Welcome to Pa Tong!

This beautiful crescent shaped beach is on the west coast of Phuket. The waters are insanely blue and the nightlife is just plain insane. We stayed at the Le Meridien on the beachfront. The Andaman Sea is sandy and clean. We took lots of tuktuk rides, ate lots of street food and found a pretty…

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Phuket by boat

Welcome to the waters surrounding Phuket–Thailand’s largest island. The Andaman Sea is gorgeous. It’s where mountains and rainforest meet the beach. In fact, Phuket’s topography mainly mountainous with some outstanding sandy beaches. The limestone cliffs create a striking and singular skyline. Phuket is a popular spot to live. Even though it’s only half the size…

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this Thai temple takes details to the next level

2 of the 12 giant guardians protecting the temple: Maiyarap and Wirunchambang Welcome to Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha in English)–the most sacred Buddhist temple in all of Thailand. Construction began in the late 1700s. Since it’s creation, future dynasties and kings continued to work on this incredible structure, to gain religious…

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Na Ka Island

Right off the coast of Thailand in Phuket, you’ll find Naka Island. It’s only accessible by boat, so gettin there is half the fun. It’s right next door to Koh Naka Noi Island, where some of the rarest South Sea pearls are cultivated. The water is clear, the sand is soft and it’s about as…

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Exploring Bangkok

Welcome to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon! (otherwise known as Bangkok) That’s right, Bangkok’s real name is 168 letters long. Technically, it’s less of a name and more of a descriptive phrase that means City of Angels. This wonderfully busy city is and endless mashup of new and old. Perhaps most known for its street life,…

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From India to Joshua Tree

Welcome to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. It’s known for and named after its bristled yucca palms. That’s right. Joshua trees are the largest yucca in the world. So why exactly do we call them Joshua trees? It came from Mormon settlers in the 1800s as they made their way through the Mojave…

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historical sites and possible snake bites

Amer Fort, perched atop the hilltops of Amer, Rajasthan, sits one of the most striking places I visited in India. When I went to the Taj Mahal, I knew it’d be great. But this old palace was such an unexpected surprise. In the valley below the old walls sits Maota Lake, reflecting the yellow structure.…

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Technicolor Patrika Gate

Let’s keep the Jaipur tour going… Situated in the middle of the world’s largest (and most colorful) traffic circle, Jawahar, you’ll find Patrika Gate. Unlike most sites in India, Patrika Gate is young. Built in only 2016. The nine different arched entrances depict the 9 regions of Rajasthan. Walk inside the pink structure and you’ll…

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my favorite Indian city–and it’s easy to see why

Welcome to Jaipur! My most favorite and final stop on the Golden Triangle. The colors, the food, the art–there’s so much to love about this place. It’s known as the Pink City. Probably because most of the buildings are pink. It’s also known as the Paris of India, which makes me chuckle in only the…

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the world’s most iconic monument and its 20 secret rooms

We all learned the story in history class–that the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honor his wife Mumtaz, who died in childbirth. What I didn’t know was how little of the interior you actually get to see as a tourist. There are over 20 rooms that have been permanently locked.…

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