RTW Highlights
Our RTW Trip » RTW HighlightsSome of these lists are compilations of things we have enjoyed the most during our trip around the world. Some lists are just for posterity.
Favourite Meals
- dinner at Frizz in Phnom Penh on New Year’s Eve;
- coffee at Schuman & Clara in Gyeongju;
- picnic lunch on top of mountain near Ulaanbaatar;
- pasta and beef carpaccio at Il Giardino di Barbano diner in Florence;
- cold lattes on Meg & Kent’s balcony in Kaohsiung;
- Korean BBQ near Hongik University in Seoul;
- breakfast onboard Hawkeye in Marmaris;
- dinner at the restaurant Thokoy Etterem with the traditional musicians in Budapest;
- coffee on the balcony of a bookstore in Prague;
- birthday dinner at Blue Pumpkin in Siem Reap;
- homemade meal at our homestay near Irkutsk;
- champagne picnic on a bench on a pedestrian street in St.Petersburg;
- picnic lunch on the beach of the Baltic sea in Tallinn;
- dinner at the St.Michael Cheese Restaurant in the old city, Tallinn;
- lunch at the Mahesh House cafe in Mumbai;
- dinner with Doug & Amy at L’Elephant in Luang Prabang
- dinner (best steak) at Mr. Pas, Bangkok;
- drinks that turned into dinner at the New York Bar on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt, Tokyo;
- breakfast of sushi at the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo;
- steak dinner at La Cabrera in Buenos Aires;
- dinner with lamb carpaccio in El Calafate, Argentina;
- sandwiches at Jack’s cafe in Cusco;
- set lunches at Le Filou de Montpelier, Valparaiso;
- best pizza in the world at Alegretto, Valparaiso;
- trio of soups at O’Fournier bodega, Mendoza;
- pork chops with Malbec reduction at Carlos Puente bodega, Mendoza;
- sweet potato gelee at the Vines of Mendoza tasting;
- roast beef, arugula & red pepper sandwich at Dalmacia in Lima;
Favourite Spots
- banya on Lake Baikal, Siberia;
- hotel room balcony in Venice;
- tea shop in Istanbul;
- mountain top in Mongolia;
- rowboat on the Vltava river in Prague;
- wine tasting in Mendoza;
- walking the beach in Monte Leon National Park, Patagonia;
- terrace view at hostel in Valparaiso;
Favourite Hotel Rooms
Note: considering we stayed at over 150 hotels and hostels this year, the places on this list are exceptional. Luxury was not a mandatory criteria, but comfort, service and character were; we discovered that those elements are far more rare and valuable.
- Taiwan, Kenting, Golden Ocean
- China, Shanghai, Koala Hostel
- Estonia, Talinn, Romeo Family Apartments
- Vietnam, Dalat, Tulip Hotel
- India, Jaipur, …
- Italy, Venice, Hotel Caneva
- South Korea, Seoul, HEY Guesthouse
- South Korea, Gyeongju, Sae Rang Chae Guesthouse
- Vietnam, Hoi An, Thien Thanh Hotel
- Japan, Tokyo, Blue Wave Inn (for the view)
- Argentina, El Calafate, America del Sur
Most Enjoyable Beers
- hanging out in the hostel in Beijing;
- Florence, in the Piazza outside the Uffizzi in an outdoor cafe;
- Stockholm, on the edge of the Old Town overlooking the water;
- Bangkok, at a guesthouse lounge immediately upon arrival in Thailand;
- St.Peterburg, on the bank of the Neva, sitting at a makeshift beer garden in the sun;
- Moscow, in a park in the neighbourhood of Kitay Gorod
- Goa, at a beach front restaurant with our feet in the sand, while watching the sunset;
- Jaipur, on the rooftop terrace of our guesthouse, while watching the kite fighting;
- near Winay Wayna on Inca trail, at the end of 3 days of trekking;
Places We’ve Been Underground
- South Korea: tunnels dug by North Koreans
- Paris: catacombs
- Cappadoccia, Turkey: Derikuyu underground city
- South Korea: Hwanseongul cave
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Cu Chi tunnels
- Halong Bay, Vietnam: caves
- Vang Vieng, Laos: more caves
- San Pedro de Atacama, Chile: salt cave
Airlines With Whom We Have Flown
- WestJet (yay!)
- China Airlines
- Dragon Air
- Miat (Mongolian Airline)
- Estonia Air
- Ryan Air
- SkyEurope
- SmartWings
- Transavia
- Air India
- Qatar Airways
- Bangkok Air
- Air Asia
- Vietnam Airlines
- Korean Air
- LAN Chile
- Aerolineas Argentina
- TACA Peru
- Air Canada
Countries We Have Visited
- USA
- Taiwan
- China
- South Korea
- Mongolia
- Russia
- Estonia
- Sweden
- France
- Italy
- Hungary
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Netherlands
- Turkey
- Greece
- India
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Japan
- Argentina
- Chile
- Bolivia
- Peru
Future Trips
(in order of preference)
- Dubai, Jordan, Syria, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Montevideo, Buenos Aires
- Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan
- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
- Yunnan province, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan
- Japan
- Africa
- Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore
- Portugal
- Pakistan
- South Korea, again
- Uzbekistan, for a museum
- Georgia (the country)
- Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala
- California, Big Sur
- Washington DC
- Bahrain
- Arizona, Grand Canyon