Nika3

During our time in Bali, we managed to see quite a bit, which made for a lengthy blog. So, I've decided to separate it into 4 sections: Southern Bali, Central Bali, Northern Bali, and Diving in Bali. At the end of each I'll include my do's and don'ts. This is about diving in Bali. Enjoy! While in Lovina, I decided to get my Open Water Diving Certification. After some research, I chose Malibu Dive Center, located on the main road, a 10 minute walk from the center of Lovina. I highly recommend this dive shop for any diving needs you may have while visiting Northern Bali. The staff was professional and friendly, and the equipment was top notch. The first day of certification was spent watching several hours of a dive training video, followed by lunch, ... read more

In our time in Bali, we managed to see quite a bit, which made for a lengthy blog. So, I've decided to separate it into 4 sections: Southern Bali, Central Bali, Northern Bali, and Diving in Bali. At the end of each I'll include my do's and don'ts. This is part 2, enjoy! CENTRAL BALI (sights in and around Ubud) Before I begin listing the many places of interest in Central Bali, let me offer one tip. If you can afford it, hire a driver! This is the best, most comfortable way to visit the many sights that this region has to offer. One full day of sightseeing, approximately 10 hours, will cost about 300,000-400,000 IDR, which is a very reasonable fee. The time spent figuring out how to get from one place to another and ... read more

If you only have a few days to visit Taiwan, I highly recommend a visit to the eastern part of the island. Just outside of Hualien lies the beautiful Taroko National Park, a large park named after the impressive Taroko Gorge. Hualien is only a 3 hour train ride from Taipei. Trains leave regularly from Taipei Main Station and buying a ticket should be no problem. Try your best to get a seat on the left side of the train when heading to Hualien as the ocean views are striking. Hualien itself is a small and quiet city and doesn’t have much to offer in the ways of sightseeing but there are plenty of ways to keep yourself occupied. Hualien boasts a remarkable amount of stone quarries and many of the artists in the area utilize ... read more

Spring is by far my favorite time in Korea (minus the occasional yellow dust). The weather is mild and pleasant, skies are clear, and everything seems to be voraciously blooming. Sadly, springtime is also rather short here, so I'm trying to make the most of it by taking as many weekend trips as possible. Over Easter weekend I went to visit a friend who lives in Gwangyang, in the Jeollanam province. Although my friend warned me that there isn't a whole lot to do in Gwangyang, I was eager to get out of the city and experience spring. Weather is much nicer in the southern part of the peninsula and spring is already in full swing. So, I headed out there, eager for some refreshing air and countryside tranquility. I arrived to the pleasant sight of ... read more

Many festivals in various parts of Korea have been canceled this year due to concern over the spreading of foot-and-mouth disease. The sea parting festival was no exception. Although the festival was canceled, the sea parting still took place, just without the hypnotizing mayhem that is a Korean festival. We decided to stay in nearby Mokpo and make a day trip to Jindo for the event. Buses run regularly between Mokpo and Jindo and the ride takes about one hour. On the way to Jindo is a magical place called Uhang-ri, a dinosaur museum and fossil site. We arrived to find this place nearly abandoned, with a few visitors strolling the massive grounds. The vast open field is strewn with “life-sized” dinosaur statues, a funhouse mirror maze, and plenty of places for photo opportunities. This place ... read more