On March 31st, 2023; my tour group arrived by flight to Da Nang, after spending several days in southern Vietnam. Now we were in central Vietnam. We boarded our next tour bus and proceeded on our way. Our guide purchased traditional Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches(crusty bread roll filled with veggies) for us to enjoy during our lengthy drive. Eventually we made our way to our next destination…the ancient town of Hoi An. This coastal city is known for its historic Old Town and glorious canals. The city’s architecture showcases a variety of designs and cultures from Chinese temples to French col ..read more

On the morning of March 27th in 2023, I arrived at the airport to embark on a trip to Vietnam. Ancient temples, palaces, Mekong riverboat cruises, Cu Chi underground tunnels, and organic farms were on my tour group’s agenda. Gate1Travel from the United States is the tour company that hosted my holiday abroad. They provide superb tour guides, top notch accommodations, amazing dining experiences, and the most impressive local attractions. I had been looking forward to this fascinating destination for quite a while. My original guided tour there was cancelled and refunded during the first officia ..read more

During the Winter of 2023, I decided to “get away from the cold” in the Northeastern United States, and head to warm and sunny Puerto Rico for a three day weekend vacation in late January. The late night arrival in San Juan provided a picturesque view of the neighborhood, with the city lights shining upon the buildings, as seen from my airbnb deck. I had a full itinerary for my island stay, so it was time to get some sleep. The next morning, I headed to La Isla for breakfast, The vegan-friendly restaurant is a large casual space with several vegan offerings at reasonable prices. I chose the V ..read more

During the early morning hours of August 22, 2022; I decided to embark on a lengthy drive from Boston, Massachusetts(USA) to the province of New Brunswick, Canada for a long weekend vacation. I headed north, driving through eastern Maine until my arrival in St. John, the capital of New Brunswick. My first stop was the VEGolution restaurant, which is the city’s only all-vegan restaurant. For lunch, I opted for the doner tofu “meat” taco with lettuce and tomatoes with a side of fries. Dessert was a delicious blueberry tart. After my meal, it was time to stroll about town to see the local attrac ..read more

During the latter part of 2021, there was quite a level of excitement across the globe. The 70’s Swedish pop group ABBA had announced the dates for their “ABBATAR” concert in London, England for the following year!! Since I am a huge ABBA fan, I purchased a ticket for the concert date of July 9, 2022!! The music group was not performing in person, but via “ABBATAR” whose images danced and sang in lifelike fashion, while their recorded music played loudly in the background . A visit to Stonehenge and the ancient Roman town of Bath, England was on my itinerary as well. On that July 8th, I boarde ..read more

For the Labor Day holiday in 2021, I decided to spend the weekend at the Jersey Shore in Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey. This destination is a popular tourist spot for Summer. TV travel show host Samantha Brown even filmed an episode here. It was an eight hour drive for me with the traffic. Instead of driving through the George Washington bridge traffic in NYC, I took a detour to Tarrytown, New York for a breakfast stop. My breakfast at Muddy Water Coffee and Cafe in Tarrytown, was an herbal tea and a yummy vegan raspberry square. Upon arrival in Wildwood, NJ, I headed to the main boulevar ..read more

The year 2020 is remembered as the year when travel came to a screeching halt due to the global coronavirus pandemic. All of us were encouraged to spend our free time appreciating nature by participating in local hikes in nearby state parks or walks along the shore. No cultural experiences. No meeting others to learn about their customs and traditions. Many US states did not even allow crossing the border to a neighboring state. Slowly the world started to open up again for travel upon the discovery of a covid vaccine. Initially, most people began to explore different regions of their own coun ..read more

Each year during the month of May, I set out for an adventure in a different U.S. state to welcome the “Unofficial Start of Summer”. This year, I opted for a journey to the midwestern cities of St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. Historic sites, jazz & blues, and vegan bbq were on my agenda. Upon arrival in St. Louis, I headed directly to vegetarian/vegan-friendly SweetArt ( https://sweetartstl.com/eats ) for a bite to eat. My breakfast consisted of a wonderful tofu scramble burrito with a side of fruit and a cup of tea. A nice size seating area allows diners to have a sit down meal. My ..read more

My weeklong vacation in Kenya was drawing to a close. Our tour guide had two final destinations in store for us: a visit to a endangered giraffe sanctuary and to the Karen Blixen farmhouse. Ms. Blixen was the author of the “Out Of Africa” novel, based on her life and experiences in Kenya. Situated in the Ngong Hills- west of Nairobi, the Danish author relocated to this residence in the early part of the 20th century and started a coffee farm. I devoured a tasty breakfast of baked beans, pumpkin, potatoes, mushrooms, and whole wheat bread at the Mara Leisure Camp, prior to boarding our tour veh ..read more

On my fourth day in Kenya, my tour group headed back to the Masai Mara for another day of wildlife viewing. I arose bright and early for a 5am departure. One must arrive around sunrise to assure the best weather conditions for a hot air balloon ride above the Mara. We indeed arrived at the appropriate time to witness a glorious sunrise. The crew began their task of inflating the enormous balloon, attached to its basket. Six people could fit within its interior for a safe and comfortable ride through the skies. After the balloon was inflated, our group slid on our backs into its interior. W ..read more