AV Travel Photo – Tijuca Sunrise – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A lot of locals will tell you winter is not a good time to visit Rio de Janeiro. I couldn’t disagree more.

The high temperature floats comfortably throughout the low eighties (high twenties celsius) and it drops just below seventy each night (twenty celsius). The majority of the days are sunny, as the winter doesn’t bring much rain and of course it never snows.

I think the Cariocas (local Rio people) are just used to much warmer weather and so crazily their bodies think you can’t go to the beach unless the temperature is in the nineties (thirties celsius). I’ve been to the beach twice this week and both times is was plenty hot outside and the sun was definitely toasting my skin.

Best of all, it is not popular to travel to Rio in the winter, which means all of your travel costs are much lower if you make a visit this time of the year. Flights, hotels and tours are all significantly cheaper.

If you have a little extra vacation time, why not book a last minute trip to my favorite city in the world this winter? The endless beaches, beautiful people and delicious caipirinhas will surely be very distracting, but make sure not to forget to cross the Rio Panoramic View AV off of your list!

AV Travel Photo – Açúcar Reality – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I’ll be in Rio for the next two-weeks. The plan is to split time between working on AbsoluteVisit and exploring my favorite city in the world from more of a local perspective. I’m staying with a local friend (Paloma), in a very local neighborhood (Tijuca) and trying my best to do very local things (like attempt to speak Portuguese…attempt).

Today I took my local host Paloma on a several hour afternoon street walk through the historic neighborhood of Santa Teresa. The narrow, cobblestone streets are dotted primarily with old school colonial buildings from when the Portuguese ran the place. The walk can be tough at times, but you are handsomely rewarded for traversing the steep hills with some of the best views I have found in Rio, including the view of Pão de Açúcar from Parque Das Ruinas shown in the photo below.

Since I planned out the tour and dragged my Carioca (Rio de Janeiro inhabitant) friend with me, I’m not sure this was really a “local” thing to do, but it was far away from the sun-soaked beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema – good enough in my book!

As One Door Closes, Another Door Opens

Although this door has closed, we will not simply let it slam behind us. To our avid support group, we would like to help you understand why we came to this decision and what’s next for AbsoluteVisit.

The Ultimate Goal of AbsoluteVisit

Over time, our passion to share the Top 100 Places with more people led to us kicking off the “AbsoluteVisit Trip”. We believed that through our photos, videos and personal experiences traveling around the world to all of these incredible places, we would be more successful at reaching our overall goal – to get more people to travel.

Unfortunately, traveling over the last four months to AbsoluteVisits was not very effective. While we were able to help push a few people to embrace travel dreams of their own, ultimately we were disappointed with the results given the amount of time and money we invested.

We now believe there are better ways to reach our AbsoluteVisit goal – to get more people to travel – than spending the next 20 months doing the exact same thing we just completed. We’ve opened up to thinking about alternate ways to use our resources to get more people out on the road discovering the world. We know we can do better.

While cutting the trip short is not exactly the easiest pill to swallow, the idea of helping more people fulfill their own travel dreams brings huge smiles to our faces. We will always remain very passionate about getting others to travel more.

Next Up for AbsoluteVisit

We’re sure that you might be thinking that we have lost our passion for being on the road. Rest assured that our love for discovering new places and cultural experiences still runs deep through our veins. Next Friday Brad is flying to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he has secured a local place to stay and an office downtown to work on AbsoluteVisit for a couple weeks. Shortly thereafter Will heads to Florence, Italy, to spend two-weeks with his Mom exploring the Tuscan countryside before returning his focus back to AbsoluteVisit. We will always be travelers and we will never stop sharing our experiences and passion for the world with you.

We Have No Regrets

We are passionate travelers, curious explorers, avid entrepreneurs, and these characteristics will remain embedded in us. Neither of us will stop dreaming big, takings risks and trying to always live life to the very fullest. We’re excited at this moment to embrace the change in front of us instead of pretending that change is not necessary to continue forward.

Thanks To Everyone For The Support!

We will never stop traveling, searching to finish the Top 100, and providing information to others who dream of traveling or are already frequent travelers themselves. Please stay connected with us. We hope that you continue to be involved in the AbsoluteVisit community and continue to help us reach our ultimate goal of getting more people out there traveling.

Here’s to a great run, a bright future and to crossing paths someday soon out there on the road!

PS: We have included some of our favorite photos from the AbsoluteVisit Trip below – enjoy!

Where it all started – Cape Town, South Africa

Brad leaping through a Namibian Sunset

Elephants Galore! – Chobe National Park, Botswana

Jump Squat over Victoria Falls – Livingstone, Zambia

100 Trillion Dollar Trade – Zimbabwe

Stunning Lounging Leopard – Samburu National Park, Kenya

Crowded Grass – Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Incredible Thai Curry on the Streets of Bangkok – Thailand

Exploring the Mystery of the Bagan Temples – Bagan, Myanmar

Tubing the Vang Vieng – Laos

Exploring the Temples of Angkor – Cambodia

Island Hopping in El Nido – Philippines

Sunrise at Mt. Bromo – Indonesia

Trip Update from San Francisco, USA

Dreaming of Mt. Bromo – Mt. Bromo, Indonesia

Wow, it has been over three weeks since we have provided an update! Apologies for the delay, but on to the madness . . .

After we last wrote an update from Siem Reap, we spent a few days in Bangkok before heading to the Philippines for 11 days. Here we traversed the metropolis of Manila, saw our seventh AbsoluteVisit (The Banaue Rice Terraces, #33), and explored two amazing Philippine islands – Palawan and Boracay.

Heading out of the Philippines, we made a quick stop in Singapore, and found ourselves in Indonesia. Here, we toured the mayhem of Jakarta, visited our eighth AbsoluteVisit (Borobudur, #25), and were astounded by the site of Mt. Bromo (photo above!).

Finally, we have made our way back to the states for a much needed rest and re-charge. Brad is in Chicago and Will is in San Francisco and although we intend to rest, we know that will be difficult with all of the friends and family we plan on seeing!

Next up, Europe! We’ll be departing on May 13th to Madrid, Spain! Check-out our crazy 86 day itinerary covering 28 AbsoluteVisits below.

Cheers!

Updates – March 30th – April 25th, 2013

Luzon, Philippines – Thanks to the help of Will’s girlfriend Anne, we explored Manila with locals and had the perfect setup for visiting AbsoluteVisit #33, The Banaue Rice Terraces!

Palawan, Philippines – After a crazy 4 days to start our Philippines expedition, we moved to the tranquil island of Palawan. Here we explored the Underground River and Island Hoped around El Nido!

Boracay, Philippines – To cap off our first trip to the Philippines, we headed to the vacation island of Boracay. Covered with white-sands, this island provided the perfect ending to an amazing trip to the Philippines.

Singapore – During an 8-hour lay-over in Singapore, we managed to grab a quick tour of the most incredible pool in the world and had a delicious little India lunch.

Java, Indonesia – On the main island of Indonesia, we toured Jakarta with a local, conquered AbsoluteVisit #25 (Borobudur), and gazed in amazement at Mt. Bromo.

Home Sweet Home – After an insane first leg through Africa and Southeast Asia, we have both made it home (Brad – Chicago, Will – San Francisco). We’ll be using the bulk of this time to catch-up with friends and family, rest, and re-charge. We’ll be getting back to our adventure on May 13th when we head to Europe. First stop, Madrid, Spain.

Next Up

In about 18 days, we’ll be moving to the second leg of the AbsoluteVisit trip, Europe! We will be visiting an astounding 28 AbsoluteVisits. Europe is packed FULL of AV’s and we can’t wait to share them all with you.

Here’s our plan for our trip to Europe:

Europe – May 13th – August 6th – 2013

May 13th – 24th – Spain
Madrid, Mezquita de Cordoba, Alhambra, Barcelona

May 25th – June 13th – Italy
Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Colosseum of Rome, St. Peters, Vatican Museum,

Trevi Fountain, Florence Cityscape, Uffizi Gallery, Florence Duomo,

Cinque Terra, Portofino, Venice Canals, St. Mark’s Square, Basilica San Marco

June 14th – 17th – Switzerland
Matterhorn, Zermatt, Zurich

June 18th – 21st – Germany
Neuschwanstein, Munich

June 22nd – 24th – Czech Republic
Prague’s Old Town

June 25th – 27th – Germany
Berlin

June 28th – 30th – Netherlands
Amsterdam

July 1st – 3rd – Belgium
Brussels

July 4th – 15th – France
Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, Chartres Cathedral,

Chambord Chateau, Mont St. Michel

July 16th – 18th – England
British Museum, London

July 19th – 23rd – Ireland
Dublin, Cliffs of Moher

July 24th – 28th – Norway
Fjords

July 29th – August 6th – Russia
Hermitage Museum, Church of Spilled Blood, The Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral

Previous Blogs, Photos, and Videos

In case you missed them, here are some photos and blogs from last week!

Blogs (click to read the full photo blog)

AV Trip Blog – Borobudur – AbsoluteVisit #25

AV Trip Blog – Prambanan Temple – Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The Most Incredible Pool in the World – Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

AV Trip Blog – Until next time, farewell Philippines

AV Trip Blog – The Banaue Rice Terraces – AbsoluteVisit #33

AV Trip Blog – Island Hopping – El Nido, Philippines

AV Trip Blog – Angkor Wat Visit – AbsoluteVisit #7

Sleeping Stone Giant – Bayon Temple – Siem Reap, Cambodia

AV Trip Blog – Curry and Iced Coffee on the Streets of Bangkok, Thailand

Photos (click to read the full photo blog)

Hardcore Photo Shoot – Prambanan Temple – Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Two Wheel Circus – Jakarta, Indonesia

The Future Riders – Jakarta, Indonesia

Last Seconds of Sunlight – Boracay, Philippines

Purple Haze Sunset – Boracay, Philippines

Spirit of the Philippines Sunset – Boracay, Philippines

Angkor Wat Stone Battle – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat Feelings – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Stay Connected

We have many ways to keep up with our trip – come along with us!

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Prambanan Temple – Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Brad and Will at the Main Temple of Prambanan (Yes, those are skirts and hard hats!)

OK, now that you are done laughing about Brad and I in our hard hats and skirts (uh uhm – they made us wear them!), we can carry on. Prambanan is a 9th Century Hindu Temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was originally made up of 240 different temples, but what stands today are roughly a dozen with the remains of the others surrounding them.

This site came as a complete bonus and a surprise to us. We did our research to find out about it, but in person, Prambanan is amazing. It is the type of place that reaffirms why traveling is so enjoyable – exploration! We could have easily skipped this site, and by the number of tourists there, most do. If you ever go to Yogyakarta, please promise us that you won’t!

The Prambanan Temple honestly has many of the characteristics of an AbsoluteVisit although it is NOT on the list. The two major factors Prambanan has to make it an incredible site are its age (over 1000 years old) and its detail (see the photos below!). Prambanan is a beautiful site and an incredible temple. On your way to Borobudur , check it out!

I have divided the photos of the temple into two sections – The Temples and The Details. Pretty self explanatory, but PLEASE make sure you check out the detail photos – these are what really captured me. Enjoy!

The Temples

The Entry to Prambanan Temple

One of the Temples within Prambanan

Brad and Will outside of Prambanan (skirts and all)

Looking next door – Another temple!

Inside one of the Temple, I found Nandi – Shiva’s Holy Cow

Up Close with Shiva

The Detail

A quick layover in Singapore and one EPIC view of the city

Our last visit to Singapore was back in 2010. At that time the $8 Billion USD Marina Bay Sands complex, which now is the icon of the city, was still in its early construction phases. Upon its completion, viral youtube videos of people base jumping off of the top of the building and swimming casually near the 200 meter drop out of its rooftop infinity pool left us eager to get back to Singapore to check it out for ourselves.

Lucky for us the folks at Marina Bay Sands were nice enough to accommodate our tight schedule and take us on a tour of the base jumping site and the infinity pool. The area is formally called the SkyPark, but we just refer to it as “the pool”, because it is home to simply the most incredible pool in the world!

The Most Incredible Pool in the World

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

Will shooting down the length of the pool

Guests trying to be cool and pretend this is a “normal” pool!!

The view over the edge of the water

Brad putting his fear of heights on hold to get a picture

There are over 250 trees and 650 plants surrounding the pool

Including this awesome forest in the sky

Once you are bored of the pool (yeah right), you can enjoy the hot tub view on the other side

Elzena (from the hotel) showing Brad around the observation deck

The view of the pool from the observation deck

The F1 Racing Stands from the observation deck

The near middle building in the water is a Louis Vuitton store (yes the entire building)

How can I take a swim in the pool?

If you’re on a budget or don’t want to spend $350 USD to go swimming, you can pay $20 USD to explore the observation deck, which is located on one end of the SkyPark, near the pool. The views from the observation deck are incredible, but be warned that you will not be able to get close to the pool and you will not get a view of the infinity awesomeness.

Lastly, if you take the observation deck route, skip the normal tickets and just make your way for free up to the bar on the observation deck. Sure a drink will cost you $20 USD, but at least you will have a drink in your hand instead of a ticket stub for the same price and view.

Until next time, farewell Philippines

Well, as the saying goes, “everything good must come to an end.” Our time in the Philippines are now over and it’s time to say goodbye, but let’s change that to see you soon!

We had a thrilling 11 days in the Philippines which took us to Manila, Banaue, El Nido, and Boracay. I’m exhausted when I think back on it, but a smile always comes to my face with the incredible memories that were made. My only regret, not staying longer. There were many places on the trip that we could have easily stayed an extra day or two. Add to that several more islands that are now on my must see list and it seems like we could have, and perhaps should have, visited for a month! I will return.

Our trip was almost entirely put together, organized, and researched by my girlfriend Anne. Brad and I are far from easy to please when planning trips for, but she knocked it out of the park! Not only did we accomplish our goal of seeing our 7th AbsoluteVisit (The Banaue Rice Terraces), but we got a local view and experience in Manila, toured the Underground River in Puerto Princesa, went island hopping in El Nido, and finally relaxed in Boracay! Whew.

Thank you so much sweetheart for all of the late night coordination with the Philippines, lengthy phone calls to get my thoughts, and agonizing internet research that you put into this. Your energy, passion, and love for your home country was clear with the incredible planning you did and with every step we took together. The Philippines are a place to be proud of from what I saw … and that is all thanks to you! Thank you ku’uipo!

Now, for those of you that didn’t get to follow along with our journey or are just looking for more Philippines action, I have put together a few sections of photos below – Manila, Banaue, El Nido, and Boracay. I hope you enjoy them!

Oh, and one more thing. For all of you that have ever thought about going to the Philippines, knock it up a few notches on your list. I say this not only because it is truly spectacular, but also because you’ll probably want and need to go a few times – get on it!

Manila

First, a HUGE thank you to Kuya Otep! He not only picked us up from the airport, but made sure we got to our hostel safely, took us for breakfast, toured us around Manila, took us for lunch, escorted us to Easter Vigil, took us for dinner, and finally returned us to our hostel! Kuya, I can’t thank you enough, but let me know when you are coming to the states, it is my time to treat you! Thank you very much Kuya Otep. Also, I know that Bapa Pito was behind the scenes and we only got a few minutes with him (and Tita Leng and JP!). Bapa Pito and Tita Leng – I can’t wait to meet you again and thank you for everything you helped us with! JP – Keep on photographing and maybe we can shoot together sometime soon!

Secondly, thank you to Anne PaGaduan for showing us some of Manila’s BEST nightlife on the new Fort Bonifacio High street. First it was Relik and then to Prive. Anne – thank you so much for showing us how Manila parties! It was great to meet you and we really appreciate you taking us out. Let us know when you are in the states, we owe you big Thank you Anne PaGaduan!

Thirdly, thank you to all of Anne’s family who came out to meet me. I know it was not the most convenient, but please know just how much I appreciate it. First, it was Perlina (congratulations on graduation) and “Mae-Mae”. They came all the way from Pampanga on a 3-hour bus – thank you! Second, it was Ate Fe and AJ who just got back from Holy Week vacation and took a taxi to meet us, thank you! Then it was Ate May May, Kuya Mike, and Aja. It was so good to meet you all and a special thanks to Ate May May for my first Halo Halo! And last, but not least, Kuya Hilton, Ate Jenny, and the boys (Gelo, Bradley, Brenton, and Briggs – they even blessed to me – I was honored!). Thank you all for making the trek to SM by the Bay to see us – it means a lot and I can’t wait to see you again – perhaps next time near a different bay!

Fourthly (I know, I know!), there were a few people that I would like to thank that I unfortunately didn’t get to meet – Kuya Mong, Ate Leah, and Sha-Sha! Thank you for the help with the city tour and so sorry we didn’t get to meet. I’ll make it a point to come your way next time! Thank you for the help!

And lastly, Manila. Manila was great to explore and I know we only scratched the surface. There are loads of interesting neighborhoods, delectable food, great nightlife, and more. Although Manila might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I actually look forward to going back! Maybe I am biased, maybe it was the people (and family!), but regardless – I look forward to it.

Kuya Otep, Anne, and Will an Rizal Park

Brad and Anne at Rizal Park – haha!

The Beloved Jeepney’s

Will and Intramuros Security

Welcome to Chinatown

The Crazy Streets of Chinatown

Trying out Hopia!

Street Stall Fish Balls – Yummy!

Shopping at 168

Inside of a Jeepney! (Bayad Po!)

Candles for Easter Vigil

Tricycles on the Streets of Manila

Lechon Kawali (OMG – DELICIOUS!)

Steamed Chili Crab – Nom nom nom

Anne, Anne, Brad, and Will at Relik on Fort Bonifacio High Street! (Thank you Anne PaGaduan!)

Butter and Garlic Prawns – Amazing!

Family Crew at SM (Kuya Mike, AJ, Ate Fe, Aja, Ate May-May, Anne, Will, Perlina, “Mae-Mae”)

My first Halo Halo (thanks Ate May-May!)

So much family, so much fun! Too many people to list, but know how thankful I am to have met you all!

Anne and Will at White Moon Bar at Ocaen Park for sunset (thanks Kuya Otep!)

Sunset from Ocean Park, Manila

Banaue

The Banaue Rice Terraces have been and always will be a special place to me. At first it was a place I dreamed of going. And now that I have been there, it is a place I dream of returning to. Our time in Banaue was short, but gave us just enough time to explore all of the major terraces. The Banaue Rice Terraces are an AbsoluteVisit for a reason – check them out!

Brad and Will at Hapao Rice Terraces

Will and Anne squatting at Hapao Rice Terraces

Brad enjoying the view over Hapao

Our guide Oliver and Will (Thank you to Anne for the shot with our GREAT guide!)

Brad and Will hiking the terraces of Hapao

Anne presenting Hapao to the World!

Brad photographing the Batad Amphitheatre Terraces

Brad and Will squatting at Batad

Will snapping up the Batad Terraces (A BIG thank you to Anne for the candid shot!)

Brad zooming in on the Batad Terraces (A BIG thank you to Anne for the candid shot!)

Will at the Batad Terraces (A BIG thank you to Anne for this shot!)

Anne Gazing out over the Batad Terraces

Yes, we got these kids to jump with us!

Tappiya Waterfall! This is the gift you receive after hiking down the Batad terraces!

Anne and I above the waterfall – this was BEFORE we hiked down

The Hapao Valley – get on a plane now!

The Batad Terraces – Yes, this could be YOUR view!

El Nido

El Nido, El Nido, El Nido! Want a place where your biggest worry is what beach you’ll sit on for the day while soaking up the sun, enjoying juice shakes, and great seafood? Welcome home. El Nido is hard to get to and I sincerely hope they keep it that way. It makes it special.

With very few people, little commercialization, and one of the most chilled-out attitudes I’ve seen in a place, I can’t wait to return here either. Are you seeing a theme?

Squatting on our boat in El Nido

Anne and Will at El Nido

Hardcore Squat from Anne and Brad (Commando Beach)

Brad and Will Squatting (those are some nice farmer’s tans!)

Anne and Will Jumping for Joy at El Nido

Anne and Will at an unreal El Nido sunset! (Stunning Vistas Resort)

Unreal Beach Sunset in El Nido (Stunning Vistas Resort!)

Boracay

Bora-bora-boracay! Boracay is one of those islands that no one can really explain very well. If you have been there you know what I mean. If you haven’t … then go! Boracay has an incredibly unique combination of being a nightlife hub, a water adventurer’s paradise, and a romantic getaway. There are clubs, bars, scuba diving, kite boarding, wind surfing, snorkeling, boutique hotels, great restaurants, and spas. Boracay has it all and it is exactly whatever you make of it.

Below you’ll see three sunset shots from three different nights – all in a row. These are real sunsets. As much as I would like to think that we got lucky by seeing three great sunsets in a row, I have a feeling this is normal for Boracay

Night 1 in Boracay – Glowing Red Sunset

Night 2 in Boracay – Deep Purple Sunset

Night 3 in Boracay – Pink Streaks Sunset

There is so much to say about the Philippines, but one thing I haven’t talked much about are the people. The people of the Philippines are a highlight that should not be overlooked. At every turn there were people who were willing to help, give advice, or simply lend a smile. They are honorable, hard-working, respectful, and friendly.

Thank you Philippines!

You may have caught on to a trend in my words throughout this post and that is that I will return. I don’t know when this will happen, but I do hope it’s very soon. The Philippines are an incredible place that has amazing potential and I know this means the islands will change quickly. I truly can not wait to get back.

Until next time, farewell Philippines!

AV Trip Photo – Hardcore Photo Shoot – Prambanan Temple – Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The Banaue Rice Terraces, AV #33

Squat over Batad

A little over a week ago, we visited AbsoluteVisit #33, The Banaue Rice Terraces! This was our 7th AbsoluteVisit of the trip and was one that we had never seen before, but had always dreamed of. We were able to conquer the terraces of Banaue, Batad, and Hapao in an incredibly action-packed 48 hours that included two overnight buses, hours of hiking, and thousands of pictures. This crazy little trip to one of the world’s most beautiful places left Brad, Anne, and I astonished and equally exhausted!

The Banaue Rice Terraces Detailed Info & Travel Tips

Our Visit to The Banaue Rice Terraces

We had some incredible assistance in planning the trip from Anne and also the staff at Banaue Homestay! Bea and her cousins Michael (Jeepney driver) and Oliver (Banaue Guide) were not just over the top friendly, but helped us at each step of the way to make sure we had an incredible Banaue experience. And that we did!

The highlight of the trip was the second day. On this day, we hiked the Batad terraces and the three of us (Brad, Anne, and I) were really challenged! We were not given much warning, but all of a sudden, we were in the midst of a hike up and down terraces for what ended up being 7 hours of constant hiking. It was brutal, and at times painful, but having the scenery of the terraces to boost us up gave us more than enough energy to conquer the hike. When it was all said and done, we would do it again – it’s that good. Start planning your trip now!

A Few Photos

Our Guide Oliver and Will at a Roadside Viewpoint

Anne lining up a shot! And you wonder where we got all of these great candid shots from!?

Brad photographing the EPIC landscape of Batad

Brad and Will hiking the Terraces

Will Snapping up the Batad Amphitheatre

Will and Brad in Hapao

Will and Anne in Hapao

Jump Squat with Banaue Kids

Roadside kid modeling for us

Local boy admiring the view

A shopkeeper in Hapao

A local preparing rice and chewing betel nut

Replanting Rice

A shopkeeper and his son

Walking in from the mornings work

Umbrella Sun Protection

A Local and Her Laundry