Cambodia’s temples and their (abbreviated) history
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
Even Buddha’s eyeliner needs a touch-up now and then   Cambodian Temples 101 (sort of) Cambodian Temples were built from the late 6th century through the 12th century at a feverish rate of expansion that would have been the envy of Starbucks. The largest surviving concentrations of temples were built in the Angkor region where Siem Reap is located. Cambodian temples were built for the usual reasons; conquerors showing off, civilizations being formed, deities being worshipped and displays of aesthetics.  Many are called jungle temples in reference to their locations and the growth t ..read more
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Pros and cons of independent versus group travel
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
The best way to travel is with your sister! What’s the best way to travel? We talk to people who stress that they always travel independently and it’s the superior way to travel. And then we speak to others who have no interest in independent travel. They think it sounds like a hassle, could be dangerous, and they want to leave all of the planning to others. So who’s right? As is so often the case in life it’s “neither one” or “it depends”.  (How unsatisfying.) An increasingly jolly wine-tasting in South Africa where all we did was hire the driver on a trip we planned independentl ..read more
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Why we liked visiting Puglia with Go Ahead Tours
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
A masseria (fancypants farmhouse) our guide found out in the middle of Puglia. We went here for a cooking class.   Our review of Go Ahead Tour’s Puglia and Southern Italy itinerary This was our second trip in less than a year with Go Ahead Tours and we thoroughly enjoyed each trip (last year’s was to Croatia and Slovenia). The vast majority of the travel we have done over the years has been independent  – we’ve planned it all, arranged our own transportation and figured out everything else. So when we initially tried group travel we were skeptical. This was our ..read more
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Would you enjoy Viking River Cruises’ Magnificent Mekong itinerary?
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
The Viking Mekong setting sail the first evening The Viking River Magnificent Mekong We love Viking’s European offerings and last year pushed the definition of Europe to include a river cruise in Russia. But deciding to go to Southeast Asia somehow felt like a whole different kind of decision – it’s a lot farther away and more foreign in its culture than Europe. But we’d heard great things from other Viking travelers we’d met so we decided to go for it. Quite unfortunately, the day before we were scheduled to depart on the trip Brunette had the misfortune/nerve to get sick and wasn’t ab ..read more
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Matera – European Capital of Culture for 2019
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
Matera was the best surprise of our trip to Puglia and Southern Italy with Go Ahead Tours. How had two such amazingly well-informed (and stunningly attractive) travelers as ourselves never heard of this place? We still don’t know the answer to that but want you to know about it because it’s interesting on several levels (in retrospect you will see that that is a pun). Matera’s History As the third oldest continually inhabited city in the world (after Aleppo and Jericho) Matera must have more stories to tell than even your elderly aunt after too many martinis. For over 9,000 years people have ..read more
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Why travel to Puglia and Southern Italy?
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
The Grotta Palazzese Hotel Ristorante in Polignano a Mare- our Go Ahead tour guide managed to get us last minute lunch reservations here. To us the question was “why not”?  We have each been to Italy quite a few times but as Puglia gained traction as a destination for travelers our curiosity grew and we began to plot a trip to the region. When Go Ahead Tours offered to host us on their Puglia and Southern Italy tour we accepted with unseemly alacrity. So why did we want to go there? The beautiful coastline of Puglia and Southern Italy A sandy beach among the cliffs in Polignano a Mare ..read more
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Two non-touristy places to experience nature in Southwest Florida
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
This is an Egret but you do see a lot of other creatures with sparse white hair in Florida. People visit Southwest Florida (SWFL) for many reasons including enjoying the beaches, freeloading off relatives with spare bedrooms and experiencing the area’s nature attractions. This part of Florida offers a nice selection of nature preserves that are untainted by commercial interests. Most of them are educational and fun places to learn and experience the unique species and habitats of the region. Here’s a brief introduction to two of our favorites. Nature on display at the Audubon’s Corkscrew Swa ..read more
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2016: Where we traveled, what we liked and what we didn’t
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
2016 Travel Review Ljubljana, Slovenia As we do our 2016 travel review we can’t help but realize that is was a year of unprecedented travel for us. We set foot in 14 different countries, most of them for the first time. Our visits ranged from the United States to Central America and a wide cross section of Europe. We spent two weeks in Russia (something we never really expected to do) and just days in some places like Poland and Estonia. Every year we do a recap of our travels and every year we have trouble thinking of things we didn’t like. Either we’re really easy to please or we do such a ..read more
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Our review of traveling with Go Ahead Tours
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
Having a guide who can tell you the perfect spot to get the shot you want in a popular tourist destination- Mostar, Bosnia- is a real plus. Our experience traveling with Go Ahead Tours lived up to their promise of being “a company of passionate adventurers dedicated to creating the best journey for every traveler”.  That isn’t an easy promise to deliver on as travelers can expect and be pleased by very different things. Someone’s a foodie, someone’s a shopper and someone likes to be given extensive history and information. Sometimes one person is all three. How on earth do you make them ..read more
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A dozen tested gifts for travelers
Blonde Brunette Travel
by Kay Dougherty
3y ago
We have traveled, in economy class, to 13 countries this year giving us the unintended opportunity to develop a list of personally tested gifts for travelers. A gift list at this time of year isn’t uncommon. However, we see many with $900 carry-on bags, $1,300 cashmere throws to use as airplane blankets and $450 folding sunglasses. We thought we would offer you more reality-based options. Our selection ranges in price from $1 to $500 so we’re hopeful that your favorite traveler and your budget can both benefit. And just so you know we (rather stupidly) won’t make a cent if you buy any of thes ..read more
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