There was a time where I associated one-piece swimsuits solely with synchronized swim teams and my father’s list of appropriate beach attire.
Well, times have changed and awkward tan lines aside I’ve come around to the one piece in a big way.
I’ve hunted out a few of my favourite styles/linked ones I’ve already bought below!
I’m into the Cargo pant trend at the moment for two big reasons:
To help you shop the trend I’ve pulled together a range of affordable options that I think really hit the mark!
I’ve also linked a few white crop tops to complete this look.
Enjoy 🙂
For the last couple years of my life I’ve spent more time on the road than I have at home. Travel to me has become the ultimate teacher. I’ve learned a lot about myself and a lot about the world – a world that really doesn’t seem that big anymore – but with this accessibility comes responsibility.
So what is sustainable tourism?
The simple answer: A way of travelling to and exploring a destination while respecting its culture, environment, and people.
I’ll be the first to admit that when I started travelling, the impact my ‘trip’ had on my destination wasn’t something I really thought about. It wasn’t even something I thought I should be thinking about (there’s a sentence). But the more I travel, the more I’ve come to understand just how serious and lasting our choices as tourists and travellers are.
In 2018 the UN’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) reported international tourist arrivals hit 1.4 billion. That is 1.4 billion people on the planet travelled by some means of transportation to a destination where they spent foreign currency, enjoyed local (or not so local) experiences, stayed in a resort, rented a car, indulged in heightened luxury, over ate, over slept, escaped “real life” for a period of time.
This article isn’t about shaming that experience – I mean, I love getting black-out on a beach while attempting to reach a shade of mahogany never before seen by mankind (kidding Mum, I wear SPF50…ish)
This is about responsibly seeking that experience in a way that minimizes negative impact on the environment and that maximizes the social and economic benefits for the local community. In other words, getting black-out on locally purchased tequila whilst sunbaking on a beach accessible to travellers and locals alike.
But aside from tequila choice, there’s a large list of things we can do as travelers to help protect travel as we know it.
Here are some of the biggest (not to mention easiest) ones:
Skip the Plane, Take the Train: When possible (say during your European summer) look into training between countries as opposed to cashing in on the old €14 Ryanair special. When it comes to air emissions from planes, cruising requires much less fuel than taking off and landing, so the longer the flight the more efficient it becomes.
I know what you’re probably thinking – “Lor, you’re on planes all the time”. True, and I will write a separate blog post on this discussing carbon offsets and efforts that can be made to help balance out time in the sky.
If you have the option to bike or walk instead of Uber-ing around your destination, thats an obvious one as well.
Research Your Accommodation: There are an increasing number of resorts making sustainable efforts which largely centre around their active role in the local community and eco-friendly practices i.e.
(to name a few)
So check to see if the resort/hotel (locally owned hostels are always a good option as well) is participating in the above.
You can also check to see if they are certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Rainforest Alliance or similar entity.
If they’re not ticking any of the above boxes, reconsider your booking. Even if you the cost goes up, isn’t it more important that your grandkids be able to experience the same trip one day?
Act Like A Local: This is a big one for me. Respecting the local community is everything. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched some ignorant tourist make a scene over a minor inconvenience, or because of a sense of entitlement. Like, “I’m sorry Bret but YOUR AIRMILES DON’T WORK HERE.” Pull your head in, open your eyes and respect the people and culture around you by becoming a part of it. You’re missing out on a big part of the experience if you don’t.
Eat Like A Local: This is the best part of travelling if you ask me. You can eat all the hamburgers you like at home, so branch out and get involved in the local cuisine. Shop the local markets (make sure they’re actually local though) and seek out farm to table options.
Mind The Plastics: This one is SO easy, guys! The amount of plastic water bottles one encounters between the airport and resort alone is obnoxious. Just bring your own and fill it up with filtered water from the resort. If you’re out exploring ask for a top up from a restaurant. It’s really not hard.
Buy Locally: When it comes to souvenirs, clothing, food (as mentioned above) etc. avoid the tourist crap and large conglomerates and look for local vendors selling locally made/grown goods. They’re going to be better quality most of the time as well.
Research Your Tour Operator: A big part of travelling is touring your destination – diving tours, wild life tours, city tours etc. Check to see the company you choose is environmentally responsible and if possible choose a locally owned and operated company that employs it’s own local people. Most importantly here NEVER take part in tours that participate in animal cruelty i.e. Don’t ride the elephants!!
As I said, there are so many sustainable choices we can make as travellers, and the above names just a few. I know it can seem overwhelming and maybe you think, I am just one person and there is no way I can do all of these things all the time.
The important message here is that it’s ok if you can’t do ALL of them, but you can do SOME. We need to make an effort; we need to make a change and we need to make better choices.
Something I heard once that has stuck with me is that, “not everything depends on tourism, but tourism depends on almost everything.”
Tourism depends on us.
I’m lucky to have a job that allows me to travel so much, but that also means I’m always on the move – and sometimes in uncomfortable places. From airports to airplanes to Ubers to hotel rooms there’s one thing that remains constant – I have to be comfortable.
As the new year begins and we set our sights on new goals, I’ve once again partnered with Hanes and our friends at Kohl’s to spread the Comfydence message that “confidence starts with comfort”. Hanes wants to help give you the confidence you need to achieve these goals by providing the most comfortable foundation for your looks. Whether your goal is career-related, social life-oriented, or smashing an entire pizza from the comfort of your own couch — Hanes has you covered. Here, I’m feeling confident wearing the Hanes Ultimate Cotton Stretch Cool Comfort in the Bikini cut and the Hipster cut the Soft Natural Lift Foam T-Shirt Bra, all available at Kohls.com. The Nano-T T-shirt I’m wearing is available at Hanes.com.
For me, if I’m in front of the camera or networking at events it’s important that I feel my best in order to look my best. I find that what I’m wearing seriously dictates my mood and energy throughout the day. So whether I’m dressed up, dressed down or barely dressed at all, Hanes keeps me comfortable and confident from the inside out.
Shop Hanes available at Kohl’s here.
Whenever I travel to a new place I usually have an expectation of what it’s going to be like. Cape Town however, blew these right out of the water.
I expected it to be beautiful, I’d heard the food was incredible, the landscape breathtaking – but I had no idea how hard I’d fall for this city. There is something magical about Cape Town, and that’s the best way I can describe it.
WHAT WE DID
Climbed Lions Head – This took us 3 hours. We’d been told it was roughly a 90 minute round trip and perhaps this is true if you’re Edmund Hillary, but for the rest of us you’ll need three solid hours. Take water, wear proper shoes and be prepared to break a sweat. This climb is no joke. Also, brace yourself for literally being “on the edge” – parts of this trail will have you 600m up with only few inches between your feet and the cliff. It’s fantastic.
Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain – You can hike Table Mountain but as we’d already done Lion’s Head we were happy to pay the 290R (about $20USD) and hop on the 5 minute Cable Car ride to the top. The view from up here will absolutely blow your mind.
Cage Diving with Sharks – First off, its advertised as “Cage Diving with Great Whites” but the Great Whites are few and far between these days, so we saw Copper Sharks instead and as I’ve never seen a Great White in the flesh, they weren’t missed. The experience was still incredible. We did our dive in the town of Gansbaai, which is about 2.5 hours outside of Cape Town.
Day Safari at Aquila Private Game Reserve – This was an interesting one for me as it wasn’t actually a safari. Game Reserves are designated protected habitats and the animals are free to roam the 10,000 hectare conservatory that is Aquila, however it’s just not the real thing. We were told the ‘true’ safaris are inland, about a 5 hour drive outside of Johannesburg.
Coastal Walk from Camps Bay to Sea Point – This takes about an hour and is filled with great scenery. I really enjoyed doing it late afternoon.
Visited the Penguins at Boulder Beach – This was a learning experience as we hopped the fence to take pics with the little guys, and copped a 500R fine (about $35USD). The confusion is that you can walk onto the beach about a km up from where we entered, and play/take photos amongst the penguins from that end, so we didn’t realise that our short cut wasn’t allowed. At any rate, though the fine seems relatively low, the real concern is not upsetting the penguins or their habitat, so follow the signs!
Drove Chapman’s Peak – This is a must. It’s a winding road that is perched literally on the edge of the mountain on the western side of the Cape Peninsula, between Hout Bay and Noordhoek. Apparently the road can get quite congested, particularly at sunset, but I think we lucked out going around 10am – there were hardly any other cars. You can stop at view points along the drive.
Visited Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden – You can do tours of the garden, or just pay the 70R (about $5USD) to enter the garden and walk around yourself. You can also take a picnic and spend the afternoon hanging out in some pretty insane greenery. Next time I visit Ill be taking a picnic for sure.
WHERE WE STAYED
Elements Total Stay – Serviced apartments in Sea Point. The apartments were massive, brand new and centrally located in the heart of Sea Point, just a few minutes’ walk from the beach. I have to say the staff at Total Stay were incredible – so warm, accommodating and genuinely concerned that we enjoyed that we enjoyed our stay. Check out their website here.
AirBn – There are a ton in Cape Town, you won’t have trouble finding one!
WHERE WE ATE (and I recommend them all)
For Breakfast
Lola’s
Bootleggers
Nourish’d
Lunch
Primi
Thyme at Rosemary’s (in Gansbaai after our Shark Dive)
Dinner
The Bungalo
El Burro
Nobu
Codfather Sushi
FAVOURITE BEACH
Llandudno – The beach itself is beautiful, the surrounding suburb is adorable and the sunsets here are my favourite. Next time I visit Cape Town I will be renting an AirBnb in Llandudno.
