After exploring the center of Vietnam at Hoi An and Hue, we flew south to Can Tho, a city on the Mekong Delta. The delta is filled with canals, rivers, swamps and rice paddies. There isn't all that much to do there, but we booked several extra days to relax after a busy travel schedule. One of the highlights of Can Tho is the floating markets.
Read MoreAfter spending about 10 days up in the North part of Vietnam, we flew south to Da Nang in central Vietnam. In the north we were wearing our biggest jackets and many layers, it was probably 55-60 degrees, but we'd gotten so acclimated to 80-90 that we couldn't stay warm. Just an hour and a half flight south meant back to tropical temperatures and loads of humidity. We had heard only good things about Hoi An from all the tourists we met, and were really excited to spend the lunar new year there.
Read MoreChuck and I were really excited to visit Angkor Wat, the famous temple complex in Cambodia which is the largest religious monument in the entire world. I expected it to be a lot like Bagan with thousands of temples spread across a plain divided only by low brush and tall grasses. Instead, I was surprised to find that there are a lot fewer temples, which are individually quite large. Each one was very unique, and since the climate is wetter, many temples have massive moats around them. The jungle is slowly taking over many of the temples, and you see huge trees growing from the walls.
Read MoreAfter our few days in Yangon, Samantha and I took an overnight bus north to Bagan. The bus ride took about 9 hours, and we started at 8pm. We sprang for the VIP class for a whopping $4 extra, and it was definitely worth it. While not luxurious by any means, the bus had only three seats per row, two on one side and one on the other. The seats were like first class airline seats, though much less legroom.
Read MoreWe visited Yangon mainly to visit Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest and most beautiful Buddhist pagoda in Yangon. Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and is also the capital. Travel websites frequently mention Yangon's colonial architecture as a major reason to visit, and while Yangon certainly had its charms--mainly the friendly people and delicious food--I'm not sure the architecture is anything to write home about.
Read MoreWe had heard about some cool places in Northern Thailand to check out from some people we met along our way. We knew for sure we wanted to go to Pai, about 3 hours north west of Chiang Mai, and also Chiang Rai, about 3 hours north east. After doing some checking, it seemed like the best way to visit both would be to rent a car, which we did on our last day in Chiang Mai. We had been warned by literally everyone we spoke to that had been that the road to Pai is a little bit crazy, which was one of the main reasons we decided not to rent mopeds and opted for the car. It was a good thing we did.
Read MoreAfter our relatively sleepy few days in Ayutthaya, Sam and I headed up north to Chiang Mai. We'd heard from a bunch of people that Chiang Mai was a highlight of their trips to Thailand, so we were super excited to check it out. It's a much sleepier city than Bangkok, and it was definitely much easier as a tourist. We had a hotel booked right in the middle of the old city, which was a perfect hub for seeing the sights. It's a city that is filled temples and history, and we spent a few days taking it all in.
Read MoreWe flew from Khao Sok to Bangkok directly after our night on the raft boat. It was definitely a shock going from serene and peaceful jungle to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. When we arrived we were unable to find an Uber, and were facing about a three hour line in the taxi queue due to a local festival and increased traffic. Fortunately, after about 30 minutes of spamming for rides, we eventually got an Uber and made it to our hotel.
Read MoreRecharged, we traveled by bus 3 hours north to the remote Khao Sok National Park, complete with an ancient rainforest, limestone cliffs, waterfalls and rare flora and fauna. The massive national park is half lake, half jungle, and we wanted to experience both.
Our first two nights Charles really wanted to stay in a treehouse in the jungle! It was totally awesome!
Read MoreWe flew to Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala for the next stage of our trip. Kerala is on the southwest coast of the country, and stands in stark contrast to the Northern part of the country. Kerala has a tropical climate, and we could feel the humidity the moment we stepped off the plane.
Read MoreWe spent a grand total of 40 hours in the country of Jordan. Since we were in Sharm El Sheikh, we decided to make the short trip to Petra, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. We didn't see anything in Amman, but it did seem a lot more cosmopolitan and modern than the cities in Egypt.
Read MoreAfter all our time in the bush, we really enjoyed being back in a city, even if it was on the dirtier side, as far as cities go. Of course, that last bit is my observation, not Chuck’s.
We visited the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and of course, Hagia Sophia, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Two of my favorites were the Basilica Cistern—a large and ancient cistern beneath the city of Istanbul, and Dolmabahce Palace—which served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and 1909 to 1922. I also loved the colorful spices and sweets at the Grand Bazaar. We took a cruise down the Bosphorus River, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and divides Istanbul into a “European side” and an “Asian side,” which for some reason really fascinated me.
Read MoreSamantha and Charles Parsons went a little overboard when planning their honeymoon. Instead of a few short weeks of travel, they opted for a year-long adventure around the world! Follow along as they leave their home in Denver, Colorado in the United States to travel the globe.
Just click on the logo of the store you want to shop at, and every purchase you make at that retailer will get the Parsons team around 4% - 8% of the cost of your order!
It costs you nothing!
Charles & Samantha Parsons
parsonsworldonline@gmail.com
