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 … [Read more...]
Would you enjoy Viking River Cruises’ Magnificent Mekong itinerary?
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 … [Read more...]
Top Travel Bloggers’ Favorite Places from 2015
Top Travel Bloggers' Favorite Places from 2015 After we wrote our annual year in review place and enjoyed reliving some of our favorite trips we wondered what some of our blogger friends had enjoyed the most in 2015. So, using our in-depth investigative techniques we sent them emails and asked them! Without further ado (we were too lazy to edit) here are their interesting … [Read more...]
What is “luxury” travel to you?
Luxury travel: Necessity or root of all evil? We know people and travel companies who say they are all about luxury travel. Others practically have steam-clouds of indignation coming out of their ears at the mention of luxury. Is luxury high thread-count sheets? A butler with a silver tray (and an imperious attitude)? A personal sommelier? Someone who unpacks for you, … [Read more...]
2014: Where we traveled , what we liked and what we didn’t
Our travel in 2014 2014 was the year that we went from casual travel users to wild-eyed travel addicts. And, following in the footsteps of the late Amy Winehouse we won't go to rehab. We say "no, no, no" (but we do hope for a happier outcome). So, without further reference to dead rock stars here's our 2014 travel year in review: Doha What we liked: The … [Read more...]
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Prambanan Temple, Indonesia
We were fortunate enough to get to Prambanan Temple in Java, Indonesia and unfortunate enough to be there during Eid al-Fitr. If you are not Muslim or do not live in a Muslim country you're probably wondering the heck Eid-al-Fitr is. Our simplistic explanation is that it's a 3 day holiday that begins when Ramadan ends. During it all Muslims have to simultaneously drive, with as … [Read more...]
Three continents – Three spectacular botanical gardens
In our travels Blonde and Brunette have found botanical gardens to be oases of tranquility and beauty and good places to hid from the cops. OK, the second part isn't true but we didn't want to be gushing girlishly about flowers and ruin our reputations! Brunette got indoctrinated into the botanical garden fan club on a long ago visit to Phoenix, Arizona. She … [Read more...]
Enjoying tea in a Bhutan private home
Blonde went to Bhutan with a small group (6) of women on a cultural tour. Fortunately, our guide had friends in a village near where we stayed one night and they had invited us to come to their home for tea. You can hardly look at someone in Bhutan without getting handed a cup of tea so that wasn't unusual but we were thrilled to have the chance to go into a Bhutan private … [Read more...]
The Bhutanese people and animals
Just as you can tell a lot about a person in terms of how they treat people they may view as being "inferior" to them, whether a waitress, a member of the U.S. Congress or the grocery check-out clerk, you can also tell a great deal about people by how they treat animals. In Bhutan people do not kill animals (unless they have to for sustenance, but that … [Read more...]
Bhutan phallus decor…… who knew?
On Blonde's recent trip to Bhutan she noticed many interesting aspects of their Buddhist culture. Fantastical legends abound, are well depicted in paintings and statues and have been passed down through many centuries. That was all interesting but not surprising given Blonde's exposure to other countries with large Buddhist populations. But then one thing, well, er, stuck out, … [Read more...]