DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES 10 Reasons Hanoi is Vietnam’s Most Fascinating City to Visit Posted on October 10, 2016June 7, 2026 Hanoi is a beautiful, hectic, vibrant, colorful, historic, modern yet traditional mix of French colonial buildings, pungent aromas and millions of people and even more motorcycles in constant motion. Halong Bay is 3 hours away. If you had told me I would be paddling a kayak (with Steven) in the middle of Halong Bay in the South China Sea, I’d have told you you’re crazy. Hạlong (or Ha Long) Bay, in northeast Vietnam. Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES Visiting the Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea: Everything You Need to Know Posted on July 24, 2016November 15, 2025 They come to wrestle, slide, swim and play in the mud. We watched people just sit in the mud with their plastic encased smart phones, they played soccer and sat for colored face and body painting. I went to see what the fuss was about and my son, bless his 19 year old heart, wanted to see a whole lot of girls in in muddy swimsuits… missions accomplished!! Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES 30 Strange, Funny, and Fascinating Things I Learned in South Korea Posted on July 20, 2016November 15, 2025 Living in South Korea for two years is a long time for an American expat. What I Have Learned Living in South Korea could fill a book. It’s a little past our 1st anniversary in Korea. Which means we have one more year to go. We have no idea where… Read more
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES 8 Things That Made Our Couple’s Trip to Bangkok Great Posted on July 9, 2016April 19, 2026 I’m surprised I liked Bangkok as much as I did. We did not get a massage every day like we planned. And we ate at a couple more restaurants than we usually do in Thailand. The vibe is the ‘same same’ but different. I usually don’t enjoy the hustle and bustle of the big city. But Bangkok is different. First of all it’s in Thailand, one of my favorite Asian countries. Read more
HOTELS Staying at Grande Centre Point Hotel Ratchadamri: What You Need to Know Before You Book Posted on July 8, 2016November 15, 2025 The Grande Centre Point Hotel Ratchadamri Bangkok, a 5 STAR hotel in the thick of things in downtown Bangkok with exceptional accommodations, service and amenities. Read more
FOOD AND DRINK Best in Asia: Experience the Gaggan Tasting Menu Bangkok, Thailand Posted on July 4, 2016December 21, 2025 I’m no foodie but I know when its good and trust me Gaggan Anand is a really good cook. He’s also really nice, funny, creative, he’s the owner and creator of the TOP RATED restaurant in Asia for the last two years. He’s trained with the world’s best, highly awarded and praised and through it all has remained pretty humble. I don’t know if I was in his shoes, whether I could make the same claim. Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES United Nations Memorial Cemetery: Why It’s One of Busan’s Most Important Sites Posted on May 29, 2016November 15, 2025 The Remembrance Wall is quite sobering. The wall is constructed out of beautiful black marble that is reflective. As you read the names, you also see your image. I couldn’t help but see myself in every name on the wall and there are so many. Too many. We wandered around the beautifully carved memorial where more than 40,896 souls from all over the world are carved in perpetuity this past Memorial Day weekend and I’m so glad we did. Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES Where to Find the Best Beaches in Bali, Indonesia Posted on May 7, 2016March 31, 2026 We only went to three of them and they were in the south or western shore, so I can’t speak personally on any other beaches on the island. We went to one each in Kuta, Seminyak and Padang Padang. Actually I went to three and my husband went to one. After the beach in Seminyak he refused to go to another one with me. Read more