For McCool Travel’s 75th travel profile, I am pleased to present Noel Morata. I have seen Noel in countless Twitter travel chats and Facebook discussions and am always impressed with his responses and photos. When I visited San Francisco last year, Noel suggested I visit some staircases, which were definitely a highlight. If you do nothing else, scroll through his amazing work (links below) and drool over his vivid and beautiful photography.
Noel Morata’s bio:
“Hi, I’m Noel Morata, a professional photographer, freelance writer and blogger at Travel Photo Discovery. Currently I am based on the Big Island of Hawaii and part-time in San Francisco. Traveling has always been part of my life since I was young and I have always found the positive and amazing experiences by traveling around the world. There is always something new to learn, taste, or see and it’s always a new adventure that I will always want to do for the rest of my life. You can follow some of my adventures on my blog http://travelphotodiscovery.
Noel Morata
Hometown…
Currently I live in East Hawaii with the closest town being Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. It has a population of less than 30,000 in the region.
Always in my luggage…
I’ll always have snacks, extra socks and underwear, and wind breaker packed in my luggage for travel. Mostly of the bulky items are in my suitcase and my hand carries tend to be mostly electronics and camera gear.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- my home away from home is San Francisco, to visit family and friends
- Rome, Italy
- anywhere else in Hawaii
3 favorite travel brands…
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- eat out less frequently
- entertain at home instead of out
- do free recreational activities like volleyball or swim vs going to shows or sporting events
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- I love exploring local markets to check out all the unique local ingredients, finished goods, and other specialty products
- I enjoy trying some street food whenever I am in a new location that has decent outdoor markets
- I actually like the challenge of learning the public transportation system including any subway systems
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Traveling for me is in my blood
favorite non-travel website (besides your own)…
- I am enjoying Instagram and connecting with other visual creatives
- My next favorite site is All Recipes, when I want to look at some interesting or new recipes
- I’m a fan of Prime video and getting to watch all the movies for an entire year and favorite TV programs
most memorable souvenir…
My most memorable souvenir so far has been a heavy coffee table cook book by San Francisco chef Charles Phan of the Slanted Door. His restaurants feature stunning and flavorful Vietnamese contemporary cuisine including fantastic well drinks and desserts.
favorite cheap eat…
Specialty local soups are always a good cheap option whenever I’m traveling and looking for something quick and relatively inexpensive for a light meal.
recent discovery…
I loved exploring Singapore over and over again. It keeps evolving with new attractions, amazing food, and stunning landscapes and urban planning. The new Marina district area and gardens are stunning with the botanical indoor and outdoor gardens.
Thank you very much, Noel.
Follow Noel Morata on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Travel Photo Discovery, and NoelMorata.com.
Check out McCool Travel’s previous profiles. McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous 5 Minutes post: Anita Oliver and Richard Nash.
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I agree with Noel about “3 ways that I have fun while traveling”: markets, street food and public transportation are fun and tell you a great deal about the culture.
Totally agree. Thank you, Tom.
Great getting to know a bit about Noel. I always enjoy his wonderful photos.
Thank you for the note.
Short and sweet! Noel has traveled extensively and it is good to learn from him. Wish I found out his secret for amazing travel photos!
Noel’s pictures are gorgeous. Thank you, Carol.
Yay! A very familiar face with new details! Great to see you feature Noel and his outstanding work.
Thank you, Betsy.
Love these kind of ‘insider’ interviews which often throw up some very useful resources and hints. And great to know a little more about the way very talented Noel ticks.
Thank you for the note, Johanna.
Great to see you feature Noel. I love his travel posts, especially his fantastic photos.
Noel does fantastic work.
Another great profile Charles! Always good to learn more about our fellow travelers.
Thank you for stopping by.
I’ve enjoyed Noel’s amazing photos and his blog Travel Photo Discovery so it was fun to get a peek at the man behind the pics. A great interview of a very talented photographer. Anita
Thank you, Anita.
I joined the Noel Morata unofficial fan club as soon as I discovered his work (photography and writing) and blog, so thanks for the opportunity to learn more about him. Write on, Noel!
I wonder if Noel knows about his fan club. 😀
Great profile, always love learning new things about people I follow! Love visiting markets too, they are a great place to find some great treasures and people watch!
Nice interview to gat a better glimpse of my travel colleague! I hope we meet at a market one day:-)
Local markets, public transport, and street food. All on my list, too, Noel. Good ideas.
Thank you, Tom.
I also enjoy Noel’s images, and it was nice to get to know him a little better through this interview.
Thank you, Carole.
I love Noel’s photos and posts, nice to learn a bit more about him.
Thank you for the note.
I have long been a fan of Noel’s work. That you so much for allowing me to get to know him better!
Thank you, Marilyn.
I always love Noel’s photos and it’s great to have him stop by #foodtravelchat and lend his opinions and artistry to the discussion. I got to meet with him briefly during one of this stops in Chicago. He’s just lovely.
That is great you had a chance to meet Noel, Sue.