Siem Reap, Cambodia: Ancient Temples and Tarantula Kebabs - March 2017

Would you like to watch the sun rise over temples that date back to the 12th century? Does a tarantula kebab, scorpion salad or ant-stuffed spring roll sound appetizing? Are you in the market for a holiday where you can get by on less than $50 a day?  

If you answered yes to any of these tantalizing questions, and are down for seeing some buffalo racing in your spare time, the country of Cambodia in Southeast Asia just may be the place for you.

I visited Cambodia for the first time ten years ago. From the moment I stepped off the plane until I waved goodbye, I was showered with smiles and hospitality. The Cambodian people are welcoming and eager to share their rich and unique culture.

I attribute much of my positive experience in Cambodia to my friend, Peou. When I met Kanh Peou he drove a taxi cab and offered to show me around his hometown of Siem Reap. Now Peou is a professional guide and licensed tour driver who operates his own business. Angkor Family Taxi provides one to four-day tours throughout Cambodia with options for any budget. Here are a few of the attractions and activities you can enjoy in and around Siem Reap with Peou:

Angkor Wat. Built in the mid-12th century by King Suryavaraman II, it's the largest temple in the world and Cambodia's most well-known tourist attraction. The structure is a three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from the ground and surrounded by a moat. Nearly 2,000 distinct carvings decorate its walls depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and historical wars. The temple was dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu, and served as the state temple under Khmer rule.

South Gate of Angkor Thom. The best-preserved entrance to the ancient city, it extends about fifty meters across a moat. Each side of the causeway is fashioned with 54 stone figures telling a famous Hindu story.

Ta Prohm. One of his first major projects, this temple was dedicated to Khmer King Jayavarman VII's mother. It was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time boasting control of over 3,000 villages. This temple was also the location for the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Bayon. Constructed in the 12th century, Bayon is a Buddhist temple known for its giant stone faces with serene and smiling expressions.

Baphoun. Built as Hindu temple and later converted to a Buddhist temple, this structure has unique animal carvings at the entrance and a large reclining Buddha on the west side.

Neak Pean. An island temple that sits at the axis of a lotus pattern created of eight pools. Named for the surrounding coiled serpent sculptures, its waters are believed to have healing properties.

Preah Ko. The first temple to be built in the ancient city of Hariharalya in the late 9th century. Its six towers and their carvings are beautifully preserved as are the statues of sacred bulls staged at the temple's entrance.

In addition to this sampling of ancient sites around Siem Reap, Peou can customize your tour to include a visit to a floating village, the Angkor National Museum, Kulen Mountain and waterfalls, or any number of other interesting places in the region. So whether you're into sunsets or scorpions, temples or waterfalls, Cambodia is well-worth a visit, and Peou is just the guy to show you around.

Almaty, Kazakhstan: Don't Whistle After You Drink Milk Champagne in a Yurt

Thinking about whistling in Kazakhstan? Think again.

Formerly part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991, however we learned at the airport that Russia continues to regard the country as a domestic destination.

Nonetheless, a five-and-a-half hour, overnight flight from St. Petersburg took us to the world's largest landlocked country and specifically to its former capital and most populated city of Almaty.

Almaty is located in the southeastern part of the country at the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. Literally translated, Almaty means "a place of apples" and is believed to be where the first apple trees grew around 20 million years ago.

Upon arrival, the locals advised the thing to do was to go up into the mountains. In addition to enjoying incredible views of Big Almaty Lake and the forested surroundings, the Medeo Sports Center is housed in the mountains boasting the highest skating rink in the world at 5,545 feet above sea level.

While the country isn't yet on many tourists' radar, the city of Almaty does have a few notable attractions including Holy Ascension Cathedral, the Green Bazaar, Republic Square, Central Almaty Mosque and Park of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

While visiting we learned that Kazakh refers to both the country's people and its language, and that the language is of Turkic origins with many Russian and Arabic words. It was not written until the 1860s where it was captured in Arabic script, and then in 1940 the country adopted the Cyrillic alphabet along with a few extra symbols.

The names of seven countries in Central Asia end in "stan:" a suffix meaning "land" in Persian. The word Kazakh itself means "wanderers" or "outlaws," and is fitting for the nation comprised of formerly nomadic tribes. Traditionally, Kazakhs lived in yurts, or collapsible tents with wooden frames covered by felt which they could carry along in their travels.

It is believed that ancient Kazakhs were the first to domesticate and ride horses, and horses are still a dominant theme in their culture today.

Kumis, or what the locals refer to as milk champagne, is a traditional drink made of fermented mare's milk, and the national dish is beshbarmak which is a collection of noodles, boiled horse meat and spices. A popular sport in the country is kokpar in which riders on horseback play a variation of polo with a headless goat carcass.

The adventure to our first "stan" was memorable and educational. Of all the cultural facts, likely the most critical was the local belief that whistling a song inside a building will make you poor for the rest of your life. A word to the wise: keep your whistling lips on lockdown or stick with humming unless you are riding horseback through the mountains!

Tenerife, Canary Islands: Carnival in the Canaries - February 2017

Located off the western coast of Morocco, the Canary Islands are an autonomous community of Spain. The archipelago includes seven main islands and several smaller islets all with a pleasant subtropical climate. When considering a weekend getaway to the Canaries, each of the islands has unique offerings and it's important to do your research.

Because we were visiting during Carnival, or Mardi Gras, we chose Tenerife. The island of Tenerife is known for having the second most popular and internationally well-known carnival after Rio de Janeiro.

As the majority of Carnival festivities aren't scheduled until after dark, we were able to spend the days exploring the island. We stashed our suitcases in the northwestern port town of Puerto de la Cruz and rented a car so that we could easily navigate the island.

A scenic spot to walk along the ocean and grab some fresh seafood, we stopped by the area around Castillo San Felipe before driving south along the coast. It takes approximately two hours to drive the entire perimeter of Tenerife. The largest and most populated of all of the Canary Islands, its most well-known attraction is Mount Teide which is the highest elevation in Spain, the third-largest volcano in the world and located in the center of the island.

The roads on the western side of the island wind in and around small coastal towns and climb to high elevations before dropping down to sea level in the south.

We spent the afternoon in the town of Los Cristianos on the beach and admiring the elaborate sand sculptures. The beaches in the south are golden compared to those in the north with black sands.

Based on the architecture we saw, Tenerife's heyday was in the 1970s and coincidentally many of the island's visitors looked like they may have peaked during that time as well.

Nevertheless, no matter your age, when the sun went down the party started. Drinks in hand, we stood next to the live band and watched as the Carnival Announcement parade moved into the main square. Marching bands and dancers flooded the streets and the Carnival Queen sparkled from head to toe waving to the crowds as her feathered float passed by.