After two really increadible days of diving in French Polynesia our cruise continued east. We visited two more islands, Nuku Hiva and Pitcairn Island, however we didn't go ashore. In total we spent eight days sailing from Fakarava to Easter Island. It was pretty crazy looking at where we were on a map, with no land in any direction for about a thousand miles.
Read MoreAfter spending about 10 days up in the North part of Vietnam, we flew south to Da Nang in central Vietnam. In the north we were wearing our biggest jackets and many layers, it was probably 55-60 degrees, but we'd gotten so acclimated to 80-90 that we couldn't stay warm. Just an hour and a half flight south meant back to tropical temperatures and loads of humidity. We had heard only good things about Hoi An from all the tourists we met, and were really excited to spend the lunar new year there.
Read MoreChuck and I were really excited to visit Angkor Wat, the famous temple complex in Cambodia which is the largest religious monument in the entire world. I expected it to be a lot like Bagan with thousands of temples spread across a plain divided only by low brush and tall grasses. Instead, I was surprised to find that there are a lot fewer temples, which are individually quite large. Each one was very unique, and since the climate is wetter, many temples have massive moats around them. The jungle is slowly taking over many of the temples, and you see huge trees growing from the walls.
Read MoreAfter our few days in Yangon, Samantha and I took an overnight bus north to Bagan. The bus ride took about 9 hours, and we started at 8pm. We sprang for the VIP class for a whopping $4 extra, and it was definitely worth it. While not luxurious by any means, the bus had only three seats per row, two on one side and one on the other. The seats were like first class airline seats, though much less legroom.
Read MoreWe visited Yangon mainly to visit Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest and most beautiful Buddhist pagoda in Yangon. Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and is also the capital. Travel websites frequently mention Yangon's colonial architecture as a major reason to visit, and while Yangon certainly had its charms--mainly the friendly people and delicious food--I'm not sure the architecture is anything to write home about.
Read MoreWe had heard about some cool places in Northern Thailand to check out from some people we met along our way. We knew for sure we wanted to go to Pai, about 3 hours north west of Chiang Mai, and also Chiang Rai, about 3 hours north east. After doing some checking, it seemed like the best way to visit both would be to rent a car, which we did on our last day in Chiang Mai. We had been warned by literally everyone we spoke to that had been that the road to Pai is a little bit crazy, which was one of the main reasons we decided not to rent mopeds and opted for the car. It was a good thing we did.
Read MoreAfter our relatively sleepy few days in Ayutthaya, Sam and I headed up north to Chiang Mai. We'd heard from a bunch of people that Chiang Mai was a highlight of their trips to Thailand, so we were super excited to check it out. It's a much sleepier city than Bangkok, and it was definitely much easier as a tourist. We had a hotel booked right in the middle of the old city, which was a perfect hub for seeing the sights. It's a city that is filled temples and history, and we spent a few days taking it all in.
Read MoreWe flew from Khao Sok to Bangkok directly after our night on the raft boat. It was definitely a shock going from serene and peaceful jungle to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. When we arrived we were unable to find an Uber, and were facing about a three hour line in the taxi queue due to a local festival and increased traffic. Fortunately, after about 30 minutes of spamming for rides, we eventually got an Uber and made it to our hotel.
Read MoreSamantha and Charles Parsons went a little overboard when planning their honeymoon. Instead of a few short weeks of travel, they opted for a year-long adventure around the world! Follow along as they leave their home in Denver, Colorado in the United States to travel the globe.
After two really increadible days of diving in French Polynesia our cruise continued east. We visited two more islands, Nuku Hiva and Pitcairn Island, however we didn't go ashore. In total we spent eight days sailing from Fakarava to Easter Island. It was pretty crazy looking at where we were on a map, with no land in any direction for about a thousand miles.
After a quick day in Rangiroa, we headed north to another atoll called Fakarava. There isn't much to see on land here, as its just a narrow ring of sand and palm trees surrounding a huge lagoon, but the diving was incredible. We booked two dives and everything we read said that the diving here would be very similar to the diving in Rangiroa. Other than the unbelievably clear, 80 degree water, we found it to be a completely different experience.
After visiting our friends in Hawaii, we flew south to Tahiti to board a cruise that would end our final three weeks of our year of travel. The cruise crossed the South Pacific Ocean, starting in Tahiti and ending in Valparaiso, Chile.
After a very full 30 days in Vietnam, Samantha and I were very much looking forward to our next stop. Our friends Greg and Kathy live in Honolulu and we felt like a visit with some friends was in order. We planned to spend two weeks in total in Hawaii, and split that time evenly between one week on Kauai followed by a week with them on Oahu.
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Charles & Samantha Parsons
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It’s been over a year since Charlie and I returned from our trip around the world. In May, we did a quick extended weekend in Moab, Utah to spend time in Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. For the first time since we returned, I had an urge to take some photos of our adventures and post them to the blog!