Laos is one of our favorite countries, and one of the joys of wandering it’s back roads is the lack of mass tourism. Luang Prabang, an exceptionally gorgeous town in Northern Laos is certainly ON the tourist path, but is so amazing we, nonetheless, spent a fair bit of time there and enjoyed every minute of exploring this UNESCO World Heritage City.
Foto Friday comes to you from the enchanting country of New Zealand. Hiking in the Mt Cook National Park in the Southern Alps is something everyone should experience.
We’ve been to Chiang Mai, Thailand several times and can easily see us joining the many ex-pats who’ve made it their home. The mountain top temple at Duh Suthep is an amazing day trip to enjoy the gorgeous temple as well as the views of the city below.
We LOVE the beach and spend many a weekend enjoying the Pacific coast throughout the year. With my birthday approaching we considered packing up the camper and heading out but with an extremely wet forecast and a Groupon at the Sandy Cove for a mere $94 for two nights, we changed our thoughts and eagerly signed on.
Ronda – the gorgeous town in Spain that bears my name, is an enchanting town with a population of around 35,000. Both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells spent many a season in the town and For Whom the Bell Tolls is, supposedly, set partially in this town. Famous for both it’s historic bullfighting ring and the bridges spanning the deep gorge, it’s an excellent spot to spend several lazy afternoons in the town square. The Puente Nuevo (the new bridge) was, ironically, completed in 1793, is not exactly new, but it one of my favorite views in town.
The sand dunes of Namibia are often considered the highest in the world, and border along the great Kalahari desert. Whether or not this claim is valid becomes immaterial once you see them, be assured the dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib Naukloft park are well worth the effort it takes to get there.
Egypt – an ancient land filled with one awe inspiring site after another. In our time there we covered much of the country and never grew tired of the fascinating two thousand year old culture and carvings.
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the natural marvels of the world, two to three million years old, 2000 feet deep and over 100 square miles, it is surely one of the more remarkable places we’ve ever been. Located 110 miles west of Arusha, Tanzania, thousands of tourists flock here every year to see one of the most amazing wildlife displays on the planet.
Laos is one of our favorite countries, having all the attributes of it’s SE Asian neighbors but still retaining a unique charm all it’s own. The Buddhist culture is absolutely fascinating and we marveled over their many amazing temples, all with fantastic, gilded doors. We enjoyed our time there more than most places we’ve ever been. We can’t wait to go back!
Sunset in Fiji – a magical time of day. We would float in the calm, lukewarm sea and watch the sun set each evening and we were calmed by the rhythm of life in the islands.
