It’s not an exaggeration to say that New Zealand is without a doubt the most beautiful country I have ever been to! This incredibly diverse country has it all – mountains, forests, lakes, volcanos, fiords, beaches, and the list goes on and on. All of this nature can be easily accessed by well maintained hiking trails found throughout the country. Continue reading
The ancient city of Bagan, located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, is home to over 4,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and stupas. It is one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites, rivaling that of Angkor Wat, with ruins dating back to as far as the 11th and 12th centuries. Over half of the original temples have managed to survive the years. The stunning images of temples peaking through the canopy of trees is THE reason why I wanted to come to Myanmar. The reality was every part as amazing as I imagined. Continue reading
Myanmar (pronounced me-ann-mar) has become a traveler’s hot spot in recent years, and will get even more popular now that they’ve held democratic elections. Their new found political freedom shined the spotlight, and brought a surge of people into the once isolated country. Hotel and infrastructure are being built to support the rapid growth as the country moves towards becoming the next must-visit Asian destination. Things are changing fast and information on the web gets quickly outdated. Here are a list of things we learned from our trip (taken at the end of Nov, 2015) that will hopefully make your planning easier: Continue reading
Every once in a while you just have to treat your self! And what’s a better way to do that then fly first class to Asia on Cathay Pacific. This article will go through the step-by-step process of how we redeemed our miles for first class tickets. It’ll also provide in depth review of our experience flying in the premium cabin.
Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its golden beaches, lush mountains, iconic landmarks and sprawling favelas. There is really no other place quite like the fun loving city of Rio. With the recent World Cup and upcoming Olympics, the city is drawing more people to its shores than ever before. Here is the breakdown of our trip to Rio:
When traveling to a foreign country, there are a lot of unknowns that can cause anxiety. This was especially true when we planned our African safari trip. We didn’t know what to expect from clothing consideration to the money we’ll need. After doing some research and having had gone through the experience, we put together a short list of tips for traveling to Tanzania. Continue reading
It’s almost February and we still have no travel plans for 2016! *gasp* The year started pretty slow for us – we have a few ideas of where we want to go, but haven’t booked anything. This is a little bit shocking to our friends and family who keep asking where we’re off to this year. By this time last year we had already snatched a great deal to Rio. With gas prices continuing to plummet, I expected that there would be a lot of cheap flights, especially to Asia. So, this morning when I found out that American Airlines was having a great sale on flights from major cities in the US to Asia with flexible dates, I tried to jump on it. Continue reading
Cash is king – and nowhere is that statement truer than it is outside of the US. Anyone who has ever been to a foreign country knows that credit cards are rarely accepted, and if they are accepted, they usually come with some hefty fees. Lets face it, we Americans are used to swiping credit cards for anything here in the US – from a cup of coffee, to a large screen TV. When we travel abroad, however, pulling out a credit card for every little thing is frowned upon and usually met with a weird stare. Continue reading
After a long hiatus, I am finally back on the road, but what makes this trip special is that I am going with my baby sister. Even though we are 12 years apart, we are always on the same wavelength about everything…except when she is trying to convince me to go to a rave and I am convincing her to go to a lecture at the Reichstag. LifeAfter9-5 will be featuring Kim as a guest blogger, describing her travel experience from a student’s perspective.
Unlike my cultured sister, I am unfortunately not as worldly when it comes to travelling. I’ve been to Asia a few times but my parents tend to do all the planning, and I just have to show up at the airport. Being 22, I don’t have a lot of experience organizing big trips (yet), but I’m hoping to change that this summer. Without too many daunting obligations and a year’s attempt of saving money, I’m planning on visiting a few countries. The first stop? Germany and Czech Republic with Caitlin! While preparing for my first major trip, I’ve learnt a few tips and lessons for other aspiring travelers. Continue reading
I am so excited that Australia is finally here! This will be our first long vacation in two years, so instead of running around like crazy for a weekend, this will actually feel like a vacation. But before the fun vacation part, we’ll have to do the not so fun packing part. I’ve gotten so used to packing for weekend trips, that I don’t know what to do when I have to plan out what to pack for 2 weeks in advance. You’d think after all traveling we do that I’ve got this packing thing down, but no, Fausto is the packer in our relationship. He just has a way with fitting everything nice and perfectly into the suitcase (must be all the Tetris he played as a kid). My problem is I can never decide what to wear and it varies depending on the weather, where I am going, and my mood; so planning ahead of time is impossible.
life after 9to5 