How to Visit the Vulkana Arctic Spa in Tromsø: My Experience

How to Visit the Vulkana Arctic Spa in Tromsø: My Experience

One of the most magical and lesser-known places you can visit in Tromsø, the unique MS Vulkana has transformed far from its origins as a 1957 deep-sea fishing boat, now into a floating spa oasis. Seriously! The result of a passion project of two Norwegian couples, a group of four friends purchased a fishing boat…

Mosaic Class in Samarkand: Learn & Craft Uzbek Tiles

Mosaic Class in Samarkand: Learn & Craft Uzbek Tiles

One of the main draws to Uzbekistan for many aesthetically inclined travelers — myself included — is its intricate tilework and mosaics in a monochrome rainbow of blues, ranging from pale turquoise to inky cobalt. All over the country, mosaics and tilework are an important point of national pride and identity. And perhaps nowhere is…

Duston Boutique Hotel Review: A Bukhara Heritage Stay

Duston Boutique Hotel Review: A Bukhara Heritage Stay

With its maze of streets interwoven in a compact city center that contains beautiful madrasah façades, artisans in the open-air bazaars (called toqis), and historic Silk Road structures, Bukhara lives up to every bit of hype. And while there are plenty of hotels inside Bukhara’s historic center, I loved staying at Duston Boutique Hotel just…

Visiting Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Summer Palace in Bukhara

Visiting Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Summer Palace in Bukhara

While most visitors to Bukhara will easily spend their entire time inside the city’s historic center, some of the city’s most interesting sights are actually outside the old walls. Though I definitely can’t speak ill of the city center of Bukhara, I have to say, the majority of my favorite sights laid outside the walls….

Is an Altyn-Emel Day Trip from Almaty Worth It? My Experience

Is an Altyn-Emel Day Trip from Almaty Worth It? My Experience

When people think of day trips from Almaty, places like Big Almaty Lake, Kaindy Lake, and Charyn Canyon usually get all the love. But if you’re willing to endure an extremely early wake-up call, Altyn-Emel National Park offers some of the most unusual landscapes in Kazakhstan… with a tiny fraction of the crowds.  I joined…