DANCING PANDAS

Journaling The Journey

The Best of Northern Albania

Isolated and shut off from the world for so long, Albania emerged from communist rule in 1991 and has been slowly trying to catch up to modernity…very slowly. Traveling through most of northern Albania was like traveling back in time and back to the grey, drab colors of the Soviet era. At this point you […]

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The Best of Singapore – River

Singapore - Riverview

Singapore is one of those clean, cultured and cosmopolitan places that we enjoy visiting often. There is so much to see and experience in this diverse island nation that we make it a point to stay in a different part of Singapore each time we visit.

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Koh Lanta – Serene Simplicity

  Koh Lanta is one of the most accessible tropical islands in Thailand that is mostly unspoiled and very welcoming. The island is only 70 kilometers from Krabi and it’s international airport, but feels a million miles away due to it’s gorgeous strands of never ending beaches, lush jungles, pretty coral reefs and bohemian laid […]

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Finding Seclusion on Koh Phi Phi

Koh Phi Phi Thailand

Phi Phi Island (Koh Phi Phi) is synonymous with a young loud party scene. It is set on a tiny island in the Andaman Sea, dominated by cliffs in the midst of the most gorgeous turquoise water and jungle. And yes, the over crowded Tonsai Bay is exactly that – party central but we found […]

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My Favorite Beach in Phuket

As many of my friends know, I love Thailand and so many of it’s glorious islands.  Just not super touristy Phuket.   We had 3 free nights at a Marriott resort expiring, so it made sense to give Phuket Marriott Nai Yang Resort and Spa a chance to prove me wrong.  Located a few miles from […]

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Discovering Ancient Ho Chi Minh City – 4 Fascinating Days

Night Street Ho Chi Minh City Saigon Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, still often called Saigon, is a whirl of pulsating energy amidst it’s modern concrete skyscrapers, cosmopolitan restaurants and chic boutiques intermingled with French Colonial charm and dire poverty. Wandering through timeless alleys with high end shops next door to squalid eateries, massage parlors and nail salons, adjacent to incense-infused temples was […]

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Hoi An the Splendid Jewel of Vietnam

Hoi An Vietnam

Just a 40 minute drive south of Da Nang is a magical ancient town called Hoi An meaning “peaceful meeting place”. Walking through it’s narrow streets set on a graceful river I felt like I was in Kyoto and Venice at the same time. This town was officially established in 1595, but has been influenced […]

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Exciting Halong Bay Cruise – 3 days 2 nights

Sunset on Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay, which means “descending dragon” is the number 1 destination for tourists visiting Vietnam. If you recall the ending of the movie Bourne Legacy: Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz are sailing through Halong Bay as Moby’s Extreme Ways plays in the background – quite a memorable scene. But after doing some research we discovered […]

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5 Days in Festive Hanoi during Tet Celebrations

Landing in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam we knew that we were arriving during their New Year’s celebrations called Tet, but we didn’t realize how huge these festivities would be or that they would last a minimum of 3 days to 3 weeks! We stayed near the Old Quarter at the Hilton Garden Inn (and […]

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1 Week of Fun and Sun in Hua Hin, Thailand

Hua Hin is Thailand’s original beach resort as it’s aristocratic roots date back to 1911 when the railroad arrived from Bangkok and some in the royal family built vacation homes here. By the mid-1920s it was a full-fledged resort town for the Bangkok-based nobility with a golf course and a seaside hotel. Today, Hua Hin […]

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