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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: That Time I Fell Into The Amazon River While Peeing
The Amazon rainforest is a beautiful and wild place. It’s also quite big, so while most of it is in Brazil, you can still visit from within Colombia, Equador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru.
Ultimate Guide BEFORE Hiking The Annapurna Circuit Trek 2024
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.
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: Getting Lost The Right Way In Fes
The Old Souk is a sprawling maze within the walled Medina of Fes. Remember Aladdin, where he’s running away from those palace guards after stealing an apple.
The Rickshaw Run: 14 Days and 3000 km Across India
I’ve been on some amazing adventures, but this next one might just be the most audacious one yet. How else would you describe a 14-day, 3000 km adventure across India in a 7-horsepower rickshaw?
That Time I Was In The Ozark County Times
I was once featured on the front page of The Ozark County Times, a newspaper in Missouri that’s distributed to a whopping 3,050 local residents.
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.
Road To The Death Race: 12 Hour Hurricane Heat
This is part I in a multi-part series about my journey to the 2015 Peak Races Summer Death Race, an extreme multi-day endurance event that’s designed to push racers beyond their limits and break all but the strongest.
Travel Thoughts & Tips
Is “The Fork” A Legit Deal Or A Scam?
You might have seen The Fork pop up from time to time when researching restaurants in Europe and the UK with discounted deals for eating at certain restaurants.
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.
Lost Luggage And Spanish Deodorant: A Guide To Staying Calm When You Lose Your Shit
Shit happens. On the road, there’s enough going on that small things going awry can cause more damage than it should.
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.
How To Actually Travel Well for $50 A Day
There are plenty of guides out there that teaches you how to travel on the cheap. You’ve seen it. Travel for under $50 a day.
How To Take Better Travel Photos: Exposure
This is the first in my series of write-ups on “How To Take Better Travel Photos”. In this series, I’ll do my best to cut through all the jargons and break down the different elements that make up a good photograph.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Ultimate Guide To Eating In Sayulita 2024
Updated April 2024: Between each of my last visits, a surprising amount of new places opened, while others have closed, rebranded, and/or opened in new locations .
Bucket List: Piccola Cir Via Ferrata In The Dolomites
If there’s one thing you must do in the Dolomites, it’s a via ferrata climb on of the mountains. And while there are so many options, it’s hard to beat a summit of Piccola Cir which takes you on a spiraling upward route around the peak that feels like you’re going vertical the entire time and yet is doable for most people with the right guiding.
What To Do If You’re Sick Abroad While Traveling
Travel to enough places, and you’ll eventually find yourself writhing in extreme pain from a bout of food poisoning, or some other illness.
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.
How Far In Advance Should You Book Your Flight?
I’ve been asked many times if I should book my flight far in advance. My rule of thumb is this: book as soon as you are sure about your travel dates.
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: Salina Turda Underground Amusement Park in Romania
Close your eyes and imagine a gaping volume of emptiness and darkness deep underground. Now imagine a string of neon lights descending in a geometric spiral down this vast space.
Hotel Marmolada: Review Of Corvara’s Best Hotel
Where do I begin? The Hotel Marmolada, summed up, feels like staying with a family friend, if your friend was a millionaire and had a beautiful cabin in the mountains with one of the nicest pools and spa in the Dolomites.
Why I Hate To Travel Alone
I know it’s a strong statement, but before you make that face, know that this is a companion piece to my other post: