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Imagine a warm, sunny morning in a rural tropical destination, with the sun just making its daily debut above the horizon and the world seemingly having a golden glow. It’s just shortly after sunrise, but it’s time to make your way to an air conditioned van to be driven about an hour outside of the city within the foothills of the Kulen Mountains. Deep within the trees after navigating through a winding dirt road, you find yourself at a recycled wooden hut to meet your enthusiastic guide. After preparing some food, you make your way down the back stairs and down a small dirt path before you find yourself at an open field with the breathtakingly majestic elephants just waiting to say hello. This is Kulen Elephant Forest. 
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May 16, 2025
Cambodia

A Morning with Elephants // Kulen Elephant Forest

Nestled away from the city center, tucked down an unassuming dirt road surrounded by trees and rice fields is one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever had the privilege to be a guest at. But before we arrived at this extremely special destination, we had a quick 30 minute smooth flight from Phnom Penh with views of the beautiful Tonlé Sap lake out of our windows. Shortly afterwards, we arrived at Siem Reap, Cambodia’s brand new international airport terminal about an hour outside of the main city. After piling into the resort’s luxury mini van (with a comfortable car seat happily provided), and after an hour-long drive through luscious green fields and numerous temples and pagodas, we finally arrived at our home for the next few days - Zannier Phum Baitang.
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May 8, 2025
Cambodia
Cambodia

Our Luxury Oasis in Siem Reap // Zannier Phum Baitang

Bangkok is rich in culture, history, and religion, with numerous temples throughout the city with centuries of stories that are told through their walls. There are a few iconic landmarks in Bangkok, such as the Grand Palace which houses the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Arun, and Wat Pho, but there are also other breathtakingly beautiful temples that are not quite as popular and thus less crowded when visited. No two temples are the same, which is why it is worth seeing as many as you can. Three temples you should visit in Bangkok include Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram (“The Marble Temple”), Wat Saket (“The Golden Mount”), and Wat Ratchanatdaram ("The Metal Castle"). 
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April 30, 2025
Thailand
bangkok

Three Temples You Should Visit in Bangkok

Bangkok is a very busy city, filled with the sounds of millions of conversations amongst residents and tourists alike, the sounds of a cleaver pounding down into a fresh, cold coconut, the sounds of horns honking in notorious traffic, and the sounds of motors from tuk-tuks and motorcycles. A busy city is a lively city, but even lively cities have their tranquil, quiet spots. One place to find tranquility is at one of the many temples sprinkled around Bangkok. Bangkok is filled with numerous temples, all rich in history and symbolism, and if you’re looking for tranquility then there’s no better place than one of the city’s most famous temples - Wat Arun - at sunrise.
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April 29, 2025
Travel
bangkok

The Best Time To Visit Wat Arun

Let’s face it - there’s no shortage of amazing food and restaurants in Bangkok. Researching where to eat can be a bit daunting and overwhelming, considering how massive the city is and how many options there are. Even when doing research for our own trip, I found myself a little exhausted spending so much time finding the best spots for our 3-day visit. There are just too many to choose from! I knew I was determined to fall in love with Thai cuisine, and I most certainly did.
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April 28, 2025
Bangkok

5 Restaurants You Must Try In Bangkok

If there was one place that was at the top of my “must visit” list in Bangkok, it was most certainly the Grand Palace along the Chao Phraya River. As someone who enjoys reading about royal history and royal families, it should come to no surprise that the Grand Palace was an absolute requirement for my first visit to Bangkok. Despite visiting Bangkok a few times before, the beau had never set foot inside the Grand Palace either, so this was going to be a new adventure for the both of us. We were both eager to be captivated by the Grand Palace’s notorious beauty.
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April 25, 2025
Bangkok
bangkok

A Morning at The Grand Palace

When I think of Bangkok, I think of a vibrant, busy, fast-paced city by the river that thrives under the warm sun and is surrounded by breathtaking architecture. I can taste the cold, refreshing water of fresh young coconut, I can smell the scent of authentic holy basil spilling out onto the streets from the plethora of restaurants, and I can see all the tuk tuks unashamedly waving their way in and out of traffic. Bangkok is large. It is loud. It is full of life. It’s always on the go. And yet, nestled amongst all that chaos is a serene, peaceful oasis along the Chao Phraya River called The Siam.
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April 24, 2025
Bangkok
bangkok

Romance and Serenity in Bangkok // The Siam

From vibrant night markets to tranquil temples nestled in the mountains, there's a lot to see in Taipei. Beyond the sites of interest are also a plethora of gastronomic options from Taiwanese cuisine to delicious milk teas. I was excited to try some of Taipei's favorite food spots and even came across some spots that I had not researched beforehand. With our hotel being centrally located, it meant we were able to create a very diverse and lengthy itinerary to see as much as possible in 2 days. Below are the 5 spots you must visit in Taipei.
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February 6, 2025
Taiwan
taipei

5 Spots You Must Visit in Taipei

Nestled in the mountains outside the bustling, busy, loud streets of Hong Kong, there lies a beautiful Buddhist monastery just outside the Lo Wai village in Tseun Wan. The Western Monastery is one of those incredible temples that makes your jaw drop and your eyes widen at all the beauty that is in front of you. It's not a historic temple (it was built in the 1970s and expanded in the 1990s), but it's one you should not miss when you are in Hong Kong.
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January 25, 2025
Hong Kong
Hong Kong

A Visit to the Western Monastery

This will be my fifth Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. While I will admit that Christmas is my favorite time of year, Lunar New Year is a very, very close second (with Mid Autumn Festival coming in third). You can really feel the energy become more positive and hopeful. After everyone puts their Christmas decorations away by 1 January, everything switches gears for Lunar New Year, which usually takes place in January or February depending on the full moon. Christmas trees are swapped for peonies and orchids, green Christmas garland is swapped for red lanterns, and Santa is swapped for lions, dragons, and snakes (this lunar new year will be Year of the Snake).
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January 24, 2025
Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Lunar New Year in Hong Kong

What made our trip more magical for the holidays was the most luxurious hotel in the city - the Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Elegance, luxury, and comfort made this dreamy location the perfect home away from home as we explored Taipei for the holiday season. After a luxurious pick-up from the airport less than an hour away, everything was seamless from start to finish as we indulged in what now might officially be my favorite time of year in Taipei.
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January 9, 2025
Taiwan
taipei

Holiday Season in Taipei // Mandarin Oriental Taipei

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