Ship's bow facing an open sea at sunset with orange skies

Embarkation Day: Setting Sail for New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands

Our day kicked off with a hearty buffet breakfast and a picture-perfect weather day for Queenstown. Following the instructions provided by Heritage, we checked out of our room and dropped our bags at the hotel reception by 9 AM. We had some time to spare, so we walked over to the gondola. Despite the steep […]

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Scenic aerial view of Queenstown with lake and mountain backdrop

Our “Galapagos of the Southern Ocean” Expedition Officially Begins

The centrepiece of our trip to New Zealand was a 10 night ‘Galapagos of the Southern Ocean‘ expedition. After being captivated by the documentary “Edge of Nowhere,” and having previously visited South Georgia for penguin watching, the NZ subantarctic islands, and Macquarie Island—a part of Tasmania—seemed like a closer, equally thrilling alternative.   The expedition […]

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Winding river with sandbanks, green hills, and distant mountains under a cloudy sky.

Our Adventure Begins in Queenstown

  After flying to South America for our 2022 and 2023 extended holiday breaks, today’s short flight from Sydney to Queenstown was a breeze. Getting to New Zealand The flight itself was fast, clocking in at just under three hours. We booked window and window to enjoy the stunning views of the alpine landscape and […]

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Golden hour over Ushuaia with docked ships, colorful rooftops, and distant mountains.

Empanadas, Haircuts, and Last-Minute Tasks in Ushuaia

  Two Days in Ushuaia After disembarking in Ushuaia, we squeezed into yet another tiny taxi and checked in at the Las Hayas Hotel, one of two hotels used by Aurora Expeditions for pre-voyage accommodation. This year our room had a better view, but still felt a bit like grandma’s attic with its dated decor. […]

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Scenic view of Santiago, Chile and the surrounding mountains

One Day in Santiago, Chile

  Arriving in Santiago I splurged on a car service from the airport to avoid dealing with roaming charges and figuring out Spanish Uber after a 12-hour flight.   Thirty minutes later, we pulled up at the Sheraton. It was nearly 5pm, and we were both craving burgers. After checking TripAdvisor, we found a well-rated […]

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Exploring Malaysian Borneo – Lahad Datu

This post is part of our wild adventure to Malaysian Borneo. In case you don’t want to read this sequentially, or you are looking for a specific part of the trip, here are some shortcuts: Kota Kinabalu  Sepilok Kinabatangan Lahad Datu <– You are here Danum Valley Our travel itinerary required an overnight stay in […]

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Santiago, Chile

This post is part of our epic adventure to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. In case you don’t want to read this sequentially, or you are looking for a specific part of the trip, here are some shortcuts: Introduction Departure Day Santiago, Chile

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Tokyo Nightscapes

In June of 2019, I had a four-day trip to Tokyo for work. I’d been to Japan before, but I always try to see something other than the hotel and office on work trips. That said, I wasn’t completely comfortable exploring on my own, so I looked on Trip Advisor and ended up booking a […]

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Whirlwind tour of Hanoi

If you travel a lot for work, you know that most of the time you get to see the consultant trifecta: the airport, the office, and some Western chain hotel. It takes effort, and some sleep sacrificing, to squeeze in much more than that. This was my first time in Vietnam, and I was determined […]

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Two Days in Singapore

I’d been to Singapore once before. On that trip, my client was at the airport, I stayed at the airport, and the office was five minutes from the airport. I didn’t see much. On this trip, I was determined to see more. Jet lag was in my favour, so when I woke up well before […]

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