• Home
  • About
  • Contact

Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Zambia
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • Iceland
      • Portugal
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Alabama
      • Arizona
      • Connecticut
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Mississippi
      • Montana
      • New Hampshire
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • Wyoming
  • Activities
    • Camping
    • Cycling
    • Hiking
    • Kayaking
    • Motorcycling
    • 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

7 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Bangkok for the Curious Traveler

January 13, 2021 By Ryan Victor 6 Comments

Corrugated metal fence with yellow cat mural painted on it.

Looking for something a little different in Bangkok? From abandoned department stores to quirky museums, this list has got you covered.

Filed Under: Asia, Off the Beaten Path, Thailand Tagged With: Bangkok, featured

5 Offbeat Road Trip Stops: Unique Places to Visit in Arizona

December 15, 2020 By Jen Ambrose 14 Comments

Desert landscape of shrubs and red rocks with a blue sky.

Take it from us – there’s so much more to Arizona than the Grand Canyon. For an off-the-beaten-path experience, put some of these stops on your itinerary!

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: bisbee, featured, Jerome, Kingman, Petrified Forest National Park, Saguaro National Park

The Third Year on the Road: Reflecting on the Highs and Lows

April 21, 2020 By Jen Ambrose 4 Comments

View of blue water and a blue sky with clouds, with lush greenery and red-roofed buildings in the foreground.

We’ve (somehow!) been traveling full-time and living as digital nomads for three full years now. From diving with sea turtles in Indonesia to having an unexpected surgery in Thailand, and this recap covers all our highs and lows of the past year.

Filed Under: Long-Term Travel, Reflections Tagged With: digital nomad, featured, full-time travel, Travel Styles

A Sunfish & A Shipwreck: Diving in Tulamben, Bali

January 25, 2020 By Ryan Victor 16 Comments

Underwater photo of a sunfish next to a scuba diver blowing bubbles.

A dive to more than 100 feet below the surface? A sighting of a rare gigantic fish? A famous World War II-era shipwreck? Ryan’s Advanced Open Water course in Bali had a little bit of everything, and all of it was memorable.

Filed Under: Asia, Indonesia, Nature and Outdoors, Scuba Diving Tagged With: Advanced Open Water, bali, destinations, featured, Travel Styles, tulamben, wreck diving

41 Couples Travel Quotes to Inspire Love and Adventure

January 11, 2020 By Jen Ambrose 12 Comments

A couple standing under a black umbrella in the middle of a green field.

We’ve seen a lot of quotes about couples travel, and these are some of our favorites – from sweet and inspirational to silly and cheesy.

Filed Under: Couples Travel Tagged With: featured, quotes, Travel Styles

Bisbee, Arizona: The Funkiest Town You’ve Never Heard Of

January 3, 2020 By Ryan Victor 79 Comments

White brick exterior wall with tan mural reading “Historic Bisbee Est. 1880. Shoppes, Restaurants, Galleries, Museums, Lodging, RV Park, Queen Mine Underground Tour.”

Love funky artistic communities, laid-back hippie vibes, and lots of interesting history? Believe us when we say – Bisbee, AZ, is the town for you!

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: abandoned places, bisbee, destinations, erie street, featured, ghost towns, lowell, tombstone, Travel Styles, Tucson

11 Inspiring Travel Memoirs to Fuel Your Wanderlust

December 14, 2019 By Jen Ambrose 24 Comments

Grid with seven book covers in two rows, behind a white overlaying box with the text “Inspiring Travel Memoirs.”

Looking for travel inspiration, laugh-out-loud entertainment, or a deep dive into cultures around the world? Pick up one of these memoirs!

Filed Under: Gear and Packing Tagged With: books, featured, memoirs, planning

Our 5th Annual Wishlist of Cool Gear from Small Businesses

November 20, 2019 By Ryan Victor 8 Comments

Rows of small bags, piles of folded clothes, and items like a notebook, camera, umbrella, and U.S. passport, on a blue background.

This is our fifth (!) annual post on travel and outdoor gear made by small businesses. As always, these products are unique, sustainable, and high-quality, and shopping them supports entrepreneurs, instead of corporations.

Filed Under: Gear and Packing, Responsible Travel Tagged With: featured, Small Business Saturday, Small Businesses, travel planning

Aboard the Dragon Legend: An Unforgettable Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise

November 18, 2019 By Jen Ambrose 2 Comments

Boats rowing toward small overwater buildings, in front of tree-covered karst mountains and a gray sky.

The Dragon Legend cruise was hands-down one of our coolest travel experiences ever. It was a taste of luxury, a chance to unplug, and a sustainable way to see Vietnam’s most iconic scenery.

Filed Under: Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Off the Beaten Path, Responsible Travel, Vietnam Tagged With: Bai Tu Long Bay, cruise, destinations, featured, Halong Bay, Travel Styles

Movies and Mountains: The Dharamshala International Film Festival

November 12, 2019 By Jen Ambrose 2 Comments

We spent last weekend at a film festival high in the Himalayas of northern India – and it was a blast! We got to see some fascinating independent films from all over the world, and we loved being part of a cultural event that set the town abuzz.

Filed Under: Asia, Educational and Experiential, India Tagged With: destinations, Dharamshala, featured, festival, film festival, McLeod Ganj, Travel Styles

Next Page »
Close-up of a white man and woman both wearing black with trees in the background, and an overlaying green banner that says "Welcome!"

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 outdoors adventure, ethical travel, and healthy living. 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.

Get our monthly updates!

Top Posts

  • 41 Couples Travel Quotes to Inspire Love and Adventure
  • Bisbee, Arizona: The Funkiest Town You’ve Never Heard Of
  • A One-Day Itinerary: The Best Things to Do in Whitefish, MT

Search

Where are we now?

Our Favorite Travel Medical Insurance

Teal square with a cartoon owl dressed in a suit and holding a book, and text reading “Travel Medical Insurance for Digital Nomads with Covid-19 coverage included. Starts at $40/4 weeks. Nomad Insurance by Safety Wing.”

Privacy · Disclaimer · Terms of Use
Copyright © 2021 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress