I’m watching people come and go on the dusty streets of Kuta, Lombok, an island in Indonesia. The foreigners I see through the coffee shop window come from dozens of countries, yet as they walk through the streets and hop on their motorbikes it’s clear that about 80% of them are all cut from the same cloth. I sip my coffee and wonder about the deep similarities that...
Victor and I are fitness junkies, so in between climbing peaks, staying active has been a central part of our travel. We are better travel companions for one another and more energized observers of culture when we’ve spiked our endorphins and stretched our muscles. For the first month of our gap year, I kept my beloved Classpass subscription which allowed me to...
I spend an inordinate amount of time considering food. I scour blogs and reviews to select restaurants we will visit in each city we travel to. I read menus with slow, careful attentiveness to each side dish and preparation. I reflect on my workouts to consider what treats I’ve “earned,” and the variety of dishes planned for the upcoming days...
Queenstown, New Zealand is jaw-droppingly beautiful even from the first glimpses you get as your plane lands. It is nestled in the Remarkable mountain range on Lake Wakatipu, and provides the perfect jumping off point for exploring both Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. We spent 5 days in Queenstown and were instantly enchanted by the gorgeous mountain views...
Within 2 days of our arrival, I declared that Indonesia was my favorite country. Victor balked at this hasty decision, but after a month here, I stand by my initial declaration. Here are a few reasons why I love this equatorial archipelago: The Nature From the endangered orangutans in the jungles of Sumatra to the rim of the volcano on Mt. Rinjani to the unspoiled...
The road from Lake Toba and/or Medan to the jungle preserve of the orangutans in North Sumatra begins a complex juxtaposition of the wild, semi-wild, and actively destroyed ecosystems of the region. It takes over 3-4 hours to snake the barely 50 miles separating the sleepy Jungle town of Bukit Luwang from the 5 million inhabitants of the city of Medan. In that time...
We had 12 days in Vietnam, but it felt much shorter. Maybe this is because it was wedged somewhat awkwardly between our time in Laos and visiting friends in Singapore (Mica) and temples in Siem Reap (Victor). Or perhaps it’s because Vietnam felt so large and spread out along the coastline. In either case our visit flew by, and we had just enough time to hit...
The unofficial motto of the Democratic People’s Republic of Laos (Laos PDR) is “please don’t rush.” If you looked at our itinerary for this land-locked country you might think we ignored this advice. We motorbiked, ziplined across jungle gorges, overnighted in a canopy-level tree-house, celebrated Oktoberfest, and...
We spent a lovely five nights in Ubud with very little agenda except to wander around. Here are some of the spots we found and really enjoyed (as well as some we recommend you avoid). Where to Eat in Ubud, Bali Dumbo Restaurant – Makes you feel like you’re back in Brooklyn but not necessarily in a bad way. The cocktails are truly a highlight. Amsa Warung...
Lombok, the island directly east of Bali, is one of the places we loved most on our travels and was a real highlight of our time in Indonesia. We first ended up in South Lombok for a few nights chasing waves because of my dad’s desire to surf and its proximity to the airport (30 minutes). In the end we loved it. On top of the surf we found sandy beaches nestled in...