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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: 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.
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.
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.
Ultimate Guide For Visiting Hobbiton In New Zealand 2024
Latest Status: The Hobbiton Movie Set is currently open and operating normally in 2024. Tickets should be booked in advance due to popularity of the tours.
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.
Traveling Back In Time To Venice
Venice is one of those cities that is busy and bustling, but mostly with travelers of the sort that lug around large suitcases over cobblestones and carry spare selfie sticks.
The Real Faces of Cuba
I’m fascinated by faces. When I first started traveling, I would be instantly drawn to capturing certain types of faces. The grizzled old man with lines and wrinkles carved into his faces.
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.
Travel Thoughts & Tips
Is The Blue Lagoon Too Touristy?
Before my trip, I had asked for opinions on whether I should visit the Blue Lagoon in Iceland on both occasions.
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.
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.
13 Tips and Hacks For Booking A Hostel In 2024
The first time I stayed in a hostel, I opened the door to my room to find three beautiful Swedish girls walking around in their underwear.
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.
A Visit To The Old Tsukiji Fish Market Before It Closed
The story below was from my visit to the tuna auction before it closed in 2018. The restaurants and stalls around that’s part of the outer Tsukiji fish markets are still open and while it’s a bit touristy, it’s still an experience not to be missed.
Lighting Food Photography With Fujifilm X-T4
One of the questions I get from time to time is whether I shoot with a flash or prefer natural lighting.
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.
11 Questions With Sayulita Sports Massage
Those who know me know I love massages and it’s something I seek out in every country I travel to. I partly attribute it to also the wear and tear of being on the road and traveling, but over the years I’ve learned that my upper back muscles compensate a lot for the lack of curvature in my spine.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Honest Reviews: Table For One At The Old Lahaina Luau
Here’s my disclosure: I’m not your typical cultural performance and buffet dinner type of guy, and a luau is a typical cultural performance and buffet dinner type of deal.
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.
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.
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 –
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 –
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.
Why You’re Never Going To Travel Around The World
This is not going to be easy and I’m going to say some stuff you’re not going to want to hear.