Any country with a history wrought in battles and conquests will forever carry the scars of its ancestors. Those distant, but ever-present memories are ingrained deep into the veins of its streets and are often reflected in the architecture fortunate enough to have been spared amidst the destruction. But in the aftermath of such chaos is a melting pot of cultures, and the silver lining byproduct that sits atop a silver platter, is the superb cuisine. Budapest’s rich history is well-matched in its eclectic food offerings, and in our two-day trip, we tried our best to scratch the surface and tak ..read more

Budapest is an incredible capital city in Northern Hungary, straddling the Danube River. The city has a rich history of conquests and cultural transfusions, which shows in its wide array of cuisine offerings and the diverse populace. How I like to think of Budapest is the city that retained the Baroque/Romanesque architecture of central Europe, borrowed the convivial bathing practice from the Turks, and adopted the efficient city infrastructure of its neighboring Austrians. Although you could in theory spend weeks in Budapest, simply taking in the local lifestyle, I provide here the ultimate ..read more

You’re in the midst of your Euro Trip planning and you know you want to visit the picturesque village of Hallstatt while you’re in Austria, but you run into a dilemma – do you go for a day, or do you stay overnight? Is it worth spending a precious night in the town or is a daytrip from Salzburg or Vienna sufficient? In this post, I’ll cover what you can expect in Hallstatt and give you my recommendation. As background for those of you that may not be familiar with Hallstatt, it is a small town in the middle of Austria, just southeast of Salzburg and west of Vienna. The town is situated in the ..read more

Prague is a charming city with tons of architectural marvels to consume, but if you know me by now, you know there’s no great sightseeing without pairing with some of the best eats in the city. Here I cover some of the highlights from my trip to Prague! La Degustation (Dinner) Starting off with the namesake for this post, we had dinner on our first night at this low-key, one Michelin star restaurant in the heart of Old Town (East side of the Vltava River) specializing in modern twists on traditional Czech cuisine. The ambiance was cozy and understated, and seemed to place emphasis on th ..read more

Prague is a picturesque city in the heart of Czechia / Czech Republic, and almost always makes the list of places to visit for many aspiring Euro-trippers. If you have several destinations in that itinerary, you’ll be glad to know that just a couple days is sufficient to take in much of what Prague has to offer (at least at a surface level!). For a bit of geographic context, the city is bifurcated by the Vltava river, with the larger scale landmarks (the ones with visiting hours) in the West, and the broader city life, train station, and much of the hotel options in the East. We began o ..read more

Berlin is a big city. And if you’re like me, you flew over with a few landmarks to see in mind, but without an established plan of action to tackle them all, let alone figuring out which actually merit a visit. Furthermore, if you have a few other cities to visit during your Eurotrip, and only have a day or two in Berlin (because let’s face it, it was one of the cheapest hubs to fly into), then you’re going to want to follow my German-engineered efficient itinerary to see the best Berlin has to offer, wall and all. Your exact itinerary may vary depending on your choice of accommodation ..read more

Berlin is a beautiful city with a myriad of landmarks and attractions scattered throughout. To make the most of your time in Berlin and cover the must-see points in the city, check out my uber-efficient itinerary here. But no culture trip is complete (at least in my book) without also experiencing your destination through your palates. And a good thing too, as all that sightseeing will surely leave you hankering for a great meal. Fortunately, Berlin has much to offer, and below is a list of the best eats in Berlin. Mahlzeit! Burgermeister – Underpass Shot Burgermeister (website) There ar ..read more

Flying into Queenstown, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We did some research of course, but the natural marvels we encountered far exceeded our imagination and set NZ apart from all other destinations we’ve visited. Part of the credit certainly goes to the country’s Department of Conservation, which strictly manages and maintains its pristine national parks – which interestingly enough covers almost 50% of the entire South Island (check out this incredibly “green” map). What this means for any avid / aspiring photographers out there is a wealth of breathtaking landscape photography opportunities ..read more

Milford Sound is consistently rated as one of top attractions to visit in NZ’s South Island. But it’s also quite polarizing, as the day trip from Queenstown is quite an undertaking, and the area is widely considered to be one of the rainiest places on earth (average of 182 days of rain in a year – yes, better than Vegas odds that it’ll rain when you visit!). Despite these stacked odds, Milford Sounds still attracts nearly a million visitors to its remote location every year. Bad weather aside, here are some pro tips to heed when you’re visiting Milford Sound. Rent a car and stay overnig ..read more

This may sound strange, but if you’re visiting New Zealand’s South Island, you should take a drive along the Arthur’s Pass (Highway 73). Connecting the west coast from Kumara Junction to Christchurch, Arthur’s Pass is both functional as it is an iconic wealth of attractions. Though you can literally spend several days exploring all that the passage has to offer, here are 3 must-stop points you can prioritize if you’re simply passing through. Otira Viaduct Lookout About ~80km from the west coast, you will arrive at Otira, and come upon a viaduct that hovers above a gorge and cuts across ..read more