Author - Bill Wiatrak

Trip from Austin to Okinawa

I’m now putting together cheap flights and travel suggestions for my clients. Here’s my latest post for my friend Joy…. September temperatures are 75-86 degrees in Okinawa, October about 5 degrees less, so either month is a good time to travel. The prices change constantly, so below are the lowest sample prices: GETTING THERE: The least expensive...

Hacking Greenland

It’s the worlds largest island that’s not a continent and the least populated country by size in the world. There’s hardly any roads and most of the country is a giant ice cap. So, why go there? Good question. You might have heard the story that Greenland was given its name by Erik the Red (Leif Erikson’s dad) to attract more people, but...

How to See the Dalai Lama

I’m a bucket list traveler. At the moment I have a list of 26 things on the note app of my phone that all seemed to make sense when I added them; places I plan to go, people I hope to meet and lofty goals like visiting every country in the world. If it wasn’t for my “lists”, I’d never get anything done. I’m not sure how “Meet...

How Santorini Can be Your Next Vacay

Who hasn’t seen the Instagram photos of the ivory white and cobalt blue Cyclade homes spilling over a cliff? Santorini has a personality unlike any other place in the universe and just about anyone who’s ever seen a photo of this magical European island has dreamed of going there someday.  Church at Oia Photo: Bill Wiatrak You could book it today.  Maybe...

Tackling The South Pacific

As I’ve creeping slowly towards my goal of visiting every country in the world, I’ve hit a few snags. First, there’s the nearly impossible countries. North Korea is the biggest challenge that most think of, but politically, it’s the only country that US passport holders aren’t allowed to visit. US relations with Libya, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan...

Sloths, Mermaids and Things That Slither.

What’s the Deal With Houston’s New Zoo? Times have changed. As the world has shifted to accommodate our obsession with social media, entertainment for many of us has become less about just observing, and more about selfies, hands on and interaction.. We can watch practically anything we want instantly and virtually on YouTube, so why visit a zoo or museum full of...

Belize:San Pedro or Caye Caulker? 

The last time I visited the Belizean island of Caye Caulker was in the 80s. Back then it was a laid back backpacker Mecca with crystal blue waters and cheap lobster. I decided it was high time I went back.  I wasn’t sure how tourism might have impacted this pristine island and how it might have changed decades later when I revisited, but the truth is, it really...

Tiwai island, Sierra Leone

There’s three reasons that people end up in Sierra Leone. You were born here, you work here or you’re a jaded traveler looking for a challenging adventure in a country you’ve never visited. So here I am, crossing Siloan (as it’s affectionately called) and looking for the places that give me the most interesting perspective.  Everything I had heard about Tiwai...

What to Pack and Where to Put It.

A few years ago, I made a life changing decision. In truth, it was more of a sock changing decision. Rather than run around like a crazy person the day before I leave on a trip, I decided to just leave my bag “mostly” packed. Many travelers find the decision process of what to take with them the most difficult part of the trip. Take that out of the equation and...