Today is the first day of our African safari and we already saw so many animals! One of the first animals we saw on the drive through Tarangire national park were a herd of zebras, they were just casually hanging out by the side of the road and completely oblivious to all the gawking passerby. These zebras are even more beautiful in person. Did you know that the pattern on each zebra is as unique as our finger prints?
[photo credit: Across Tanzania Expedition]
Australia is a country synonymous with endless sunshine, a laid-back lifestyle, and iconic scenery. Its natural splendor captivates visitors with promises of grand adventures and its multicultural cities are bursting with a vibrant, youthful energy. From the Outback to the Great Barrier Reef to the man-made Sydney Opera house, there was lots to do and see. It’s no wonder this country is one of the most popular travel destinations. Here is the cost breakdown of our trip to Australia: Continue reading
Stylish and arty, Melbourne is the second most populous city in Australia and also our last stop on our trip down under. This city full of edgy street art, modern architecture, iconic lane-ways and multicultural cuisines all reflect its trendy personality. Here are the highlights of some of the places we visited in and around Melbourne:
United is having a huge sale for flights going from most East coast cities to Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam. For about $600 including taxes and fees, you’ll get a round trip ticket to Asia, that’s a pretty unbeatable deal! The dates are mostly for late summer to early fall, which is when you’d want to be in Southeast Asia anyways – to skip out on the sweltering heat.
Ho Chi Minh is my hometown and I grew up there, so I always welcome an opportunity to go back. Plus the food is amazing, so that’s a bonus. When I saw these prices, I was very excited, so if you’re looking to visit Asia this fall, reserve your tickets now before they are all gone. Just a reminder – United does allow you to cancel within 24 hours without any penalties. When you put in the date of your flight, make sure you select the ‘flexible date’ option to give you a better chance of finding the cheaper tickets. Book your ticket and look forward to a steaming bowl of pho on the other side of the world.
Essaouira, Morocco
On our way to Essaouira, a coastal city in western Morocco, we saw these tree grazing goats. They were sitting in the thorny argan tree chilling out, so we had to stop on the side of the road to take a few pictures.
Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.
Unlike Sydney, Melbourne has fully embraced street art and it is very much a part of the city’s personality. Melbourne is recognized as one of the leading street art capitals of the world, with it being an attraction for locals and visitors wanting to experience the city’s creative expression. The city understands the importance of public art and how its art contributes to the vibrancy of urban culture. The many mediums of street art include stencils, paste-ups and murals but not tagging which is considered vandalism and is illegal. The artwork in Melbourne is very progressive, in fact was early to embrace stencil art and is now considered the “stencil capital of the world”.
Now that I am back from Europe, it’s time to finish up the rest of the Australia posts – onward to Melbourne! After spending a week at the beach and then melting in the outback, we were ready to go back to civilization. Our first order of business was restaurant hopping. Melbourne is the hometown of Masterchef Australia, so it was no wonder that there were a lot of high caliber restaurants. We made the rounds and visited a few restaurants of chefs featured on the show. We had only one day to try the food in Melbourne and I think we did a pretty good job fitting it all in our stomach. The day was basically sightseeing interspersed by eating and trying to digest the food as we walked to our next restaurant.
Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
Koh Phi Phi island was made famous in the movie and the book, “The Beach.” The story talks of a pristine island in the Gulf of Thailand, uninhabited and forbidden; on which there lies a beautiful hidden beach and lagoon – walled in by cliffs and untouched by the tourist industry. As we landed on the island, we were disappointed to see that the once pristine beach is over-run by tourists and the clear water glistens with oil slicks from the motor boats that truck people in and out every day.
Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.
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
life after 9to5 