Top 5 Things to do in Fort Lauderdale

A Long Awaited Travel: Florida Part 1

If there’s something I enjoy doing on my days off, it’s discovering new places. This month, I am lucky enough to travel from the west coast to east coast. Fort Lauderdale is my main destination (will have separate posts for my side trips in Miami Beach and Orlando next) and it's truly a different experience for me coming from the busy city of Los Angeles. 

Aside from the really nice people and the wonderful beaches, there’s a lot of activities that Fort Lauderdale has to offer.

Here’s my top 5 so far:

1.       Sawgrass Recreational Park + Airboat Ride ($22.95 per person)

The Florida Everglades is so much more than just alligators and other reptiles in swamps. This park is home to many rescued animals and it even has a Florida panther (among many others) on it’s exotic wildlife exhibit. Every 30 minutes there’s an airboat ride wherein a boat captain will navigate your group and give you fun facts about the ecosystem (you will most likely see alligators in their natural habitat up-close).

2.       Sawgrass Mills Shopping  

My favorite workout is shopping. And what better way to do it than in a shopping mall considered as the largest single story and outlet mall in the U.S. We needed more than an entire day to shop for clothes, shoes, luggage and many more.

3.       Jungle Queen River Cruise (tour starts at $23.50 per person)

The river cruise is an amazing way to experience Venice of America. Sail through Millionaire’s Row and marvel at the homes and mega yachts of the rich and famous. Also, there’s a stop-over on the Jungle Queen Isle where you can see alligators, exotic birds and they even provide an all-you-can-eat dinner with their famous barbeques, peel & eat shrimps and all the fixings.

4.       Florida Swap Shop 

Check out the largest daily flea market in the world located in Fort Lauderdale. It boasts of over 2,000 vendors selling all types of items at bargain prices. If you don’t want to spend anything, you can also check out their free cars museum.

5.       Thunderbird Drive-thru movie ($7 per peson)

If you’re in Florida Swap Shop, check out the world’s largest drive-in movie theater with a total of 14 screens. I have never tried watching a movie this way before and I can say that you got to try it just for the experience when you’re in Fort Lauderdale.