My return to Cambodia would rely on a different type of travel – a cruise on the Mekong River (through both Cambodia and Vietnam). I joined up with my friend Katie (and former Hershey colleague) who is now enjoying worldly travels during retirement. So it must be shared that I had never been on an extended cruise before (the 1 day cruise on Halong Bay doesn’t...
After rounding out a terrific month in Indonesia – I needed to make my way back to Cambodia to meet up with my friend Katie for a Mekong River Cruise. My flight plans required that I travel through Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – so I took the opportunity to touch down in my 7th country and enjoy the city for a few days. Don’t worry – I’ll be back later in...
My next few destinations in Indonesia were all on the island of Java – the most populated island in the world (at around 150 million people)! One of the most famous sights on Java is the ancient Buddhist temple of Borobudur and something that has been on my bucket list for decades. So true to form – my time on Java consisted of a lot of temple ruins and...
So have you ever been somewhere and you can’t get a certain song out of your head. Well, while I’ve been in Bali that song for me is “Bali Hai” from the musical South Pacific. I can’t get it out of my head 😂 Ok, so I know that song is about an island in the South Pacific – but I feel like this is the island paradise it is talking about. So this post is about...
This next destination was so much fun and it checked off one of Sara’s bucket list items…time to hopefully see some Komodo Dragons! But before we get to the stars of the show (spoiler alert we saw some) – we explored several islands within Komodo National Park. A truly special place! Padar Island Our morning got off to a crazy early start – we were up...
More fun in the sun with friends! After leaving the Philippines, it was time to meet up with Sara (friend and former colleague at Hershey) for some time in Indonesia. With 17,000 Indonesian islands to choose from – we landed on seeing a few really incredible ones. First up – Bali!!!!! Around Ubud Our first few hours on the island of Bali were certainly...
So my time in the Philippines was rather short – but I did get a chance to spend a few days in Manila on my way out of the country – and in fact – that is where I spent Christmas. So spoiler alert – if you are following along in real time, I am about 2 months behind in posting my blog entries – I’ve been busy 😂 And clearly a sabbatical...
Well it’s time for a journey to a new country – The Philippines! I headed to the island of Palawan and the sleepy (and stunningly gorgeous) resort town of El Nido to spend some time with my friend and Hershey colleague Cleta. She so graciously let me intercept part of her already planned vacation in order to do some island hopping, kayaking and swimming around...
From Northern Vietnam we flew to the south to experience the Mekong Delta and get a small taste of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). The contrast between the two parts of the country is very noticeable. The hot and humid south is filled with fruit orchards, coconut trees and the many tributaries of the Mekong. The Mighty Mekong We only spent 2 days and 1 night in the Mekong...
Next on the itinerary, an overnight cruise on Halong & Lan Ha Bays. This spot has been on my bucket list for decades, so I was very excited to finally get to experience this UNESCO beauty! Our weather was a bit mixed (but the rain did hold off), so you get a collection of blue sky and grey pictures…adding to the mystique! Scenes from the Bay Upper Deck Scenes...