The Marriott Taipei [Scroll down if you just want to read about the food!] Taipei’s newest hotel had its soft-opening in July this year and will officially open sometime this month (at least from the last I heard). The Marriott Hotel Taipei is located in Dazhi, right by the Miramar shopping center and across the…
Category: wanderlust
[Updated] Review: Restaurant Toh-A 桌藏 and 山海樓 Mountain and Sea House Vintage Taiwanese Cuisine
[Update] I just had dinner at 山海樓 Mountain and Sea House again the other night and it impressed me a lot more than my first visit. Everything we ordered, from stuff we’ve had before, to new seasonal creations, were all on point. The restaurant has recently gained a lot of popularity and as such its been…
Cuba: Traveling Back to 1950 for a New Hope With National Geographic Expeditions
Hola! I recently had the great opportunity to be a part of a National Geographic Expedition for the first time. We booked ourselves on one of the increasing number of “People to People” trips for U.S. Citizens to travel to Cuba in the wake of President Obama’s announcement to lift certain bans, including making it…
Review: Phulay Bay, A Ritz Carlton Reserve; How a Great Management Team Can Go A Long Way
Hello! This year for our winter family trip we opted for something closer to home that didn’t have a long minimum night stay. We chose to return to Thailand have not returned there for our vacations for over 7 years now. To switch things up, we decided to try a new spot in Thailand, having…
Rustic Luxury: Review of Six Senses Laamu in the Republic of Maldives
Happy Belated New Years 2014 and Happy Year of the Horse everyone! The Maldives Over winter break we went to the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is a republic that consists of over 200 Atolls (coral islands), and many resorts that each occupy one atoll. It is an ever increasingly popular…
Turkey: Globally, Historically and Uniquely Your’s
After being back in the United States for 2 months I have had plenty of time to reflect and reminisce about my 8 weeks in the nation of Turkey. It took my a few days but I finally came to an understanding of why I love this country so much now and why it is…
Quintessentially Turkish: The 652nd Kırkpınar Olive Oil Wrestling Festival in Edirne
On Sunday July 7th, I ventured out to Edirne on the North Western border of Turkey, just a few miles away from the Bulgarian and Greek borders. Edirne was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire before it was moved to Constantinople (Istanbul). As you walk along the many cobblestoned streets of Edirne you can…
Canakkale and Troy
Merhaba! Two weekends ago I ventured off on my own to Canakkale, a quaint little seaside town on the Asian side of the Dardanelles Strait between the Marmaris Sea and the Aegean Sea. This was my base for exploring Troy and the Gallipoli Peninsula, mainly the ANZAC Battlefields. I arrived by a 5 hour bus…
Ruins of Ephesus and Natural Beauty of Pamukkale
Two weekends ago my friends and I headed for the ancient ruins of Ephesus and the sandstone travertines of Pamukkale. There are two options to get to Ephesus, by bus to Selcuk or Izmir, or flying to Izmir. Selcuk is the nearest town to Ephesus and is a 40 minute to an hour bus ride…
Atilla’s Getaway Hostel
If you are planning on visiting Ephesus, Pamukkale or basically anywhere within a 5 hour drive from Selcuk, then you really should consider making Atilla’s Getaway as your home base for your journeys. And that’s exactly what it feels like when you stay at Atilla’s, home. The quaint resort-like hostel is about a 5 minute…
Baklava and Kebab Heavens in Istanbul
Merhaba! As I have mentioned before the small and handy guidebook “Istanbul Eats: Exploring the Culinary Backstreets” has taken me to nothing but some of the best restaurants and eateries in Istanbul, and the best dishes I have had in the city have all come from these places. But I must share an exciting moment…
Merhaba Istanbul!
Merhaba Everyone! (Merhaba is Hello in Turkish). This summer I decided to Study Abroad in Istanbul at Bogazici University (the first American University established outside of the United States). I’ve already been here a week and so far it has been amazing! I decided to do this for a few reasons in addition to academic…
TheGastronomicTraveler 