When we planned this trip to Italy, we focused on the north, as we have visited Rome, Florence, Amalfi and Sicily in the past. Specifically, we wanted to check out the Dolomites and selected Backroads to take us through them. Backroads has many tour options that are either single activity or multi-activity. We chose to do a hiking tour, but they also have other multi-activity tours that include biking and kayaking. We were extremely happy with choosing Backroads as the tour

There are technical hikers, and then there's me. I enjoy hiking because it allows me to be in nature, appreciate the surrounding beauty, and provides a different physical challenge compared to doing a spin class on my Peloton or running on a treadmill. Backroads organizes the group into easier and more difficult hikes, allowing everyone to choose without any judgment, ensuring a good time for all. The goal is to do what your stamina and joints can handle. On the first day, we

The fall of Singapore during World War II, a significant event in the Pacific theater, occurred in February 1942 when the British forces, despite their initial confidence, surrendered after just a week of intense fighting. This rapid defeat was a shocking blow to British colonial pride and military reputation. The Japanese forces, demonstrating remarkable strategic prowess, managed to outsmart the British defenders with only a third of the manpower. They executed a well-coord

Gebel al-Silsila is a mountainous region with sandstone quarries on both sides of the Nile. The sandstone quarries of Gebel al-Silsila have been used from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2034–1650 BC) until the 20 th  century. More than a hundred quarries were exploited to extract the sandstone blocks needed to construct many of ancient Egypt’s famous temples. The quarries have preserved tool marks and workers’ inscriptions that can be seen today. The close up picture below is the qua

On the first day, we took a brief hike up a hill to visit the Benedictine Abbey Schweiklberg Monastery. Burning calories is a bit more challenging when you're on a boat and focused on the next meal.

If you desire to get out of town and see the country, this is a nice day trip. We took the train to an area they refer to as Not Switzerland Saxony where they have rock formations out of sandstone which reminded me of Sedona but surrounded by verdant forests instead of desert. When we got back into town, we visited their main concert hall, the Palace of Culture , which was built under the communists and was surprisingly beautiful in a mid-century modern way. The murals inside

When I was first planning my month in Kenya, I contemplated a 3 or 4 day trek up Mt Kenya until I reminded myself that I am the guy who needs the third room. Instead, we did visit the Ndare Ngare Forest and the Sirimon Route Hike, but only did part of both. Mount Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain at 5,199m (17,058 feet) and the highest of all Kenya Mountains. On the Sirimon hike we started at around 10,000 feet and went up to 12,000 feet. I was surprised that I did n

The next destination is Nanyuki, where my friends Lauren and David have a home in Africa. Nanyuki is a market town in Laikipia County within central Kenya, located about a 3 to 4-hour drive from Nairobi. It features a small airstrip, making access to the bush more convenient. Lauren has been traveling to Africa for over 15 years, having experienced numerous safaris across the continent. She and David chose Kenya due to its relative political stability, abundant wildlife, and

Suyian Soul is a very special small camp about 30 miles northwest of Nanyuki and 3-4 hours by car. The windy, bumpy dirt roads keep you from pushing it too fast, plus the need to take the occasional pic. Lauren has been to this lodge twice before for a birding class (would be fun) and a snake one (no thanks!) The retreat is run by Anne Powys , who is a fourth generation Kenyan. Her grandfather purchased the ranch in 1963 and raised Boran cattle on it; there are currently abou

I knew immediately after landing in Lamu and saw that our taxi was a dhow (traditional sailboat with a motor) to take us to our hotel, that this was going to be a magical place to hang for a few days.   Lamu Island is a port, city, and island just off the shore of  Kenya  in the  Indian Ocean approximately 150 miles from  Mombasa.  Lamu was founded in the 12th century.  Lamu Old Town is a World Heritage Unesco site and is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in