For our last two stops in Georgia, we longed to escape the cities and step into something a little more laid back and authentic. We chose Kazbegi, aka Stepantsminda, a deliciously Georgia-eous mountain townlet on the Russian border and Sighnaghi, a charming red-roofed village plopped in the middle of eastern Georgian wine country. The ride to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) was about…
One week in Bangkok. Although you might have already started humming Murray Head lyrics and are picturing us dodging lady boys in Patpong Distict, gallivanting gorgeous wats and meandering along floating markets, this wasn’t the Bangkok we experienced. We actually did many of those things last time we came so this time, we plopped ourselves in one neighborhood, vowing to…
Departing the island of Langkawi by ferry in Malaysia we set off for the only country we’d previously visited in SE Asia back in 2013 and a perennial favorite for many: Thailand! Land of the Smiley People. This may have been our second trip through Thailand. But this trip is very different. In 2013, our issue was time. Back then…
The historic UNESCO center of Georgetown is a wonderland that’s made for strolling, where maps are not required because it’s thrilling to get lost. You will find yourself saying either “wow, or yum” at every turn. It’s a jumble of striking colors, eclectic architecture, interactive street art, and tasty temptations. And unlike our experience in KL, there is little traffic…
Kuala Lumpur is modern. It’s sleek. It’s sprawling. It’s loaded with delectable food options...and wow, were we glad to get there. We left Arambol at 6 pm on January 31 and arrived to our place in Kuala Lumpur at 3 am on February 2. That’s right. 33 hours in transit for a mere 1656 miles. Our plane was unexpectedly rescheduled…
Heading south from Ella, we were a bit overwhelmed by the choices for spotting wildlife in Sri Lanka’s national parks. Yala had the leopards and elephants, but was also the most popular and potentially overcrowded. Plus, we’d heard the guides aggressively chase down the wildlife in the 4x4s once they’ve been spotted. Udawalawe seemed very elephant focused (an animal that…
Sri Lanka just may be a country that has it all for a couple of backpackers like us. As we quickly learned, there is lots and lots of reasons it was very aptly named Lonely Planet’s top destination for 2019. It’s inexpensive, safe, has a remarkably good infrastructure for easy and comfortable ways to get around, the climate ranges from…
India is an absolutely insane country...unlike anything we've ever experienced anywhere, and without a doubt, any traveler to cross its borders will probably say something similar. Had we only experienced the northern bits of Lucknow and the Golden Triangle of New Delhi, we may very well have written off the country entirely. However, Mandy was set on doing Yoga Teacher…
