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Asia
“Saigon traffic is Vietnamese life, a continuous charade of posturing, bluffing, fast moves, tenacity and surrenders.” -Andrew X. Pham
Hotel Reviews
“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room – and God damn it – died in a hotel room.” -Eugene O’Neill
Recent Posts
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Downtown Vegas Oasis: El Cortez Cabana Suites
Choosing a hotel room in Las Vegas can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of thousands of rooms around the city ranging from palatial suites with butler service to a plain old Motel 6. Even after you’ve decided which hotel you want to visit it can be confusing deciding exactly which room to book. The differences…
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Where to Stay in Chile: Santiago’s Best Hotels
The first thing you’ll notice when searching for a hotel in Santiago is that most of them are arranged along a line from the center of the city to the east, parallel with the river. This is actually quite convenient because the #1 subway line runs along roughly the same path. Often visitors want to…
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Is This the Worst Country for Solo Travel?
Costa Rica has always enjoyed a sterling reputation in the US travel market. Long known as the safest and most stable country in Central America, many travelers value the ability to see all or most of it on a trip of just 1-2 weeks. The possibilities of where you could go in that time and…
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Is The Holiday Inn San Jose’s Best Hotel?
If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica you might be considering getting a hotel in San Jose to act as a base for exploring the rest of the country, or as a place to stay before or after flying. Holiday Inn is a name that’s familiar to most travelers and the Holiday Inn San…
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Is Hotel Los Ranchos a Slice of Paradise in Jaco Beach?
For travelers looking to stay in Jaco Beach finding a large chain hotel is not really possible. Aside from an all inclusive Best Western resort, there are just vacation rentals, hostels, and small local hotels. The Hotel Los Ranchos is one such property. Coming in at around $75 a night on Expedia, does this hotel…
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First Trip to Bogota: Everything You Need to Know
Bogota is not the world’s largest city. It’s not even close to the largest cities in the world, being barely within the top 30 in population size for its metro. But when you arrive in Bogota it will feel like the biggest city on Earth. Indeed, it’s larger than some of the world’s most visited…
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Holiday Inn Express Bogota Is a Great Stay With Uptown Amenities
For the first time visitor, it can be hard to get a read on a city like Bogota. It’s enormous. With many options including US brands coming in well under $100, you could be paralyzed by the large number of options available in the city. I selected the Holiday Inn Express Bogota Zona Financiera for…
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MedellÃn Can’t Remain a Best-Kept Secret For Long
The first thing I want to get settled is that MedellÃn is safe to visit. If you’re planning a trip you’ve probably already seen unflattering search results. Even if you’re not searching for crime specifically, warnings about personal safety are almost inescapable. A typical blog post or YouTube video features a professional traveler saying how…
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The Art Hotel MedellÃn: Boutique Style at Budget Prices
MedellÃn’s popular El Poblado neighborhood is in high demand among foreign travelers. While there are hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting the neighborhood each year the global hotel brands have yet to make significant inroads in the area. Most of the lodgings available here are smaller, quirky independent hotels, vacation rentals, or hostels. It can…
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Ibis MedellÃn is a Great Budget Stay in Colombia’s Coolest City
MedellÃn is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination in the 2020’s. But owing to the city’s violent history and Colombia’s decades-long civil war hotel construction is not equal to demand at the current time. When searching hotels online you’ll find a small handful of properties operating under global brands, a number of smaller, local hotels,…
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A Real-Life Review of Herschel Supply’s Product Line
Let me start by saying this isn’t a sponsored post. I’ve been wanting to replace my old duffel and backpack for a while, and always admired the Herschel Supply line of bags. I even recommended Herschel in a larger post about travel gear. With an eye toward traveling more in 2024 I thought the time…
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Is Cartagena the Most Overlooked Destination in the Caribbean?
Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas, Key Largo, Montego… uhhh Cartagena??? Really? There’s a reason why the Beach Boys didn’t see fit to name-check Colombia’s most prominent Caribbean city. There aren’t any all-inclusives here where you can while away your honeymoon in secluded bliss. There are no white sand beaches or drinking piña coladas out of coconuts…
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