Photo Essay: View From My Window

View From My Window
Penang, Malaysia

Sometimes a new post idea is created before I reach a destination. Sometimes they don’t even present themselves until I’m right in the middle of an extraordinary (and not so extraordinary) experience. And sometimes I get a little inspiration for a new post by other travel bloggers.

One of my favourite travel bloggers is Stephanie from Twenty-Something Travel. I’ve been following her adventures for the past 2 years and get a kick out of her posts. Her writing is honest, funny, and insightful. A couple of months before starting my backpacking trip, I read her post “Out My Window: A Retrospective” showcasing shots from the windows of places she stayed in. I loved the concept and decided it would make a great post at the end of my trip as well.

8-months of traveling meant there were a lot of accommodations that Tristan and I had stayed in, with varying styles and comfort levels. From overnight trains and buses, to hostel dorm rooms and guesthouses, to beachside bungalows and campervans, I managed to narrow the field down to 13 places. Compiling these photos was a trip down memory lane, bringing back the feelings and specific stories that surrounded these locations. Not all of our destinations are featured, but the post gives you overall view of where our travels took us. Read more “Photo Essay: View From My Window”

Photo Essay: Street-Art in New York City

Street Art in New York City
Storage containers get an artsy make-over.

Earlier this week, I posted a write up about the street art scene in the East Village and the Lower East Side. I talked about the difference between graffiti (ego driven, inward thinking) and street-art (enhancing the vibrancy of an area, outward thinking), and how street-art has helped those two particular areas evolve into the trendy, hip neighbourhoods they are today. As I learned during my tour, not all street-art is easy to spot, but armed with an open mindset and a curiosity to explore, you’ll start to notice things you hadn’t before and you’ll begin see things in a new way.

Below are more photos from my time in the East Village and Lower East Side, plus two final photos from walking the Highline in Chelsea. Read more “Photo Essay: Street-Art in New York City”

Photo Essay: Gyeongju, South Korea

Wolseong Park, Geyongju, South Korea
The entrance path into Wolseong Park.

Gyeongju, in Gyeongsangbuk Province, is known as “the museum without walls”. For over a 1000 years it was the capital of the Shilla Dynasty. It holds the most historical buildings and artifacts in all of Korea, thereby being the most historically important area in Korea. Gyeongju’s population itself is not very large, at only about 275,000, but it’s the sites to see that make this a must stop when traveling through Korea. Most of the places to visit are located in and around the city centre, so renting bicycles for the day will make traveling to each location easier and faster. But it’s also a nice and enjoyable way to see a lot of the sites in a shorter amount of time. Enjoy the photos below of some of the things to see and do in Gyeongju. Read more “Photo Essay: Gyeongju, South Korea”

Bondi to Coogee Beach Coastal Walk

What to do in Sydney
First stop on the coastal walk, Bondi Beach.

It’s no secret that Australia is home to thousands of beaches. And if you’re spending some time in Sydney, there’s quite a number to choose from in the lively city. But if you’re looking for a little exercise to go with those stunning views, the Bondi to Coogee Beach Coastal Walk is a must-do. Starting out at Sydney’s most popular and frequented beach, Bondi, you’ll make your way south for about 6km to Coogee Beach. Along the way you’ll pass three other beaches, Tamarama, Bronte, and Clovelly Beach, along with Waverly Cemetery and Gordons Bay.

The walk itself will take you between one to two hours, depending on your pace (and how many times you stop to take photos), and progresses at a moderate-intensity level. The scenery couldn’t be any more beautiful and will have you wishing you lived in one of the many houses that line the trail. In fact, if I lived in one of those houses or even somewhere close to the trail, I’d be walking or jogging it on a daily basis as so many Sydneysiders were doing.

If words aren’t enough to convince you to add this to your list of things to do in Sydney, then these photos should do the trick.

Read more “Bondi to Coogee Beach Coastal Walk”