Salento is an historic colonial town high in the mountains of the department of Quindio, situated 250 kilometers due south of Medellin. It used to be on the main route between Bogota and Popoyan even …
November 18, 2018
Go Abroad!
Salento, cream of Colombia's coffee country
Fascinating Kinmen, Taiwan
A convenient weekend break from the noise and bustle of Taipei is a one-hour flight to the island of Kinmen. Although Kinmen is controlled by Taiwan, it lies only eight kilometers from the Chinese mainland …
October 14, 2018
Escape to Minca, Colombia
It’s not the kind of place that comes to mind when thinking about Colombia, but a little mountain village called Minca gets my vote for best of honors. A slow 17 kilometers up and out …
September 9, 2018
Get lost in Marseilles, France's second city
Marseille has never gotten its due as a vacation destination. Most people traveling to southern France pass through Marseille’s airport and move directly on to the more pristine and tony Provencal destinations, such as Aix-en-Provence …
August 5, 2018
Buenos Aires in 48 hours
It's surely one of the most impressive cities in South America, and a must-see for any traveler, even folks who prefer the countryside. Having said that, Buenos Aires is a gigantic mass of humanity, and …
July 8, 2018
Japan: a land of contrasts
I stare out at Mount Fuji: bright, clear, stately, basking in the morning sunshine. Cherry blossoms frame my view alongside the stunning Chureito Pagoda in the foreground. My timing was implausibly fortuitous. The previous day …
June 4, 2018
Lisbon for foodies and history buffs
Last summer, I visited Portugal to witness one of my closest friends get married. It was a short, whirlwind trip that I will never forget. I promised myself that I would return in 2018; here …
April 29, 2018
Bulgaria? Nobody goes there!
"Bulgaria? Nobody goes there!" said my husband when I mentioned it. Admittedly Bulgaria had never really been high on my list of places to visit, but fate brought me an opportunity to meet an old …
March 23, 2018
Cyanide in my pasalubong
“Trip out on this, bro,” Ed said as he pulled out a Coronas Sumatra cigar box that was labeled with “stroke” on the front and “cyanide” on the side. On February 4, we were at …
February 8, 2018
Adventures in Bariloche: a Top 10
Known as the Tahoe of South America — and the portal to glorious Patagonia — San Carlos de Bariloche is worth spending a few kick-ass days in before continuing on to El Bolsón or Villa …
January 30, 2018
Thailand and back again
Squeezing into the oyster can of LAX and 19 hours of flying coach later, Bangkok hits me like a freight train: Heavy air and loud noise bounce off paved streets and temporarily blind a few …
What brings you to Kosovo?
1/18 UPDATE: see this link on travel safety if visiting Kosovo. Travel to the north of the country is currently not advised, other areas are relatively safe. "What brings you to Kosovo?" In most countries, …
October 22, 2017
The next Koh Phi Phi: Koh Rong, Cambodia
Editor's note: this article was originally written in 2013, after the author returned from a trip to Asia. As Cambodia continues its surge in developing mass tourism, there are several places where the change will …
South Pacific's mythic Marquesas
The South Pacific’s remote, pristine Marquesas Islands make Hawaii look like Harlem. I can honestly say these South Seas sojourns to French Polynesia’s untrammeled atolls and isles have been the greatest excursions of my life. …
August 6, 2017
Beer cans on the beach A-OK...in South Korea
In June, Rancho Bernardo's Abnormal Beer Co. opened its first offsite location: in Busan, South Korea. Abnormal Taphouse + Cantina opened in the popular beach community Haeundae, where it serves street tacos in addition to …
July 27, 2017