All posts filed under: Travel

Must Do’s: The Top 10 Must Do’s in Lyon, France

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My extended family is from Lyon, France.  My artistic cousin, Aurelia Hoang, has a blossoming made-to- measure bridal wear line which is now in its 3rd year and is continuously featured in numerous blogs.  (website)  Her gowns captures the “je ne sais quoi” aspect of a French bride.  Born and raised in Lyon, she was the perfect person to put together the top 10 Must Do’s in Lyon for our readers.  The designer: #1 Le Vieux Lyon (the old Lyon) It was about to be demolished in the 1990’s to make room for a new highway but UNESCO recognized its cultural and historic significance. Fortunately, this very old area, which has been around since the 17th century, is still standing. It is the most touristy district in Lyon with narrow paved streets, typical bouchon restaurants, traboules, the Gadagne Museum, St Jean Cathedral and delicious organic ice cream at Terradelice! #2 Basilique de Fourviere The Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere dominates the city of Lyon from the top of the Fourvière Hill.  It is one of the most visible landmarks and a symbol …

Restaurant Review: Townsman (Boston, MA)

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Having been spoiled by the never ending high profile restaurants in NYC, I never thought I would be wowed by a restaurant in Boston. I lived in Boston for 4 years and visited the city a few times each year after I left. I never experienced a restaurant that left a lasting impression. While visiting my sister in Boston one weekend, we all decided to try out a buzzy new restaurant on the outskirts of Chinatown called the Townsman. This is the first time in a long time that I was going to be “that” person photographing all the dishes.  This review was not planned. I had such a memorable time and was inspired by the food that I had to write this review. Decor:  4 out of 5 I was struck by the decor which had a wonderful modern New England style that comprised of Shaker style benches and chairs and a lot of rustic industrial decor.  When we walked in, we were greeted by a large bar that encompasses a large portion of the …

Weekend Unexplored: Martha’s Vineyard

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Martha’s Vineyard is a day trip away from Boston and has been on our list of places to explore.  We never seem to find the time to take the trip.  There have been the usual excuses that the traffic to the Cape is insane to brave the crowds on the island for a 1 day trip is too short to justify the long round trip, etc.  Finally, on a beautiful Saturday in June, my husband and I decided it was now or never and went for it. Martha’s Vineyard is a beautiful pristine island off the coast of Cape Cod.  The white houses with shutters and colorful hydrangeas lining the street look exactly like the images in the magazines and movies (probably because these are the houses they filmed!).  The island is dotted with sandy beaches along the coastline and serene vistas. Martha’s Vineyard has different areas to explore: Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Chappaquiddick, Katama, Chilmark, Aquinnah, and Menemsha.  You can drive around the entire island in one day! GETTING TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD: There …

Weekend Unexplored: 72 hours in San Diego, CA

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I have not been to San Diego (La Jolla to be exact) since I was 13 years old when my family and I visited distant cousins. The trip was memorable because it was the first time I fell in love with California. I vowed one day that I’d move to the best coast and be in warm sunshine all year round. Fast forward a couple decades, I ended up in San Francisco with no real summers (or winters) so I’d say I’m at least headed in the right direction. I frequent LA often but never quite make it down to San Diego so when a good friend of mine from the East Coast was looking to have a getaway, I agreed to visit San Diego with my friend. San Diego has a lot to offer. It has a mix of old and new world charm. DAY 1 11:00 AM We arrived in sunny San Diego and made the 15 minute drive to downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter to check into our hotel. The Gaslamp Quarter …

Must Do’s: Đà Nẵng, Vietnam (Part 2)

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Last week, we explored Amy Dao’s recommendations for places to eat in Đà Nẵng.  This week we will introduce places where the locals hang out and the must see sights of the beautiful city. Must See: Linh Ung Pagoda (In But Beach, Son Tra Peninsula, Danang) From the city center, tourists can cross the Han River Bridge and then turn left. The pagoda is approximately 10km to the northeast.  The pagoda is located 700 meters high up in a hill facing to the sea with its back to the mountain.  This pagoda offers sweeping views of Đà Nẵng city and the bay. The pagoda is a combination of modern and traditional architectural styles. The most striking feature is its majestic 67-metre-tall Goddess of Mercy Statue standing on a lotus-shaped platform, which is considered the highest in Viet Nam.  Inside the statue, which is equivalent to a 30-story building, there are 17 levels, allowing visitors to admire the view from different heights. This pagoda is best visited once during the day and again at night to see the gorgeous nightscape. …

Must Do’s: Đà Nẵng , Vietnam (Part 1)

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Đà Nẵng  is one of the major port cities in Vietnam and the biggest city on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. The city is situated on the coast of the Eastern Sea, at the opening end of the Hàn River.  The city is also a famous beach resort town with major high end resorts that were developed over the last decade.  Yet, the town still maintains a charm of a small coastal town as compared to Nha Trang. Đà Nẵng is also centrally located and within 100 km of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial City of Huế, the Old Town of Hội An, and the Mỹ Sơn ruins.  Recently, the New York Times ranked Đà Nẵng 43rd on its  list of 52 places to go in its 2015 list.  Needless to say, Đà Nẵng is becoming a global destination with its famous white sandy beaches and fresh seafood cuisine. I know Đà Nẵng more intimately as I spent a few years there as a child and still have a majority of my relatives living in the city.  When I wanted …

Hotel Review: Mercure Phu Quoc Resort Hotel (Phu Quoc, Vietnam)

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Mercure Phu Quoc Resort Hotel  Editor’s Revision on 7/9/2015:  Mercure Phu Quoc Resort Hotel is part of the Accor Hotels Group.  We originally listed it as part of the Novotel Brand.   Address: To 1 Ap Duong To Xa Duong To, Huyen Phu Quoc, 95000 TINH KIEN GIANG, Vietnam For our weekend trip to Phu Quoc, we decided to stay at the newest resort with a private beach, away from the crowds.  The Mercure Hotel on Phu Quoc Island was the perfect choice.  It just opened in November 2014.  The boutique resort is located 10 minutes from the airport and about 20 minutes away from town. It offers the exclusivity of a boutique luxury resort but goes easier on your wallet.  The resort is even expanding with further construction that will continue through next year. PROS: The breakfast buffet is a great deal!  The breakfast buffet offer an incredible array of food (Phu Quoc’s specialties and the standard Western hot and cold buffets).  Breakfast is served until 10:30am.  We got there at 10am to secure a table in …

Weekend Unexplored: Backpacking through Yosemite

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Wanting to explore Yosemite National Park without the crowds, some friends and I decided to do a 3-day hike with The Wildland Trekking Company along the less traversed trails of the Valley.  None of us were experienced backpackers and owned little to none of the camping gear necessary for the trip.  Booking a backpacking trip with Wildland provided us with an experienced, thoughtful guide, and all of the gear necessary to make for a stress-free journey through arguably California’s most beautiful state park. The most important factor of enjoying the trip was the physical stamina to carry all of the necessary weight.  Each of our packs would have to fit a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, rain gear, toiletries, and bear canisters storing food.  Knowing that I would have to carry a 30Ib. pack over the course of three days, I trained a month before–climbing up and down stairs with weights and doing day hikes with a 15-20 Ib. pack.  I quickly learned that my backpack and trekking poles were the best assets I had …

Weekend Unexplored: Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam) – Part II

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Editor’s Revision on 7/9/2015:  Mercure Phu Quoc Resort Hotel is part of the Accor Hotels Group.  We made the correction to this post as we originally wrote “Novotel” instead of “Mercure” in our post. We spent our Saturday exploring Phu Quoc island by boat and enjoying the island view from the ocean.  We will now start exploring the unique offerings of the island on our trusty moped. On Sunday, we headed to Mercure Phu Quoc Resort Hotel’s breakfast buffet before exploring the other sites.  We were wowed by the selection and quality of food at the buffet.  There is an abundant of fresh fruits, local selections as well as continental breakfast.  The only drawback we saw were the pastries.  They just did not taste like they were freshly baked.  This is an ongoing observation for most of the hotels that I have been to in Vietnam. The best fish sauce in Vietnam comes from Phu Quoc Island so it was mandatory to tour the local fish sauce factory.  The distillery of Nuoc Mam Hung Thanh …

Weekend Unexplored: Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam) – Part I

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Editor’s Revision on 7/9/2015:  Mercure Phu Quoc Resort Hotel is part of the Accor Hotels Group.  We made the correction to this post as we originally wrote “Novotel” instead of “Mercure” in our post. An island less traveled by foreign tourists… I have explored Vietnam since I was 18 years old.  I remembered the road trips my family took up and down Vietnam on perilous roads that still induced fear into me.  It is amazing how much Vietnam has changed in 14 years.  On my last trip to Ho Chi Minh City (“HCMC”), my best friend mentioned fresh sea urchins and the abundance of seafood on Phu Quoc Island that she tasted on her many trips there with her friends.  The island has relatively been untouched by foreign tourism and that is about to change with all the new resorts being built over the next few years.  Phu Quoc is one of the last sleepy fishing islands off the coast of Vietnam. It takes about an hour flight from HCMC.  It is the local weekend …