Installment #2 in my Budget Breakdown series details how much my Thailand trip cost. These posts are meant to help provide some transparency on travel costs, especially to newbie travelers. I spent 6+ weeks in Thailand during high season (November to February). More than a month of it was in northern Thailand as a solo budget… Read More Budget Breakdown: How Much My Thailand Trip Cost
I didn’t expect much from Da Nang. I’d never heard of it before figuring out where to fly into in order to meet my friends in Hoi An, and no one had ever exclaimed love and adoration (or discomfort and ambivalence) about it. I thought it was just going to be a layover, but I’m… Read More The Best of Da Nang: Gateway to Central Vietnam
There are thousands of guides out there on things to do in Ho Chi Minh City, so there’s no reason for me to write yet another one telling you to visit the War Remnants Museum or Ben Thanh Market. (You should read my DIY guide to the real Cu Chi Tunnels though.) Instead, here are my… Read More 5 Amazing, Underrated Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
One of the most popular things to do in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) is visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels. Most people join a tour group to make the visit. But if that’s not your vibe, great news: it’s possible to DIY it! Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Cu Chi… Read More How to Do the Cu Chi Tunnels Tour on Your Own (Updated for 2024)
Thanksgiving is often known as the holiday of gluttons, so this year, we hopped over the pond to be Italian gluttons…or gluttons in Italy, whichever. Point is, we spent the entire time wining and dining ourselves to Thanksgiving tradition. Get your stretchy pants ready and visually gorge on all this delicious food in Italy. Ironically, I… Read More All the Delicious Foods We Ate in Italy
Looking for travel gifts for the quarantined traveler? Check out the special 2020 edition of this guide! With the holidays coming and Black Friday just around the corner, I figured it’s finally time for me to create a holiday gift guide with the best travel gifts. Of course, travelers come in all different stripes, so… Read More The Best Gifts for Every Type of Traveler in Your Life
If you’ve been a regular reader, you know that I had some troubling experiences with sexual harassment in Kathmandu. It’s colored my perception of Kathmandu, but objectively, the city has some amazing cultural and historical sites that are definitely worth a visit. Plus, if you arrive in Nepal by air, you’ll most likely land in… Read More The 10 Best Things to Do (and Eat!) in Kathmandu
Phuket is the largest and perhaps most popular of Thailand’s islands, and you’ll likely be tempted to go there. I know, because the first time I went to Thailand, I also went to Phuket. But don’t be a Thailand noob. Skip Phuket, go to Krabi and Koh Lanta instead. Well, technically, go to Ao Nang in… Read More Skip Phuket, Go to Krabi and Koh Lanta
Nothing was as I expected in Hue. My face stung as the bike sped up and the wind whipped the rain onto my face. I fervently wished the helmet I was wearing had a visor. Once my face got used to the sting, I realized that there were way more people in Hue than I… Read More Secrets & Decay: Exploring the Ancient Vietnamese Capital of Hue
If you’re looking to know exactly how much it’ll cost to travel China for 7 weeks, I’m going to disappoint you. That’s because the truth is, there’s no good way to really tell you how much it costs to travel in China. It’s a huge country with diverse topography, 56 ethnic groups, and thousands of years of… Read More Budget Breakdown: How Much I Spent Traveling China for 7 Weeks