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My name is Kien and I’m an international photographer and filmmaker. Over the last 10 years, I’ve traveled to 70+ countries to find the most wonderful things to check off my bucket list. I hope to share that experience and what I’ve learned to help you do the same.
Guides
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Let's Be Adventurers
Switzerland Bucket List: Hiking Seealpsee And Ascher Restaurant In Wasserauen
A couple of months ago, I snuck away to the town of St. Gallen in Switzerland to do some editing. Despite the Swiss Alps just a short train ride away, I managed to stick to my plan to sit still to edit.
Bucket List: Lake Titicaca And Who Came Up With That Name?
You can try, but there really isn’t an elegant way of pronouncing the name of this lake that straddles Peru and Bolivia.
Bucket List: Moonlight Kayaking Through Melbourne’s Harbour
Melbourne is the one of the few cities that feel so much like San Francisco that it’s almost like being home for me.
An Evening Back In Time At The Mozart Dinner Concert In Salzburg
If you are planning to head to Salzburg, no doubt you will have learned in your research that Salzburg is the birthplace of famous classical musician, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Bucket List: Midnight Hike Up Egypt’s Mount Sinai
Food always taste best when you’re hungry. After hiking to the top of Mount Sinai and waiting for the sun to rise, I’ll add that it tastes even better when you’re not only hungry but cold.
Palolem Beach: Steaks In Goa
Between the auto rickshaws, the crowds and all the noise, India can be a pretty hectic place. I love it. But after a month, I was starting to miss some necessities like the latest Modern Family episodes, motel hot tubs, and steak.
Bucket List: Sleeping Under The Stars In The Sahara Desert
I have this incredible yearning to travel on a silver plane to Morocco back in the 1940s. I want to order a French 75 and say something smooth like Humphrey Bogart and then ride by camel into the Sahara Desert like Lawrence of Arabia.
Bear Grylls Survival Challenge Review: That Time Bear Grylls Gave Me A Condom
“Sh*t!” Instinctively, I look down at my watch to check for my heart rate. It’s pumping at 164 BPM. This is a bad idea.
Travel Thoughts & Tips
Top 16 Things To Do In Sayulita
Sayulita is a gem of a town in Mexico known for its surfing, but there’s plenty of other things to do if you are tired of sunbathing and want to burn off some of the calories from all those late night tacos.
All The Times Things Fell Through And I Never Told Anyone
I’ve had some amazing experiences and projects that have taken me to some grand and odd corners of the world. Quite a few things happened by luck, like my private audience with the Dalai lama, or having my first travel video go viral.
A 54-Page Guide To Better Travel Photography
You’ve booked your flight and packed your bags for that big trip. Passport. Check. Travel towel. Check. Camera. Check. That last one is important.
What To Do When You’ve Been Robbed While Traveling
Any seasoned traveler will eventually run into some sort of problem. When you have all your possessions in a suitcase or a backpack, getting robbed abroad while traveling can be devastating.
Death And The DC-3 Plane Wreck In Iceland
One of the popular attractions for visitors to Iceland just happens to be is a plane wreck out in the middle of nowhere.
Iceland Bucket List: Dry Suit Snorkeling Silfra In The Winter
It was a little hard to wrap my head around it at first, but in the middle of Iceland is a fissure filled with some of the clearest water in the world.
Things To Do In Puerto Vallarta: Making My Own Chocolate at Cacao Magico
Mexico’s one of the places that has been mostly opened during the pandemic and as a result Puerto Vallarta has become a very popular destination –
New Zealand Bucket List: What I Learned Ice Climbing Fox Glacier
Prior to my arrival into New Zealand from Australia, I knew three things about New Zealand: 1. They have a lot of sheep.
The Perfect 7 Day Iceland South Coast Winter Ring Road Itinerary
NOTE: This was my carefully researched and curated ICELAND WINTER road trip itinerary for our 7 days THERE during the month of February.
10 Day Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary
If you are planning a trip to do the Annapurna Circuit, check out my full companion guide for Annapurna Circuit trek, with information on costs, applying for all the right permits, whether you need a guide, as well as all the teahouses on the trail.
Ultimate Guide To Sayulita 2024: Mexico’s Hidden Gem Surf Town
Update 2024: Sayulita has seen quite a bit of tourism uptick over the last few years. While the charm is still there, one notable thing I’ve found is that accommodations can be booked up much earlier than I expected in the past.
My 10 Year Search For The Perfect Camera Brought Me Back To APS-C
In 2015, I fully committed to switching from my Nikon DSLR system to a Sony mirrorless system starting with the Sony A7II.
Fuji X-T4 vs Fuji X-T3: Why The Older X-T3 Is Still Relevant In 2022
When Fujifilm announced the Fujifilm X-T4, the little grey cells in my head got together and put together a plan that eventually led to my switch from Sony to Fujifilm –
10 Things I Always Pack For Every Trip
With more than half of my year spent traveling and away from Los Angeles, I’ve learned to live with less. In fact, it’s always a shock when I come home and find that I own things I’ve completely forgot about and don’t need on a day to day basis.
My Travel Photography Gear For 2024
At the end of 2020, I’ve made a complete switch to Fuji’s X-System to cut down size and weight on my travels.
33 Things To Pack For Iceland In The Winter 2022
Iceland, in all its isolation, has been one of the countries that has fared pretty well with the pandemic. For those who are looking for a winter adventure in 2022, Iceland should be high on your list.
AzulPitaya: Reviewing Sayulita’s Newest Beachfront Boutique Hotel
AzulPitaya is Sayulita’s newest beachfront hotel. It’s located right in the heart on town on Avenida Palmar and each of the 60 rooms in the hotel comes with a massive king size bed and a balcony overlooking Sayulita’s largest pool.
Couchsurfing Horror Stories And 7 Tips To Avoid Them
This is not a click-bait article. I have plenty of reasons why you SHOULD couchsurf, but these are my legitimate thoughts and some reasons why you SHOULDN’T couchsurf.
Is It Worth It To Ride A Gondola In Venice?
One of the questions I get a lot is whether some activities are worth the cost. Case in the point is whether it’s worth visiting the Blue Lagoon thermal pools in Iceland for $90.
The Best Place To Eat Tafelspitz In Vienna
High on my list of things to do whenever I’m in major European cities is to find the best national dishes to eat.