Kameri Larson, Author at Beyond These Borders

New Zealand’s North Island: A Geothermic Wonderland

February 27, 2017 by Kameri 1 Comment

New Zealand's North Island is a wondrous destination. It offers glowworms, volcanoes, steaming pools, rumbling craters, and colored lakes. Waitomo Caves Our first destination was the Waitomo Caves. We explored 3 different caves throughout the day starting with Waitomo Glowworm Cave. If you only see one, this is the one! Clusters of glowworms cling to the walls around you while walking through the cave, but the best part is the boat ride on the river within. The boat glides out through the …

Racing Through New Zealand’s South Island in 7 Days

February 4, 2017 by Kameri 2 Comments

My mom and I had 13 days available to explore New Zealand. Two islands (North and South) make up the country and we wanted to see both. The South holds so many amazing destinations and we had only 7 days here… so we found ourselves racing through New Zealand’s South Island. Was it fast paced? Yes. A bit exhausting? Absolutely…. But I’m thankful we didn’t skip any of it! Day 1: We arrived at Christchurch airport in the middle of the night, caught a cab and crashed at our Airbnb. When we …

Ayers Rock: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

November 27, 2016 by Kameri 1 Comment

While spending a few days in the outback, we encountered the good, the bad, and the ugly of Ayers Rock, but mostly good. The good. Seeing Ayers Rock for yourself is incredible. Our rental car carried us into the national park that contains Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta. Before you even enter the gate, the sight of a giant Ayers Rock greets you. Around 6 pm we claimed a parking spot in the sunset viewing lot. Here, the setting sun shines directly on the side of this massive structure causing …

Shuffle off to Buffalo…. North Dakota

October 18, 2016 by Kameri Leave a Comment

Want to experience a small town with historic buildings, a saloon, and a splash of wine? Shuffle off to Buffalo, ND and check it out! Buffalo is a small, charming, town of about 200 residents that was established in 1884. It sits a half hour drive west of Fargo and there is one main street where the majority of businesses reside. The community is largely a farming community, growing corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and wheat. And the businesses around town are locally owned. The rest of the …

Discover Turtles and Cenotes in the Riviera Maya, Mexico

September 17, 2016 by Kameri 1 Comment

I enjoyed a quick trip to the Riviera Maya in Mexico this summer to meet up with friends who I met many years ago back in college. We rented a fantastic beach house and spent most of our time relaxing by the pool. However, we did plan a couple excursions. I recommend to anyone traveling to the area to discover some cenotes and sea turtles! We booked the “Turtles and Cenotes” tour with Ocean Tours. The company offers free pickup at any hotel in the Riviera Maya. (Transport to and from Cancun …

Cliff Jumping in Cuba

August 15, 2016 by Kameri Leave a Comment

Jumping off a cliff at Javira Waterfall wasn’t originally part of my travel plans, but this oasis was my favorite place in Cuba! A few Austrians I met in Trinidad invited me to tag along on a day trip to a waterfall. We couldn’t find the waterfall they had planned to visit, so we opted for a closer one. The night before, they had met a local man who was selling drinks by the stairs outside Casa de la Musica. He recommended they visit Javira Waterfall in Parque El Cubano. We found the …