Tag: Travel

6 Things to do in Luang Prabang

Jasmine TamokAsia

After our intense and exciting stay in Vietnam, Luang Prabang was the perfect place to relax. I didn’t know a lot about Laos before arriving here. The cuisine hasn’t taken over internationally and with a small population (around 7 million), Laos isn’t the most talked about country in South East Asia. We spent just over 1 week in this country, with the first 4 days in Luang Prabang.

The Kuang Si Waterfall outside of Luang Prabang is truly spectacular

I haven’t met a traveller yet that did not love Luang Prabang. The town is sandwiched between the Mekong and the Nam Khan River, which offers some pretty lovely views. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, preserving the serene and tranquil mood of the city. There isn’t a whole lot to do in Luang Prabang, but you will find it a very special place. I will warn you though, this is not at all off the beaten track. There are many tourists here, but they all seemed to be the good ones! Luang Prabang is not a place to party, but a place to relax.

So, what should you do in Luang Prabang on your next adventure? Continue reading “6 Things to do in Luang Prabang” →

7 Reasons Why You Should Travel to Taiwan

Jasmine TamokTaiwan

I admit it, although I always listed Taiwan in my head as a place I could visit, it never made it on my “must see on my next trip” list.

But let me back up for a moment…

I can’t believe how fast the time has been flying while on this trip. After leaving the Maluku region, we flew to Jakarta and then Kuala Lumpur for a few days each. It was nice reset to be in the city and have limitless choices on food. Then last Tuesday we flew to Taiwan to meet up with our friends Claire and Joe from Canada. We only managed to visit Taipei and Kenting since our trip was quite short.

Taiwan Buddha Museum
Doing sightseeing with our Canadian friends that we met up with in Taiwan

Taiwan has always been a country that I have been interested in visiting. However, it never sparked me enough to be on my immediate “must visit” list. Since our friends were travelling for only 1 week, it was logical for us to fly to them. It provided a great opportunity to see a new country, and this country actually ended up being the 30th country that I have visited!

Taipei 101
Taipei 101

Of course, while visiting my 30th country, I also had to visit the 10th tallest building in the world, Taipei 101

Continue reading “7 Reasons Why You Should Travel to Taiwan” →

Why You Should Not Forget About Visiting the Forgotten Kei Islands

Jasmine TamokAsia

Whenever Daniel and I mentioned that we had planned to go to the Maluku Islands during our trip, we were met with a lot of “and where is that?”

The Maluku Islands is a large region in Indonesia, which is made up of a bunch of different island systems. Think south and cheaper than Raja Ampat, but with good beaches, snorkelling, diving, trekking, and locals! At first, our plan was to just hit up the Banda Islands, but I ended up reading a blog (1 of the millions that I read before the trip) that mentioned the Forgotten Islands aka the Kei Islands aka the Kai Islands. In this blog post, I saw white sandy beaches and what I imagined as paradise. So, we decided to add the Kei Islands onto our trip. But what is this place and how can we get there?

Ngurbloat Beach
Ngurtbloat Beach which is famous for its blue waters and white beaches

Feel free to click on the anchor links above to skip to your favourite part! Make sure you read what we did since it involves 5 days of DIVING!

Ngurbloat Beach
You can find peace and isolation on Ngurbloat Beach

Continue reading “Why You Should Not Forget About Visiting the Forgotten Kei Islands” →

How 3 Days in Singapore Cost Me More Money than 2.5 Weeks in Borneo

Jasmine TamokAsia

I know, I know. That sounds crazy. How could we possibly spend more money during our 3-day visit to Singapore than the 2.5 weeks we spent in Borneo, where we visited Malaysia and Brunei. I mean, we saw so much: the caves at Mulu National Park, various animals near Kuching, the water village in Brunei, and an authentic longhouse in Kapit.

It is kind of sick to admit, but yet, we did. I have to say that our time in Singapore was amazing. We ate fairly cheap; however, Singapore is a lot more expensive than its Asian counterparts. Other than that, we definitely lived vastly outside of a backpacker’s budget. I can’t imagine being a traveller that always behaved this way while abroad.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel
View of Marina Bay Sands Hotel from the Gardens by the Bay

So, in 3 short days, we spent more than our 2.5 weeks in Borneo. I guess the big question being asked is was it all worth it?

Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Daniel and I overlooking the views of Singapore

Feel free to skip ahead to what you want to read what interests you!

Continue reading “How 3 Days in Singapore Cost Me More Money than 2.5 Weeks in Borneo” →