It is a new era. One of electronics ban, senseless travel bans and inconvenient restrictions that add new layers of complexities to our itineraries. No matter how exciting the trip, it is necessary to jump through the hoops of visas and customs before dropping our bags and beginning our adventure. In India, navigating… [Read More]
An Introduction & Guide to Eating in Hanoi, Vietnam
After a short flight from Bangkok, my boyfriend, Jeff, and I arrive in Vietnam late one Monday night. A blur of customs, on-arrival visa applications and airport taxis later, we drop our bags off at the Phoenix Hotel in the Old Quarter, just west of Hoan Kiem Lake. Famished, we decide to step outside… [Read More]
Checking into the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
There are hotels and then there are hotels, the sort of places where you do more than just rest your head, you savor every detail of your stay - from the food to the turndown service to the plush sheets that envelop you at night. Such is my stay at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong - an… [Read More]
A Visit to Chiang Mai’s Elephant Nature Park
I could disconnect from reality here. I could forget New York, forget my job and imagine that this - right here, right now - is my life. A wooden house in the Chiang Mai jungle where elephants casually stroll by. Where rescued dogs relax on our porch and cats nap lazily under the midday… [Read More]
Gone Bamboo: Falling in Love with Vietnam
Welcome to my place of dreams - Vietnam. I promised myself I would visit this country before I turned the doddering old age of 30 and now - a few months before I cross the threshold to my thirties, I have arrived in Hanoi. My boyfriend, Jeff, and I are staying in a hotel on Hang… [Read More]
An Offbeat Weekend Guide to Hong Kong
Writing this, I am literally sitting in the clouds. I am on the 113th floor of the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong hotel and the view outside my window is currently obscured by a thick, white fluffy cloud. I guess you could say I’m floating on cloud nine - sitting in my room, wrapped in… [Read More]
Two Ubud Hotels, Two Different Experiences
While solo traveling in Ubud this past August, I stayed in three different hotels in Bali. I won’t bother mentioning the third hotel (which was actually a homestay) since I’m fairly certain those dubious sheets are the reason I contracted a skin infection. Thankfully though, the first two hotels I stayed at were the… [Read More]
A First Time Experience Practicing Meditation in Bali
My henna was starting to fade from my hand. A mix of sweat, washing and sun had started to steal away the intricate design that once began at my right pinky finger and made its way up my wrist. I couldn’t help but admire the symbolism of it all. As my time in Bali came to a close,… [Read More]
Checking into the Bambu Indah Hotel in Ubud
It’s afternoon in Bali and the sun has begun to rise high over the rice paddies surrounding Ubud. I’m checking into Bambu Indah-an eco lifestyle hotel that sits along the Ayung River. Bambu Indah—which is translates to “beautiful bamboo”—is unique because of the 11 Javanese bridal homes that make up its rooms. The wooden houses were… [Read More]
How to ‘Eat Pray Love’ Your Way Around Bali
It’s afternoon in Bali. My fingers are resting on my laptop as I try to sum up the last month of travel through Indonesia. How Elizabeth Gilbert managed to eloquently (and concisely, I might add) put her year of self-discovery into writing is beyond me. The effects of Gilbert’s runaway success, Eat Pray Love, is seen everywhere… [Read More]
