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Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Zambia
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
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      • Thailand
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  • Activities
    • Camping
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    • Scuba Diving
    • Skiing
    • Yoga
  • Planning
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting
    • Gear and Packing
  • Travel Styles
    • Active and Healthy
    • Couples Travel
    • Educational and Experiential
    • Foodie Travel
    • Long-Term Travel
    • Nature and Outdoors
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Road Trips
  • Responsible Travel

Ski Trip Essentials: A Packing List for Your Next Powder Day

February 13, 2019 By Ryan Victor 2 Comments

Snowy mountains with empty ski runs cutting among pine trees.

If you’re new to skiing or snowboarding, all the gear that’s required can seem intimidating. Here’s exactly what you need for a day on the slopes – plus some tips for finding great gear on a budget.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Gear and Packing, Nature and Outdoors, Skiing Tagged With: activities, packing list, ski gear, Travel Styles

Seeing the Green in Singapore: Hiking the Southern Ridges Trail

August 30, 2018 By Ryan Victor 4 Comments

You might think of Singapore as just a sterile concrete jungle, but you’d be wrong! The city-state has a hidden side of parks, forests, and walking trails, and the Southern Ridges is probably the most iconic one.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Hiking, Nature and Outdoors, Singapore Tagged With: activities, Henderson Waves, Mount Faber Park, Southern Ridges trail, Travel Styles

Climbodia: A Rock Climbing Adventure in Cambodia

January 9, 2018 By Ryan Victor 8 Comments

Why just look up at Southeast Asia’s limestone mountains when you could climb them? Ryan went rock climbing in Cambodia (with a company called Climbodia, ha!) and tried everything from top roping to rappelling.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Cambodia, Nature and Outdoors Tagged With: activities, Climbodia, Kampot, Travel Styles

Taking a City Break: The Best Parks in Bangkok

October 23, 2017 By Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

The capital of Thailand is a sprawling urban metropolis, so it might surprise you that this city has many wonderful green spaces - and they’re some of the most underrated Bangkok attractions. The best parks in Bangkok are great places to relax and feel like you’ve escaped the city for an afternoon, so put Lumpini Park, Chatuchak Park, or another green space on your travel itinerary. Bonus: some of these parks make great things to do in Bangkok for kids.

Bangkok may be a massive urban center, but it turns out this city has a number of beautiful green spaces. Plus, a day out in a park makes a great respite from all the chaos.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Thailand Tagged With: Bangkok, Chatuchak, Lumphini, parks, Travel Styles

Reflections on a Yoga Retreat in Thailand

September 18, 2017 By Jen Ambrose 20 Comments

The Whole & Happy Yoga Retreat in Thailand was an amazing week of self-exploration, adventure, and relaxation all in one. Attending a yoga and meditation retreat while you travel is a truly unique experience, and you can find affordable yoga retreats all over Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia.

If you’re an avid yogi, or even just a curious beginner, maybe you’ve thought about doing a yoga retreat. Jen’s reliving her time at the Whole & Happy Retreat in southeastern Thailand, a magical week full of yoga classes, relaxation, introspection, and wonderful community.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Thailand, Yoga Tagged With: activities, chanthaburi, meditation, Travel Styles, yoga retreat

Getting Back Underwater: Scuba Diving in Koh Chang, Thailand

August 8, 2017 By Ryan Victor 6 Comments

Koh Chang may not be the top spot for diving in Thailand, but this huge island has a lot to offer. After visiting Koh Tao to do a PADI open water diving certification five years ago, Koh Chang was a great place to get back into scuba. It’s known for wreck diving, but the waters are also full of tropical fish and colorful coral accessible to divers of all levels.

When we arrived in Thailand, it’d been five years since the first (and only) time I went scuba diving. The island of Koh Chang turned out to be the perfect place to get back underwater and kick off our life of travel.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Scuba Diving, Thailand Tagged With: activities, Koh Chang, PADI, snorkeling, Travel Styles

Spend Summer Outside: The Best Hiking Near Boston

July 1, 2017 By Ryan Victor 4 Comments

To make the most of the Fourth of July in New England (or any summer weekend), head outside! Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont all have some great hikes for various levels. These five trails are some of the best hiking near Boston, including the Mt. Washington hike and other trails in the White Mountains.

The Boston Pops, a huge fireworks show, and all that history make Boston one of the best places to celebrate the Fourth of July. But to get the most out of the holiday weekend in New England, consider spending part of it outdoors. Here’s five of the area’s best hikes to get you started.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Hiking, Maine, Massachusetts, Nature and Outdoors, New Hampshire, North America, U.S., Vermont Tagged With: activities, Boston, Mt. Washington, New England, Travel Styles, White Mountains

In Honor of Canada Day: A Guide to Fundy National Park

June 29, 2017 By Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

Fundy National Park in New Brunswick makes a great road trip or long weekend getaway, especially if you live on the East Coast of the U.S. or Canada. This guide covers all the best hiking, camping, and other activities the park has to offer, including the unique Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy.

In honor of Canada Day 2017, we’re highlighting one of Canada’s smallest and least-visited national parks. Fundy offers great hiking, stunning campsites, and unique landscapes, all without the crowds. Plus, it’s super accessible from the East Coast.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Camping, Canada, Hiking, Nature and Outdoors, North America, Off the Beaten Path Tagged With: activities, Fundy National Park, national parks, Travel Styles

Exploring Our Own Backyard: The National Parks of Montana and Wyoming

April 5, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 8 Comments

If you’re thinking about a road trip or other travel in the American West, chances are you’ve got some national parks on your radar. Montana and Wyoming alone are home to three of the most popular parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Here are our tips on the top things to do in each national park and the towns nearby. Highlights include Old Faithful, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Jenny Lake, and the towns of Bozeman, Whitefish, and Jackson.

Montana and Wyoming are home to three of the most popular national parks in the U.S. – and we were pretty lucky to grow up near them. Whether you want to visit Glacier, Yellowstone, or Grand Teton (or all three!), here’s how to make the most of your trip.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Hiking, Idaho, Montana, Nature and Outdoors, North America, U.S., Wyoming Tagged With: Bozeman, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, national parks, Travel Styles, Whitefish, Yellowstone National Park

How to Eat Healthier and Save Money While Traveling

March 17, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 10 Comments

Eating out every day when you travel can get rough if you’re health-conscious or on a budget. Here are some of the best alternatives, including healthy road trip snacks, other cheap travel foods, easy recipes, and a food packing list.

When you’re traveling, eating out for every meal can seem inevitable – but it gets rough on both your wallet and your health. Here are all our best ideas for cheap and healthy travel foods, including grab-and-go snacks, super easy recipes, and things to bring with you.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Budgeting, Foodie Travel, Gear and Packing, Road Trips Tagged With: cooking, Travel Styles

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Hi! We’re Jen and Ryan, an American couple on a journey to travel the world while working from the road. We’re passionate about outdoor adventure, responsible travel, and getting off the beaten path. Passions and Places is a space for us to share our stories and tips with you, but most importantly, we hope to inspire you to seek your own adventure.

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