Hong Kong felt like a two-day course in contradictions: towering skyscrapers versus green mountains and open sea, art galleries and high-end fashion boutiques versus street markets and souvenir kitsch, Colonial history versus modern architecture, Starbucks versus tea...
Our second and final destination in Bali was Jimbaran Bay. A coastal resort area on the southern part of the island, Jimbaran is known for its colorful fishing boats, beautiful beach, gentle surf and seaside grill restaurants. After our previous activity-filled days...
Thanks to a contact that Nicole made last summer while in Vietnam, we were fortunate to make the acquaintance of Made (pronounced Mah-day) – a Balinese taxi driver and occasional Backroads shuttle support staff member – who helped us make our way around the Ubud area...
One cannot live well, love well or sleep well unless one has dined well. – Virginia Woolf It took me just one whiff of jasmine, one bite of a curry dish, one glance at the array of batik, and one smile from a local to get me completely hooked on Bali. Intrigued by the...
At the end of this trip, I will add “soreness from elephant driving” to my growing list of sports and age-related ailments. Riding on the neck of Lana – a 23-year-old female, Asian elephant – for the past two days has been a thrill, and worth every sore muscle....
Bangkok is hot and crowded, yet our senses are in a thrilling state of overdrive – everything we see, smell and taste feels simultaneously strange and fascinating. Even the 15-hour flight from Newark to Hong Kong had its excitement, as a non-English speaking flight...
