Victoria

Although I have been to Victoria many times in the past (mostly on business), I have never checked out the famous Butchart Gardens. People around me gave me mixed opinions about the place. My sister Mandy happens to visit me and would like to check out Victoria, giving me an excellent opportunity to re-visit Victoria and check out Butchart Gardens - using public transportation of course.

Jun 23, 2018
Victoria

Colombia - Ecuador - Peru

It's prime time. The No. 1 general destination in South America - Machu Picchu and the No. 1 personal destination in South America for me - Galápagos Islands got to be explored. Since air tickets to other destinations around the New Year are super expensive, I decided to go to Ecuador and Peru, adding Colombia as a bonus.

December 31, 2017
Cartagena

Belarus - Ukraine - Moldova - London

My round-the-world trip in September 2015 turned very successful and I'm kind of addicted to it now. This time when I needed to return to Canada from Bangkok, I decided to check out a few Eastern European countries on the way back to Vancouver.

Jan 18, 2017
Minsk & Brest

Paraguay - Brazil

For Canadians, getting a Brazilian visa can be a pain. Luckily, the Brazilian government has temporarily waived the visa for Canadians in the months before and during the Rio 2016 Olympics – an opportunity I cannot miss. Paraguay is another country that Canadians need a visa to visit. A visa-on-arrival is available only at Asuncion Airport. So I decided to fly to Asuncion and enter Brazil overland.

July 17, 2016
Asuncion to Trinidad

Whistler

Having lived in Vancouver for 3 years, I never went to Whistler, partially because I don't like cold weather. It's July now and I decided to check it out. Due to low temperature on the mountains and strong wind, a warm jacket is still needed.

Jul 10, 2016
Whistler

Jamaica - Bahamas - Key West

Among the big island nations in the Caribbean, Jamaica and the Bahamas are the only two left for me to check out. They are also kind of similar in a sense – people are of African origin and speak English. Caribbean Airlines has direct flights between the capitals of the two countries and makes a combined trip much easier.

May 20, 2016
Falmouth

Central America

The organization I'm doing project with enforced a two week mandatory time-off for contractors during the holiday season, giving me a good excuse to travel long-distance. I decided to take one more day off and do the “grand tour” to Central America planned (but not implemented) two years ago.

December 18, 2015
Belize City to Caye Caulker

Andorra - Spain - Portugal - Morocco

I happened to have some personal matters to handle in China this fall. Instead of flying direct, I decided to “stop over” on the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco for some sightseeing on the way.

Sep 6, 2015
Andorra

Israel / Palestine - Cyprus - Malta

For a long time, Israel & the Palestinian territories have been considered the last place to visit in the Middle East because of the passport stamp thing. Since my passport is to expire this year, I wanted to pay a visit to Israel but later I learned that they introduced a new system in 2013 to issue tourist card instead of stamping your passport. Nevertheless, I decided to keep the plan and added two small Mediterranean countries to enhance the trip.

April 5, 2015

Jerusalem & Bethlehem

Cuba

One advantage of being Canadian over American is the freedom to go to Cuba - one of the most fascinating Caribbean destinations. As a world traveler, I definitely won't miss this opportunity.

December 24, 2014
Vancouver to Santa Clara