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My Favorite Camera Equipment of the Moment

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With all of that being said, it doesn’t mean your current model is of bad quality. It just means that we as consumers always want the next best thing (probably because the producers make them seem simply irresistible – Apple I’m talking to you.) After taking photos for a few years now, my camera bag is now two camera bags…and you wonder what I do to keep fit while traveling. Curling various bags while crossing the globe totally counts.

Without further adieu, here’s the camera gear I’m working with at the moment. Of course that could change soon…as with every DJI newsletter, I can feel my bank account starting to tremble.

Nikon DSLRs

Above are two of my favorite – and only – DSLRs I’ve shot with. Allow me to introduce you to my Nikon D7100. I highly recommend this camera as it shoots amazing quality photos and videos (full HD movies at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second). The weather-sealed body eases my mind when I’m taking shots in the rain, it has incredibly fast auto-focus detection, and I’m in love with the dual SD card slot. If you’re just beginning your quest as a photographer, you may want to look at this entry-level Nikon D3200. This is the camera I started shooting with, and I still use it to this day.

Lenses

If I had to choose only one lens to carry around, it would be the Tamron AF 18-200mm lens for Nikon. THE BEST. For indoor photography and landscape shots, I adore my Tokina 11-16mm. Up-close-and-personal (food or fashion-related captures for example) pair well with my Nikon AF 50mm. Lastly, my Tamron AF 70-300mm is perfect for wildlife and sports photography.

Sorry, Nikon. Did we just break up?

Break-up with Nikon? Never. Maybe two-timing though. A downfall to these two DSLR cameras is their size. Sure, they are bulky. I chalk it up as a daily arm workout. If they are too much for you to handle, check out the Canon Powershot G3X. I know, I know…they say you’re either a Nikon person or a Canon person, but I like straddling the line. For a compact camera, the G3X delivers with a longer zoom range (24-600mm equivalent lens), tilting LCD screen, weather-sealed feature and full HD movie capture in 24, 30 or 60p frame rates.

Geeking Out: DJI Obsessed

Y’all. I think I’m in love. Have you SEEN the aerial footage my DJI Phantom 3 Advanced captures? GAME.CHANGER. Yes, it’s a bitch to travel with, but again – have you SEEN this footage? Worth the extra weight. And I’m just as obsessed with my new DJI Osmo that captures the smoothest videos I’ve ever seen. Smoother than your newborn’s booty. Smoother than melted buttah. Smoother than Jay Z’s lyrics. It shoots 4K video AND you can take photos on it, just like you can with the drone over 3 miles away from its starting point. MIND.BLOW. God I love technology.

GoPro + Accessories

You got the GoPro. You purchased the DSLR. You bought the drone. You think you’re done. Hahahahahahahahah. AHHHahahahahaha. Wrong! If you went so far as to pay up for these high dollar items, you might as well make it to the finish line with the much needed accessories to make the outcome even better! Happy photographing 🙂

Travel Tag: Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

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The Experience

With an art gallery, olympic swimming pool, flower shop, and vinoteca, this Argentine hotel immediately stood out. It takes up almost an entire block in the well-to-do area of Recoleta, so it’s not hard to catch passerby’s eye. The experience as a whole was grand and fairytale-like because, well, I spent most of my time in an 82-year-old palace. If this is as close as I’ll get to feeling like a Disney princess, I’ll take it, especially since I don’t even have to step foot in tourist-ridden Orlando. Score!

The Suite

Contemporary. Crisp. Comfortable. The three C’s. This is how I take my hotel rooms, and Palacio Duhau definitely delivered. Here, tech-savvy modernity meets the belle-époque elegant view from room 802. It had everything I needed from a king-sized bed to work station that doubled as a workout area.

Activities + Amenities

Spa. Pool. Mini bar. Butler. Wine tastings. Cheese shop. Tango dancing. Baths. Bath salts. Not the weird kind. Cozy couches I want to purchase. Fast wifi. Gardens. Flowers. Real life flowers. Art. Four fine dining establishments. Mmmmm.

After that brainstorm sesh, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to stay here.

Tango

If you’re the least bit interested in trying out tango while in Buenos Aires, call Natalia and Juan at Tango & Tango for some moves. Don’t be surprised when it’s harder than it looks! I particularly loved the class not just because Natalia and Juan were so patient with Wade and me (we were seriously horrible dancers), but because they took the time to explain the important history behind the culture.

It all started 150 years ago in Buenos Aires when European immigrants came to the southern neighborhoods of the city. With the combination of various cultures, tango was born as a way of communication and means to express oneself. It’s a culture, not a dance. It’s a movie, not a photo. But we took some anyway…

A Local Touch

Find out what’s in the neighborhood below.

Fuegia – Beautiful perfume and candle shop that I make a point to stop in every time I’m on Avenida Alvear.

Recoleta Cemetery – If you haven’t heard of this, there’s a good chance you’re living under a rock. Go see for yourself and check out the lifestyles of the rich and the famous after death.

Arandú – Favorite store in BA that sells Argie-inspired products such as leather, maté cups, wallets, gloves and clothing.

Juana M – Best salad I’ve eaten in BA.

Le Pain Quotidien – Because it’s always good, all around the world.

Fervor – Mmmm fish.

El Sanjuanino – Mmmmm MMMM Mmmmm empanadas!

Travel Tag: Entre Cielos Wine Hotel + Spa

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As technology advanced, so did the process of making wine. The art of stomping grapes is about as relevant as my time on the Bachelor, but one of these days I’ll resurrect it. During my 5th trip to Mendoza, Argentina, I did something that might even be cooler than that. I stayed in a vineyard loft suspended above the vines.

Entre Cielos is a new luxury wine hotel and spa set in the Lujan de Cuyo region of Mendoza. I’ve said it a few times and I’ll say it again – Valle de Uco is where you want to be, but if you don’t have the time or budget to depart for the middle of nowhere, Lujan de Cuyo is your next best option.

The Experience

I love a smooth glass bottle of Malbec. Upon arriving to Entre Cielos, we ordered one of their own labels. During this trip, I was lucky to travel with my boyfriend and another couple. Drinking should always be done with great friends and even greater wine!

We kicked off the experience by being treated to the hotel’s famous Hamam + Spa. Imagine this: You put on a robe immediately walk into a steambath. After 10 minutes of relaxation and pure sweat, you rinse off before getting in a heated hamam pool. You’re escorted to a lavender steambath where you fall asleep. After being woken up to continue the circuit, you’re led to a large hot stone where you pass out again, only to be awoken 10 minutes later for a spa treatment. The remaining sequence of events then goes like this:  

  • Grape seed exfoliation
  • Steambath of 131°F
  • A wine bath from grape extracts
  • Relaxation on the hot stone
  • 50-minute oil massage
  • Relax in the Camekan with a glass of wine and light snacks

It’s safe to say my body was rid of accumulated toxins after that. Now onto more eating and drinking…it’s a vicious cycle!

The Food

The recently opened Beef Club serves asado style cuisine. Come hungry and leave full AF. With homemade empanadas (made yourself while taught by one of the chefs), any cut of meat under the sun PLUS flan dessert complete with dulce de leche and fernet y cola will send you into a lovely state of unconsciousness as you drift off to a food induced coma. Disfruten!

The Pod

I’m sure you’ve seen the alternative lodging options available around the world, such as luxury treehouses or this Airbnb shark aquarium. Add Entre Cielos limited time Vineyard Loft to that list. Set among the vines and away from the main building of the hotel, the pod comes complete with expansive deck and Jacuzzi where I spent most of my time, plus cozy indoor luxuries. Seeing the sunrise and sunset over the snowcapped Andes mountains and plucking grapes off the vine just steps away from this home-away-from-home is something everyone should experience.

More Wineries

As this was my fifth time in Argentine wine country, it’s safe to say I’ve done my fair share of “market research.” I’ve been to wineries many times over, but that’s the good thing about wine country. It never gets old. See a running list of my favorite Mendoza wineries here.

How To Get There

Mendoza is an hour and a half flight from Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP). LAN Airlines provides daily service to and from Mendoza, offering delicious complimentary snack boxes along the way!

23 Photos That Will Make You Want To Check In To Alvear Palace Buenos Aires

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Built in 1932, Alvear Palace is an old-world Belle Époque (era of European peace and prosperity) landmark. Buenos Aires is often referred to as the ‘Paris of South America’ due to Europe’s influence, but it’s very much its own beautiful mess of a city. We’ll let Paris be Paris and Buenos Aires be Buenos Aires.

Walking up to the revolving doors, I felt as though my dress and new boots still weren’t enough to compete with the well-heeled crowd that frequented the Alvear.

Nevertheless, I went on my merry way. Lavish details stood out such as soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers and fine fabrics in the common spaces of the hotel. In my mind, this room looks like a lindt chocolate tastes – silky smooth and oh so decadent.

The 191 rooms at the Alvear are designed in Louis XIV and Louis XVI style, with silk drapes, Empire-style furniture, and paintings by Argentine artists. Swooooooon!

This bedroom though! Is that a gold bed? Why yes, I think it is…sure to give any traveler interior envy…

…and *suite* dreams!

The view from the suite didn’t disappoint, especially since I’ve grown to love the Buenos Aires skyline over the past couple of years.

Hello from the other side!

Translate this: Te pido una copa de Malbec, por favor?

English translation: Can I order a cup of Malbec, please? Actually, hold the cup. I’ll take a  bottle…

Mil gracias, señor!

Breakfast was a highlight at the Alvear Palace, as it often is a highlight of my every day life. Afternoon tea is also served in the L’Orangerie restaurant, combining English tradition with Argentina’s obsession for sweets. NOM.

Argentines love their carbs, especially crescent shaped croissants called medialunas. I could live off of them, but then I’d be 400 lbs.

Of course they also have the traditional Americano breakfast with all the fixins. Do you take yours salty or sweet?

For me, I’m always on the sweet side. If I were a food, I’d be granola.

Scratch that. I’d be an alfajor – a traditional Argentina snack made with dulce de leche between two cookies.

Moving right along with the food theme, the French cuisine at La Bourgogne is something to write home about. Bon appétit!

And here we have the famous Alvear Palace staircase. I climbed (okay, took the elevator) to the 11th floor to get this shot. All in a hard day’s work!

View from the bottom floor. Don’t forget to look up!

Buenos Aires can feel like a concrete jungles sometimes despite its many parks, but the Alvear Palace has made sure to incorporate green spaces inside its walls. Ahhh. Breath, relax, zen, repeat.

Although the hotel is currently undergoing a pool reno on the 10th floor, this indoor pool on the 2nd floor served its purpose just fine during my stay. There’s an old school charm I quite admire about it…

So, naturally, I had to get in. There were clouds on the ceiling. Do you blame me?

The Road Les Traveled was welcomed to the Alvear Palace as a guest. Our opinions are our own, and we’ll do as we please…such as arrive to the lobby via banister. Chau for now!

How To Get There

LAN Airlines offers direct flights to Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) from Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Tip: Premium Business Class is where you want to be. It’s so good you’ll probably want to do the round-trip again. And again. And again.

The Best Hotel Workout for the On-The-Go Traveler

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I’ve always been an active person, so being on the move and traveling around the world isn’t incredibly exhausting to me like it may be to others. I say Dora the Explorer over Netflix any day. I know, I know. Call me crazy. It shouldn’t come as a shock that I love a good daily workout, whether that be lifting a 52 lb suitcase (chronically overweight) or running through the heart of a new city. But what about the many times I’m stuck in a hotel room? Maybe it’s raining outside. Maybe I’m feeling too lazy to navigate a city (just being honest). Maybe the hotel doesn’t have a gym. What’s a travel blogger to do? Time to break out the laptop.

I’ve professed my undying love for 8 minute abs previously, but Les Mills On Demand kills it in the online streaming workout game. I’m talking lasers, bangin’ playlists and sweat galore. Did I just arrive to a Tiesto concert? Debatable. Plus, there’s a really good chance it’s cheaper than your gym membership, and there’s a really really good chance that it’s cheaper than your specialized pilates, barre, cycling or yoga classes too. Get unlimited access for $12.99/mo (there’s a free 10 day trail everyone should take advantage of), but that’s not even the best part. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good Lulu outfit, but this will save you big time on activewear. Who can judge you for planking in pjs? Wait for it: Nobody.

There’s something for all fitness levels from GRIT (no equipment needed!) that’s more in line with a HIIT class to a SH’BAM dance class. Les Mills doesn’t discriminate, but I might. My two favorites are CXWORK and BodyBalance.

Not for the faint of heart (or core), CXWORX classes are 8 minute abs on crack. About 5 minutes into the class, my abs were BURNIN. The class puts twists on classic core exercises like planks and leg lifts. Fortunately, the instructor moves relatively quickly between exercises in order for you to constantly work different areas. 8-pack here I come!

Note: Some exercises in the CXWORX series require resistance bands or weights.

Deemed “New Yoga,” the BodyBalance and BodyFlow classes range from 30 to 55 minutes. Taking elements from yoga, pilates, and tai chi, the classes have a subtly faster pace than traditional yoga which I enjoyed. Ahhhh, just the type of unwinding I need in a hotel room after a long travel day!

Namaste, y’all.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Les Mills. The opinions and text are all mine.

Checking in: Clubhouse Rio de Janeiro + Buenos Aires

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Clubhouse Buenos Aires Clubhouse Buenos Aires

What’s a private members’ club? Allow me to elaborate. Once a gentleman’s club back in the day, these establishments have blossomed into men-and-women friendly environments, typically housed behind unassuming doors that open into an impeccably designed club room with plush armchairs and a full calendar of social events such as dinners with international chefs, film screenings, art exhibitions and pool parties. Need advice about the area? The staff can make reservations, book drivers, or score tickets to a soccer match.

Clubhouse Rio Clubhouse Rio

If you aren’t staying with Clubhouse Rio in Rio de Janeiro, you’re doing it wrong. Same goes with Clubhouse BA in Buenos Aires, Argentina. If you have a strong liking towards tasteful art, local delicacies, inventive cocktails, oversized suites and creative spaces (uhh, who wouldn’t?) – then this is your spot. I worked as the Marketing Manager for their affiliate short-term rental company, Oasis Collections, when I first moved to Argentina a few years ago. Seeing as how I was back in the country on a 7 week trip with TAM & LAN Airlines after many months of traveling, I thought I’d check in on how everyone was holding up in my absence.

Turns out they were doing just fine without me. Even getting write-ups in CNN, Travel & Leisure and Elle Decor (shout out to Catherine Giudici and myself). I knew all about Oasis Collections’ luxury rentals, but the Master Suite inside Clubhouse Rio and Clubhouse Buenos Aires have always been on my wishlist. During my trip to the South American cities this month, my wish was granted.

Clubhouse Buenos Aires Clubhouse Buenos Aires

Clubhouse Rio

Calling all visitors of the 2016 Olympic Games!

Set in the Ipanema Hills of Rio de Janeiro, Clubhouse Rio exudes style and class with a 3-tiered front deck, indoor lounge, bar, library, back garden with pool, outdoor bar with favela ocean views and five guest rooms. The space is beyond impressive, and the cuisine is something to write home about. Executive Chef Yann Kamps comes from fine dining in France, so it’s a pre-requisite that his desserts are orgasmic. But then again, his fish tacos are the best tacos I’ve ever eaten. So there’s that. He’s good at everything. I can’t even make cake out of a box.

When Alessandra Ambrosio is partying here, you know it’s quality. See for yourself. If you didn’t Instagram it, it didn’t happen.

Oh, and the beach is only a ten minute walk downhill. But you know what the means. To return is an uphill battle. Look at the positives: you’ll walk off the caipirinhas and acai you inhaled on the beach. Score.

How to get in: Book a room, inquire about non-resident membership, make a reservation at the restaurant or become friends with Alessandra Ambrosio.

Membership fee: R$ 4500/yr with access to other members’ clubs around the world.

Clubhouse Buenos Aires

I’m this private members’ club biggest fan. Who doesn’t covet a lush garden, infinity pool, outdoor bar and lounge? I spent two years frequenting its Sunday pool parties, drinking its famous Basil Baby cocktails and attending its uber chic events. If you want to see and be seen by expats and Argies alike, go here. Set in the most prized real-estate in the city of Palermo Soho, it’s the perfect space for events, meetings, sun worshipping, and for now for me – sleeping.

The Master Suite was everything I dreamed it would be and more. Complete with sunny private terrace, oversized closet and stunning bathroom with clawfoot tub and double rainfall shower, I could see myself sipping Malbec up here forever. Perhaps I’ll even inquire about residence pricing… who am I kidding? I live out of a suitcase. To waste a closet this big would be a sin.

How to get in: Book a room, buy a day pass or make friends with an existing member to get your name on the list.

Membership fee: AR$ 10,000/yr with access to other members’ clubs around the world.

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