Chiang Mai Coffee Mania
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Chiang Mai Coffee Mania

Having joined the local Facebook groups before coming, I knew that there were a lot of high quality coffee shops in Chiang Mai, but I was not prepared for the madness that we’d discover.

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Siamese Cocktails
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Siamese Cocktails

For a relatively small city, Chiang Mai has more than its share of craft cocktail places. While they may not be quite world class level, they do boast some excellent flavors.

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Hello Chiang Mai!
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Hello Chiang Mai!

Our first few days in Chiang Mai, our first stop in Thailand, proved a shock to our system after Japan. The warm air, the pungent smells, the intensely flavorful food, the unexpected torrents of expats, the (pleasantly) charged energy — was an utter contrast to our past month.

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Kyoto, director’s cut
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Kyoto, director’s cut

Kyoto might be our favorite Japanese city. Having already published a condensed itinerary post for Kyoto, read on for a more personal take on this awesome city.

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Tick Tock Tokyo
Travel Masha and Mike Travel Masha and Mike

Tick Tock Tokyo

We spent a week in Tokyo, imbibing its energy. Here are the highlights, from private karaoke and sushi sculpting to the roiling crowds of Shibuya and teamLabs massive art installations.

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Japan — Still the Most Exotic
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Japan — Still the Most Exotic

As we finish our tour of Asia, I would still say that Japan is the most different and unique place we visited. To sum up Japan as a whole, how about a medley of some of the neat and quirky things that stood out to us during the trip.

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Shrines and Red Maples: A Five Day Kyoto Itinerary
Guide Masha and Mike Guide Masha and Mike

Shrines and Red Maples: A Five Day Kyoto Itinerary

Kyoto is unique and culturally different from other sizable cities in Japan. As a former capital, it is full of historical neighborhoods, beautiful temples and boasts a historical imperial palace. What should you do in Kyoto? Read on for a rewarding itinerary that hits on the coolest experiences and sites.

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Indulging our Soviet Nostalgia in Tashkent
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Indulging our Soviet Nostalgia in Tashkent

After spending several days in Samarkand, we took a train to Tashkent for a week of Soviet nostalgia. What we found is a city straddling the late Soviet period, with its Zhiguli and buying fresh milk from the back of a truck, and Western modernity of top notch coffee, escape rooms and cheap fast internet

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Get your Afrosiyob Tickets Now!
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Get your Afrosiyob Tickets Now!

If you expect to be traveling between Samarkand and Tashkent, buy your Afrosyab high-speed train now! Otherwise you may have to share a cabin with a bunch of strangers and have an unforgettable four hour conversation…

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Strolling the Silk Road in Samarkand
Travel Mike Travel Mike

Strolling the Silk Road in Samarkand

For those of our age with Soviet roots, Uzbekistan is the land of plov. For those outside the Soviet world, though, Uzbekistan is one of the key regions of the ancient Silk Road. Samarkand, in particular, was the center of Timurlane’s empire and is filled with unique relics from that era.

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Explore the Albanian Riviera
Guide Mike Guide Mike

Explore the Albanian Riviera

While many tourists stick to Corfu, the sun kissed shores of the Albanian Riviera just across the eponymous Straight are teeming with gorgeous beaches. Read on for illustrated reviews of some of the best ones

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Where to Stay in Istanbul?
Guide Mike Guide Mike

Where to Stay in Istanbul?

In this giant city of fifteen million and hundreds of neighborhood, you’ll find an overwhelming number of recommendations of where to stay. But for those spending just a couple weeks or less, since you will likely want easy access to other areas, your optimal location will be in one of just three districts— Kadıköy, Fatih or Beyoğlu.

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Four Days Around Ljubljana, an Itinerary
Guide Mike Guide Mike

Four Days Around Ljubljana, an Itinerary

Ljubljana is a cute, safe, green European capital with a small-town feel. It also boasts an amazing variety of activities within just an hour’s drive of the city. Mountains, lakes, wineries, caves — Slovenia has something for everyone. Having traveled to a dozen countries and over two dozen cities in the past year, it’s still one of our favorites.

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How to Enjoy a Month in Slovenia
Guide Mike Guide Mike

How to Enjoy a Month in Slovenia

There is so much to do in Slovenia, you can easily explore for a month — we did! Find out how to make the most of your time — the hidden attractions in Ljubljana and all the awesome getaway spots

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