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-by Edyta- Another day in paradise! This time, we started on a more spiritual note, with a visit to the Japanese Byodo-In temple located on the windward (eastern) part of Oahu, at the foot of the Ko'olau Mountains. We followed this with a drive up the east shore to Kualoa Regional Park and topped the day off by lounging at Kailua Beach. Since my w...

-by Edyta- On Saturday February 7th, 2015 as we were saying good-bye to Vlad's parents we were greeting my sister Gabi. The flight times worked out so well that the five of us had time to catch up and enjoy some tea together at a Starbucks, before parting ways. We were super happy to see and spend time with yet another family member. It was Gabi'...

-by Edyta- Four days after we arrived in Hawaii, Vlad's parents came to meet us there. They were very happy to break up the cold Canadian winter with a week long visit to Hawaii. It was their first time there and we were excited to show them around. For our weeklong stay we rented a one bedroom condo hotel room in the heart of Waikiki. The first...

-by Edyta- Aloha from Hawaii! As of January 27th, we are on US soil, breathing in the fresh Hawaiian air. We knew we had to make Hawaii the last stop on our world tour because it's our favorite place in the world. Even after seeing so many beautiful countries, the only place that rivals Hawaii is New Zealand. Hawaii just has a special place in ou...

-by Vlad- After our quick stay in Puerto Princesa, we boarded a van at 5am for the 5+ hr ride north to the town of El Nido. After being stuck in the back of a cramped van for our underground river tour, I was happy to be the first ones to be picked up so we could strategically pick our seats. Directly behind the driver seemed like there was a bit...

-by Vlad- After a short stay in Cebu, we arrived in Puerto Princesa, the capital of the island of Palawan in the Philippines. We took a tricycle from the airport, luggage and all, to our guesthouse 20 min away. Our driver asked if we had any plans while in PP and strongly suggested a tour or two by taking us to a tourist agency on the way. He said...

-by Edyta- We got to Cebu with the intention of visiting the neighboring island of Bohol where round mounds called Chocolate Hills are located. The name comes from the phenomenon of the mountains turning brown during dry summer months and looking like, well, chocolate hills. Feeling under the weather and also growing increasingly tired from travel...

-by Edyta- A wise person once said "To get to paradise, one must often travel far, and in discomfort." - that wise person was me, after we got to the tiny white sand island of Boracay in the Philippines, which in 2012 was awarded as the best island in the world by the travel magazine Travel + Leisure. I would use this saying once more after travel...

-by Edyta- Our world traveling is nearing an end and we are wrapping up our Asian tour with a 25 day visit to the Philippines. We arrived in Manila on January 2, 2015 ready to explore the land of Vlad's ancestors. Our first stop was the capital Manila, a bustling metropolis with traffic filled streets and the sky hazy with pollution (things we g...

-by Vlad- Edyta had was curious to visit a modern Asian city before we concluded our travels in Asia. Seoul and Tokyo were brought up, but we shied away from the relatively cold weather up there and we decided on Singapore to ring in the New Year. I had been there in 2012 for work, but didn't get to see much of the country because of jet lag and...

-by Vlad- During our visit to Hanoi, we booked a day trip to Ninh Binh Providence, located in the Red River Delta region about two and a half hours south of Hanoi. The tour was advertised as Ha Long Bay on land so we felt OK skipping the super long bus ride to the actual Ha Long Bay (plus, we knew we'd see similar limestones in the Philippines). W...

-by Vlad- On Christmas Eve, we left Ho Chi Minh City and took a two hour flight north to Vietnam's second largest city, Hanoi. As we were checking into our hotel, we met a young woman from China, Coral, who overheard us asking about the location of the St. Joseph's Cathedral. She asked if she could join us on our visit to the church she was there...

-by Vlad- Good morning Vietnam! After a quiet and calm stay in Siem Reap, we headed to the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon), Vietnam's largest city. We decided to try something different and take a 'hotel bus' instead of flying. Two rows of small 'pods' consisting of two tiny mattresses and a curtain were provided for $19 apie...

-by Edyta- The main reason tourists come to Cambodia Is to see the iconic Hindu and Buddhist temples of Ankgor Archeological Park. We were no exceptions. The famous photos of Ankgor Wat lotus like towers (although I think they look like pinecones) drew us to this country. We spent three days exploring the temples. There are options to buy 1, 3 or...

-by Edyta- Three weeks in Thailand went by quickly and we soon found ourselves flying to neighboring Cambodia. To most, the word Cambodia brings mainly one picture to mind - the iconic Angkor Wat temple. This, and neighbouring temples, are in fact the main reasons for tourists to visit this country. The complex of temples is so vast and unique tha...