The $2 Beach Bag

[trip style = sun + beach + all-inclusive + cruise]

Bagging the right beach bag is key to traveling light and in style. It took me over a year to find the perfect one: my fold-flat navy and white striped Baggu, but recently I found a close second that rung up as $2 at the till.

I didn't mean to be disloyal to my tried-and-tested Baggu, but in a moment of last-minute packing desperation {at 11pm before a 3.45am wake-up for a recent flight to Maui}, the cute, already-in-my-purse and virtually weightless $2 bag shown above and below won. It helps that it matches my favoured beach cover-up. After highly successful debut in Maui, the $2 bag came with me to Puerto Vallarta last weekend as well.

Will I give up my trusty Baggu for the cheap and weightless thrill that is my newest travel obsession? Not a chance, but when space is limited and cutting down on even the slightest bulk is helpful, the cheapie bag will be my travel BFF.

Buying A $2 Beach Bag I purchased my bag{s} at Daiso, the two-storey Japanese you-didn't-know-you-even-needed-that store that sells everything from water dumbbells to fako iPhone cords to collapsible dog bowls. Located in Richmond, BC {near the Vancouver Airport}, plan to spend an afternoon because 10 minutes won't cut it. You have to uncover its weird and wonderful wares in hefty time chunks, and while you're at it, grab a bubble tea. {I wish this pic showed more of the bags, but there were some cool prints. I got the upper and mid left red and blue bags. No Daiso or like stores in your area? A) you'll have to visit Vancouver, or B) bag a bag online.

Mah-jor Disclaimer Though the bags are lightweight and have the general-ish shape {NOT PATTERN} of a grocery tote, I'm not suggesting you interpret my advice as "I'm just going to bring my President's Choice or Trader Joe's grocery sack on vacation." No grocery bags allowed for travel!!! Finding the right beach/plane-to-pool bag takes time, so I'm just giving you a variety of options and ideas along the way.

Related How To Bag A Beach Bag Fashion Friday :: Life's A Beach

[photos by @tripstyler]

Postcards From Puerto Vallarta

[trip style = beach + sun + weekend getaway]

Hola from Puerto Vallarta, the friendly city taco'd between Mazatlan and Acapulco on Mexico's West Coast. Less than a 4.5-hour flight from Vancouver, I'm not sure why my travels haven't taken me to this city saturated in colour and local warmth before now.

Since I'm on location until I fly home tonight, here are few photos as an aperitif---think of them as your guacamole before the full Mexi fiesta {full details about the town, the restaus and the hotels, as well as why I'm here coming your way on TS shortly}.

Hasta luego, Trish

PV Postcards {My hotel, Marival Residences and World Spa}

{Lush and historic Puerto Vallarta}

{Tableside deconstructed guacamole before it's sliced and diced to a chunky perfection}

{Fiesta in Bucerias}

{Sunset in the Riviera Nayarit - a crescent-shaped, far-reaching, sandy bay dotted by villas and resorts, a half hour from Puerto Vallarta}

[photos taken by @tripstyler while a guest of air transat/nolitours in puerto vallarta]

Fashion Friday :: Life's a Beach

[trip style = sun + beach]

{Fashion Friday posts are published on the last Friday of every month by fashion blogger Heather.}

My Instagram feed has been filled with images of first snow this week from friends across the country. I imagine after a few mornings scraping their windshields, the novelty has worn off and those friends are already online bookmarking tropical destinations, hoping to swap their parkas for pareos and their boots for bikinis.

Even on the rainy West Coast, I'm dreaming of trading my umbrella for a tiny drink umbrella, preferably in a coconut, at a swim up bar, surrounded by surfers who speak very little English. Before I get carried away with an Ally McBeal-style daydream, I must remind you that the perfect styles for your sunny getaway are on sale now. And it makes sense that if you buy the perfect sandals or swim trunks now, you'll just have to find somewhere to wear them soon...right?!

Now What To Buy? Women (clockwise from top left) Rodebjer petite swimsuit {sale!}, We Are Handsome dutch frilled swimsuit {sale!}, Heidi Merrick carp tunic {sale!}, Osborn sandalia black sandal {sale!}, Miu Miu plunge-front swimsuit, Topshop chunky oversize sunglasses, Target braided hat, Madewell toe-strap boardwalk sandal, Zimmermann frill rash guard {sale!}, Lemlem bella patio dress

Men (clockwise from middle) Warriors of Radness coastal trunk {sale!}, Wings + Horns shorts {sale!}, Filippa K t-shirt {sale!}, Warriors of Radness renegade pullover {sale!}

More Fashion Friday Romantic Caribbean Resort Wear Falling for Portland Runway Style

Roam+Board :: Napili Kai

[trip style = sun + beach]

{Editor’s Note: I realize it's been awhile since we've dished up a dose of Roam+Board---oh so many properties are in the queue---but I wanted to get the party re-started with a casual, beachfront property outside of the Maui resort realm. Because I only feature properties I LOVE and think YOU would LOVE for R+B, while there I was already thinking ahead to my next visit.}

What
Started by a group of Vancouverites in the 60s, Napili Kai Beach Resort recalls vintage Maui in a way that made me want to break out into the hula (lucky for me, lessons are free). Winding its way over 10 beachfront acres along Maui's Northwestern shore, 11 low-rise condo clusters built over the 60s, 70s and 80s hover near the ocean---some so close, from the inside it looks like you're in a cruise ship cabin.

Built before the tidal wave of posh resorts started popping up along Maui's shores, Napili Kai perfected the easy-breezy Hawaiian vacation with tiki, plantation-style architecture hugging the crescent-shaped, sandy bay. Ocean-view pools scattered throughout the property followed, while the grassy beachfront hub makes you want to spread your beach towel in the shade of a palm or spend happy hour playing a round of shuffleboard with a glass sherry.

Taking a democratic approach to vacationing, every room has a lanai and there is NO resort fee {a big deal in Maui where some resorts charge up to $25 daily}. WiFi and parking and are also complimentary, as is use of on-site BBQs and snorkel gear. Sadly, not everything in life is free, you have to pay for the giant pineapple-coconut shave ice pictured above, but that will only set you back $5!

Where
Napili, Maui, between Ka'anapali and Kapalua. A 50-minute drive from Maui's main airport {OGG}.

When
Maui's 25-degree C average temperature attracts visitors year-round. High season tends to revolve around major holidays/breaks like American Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break and summer. Visit in fall, Jan/Feb and late-spring for fewer crowds and cheaper rates.

Who/Why
Single and multi-generational families who choose the sand-in-your toes, laid-back location over the glitz and glam of nearby resort areas.

Cost
Off-season rates start at $270 but this can be lowered when you book multiple nights in a row with the current 5th, or 6th and 7th Night Free promotions. Washers and dryers with complimentary soap on-site. Note that luxury, oceanfront rooms have been recently renovated in sleek neutrals with a similar design palette carried over into all room categories.

More Roam+Board
Nita Lake Lodge - Whistler, BC
Hester Creek Winery – Oliver, BC
Fairmont Banff Springs – Banff
Thompson – Beverly Hills
The Sorrento Hotel – Seattle
The LIT! Bangkok – Thailand
Hotel De La Paix – Thailand
From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos taken by @tripstyler--except 1st and 4th courtesy Napili Kai---while a guest of Napili Kai]

Maui Waui :: Paia

[trip style = sun + beach]

{Editor's Note :: Last week I was in Maui investigating as many corners of the island as I could possibly fit into a one-week trip. Over eight days I stayed at five hotels ranging from beachfront boutiques to mega-glitz Goliaths. Yes, I packed light. In the next few weeks I'm going to be talking about the highlights and areas I'd recommend, starting today with Paia.}

Pa'ia [pah-ee-ah]

You don't have to go far from Maui's main airport in Kahului {OGG} to reach Paia. From the adjacent rental car pick-up area to the small town stuck between rustling sugar cane fields and a bevy of North Shore beaches, it's all of a five-minute commute.

With boho-beachy boutiques and independent ocean-to-table restaurants sprinkled over the first few miles of the Hana highway, Paia embodies day-to-day Maui devoid of big-name hotels or mega resorts. The locals are chill and health-focused, and within a few days, I feel fully educated in Island Life 101.

Paia is all about the wind-swept, salt-in-your-hair {instead of product} beachfront culture. It's not uncommon to see people dining and grocery shopping barefoot, hair still dripping from a surf session. What's so attractive about the place---aside from its natural beauty and vibe---is its confidence. This one-of-a-kind historic town doesn't try to be somewhere else, Paia is comfortable with its size, location and islandy flow, and confidence is the cornerstone of beauty.

Eat Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in an indoor-outdoor setting, Cafe Des Amis is unique to Maui dishing up Mediterranean and Indian food, versus Hawaiian regional cuisine. My lunch above is an apple, brie and avocado crepe with a dollop of sour cream and a light salad. Also check out the Paia Fish Market, a busteling restaurant sporting large communal tables and grab-your-own cutlery, where cooks fry and flip just-caught fish and fries for a constant line-up of hungry locals.

For those who want an upscale beachfront dining experience, head to Mama's Fish House, perhaps the most famous restaurant on this island. Dripping in tiki-glam, the island eatery takes fresh catch to a new level naming the fisherman who troll local waters each morning to reel in that evening's fare. Open for lunch and dinner.

Stay Find the Paia Inn right in the center of town on a plot of palm-shaded land that reaches from Paia's trendiest shops to the beach. A favorite of celebs---one such A-lister was staying at the same time as me---and Apple execs, one of Maui's only boutique hotels caters to the type of crowd that wants to go incognito and dive into local life. Room types range from basic town-view standards to indoor-outdoor private garden suites to beach villas. Rates start at $189.

Do Two must-visit beaches near Paia are Baldwin and Ho'okipa. Baldwin is sprawling and unspoiled, perfect for a lazy afternoon sunning session or a long walk along its mostly flat shore. Hookipa is a windy and wavy world-famous stop for and windsurfers and surfers frequented by the likes of Laird Hamilton. Finally, don't leave Paia without popping your head into a few boutiques. I love the curated finds for stylish guys 'n gals at Imrie.

[photos by @tripstyler snapped while exploring Maui with Tourism Maui]