Finally!! The rain gods visited Chiang Mai last night…

Cheers to a little bit cleaner air for a few days!

Drew Meyers

Drew Meyers is the co-founder of Horizon & Oh Hey World. He worked for Zillow from September of 2005 to January of 2010 on the marketing team managing Zillow’s API program and various online partnerships. Founder of Geek Estate Blog, a multi-author blog focused on real estate technology for real estate professionals, and myKRO.org, a blog devoted to exploring the world of microfinance. As passionate as you get about travel.

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Vietnam is a beautiful country of intriguing history and stark contrasts. I began my trip in the southern city of Saigon. Since the end of the Vietnam War it is referred to as Ho Chi Minh City, but the local people here rarely refer to it as this. It is a sprawling city with some great attractions, and some sobering memories, as I found out while visiting the War Remnants Museum. Here you can see what happened during the Vietnam War from the perspective of the Vietnamese people, and a lot of it can be hard to swallow. Visibly deformed children affected by toxic chemicals like Agent Orange were there, not as an exhibit, but as an upsetting reminder of the legacy the war left in the country.

Small wages, big smiles

Moving on from the southern capital I joined a motorcycle tour that would travel through the country right up to Hanoi in the north. We passed through the villages and rice paddies that make up a large part of the country, and I was surprised by what I learned from our guide as we travelled. It’s almost unbelievable as you drive through the rural towns and mountain villages to believe that the people working there are probably earning no more than $50 a month. Most Americans would struggle to cover costs of rent, bills, food and transport on $50 a day. You would think that these people would be hanging their heads down and unhappy, but it is rare to see a person who does not beam a big smile at you. One of the most lasting impressions made on me during my visit was that even without anything the people here are happy.

We rode close to the Laos and Cambodia border as we meandered along the new Ho Chi Minh road, which gave us some amazing views of the mountains and jungle. To break up the journey, we stopped for a few days in the central Vietnam city of Hoi An. This was by far my favourite city in the country, much more relaxed compared to Saigon and Hanoi, with a beautiful beach and wonderful central market area. I had to be a little careful on the beach not to show too much flesh, a warning that wasn’t listened to by some groups of girls on their gap year. They were shown a little more attention than they wanted from the local men there. Throughout my travels I have learnt that abiding by local customs and culture will not only avoid you becoming an attraction to the locals, but also make you feel much more comfortable and at home wherever you are.

Architectural pho pot

Hoi An is a wonderful blend of Vietnamese culture with a French influence, and the magnificent old town that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Here you can imagine what the historic trading port would have looked like hundreds years ago. The architecture here has been influenced by Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and Europeans over the past five centuries.

Leaving Hoi An was tough, not only because I liked it there so much, but because I knew the long motorcycle ride ahead would leave me with a sore bum. But the show had to go on, and off we went on the last stretch of our journey to Hanoi. The country seems to bottle neck in the middle, and the first day of the ride was along busy roads which seemed too dangerous for my liking. After a quick chat to the guide, we convinced him to take us along a more scenic route the rest of the way.

Arriving in Hanoi was a bit of a shock after a couple of days in the peaceful countryside. But I soon got settled in for the last few days of my trip, and tried my best not to let the stifling heat get on my nerves. I made an itinerary to see the top attractions like the Hoan Kiem Lake, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the National Museum of Vietnamese History. One of the most surreal places to go in Hanoi is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where you can take a look at the embalmed body of the late Vietnamese leader. A little weird, but definitely a must do activity when visiting the city.

I finished my trip by letting my hair down and enjoying some cheap drinks at Bia Hoi Corner. Here the beer is ridiculously cheap, and it attracts tourists and local alike, although from what I could see it was the tourists taking most advantage of the discount alcohol. With a slight hangover I left Hanoi in the morning, happy that I had seen so much of Vietnam, and knowing I would come back again someday.

Helen Wooding

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It’s no secret many travel destinations are better the 2nd time around — it’s always easier to have a good time if you know the lay of the land, spoken to a few friends/travelers who have visited the same destination, and have already figured out what NOT to do. I visited the island of Koh Phi Phi back in 2008 and stayed 3 nights — and thought the island was truly an unreal experience. But four years later, my friends and I visited and ended up staying 6 nights. I couldn’t live on the island (it’s a bit too “busy” for me), but I’d definitely recommend an extended stay if you can.

For those visiting Koh Phi Phi in the future, you should make sure you do the following:

1. Do a day tour and see Maya Bay, Viking Cove and Monkey Beach. You can get a cheap tour for 350 baht that lasts 4 hours (but note the boat is essentially a water taxi and the only food you get is pineapple at the end)
2. Hike up to the viewpoint that overlooks the whole island. It’s easily one of the best views I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world. There is quite a crowd that gathers up there for sunset.
3. Watch Muay Thai boxing at the Reggae Bar
4. End your night by hitting up all the various beach bars playing techno music
5. Eat at Papaya and Noodles. Papaya is right near Reggae Bar and has amazing food (the cashew chicken is amazing) at great prices — but don’t visit Papaya is you HATE cats. Noodles offers quite simply the best Pad Thai I’ve had anywhere in the world (and it’s cheap).

View from Koh Phi Phi Viewpoint at Sunset

Maya Bay

Cat in the beer fridge at Papaya

Drew Meyers

Drew Meyers is the co-founder of Horizon & Oh Hey World. He worked for Zillow from September of 2005 to January of 2010 on the marketing team managing Zillow’s API program and various online partnerships. Founder of Geek Estate Blog, a multi-author blog focused on real estate technology for real estate professionals, and myKRO.org, a blog devoted to exploring the world of microfinance. As passionate as you get about travel.

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Did you know that you can get a tourist visa for Cambodia entirely online?

If your answer was no, then you’re in the same boat as me. At least not until one of my friends sent me this URL the other day. Cost is $25 US for an e-Visa good for 30 days.

Drew Meyers

Drew Meyers is the co-founder of Horizon & Oh Hey World. He worked for Zillow from September of 2005 to January of 2010 on the marketing team managing Zillow’s API program and various online partnerships. Founder of Geek Estate Blog, a multi-author blog focused on real estate technology for real estate professionals, and myKRO.org, a blog devoted to exploring the world of microfinance. As passionate as you get about travel.

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The foreign travelers have realized that visiting to Germany is not a bad deal. Moreover after the reunification of this country; the travel profile has gone up. The capital of this country is Berlin, which is the most exciting place to visit in Europe. Hence you will see this place among the favorite destination by foreign travelers. The best part of Germany is that every city has its own history and travel attraction. So overall the country has unlimited places to visit making the country a worthy place to visit by the foreign travelers. However, visiting every place is difficult, hence let’s explore the top and limited
attractions here:

Neuschwanstein: This is an incredible kind of castle usually seen and heard in fairy tales. This place is located at the rocky hills near a place called Fussen somewhere in the Southern West of Bavaria. This place happens to be inspiring element in the making of sleeping beauty castles found in Disneyland parks. This castle was build and commissioned by the Bavarian king Ludwig II, though unfortunately he couldn’t enjoy the bliss of living in this place as was found dead a few days after the completion of this castle. Neuschwanstein happens to be among the top attractions of the country along being the one which is captured the most by countless cameras.

Brandenburg Gate: This gate happens to be the only gate remaining in the city of Berlin and of course a great interface between the Eastern and western part of the city. It was constructed somewhere in 18th century, it is considered to be an entry point to Unter Den Linden, which happens to be a major boulevard of the Linden trees leading straight to the Prussian monarchs’ palaces. Besides it is considered to be an important landmark in Europe.

The Heidelberg old city: Heidelberg happens to be among the top tourist attraction of the country, situated in the Neckar valley. The cities inside the country were ruined during the Second World War to some extent; however, this place was spared somehow. Therefore you can still find a number of picturesque cottages, the narrow streets and the infamous castle of Heidelberg.

Holstentor: This place is among the two remaining city gates found in the Lubeck city. This was constructed in the year 1464, though the gate now is converted into a museum. Owing to the presence of arched entrance with two charismatic towers, this place is considered to be a great symbol of the city Lubeck. Indeed a great attraction in Germany for tourists.

Cologne Cathedral: It is among the oldest and greatest cathedrals in Germany and is considered to be among the top landmark of the century. It was constructed in the year 1248 and with couple of interruptions it took around 600 years to finish. It is certainly a good place to visit and among top attractions for the tourists in Germany.

This list can be called as a modest one to a large extent but certainly a must places for anyone who plan their visit to Germany. So whether you are planning a pleasure or business tour, make sure you visit them as indeed your trip wouldn’t be complete having visited to the above said points.

Alia Haley

Alia Haley is a blogger who is a voracious traveler. She is professional audience voting system Manager,and believes that we have enough opportunities in life to learn and improve. We just need to get the right lesson from experiences.

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Growing up in Sydney certainly made me love the city that I was in and and I definitely did not have the idea that I wanted to go out and explore. For years people have been telling me to travel to different parts of the world and for some reason it was not until recently when I realized that I should listen to their advice. I looked through the internet and tried to find a country that I have never heard of and I planned to take a trip to that place right away. The first country that I saw was Bali and I knew right away that this was my first destination on my travels. Since I was able to get cheap flights to Bali, the Bali holiday packages were certainly making me excited to go on my trip.

My Water Adventures

When I finally got to Bali, I realized that this is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. This was certainly something that I have never seen in the United States and for years I was so used to the Australian lifestyle that I was so blown away as to how beautiful Bali was. The first thing that I knew I had to do in Bali was to do all the adventurous things and so I asked the locals where I can find the best place for white water rafting. They told me where to go and I was sure to somehow find my way to the place. After finally finding my way to the area, I realized that there was so much more than just white water rafting as there water skiing, fly fishing and even a water park. I was so amazed and still can’t believe how much fun I had in the water.

Food Was Amazing

After that crazy first day of adventures, I was starving and knew that I needed to explore and find some food that I have never tried before. I searched and asked around for the best place in the area and they led me to a small restaurant near the resort and to this day I cannot believe how great that food was. For years people have raved about the food in Bali but it was not until I finally tried where I realized that they were right.

Golf Courses In Bali

As an avid golfer, it was also nice to be able to play golf the next day and golf in Bali was somewhat different because the golf courses were not as straightforward as my golf course in San Francisco. These courses were actually very difficult and I was enjoying the fact that they were challenging me to play better even though I was on vacation. After the golf round, I then found my way to learn more about the culture and habitat as I found my way to the local zoo and looked at all the amazing animals and species that they had. I have never seen most of the animals that I saw and I was amazed that there were so many things that I have never seen simply because I have never been able to really travel.

If you are serious about getting out of Australia and finally exploring the world, the first place you must really go to is Bali simply because of the fact that it is a place that not a lot of Australians go to and so you must really give it a shot. My trip to Bali was certainly something that I will never forget.

Melissa Davis

Melissa is a travel blogger from Australia. She has been writing and giving travel advice related to Hawaiian holidays on blogs across the Internet. Melissa lives in Brisbane with her husband and young daughter where she enjoys parenting, cycling, and other extreme sports.

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Whether you’re journeying across the magnificent Andes or admiring the vast Amazonian jungle, Peru offers a truly unique culture and landscape making it a fascinating holiday destination. Holidays to Peru are encapsulating, with various destinations across the country steeped in history and mystery alike. With so much depth to both scenery and history, holidays to Peru ensure that there is always something new to uncover and learn. Let’s take a look at some of the locations which are sure to leave you astounded.

1: Chavin de Huantar

Chavin de Huantar is located in the city of Huarez which is around 250miles from Peru’s capital city, Lima. However those who make the long outward journey won’t be disappointed. Chavin de Huantar is a 3000 year old archaeological site packed with interesting artefacts such as the fifteen foot Lanzon graphite stone monument which is etched with human and animal faces. Visitors may also want to get a closer look at other interesting rarities in the Lima and Chavin de Huantar museums.

2: Nazca Lines

In order to get a look at the unusual Nazca lines you will have to take to the skies on a plane tour as the scale of the images are so large that they are not entirely visible at ground level. This in itself makes them highly mysterious! The drawings are carved into the coastal areas of the Nazca desert in southern Peru. The purpose and origins of images, several of which include animals and geometric shapes, are unknown and therefore you can let your mind run wild as you come to your own conclusions.

3: Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is home to some of the world’s most well kept and interesting ruins. The area is poised upon a flat area of mountain high above the Urubamba River Gorge. The ruins here include masterful stonework of Colombian Inca temples. This area holds a unique history as it was left abandoned and untouched during the Spanish conquest. The reason for this is because on a select few knew of Machu Picchu’s existence! Machu Picchu was unearthed during 1911 by explorer Hiram Bingham and has been a popular tourist location ever since. Holidays to Peru aren’t complete without experiencing this dramatic location.

4: The Amazon Rainforest

Covering nine South American countries, with Peru being one of them, the Amazon Rainforest stretches over 3900 miles and is larger than Europe. It is accompanied by equally notorious Amazon River which in total is over 1000 miles long. Fortunately one of the two major airports which allow best access to the Amazon is based in Iquitos, Peru. Obviously the Amazon is not easy to navigate and the best way to get the most out of your trip there is to go on one of the many Amazon cruises. Clearly one of the major attractions of the Amazon is the wildlife and sure enough you’re likely to catch glimpses of many jungle animals. The best time to visit is between May and November as this is the driest time of the year.

5: Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca based near the town of Puna and sits beautifully on the Bolivian border. It is the highest lake that’s navigable lake in the world at over 12,000 feet high. Here you’ll be able to visit ancient ruins on The Island of the Sun as well as the mesmerising Chinkana labrynth. Navigate between the 41 islands and you’ll also get to witness many local festivities, jump on board a traditional reed boat and even tour some of the man made floating islands. All whilst looking out upon the snow-capped Andean mountains.

Scott Cole

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I have to admit – I’m a sucker for international festivals and events. The real Oktoberfest in Munich was amazing, as was the Hong Kong Sevens. But, there are great events and festivals in the USA as well. Events like Seafair in Seattle, which I attended last weekend — and you even get to see pirates such as those below roaming the streets.

Suffice to say, if you’re planning a trip to Seattle next year – try to time it with Seafair, particularly if you can score a spot on a boat for the “real” party.

Drew Meyers

Drew Meyers is the co-founder of Horizon & Oh Hey World. He worked for Zillow from September of 2005 to January of 2010 on the marketing team managing Zillow’s API program and various online partnerships. Founder of Geek Estate Blog, a multi-author blog focused on real estate technology for real estate professionals, and myKRO.org, a blog devoted to exploring the world of microfinance. As passionate as you get about travel.

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