“GT” Culture

Here are all the “GT” Travel posts that focus on the people or cul­ture of a des­tin­a­tion more than its nat­ur­al envir­on­ment. Posts that explore the cul­ture and nature of a place evenly appear both here and in “GT” Nature.

The luxury of simply feeling good in Siem Reap


The luxury of feeling good in Siem Reap, Cambodia at Sala Bai

As the gate­way to the icon­ic temples of Angkor, Siem Reap is one of the busiest ‘tour­ist towns’ in South­east Asia. Angkor Wat is a must-see, of course, but Siem Reap and its sur­rounds have much more to offer those who would stay a while longer.  With Siem Reap as a base, you can experience […]

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Huế to go for a sweet treat

July 14, 2021

A class of 10 and an instructor. La Boulangerie Française, Huế, Vietnam

Huế is loc­ated on the bank of the pic­tur­esque Sông Hương (Per­fume River). Once the cap­it­al of imper­i­al Viet­nam, the city shines with the glor­ies of the past.  The town’s rich her­it­age includes charm­ing pago­das, palaces, and the tombs of Emper­ors who once ruled over the city. There are sev­en mauso­leums dot­ted all over the city.  I […]

Read More Huế to go for a sweet treat

If sweet treats make you weak, beware these strong women in Siem Reap

June 30, 2021

Trainee concentrates at the Bayon Pastry School Coffee Shop in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Hid­den in a maze of small side roads, behind flowers and palms, it may not be the easi­est place to find but it is well worth it. The little oas­is is a lovely spot for a gen­er­ous break­fast, brunch, sweet indul­gence, or even an after­noon chilling in a relax­ing ambi­ence.  I vis­it the Bay­on Pastry School […]

Read More If sweet treats make you weak, beware these strong women in Siem Reap

Drop a beat when you eat in Ho Chi Minh City


Skip a beat when you eat at Mai Sen Bistro, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Once known as the Pearl of the Far East, Ho Chi Minh City — Sai­gon — is a bust­ling met­ro­pol­is. With its crazy traffic and dizzy­ing energy, the eco­nom­ic heart of Viet­nam is a place like no oth­er.  If I had to describe in three words the city that raised me, one would be ‘food’. With humble street stalls, fine dining, […]

Read More Drop a beat when you eat in Ho Chi Minh City

Immersed in the Amazon

June 16, 2021

Manati Lodge on the Rio Negro, Brazil. Pic (cc) Angelo Sciacca.

Exper­i­en­tial tour­ism allows people to act­ively and mean­ing­fully engage with a place’s his­tory, people, cul­ture, food, and envir­on­ment.  I recently jour­neyed to the Brazili­an Amazon and exper­i­enced three days immersed in the envir­on­ment and cul­ture with the help of Wel­ling­ton, my inter­pret­ive guide.  I hope this blog post inspires oth­ers to take sim­il­ar exper­i­en­tial jour­neys. I […]

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Old stories, new memories in Valjevo, Serbia

May 26, 2021

A 3:2 crop of a panoramic image of Valjevo, Serbia featuring the Balkans' second largest Orthodox temple. Photo (c) Dimitrije Tanasković https://www.instagram.com/dimitrijetanaskovic/

“Why did­n’t you ever tell me that?” I shrieked. “Well, you nev­er asked,” my grandma replied. I am unsure wheth­er there was an echo of rep­rim­and or remorse. Maybe I ima­gined it. Still, the accom­pa­ny­ing smile hin­ted that she had been wait­ing for this moment. I loved both my grand­par­ents with all my heart. They […]

Read More Old stories, new memories in Valjevo, Serbia