Travel off the beaten track and experience

Croatia is world-renowned for its gorgeous coastline, islands, and beaches of Upper Dalmatia.  Less famous?  The urban gateways to these islands: the cities of Zadar and Split. Dave and I decided to visit both cities in one day after driving down from the Plitivice Lakes. In turn, we discovered two mid-sized cities that we liked — a lot! Zadar Every publication I read about Zadar tossed out the same word: “underrated.”  Zadar doesn’t receive nearly the tourist volume of Split, and as a result, it feels more like an Croatian seaside town. Zadar’s Old Town is compact, pastel-toned, and home to two interesting works of art: the Sea Organ and the Sun Salutation . The Sea Organ is a massive instrument that creates music based on the speed and velocity of the waves rushing in, a melody alternately mournful and jubilant.  Here’s a video of it in action: The Sun Salutation is a giant solar-powered panel that blasts out designs that evoke the solar ...

My whirlwind jaunt to Edinburgh was filled with a surprising amount of sightseeing for the short time that I was there.  Get enough travel bloggers in one place and that will happen, more often than not! I always recommend visiting a city where your friends live and having them show you their favorite places.  It’s also a great way to try out solo travel for the first time — particularly if your friend is working while you’re visiting. I was lucky enough to have a friend in Edinburgh — Kash, The Budget Traveller himself — who really went above and beyond in being a great Edinburgh tour guide and showing us how to have fun on a budget! Here are some cheap and fun things to do in Edinburgh: Arthur’s Seat This was the first thing that I saw after arriving in Edinburgh — and seeing Arthur’s Seat during the amazing summery weather made it all the more beautiful.  You get great views of the city from the top, and it’s almost like ...

I LOVE Saigon. Are you surprised?  Everyone keeps saying to me, “Jeez, Kate, is there any place you don’t like?” (Well, yes.  Luang Prabang.) I do love Bangkok.  I love Hanoi.  I love Phnom Penh.   But Saigon is more than just another Southeast Asian city I love — it’s the city that would make the best place for me to live. Yes, the metropolis officially known as Ho Chi Minh City is tailor-made for Adventurous Kate.  Here’s why: Saigon has style. Women and men are far more fashion-conscious in Vietnam than any of the other countries I’ve visited in Southeast Asia, and they go all out in Saigon! Fashion makes for entertaining people-watching.  The last thing you want is a boring city! Saigon has greenery. When I was living in the centro of Florence, Italy, I realized how important it was to be surrounded by parks, grass and trees.  Florence’s centro is devoid of any greenery, and it drove me crazy. But Saigon is filled with par...

When I was learning about Chiang Mai, I kept hearing the same themes: “It’s so nice and relaxing here.” “It’s much calmer than Bangkok.” “It’s a great place for a family.” So a nice city, but no nightlife destination by any stretch, I assumed. Was I ever wrong! On my first night out in Chiang Mai, I met up with a friend I made on the bus from Bangkok and we found ourselves drinking watery mango mojitos in a farang-filled bar in the old city.  Not very exciting. So we changed course and headed to an all-Thai club, making friends with a magician and his friends, then dancing in an after-hours club and ending with a 4:30 AM meal in what I assume was a combination restaurant and gas station. A few days later, Unbrave Girl and I were sitting down to our sworn final drink of the night when we were given red roses and a bottle of whiskey by three Thai guys, then taken to the VIP section of a club for dancing. Seriously, they know ...