It’s no secret that I wasn’t a fan of Kuta, the most popular beach resort town in Bali. But if you want to escape Kuta, you don’t have to go far — just visit Seminyak. Seminyak is part of the Kuta area, but it’s so different that it could be a different island. Instead of […]
Seminyak: Kuta’s Sexy Older Sister Read More »
I had no idea that northwest England was home to so much beauty. The beautiful gardens of Eaton Hall, the modern skyline of Liverpool — but most of all, the city of Chester, filled with black and white Tudor buildings, ancient Roman ruins, and surrounded by city walls. (You didn’t really think I was done
Chester: The Beauty of Northwest England Read More »
If you were one of the richest people in your country, and you had to build a vacation home in your home country, where would you build it? I think I’d go for a beach mansion in California. Somewhere beautiful and dramatic — maybe Santa Barbara. Well, the Duke of Westminster is one of the
Eaton Hall: It’s Good to Be the Duke Read More »
After the shipwreck, we were taken from Komodo Island to the port town of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores. Lonely Planet describes Labuan Bajo as “the next big thing” in Indonesia travel. I think there are two kinds of places you can describe as “next big things” — either places that are fantastic
Stranded in Indonesia? There are Worse Places than Labuan Bajo. Read More »
As our bus hurtles down the road to the beach town of Mui Ne, Vietnam, my friends and I have abandoned the laptops and guidebooks in our laps. The reason? We’re unable to drag our eyes away from the landscape unfolding before us. How can this place exist? In Vietnam, nonetheless? It looks like the
Mui Ne: Like Nowhere Else in Vietnam Read More »
I have fallen in love with the riverside town of Kampot, Cambodia. What is it about this place? Is it the crumbling architecture? Is it the French influence, from the lampposts to the baguette carts? Is it the peaceful riverfront and the walkability? Is it the fact that everywhere has free WiFi? Seriously, though, more
Kampot: I Want To Bottle This Town And Drink It. Read More »
You know what’s worse than being woken up by a rooster? Being woken up by a cow and baby who are currently having a scream-off. “Moooooo.” “Waaaaaah!” “MOOOOOOOO.” “WAAAAAAAAAH!” Welcome to Si Phan Don. I came to Laos’s Four Thousand Islands, or Si Phan Don, knowing very little about them. I knew they were nestled
The Challenge: Learning to Relax in Si Phan Don Read More »
I’m at a tiny gas station in the Bolaven Plateau of Southern Laos, trying to explain to the woman how much of the magenta liquid I need. I point to my nearly-empty fuel gauge; she hands me the hose to hold while she cranks the manual pump. And then I have to figure out how
Off the Beaten Path in Laos: The Bolaven Plateau Read More »
Lake Quannapowitt, located 10 miles north of Boston in the town of Wakefield, is the see-and-be-seen place of the suburbs. I grew up down the street in Reading, and to this day, I can’t walk the lake without running into someone I know. Usually, someone’s mom. The lake measures a perfect three and a quarter
Top 5 Things to Do at Lake Quannapowitt Read More »