Yokohama Royal Park Hotel Address: 2-2-1-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-Ku, Yokohama, Japan Value Luxury Rating: Features: The Yokohama Royal Park Hotel is situated in the Minato Mirai 21 area, a cosmopolitan development area of Yokohama which combines a variety if sights and attractions, including an amusement park and the Cosmo 21 Ferris Wheel, shopping, over 200 restaurants, museums, theaters and entertainment venues, and more. The lobby and other public areas of the hotel are lovely – inviting, filled with beautiful floral displays, and offering seating and gathering areas that are well placed and don’t clutter things up. I’d call it an elegant Zen vibe, with a nice dash of upscale luxury. Hotel features and amenities include: fitness center, indoor pool, 9 restaurants, spa, business center, tea ceremony room, gift shop, and concierge service. Located on floors 52-67 of the building, every one of the Royal […]
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World Map Update: Thailand and Malaysia
It’s time to add another two countries to my visited list – Thailand and Malaysia. It’s still a rather paltry representation, emphasizing that I made numerous visits to the same place rather than venture further afield. I’m working on plans to hit up a few more countries in 2014, so stay tuned. Create your own travel map – TravBuddy
Read MorePostcard from Kuala Lumpur
The Petronas Twin Towers are the tallest in the world and dominate the skyline in Kuala Lumpur — by day they are a shiny focal point, and a night they seem to glow and light up the sky. They contain offices for Petronas and other tenants. If you seen a movie or photo of Kuala Lumpur, you’ve likely caught a glimpse of these towers.
Read MorePostcard from Ipoh, Malaysia
I had never heard of Ipoh before this trip to Malaysia. The town once known for its thriving tin mining industry is now staking its claim in other ways, including spa and wellness tourism. This water lily was in the gardens at The Banjaran, Malaysia’s first natural hot springs wellness retreat, providing peaceful bliss after a week on the road.
Read MorePostcard from The Blue Mansion, Penang
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also called the Blue Mansion, dates back to the 1880s and is a private residence as well as a 16-room guesthouse. It gets its distinctive blue color from mixing lime with a natural blue dye made from the indigo plant. Tours are offered, giving visitors the chance to peek behind the scenes and take a look at how the wealthy lived.
Read MorePostcard from James Bond Island, Thailand
James Bond Island is officially known as Khao Phing Kan, and is a part of Ao Phang Nga National Park just off of Phuket, Thailand. It would most likely have remained an obscure area were it not for the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun, where it was Scaramonga’s island. Do you recognize it?
Read MorePostcard from Bangkok
It took me over 24 hours to get to Thailand and my first day was full of delicious food. Like this classic , and delicious dessert of sticky rice, coconut milk (to pour over it ), and mango. Lunch at Sala Rattanakosin in Bangkok.
Read MoreYoshida Udon: A Meal Fit for Mt. Fuji
It was hot and filling, and best of all – it wasn’t fish! I slurped up that bowl of Yoshida Udon like there was no tomorrow. I had been in Japan for a couple of days and had been treated to gourmet meals aplenty. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were beautiful works of art, masterpieces of flavor, and were eagerly devoured by my traveling companions. I, alone, appeared to be the one person who couldn’t face fish, often uncooked, for three meals a day. I felt bad as I pushed things around my plate, trying to be polite and look like I was both eating and enjoying this impressive presentation. This was beautiful food; it was expertly prepared and presented, but I just couldn’t face it. In that fleeting moment, I realized that I was more gourmand than gourmet. What I […]
Read MorePostcard from Mt Fuji
In the pre-dawn glow, Mt Fuji peeks through the clouds. It’s waiting for me.
Read MoreTokyo: 12 Things I Didn’t Know Until I Got There
I love researching travel. I love reading guide books, checking out travel blogs, looking at photos on Pinterest, and pretty much everything about the process of learning about a destination. From the massaging of flight schedules to selecting accommodations and tours, from reading restaurant reviews and learning about food trends to learning about which sights are worth visiting, it’s all a delightful challenge to me. But no matter how much you prepare yourself, there are things you will encounter that you just didn’t know before you got to your destination. When it comes to travel to Tokyo, here are the things I just didn’t know till I got there: Tokyo goes right. In Tokyo they drive on the right hand side of the road, the vehicles are right hand drive, and in crowded spaces you stand to the left and […]
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