How do I even begin to describe what it’s like to travel in Japan? It is an experience. It surrounds you. Every moment of every day is filled with new discoveries and cultural difference and utter delights. I can’t describe it beyond that, but everyone who has been knows exactly what I’m talking about. If […]
What’s It Really Like to Travel Japan? Read More »
What happens when your girlfriends are planning a trip that seems over their heads — and they want you to come along? Hey there Just thought I would see if you could give me any advice on a bit of a situation I have got myself into and what your well travelled opinion would be!
Ask Kate: Is This Trip a Bad Idea? Read More »
Out of the corner of a narrow Kyoto alley, she appeared. A woman in a traditional kimono, her skin like alabaster, her lips a perfect crimson bow. Her hair defied gravity in perfect lacquered waves decorated with floral ornaments. She was the marshal of her own inadvertent parade. Behind her a crowd of Japanese and
And Then We Saw Her Read More »
As this post goes live, I will be in Australia for the very first time, camping in Kakadu National Park! With an incredibly busy schedule in the Northern Territory over the next week, the next few posts have been scheduled ahead of time. My itinerary will be as follows: Darwin: September 15 and 18-19 I
Hello from Australia! Here’s what I’m up to. Read More »
The following branded content post is brought to you by TravelPony. In this instance, TravelPony’s staff asked me to give their site an honest review, warts and all. Frankly, I think their site is great, which is why I agreed to this post. All opinions shared in this piece, as always, are my own. I
TravelPony Review: I Can’t Believe How Cheap These Hotels Are Read More »
A few years ago, I watched the episode of An Idiot Abroad where Karl was forced to climb Mount Fuji in Japan. Karl did his usual grumbling as he hiked up all night long — but was rewarded by the most incredible sunrise. He was indifferent to it, of course. That sunrise was on TV,
Japan: Home to the World’s Most Beautiful Light Read More »
Three months have now passed since Mario and I touched down in Paris, beginning our yearlong SOTM Tour. This month took us on our longest journey yet — from Dubai to Tokyo — though not without a few snafus along the way. It was a month of fulfilling longtime travel dreams: finally visiting Japan and learning
SOTM Tour: Month Three of Twelve Read More »
I’m not a girl who dreams about hotels. I have some friends who work in the luxury hotel industry and they wax poetic about hotels they dream of visiting someday — hotels with plunge pools overlooking mountains, glass-bottomed overwater bungalows, and 50,000 thread count sheets. Me? I get their fascination, but hotels aren’t my thing,
How to Visit the Burj al Arab: The World’s Most Luxurious Hotel, Dubai Read More »
I was fully prepared to hate Dubai. Before arriving, I had read up on the reality of this shiny Gulf city. Johann Hari’s famous feature in The Independent, though published in 2009, was resurging online and painted a picture of Dubai as a fairy tale gone wrong, a desert oasis hiding a poisonous core. Dubai
The Ethics of Visiting Dubai Read More »
As soon as I realized I would be in Dubai for my 29th birthday, I knew I would have to plan a fun celebration. Believe it or not, this is only the second birthday that I would be spending abroad — the first was my 17th birthday in Ireland! Luckily, Dubai is a city that lends
How to Celebrate a Special Occasion in Dubai Read More »