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

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 | 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, 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,...

When You’ve Never Been to Berlin

by Calvin Sun | August 4, 2025 | Let me tell you a Story..., Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Nightlife, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

If it's not already playing, press play. And then start reading. After 3 days in Amsterdam, Nisha, Sujay, Priscilla, Kenny, and myself boarded a 2pm direct train bound for Berlin. It was a 7.5-hour journey that gave us just enough time to reflect...

12 Strong: Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan

by Calvin Sun | Jun 27, 2019 | Afghanistan, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, June 2019: Afghanistan, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

Our itinerary for this trip needs a little bit of background context.On January 2018, the Taliban attacked the The Inter-continental Hotel in Kabul and killed at least 42 people. Among the dead included 5 pilots and 4 crew members of Kam Air, which was soon...

Afghanistan Beyond Kabul: The Panjshir Valley

by Calvin Sun | Jun 26, 2019 | Afghanistan, June 2019: Afghanistan, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After 2 days in Kabul (which for security purposes I'll post about after our last day there), we set out for Panjshir Valley, which has been regarded by locals as the most beautiful place in Afghanistan by locals. We drove by numerous small...

So I’m In Kabul, Afghanistan Right Now… (Updated July 1, 2019)

by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2019 | Afghanistan, Epiphanies on the Road, How's the weather?, June 2019: Afghanistan, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Travel Warnings, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come, What to Pack

(Given the ever-changing security situation here, this post will be updated as circumstances develop so check back often) Travel WarningsA helpful warning as I set off for Kabul today:Do not travel to Afghanistan due to crime, terrorism, civil...

The UAE/Oman Road Trip: Khasab, Musandam Oman

by Calvin Sun | Jun 23, 2019 | Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, June 2019: Unknown UAE, Khasab, Oman, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Weekend Trips, What Dreams May Come

After 3 days road trippin' around the UAE and visiting all 7 Emirates and Omani/Emirati counter-enclaves, it's finally to the literal end of the road to Khasab: the main city in an exclave called Musandam Oman and can be considered Oman's "Alaska". It's also...

The UAE/Oman Road Trip – “Conclaves”: Fujairah, Madha, & Nahwa

by Calvin Sun | Jun 22, 2019 | Border Crossing, Fujairah, June 2019: Unknown UAE, Oman, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Unrecognized Territories, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

UAEAfter visiting Abu Dhabi and the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman-UAQ-RAK pentafecta of emirates yesterday (which epic-ness will be hard to beat), we woke up early and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel-with-hostel vibes at our lodgings in Rove City Centre . ....

Naked & Afraid – Off Roadin’ the UAE/Oman Road Trip: Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, & Ras Al-Khaimah

by Calvin Sun | Jun 21, 2019 | Ajman, Dubai, How Did You Do That?, June 2019: Unknown UAE, Ras Al-Khaimah, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Sharjah, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

One of my most epic days of traveling ever. And this is days before we head into Afghanistan! Following our whirlwind morning in Abu Dhabi, our driver Hosain took us up an hour's drive towards Dubai at the ENOC Gas Station by Ibn...

The UAE/Oman Road Trip: Abu Dhabi Doo! Where Are You?

by Calvin Sun | Jun 20, 2019 | Abu Dhabi, June 2019: Unknown UAE, Summer 2019: Unknown UAE, Afghanistan, Rwanda, & Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Walking Tours

Another monsoon begins. And this time it begins in the desert. Taking the 10:55pm Etihad Airways Flight #100 from JFK to AUH, I first experienced nearly an hour's delay on JFK's tarmac before taking off. While up in the air, I was able to knock out...

Off the Beaten Tracks in Angkor Wat and Beyond

by Aaron Lam | Jun 15, 2019 | Cambodia, Guest Posts

When I first began to plan my trip to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, I knew Angkor Wat was a must for many reasons…a world wonder, impressive in size and rich in history, an architectural feat, a cultural/religious symbol. Not only that, it was a special...

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