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...]
Pros and cons of independent versus group travel
What's the best way to travel? We talk to people who stress that they always travel independently and it's the superior way to travel. And then we speak to others who have no interest in independent travel. They think it sounds like a hassle, could be dangerous, and they want to leave all of the planning to others. So who's right? As is so often the case in life it's … [Read more...]
Why we liked visiting Puglia with Go Ahead Tours
Our review of Go Ahead Tour's Puglia and Southern Italy itinerary This was our second trip in less than a year with Go Ahead Tours and we thoroughly enjoyed each trip (last year's was to Croatia and Slovenia). The vast majority of the travel we have done over the years has been independent - we've planned it all, arranged our own transportation and figured out … [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...]
Matera – European Capital of Culture for 2019
Matera was the best surprise of our trip to Puglia and Southern Italy with Go Ahead Tours. How had two such amazingly well-informed (and stunningly attractive) travelers as ourselves never heard of this place? We still don’t know the answer to that but want you to know about it because it’s interesting on several levels (in retrospect you will see that that is a pun). Matera’s … [Read more...]
Why travel to Puglia and Southern Italy?
To us the question was “why not”? We have each been to Italy quite a few times but as Puglia gained traction as a destination for travelers our curiosity grew and we began to plot a trip to the region. When Go Ahead Tours offered to host us on their Puglia and Southern Italy tour we accepted with unseemly alacrity. So why did we want to go there? The beautiful coastline … [Read more...]
Two non-touristy places to experience nature in Southwest Florida
People visit Southwest Florida (SWFL) for many reasons including enjoying the beaches, freeloading off relatives with spare bedrooms and experiencing the area's nature attractions. This part of Florida offers a nice selection of nature preserves that are untainted by commercial interests. Most of them are educational and fun places to learn and experience the unique species … [Read more...]
2016: Where we traveled, what we liked and what we didn’t
2016 Travel Review As we do our 2016 travel review we can't help but realize that is was a year of unprecedented travel for us. We set foot in 14 different countries, most of them for the first time. Our visits ranged from the United States to Central America and a wide cross section of Europe. We spent two weeks in Russia (something we never really expected to do) and … [Read more...]
A dozen tested gifts for travelers
We have traveled, in economy class, to 13 countries this year giving us the unintended opportunity to develop a list of personally tested gifts for travelers. A gift list at this time of year isn't uncommon. However, we see many with $900 carry-on bags, $1,300 cashmere throws to use as airplane blankets and $450 folding sunglasses. We thought we would offer you more … [Read more...]
Zagreb’s top attractions
As our Go Ahead Tours bus drove into Zagreb and our guide extraordinaire, Tamara, told us its history and we saw the beautiful architecture we couldn't wait to see Zagreb's top attractions. The fact that Zagreb was on our itinerary had been one of the tour's compelling features. As hackneyed as it is to say that somewhere is an undiscovered gem it feels fair to say that Zagreb … [Read more...]