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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.
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Let's Be Adventurers
Bucket List: Paris Beyond Croissants And The Mona Lisa
There’s a time and place for going off the beaten path. You can’t come to Paris and skip the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Notre Dame just because it’s a crowded tourist attraction and on every “Must Do In Paris”
Spa Day Review At The Tamina Therme In Bad Ragaz
If you are in Switzerland and looking for a little day trip escape from Zurich, Bad Ragaz and their healing thermal baths should definitely be on your radar.
Bucket List: Eating Fresh Mutton In Morocco
Usually when a bus takes a break stop, it’s either at some awful restaurant that pays it a commission or a cheap cafe serving sodas, chips, and maybe a sandwich.
Bucket List: Yankee Doodle Canyoning In Zion
1. Brick It: verb \ ‘brik it \ : To “Brick it” is to “sh*t a brick”, where one is scared to the point that one not only loses control of their bowels, they lose control epically, resulting in something akin to a brick being dispelled and left behind.
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.
Read First: Swimming With Whale Sharks In Oslob
Update: As of January 1, 2022, the Philippines are still closed to tourism. I’m keeping an eye on when the islands will open up because I plan to do a trip there this year.
Bucket List: Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Montserrat
Once upon a time, I was asked by a client if I could fly to Barcelona to shoot a short film.
Everything To Know BEFORE Hiking The Annapurna Circuit Trek
If you’re in Nepal, you’re most likely here to do some trekking and there’s no trek more grand than the Annapurna Circuit that takes you up 5416m (17769 ft) and across 220 km (~137 mi) of mountains and villages in a circuit that begins in Besisahar and ends in Pokhara.
Travel Thoughts & Tips
The Only 3 Real Ways To Find Cheap Flights
There are so many articles on ways to find cheap flights that it is a task in itself to sort through and figure out what works and what’s just written as filler so they can add another 3, 5 or 38 ways onto a list.
How To Get To Lago di Sorapis In The Dolomites
If you’re looking for a very manageable sunrise hike, without the crowds, while staying in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Lago di Sorapis is an exceptional choice.
Demystifying The Dolomites: How To Plan A Fall Trip
The first time I heard the word Dolomites in passing, I confused it with the Annamites in Vietnam and then promptly forgot about it for years.
Travel Gear I Always Have With Me
Planning ahead and having the the right gear while balancing need, practicality, and weight has really made traveling a lot less stressful and more efficient.
Traveling Is Exhausting As Hell
I clean my room and make my bed before I leave for a trip, because there’s no better feeling than arriving home to a clean room and made bed and plopping down for a good 12 hours of sleep.
Hiking Cinque Torri and Via Ferrata To Rifugio Nuvolau
Cinque Torri is a gem of a location in the Dolomites and Cortina’s most famous climbing location. It was also the site one some of the fiercest fighting between the Austrians and Italians during World War I.
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.
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.
Is It Safe To Travel Abroad Alone As A Girl From A Guy’s Perspective
You’re hitchhiking and need to get to Tajikistan from somewhere in the middle of Kyrgyzstan. No car has stopped in the last 3 hours.
Staycation Review: Casa Selva Sayulita Boutique Hotel
A few weeks ago, I spent a long weekend at Casa Selva, a tropical boutique hotel that opened earlier in 2021 in Sayulita, Mexico.
9 Common Travel Scams To Avoid When Traveling In Europe and Asia
There are scams almost everywhere there are hordes of tourists. Your chances of encountering it comes down to just where you are and how many other tourists are around.
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 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.
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.
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.
Is Your Phone Camera Good Enough For Travel Photography in 2022?
Sensor image quality has advanced so much over the last few years that phone manufacturers are boasting photographs that rival those from larger mirrorless and DSLR cameras.
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 –
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.
Review: Breakfast and Brunch At Red Bull’s Hangar-7 In Salzburg
Salzburg is supposedly known for three things: Mozart, The Sound Of Music, and Red Bull. Did you know that? Because, to be honest, I didn’t know that Red Bull was from Austria, let alone, Salzburg.
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.