Welcome to Beyond Ordinary Guides, where we curate gorgeous imagery, locally cherished spots, and accessible stories. We hope you enjoy!
All in Stories
Havana: the land of black fish net tights under a khaki skirt, sunset Cristals along the Malecón, and cars whose speedometers read 0 miles per hour whether they're moving or not. As with many places, it's everything I expected and nothing I expected at the same time.
Nicole envisioned her summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to be shared with her love. Instead, she embarked on the journey alone, overcoming obstacles with a group of strangers and her guide.
I don't know if we quite knew what we were getting into heading into Bosnia & Herzegovina. We had booked a day trip to Mostar from Dubrovnik through our Airbnb host, enchanted by the pictures we had seen of Mostar's famous bridge and teal river running underneath. It looked like a fairytale, and as a photographer, I wanted to capture its beauty through my lens. What I naively underestimated were the very real world scars etched into the landscape of this picturesque country, and what a profound impact the kindness and resilience of the people who lived through horrors would have on our time there.
A ticket on the Verde Canyon Railway is a journey back in time. From talk of cattle rustling to turquoise bolo ties and sweeping desert vistas, we felt like we were living in the Wild West.
“I have seen your toothbrush touch so many different surfaces,” my friend said as we divided up the remaining food into parcels to distribute the weight
between the packs. The face accompanying this statement was something I can only describe as amused disgust - brow furrowed, nostrils flared, but a slight, positive incline in the corners of the mouth. She was right. I am not one to protect my bristles on a 25-mile slog through rain, mist, hail, and wind. And in grizzly bear country to boot. Plus, I am not disillusioned in thinking that brushing plaque off my teeth makes my mouth actually clean; I have seen some gnarly infections originating from human bites.
A day in the Cuban countryside of Valle de Vinales including horseback riding, cigar smoking, and an unforgettable visit to an organic farm. All during our trip with Coast to Costa and Tiny Atlas Quarterly.
Discovering Australia’s best places to swim – lap pools, sea pools, the ocean, waterfalls, hot
springs, lakes, rivers.
The sweetness of the mojitos and tranquility of the bay today make it hard to believe this was the location of a insurgency in 1961.
Seven years ago, our friends Fran and Libby set off on an adventure in Sumbawanga, Tanzania. They encountered diseases, worked with Catholic brothers, and attempted to teach at the local school. Originally published as a series on the blog last year, we wanted to revisit Fran's entertaining account of their time in this African town. These are their stories.
