Gjirokaster to Tirana by Public Transport

Gjirokaster to Tirane bus schedule, Albania

Traveling from Gjirokaster to Tirana by public transport in Albania as a family was a simple straightforward process that I would like to share with you here.  With no Albanian language skills, we were still able to travel with little…

Visiting Gjirokaster With Kids

Gjirokaster at night

During our backpacking trip through Eastern Europe, we had the delight of staying in Gjirokaster, Albania for 5 days.  Gjirokaster with kids is so much fun to explore!  We took a bus from northern Greece and arrived in Gjirokaster just…

Thai Food for Picky Eaters

Moo Ping and Sticky Rice

When your children are willing to eat anything they see in front of them, traveling becomes a lot more fun.  In our family we have several adventurous eaters.  One of them wrote a post about food that she loves that…

6 Steps to Plan Your Off the Beaten Path Trip

Get off the beaten path

Once you have those plane tickets in hand, planning the next steps of your journey can seem overwhelming.  There are often so many options and so much information to sift through online, you get stuck.  In reality, you don’t want…

Where to Stay in Bangkok with Kids

Where to Stay in Bangkok

When planning a trip to Thailand and you decide to spend a couple of days in Bangkok, it can get very overwhelming choosing where to stay in Bangkok. Bangkok has many different neighborhoods.  The main areas you hear about downtown…

Phu Phrabat – Discovering Thailand’s Cave Paintings

Phu Prabat Historical Park

After visiting Phu Phrabat, I realized that this is an extremely underrated attraction as is common for many attractions in the Isaan region of Thailand. The Isaan region is the Northeast section of Thailand and as it is further away…

Staying in a Hostel with a Family

Hostel with kids

When you look at accommodations at a new location for your family, there are several different options: standard hotel, apartment, hostel, house…  It is easy to look at hostels as a backpacker, young, single option.  However, many hostels are able…

Exploring Loei: Thailand’s Gem in the Northeast

Bunny Temple

Loei province, the gateway between the north and northeast, has so much to offer a traveler.  One of our family’s favorite provinces in Thailand (we’ve been to over 50!), it has multiple points of interest to visit.  In this post,…

5 Off the Beaten Path Provinces in Central Thailand

Wat Phra That Pha Som Kaew Temple in Petchabun

Central Thailand is an area of Thailand easily overlooked by visitors due to its distance from the capital city of Bangkok in the south and the popular tourist destination of Chiang Mai in the north.  But it’s in these plains…

2 Days in Olympia, Greece

Day 1 After enjoying a scenic bus ride through the breathtaking Peloponnesian countryside, you arrive at the little town of Olympia.  The town swells with tourists during working hours as they come in groups from the cruise ships. But after…

Metro Manila

Mero Manila, Jeepney

The city of Manila holds a dear place in my heart as I spent my 90’s childhood living in downtown Manila and watched the growth of the city over a long period of time.  Returning to visit with my own…

Discovering Sighisoara with Kids: A Fairy Tale Town

Sighisoara is a town in the region of Transylvania, an area full of real-life fairytale lands.  In the center of the beautiful medieval town, lies a walled-in citadel.  This old town is a UNESCO-protected area teeming with restaurants, hotels, and…

Camping on the Transfagarasan

Transfagarasan

Our Personal Experience In June of 2023, our family experienced the Transfagarasan Highway through the Fagaras Mountains in Romania.  This highway is only open for part of the year due to the treacherousness of the road when it is winter. …

Exploring Bohol: Visiting Philippines Unique Island

Bohol

Fly into Panglao We chose to fly directly from Manila to Bohol for our trip to explore the island of Bohol. The Bohol Airport is actually on the island of Panglao, which is on the southern tip of Bohol Island…

Tarsier Conservation Center

Bohol Tarsier

The island of Bohol has two icons that it is known for – the chocolate hills and the tarsier.  Visiting tarsiers is not an easy task as they are tiny, hidden, and nocturnal.  But thankfully, there is a place on…

Complete Guide on Using the Airport Rail Link in Bangkok

Bangkok Airport Rail Link

You made it to Thailand and are planning a trip to Bangkok. Or you are going somewhere within Thailand. Chances are you will be flying into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). There is another major airport in Bangkok, Don Mueang (DMK)…

Visiting Sukhothai Historical Park as a Family

Sukhothai Historical Park

Background of Sukhothai, Thailand Found in the central heartland of Thailand, Sukhothai was the first capital city of a united Thailand. The Sukhothai era lasted between the 1200’s-1400’s before the Ayutthayan powers took over and the capital city moved to…

Manila Airport – Moving from International to Domestic Flights

How to transfer

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is on the southern side of greater Manila and is spread across three different terminals.  They are loosely broken up by international, domestic, and by airline.  Philippines Airlines has the majority of flights coming in…

Visiting the Bohol Chocolate Hills

Bohol Chocolate Hills

Bohol is a beautiful island in the Philippines next to the more populated island of Cebu.  Nature has created a unique wonder in the center of the island we call the chocolate hills! Bohol is accessible by air arriving at…

Crossing the Greece-Albania Border by Land

For our trip between Greece and Albania, we chose to go over the land crossing instead of via Corfu as most of the internet recommended. However, finding information about a land crossing using public transportation was missing in all my…

Red Lotus Lake, Udon Thani – How to Visit with Kids

Location Known as Talay Bua Daeng in Thai, Red Lotus Lake is known throughout Thailand as the landmark of Udon Thani province. Found an hour south of Udon Thani airport, the lake is large with several launching points around the…

Bua Tong Sticky Waterfalls Chiang Mai

About If you are traveling in Thailand, and are in the Chiang Mai area, a visit to Bua Tong Waterfall is a must, if you are up for an adventure.  Bua Tong Waterfall, or known widely as Sticky Waterfalls, is…

7-Eleven Lunch in Thailand

When on the run throughout the city or around the country, a quick and easy bite to get in Thailand is at 7-eleven.  In fact, there are so many options for on-the-go lunches, it is one of our top choices…

Visiting the Transfăgărășan Highway

Transfagarasan Highway

Location The Transfagarasan Highway (also named 7c) is one of the world’s most breathtaking mountain passes.  Found in the Transylvania region of Romania, the highway cuts across the Fagaras Mountains.  The Fagaras Mountains are on the south side of the Carpathian Mountain…

Phu Kradueng

Phu Kradueng Peak

Location Phu Kradueng National Park is found in the province of Loei in Northeast Thailand. Loei is the province that joins the northeast region called Isaan with the northern region of Thailand. The Isaan region is mostly flat farmland but…

7 Tips for Camping in National Parks in Thailand

Camping Spot at a National Park in Thailand

1. Arrive early Arrive early to get the best spot for camping. Be mindful about where the bathrooms are and find a fire source if it’s allowed. Look for a firepit; building fires anywhere you want is not allowed. Expect…

Explore Bangkok with Kids- 3 Different Budget Options

Are you looking for a fancy vacation with your family in Bangkok?  Or one where you made it to Bangkok but don’t have a baht left for attractions?  We’ve put together a list for ANY budget type!  While this list…

Guide to Phu Ruea National Park

Location Phu Ruea is a district in Loei province in the northeast region of Thailand, known as Isaan. Phu Ruea is found on the northwestern edge of the province amidst the mountains straddling the border of Thailand and Laos. Attractions…

7-Eleven Snacks to Try in Thailand for Kids

Thailand 7-Eleven

You’ve made it to Thailand!  And you’ve heard about all the wonderful street food in Thailand!  But there is another store on almost every street corner that you weren’t expecting to see so much of.  It’s 7-Eleven, and there are…

E-San Banhao Farm

Visit E-San Banhao Farm to learn about and experience traditional farm life in Thailand.

Public Transportation Around Vientiane 2024

When you are traveling with kids, you want the transport from place A to place B to be as easy as possible.  Add to that learning how a new culture works and what is an acceptable amount of bartering, transportation…

6 Places to Explore in Vientiane with Kids

Vientiane is the quickly developing, small, capital city of Laos.  With just over 700,000 people, it is one of the smallest capital cities in all of Southeast Asia.  If you are wanting to travel with your kids to an off…

Crossing the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge Border

The closest border crossing to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, is at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai, Thailand.  Nong Khai is a bustling small town with many hostel and hotel options to stay in before making the…

How To Do the Giza Pyramids Without a Tour

When we were planning our month-long backpacking trip for our family of six, I spent a lot of time researching how to do the pyramids on our own.  The internet was full of horror stories.  And everyone’s message was the…

Overview of Visiting National Parks in Thailand

National parks are a great way to get off the beaten path in Thailand, but they do take some work to get to. National parks have been given their status because of natural beauty that should be left unharmed. This means…

Step by Step Guide to Food Courts in Thailand

Food courts are a great cheap option for food around Thailand. They are especially amazing if you have picky children and need a variety of foods to choose from. If you can find one thing your kids will eat in…

7 Ways to Salvage a Bad Travel Day with Kids

We’ve all had those days. You know, the days when nothing quite goes right when traveling. One kid after another is having a meltdown, you can’t find where you’re needing to go, or something just didn’t go as planned. How…

Top 5 Towns to Visit in Isaan with Kids

There is a whole area of Thailand that is easily left out of any visitors’ itinerary.  It is the region of northeast Thailand called the Isaan region.  If you and your family want an off the beaten path adventure, I…