SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, THE GATEWAY TO THE AMAZING RUINS OF ANGKOR…part 1

Our wonderful AHI “Treasures of Southeast Asia” tour took us from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We stayed at the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Resort. Our last visit to Siem Reap was in 2023 with two of our grandsons from Dallas. Our very first trip was in 1997 when…

BANGKOK ADVENTURES…VISITING A SIMPLY GORGEOUS RESTAURANT, MARLA AND LISA DANCING ON STAGE, AND THE MOST UNUSUAL SHOPPING CENTER I’VE EVER SEEN.

Our Bangkok explorations continue with a simply superb lunch at the beautiful Blue Elephant Restaurant on Sathorn Road. It occupies a historically significant Thai-Chinese building, originally a department store. The building served as the Japanese Army’s Command Center during World War ll. The Blue Elephant Restaurant…

THE WONDER OF BANGKOK

Bangkok is a truly amazing city and one of my favorites. After 25 visits we still make new discoveries on each visit. We are planning to take our twin granddaugters there next year. Our plane from Singapore was very extremely late arriiving in Bankok, but our fabulous guide, Victor had…

THE TRAIN TOOK US TO WILD MALAYSIA…TO PENANG AND HISTORIC GEORGE TOWN ON PENANG ISLAND

Our Malaysian adventure continues with a stop at the Taman Negara National Park. Children from a nearby school serenaded us. We were so lucky to experience this! We travelled on pickup trucks to start the ride to the park. What seatbelts??? The “Tree Top Walk” took us high…

AN AMAZING EXCURSION ON THE BELMOND EASTERN & ORIENT EXPRESS THROUGH THE JUNGLES OF MALAYSIA

Having a 3-night Belmond train excursion as a component of our AHI “Treasures of Southeast Asia” trip was a giant bonus and something I always wanted to do! Of course I was a huge fan of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.&#8221…

A VERY SPECIAL VISIT TO A PRIVATE HOME AND MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE PERANAKAN CULTURE.

Our guides told us they had a nice surprise for us. We were visiting a private Singapore home and museum dedicated to “Peranakan” culture. I knew the term, but really didn’t have a grasp of the history . The video below gives a fascinating overview of this…

OUR SOUTHEAST ASIA ADVENTURE BEGINS IN…SINGAPORE

Our travel adventure plans began a few years ago with the receipt of a brochure from our college alumni organization advertising a trip to Egypt and Jordan. Our daughter Lisa and husband Ray planned on joining us as well. Due to continuing wars in the region the trip was cancelled…

PEACOCKS, 5 FOOT MONITOR LIZARDS, ANCIENT TEMPLES, TEA PLANTATIONS, A DANCING DEVIL… AND DELICIOUS REGIONAL CUISINE. SRI LANKA HAS THIS AND MUCH MORE. “OH, DID I MENTION…I TOOK A HARD FALL ON MY BIKE”.

We were transported to beautiful Kandy House boutique hotel after a 2 hour drive from Water Garden Sigirya.  In 1804, the last Chief Minister of the Kandyan kingdom built a palatial villa with local, moorish and dutch styles in the beautiful countryside near the former capital. 200 years later…

THE DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE WAS MY FAVORITE PLACE I VISITED ON MY FEBRUARY SRI LANKA BIKE TOUR

The Dambulla Cave Temple was a place I always wanted to visit but it was not on our bike tour itinerary. Our guide Peter made it happen for three of us who were interested. We were still exhausted from climbing Sigiriya’s 1250 steps before lunch so the 400…

I REALLY HATE HEIGHTS BUT I WAS COMPELLED TO CLIMB THE 1250 STEPS TO THE ANCIENT SIGIRIYA LION ROCK FORTRESS IN SRI LANKA

We took the van to our next luxury resort, Water Garden Sigiriya. Beautiful water features and pathways in the resort. Sigiriya Lion Rock looms very large in the background of our resort. It is an ancient rock fortress known for its massive column of rock that reaches nearly 650 feet…