When's the best time to visit Bali? I'd say during Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. Here's my experience celebrating Nyepi in Bali. The streets of Ubud are filled with hundreds of people – all dressed in multi-hued, kebaya blouses and batik-print sarong cloth wrapped around their waists. Priests cla[...]
In the past two years of traveling with our baby to 15 countries, Bali tops them all as the most family-friendly destination we've been. Here is a detailed guide on traveling Bali with kids. I’ve lost count of the number of traveling families we’ve seen and met on this trip. After all, Bali IS[...]
For the longest time, I dreamt of traveling the world for a living. Every job I had – whether it was teaching English in Spain, working as an administrator in London or a banker in Singapore – had always been a means to save up for travel. In 2008, I started this travel blog. It has since brough[...]
For the curious traveler, here’s my East Timor travel guide with tips on how to navigate your way around Asia's newest nation, Timor-Leste. East Timor, or Timor-Leste as it is called now, is a country that is rarely under the tourist radar. It is after all the newest country in Asia, having gaine[...]
This is my very own list of the top 10 cities in the world, based on my opinions and experience. Bright lights, vibrant urban life and an endless flow of energy: big cities can make some of the best travel destinations in the world. I used to be a city girl – dazed by the glitzy lights of New York[...]
Timkat in Ethiopia is a spectacular occasion to witness and best time to visit the country. Here's my experience (and tips) on celebrating one of the biggest religious festivals in Ethiopia. Hundreds of people - dressed as a sea of white - have gathered in the historic town of Gonder for the annu[...]
If you only time to see one thing in Ethiopia, make it the rock church of Lalibela. Here's my guide to exploring the incredible Rock Churches of Lalibela. It’s barely dawn; the sky is still dark and birds are just starting to chirp and sing. In the darkness, I scramble along the slippery walkway c[...]
A collection of my best pictures of Ethiopia to give you insights into this misunderstood country. To most of the world, Ethiopia is practically synonymous to famine and drought. Between the 1970s and 80s, a series of famine hit the country and killed more than a million people. It was one of the[...]
A collection of my best photos of Oman that will inspire you to travel there someday. Oman: a name so exotic and inviting, yet strangely unknown to many. At least I knew close to nothing about it before my recent trip there with my husband and our 2-year-old daughter. We spent most of Christmas and[...]
At the end of each year, I always make it a point to write a post about the places I've been to as a way to reflect and look back. 2016 has been a crazy year of travel for me as I traveled to 21 countries (16 are new to me) on five continents. It's clear that becoming a mother has not stopped me fro[...]
Traveling South Kyrgyzstan — Highlights of the Region Kyrgyzstan is known for its dramatic mountainous landscapes and rolling summer pastures (jailoos). It has been dubbed the Switzerland of Central Asia for good reasons. But most of these alpine landscapes are found in North Kyrgyzstan, and[...]
Wispy clouds hang low over the choppy dark indigo waters as the howling winds create ripples on the water surface. Backdropped by tall and mighty Tien Shan mountains, the water stretches into the horizon, far beyond where the eye can see. If I didn't know better, I would have thought this was a sea.[...]
Georgia — a name associated more with the southern state of US than the country itself, is often overlooked by travellers as a tiny landlocked country hidden in the shadows of its ex-Soviet past. For the uninitiated, Georgia is a relatively small country in the Caucasus, midway between Europe and[...]
Want to pursue a career in travel blogging? Here are my secret tips on how to grow your travel blog and turn it into a business. In 2008, I started this travel blog. Then in 2010, I took the plunge and became a full-time travel blogger. It’s been six glorious years and I haven’t looked back sin[...]
Want to go local and contribute to local communities in West Africa? Here are some eco tourism destinations in West Africa that are well worth visiting. West Africa is the stuff of dreams. It's packed with long-standing slavery history, remote and untouched landscapes, world-renown music[...]
Of all the questions I get asked as a travel blogger, this is probably the most popular one: “What’s your favorite place in the world?” For me, it’s also the hardest question to answer. Having traveled to 143 countries (and counting…), I’ve had my fair share of amazing experiences in f[...]
If you're dreaming of seeing a puffin in the wild, go to Mykines. You're guaranteed to see puffins around their breeding grounds on the westernmost island in the Faroes. I hold my breathe and keep still. The wind is howling and whipping at my face, which has turned red from the wind and sun. My nos[...]
Next week marks the 15-year anniversary of the day I left Singapore. I can’t believe it’s been this long. In that time, I’ve lived in six countries, and traveled to more than 120 countries across all seven continents. I’ve taken on plenty of odd jobs abroad to fund my travels, before finally[...]
Are you thinking of traveling Jamaica with kids? We recently went on a two-week trip Jamaica family vacation and absolutely loved it. Here's why. For the longest time, Alberto and I dreamt of traveling Jamaica. He’s always been a reggae fan, and I’ve wanted to be a Rastafarian hippie since h[...]
Dreaming of making a living from travel? This step-by-step guide will show you how to start a travel blog and make money. How to Start a Travel Blog When I first started this travel blog in 2008, I didn’t know where it would lead me. This travel blog changed my life, in every sense of the word.[...]
Ever wondered if traveling with a baby is possible? As a mother, I've brought my baby to 10 countries in 15 months and I also travel solo from time to time. Don't clip your travel wings just because you had a baby. Here's why. Since I became a mother, I’ve been receiving lots of emails from fellow[...]
Have you ever lost your luggage? I’ve just returned from a fun weekend in Budapest traveling with no luggage. Here’s how it went. With over 13 years of travel to 100+ countries under my belt, I’ve become quite an expert at packing light. I always travel with just a small carry-on backpack —[...]
To celebrate my 8th bloggiversary, I’ll be sharing some behind-the-scene secrets about my life as a travel blogger, with details on how I get paid to travel. If you had told me eight years ago that I would be traveling the world for a living, I would have laughed at the thought of it. Never in a[...]
One of the things that drew me to West Africa was its slave history. Here's my experience learning about history and retracing slavery in Ghana. Crumbling colonial buildings and half-built concrete blocks jostle for space alongside congested and pockmarked sidewalks. Corrugated-roofed slums and hun[...]
Voodoo culture is still very much alive today in West Africa, specifically Benin, where the religion was born. Here's a look at how voodoo culture is practised these days. Voodoo Culture in Benin Mention the word ‘voodoo’ and most people conjure images of dolls riddled with nails, and spoo[...]
For a long time, travel to West Africa was restricted — due to civil wars, tribal conflicts, terrorism and the ebola outbreak. Today, this is the world's poorest region, with many countries here occupying the lowest positions in the UN Human Development Index. A large percentage of p[...]
Last month, we celebrated the momentous event of Kaleya turning one year old. (I know! How did one year pass just like that???) In the past month, Baby Kaleya has blossomed into a toddler. Having taken her first steps at 10 months old, she’s now waddling her way all over the place and loving this[...]
10 Best Winter Experiences While writing my previous post on polar travel, memories of my epic winter trips came flooding in. I recall the time I sat on the snow in Antarctica and watched one penguin after another waddle past me. That time I looked a polar bear in the eye when it was just[...]
There is complete silence except for the occasional mountain wind blowing or ravens circling overhead. It's like Narnia out here! Frozen icicles hang from granite rock cliffs, the light bouncing off the snow is blinding me, and the sounds of ravens flying above are echoing through the ensemble of t[...]
From fairy tale castles to magic mountains, Transylvania is a region in Europe that's often overlooked by travelers. Here are some 0f the coolest things to do in Transylvania. It all began when I was a little girl. As a child, my favourite book was Bram Stoker's Dracula; I must have been read it a[...]