Often, when people hear that we’ve been traveling for five years, they think we’ve “done it all.” This could not be further from the truth – the more we explore of this world of ours, the more we realize how big and diverse it really is. This is something to be celebrated.
Caught up in Holi celebrations in old Dhaka, Bangladesh
When we began 2011 we could not have even imagined where this year would take us. Not only has 2011 been a year of activity and reflection, but it has also been a year of many firsts. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
30 Comments | 30 December 2011
Ah, Bali food. Our relationship with Balinese cuisine got off to a rocky start, but a Balinese cooking class in Ubud, night markets in Sanur and simple restaurants called warungs conspired to change our minds and inform our palates. The result: an overview of the components of Balinese cooking, common Balinese dishes and where to find them when you visit Bali.
Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Food, Indonesia, Southeast Asia by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
37 Comments | 22 July 2011
For a relatively small island, Bali can pack in a lot of activities in just a week: volcano-climbing at dawn, diving in coral reefs, cooking traditional Balinese cuisine, visiting Balinese Hindu temples, taking in a traditional Kecak performance, hanging with monkeys, and enjoying a few Balinese massages.
Remember when you’d return to school from summer break and write an essay entitled: What I Did on My Summer Vacation? Well, here’s our modern-day approach to that question: What did we do on our week-long Gap Adventures tour of Bali? Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
20 Comments | 23 May 2011
Apparently, it’s easy to be a travel snob. Independent travelers can look down on tour groups as not being “hard core” or “authentic” enough. Luxury travelers can look down on backpackers as cheapskates one notch above street riffraff. Holiday-makers looking to relax with a cocktail on the beach are not “real” travelers while those who are trying to live on $5 a day are “escapists.”
I could go on and on with the stereotypes and slurs that I’ve heard fly in all directions, but that’s not the point. One thing travel can teach you – if you allow it to – is that the world is made up of people whose goals and preferences differ. And those differences — they also apply to travel. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Travel by: Audrey Scott
35 Comments | 19 May 2011
A stroll down Bali’s Sanur beach at sunset: kids flying kites, fisherman catching the last fish of the day, boats sitting tight on shore in low tide. All the while, the setting sun creates a light show in a marshmallow sky.
Enjoy this Bali moment. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Indonesia, Panorama by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
10 Comments | 16 May 2011
Got lost in a Balinese market today. Open the panorama below to see what we found when poking around the one at Semarapura (Klungkung) on the island of Bali, Indonesia. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Indonesia, Panorama by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
11 Comments | 9 May 2011
Stay safe in this post Bin Laden world. There is sure to be some backlash; work on your Canadian accent 
– A friend offers us some advice in light of recent events.
We’ve lived outside of the United States for almost 10 years, with more than four of them on this around-the-world journey. In that time, we’ve consumed our share of U.S. State Department travel warnings.
So what do those advisories mean to me? Do I pay attention to them? As an American traveling abroad, am I frightened? Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Travel by: Audrey Scott
16 Comments | 3 May 2011
Keep your eyes open as you walk down the streets of Ubud, Bali. Tucked in between all those trendy cafes and shops, you’ll find wooden doorways — sometimes plain, sometimes intricately carved — built into brick and stone archway gates.
Take a peek and you’ll find these doorways serve as portals to other worlds of green and tranquility. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Indonesia, Panorama by: Audrey Scott
6 Comments | 2 May 2011
“Wait, isn’t your life one big vacation?”
I realize that we, as travel bloggers, do our bit to perpetuate this myth by posting fun updates and photos on an almost constant basis. While all these experiences are true, there are also unglamorous bits, challenging stuff that goes on behind the scenes.
So here’s a bit of the honest truth: I’m tired. Actually, I’m exhausted. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Indonesia, Personal Growth by: Audrey Scott
34 Comments | 24 April 2011
