Nestled in the northern reaches of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island offer a tapestry of breathtaking landscapes and serene waters, interwoven with the rich texture of Vietnamese culture and history. My recent voyage to these iconic destinations was an experience that danced gracefully between relaxation and adventure, leaving me with memories etched in the beauty of their natural wonders.

I fell in love with Tokyo quickly. Like maybe immediately. I don’t know. In the first few days there, I kept thinking about how it reminded me of New York City. It’s big, bustling, and full of life. But it’s a calmer, cleaner, and cheaper version of the Big Apple. Sure, Shibuya is Times Square meets Bourbon Street, but the rest of the city operated much slower than I expected for a city of 31 million.

Beijing is a pleasantly odd place. It is both familiar and foreign. It is, at times, an assault on your sensibilities while at the same time accommodating them. It takes whatever limits you may have set for yourself and gently prods you to test them.