# FAR AWAY NOW

> Travel Blogs & Inspiration


## Posts

- [Cappadocia: So Much More Than Hot Air Balloons](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/11/21/cappadocia-turkey-is-a-desert-paradise-and-a-must-visit-destination-in-turkey/): Before going to Cappadocia, Turkiye, all I knew about it was that it was a destination for hot-air ballooning over amazing rock formations. But I found out it is so much more than that. After my summer trip to Cappadocia, I have to recommend it for every bucket list. I was completely awestruck by my visit there. Ancient ruins, history, a castle, cave dwellings, hidden rock churches, underground homes, amazing hikes, great food, four wheeling, and of course the hot air ballooning was the icing on the cake.  When to Go MakeThe high seasons for Cappadocia are April, May and September, […]
- [Visiting Angkor Wat & The Ancient Khmer City](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/10/31/visiting-angkor-wat-and-the-ancient-khmer-city/): I recently visited the the Ancient Khmer Empire of Angkor in Cambodia. A UNESCO World Heritage site, and an active archeological site for more than 100 years. This site is best known by the name Angkor Wat, but Angkor Wat itself is only a part of this massive complex. Siem Reap We took the bus to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. You can also fly directly to Siem Reap from Phnom Pehn and many other Southeast Asian destinations. Siem Reap is a very nice, small city and the closest city to the ancient complex. It has a full range […]
- [Karpathos Greece Is An Island Paradise](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/10/17/karpathos-is-a-greek-island-paradise/): Returning to Rhodes Old City from Lindos, we took the Blue Star Ferry to the island of Karpathos, which took about four hours. This island offered a completely different experience and feel from the island of Rhodes. We got off the ferry in the main town of Pigadia, the capital of Karpathos Island. As I stepped off the ferry, I was greeted by the site of a lovely little classic Greek town nestled around the striking turquoise harbor. This small town is home to approximately 2,700 people. The entire islands population is around 7,000 but this number can swell by the […]
- [Rhodes Is A Must Visit Greek Island](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/09/14/rhodes-is-a-must-visit-greek-island/): Recently I made my first trip to Greece and I was lucky enough to get to visit two Greek islands. My first stop was the Island of Rhodes and I was blown away. I took the Sea Dreams Ferry from Marmaris, Turkey to the Greek island of Rhodes. It only took about an hour and cost $43.00. The ferry had comfortable seating, air-conditioning, nice restrooms, and a small kiosk to buy drinks and snacks. Before I knew it the ferry was pulling into the ancient port in the Old City of Rhodes Harbor. I stayed at a nice boutique hotel in […]
- [Songkran Water Festival Thailand](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/04/09/songkran-water-festival-thailand/): We happened to be in Bangkok when Thailand had it’s biggest and most important annual festival, the Buddhist New Years celebration also known as Songkran, or the Water Festival.  Supposedly celebrated from April 13th to the 15th, in reality it lasts a whole week, from April 9th to the 16th. This is to allow people time off work to travel back to their hometowns and celebrate with their families. Songkran literally means moving forward and passage of the sun. In the Buddhist solar calendar, this takes place when Aries moves into Pieces. This is also the time when families visit temples, […]
- [Adventures in Northern Thailand: Chiang Mai, Pai, Chiang Rai](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/03/15/adventures-in-northern-thailand-chiang-mai-pai-chiang-rai/): We have been to Thailand several times but had not yet visited the Northern mountain region. Hearing from many people how beautiful it was, we were anxious to visit. Unfortunately, we didn’t know about the burning season in Southeast Asia when we planned our visit. Burning season is when the farmers burn their fields after the crops have been harvested. This is an ancient tradition that helps to replenish the soil for the next planting season. Burning starts in February and goes through April, and the air quality is poor and can get quite thick with smoke. If you go, plan […]
- [Taj Mahal - A True Life Love Story](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/01/17/taj-mahal-a-true-life-love-story/): The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World! It is known as a jewel of Muslim art and architecture. Like most people, I have seen pictures of it in books, magazines, and on television for most of my life. Now I found myself about to actually see the real thing! Aaron and I booked a tour of the triangle through our hotels travel agency in Delhi. On departure day, Sanjay Kumar, our awesome driver and guide for the tour, picked us up from the hotel at 7:00 am and we set off for Agra, home of the Taj […]
- [Exotic Istanbul](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2025/01/04/exotic-istanbul/): If you are debating about where you should go for your next vacation, or for that once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, let me introduce you to Istanbul, Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and you can see for yourself if this exotic destination is for you. Once home to Sultans and Emperors, Istanbul is one of the great historic cities of the world. Food, culture, history, adventure, shopping, Istanbul has it all! Getting to Know Istanbul Istanbul was the most visited city in the world in 2023, followed by London, and then Dubai. We spent a whole month here. You can easily see most of the […]
- [Magical and Historical Guadalajara](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/09/24/magical-and-historical-guadalajara/): Guadalajara, home of the Mariachi and the cultural center of Mexico. We did a long weekend trip from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara. It was only a short 40 minute flight on one of the most organized airlines I have ever flown. Instead of passengers all jumping up and grabbing their bags from the overhead, everyone stays seated until the stewardess gets to your section. She takes four rows at a time and those passengers get up, get their bags and exit the plane. Then she moves to the next four rows. It really made getting off the plane much easier and […]
- [The Jewel of Sabah - Kota Kinabalu](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/05/20/the-jewel-of-sabah-kota-kinabalu/): On my quest to see wild Orangutans, I had to stay in a couple of different cities in Borneo before setting off for my wildlife adventure. We took an hour and a half long flight from Kuala Lumpur to the city of Kota Kinabalu, or KK. This was not like any other city in Malaysia that we had previously visited. We had gotten mixed reviews about it, but found it to be a delightful place to visit. Originally a fishing village dating back to the 1500s, this slow growing port city did not even receive “city” status until the year 2000. […]
- [Holi - Festival of Colors](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/05/01/holi-festival-of-color/): I have visited so many new places since we started traveling the world and I am always excited to arrive and find out what all there is to see and do. I can’t even count the number of times I have been some place new and found out that I had just missed their biggest holiday, festival, or celebration of the year. This is always such a disappointing feeling. So I was very excited to learn that we would be in Pokhara, Nepal for the Holi Festival this year. Originating from ancient Hindu mythology and philosophy, Holi is a festival of […]
- [The Beautiful Experience of Trekking To Annapurna Base Camp ](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/04/15/the-beautiful-experiences-of-trekking-to-annapurna-base-camp/): A Good Omen It’s funny how even the briefest of encounters can make your day.  His face was old and weathered yet overwhelmingly friendly. As we walked towards each other on the narrow mountain road a car approached from behind. I carefully moved onto the shoulder avoiding any missteps by the roadside cliff while glancing back at the car. As I turned my attention back in front of me I noticed the man had stopped as he didn’t want to pass without acknowledging my presence. He pressed his hands together and pulled them towards his chest as his warm smile gave […]
- [Rishikesh India: Holy Cows, Yoga & Universal Harmony](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/03/20/rishikesh-india-holy-cows-yoga-universal-harmony/): We traveled by car from Delhi to Rishikesh. It’s only around 200 kilometers, or 125 miles, but it took about four hours. It takes over an hour just to get out of Delhi. As always, the ride itself is so interesting. The things you can see along the road! I observed many families and people on a pilgrimage to Rishikesh. We saw them in caravans of cars, or in wagons going down the side of the road, and some just walking, all displaying the triangle orange flag and heavily decorated with flowers. I am used to seeing many people on a […]
- [Unbelievable Wild Orangutan Adventure in Borneo](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/03/08/unbelievable-wild-orangutan-adventure-in-borneo/): Even though we have been traveling for well over two years now, I still find myself in unbelievable situations about to do something that I had previously only dreamed of. This trip to Borneo was definitely one of those situations. I have always had a love and fascination for the great apes. Growing up, and even as an adult, I read every library book I could get my hands on and watched numerous documentaries to learn more about the great apes. Jane Goodall is my hero! I was fortunate enough to get to do a Mountain Gorilla trek in Uganda a […]
- [Guanajuato - Mexico’s Prettiest City](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/03/08/guanajuato-the-prettiest-city-in-mexico/): All of my previous trips to Mexico had been to the beach. I even lived in the beach town of Puerto Vallarta. Guanajuato would be my first real experience of a mountain town in Mexico, and I was excited to check it out. We took a quick, 45 minute flight straight from Puerto Vallarta to Guanajuato. The airport is actually closer to the city of Leon than Guanajuato, but it was still only about a half hour ride from the airport to Guanajuato city. Dubbed as the prettiest city in Mexico, Guanajuato is known for its silver mining, colonial architecture, narrow […]
- [What to Eat in Da Nang, Vietnam](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/03/03/what-to-eat-in-da-nang-vietnam/): One of our favorite cities in the world is Da Nang, Vietnam. There are a lot of reasons to love this place. Great people, amazing beach, beautiful temples. But one thing that really keeps bringing us back to Da Nang again and again is the incredible food scene here. There is such a huge variety of foods, in fact, Vietnamese cuisine consists of over 3,000 individual dishes. It is fragrant, always made with super fresh ingredients, it can be very spicy, and is one of my absolute favorite cuisines. It seems like everything we try is delicious and affordable! We ate […]
- [Da Nang Vietnam, It Feels Like Home](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/29/da-nang-vietnam-it-feels-like-home/): I have to state, right off the bat, that I love Vietnam, and Da Nang is one of my all time favorite cities. I can actually see myself living here, and what’s not to love? With stunning beaches, exotic temples, a delicious variety of foods, coffee shops, bars, entertainment, warm and friendly people. Da Nang is at the top of my list of places I like to return to when I need a break from traveling. In other words, it feels like home in many ways, only more affordable.  We have a favorite place we like to stay that is near […]
- [What to See and Do in Luang Prabang](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/26/what-to-do-in-luang-prabang/): A UNESCO World Heritage City, surrounded by mountains and sitting at the junction of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, is the ancient royal city of Luang Prabang. After disembarking from our river cruise, we caught a shuttle van to our hotel in Luang Prabang. We were staying at a great little guesthouse on the Nam Khan Riverside called Villa Ouis NamKhan. Oddly, it was being run by a Vietnamese guy. He was so nice and helpful. We had to use our Google translators with each other a few times, but that’s okay. The rooms were great and it included a […]
- [Escape to Beautiful Anajawan Island](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/26/escape-to-beautiful-anajawan-island/): This was my first trip to The Philippines. After making our way to Siargao Island, I found that it wasn’t quite what I was expecting or looking forward to. I was looking for relaxing, white sandy beaches with great swimming. We actually found just what we were looking for an hour and a half boat ride away from Siargao on Anajawan Island. Searching for beach areas, we found this place just by looking at Google Maps. The only place to stay on the island is fairly new so it didn’t have a lot of reviews yet, but the ones it did […]
- [Cruising the Mekong - Thailand to Laos](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/23/cruising-the-mekong-thailand-to-laos/): Leaving Northern Thailand it was time to move on to Laos and we decided to try a different type of adventure. We did a two day cruise on The Mekong River. This option sounded so much more fun than taking the overnight sleeper bus from Chiang Rai, Thailand to Luang Prabang, Laos. First, we had to choose the type of cruise we wanted to do. There are many different options for cruising the Mekong. Ranging from a very small boat with an outboard motor, to speed boats, all the way up to high-end luxury cruises. We started looking for something that […]
- [HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY AFFORD TO TRAVEL FULL-TIME?](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/23/how-can-you-possibly-afford-to-travel-full-time/): As full-time travelers, my husband and I get asked this question all the time. Simple answer, we do it on a budget. When we decided that we wanted to travel around the world, at our own pace, whether this would take two years or ten, the first thing we did was look at our finances. We are not independently wealthy, and we definitely fall into the “budget traveler” category. Since we both retired early, and are not yet collecting social security, we do not have a monthly income to rely on, so we had to make a realistic budget we could […]
- [How We Save Money Traveling](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/23/how-we-save-money-traveling/): For years all we seemed to think about was saving money to travel.  We lived very frugal lifestyles in order to finally be able to slow travel. It’s now been over three years since we sold our house in the US and hit the road. During this time we have learned a lot about money, and not just spending it.  Spending money sounds easy and it is, but knowing how to maximize your money and avoid fees and extra charges on the road will make your travels less stressful and allow you to live a little bit better. In this article […]
- [Eating Our Way Around Porto](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/16/what-to-eat-in-porto/): The roots of Portuguese food lie in both native peasant cooking and ingredients obtained through trade routes established many centuries ago. Bread, rice, spices, pastries, sausages, and seafood remain the staples of many Portuguese meals. While we were in Porto, we definitely tried some of their iconic dishes at a few of their popular restaurants. Overall, we opted to bypass the over-priced tourist restaurants and find some local places in our neighborhood. This enabled us to eat at great restaurants that offer local prices, daily specials on food and wine, and generally better food. And we did find some gems! One […]
- [Porto: Wine, Food and History](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/15/porto/): Finally, I found myself on a plane to Europe. Portugal would be my first introduction to Europe and I could hardly wait. As budget travelers we have steered clear of Europe so far, as it can be very expensive, or so we thought. We definitely plan on doing Europe in depth, but we want to get our hardest travel destinations done first. Then we found ourselves with three free weeks when going from one continent to another, and started exploring affordable places to go in Europe. The main destination that kept popping up was Portugal. Instead of trying to tour the […]
- [A Relaxing Escape From Our Relaxing Escape: Rupa and Begnas Lakes ](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/15/a-relaxing-escape-from-our-relaxing-escape-rupa-and-begnas-lakes/): There are three lakes in the Pokhara valley. Fewa, located in Pokhara is the largest. Lying ten miles outside of Pokhara are Begnas Lake, the second largest, and Rupa Lake, the third largest. The hillsides around both lakes are dotted with guest houses, boutique resorts, and yoga retreats.  After hearing many great things about the lakes, we booked a four night stay at the Rupa View Guest House. This turned out to be a great decision. We took a taxi from Pokhara and about 90 minutes later, were dropped off at a small shop. The shop owner showed us the path […]
- [Why I Will Be Returning to Pokhara!](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/14/why-i-will-be-returning-to-pokhara/): Pokhara is known as the tourism capital of Nepal and the gateway to the Annapurna massif in the Himalayas. Most people come to Pokhara for trekking, but there is so much else to see and do here. This includes a wide variety of adventure sports like river rafting, para-gliding, bungee jumping, ATV tours, and more. All of this, combined with Lake Fewa, where you can paddle board, kayak, boat, and fish, it really is a destination to visit in itself.  Our six weeks here was packed full even though we didn’t get to do any trekking because the rainy season had […]
- [Are You Ready to Be Blissed Out in Kathmandu?](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/13/221/): I was so excited I really couldn’t believe I was actually on my way to exotic Kathmandu, Nepal. Gateway to the Himalayas! Visions of temples, prayer flags, the snow covered Himalayas, and Mount Everest ran through my head. I could almost smell the incense even before my plane landed. I had that exciting feeling you only get when arriving in a new country for the first time. 
- [Welcome to our Blog!](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/2024/02/11/hello-world/): Take your time to look around and hopefully gets inspired for travel!

## Pages

- [Our Top 10 Destinations After 6 Years of Travel](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/our-top-10-destinations-after-6-years-of-travel/): Nearly six years ago we sold everything and started slow traveling the world. When we set out on this journey we had no expectation for how long we would travel, and while we had a short list of places we wanted to visit, we never would have guessed that we would still be traveling the world in 2026. Since we started this trip we have visited eighteen countries. We like to travel slow, usually spending several weeks in each location. This allows us to really get to know a place and have favorite restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Spending more time […]
- [CAMBODIA](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/cambodia-2/): Exploring the amazing ruins of Angkor Wat
- [GREECE](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/greece-2/): Rhodes Island is blessed with amazing history and beautiful beaches. Karpathos truly is a Greeks Island paradise loaded with beauty and history.
- [THAILAND](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/thailand-2/): Exploring Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai & Pai in Northern Thailand. Songkran – Thailand’s Amazing Water Festival
- [TURKIYE](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/turkiye/): Exotic and fascinating city Istanbul has become on of our favorite cities. Cappadocia is a desert paradise and a must visit destination when in Türkiye.
- [INDIA](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/where-to-travel-in-india/): Rishikesh is known as the world capital of Yoga. It also has a lot of things to see and do for the travelers that take the time to really explore the city. India’s Taj Mahal is not only one of the most famous buildings in all of the world, it is also the subject of a true life love story.
- [MALAYSIA](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/what-to-see-and-do-in-malaysia/): Unbelievable Wild Orangutan Adventure in Borneo The Beautiful Paradise City of Kota Kinabalu
- [MEXICO](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/where-to-go-in-mexico/): Guanajuato is the prettiest city in all of Mexico. Guanajuato is also packed with history and makes for a fund and fascinating travel destination. Guadalajara bustles with markets, delicious food and history. In this blog we discover the best things to see and do in Guadalajara, Mexico.
- [VIETNAM](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/vietnam-2/): Da Nang, Vietnam is one of those places that we fell in love with on our first visit and we keep coming back to. Da Nang has a little bit of everything including beautiful beaches and stunning temples. One of the best parts of any trip to Vietnam is the food. Find out what is the best food to eat in Da Nang and where to eat it.
- [THE PHILIPPINES](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/travel-to-the-philippines/): The perfect island in the Philippines that you have never heard of.
- [Newsletter](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/newsletter/): [newsletter] Thank you for signing up for the Far Away Now newsletter! Keep an eye on your inbox for blog updates and to see where we are going next.
- [LAOS](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/laos/): Follow along as we cruise the mighty Mekong River from Thailand to Laos on an incredible and unpredictable two day journey. The ancient city of Luang Prabang is one of most fascinating places in all of Southeast Asia. This beautiful city is full of exotic temples and delicious foods.
- [TRAVEL TIPS](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/travel-tips-2/): How we save money while traveling. A guide to navigating those annoying fees and extra costs while traveling the world. How can you afford to travel? As full-time travelers, we get asked this question all the time.
- [BLOG](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/blog/)
- [HOME](https://farawaynowtravels.com/): Far Away Now is your home for YouTube Travel Videos & Blogs. Check out the countries section to find a destination or go to the blog to read our latest posts. Click the YouTube link at the top to see our in depth Travel Videos and Subscribe to our Newsletter to see all of our updates. OUR LATEST YOUTUBE VIDEO
- [PORTUGAL](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/portugal/): Set on the banks of the Douro River, Porto is an amazing and historical city to visit. The city is packed full of beautiful buildings, great food and don’t forget the Port wine! One of the best parts of any trip to Portugal is the food! Find out what to eat and where to eat it in our Port Food blog!
- [NEPAL](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/nepal-2/): Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu is exotic, colorful packed with incredible places to explore. From its beautiful temples to its delicious food this is a city that surprised us at every turn. Pokhara is Nepal’s adventure capital and the gateway to the Annapurna Mountains. Set on Lake Fewa, Pokhara is a beautiful and laid back city with a lot to see and do. Our trip to Rupa & Begnas Lakes was a surprisingly beautiful and relaxing nature getaway in Nepal’s stunning countryside. The Beautiful Experiences of Trekking To Annapurna Base Camp. Experience the Magic of Holi – The Festival of Colors […]
- [CONTACT US](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/contact-us/): Contact Us ABOUT THE BLOG Hi, I’m Carolyn. I’ve dreamed about traveling since I was a child, and I’m finally getting to do it!  I am slow traveling the world. I am also passionate about writing and have published several magazine articles. Taking my time in each destination to get to know the people, history, culture, and food is why I love to travel. Feel free to take the time to read my in-depth travel blogs and destination guides. WORK WITH US Having over 20 years experience in video production, with a focus on travel and marketing, Aaron is a detail oriented […]
- [GEAR](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/gear/): Our Travel & Video Gear Prior to starting our travels and our YouTube Channel we spent a lot of time researching video equipment and travel gear. We have been using everything listed here on a daily basis and only recommended gear that we truly believe in. This page contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission from. This page contains links to Amazon. Our primary camera is the Sony A7C and we love it. For lenses we carry the Sony 24-105 f4 and the Sony 20mm f1.8. Our action camera is the DJI […]
- [ABOUT US](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/about-us/): About Us We are Carolyn & Aaron and we have been traveling together for years, but not enough to fulfill our wanderlust. We finally decided to sell all of our belongings and just travel the world. We have been living out of two suitcases since early 2021 and the longer we travel the more places we find out about that we want to visit. We have taken long trips before, and previously spent a year living in Cambodia. We knew that we wanted to do something different on this trip, so we started a YouTube channel and blog to share our […]
- [YOUTUBE VIDEOS](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/youtube-videos/)
- [COUNTRIES](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/blogs/): Follow our adventures traveling around Nepal visiting the capital of Kathmandu, Pokhara and Bengas & Rupa Lakes. Porto was a magical experience where we explored the rich Portuguese history and of course some delicious food. It’s hard to imagine an island paradise better than Greece with amazing history and a stunning natural environment. Laos is a magical, exotic and fascinating country to visit. From the Mekong River to beautiful Temples, Laos is one our favorite destinations in SE Asia. There are over 7000 island in The Philippines and we found the perfect island that you have never even heard of. Vietnam […]
- [Privacy Policy](https://farawaynowtravels.com/index.php/privacy-policy/): Privacy Policy Far Away Now at farawaynowtravels.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Who we are Our website address is: http://farawaynowtravels.com. Comments When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you […]

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