Tag Archives: travel photography

Travel Brand Shout Outs to Sixt and Flytographer!

Over the past year I have been so fortunate to discover and work with these two travel brands and I wanted to take the time to give them the credit they are due. Both Sixt and Flytographer are consistently professional and a pleasure to work with. Here’s a quick run down of my experiences with both brands in the United States and abroad! Proof positive that consistency in business and customer satisfaction can be universal.

Lola Approved Sixtlola_blackpink

As a frequent traveler, I rent cars quite a bit. It’s usually fine but not above and beyond. With Sixt, all three instances were just that, above and beyond. Truly, hands down, the best car rental experiences of my renting career.

sixtseattle

In Seattle I tried one of Sixt’s luxury cars – a sweet BMW, perfect for a drive into the countryside for a wedding. Not only was the process painless but the staff were extremely helpful. AND upon return, it could not have been easier. Pull up and pass off the keys, that is it!

sixtice

In Iceland we rented an SUV for our Icelandic roadtrip. It was perfect for the time of year and road conditions. I particularly loved Sixt’s concern for us as they followed our progress on our journey. Again, upon return, the process couldn’t have more simple.

sixt

In Miami I had the pleasure of cruising around in one of Sixt’s fantasy cars – an ombre neon pink Mini Cooper, perfect for Lola and SoBe. The rental process was a piece of cake and the staff ensured I knew where I was going and then upon return it was just a matter of handing over keys and getting an emailed receipt. Nothing could be easier. Parting with that little baby was the hardest part!

Founded in Germany, Sixt is one of the oldest, most prestigious car rental companies in all of Europe and the world. Renowned internationally for their quality customer care and low rental rates, Sixt has recently opened branches in the United States. Now you can experience the benefits of a great car rental from Sixt both stateside and worldwide. Sixt has locations in 105 countries across the globe.

Lola Approved Flytographerlola_blackpink

My favorite travel photos in the past year have been those with Flytographer. Alyson Aliano for Flytographer captured fun moments in California for a girl’s glam weekend. Acting like a fly on the wall, she was able to get truly wonderful candids.

LAGLAM

Soon thereafter, we found ourselves in Amsterdam having a tour of the city and getting some great action snaps with Flytographer’s Traci White of the girls enjoying learning all about Amsterdam’s neighborhoods. Again, non-intrusive and professional. I love these photos showing what it is like to be on a tour and not just of the things you learn but your reaction to it all.

ams

Finally, my most recent time working with Flytographer was in my beloved Miami. They had just found a local photographer, Daniel Lateulade, and I happened to be there and loved the idea of getting photos around various highlights of South Beach. It was amazing! Some of my very favorite pictures of myself. You can see why.

miami

The highly acclaimed Flytographer captures travelers around the globe every day whether it’s special romantic trip, family vacation, girlfriend getaway or a reunion & more! Capture memories in over 100 cities worldwide with their hand-picked list of over 170 professional photographers. It’s like strolling the streets with a local friend who shares insider tips, all the while discretely chronicling unforgettable vacation memories.

Disclaimer: all of my experiences with both of these brands have been complimentary but they are still my favorite travel brands I’ve worked with over the past year. Customer satisfaction and professionalism are priceless and that’s why they are Lola Approved.

8 Comments

Filed under amsterdam, car rentals, iceland, los angeles, miami, seattle, travel, travel photography

cambodia starts with the letter P

PCAMBODIA

i know what you are thinking… either there’s a silent P in the word Cambodia or lola has lost it and no longer knows how to spell! there’s NO silent P. the ‘lost it’ part, well, the world can be my judge!

when i reflected on so much of what i saw and learned in my two and half weeks in Cambodia many of the adjectives and objects, as it turned out, began with the letter P. of course there are plenty of other words that describe this fascinating and wonderful place too.

here are some P Cambodia words:

PHNOM PENH – the capital city of Cambodia.

POOLS – little sanctuaries of water can be found throughout the country.

PASSION FRUIT – found in cocktails, smoothies and salads everywhere.

PAJAMAS – not just for nighttime! pajamas are a daytime fashion statement in Cambodia.

PRAYERS – incense & candles burning everywhere for the spirits that have passed on.

PIGS – crossing roads, hanging from street carts, served as an offering to ancients in prayer for rain.

PEACEFUL – quiet soft-spoken people. buddhist monks are everywhere in Cambodia.

PHOTOGENIC – beautiful people with gorgeous smiles who enjoy having their photo taken.

POSITIVITY – despite their difficult past and slow path forward, people have an overall positive attitude.

PEDICURES – fish pedicures are a common practice in Cambodia.

POOR – people are living in poverty.

PRETTY – once you get over the culture shock you can see through the differences in lifestyle and find the beauty. the beauty of the thatched roofed houses and hammocks swinging. the painted cement block houses. the brightly colored scooters. the multiple different tuk tuks. the store front after store front offering the same things that suddenly become pretty.

POLLUTED – not only are there trash pollution problems but the trucks and scooters everywhere burning god knows what kind of gas certainly doesn’t help with air quality.

PALACES – from the royal palace in Phnom Penh to the temples of Siem Reap, there is beautiful architecture everywhere in Cambodia.

PALM TREES – it is tropical, let’s not forget, and this added bonus only made lola love Cambodia more.

PENANG CHICKEN – a meal i frequently had & loved while in Cambodia – yum.

PEOPLE – people everywhere. sprinkling the streets, sidewalks, country roads. sitting in their thatched houses – smiling & waving back at you.

22 Comments

Filed under cambodia, phnom penh, siem reap, travel

Capture the Color with Lola

SHOCKING i’m sure – lola loves color!!

hello my traveling friends. there’s a new contest in town called “Capture the Color” put on by TravelSupermarket.com. the idea behind it is that you publish a post with pictures that capture these five colors – blue, green, yellow, white, and red. (of course, i’m bucking the system and adding pink because…how could i not?) i was graciously tagged by Erin from The World Wanderer and even though i’m no photographer, i’m happy to play along, so thank you Erin!

oh BLUE – i’d be so true to you

nothing was more beautiful than the BLUE BLUE skies of Greece to me

hello GREEN! too much of you could make one mean

cucumber cocktail…a healthy GREEN i like to imbibe A LOT!

look at the sun! look how it shines for you – and everything you do. yeah, it was all YELLOW

this YELLOW-orange sunset in Santorini may have been the most beautiful i’ve ever seen

WHITE – you are pure like the driven snow but i prefer you as BRIGHT WHITE roses instead

the delicate beauty of this WHITE bouquet made me weak in the knees

roses are RED and so is this yummy cocktail called Negroni

RED RED RED – that’s what i said

PINK PINK you make me think…i WANT this car really BAD

deep in the heart of Art Deco Miami lives a PINK car that i must have one day

 

now for the tagging on my part…

Alex of Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – no doubt, your photos will be Crazy, Sexy & Fun!

Elyse of Foodie International – we all expect pics of mouth-watering food! NOM NOM

Jen of Scarlett Wonderland – i expect some sassy shots my hot friend!

Will Peach of WillPeach.com & My Spanish Adventure + many more sexy sites found on my ‘links amour’ page – may i suggest for your WHITE photo your shower shot from Alone & Naked in Lisbon

looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

peace out! XO – lola

31 Comments

Filed under boston, cocktails, greece, miami, travel

my 7 super shots – done lola-style

when i got tagged by my travelin PIC (partner in crime) Leah of Leah’s Travels to do the HostelBookers’ 7 Super Shots i actually snickered to myself. like i said, i am no real photographer and think many of my *best* shots are of me taken by someone else. WHY? because these shots really tell the stories of my travels and the people i meet!

a photo that takes my breath away:

in the bathroom of the playboy club in vegas

you’re probably thinking “why does this take lola’s BREATH AWAY?” well, for starters, i’m not totally sure how i ended up at the playboy club in Vegas let alone in the bathroom with these characters. when i entered the loo these two were striking similar poses which, of course, i felt necessary to replicate. WHAT THE….

a photo that makes me laugh or smile:

blow up man-doll sandwich in miami

c’mon, be honest, this makes you LAUGH just a little doesn’t it? there was a bachelorette party going on that day in Miami. we were at the swanky Delano enjoying a lovely afternoon by the pool. it was time to shake up the place a bit! THE. END.

a photo that makes me dream:

seaside in santorini

as i mentioned in my “real” 7 Super Shots post, going to Greece was a dream come true. this photo reminds me that it wasn’t a dream that i went there. i actually AM there in this picture BUT i continue to DREAM of going back!

a photo that makes me think:

groundhog day in budapest

i got stuck in Budapest when the Icelandic volcano ash cloud debacle happened in April 2010. it was actually quite fabulous to have an enforced extension to what was supposed to be a short getaway. downside was that things got a little repetitious and i picked up a few BAD habits that made me THINK “maybe it’s time to get outta here or i’ll be needing serious rehab!”

a photo that makes my mouth water:

rum punch at st. jean beach - st. barts

there’s much about this picture that makes my MOUTH WATER. fun times, happy friends, beautiful St. Barts, the beach, the ocean, the sunshine…BUT those RUM PUNCHES! they could make anyone’s mouth water – SCRUMPTIOUS i tell you!

a photo that tells a story:

miami airport

what’s the STORY here? what does this photo say to you, HMMM? feel free to TELL ME in your comments!

a photo that i’m most proud of (aka, my NationalGeographic shot):

lolafying the locals

for this honor i coulda gone REAL “National Geographic” with a topless shot. that’s what i remember most about flipping through that periodical in my younger day! BUT i decided it isn’t really worthy of a National Geographic title. SO i chose this. this is a local fortune teller on Miami beach. he takes his craft VERY seriously. he told me my fortune and scared the living daylights out of me by saying someone had put a curse on me but for a nice sum of cash he’d remove the curse. again, WHAT THE….

why am i PROUD of this shot? because after he finished his rounds, i was able to sweet talk him into snapping a pic with me. see how i got him to loosen up & smile?! i gave him some boa feathers to remember me by. HA! the jokes on him – he’s now under a LOLAFIED spell!

10 Comments

Filed under greece, miami, st. barts, travel, vegas

my 7 super shots from here + there

i don’t fancy myself much of a photographer but will give this a go…

my travelin’ partner in crime, Leah, from Leah Travels tagged me to participate in HostelBookers’ 7 Super Shots. i enjoyed putting this together as it inspired me in a time when i have not been traveling. incredible, the power of photographs! it was fun to see & read what other travel bloggers posted as well. there are some amazing pictures out there that will cause wanderlust in anyone!

a photo that takes my breath away:

sunset in santorini, greece

it was a dream come true to go to Greece this past fall. seeing the Acropolis has been on my bucket list for a LONG time. i’m still carrying the awestruck feeling of seeing it with my own eyes. along with visiting Athens, i also stopped over to the beautiful island of Santorini. it truly looks like all the photographs you’ve seen. AND, for me, it had the most incredible sunsets i’ve ever watched go down. it took my breath away, quite literally.

a photo that makes me laugh or smile:

miami beach, florida

this photo may not incite laughter or cause you to smile but it does for me. Miami is my ‘happy place’ and whenever i’m feeling a little blue, i look at this picture and am reminded of the warm sun, calm water & peace i feel when i’m in Miami. it makes me say ahhh.

a photo that makes me dream:

gouverneur beach in st. barts

if you’ve visited St. Barts you know it’s an absolute dream. i think everything there is dreamy. the weather, the beaches, the food & drinks, the lifestyle, the people – it is HEAVEN on earth. i dream about St. Barts all the time & cannot get back there soon enough.

a photo that makes me think:

berlin wall, germany

there are so many moments in history landmarked around the world and i certainly haven’t seen them all. for me, seeing the Berlin Wall brought home the division of a country that has reunited in my lifetime. World War II was so horrific and the division of a city and country must have been such a dark and sad time in Germany. this picture certainly conjures up thoughts of darkness and sadness to me.

a photo that makes my mouth water:

champagne in provence, france

sante! champagne may not make your mouth water and it doesn’t always mine either. BUT i spent my birthday this year in France and had the pleasure of being reminded how much i love French food. my mouth is watering just thinking about all the delicious food and drinks i devoured while there. bon appetit!

a photo that tells a story:

roman forum in rome, italy

you may think lola’s all fun & games. i am mostly BUT i do enjoy history quite a bit. i have been to Rome a couple of times and even with a personal guide, still am overwhelmed by all that makes up the Roman Forum. so much history, so many stories. everyone from Jesus to Caesar – even me – walked this cobbled path. truly the center of Rome and, at one time, the whole of the world.

a photo that i’m most proud of (aka, my NationalGeographic shot):

nepali coast in kauai, hawaii

it was easy to catch the beauty of the Nepali Coast at the end of the Waimea Canyon in Kauai, Hawaii. it certainly helped that mother nature decided to give me a rainbow to highlight the beauty of this place. like i said, i don’t think i’m a world-class photographer, so i appreciate a subject that is photogenic!

so, there it is – my 7 Super Shots. this is an area of improvement for me and look forward to learning more about photography at the upcoming travel blogger conference – TBEX. i’m going to tag friends who i know are better about taking photos…their’s are sure to inspire wanting to travel near & far.

Raul of ilivetotravel

Keane of Keane Li

Craig of Stay Adventurous

Kirsten of aviators and a camera

Aaron of  The Adventures of elatlboy

18 Comments

Filed under france, germany, greece, hawaii, italy, miami, st. barts, travel