lay their eggs on Tortuguero’s beaches (Tortuguero literally means ‘region of turtles’). A guided tour at night to see the nesting turtles is definitely a must. It was a rather surreal experience, being on that beach in the middle of the night. The moon was hidden behind some clouds so we had to rely on our torch-lights. After more than a half hour of trudging through the sand, we found a large green turtle. It had already dug a hole and was almost finished laying its eggs. We kept our distance and watched as it slowly, rather clumsily covered the hole and headed back to sea. A magnificent sight!

Read about other ‘Enchanting spots‘:

• Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
• Palenque, Mexico
• Sydney Opera House, Australia
• Mount Nemrud, Turkey
• Petra, Jordan
• Blue Lagoon, Iceland
• Ngorongoro, Tanzania
• Whitehaven beach, Australia

“My velvet escape travel tip” is a guest series about what the name ‘Velvet Escape’ evokes and what that would be in the hometown of the guest writer. With this series, I hope to uncover travel tips from places around the world to help visitors have a truly local experience.

What does velvet escape mean to me? It’s the essence of travel. The soft, gentle sensations of pure adventure as you break free from your day to day responsibilities and commitments. It is the sweet sensation of new experiences, people and adventures – all wrapped into one exciting package.

I have to confess to being a green/water person, which makes it difficult at times to live in central Arizona: A destination world famous for its arid climate. While others might hail climbing the local mountains or boating on one of the local lakes as Phoenix’s ideal escapes – mine is far more intimate. Every Sunday evening I rummage around my room for an old beat up pair of Keen shoes (whose soles are worn almost smooth), a pair of jeans, and a nightclub friendly dress shirt. Then, bottle of water in hand, I make the 20 minute trek from North Scottsdale, where I live, to Paragon Dance Studio in South Tempe for the Sunday Night Salsa Social.

Wedged in the corner of an unassuming shopping center, Paragon (the current venue for the Sunday Night Function) is home to throbbing, pulsating Latin music, drawing together strangers, old friends, and lovers. Bodies are swept into motion whirling, spinning, dipping and at times intertwined almost as one. Time melts away, and, drenched in sweat, you forget about the heat, pausing momentarily between dances to silently drink in deep breaths as you prepare for your next dance.

Experts and newcomers alike find their way to Paragon and the Phoenix Salsa scene. They bring to the event a wonderful mixture of cultures, races, faiths, nationalities, and professional careers, all the while offering the extended hand of potential friendship in the guise of a quick Salsa, Bachata or ChaCha.

If you ever find yourself in Phoenix on a Sunday evening, I hope you’ll come and join the party!

About this week’s guest writer
Alex Berger is passionate about fly-fishing, video games, web and software development, and ballroom dancing. A recent graduate of Arizona State University (Tempe), Alex founded FusionVirtual.com and spends his time researching the relationship between video games and ballroom dancing with business models and tools. In between, he pursues his other passion: traveling, and writing about it on his blog, Virtual Wayfarer.

Follow Alex on Twitter.

Read more ‘My velvet escape travel tips‘:

• Tuscany, Italy
• Melbourne, Australia
• Seville, Spain
• Zambezi River, Zambia
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Liguria, Italy
• Tokyo, Japan
• New York City, USA
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Paris, France
• Lanzarote, Spain
• Whitsunday islands, Australia
• Normandy, France
• Lake District, Cumbria, England
• Nova Scotia Atlantic Coast, Canada
• London, England
• Miami, Florida, USA
• Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
• Bali, Indonesia
• Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Tucson, Arizona, USA
• Toronto, Canada