Part of travelling is seeing the people and faces that make up a given place. In my short time in this beautiful country, I was fortunate to meet many smiling faces such as the ones pictured here, to feel truly welcomed from south to north. Travelling by bicycle over 500 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City through Hue was the perfect way to experience this remarkable country first-hand and to interact with people in their everyday lives, if only for a moment. One of the memories that will forever remain with me is that of the older Vietnamese people, tipping their hats to us as our group cycled past, and the kids -- Vietnam's next generation -- who would come running out of their houses yelling "hello" and high-fiving us.... read more

Our stay in Bali was short but sweet. Sitting on the plane, both me and my travelling companion were sad to leave — not because we were returning to the stresses of our everyday lives, but because we felt we had really connected with the people, the culture, and the place in our brief visit. Initially, even though we had only 10 days, we had planned to visit Ubud, often described as the “other” Bali, an artistic and cultural centre, surrounded by lush green rice paddies with nary a beach or a surfboard in sight. However, sitting on the tarmac waiting for the plane to taxi out, reflecting on our sojourn, we reasoned that was reason enough for a return visit. To close this chapter of my travels, here are a series of random images that ... read more

One thing I always make a point to visit on my travels is local markets. Markets offer a chance to see everyday life up close and “for real,” in a way that no brochure, tour, or itinerary could ever offer. On this particular day, I decided to venture out to Jimbaran (about 20 minutes west of Tanjung Benoa) to check out the local fish market. Initially, I thought about being there for 6:00 a.m. when the market opened so I could witness the action straightaway. Then, realizing that I was, after all, on holiday, I decided to go a little later in the morning. Even at that hour the market did not disappoint — though I wasn’t at all sure what to expect when the cab dropped me in front of a rather run-down old building ... read more

It was a great relief to arrive in Bali, after a long two-day flight that involved transiting through four airports (YVR-INC-SIN-DPS) and crossing the International Date Line. (The IDL is an imaginary line on the Earth’s surface, located approximately along 180 degrees longitude, that’s opposite the Prime Meridian, where the date changes as one travels east or west across it.) After settling in at my resort for a day or so, it was time to explore. Luckily, the resort was situated in the small but accessible community of Tanjung Benoa, a small fishing village located on a five-kilometre peninsula about 20 minutes from the Denpasar (DPS) airport. My first foray outside the resort was a stroll along an extensive beachside promenade, which offered a true snapshot of everyday life in Bali, as showcased in the accompanying ... read more