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Ipoh: Malaysia’s Enchanting City of Heritage and Natural Beauty
If you are joining us mid-trip, this is stop number two, Ipoh (pronounced Ee-poh). Our itinerary was 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 1 night in Ipoh, 2 nights in Penang, 1 night in Langkawi and 1 final night in Kuala Lumpur. We grabbed a ride from mydaytrip.com in the afternoon and had a lovely 2 hour drive to Ipoh. Ipoh is the fourth largest city in Malaysia and is about 2 1/4 hours north of Kuala Lumpur and south east of Penang. The most common way to get to Ipoh is by train. The train schedule didn’t match up with our wants and needs, so we decided to hire a…
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Penang, Malaysia – Unveiling the Highlights and Hidden Gems
Penang is an amazing cultural destination, but much bigger than you think. I have been dying to get to Penang since March 2020 when the Prime Minister of Malaysia kicked me out of the country. Ok, so technically he kicked all tourists out due to Covid, but I took it personally and have held a grudge against him ever since. (Cue Frankie Goes to Hollywood – I know you Zoolander fans feel me on this one) Finally, a Chance to Go When Peggy agreed to meet me in Malaysia after my Bali Yoga Retreat, I dusted off my 2020 itinerary and jumped right back into planning. Our itinerary was 2…
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One Quick Day in Langkawi
Also known as the biggest mistake in our Malaysia trip I am not saying “mistake” because it was terrible and we shouldn’t have gone. I am saying we made a tremendous mistake in not staying in Langkawi forever. We should have planned more time. We should have just stayed forever. Arriving in Langkawi Langkawi is the main island of an archipelago of 99 islands in the Strait of Malacca, off the northwest coast of Malaysia at the border of Thailand. We arrived after a very quick flight from Penang and ordered a Grab (the SE Asia equivalent of Uber). It is here we met our driver, Arthur, who tried very…
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Paros – A Perfect Paradise in the Cyclades
While island hopping around the Cyclades in Greece with my friend Kelli, the second stop was Paros. In building the itinerary, Mykonos and Santorini felt obligatory, but Paros was a well-researched decision. With its bougainvillea-draped walkways, beautiful views and easy pace, it was my favorite stop of all! Leaving Mykonos As promised in the last post, I’ll start with the ugly – the ferry terminal in Mykonos. It was horrible! We had booked a mid-morning ferry to Paros but it was running late (like they tend to do). This part was not a big deal, but we got to the ferry terminal and there were swarms of people. We surely…
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Mykonos – Overhyped Destination or Not to be Missed?
After a surprisingly wonderful couple of days in Athens, it was time for Kelli and I to set sail (or ferry) for Mykonos. Mykonos would be the first of 3 Cyclades island destinations. When we created our itinerary, we were skeptical about dedicating time to Mykonos because it gets such mixed reviews. Many travel bloggers say to skip it, it’s crowded, touristy and overhyped. Others list is as one of their favorites for it’s beauty, activities and nightlife (after all, it is the most visited of the islands). Well we weren’t looking for nightlife but we could not skip it either…so one night it was! How to Get From Athens…
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Athens – More Than a Stepping Stone to the Greek Islands
Athens is the entry point to Greece for most travelers, but after this trip, I will tell you…it should be more than a stepping off point. Athens was a wonderful city. So much history, architecture, art and food!! You remember my travel buddy, Kelli, from our Epic Utah Road trip? Well, we are back with a much grander trip. This time, Greece! We started off in Athens for a short stop before setting sail (or ferry, as the case may be) to Mykonos, Paros and Santorini. Athens Kelli and I are both planners and this always works out so well. You know how you hear about friends where one is…
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Our Hobbiton Journey – A Pilgrimage to Nerd Paradise
Hobbiton – Our New Zealand Side Trip When my husband and I had an opportunity to visit New Zealand as an add-on to our Tahiti trip, we couldn’t wait. We knew it was going to be a short trip, but we had one absolute: Hobbiton. The Shire If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you know this is an absolute MUST DO. If you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, first of all, what is wrong with you? Second of all, this tour is still a really cool experience. Alexander Farms has done an amazing job with this tour. A Little Background Peter Jackson found the…
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Our Best of 2022 Wrap Up and Travel Awards
2022 was a fantastic travel year for each of us – both together and separately. Unfortunately, I think we will find as we write this that many of our favorites were not with each other and that makes me a bit sad. But let’s celebrate the adventure, fun, laughs and joy in our Best of 2022 while pledging to do better in 2023! Best Moments Most Sisbehaving Moment Little Sister – Fat Girl in a little safe. One of the best laughs ever. Because leave it to me to be completely oblivious to the fact there’s other people on this planet with me, as I start singing to myself, not…
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Papeete – Gateway to French Polynesia
Sister Solo Experience There are times where we do travel without a sister. My husband, Pat, likes to do things just us (which I don’t get, lol), and Peggy has friends who want to travel places with her. It’s weird, but it happens. And we often times wish the other sister was there to share the view or the experience. For me, Mo’orea was one of those times. The planning of an epic husband-inclusive experience One of our best friends turned 50 this year, and decided he wanted to go to Tahiti for his birthday. But then he discovered the island paradise of Mo’orea, and we went into planning mode.…
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Christmas on the Rhine – Cruising into the Holiday Spirit
Is anyone else still trying to take their Covid-canceled trips? I wish I could say that this Viking Cruise was the last of mine, but sadly I have one more to go. Booking our Christmas on the Rhine Viking River Cruise Our mom and I had originally booked the “In Search of Northern Lights” ocean voyage for January 2022. When that was canceled, our credits had to be used by January 2023 and with our schedules, we needed to book something in late autumn – hence, the Christmas on the Rhine. The European Christmas Markets had long been in my plans and this really seemed like an ideal way to…