In October I took a business trip to Miami, but of course I wanted to experience the fun side of Miami too, hence a bleisure trip to Miami!
If you are lucky enough to have a job that involves travelling for work, you should embrace the world of Bleisure travel.
Bleisure (Business & Leisure) is a growing trend among corporate travellers and a great way to explore a part of the world you may not otherwise have seen. I am grateful to work somewhere that gives me flexibility to combine travel & work at the same time, (Thanks Skyscanner) and I am all about making the most of seeing new places, which is why I would encourage anyone travelling for business to explore their bleisure options too.
While there are the obvious perks of bleisure travel such as flights & accommodation paid for by your company, there are also a few differences to taking a regular holiday. The biggest factor is that you will likely be limited to exploring in the evenings or perhaps one or two days either side of your business trip.
That’s why I want to create a series of blogs specifically for Bleisure travel.
I am kicking off my Bleisure Travel Guides with my most recent trip for work – Miami.This one was a little different as I worked at Skyscanner’s Brickell office, but it was self-funded rather than an official business trip.
How to maximise your bleisure trip to Miami:
(Based on working in Brickell but adaptable for anywhere)
South Beach Boardwalk
Take an Uber after work to South Beach ($8, 20 mins) and walk along the Boardwalk. This is super nice in the evening when the heat is more bearable. The boardwalk is pedestrianised and you can check out the colourful and quirky beach huts along the shore.
Also found at south beach, Ocean Drive is the popular seafront street lined with some really funky hotels and a very retro vibe. Walking among the neon signs and pastel colours felt like I had stepped into a time capsule and entered the 50s.
Metro Mover
Catch Miami’s free public transport from outside your office in Brickell and take it to Bayside (10 mins). Here you will find some shopping opportunities, restuarants, a lovely park and marina. This is a good place to have dinner & watch the boats.
Wynwood walls
Wynwood’s streets are famous in Miami for their awesome street art. Clock out of the office a little early one day and catch an Uber over to the Wyndood Gardens. This gives you a couple of hours of daylight to explore and see the art before sunset. Wynwood isn’t known as the safest area to be alone at night, so avoid wandering too late.
If you’re travelling from abroad, you want to take advantage of America’s shopping mall experience. Catch the metro rail (15 mins, $2.25) to Miami Dadeland North station and enjoy Dadeland Mall till your hearts content. It’s open until 10pm, amking it a perfect after work bleisure activity.
Stay In Brickell
A bleisure trip to Miami probably means you’ll be working in or around Brickell, the business district.
Within Brickell there are a ton of food options walkable from the office district. My favourite was Rice, a burrito bar style restaurant, serving really good middle eastern food. Highly recommend the falafel salad.
Chill by the Pool
If you’re travelling for business, hopefully you’re staying in a nice hotel with a pool or rooftop area. The pool will likely get sun until about 6pm and will be warm enough to lie out even after sunset.If you’re like me and self funding, check out Brickell Condos with pools for a well located & affordable alternative. I stayed in this beautiful Airbnb.
Get moving after a long day behind a desk and try paddle boarding. You can sign up to an evening tour around the Bayside area, but I recommend renting one for an hour an heading out solo. Escape the crowds and unwind from a busy day by bobbing along the water at sunset. (I also saw adverts for after dark paddle boarding with LED light up boards – if anyone tries that please let me know if its as cool as it looks!)
Millionaire Row
The only suggestion I’m making that I didnt do myself. But a perfect activity for an evening. There are many companies offering bout tours around all the super gorgeous mansions and celebrity homes. There are evening tours departing from Bayside & South Beach. Top Tip: Check out Groupon to find one on a budget.
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