6 Needs of the Millennial Traveler

If you're looking for a fun, affordable beach getaway, visit Puerto Rico, home to plenty of beaches and nightlife, and enough options to satisfy every foodie, nature lover, and history buff. And the best part? U.S. citizens can visit this island paradise without a passport. Visit El Yunque National Rainforest One of Puerto Rico's best attractions is El Yunque National Forest, the only rain forest in the U.S. parks system. Travel Services, Inc. offers great half-day or full-day guided tours including transportation from your hotel to El Yunque (pronounced "El Jun-kay"), from $64 per person. Stop by the Visitor Center to learn more about the area's wildlife, like the Coquí frog and the Puerto Rican parrot, and stop by La Coca Falls and the Yokahu Lookout Tower for amazing rainforest views. Even novice hikers will enjoy a quick 30-minute hike to La Mina Falls, where you can take a dip, if you can stand the freezing cold water! Remember to bring a poncho along as you are in a rain forest (emphasis on the word rain) and it can start pouring buckets at any given time, so don't say we didn't warn you! Eat where the locals eat Located just outside El Yunque a few more minutes down the road, you'll find Kioskos de Luquillo, a great place to sample traditional Puerto Rican favorites like arepas (coconut cakes!) and plantains, and treat yourself to a freshly made piña coladas (or fresh coconut water) straight from a coconut. In Old San Juan, head to Raices, a local favorite where the waitstaff dresses in tradtional Puerto Rican outfits. Everyone says to try the house specialty, mofongo, served in a wooden goblet and made of your choice of meat and mashed plantains, making for a delicious and very filling meal. For a unique blend of Asian and and Latin American influences, try swanky Budatai in the Condado Beach area for delicious dishes like El Churrasco con Ho Fun and Lo Mein de Chicharron de Pollo. Roam the colorful streets of Old San Juan You can tour Old San Juan with the folks at Travel Services, Inc. for $55 per person including transportation to and from your hotel, or, thanks to super-affordable sites and a free tourist tram, you can do it at your own pace for less. Start with a trip to El Morro National Monument, an impressive 16th century Spanish fort that's less than $5 per person to enter and offers gorgeous views of the Caribbean. Take a joyride around town on the free white tram located outside El Morro and stop anywhere along the way to take advantage of the area's quirky shops and boutiques. Take your camera for a spin and spend some time just walking around the streets admiring the city's colorful buildings. Kayak in the dark at Bioluminescent Bay You can't come to Puerto Rico and not see Bioluminescent Bay, one of the coolest spots on the island, if not on Earth. You'll have to rent a car to get to Fajardo (or take the tour with Travel Services, Inc. for from $95 per person). If you choose to go independently, keep an eye out for the yellow tent in Las Croabas Park, where you'll find Island Kayaking Adventures. Sign up for their Glowing Bay Adventure, which leaves every night at 6:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. for $45 per person. You'll embark on a two-hour paddle through a natural mangrove tunnel, following each other through almost-total darkness (kayaks have a glowstick attached to the back so you can stay in a single-file line) to Bioluminescent Bay. Near the end of the mangove tunnel as you enter the bay itself, you'll notice something peculiar... the water starts to glow as you paddle, a result of the algae reacting to movement in the water, definitely an incredible sight. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to get a good photo of this (since you must be moving the water beneath the surface at the same time and the lighting at night gets tricky), but the Island Kayaking Adventures crew does take photos of you kayaking and posts them to their Facebook page free of charge. Take a road trip around the island If you're feeling up for a little adventure, try renting a car and taking a good old fashioned road trip around the island, or taking a drive down La Ruta Panorámica, one of Budget Travel's favorite road trips (also featured on our brand new Ultimate Road Trips App). Roads in Puerto Rico are in excellent condition, comparable to driving around in the states, and there is no shortage of beautiful scenery. When all else fails, relax on the beach! Pick a beach, any beach. There's nothing like bring on the beach with your towel and a good book (or digital edition of Budget Travel magazine!) While the waters of the touristy Condado Beach area are rougher than others, it's the perfect spot to plotz in the sand and watch the local boogie boarders and body surfers do their thing. Strong swimmers can even rent a boogie board for $10 for the whole day from friendly beach vendors, but we strongly advise sticking to the smaller surf if you're not used to hitting the waves. Stay in the heart of the lively Condado district for less The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has great recently updated rooms right on the beach in San Juan's bustling Condado Beach area, home to some of the island's best nightlife. The hotel itself has several lovely restaurants, an onsite casino, gorgeous beachfront pool with a slide, and nightly entertainment in the lobby—don't miss the chance to show off your best salsa dance moves on Saturday night to the music of a live salsa band.  Note: this is also open to the public even if you're not technically a guest of the resort. Rooms from $159 per night. Pay homage to the Piña Colada and all things Bacardi Pay a visit to the Casa Bacardi, the Bacardi Rum Factory, where you can learn more about the history of this drink, see how it's made, and taste samples of the finished product. Cheers!

I've done some pretty exciting things in my life, usually on vacation as a way of checking amazing things off my travel bucket list. I've zip-lined over alligators at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Florida. I was part of a "Splash and Dash" during a hot air balloon ride in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a stunt where the hot air balloon pilot drives the basket into the Rio Grande, skirts the surface of the water, and shoots back up to regular flight height. I've kayaked in almost complete darkness through mangrove tunnels at Bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico to get a look at the famous plankton that light up underwater as your paddle passes by them. I guess you can say I've become kind of a travel adrenaline junkie, as long as it's within reason and I'll end up with a great travel story for when I get home. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll ever have the nerve to try something like bungee-jumping or jumping out of a plane (too many "what-if" scenarios to make me feel comfortable enough for something that extreme), but this time next week I am going to be facing one of my biggest fears: swimming with sharks in Cancun, Mexico. I'm going to be visiting Cancun for the first time next week, spending a long weekend exploring the beaches, hotels, nightlife, and nearby hotspots like Isla Mujeres. I will be posting from the road, so please follow along on our @BudgetTravel Instagram page! The highlight of my trip is going to be the opportunity to swim with whale sharks. I know what you're thinking: But whale sharks aren't scary, they don't eat people! They're like giant, friendly, vegetarian sharks. The truth is I'm not afraid of that part, it's the fact that we're going to be in very deep water to meet them and I'm nervous about what else will be swimming around out there with us at those incredible depths. The boat ride itself takes about two hours to get to the sweet spot off the coast where we'll be able to see them, and I'm just hoping not to bump into any other kinds of sharks out there along the way. I've never had a run-in with a shark or even come close to it, a remarkable feat given the fact that I grew up in Hawaii and Florida, both of which have had their fair share of shark attacks from time to time. I know people who have visited the Galápagos Islands and went swimming with sharks at Kicker Rock who told me it was a very peaceful experience that totally cured their irrational fear of sharks. Maybe someday I'll get to that point, but for now, I'm sticking with whale sharks and hoping for the best. So now it's your turn. We want to know: have you ever conquered your greatest fears while traveling? Did you feel better about it afterward and was it worth the experience? Tell us your story below!

After a few minutes in New Bedford, MA, a welcoming little city of about 95,000 people less than an hour's drive east of Providence and south of Cape Cod just off I-195, you'll notice that the residents love to talk about their town. A few more minutes and you'll totally understand why. Few places in New England pack as much history, food, and fun into a handful of cobblestoned blocks. I started my visit, appropriately enough, at the New Bedford Whaling Museum (18 Johnny Cake Hill, whalingmuseum.org, adults $14, seniors $12, students 19+ $9, children and youth $6). In the 19th century, New Bedford was the epicenter of the international whale-oil industry (comparable at that time to today's oil industry in its importance to the world's economy), and the city's whaling museum is the largest of its kind in the U.S. As my 11-year-old daughter and I walked into the museum's beautiful big lobby, with its impressive whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling, I was anxious. After all, my daughter was brought up to understand that hunting these amazing sea mammals is wrong, and she was extremely vocal in her objection to the very idea of a whaling museum. But as soon as our guided tour began, I breathed easy: The staff of the New Bedford Whaling Museum love these animals as much as any of us, and a good portion of the galleries are devoted to ecology, conservation, and putting history—including not only whaling but also the slave trade, New Bedford's ethnic diversity, and the city's role in the Underground Railroad—in a clear context. I recommend setting aside an entire day or more to take in all this museum has to offer, including replicas of whaling ships (one of which is half-life-size and can be boarded and explored by grown-ups and kids alike), beautiful works of art, and multimedia presentations. Step outside the whaling museum and you're smack in the middle of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (nps.gov/nebe), which includes a number of restored 18th-century buildings and a superb visitors center at 33 William Street, featuring displays about the city's history, a theater, and presentations by rangers. Stroll the streets and you'll meet New Bedford residents who can't wait to tell you about their downtown's great food, public gardens, bustling harbor, and festivals. Admire the stately homes that once belonged to whaling captains and their families and you may recall what Herman Melville wrote of the city in Moby-Dick: "... all these brave houses and flowery gardens came from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. One and all, they were harpooned and dragged up hither from the bottom of the sea." Speaking of Melville, one of the most popular sites in downtown New Bedford owes its celebrity to that author's wild imagination: In the 1840s, Melville himself set sail aboard a whaling vessel out of New Bedford and, like many sailors before and after him, attended services at the Seamen's Bethel (15 Johnny Cake Hill, admission free), which he immortalized as the "Whalemen's Chapel" in Moby-Dick. I was blown away to discover that the pulpit of this little chapel is actually shaped like the prow of a whaling vessel—exactly like the one Melville describes in the chapter "The Sermon" in Moby-Dick. My enthusiasm was only slightly dampened when I learned that the pulpit was, in fact, added more than a century after Melville's visit in order to delight visitors who had enjoyed John Huston's 1956 film adaptation of Moby-Dick (starring Gregory Peck as the monomaniacal Captain Ahab), in which Orson Welles, as Father Mapple, climbs a rope ladder to deliver a booming commentary on the story of Jonah—from an elaborate, prow-shaped pulpit. Spend some time exploring the chapel's artwork and enjoy friendly and informative conversation with one of the enthusiastic docents on duty (and don't forget to leave a donation). New Bedford abounds in historical, artistic, and just plain fun sites. Rotch-Jones-Duff House (396 County Street, rjdmuseum.org, adults $6), with its gorgeous articles of furniture, handpainted wallpaper, crystal, and gowns lets you see how the other 1 percent lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries thanks to both the whaling and oil industries. The New Bedford Museum of Glass (61 Wamsutta Street, nbmog.org, $5) is a must-see, with a growing collection of art glass that includes masterpieces of New Bedford's fabled Mt. Washington and Pairpoint factories. And after all that history, kids of all ages will enjoy a walk on the wild side at the Buttonwood Park Zoo (425 Hawthorn Street, bpzoo.org, adults $8, children $4), with lovely exhibit areas and habitats for animals as diverse as elephants, coyotes, river otters, and harbor seals—and super-helpful staff who give user-friendly talks and demonstrations throughout the day. Hungry? Cork Wine Bar and Tapas (90 Front Street, corkwineandtapas.com) blew me away with its pan-seared scallops over sticky Jasmine rice and quirky multicultural riffs like cheesesteak spring rolls. You can order main courses, or do what we did and keep the small plates coming, happily sharing till you cry "uncle." You'll appreciate New Bedford's cultural melting pot when you tuck into traditional Cape Verdean cuisine like Shrimp Mozambique at Izzy's (72 Spring Street, 508/977-7077). Tia Maria European Café specializes in Portuguese favorites, including Portuguese-style nachos and an amazing egg-topped steak (42 North Water Street, 508/993-8900). In the midst of all this history, the lovely, comfortable rooms at the thoroughly modern Fairfield Inn & Suites (184 MacArthur Drive, marriott.com, from $164) are a welcome place to catch some shuteye after a day of pounding the cobblestones. You'll enjoy elbow room, a spacious pool, hot tub, and fitness center, a very short walk from the historical district and harbor.

Peru celebrates its independence with a three-day festival known as Fiestas Patrias. The three officially recognized dates for Fiestas Patrias are July 24th, July 28th, and July 29th. However, the weeks surrounding these days are also filled with fun activities. As an added bonus, you'll find that the residents of Peru are in the mood to party during these days since most Peruvians receive time off from work for the holiday. One of the great events that happens annually during Fiestas Patrias is the Gran Corso de Wong. The Corso consists of a massive parade that winds through the streets of Miraflores in Lima. Generally the Corso happens a week prior to the actual independence day of July 28th, however, I've seen the date of the parade changed at the last minute due to inclement weather or other factors. In truth, it's a bit of a difficult event to plan for since it's subject to delays and postponement. The best thing to do might be to plan to spend your Saturdays in Miraflores in the weeks before and after July 28th and hope that the parade happens when you're there. Scouring El Comercio (Peru's leading paper) for announcements is also a nice tactic, but I find that news travels fastest by word of mouth in Peru, so it might be best to simply ask somebody. It's almost comical to think of viewing a parade as something of a scavenger hunt, but when you do get a chance to experience the Corso, you'll find the effort was very much worth the result. To put it simply, the Corso is a wonderful event. There are marching bands, troops performing traditional dances from every region of Peru, soldiers on horses, and a wide variety of floats and other moving displays. The Corso offers you a chance to see absolutely everything that Peru has to offer all in one convenient location. Like any parade, viewing the Corso is an exercise in patience and endurance. When you first arrive you'll find the main thoroughfare of Larco barricaded off in anticipation of the performers. However events like this never seem to start until an hour or so after the indicated time—and that assessment is even more true in Peru. The temptation is to arrive early so as to assure yourself of an unobstructed view, but I would recommend a later arrival, especially if you are attempting to watch the Corso with small children. The most popular area for viewing the Corso is by far the Ovalo de Miraflores. However, I would recommend that you resist the temptation to follow the crowd and instead pick out a spot further down Larco. The reason is that the crowds tend to arrive late. It's very possible to arrive early and claim a wonderful viewing spot from within Parque Kennedy, but as the parade progresses, the influx of spectators is going to make it very difficult to leave.  By the time the Corso is at its peak, the throngs of people gathering around the Ovalo de Miraflores can be somewhat out of control. I would definitely not recommend passage through the Ovalo de Miraflores with small children during the Corso de Wong because the crowds are just too dense. This problem is completely avoidable by simply hiking further down Larco where the streets don't become nearly as congested. When the parade finally finishes and darkness falls, you can stick around for a tremendous display of fireworks that explode long into the night. After that, the party is on as young people flock to the local discos to dance until dawn. There is a real sense of adventure surrounding the Corso de Wong. The parade represents a wonderful montage of the best of all the various cultural regions that Peru has to offer; and Peru boasts a diversity of landscapes most nations cannot match. The Corso is a great spectacle that you as the viewer need to approach with a bit of prudence based on the understanding that crowd control in Peru isn't as highly developed as it is in some parts of the world. However, with minimal preparation you can ensure yourself a perfectly safe and marvelous day. This article was written by Walter Rhein, author of the humorous travel memoir, Beyond Birkie Fever. You can read more about his adventures in Peru at StreetsOfLima.com. He penned this article on behalf of South American Vacations, providing Peru tours to Lima, Machu Picchu and beyond.