The riverside city of Kaohsiung (pronounced “Gao Shong“) is located in southern Taiwan, just a short high speed train ride away from Taipei. Though it has its own international airport, Kaohsiung is often overlooked and sees just a fraction of tourists when compared to the glitzy capital city. Kaohsiung is a sprawling city offering quiet laneways, vibrant temples and night markets, and revitalized heritage buildings packed with street art ..read more

Planning on applying for a tourist visa for Sri Lanka? Here is what you need to know. Old Sri Lanka ETA website In mid-April of this year, Sri Lanka announced that it was retiring the former ETA system (or Electronic Travel Authorization – essentially an e-visa), and that it was outsourcing the e-visa handling to a company called VFS Global – an organization that handles visa processing for many governments as well as providing Schengen visa services ..read more

While Kenting National Park in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County is very well known by Taiwanese people as a top beach vacation destination, it is not exactly on the international radar. Those in the know will tell you to add Kenting to your Taiwan itinerary – here is my Kenting travel guide to help you plan your trip. Kenting National Park stretches almost along the entire beach-filled southern peninsula of Taiwan ..read more

Nestled within a national park along Taiwan’s picturesque south coast, Gloria Manor is a former presidential vacation destination that has since been transformed into a world-class resort for those in the know. Our recent stay in Taiwan’s underrated Kenting National Park was a reminder not to overlook destinations closer to home. While Kenting in Pingtung County is very well known among Taiwanese people as a top beach vacation destination, it is not on exactly on the international radar – especially if you compare it to popular Asia holiday hotspots like Phuket, Da Nang, Seminyak and Langkawi ..read more

From lush, otherworldly landscapes and gilded temples to charming riverside towns, there’s a lot to love about Laos. Experience the highlights in 1 week in Laos! The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia might not always be top of mind, but it is time for this underrated destination to shine. If you are looking for your next getaway let me show you why “The Land of a Million Elephants” is more than deserving of your attention ..read more

The multi-tiered Tad Sae waterfall, or Tat Sae waterfall, is a stunning nature attraction just outside of the Old Town in Luang Prabang. Read on for everything you need to know to plan your Tad Sae day trip! Often overshadowed by the famous Kuang Si Falls in Laos, Tad Sae Waterfall is a lesser-visited cascading waterfall with glistening turquoise-tiered pools. Like Kuang Si, you can trek uphill through lush jungle foliage to explore the upper-level pools, or stay near the lower falls to go for a dip in the cool waters ..read more

Vang Vieng is a hub for adventure lovers in Laos, and one of the best places in Southeast Asia to experience a hot air balloon ride. Here is what you need to know to plan an epic Vang Vieng hot air balloon experience. Located about mid-way between Luang Prabang and Vientiane is one of the best places in this part of the world to go hot air ballooning ..read more

Laos was not always the easiest place to get around, and 8-hour bus rides on painfully bumpy and winding roads were a quintessential Laos travel experience. Though my eventful bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng in 2018 ended up being a funny story I could tell my friends about (the bus broke down twice in the middle of nowhere, and we were left stranded for hours with no information in English about where we were and what was happening), it certainly wasn’t an experience that I was rushing to repeat ..read more

Vientiane is the laid-back, underrated riverside capital city of Laos. Though it has often been treated as a “passthrough” Southeast Asian destination in the past, I recently spent just under a week in Vientiane attending the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum and was surprised by my time in the capital. The European influence is evident as you walk through the city and pass by the many French colonial buildings (many of which remain from when it was designated a “French protectorate”), yet traditional Lao architecture and design equally shine through with dozens of stunning Buddhist temples and stup ..read more

Southeast Asia is home to some of the most diverse and alluring travel destinations in the world. Planning a 2024 Southeast Asia trip? Read this first for insider insight and tips. The Southeast Asia region is one of my personal favorites and has a special place in my heart – some of my fondest childhood and family memories were created here. You could spend a lifetime in Southeast Asia and only scratch the surface of what the ten member countries of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has to offer, from the mouthwatering cuisine to the centuries-old heritage sites and landmarks ..read more