The Monsoon Diaries: How to travel the world with no time or money -

Grenada Más

by Calvin Sun | November 4, 2025 | Grenada, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End | 0 Comments

🇬🇩 190 down. 3 to go. After our 3 day stay in Dominica, we took a long hour-and-a-half drive back to the airport from our Portsmouth lodgings, stopping for a quick photo opportunity along the way. Dominica's airport is tiny. You...

Dominica-n’t Miss This

by Calvin Sun | November 1, 2025 | Dominica, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

From St. Vincent, we boarded InterCaribbean Airways JY 717 at 12:20pm. Their new airport, however, was built just 8 years ago and still has some operational quirks. The staff double-printed my first leg itinerary from St. Vincent to Barbados without including...

Dead Men Tell No Layovers: St. Vincent & The Grenadines in 12 Hours

by Calvin Sun | October 29, 2025 | Layovers, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0 Comments

Fresh off a quick overnight in Grenada (courtesy of a free JetBlue voucher from last October's Welcome to Chinatown gala), we touched down at Maurice Bishop International Airport at 1:53pm. This marked the beginning of a 3-country Caribbean...

Getting Away With Robbinsville: The Akshardham Redemption

by Calvin Sun | October 6, 2025 | Camping, Layovers, New Jersey, October 2025: Camping in Robbinsville | 0 Comments

One of my more unique camping trips to have monsooned; this is what happens when you plan a camping trip months in advance just to visit a temple arguably worth seeing as a world-class destination. I was stuck at work all day Friday as Eddie took the initiative...

A Quick Halifax Check

by Calvin Sun | September 12, 2025 | Layovers, Lessons Learned, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

After two days in Saint-Pierre (and a turbulent ferry ride to Miquelon and back), we boarded an hour-and-a-half direct Air Saint-Pierre 9am flight to Halifax, landing around 9:30am local time (Halifax runs an hour behind Saint-Pierre), Our onward...

Miquelon Impossible

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Doctor in the House, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Sometimes the most spontaneous detours leave the strongest impressions. That morning in Saint Pierre, we hadn't planned on leaving the island. But after completing two walking tours around St. Pierre and checking the ferry schedule, we realized we could still...

48 Hours in a Little Saint-Pierre-ce of France

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

After three days soaking in St. John's charm, we dropped off our rental car at YYT Saint John's airport to catch the rare 5pm direct flight (PH1127) via Air Saint-Pierre to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon: one of the few weekly connections between Newfoundland and...

Don’t Be Dildo-Dallying

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

While based in St. John's, we took a spontaneous day trip by rental car to the now-famous town of Dildo. You'll know when you arrive; they're incredibly proud of their distinctive name. Though a vocal minority has repeatedly raised referendums to...

St. John’s: The Eastern Edge of Everything Everywhere All At Once

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Months ago I decided to gift myself a week off after Labor Day...simply because I could. After a year as wild as this past one, I craved actual and intentional self-prioritization to restore some balance. Finding fares under $200, I booked a morning departure:...

Singapore Airlines Business Class FRA-JFK

by Calvin Sun | August 5, 2025 | Flying Fancy, Germany, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

After a slow morning walk and talking about our villain (antihero?) origin stories in Berlin, I hugged Daniela and Gabe goodbye, hopped on the tram for a few stops, went underground for the metro, and made it back to the hostel in time for a 1:30pm check out. Nisha,...

“Suðuroy” For a Day Trip To Beinisvørð

by Calvin Sun | Aug 27, 2022 | August 2023: The Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands

This morning we headed out for our 10:00am Ferry from Tórshavn to Tvøroyri. For a group size of 10 or more, we recommend booking ahead of time (at least 2 weeks) by emailing bilegging@ssl.fo for an inquiry. Because we had 7 folks in 2 cars, we booked online on...

No Time To Kalsoy

by Calvin Sun | Aug 25, 2022 | August 2023: The Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

Our road trip around the Faroe Islands continues! This morning we set off for the 40 minutes' drive to the village of Klaksvík on the island of Borðoy. On the way you'll drive through the world's first underwater roundabout of Eysturoyartunnilin -- ...

From West to “East”-uroy

by Calvin Sun | Aug 24, 2022 | August 2023: The Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands, What Dreams May Come

After a morning driving around Streymoy and from the city of Tjørnuvík, we turned back into the island of Eysturoy for 45 minute drive towards Gjógv, a village located on the northeast tip of the island and one of the best natural harbors in the Faroes. ...

Don’t “Strey”-moy Too Far Away!

by Calvin Sun | Aug 24, 2022 | August 2023: The Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands, What Dreams May Come

Good morning Tórshavn! From the capital city of Tórshavn, we set out at 10am after breakfast for the 15 minute drive up to the gorgeous mountain pass of Norðadalsskarð: We spent a good 10 minutes admiring this epic view before...

Vágar-bounds in Tórshavn

by Calvin Sun | Aug 23, 2022 | August 2023: The Faroe Islands, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Fit for Foodies, Flying Fancy, How Did You Do That?, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Apparently I can't just get enough of the Scandinavia hygge life after Svalbard. I'm now back on another lesser-visited Scandinavian island autonomous territory, during one of the most popular times to visit in the year when the weather stays (relatively)...

Meet the Faroese!

by Calvin Sun | Aug 18, 2022 | Introductions

No postponing this one; this one is actually coming earlier than I had originally anticipated. I came up with this trip idea only 2 and a half months ago et voila! 8 have signed up to join on a trip that I had been planning to save for retirement: The Faroe...

So Far From Becoming a “Tarrafal” Time!

by Calvin Sun | Jul 20, 2022 | Cape Verde, Fit for Foodies, July 2022: Cape Verde

Our original plan today was to visit the outer islands of either Sal or Maio, but due to technical engine failures of all of TACV's flights today, we would be "marooned" on Santiago. What a first world problem to suggest because we still would make the most of...

Will You Be My Cidade Velha-tine?

by Calvin Sun | Jul 19, 2022 | Cape Verde, July 2022: Cape Verde, Walking Tours

Retrieving us from Praia, our guide Rita of Bu Country Tours drove us the 20 minutes west to the historic former Cape Verdean capital city of Cidade Velha. We started up top at Fortaleza Real de San Felipe: Built originally to defend the city...

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