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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: The Art Of Floating In Jordan’s Dead Sea
This one has always fascinated me. The Dead Sea is so salty that nothing can survive in it. It’s attracted visitors for thousands of years dating back to Herod The Great’s time.
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.
Bucket List: The Alhambra, Flamenco And Free Tapas In Granada
Through the ages, backpackers traveling across distant lands have traded stories of a city somewhere in Andalusia where a weary traveler can stop and quench his thirst and in doing so, also satiate his hunger and empty stomach.
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.
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.
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”
Falling In Love With Taylor Swift Again At The Rose Bowl
I am an unapologetic and unabashed fan of Taylor Swift and her music. Before she became a global pop icon, she was a 16-year-old country singer-songwriter that wrote about her heartbreaks and some guy named Drew.
Bucket List: Exploring The Lost City Of Petra
Many of us know of Petra from the scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” where Indy rides through a narrow passageway surrounded by stone only to arrive at an ancient building carved right into the mountains.
Travel Thoughts & Tips
How To Get Backcountry Backpacking Permits Yellowstone
The first thing you should know about Yellowstone is that the national park sits on a volcanic caldera. Essentially, the whole place is a giant super-volcano and it’s not one of the happy dormant ones.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How To Take Better Travel Photos: People and Portraits
This is the second in my series of write-ups on “How To Take Better Travel Photos”. In this series, I’ll explain my philosophy and etiquette for how to take better shots of people you encounter on your travels, whether they are locals in their natural environment or just interesting looking people.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
LOCAL TRIBE DE MEXICO: Reviewing Sayulita’s Newest Boutique Hotel
For my 3 month stay in Sayulita, I rented an apartment right in the heart of the town next to Yolanda’s chicken.
27 Essential Things To Pack For Traveling In 2022
I spend 6-10 months out of the year on the road, so while I have the option of buying things when I need them, I generally carry everything I need with me on my travels.
A Virgin Guide To Surviving Your First Burning Man 2024 Edition
It’s been exactly a decade since my first trip to Black Rock City and I’m pretty sure that I’m no longer carrying any playa dust on my body.