Nick Kembel 
Most years, to celebrate my birthday, I like to plan a small trip with family and friends to celebrate my birthday. In 2020, of course, my options were limited. I decided on doing a hotel staycation as close to home as possible. Ideally it would be somewhere memorable, fun for the kids, and have a …
Of Canada’s 38 national parks, four of them are located in Alberta, and another is shared between Alberta and the Northwest Territories. These five Alberta national parks preserve some 63,000 square kilometers of wilderness space, an area larger than the country of Croatia, and four out of five of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. …
Alberta is Canada’s most geographically diverse, and in my opinion, most beautiful province. Typically classified a “prairie province”, it offers so much more than that, from the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains and vast boreal forests to unending grasslands and arid, dinosaur fossil-bearing badlands. Alberta’s scenic bounties and abundance of wildlife are the pride …
We visited Prague with our two young kids (age 4 & 5) in late November, toward the end of our two-month trip in Central Europe. Our Prague stop was sandwiched between a great week in Bavaria and a visit to stunning Cesky Krumlov in southern Czech Republic before we moved on to Vienna and Budapest. …
For our week-long family trip to Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy, we carefully chose Cetara as our home base. We had already visited Cinque Terre in the north for our honeymoon in Italy several years ago and loved it. But this time, returning to Italy with kids, we wanted to try somewhere a little more …
Visiting Oman with kids marked a special and transitional moment in our family’s life. Our kids were born and raised in Taiwan, but at the age of 4 and 5, in autumn of 2019, we moved permanently to Canada, where I grew up. After selling our house and getting rid of all our things in …
If you’re looking for the perfect setting for ultra cute and vibrantly colorful Instagram shots, Gamcheon Culture Village is ideal, with its polychromatic (that’s fancy talk for rainbow-colored) background juxtaposed with deep blue sky and ocean in the background. Whether you Instagram or not, Gamcheon Culture Village is a must for anyone who is interested …
Anyone with a passion for technology should be aware of Akihabara. The buzzing central-Tokyo district is sometimes even called the “tech capital of the world.” Unsurprisingly the best things to do in Akihabara revolve around tech and otaku (“geek”, or manga and anime lovers) culture. As one of Tokyo’s most famous and distinct neighborhoods, experiencing …
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to go to Japan to see the sakura (cherry blossoms). This fleeting phenomenon comes only once a year, transforming temples, parks, and even ordinary streets across Japan into masterpieces of art. This dreamy display welcomes the spring season and reminds of the transient nature of beauty …
Pilgrimage is act of devotion. In many religions, these sacred walks are prescribed, even considered a must in one’s lifetime, and followers from all of world’s major faiths make holy pilgrimages. For most, non-believers are accepted or even welcome. Pilgrimage travel can be a meaningful, moving experience in which travelers can enrich their understanding of …
