Australia frog-travel tips
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Don’t flush the frog: Our 10 dumbest travel mistakes, so far

We're experienced world travelers but that doesn't mean we don't occasionally make stupid mistakes. From flushing frogs down the toilet to being mistaken for a dominatrix, here are our top ten travel mistakes, so far: Top travel mistakes 1)…
Petronas Towers|Petronas twin towers|Petronas towers tickets|tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur|Visiting the Petronas Towers

The Secret to Visiting the Petronas Towers: best way to get tickets

The Petronas Towers Getting Petronas Towers tickets requires a bit of strategy. Tickets are limited, so if you want to go to the observation deck—at the best time to visit for great photos, or simply a time that works for your travel schedule—it's…
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The scent of home in Hong Kong

We'd been in Hong Kong for a week and always noticed a particularly strong aroma of something faintly spicy, with vanilla overtones, on a walkway near our apartment.  We thought that whoever lived there must be an excellent cook. It smelled…
Visiting the Silk Road-Bukhara

Travel Wish List: Visiting the Silk Road

World ExpeditionsAlthough we’ve traveled to more than 50 countries, there is one part of the world that we haven’t visited. The fabled Silk Road through Central Asia is an area that fascinates us. Visiting the Silk Road: Caravans and Ancient…
Statue and domes in yogakarta indonesia

Traveling in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

After spending a few weeks on the Indonesian island of Bali, we were excited to explore nearby Java and the bustling city of Yogyakarta. Anyone who likes coffee knows the term "java," the nickname of which is derived from early coffee plantations…
bhuddist pagoda, ho chi minh city
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Sometimes it’s best to get lost while traveling

During a nighttime stroll, we had become lost in the dimly lit, maze-like streets of old Saigon. A series of turns led us into a narrow alley whose sole purpose seemed to be connecting to other alleys. The winding streets felt as though laid…
Little Rocky statue at DMZ in North Korea

Run DMZ: Visiting the DMZ on the North Korean side

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that tourism…

A rare bit of ancient history in North Korea

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that…
Nguyen Hue Flower Street-Year of the Dragon
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The Tet Flower Festival in Ho Chi Minh City

Tet, the Lunar New Year in Vietnam, is the most important holiday of the year. For me it is also the prettiest. There are displays of blossoms throughout the city, along with fireworks displays on New Year's Eve. In Ho Chi Minh City the crowning…
Bali food ingredients
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Photos: Foods of Bali

Satay grilling over coals made of coconut shells . . . fresh fish wrapped in banana leaves . . . fragrant coconut rice . . . these are some of the tastes of our recent visit to Bali.  The island’s cuisine relies heavily on its abundant…
My Lai Memorial

Footprints at My Lai

On a gray, overcast day I was driving by endless miles of verdant green rice paddies to the central Vietnamese hamlet of Son My. In 1968 this was the site of the notorious incident known as the My Lai Massacre; when American soldiers killed…
US Helicopter on roof-vietnam museum

Echoes of distant thunder: Visiting Vietnam today

The echoes of war have gradually faded in Vietnam as the country has rebounded from decades of conflict to create a thriving modern economy; one sign of the forward looking times, former adversaries are now welcomed. There are plenty of ways…
Extreme Sights North Korea-Arch

Bigger, taller, more: 5 unusual sights in North Korea

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that tourism…

Facing deadly komodo dragons in Indonesia

From guest writer Ray Uzanas ~ I was barely ten years old when I drew a picture of a Komodo dragon lizard; the image copied from a library book about reptiles. I was fascinated with the forked-tongued creatures that look like relics from…
Mundan baby with head shaved

We witness mundan, a Hindu head-shaving ceremony

In Malaysia we witnessed a Hindu infant head shaving ceremony known as Mundan. We were visiting Batu Caves, a large Hindu Temple built atop a hillside, outside of Kuala Lumpur. Take a tour of Batu Caves. There were the typical souvenir…
traditional Indonesian dolls in tana toraja

Visiting Tana Toraja, a hideaway in Indonesia

From guest writer Nico ~ It is the end of the wet season and the land is a rich hue of greens. The deep terraced valleys and floodplains are covered in a quilted patchwork of rice paddy fields. The rice has been planted in rotation; some…
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A trashy beach in Bali

Update: August, 2019. This continues to be one of our most visited posts, and also one of our most controversial. Updates from readers (along with our continued research) indicate that Bali's beach/trash situation has unfortunately not improved.…
Extreme Sights North Korea-Arch

From the inside: Rare photos of North Korea

Update June, 2017: Since our visit to North Korea in 2011, the recent death of American tourist Otto Warmbier, who was detained while visiting the country, is a tragic situation that is inexcusable. Accordingly, despite our feelings that…