Over the past two years I have stayed in a hostel or two (or a hundred). I will be the first to admit that I haven’t always taken advantage of all that they have to offer. But, when I started traveling solo, hostels were my saving grace. I made so many friends while exploring SE Asia and that was mainly because of the places I chose to stay at. A good hostel has a great common area, sets up activities for…
Thailand is known for having some of the most magical looking temples. You can find traditional buddhist temples, modern temples, gorgeously colored temples, and temples that hang over the side of a cliff. And when you visit one of these magical temples in Thailand, you’ll be surprised at how quickly they take your breath away. I was lucky to explore so many different parts of Thailand while I lived there. I spent a lot of time in the Northern provinces of…
I don’t explore my backyard enough. I’m here in Florida for a few months and I want to explore the place that I live. So, a few weeks ago, I ventured to Miami to visit the Wynwood Arts District and see the Wynwood Walls. (It’s super easy to get to as it’s right off of I-95) There have been additions of Wynwood Doors and gardens and, my personal favorite, Outside The Walls. This is perhaps one of the artsiest, most…
Kyoto was incredible. It was one of those places that is just so magical that you don’t know what to do. There is so much to see in the city that was the Japanese capital for over 1000 years. There is a lot of history there and gorgeous sights to see. You could probably spend an entire week exploring the city. And if I go back to Japan, I’m going to spend a month there and travel around like a…
When we took the bullet train (book your JR Pass) from Hakone to Osaka we figured a lot more people would be getting off at our stop. But, it turned out that most travelers disembarked in Kyoto (which is only about 20 minutes away). If there is one thing I can say about Osaka is that the train is super easy to use there. We stayed a little bit out of the city center, but it was so simple to…
If you plan to go to Osaka during your trip to Japan, be sure to hop on the train to Kobe for the day. It’s only a 40 minute ride from the Shin-Osaka Station and it’s well worth the time. If you have the JR Pass, you can use that to get there. There is so much to see in Kobe and there is one thing you must eat. The highlight of my trip to Kobe: Kobe Beef. I have never…