It’s impossible to visit the city of Cartagena without noticing its gorgeous doors and colorful buildings. Well, these days it’s impossible to avoid them even if you don’t visit, as Cartagena’s doors are an Instagram favorite. Even I, someone who’s not a fan of “Instagram hot spot” trends, could not resist its allure. The rainbow… Read More The Many Gorgeous, Glorious Doors of Cartagena
One of my favorite things to do in cities around the world is to wander around and find cool street art. When I visited Portland in June to visit a friend, I knew I wanted to explore the city’s massive art scene. I navigated, wandered, and mapped out some of the city’s best street artworks for… Read More The DIY Portland Street Art Crawl: A Visual Orgasm
Perhaps like many other people, the Himalayas always signaled Mount Everest to me. It wasn’t until I started thinking about heading to Nepal before my Bhutan trip that I heard about the Annapurna. You see, I knew I didn’t have enough time to do the Everest Base Camp trek, but I wanted to get in some… Read More The Beauty of the Annapurna
Thailand is the land of temples, and perhaps one of the most famous and unconventional is Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple. It is certainly a gem of the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai, likely the attraction that brings in the most visitors each year. Those in the know also come for… Read More Heaven and Hell: The White Temple and Black House of Chiang Rai
I was a few rows behind in the crowd, but because I’m tall enough, I smiled real big and caught her attention. She looked me in the eye and smiled. Pleased to meet you, I said, not knowing how to properly address her. She extended her hand and I accepted. Pleased to meet you, too,… Read More The Dochula Druk Wangyel Festival: A Technicolor Himalayan Dream
I first learned about Bhutan in 2013 and was immediately entranced by this isolated Himalayan kingdom that somehow had escaped my knowledge for more than two decades. The costs associated with visiting Land of the Thunder Dragon, however, put it in a TBD category in my mental filing cabinet. (I’ll cover this and how to… Read More Bhutan in 10 Photos: Exploring the Land of the Thunder Dragon
This is Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Asia. Located in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou, Huangguoshu (Yellow Fruit Tree) Waterfall is this poor province’s pride and joy, its key tourist attraction. To get there, you’ll first need to get to the city of Anshun, roughly 90 kilometers or an 80-minute drive from the… Read More This is the Largest Waterfall in Asia
It’s completely catered to tourists, especially westerners, I was told. Great, exactly the type of place I dislike, I thought as I made my way to the southern Chinese city of Yangshuo. It turned out to be true that Yangshuo’s downtown does cater extensively to western tourists, but there’s so much more to the city… Read More What to Do in Yangshuo in 2 Days
After spending roughly a week in northeastern China in September and then roadtripping through northwestern China in October, I turned my sights south, specifically to the south central autonomous region of Guangxi and the southwestern province of Guizhou. For me, the largest draw for Guangxi was initially Guilin. I had long heard of the beauty of… Read More Skip Guilin, Go to Yangshuo and Longsheng Instead
Originally posted Monday, March 26, 2012 Paris had always been that dream destination ever since I began taking French years ago, yet when I finally began planning to study abroad, I instantly rejected the idea of going to Paris. It was too cosmopolitan to really learn the language and too touristy to get a feel… Read More Paris: A Photo Journey in Autumn and at Christmastime