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You always remember your first kiss, as the saying goes. I would add to that statement, “You always remember your first Egyptian Temple.” With all respect to the majestic temples in Luxor, my favorite temple along the Nile in Egypt is the unassuming Philae Temple in Aswan. It’s got an interesting back story, too. Currently […]

I feel about Kyoto, Japan the same way I feel about Florence, Italy: it’s just too touristy! Almost everywhere you go in Kyoto, the sheer volume of foreign visitors overwhelms the attractions, turning them into mini Disneylands. Okay sure, no visitor to Kyoto wants to miss its world-class site: the Golden Pavilion, the Silver Pavilion, […]

“I think we’re going the wrong way, Dave.” “Can’t you hear the waterfalls, Donica? They must be nearby.” “Yeah, well, this ‘trail’ of ours is turning into a deer path. We need to turn back.” “But we’re SO close!” I’m a stubborn guy when it comes to directions. Most of the time I do get […]

“Mom, we’re the car driving up the hill. I think we’re the one which has to back up.” “But we were here first; why can’t THEY back up? My mom, Shirley, and I are heading toward the Neist Point Light House on the Isle of Skye, which we are assured (by our B&B proprietor, Morag) […]

“How are we going to get across the street, Jen? There are no stop signs or traffic lights!” “Have you ever played Frogger?” “Very funny.” Hanoi is a fascinating city. There’s a beautiful lake in the middle of town, with a pagoda on an island seemingly floating in the center. There are numerous specialized neighborhoods […]

Hey all, I was just interviewed by Jonny Blair, one of the world’s top travel bloggers. Check out the interview here: World Travellers: Dave Blum from “365 Wow Places”

We travel for the sights and the monuments; what we remember are the people. Heading toward our hotel in downtown Tokushima, a mid-size city in eastern Shikoku, I motion to my friend to pull over at a nearby parking lot. “This is the place, according to HappyCow (a search app for vegetarian dining). “The building […]

I hope you’re enjoying my”micro” travel blog: “365 Wow Places”. My quest is to write 365 blogs in 365 days… about cool places I’ve been to and what they’ve taught me (and can teach you). I What interests me is how can we bring our best travel selves back into our home and work worlds. […]

“Excuse me, where do we get off the bus for the Phutthamonthon? “There.” “You mean, at the next stop?” “There.” “It seems like you’re signaling that we missed the Phutthamonthon stop, that we should get off here, cross the street, and head in the opposite direction. Is that right?” “There.” One of the challenges of […]

When I was a kid, my friends and I would sometimes sneak into the local golf course at night. The challenge was to penetrate the course as far as we could, with the ultimate goal being to put our hands on the clubhouse wall without being caught by the guards or the gardeners! We travelers […]