Our Top Destinations

Italy has something for you, no matter what you are looking for; 

Is it history? The impact of the Roman Empire is evident in every corner of Italy, including the awe-inspiring Colosseum.  You will find amazing examples of preserved history across the country.

Is it art? It is no secret that Italy has produced some of the most revolutionary and influential artists of all time. From Michelangelo to Da Vinci, Rafael to Donatello, there is no shortage of museums and galleries displaying world-famous works. In fact, the streets of Rome are themselves a museum/ gallery.

Is it sun and sand? The southern coasts of Italy and the surrounding islands offer world-class beaches with crystal clear waters and year-round sunshine.

Is it mountains? Northern Italy includes portions of some of the world's most beautiful mountain ranges including the Livigno Alps and the Dolomite Alps. Dramatic rocky and ice-capped peaks shoot straight up from the rolling grass hills before them - scenes that most associate with Switzerland.

Is it food and drink? The rolling hills of Tuscany are famous for producing some of the world's best wine and exceptional produce, while the southern regions have fresh and delicious Mediterranean seafood. Italy has one of the most complex and diverse offerings of local cuisines of any country.

Make sure to take your time here and plan meals to take entire evenings.

Australia comes exactly as advertised. Although this is a land where it seems like every creature can kill you, it is also a land of immense natural beauty and diversity. This country/continent is so vast that it has all sorts of climates from arid desert devoid of trees, to lush tropical jungles. 

There is only one way to properly see Oz, and that's from the front seat of a camper van.  Australia is one of the few countries that is superbly set up for camper vanning and still allows freedom camping (designated overnight parking for campers to sleep in their vans for free). Camper van rentals in Oz are very reasonably priced and the country is absolutely covered in camp grounds. You can stay anywhere from a luxury private campground to a gas station parking lot depending on your budget.  

Australia has a wide variety of truly unique landscapes that should be on everyone's bucket list. From the desolate outback to the crumbling white cliffs of the Great Ocean Road, your jaw will be hanging the entire time you are here.   

The only city on our list - it feels like it deserves it's own spot. New York City is the setting of more movies and TV shows then anywhere else in the world and there is good reason for that. New York City has more world-famous sites in one city then most countries have altogether.  The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building are as iconic as man-made structures can get, and the view from the top of either of them will leave you speechless.

Wear comfortable shoes and plan to walk a ton! Manhattan is probably the most walk-able city we have ever visited, and if you get tired the subway system is exceptional. If you aren't one for public transit, there are no shortage of taxis! Plot a course to walk that will take you from Upper Manhattan down through Central Park, down Broadway to Times Square, further south through Little Italy, and ending up in the Financial District and Battery Park. Take a different route back or take the train. Every street you turn down will have something to see or do.

New York City has a pretty good case for entertainment capitol of the world.  Wandering down Broadway to the Theater District you will notice there are no shortage of nights out.  

As diverse a population as can be found in one place, New York City taste buds benefit greatly from the melting pot of cultures that come together to create many of the world's best restaurants.  New York City also has it's staples - from the food carts on every corner to the hole-in-the-wall joints serving greasy thin crust pizza to the bagel shops, New York City will not leave you hungry.

The Emerald Isle truly is green. Ireland is covered with rolling pastures of green grass and thick wooded hills. We fell in love with Ireland faster then anywhere else we had been previously.

Rent a car and get off of the tour bus trail. Do make sure to spend some time in Dublin and of course visit the Blarney Castle and the Cliffs of Moher (pictured), but make sure you get to experience small town and countryside Ireland. The farmland is dotted with ruins of castles and churches and it is so common here that farmers just plow around them.  

Pull over in a small town and find the local pub, probably still burning peat-moss for heat, with sawdust or straw floor and ancient wooden beams. There is nothing else to order aside from Guinness, even if there are other things on tap! One of our favorite stops was at Sean's Bar in Athlone. Right next to the Athlone Castle, this pub has been serving patrons for over 1000 years and purports to be the oldest bar in the world. They even claim that the pub continued to serve drinks even as the castle next door was being sieged!

The further you venture from the tour buses and main roads, the more you will love this country. Stay in Ma and Pa B&B's and don't skip the delicious fresh breakfasts before you head out. 

Oregon is special. Take your time and drive the stunning Oregon Coast and you will agree. The perfect trip to Oregon includes at least a few days in Portland to experience the incredible breweries and wide variety of food trucks. Make your way east or west to begin a full loop of the state. 

If you head west you will eventually make it to Astoria, the picturesque town where everyone's favorite childhood movie the Goonies was filmed (which also happens to be the spot that Louis and Clarke ended their historic expedition). From Astoria you can head south, hugging the coastline right to the California border. Along the way you will see incredibly beautiful sights like the Haystack Rock at Canon Beach, the Sea Lion Caves, and the impressive Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Stop for fresh seafood in every fishing town you come across, such as Newport (pictured).

After making your way into northern California, a stop in Redwood National Park is a must before turning around and beginning the journey back north through the Mt. Shasta region and into southern Oregon. On the way back through Oregon, make sure to stop at one of the most impressive natural wonders on the planet - Crater Lake. Further north there are lava tubes to explore and no shortage of breathtaking vistas as you drive though desert, then forest and back to desert. 

After driving through a handful of stunning National Forests and volcanoes, you will get to the Mt. Hood wine region and eventually the Columbia River Gorge. This is the point where you turn west and head back to Portland to complete the loop. You will want to do this again, I guarantee it.

Europe has a lot of incredible cities, chalk full of beautiful architecture and teeming with history, but none of them give you a feel-like-home feeling the way that Copenhagen does. This is by far the most welcoming city we have been to abroad. On top of that, Copenhagen is also the safest we have ever felt in a big city, and we walked for hours and hours to every corner. If you find yourself in Copenhagen, spend at least a few hours wandering around the amusement park at Tivoli Gardens (if you are here in the late fall or winter make sure you try out some Glogg - mulled wine that tastes like Fruit Loops!).   

The train system in Copenhagen is wonderful and it is very inexpensive to head out into the countryside where the beauty of Denmark really shines. This is an incredibly peaceful and picturesque country. Make your way north to Helsingør and visit Kronborg Castle (pictured) which is the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.  If you have time, hop on the ferry that runs throughout the day and head across the narrow channel to spend a day in Sweden.

If you like Lego then you are in luck, Denmark is the home of Lego. Rent a car and head west to the little town of Billund where you can check out the Lego House!

Denmark stands out from it's European neighbors like Sweden, Germany and Netherlands for something intangible. It is impossible for me to accurately convey so if you are looking for a place to visit, experience this for yourself. 

Hawaii is stunning and each island has something different to offer, from the coffee plantations and volcanoes of the Big Island, to the best snorkeling in the world on Maui, to the incredible road trips on O'ahu. 

Although the islands of Hawaii are relatively close together, they are not easily accessible to each other. Ferry service used to run between islands but it was very dangerous due to the rough waters. Flights do operate daily between islands but they are not cheap. The best thing to do is to book your return air from two separate islands and fly only once on the regional airline. The way we have done this is to fly from the mainland into O'ahu, taken a regional flight and then flown home from Maui.

O'ahu has one of the nicest beaches we have ever visited, and no, it is not Waikiki! Waimanalo beach on the eastern coast of O'ahu is what you picture a beach in paradise to be, and worlds apart from Waikiki.

Rent a car on O'ahu and drive the entire coastal highway, stopping at every food truck along the way. 

Maui is a place we could see ourselves retiring to. Like O'ahu, Maui offers beautiful beaches and amazing drives, but all with a far more laid back feel.  The best snorkeling we have ever experienced has been on Maui on the northwest coast. Very calm currents lead to unbelievably clear water and there are no shortage of dazzling ocean creatures here.  

You will also need a car on Maui, and use it to drive the famous Road to Hana. Hana is a small town on the easternmost point of Maui and the only paved road to get there winds tightly along the cliffs of the north coast. This drive scares people into not attempting it, but no one who has done it has ever wished they hadn't. Along the way you are treated to waterfalls with pools you can jump into, a bamboo forest to hike through, a botanical garden on the top of a cliff, and endless panoramas looking over the ocean.

Once you reach Hana there are black sand beaches to visit and one very special red sand beach (pictured). If you are brave like us, and don't mind risking your rental vehicle, continue on and drive the complete loop on the south side of the island back to your hotel. Keep in mind this route is fairly treacherous in places and is not fully paved (your rental car insurance will be voided and a tow truck will cost a fortune and take hours).  If you are willing to take the risk then you will certainly be rewarded! At the end of this road is a winery specializing in pineapple wine worth a stop, and if you are in the right season, some beautiful lavender farms.

The Haleakela Crater is a must see while on Maui. Book your sunrise or sunset ticket well in advance to be sure you don't miss out on this incredible experience. Depending on where your hotel is, you may have to head out at 2am to make it to the top for sunrise, but you will be glad you did!  

The moment we left Taiwan we began scheming to return.  Taipei is by far the best food city in the world, hands down. The cumulative food experience we had in Taiwan was head and shoulders above the next contender.  You can see examples of some of the food we loved on the top food page.

Taiwan has a beautiful bouquet of cultural influences including Dutch, Chinese, and perhaps most evident of all, Japanese. The cuisine on offer in Taiwan is the product of this blending of cultures, and it is magnificent.

Taiwan offers amazing shopping, either in the world class malls or in the many night markets. Whatever you are, or are not looking for, you will find it in a night market. We left a night market once with new tattoos and new socks!

Taipei has one of the best train systems we have ever encountered. There is an express train that runs from the airport straight into downtown Taipei and you are able to buy a tourist pass at the airport station that is good for the airport express train round trip as well as a given number of days on the city transit, and it is very reasonably priced. Make sure you take advantage of this and use the amazing train system to take you all over Taipei and the surrounding suburbs.

We found the people in Taiwan to be incredibly friendly, welcoming and most of all, polite. The Japanese cultural influences are very prevalent in the way the Taiwanese people conduct themselves and it is wonderful. We enjoyed every moment of our time in Taiwan and are dying to return!

Iceland offers perhaps the most easily accessible land of desolation on the planet. I mean desolation in every sense of the word - a state of complete emptiness or destruction, starkness, bareness, wildness, isolation, solitude, loneliness, and remoteness. 

This sounds like a terrible way to describe our second favorite place on Earth, but this beautiful landscape is shaped by such incredible volcanic and tectonic forces that both create and destroy on such a regular basis (geologically speaking) that you can see the results everywhere you look - this will absolutely conjure those adjectives in your mind. You can't help but be overwhelmed with emotions during your time in the remoteness while you gaze upon incredible jagged mountains, massive rushing waterfalls, seemingly endless fields of bright green moss-covered lava rock, and waves from the frigid waters of the Norwegian Sea crashing against the crumbling black volcanic cliffs.

What Iceland lacks in human population, it makes up for by teeming with sheep (at last count there were roughly 800,000 sheep compared to just under 340,000 people!). While travelling the vast expanses between towns you can feel as if you are the only humans left in existence. 

In Iceland you might experience feelings of being on an alien planet, reminiscent of the opening scenes of Star Wars: Rogue One, or you may find yourself worrying about encountering the White Walkers from Game of Thrones. Or maybe you don't have an imagination at all? In any case, the raw beauty of this landscape cannot have any other effect on you then to put your soul at peace. Iceland is an easy place to fall in love with, which we did the moment we left Reykjavik and set off north to Grundarfjörður. Do that drive and you will understand, Iceland truly is a land with no equal.  

No stop to Iceland is complete without a dip in the world famous Blue Lagoon. Make sure you book your entry time well in advance and give yourself at least 3 hours to enjoy the hot azure waters.  

"A Mari Usque Ad Mare" - "From Sea to Sea", Canada is the most beautiful country in the world and I don't just say that because it's home - I truly believe it. This is an obvious one to anybody who lives here or has visited.

The country can be divided into 6 distinct regions; Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies, Pacific, and the North.

Atlantic Canada is dramatic rocky coastlines with beautiful lighthouses and extremely friendly people. The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia is one of Canada's most iconic sites and truly represents the Atlantic coast. 

Quebec is like a gem in eastern Canada that maintains it's shine by preserving its unique culture. The heart of this gem is the city of Montreal. Montreal is a foodie paradise with local favorites like poutine and the Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Montreal and Quebec City both offer glimpses back to the origins of Canada and the history between the French and English settlers and the indigenous populations.

Ontario is the hub of the country and home to more than 1/3 of Canada's population. Toronto is a vast metropolis which rivals even major American cities. Toronto is a center for sports in Canada, with Canada's only MLB and NBA teams and the NHL Hall of Fame. No trip to Toronto is complete without a visit to the top of the CN Tower - Canada's tallest and most famous building.  Ontario also offers incredible lake country with vacation cottages perfect for relaxing, and Canada's natural wonder -Niagara falls. 

The prairies are not what most people think of when they picture beautiful landscape, but at the right time of year when the wheat is a bright golden colour the prairies can be very nice.

The northern regions of Canada are vast and rugged. Scarcely populated, the north actually accounts for the largest area of Canada with the least amount of people.  Travelling in this region can be quite difficult and is best left to tour companies outside of the summer months.  Expect any trip to the northern region to be very expensive, but completely worth it. One of the most popular things to do is to take a polar bear excursion and watch polar bears roaming on the ice from the safety of a very large vehicle!

The pacific region of Canada is everything west of the Rocky Mountains and is without a doubt the most beautiful part of the country.  The Rocky Mountains (pictured) offer some of the most beautiful views anywhere in the world with ice capped peaks dropping dramatically to deep river beds and glaciers. The wildlife here is everything Canadian - moose, beavers, cougars, wolves, caribou, elk, mountain goats, bears and so much more.

The pacific region is also home to Canada's only desert at Osoyoos and the arid Okanagan valley.  The soils and climate in this area produce some of the world's best wine and the rivers and lakes offer incredible summertime water sports, or just the perfect place to float down the channel in a tube.

The west coast of British Columbia is lined with over 40,000 islands of varying sizes making it incredibly picturesque.  There is no shortage of waterfront here, with a combined total of 243,000 km of coastline it is easy to find an ocean-side getaway and relax.  The two most beautiful cities in Canada are without a doubt the port cities of Victoria and Vancouver. If you have to pick just one place in Canada to visit, it should certainly be the west coast.