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The tastes of Thailand We spent almost a month exploring Thailand and have so many amazing experiences to show for it. Ian and Erin spent some time travelling here almost 15 years ago; it was nice to be back and to contemplate how things have changed although we chose mostly new locations to see more of the country we remember so fondly. We hit the beaches first, opting to explore the south eastern Thai islands of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao (Koh means Island). Each i

The way to a traveler's heart is through their stomach. This variant on the old idiom rings true for us. Since food runs between 20-30% of our budget, it is a big part of this trip. So much of a country's culture is communicated through its food. As many of you know, we Sharps love food, from the simple art of a dinner out at the pub with close friends, yummy food packed for a ski lunch at Lake Louise, or more elaborate dinner parties and clubs we’ve been part of over the ye

The Vibrancy of Vietnam We just finished almost a month in Vietnam - making this dynamic country one of our top three in terms of time spent (the others are France and Tanzania). We have learned and experienced so much during our time here. We found each new stop offered locally distinct and special culture, history and food. Over the last few decades Vietnam has experienced one of the most remarkable economic transformations in modern history, evolving from one of the world

We are often asked about the planning pieces of travel - and I would say that we received great advice in this area - and yet cannot say we have nailed this skill - not sure anyone can (although many on instagram claim to have). We decided early to do most of the planning ourselves (ie without tour company or travel agent) because we had the time and wanted the budget to stretch as far as possible. Ian and I both backpacked “before the internet”, where a physical copy of a Lo