Like most big cities, Hong Kong offers two very different faces — the westernized hyper commercialism and the old school cultural experience. That doesn’t mean the old school cultural experience isn’t also quite capitalistic, minus brand names, 80-foot neon billboards, and credit card purchases. Do both and you just might understand both where this city came from and where it’s going, because the old school experience won’t be around for much longer.
Top Activities In and Out of Vientiane, Laos
The nation of Laos, which is tightly wedged between Thailand, Burma, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam, is chock full of breathtaking scenery and a fascinating culture with a hint of French influence. It’s easy to fly there.
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Fuji Rock Festival Preview
I love living 5 hours from major Asian cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong. It means I can jet off to the upcoming Fuji Rock Festival to see some of my favorite indie bands perform. We did just that a few summers ago at Summer Sonic.
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10 Things You Must Do in Macau
Without stepping foot in a casino, there is plenty to entertain visitors of all ages. See for yourself why Macau receives 30 million visitors a year. It’s so much more than the Vegas of the East!
The Cobblestone Streets of Macau, China
Long billed as a gambling destination, I was surprised to find that Macau is a city rich with European history, having been occupied by the Portuguese for 500 years. One minute you’re in a multi-billion dollar entertainment complex like Sands and the next you’re walking down narrow cobblestone streets in search of hot street food. To call Macau diverse is an understatement.
Kaikoura, New Zealand: Farm Park & Seal Point
As we wrapped up our 9-day trek of New Zealand, we rolled through Kaikoura. We intended to go whale watching, but instead stuffed ourselves with out-of-this-world Indian food and crashed for the night. Then I woke up to these mountains. There’s nothing like sliding open the window in your toasty bunk, inhaling a crisp breeze, seeing this view, and realizing you’re living Life on the Road.
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand: Heli Glacier Landing
Landing on a glacier is nothing less than a bucket list adventure, but what made this even more special is the fact that this part of New Zealand is home to two of the world’s only three glaciers that meet sub-tropical rain forest. (The other is in the Andes Mountains.) Our heli ride swept us across jagged mountains with distant views of the Tasman Sea. Climbing to 6,000 feet, we were deposited on the névé of Franz Josef Glacier atop Mt. Tasman.
Review: STARTS Golf Resort Guam Staycation
Living on the beautiful tropical island of Guam means staycations are a welcome alternative to jetting off-island to relax. Eschewing the hubbub of Guam’s tourism center, Tumon, we ventured north to STARTS Golf Resort. We were soon seduced by the charm of the place.
Priest’s Pools, Guam
Priest’s Pools is one of my favorite sights in southern Guam. The Pigua River cascades along terraces of basalt lava as it heads toward the ocean. The water is cool and somewhat clear. Back when the Spanish first arrived on the island in the 1500s, the priests would bathe in the cool fresh water. The river meanders in the typical volcanic hills and tall sword grass found throughout the south.
Sunset in Hokitika, New Zealand
What can I say in words that these pictures don’t more eloquently express about the beauty of New Zealand, its skies, and its beaches? This set is from the small seaside town of Hokitika, a pitstop on our southerly journey to Franz Josef glacier all the way from Auckland in North Island. Here you finally see the campervan that was our home (and sometimes our burden) in the 9-day road trip.