When I first found out I’d be traveling to Italy, I didn’t actually intend to stop off in Florence. Because the reason behind my trip to Italy was solely to attend my dear friend’s wedding in the Tuscan countryside, I didn’t plan to do any real sightseeing. But this is me we’re talking about. So after…
Sure, traveling as a vegetarian in Southeast Asia can be challenging, but every country in the region has plenty of vegetarian options. Except maybe the Philippines… the Philippines is tough. But trust me when I say traveling as a vegetarian in Vietnam is relatively simple and an absolute joy. So if you’re a strict vegetarian (like…
As I wrote in a previous post, Nha Trang tends to get a bad rap for being too touristy and too inauthentic. I’ve talked to so many people who have skipped Nha Trang altogether based on other travelers’ reviews. I did the same thing during my first backpacking trip to Vietnam in 2006. But what I’ve…
When I set off on my big backpacking trip in August of 2013 I figured I would just be traveling around for a while and ultimately returning back home to San Diego. I had no idea I would end up calling Asia home – yet, three years later, here I am! During the past few years…
When I first traveled to Indonesia, I was under the impression that being a vegetarian would be really difficult. That was largely because most travel blogs and guide books I read all said the same thing: “being a vegetarian in Indonesia is challenging.” I went into my two-month backpacking trip around the islands of Java and…
I’ve said this many times before on this blog, but I’m a huge fan of street art. When I travel to any new city, one of the first things I typically google is “street art in [insert city here].” I’ve hunted down street art in a bunch of different cities throughout my travels, from the cobblestone…
Beijing can be a daunting place to travel to. I should know – I live here. Even though I’ve now been here for three months, I’m still learning new things about this crazy city each and every day. Trust me, there’s always something new to discover in Beijing. But there’s also so much I wish I would have known before I…
Anyone who has traveled to Southeast Asia knows that Phnom Penh isn’t considered one of the region’s top destinations. Most travelers either skip Phnom Penh altogether and head straight to the incredible beaches in the south or the stunning temples in the north. Or they spend a fleeting 24 hours in the city. Those who do take the…
When I moved to Southeast Asia in the summer of 2014, I was completely unprepared. I literally only had three weeks’ notice before I moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, and I basically did the world’s worst packing job. Like a lot of newbie expats who are moving to Southeast Asia I (mistakenly) assumed that household goods, clothes, body products,…
My big trip to Boracay didn’t exactly go according to plan. Instead of having a week filled with sun and sand, the weather didn’t cooperate. Like, at all. Who knew there was a windy season in Boracay? Just kidding… I should have done my research before visiting Boracay in July. Because we were battling the…