For my 40th birthday this year, I took a group of friends to Thailand and Vietnam for the most epic girls trip! One thing I knew I wanted to do was to rent a villa in Thailand with a private chef and a pool. There are many villa options in Thailand so it was difficult to narrow it down. We searched for the best private villas near Phuket in southern Thailand and found Villa Rom Trai at Samsara Villas which is managed by The Private World. We had the most incredible experience at the villa. We chose this villa because it had multiple bedrooms, an incredible view, and ..read more

I just got back from an amazing trip to Guatemala, and let me just say that it exceeded my expectations and totally blew my mind! I am ready to book a trip back ASAP, or maybe move there for a few months and work on my Spanish, a common thing to do actually, with so many Spanish schools in the country! I went on a tour with Travel On Purpose, and it was the perfect mix of visiting people doing good in their communities, experiencing local culture, and enjoying a bit of luxury and amazing food! I wanted to highlight some of my favorite things to do in Guatemala and what I would do again in a h ..read more

If you’re planning to travel Vietnam, there are a few things you need to be aware of. As a first time visitor it can be stressful not to know what to expect. There were a few things I wish I’d known before I went. So if you’re going to Vietnam, check out my top Vietnam travel tips to help you prepare! 1. Get Your Visa in Advance If you’re visiting Vietnam, you’re going to need a visa to enter. Fortunately, it’s fairly simple to get and you can do it before your trip. In fact, airlines won’t even let you fly to Vietnam if you don’t have your visa ready. One person in our group had the wrong d ..read more

Trying to decide whether to travel to Thailand or Vietnam? Choosing between these two countries is like choosing between two favorite children! I visited Southeast Asia for my 40th birthday trip a few months ago and fell in love with both countries! Before visiting, I assumed that Thailand and Vietnam would be very similar, but I was really surprised by how different these neighboring countries could be. I honestly don’t think you could go wrong with either choice (or just be like me and choose both), but I wanted to try and help you make a decision if you can only pick one. Thailand vs Viet ..read more

I visited Southeast Asia for my 40th birthday this year and we spent about 10 days in Vietnam. We had the best time! I didn’t know much about the country before I left, but Vietnam is a country that completely surprised and delighted me. It was full of culture and history, and some of the most incredible food! If you’re planning to visit Vietnam, here are what I think are the top 10 best things to do in Vietnam. Light a Lantern in Hoi An Our first stop in Vietnam was the charming city of Hoi An in Northern Vietnam. We flew into Da Nang Airport and took a Grabb car (like UBER) into Hoi An. It ..read more

Wondering what to do in Thailand? I spent my 40th birthday celebrating in Asia and Thailand was my first stop. I booked tickets, invited some friends and we headed out on our adventure. We packed so much into our trip to Thailand and I know there are so many more things to see and do, but I wanted to share what I think are the top things to do in Thailand. 1. Stay at a Villa with a Private Chef One of the most amazing things to do in Thailand is to rent a villa that comes with a private chef. I knew that I wanted this iconic experience for my birthday, so we searched for the best private vill ..read more

You may think of bagpipes and haggis when you hear Scotland, but Scotland is also known for it’s amazing natural beauty and adorable villages. I lived in Scotland with my grandma as a girl, and was lucky enough to spend time exploring the country and soaking up all its beauty! It’s such a magical country that your eyes can hurt from seeing it all! Me, living it up in my bagpipe days! Between the ancient cities and the countryside of Scotland, you’re spoiled with stunning scenery! From national parks like Loch Lomond and the Trossachs to the medieval city of Edinburgh, Scotland has endless stu ..read more

In between my British Book Club tours and Croatia, I had a week to kill in Europe, so I decided to head up north to Norway with my friend Tamara. I’ve always wanted to visit Scandinavia, and Norway was a great place to start. To be honest, the beauty of this gorgeous country blew me away, and I’m plotting to take my family back after getting a quick taste of this country. Which Norway Itinerary is Best? One thing I learned while researching which Norway itinerary to do was that there are about a million different ways to organize your trip to Norway. We wanted to avoid overly touristed places ..read more

What do you imagine when you think of Ireland? Since Ireland is an island (try saying that five times fast!), you might think of untouched beaches and the rugged Cliffs of Moher. You might imagine cozy, dark wooden pubs with roaring fireplaces in Dublin. You might think of lush, rolling hills and miles of farmland in County Kerry. It is the Emerald Isle, after all. Cotton candy skies at the Cliffs of Moher And you wouldn’t be wrong! These are some of the most beautiful places in Ireland to visit. But aside from Ireland’s cities and famous national parks, there are lots of hidden gems to visit ..read more

Norway only offers two reasons to stay away (the dark, cold winters and the cost) and approximately 563,967 reasons to visit. This incredible country has so many amazing places and beautiful landscapes that make wearing long underwear and paying $9 for a hot chocolate worth it! I loved my recent visit to Norway and totally fell in love with the country. The people, the culture, the food, and especially the landscape! Everywhere you look in Norway is another beautiful scene…it almost hurts your eyeballs to take it all in. The gorgeous Gausta! Some of the most beautiful places in Norway are its ..read more