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Royv1

Royv1




Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok November 8th 2019

After breakfast at the hotel restaurant this morning, we were picked up for our visit to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. Located about a 2 hour drive from Bangkok just outside of the city of Pattaya, the sanctuary is an ethical sanctuary where rescued elephants come to avoid being ridden, worked, or abused. Arriving at the sanctuary in the late morning, we were introduced to a few of the elephants while we waited for others to arrive who along with us would also be spending half the day with the elephants. Once everyone arrived, we all had the opportunity to visit with each of the elephants. They were all so calm and friendly and seemed to love being touched. The sanctuary provided buckets of fruits which we were allowed to freely feed to the elephants. I was ... read more
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Pattaya
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Pattaya
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Pattaya

Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok November 7th 2019

Shea and I met our shuttle this morning at 8:00am in the hotel lobby. There was nobody around from our tour so I guess our goodbyes from last night was the last time we would see anyone. It was an uneventful ride to the airport and after checking in for our flight to Bangkok aboard Thai Airways, we had some time to kill and wander the airport looking for some last minute souvenirs. I found a Starbucks where I purchased a few Cambodian Starbucks coffee mugs. I also found a large gift shop which had some carvings produced by Artisans Angkor. We visited the Artisans Angkor workshop on our first day in Siem Reap a few days back. I wanted to purchase one of their carvings but was hesitant to shell out a few hundred dollars. ... read more
Bangkok Skyline
One of the exotic Lays flavors in Thailand
King Rama VI Monument in Lumphini Park

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap November 6th 2019

Today was the last day of our tour around Cambodia. From the outset, we have been going non-stop to see as much of the country we can in our limited time here. This final day was no exception as we started out well before sunrise in order to catch the sunrise from Angkor Wat. Stepping out into the pre-morning darkness, we made our way past hundreds of other tourists as well as vendors selling coffee and breakfast items in order to stake out our spot for catching the sunrise. As sunrise was approaching and we started seeing the faintest glimpses of light above the towers of Angkor Wat, we along with a few hundreds of other visitors gathered tightly together along the edge of one of the reflecting ponds. It was here many of us were ... read more
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
The Crowds for Sunrise at Angkor Wat
The Crowds for Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap November 5th 2019

Today was going to be another full day of sight seeing and probably the reason we all came to Cambodia as we would be visiting the world famous ruins of Cambodia. We set off for the official ticket center where we picked up our local guide Johnny for the next 2 days and obtain our 2 day pass to the Angkor Archaeological Park. From here, we made our way into the hot Cambodian jungle. Spread out over 400 square kilometers, the Angkor Archaeological Park contains approximately 1,000 temples of various sizes and states of decay, the most famous among them being Angkor Wat. Built in the 1200s, Angkor Wat is known as the largest religious monument in the world. We began our tour of the Angkor Wat temple at the eastern entrance, and our group began ... read more
Macaque at Angkor Wat
First View of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap November 4th 2019

This morning was our last morning in Phnom Penh and we had a couple of hours before we had to go to the airport and catch our flight to Siem Reap. After another delicious and relaxing breakfast on the rooftop, I went for a morning walk to soak in the city for one last time. I walked along the riverfront watching people starting off their day, shopkeepers sweeping and hosing the fronts of their shops, and others just out on their morning walk. It was still quite early but the nearby market just outside of our hotel was already a beehive of activity. I did a quick look around the market and wandered around the various stalls selling fruits, vegetables, animal parts, and insects. We eventually made our way to the Phnom Penh International Airport where ... read more
Exploring a Street Market
Exploring a Street Market
Exploring a Street Market

Asia » Cambodia » South » Phnom Penh November 3rd 2019

We awoke this morning excited for a full day of sightseeing in Phnom Penh. Breakfast this morning was buffet style on the rooftop terrace where we enjoyed the typical western style breakfast items coupled with a wide variety of tropical fruits. It was a great way to start the day as we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast, enjoyed the fresh morning air, and soaked in the views overlooking the Tonle Sap River. After breakfast we set out for our full day around the city beginning with the nearby Royal Palace. Spread out over a large well manicured area, the grounds of the Royal Palace seemed a world away from the urban chaos of the streets of Phnom Penh. We walked around and admired the breathtaking Khmer architectural style and I was amazed by the elegant opulence of ... read more
The Throne Hall at The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
Group Shot at The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
The Throne Hall at The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh

Asia » Cambodia » South » Phnom Penh November 2nd 2019

With the hills surrounding Los Angeles up in flames and the fires dangerously close to my home, there was no better time than now to be getting out of town. For the past few months, Shea and I were both excitedly looking forward to this trip. For the both of us, this would be our first time on the continent of Asia where we would be joining a 6 day tour of Cambodia with Intrepid Travel and afterwards we would be spending a few days in Thailand. We set out at 8:00 PM on Halloween night to make it to LAX for our 1:05am flight on China Eastern Airlines to Shanghai, China. I was a bit apprehensive about flying with this airline. The reviews that I had read on-line did little to ease my apprehensions. Once ... read more
The View From Our Hotel Balcony
Enjoying Our First Cambodian Beers
Enjoying Our First Cambodian Beers

Europe » Romania » Muntenia » Bucharest November 1st 2017

On this the final day of our tour of Romania, we were given a free morning to do as we pleased. After last night's festivities, it looked like everyone was in need of a free morning. The storm that rolled in the last 2 days and brought an early glimpse of winter snow to the town had passed. This morning we were greeted with a cloudless sunny sky, perfect weather for our final day. After breakfast, Shea and I joined Erin and Angie for a walk back into the town to do a little shopping in the markets. There were a good number of other visitors here this morning to do their shopping and enjoy the sunny morning skies. Nothing really caught my eye while I was exploring the markets. I did purchase a few magnets ... read more
Early Morning at Bran Castle
Snagov Lake
The Snagov Monastery

Europe » Romania » Transilvania » Brasov » Bran October 31st 2017

Last night's quick winter storm passed through and we awoke the next morning with everything covered in a beautiful blanket of fresh snow. Halloween in Romania! Never did I ever think I would be in Romania but here I was getting ready to celebrate Halloween at Dracula's Castle! But first, we got the chance to spend the morning exploring the city of Brasov. We arrived in Brasov around 10am and immediately headed out for a 2 hour walking tour of Brasov's Old Town. The bus let us out near the base of Mt. Tampa, a mountain overlooking Brasov's Old Town. Atop this mountain was a sign of Brasov that was similar to the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles. Had we more time, it would have been great to take one of the trails to the top ... read more
Piata Sfatalui in Brasov
The Black Church in Brasov
Piata Sfatalui in Brasov

Europe » Romania » Transilvania » Brasov » Bran October 30th 2017

After a late night of dancing, we were thankful to have a free morning to sleep in as we weren't scheduled to leave Sighisoara until 1:00pm. We had a delicious buffet breakfast in the hotel dining room before venturing back up to the Old Town to explore in the morning daylight. Shea and I bundled up as the morning was blisteringly cold and made our way to do some morning exploring. We basically retraced the same steps we took last night during our walking tour but this time with the advantage of daylight. During last night's tour, we missed just how colorful the Old Town is. Along every street that we walked on, the structures were painted various shades of blue, green, yellow, and orange. We passed small outdoor cafes with inviting terraces which would have ... read more
Exploring The Old Town in Sighisoara
Exploring The Old Town in Sighisoara
Exploring The Old Town in Sighisoara




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