Pictured: Standing on top of a view point overlooking the ancient walled city of Lo Manthang

Nepal is such an incredible country, packed with life and culture. We spent almost 10 days in Nepal and toured as many spots as we could. We spent a lot of time in a helicopter which took us to all of the top 8000 meter peaks in the famous mountain ranges. Visiting Mount Everest was extremely moving, and evoked childhood memories of learning about its enormous existence. Walking around Annapurna basecamp was another highlight of the helicopter tour. Many Nepalese people we met wanted to make sure we would see more than just the mountains and the city of Kathmandu; and the universal suggestion was to spend a few nights in Pokhara - which is exactly what we did.

Pictured: Snapping a selfie in front of the Thean Hou Temple

We had 2 quick days in Malaysia, but were able to stack our days and nights full of activities. Visiting Thean Hou Temple and Selayang were the two tourist highlights, and we loved walking up and down the stalls of Petaling Street at night.

We were told that we should have signed up for a city food tour, so next trip to Malaysia, we will make sure to try their wide variety of cuisine!

Pictured: Standing in front of a local temple supported by the villages of Park Ou off the Mekong River

Laos was an incredible visit and we have so much appreciation for the Lao people. Our cruise down the Mekong River was such a highlight and there’s no better way to see the country, learn about the culture, and check out the local highlights than via river boat.

Pictured: Taking in the scenic views at Victoria’s Peak

Hong Kong’s food & drink scene is buzzing right now and we spent most of our time exploring just that! The days were filled with touristy ventures, and evenings were filled with incredible meals and inventive cocktails.

Pictured: Snapping a selfie at sundown as we walked the entire circumference of the island where Amanpulo resides.

Arguably, we spent most of our waking hours under water diving in the Philippines. Trying three different famous dive spots, each location had their own unique wildlife to show off. The sardine show in Cebu was unlike anything we’d seen… thousands of large sardines working in a pack and moving all together like a large underwater monster. It was breathtaking.

Pictured: Looking at a bronze art sculpture just outside Taipei 101, the country’s tallest building (and once the worlds tallest building).

The food in Taiwan is unparalleled and we loved visiting all the lively parts of the city. The foot massage parlors were endless and we found ourselves walking around every corner of the city.

Pictured: Max walking alongside the The Door To Hell in the Karakum Desert

We wrapped up our tour of “the Stans” by spending a few days in Turkmenistan; one night in the desert and 2 evenings in the city were the right amount of time to get your bearings. While Turkmenistan has many rules that are foreign to western culture, there were many things to appreciate about the country; including the smiling faces of the locals and the beautiful horses.

Pictured: Dressed up in traditional Uzbek clothing at the Registan in Samarkand.

We ended up spending the most time in Uzbekistan of all the ‘stan’ countries. Seemingly the most modern of the ‘stans’, Uzbekistan had both modern elements as well as historic and cultural artifacts that helped to keep it a dynamic and versatile country. Samarkand is the top attraction in Uzbekistan, and we found ourselves winding through the structure in amazement for many hours.

Pictured: Standing in front of Nofin (the 4th lake of the seven Tajik lakes) in the Shing Valley

We spent the least amount of time in Tajikistan, only one night in a small village. The beauty of Tajikistan is it’s most redeeming quality, and as we weaved our way to viewing the Seven Pearls of Shing, we drove past groups of people who have made the mountains and the hills their home. We stopped to take pictures with a few and help others with medical questions.

Pictured: Posing with 15 Kyrgyz horsemen after an intense game of Kok-Boru on the Issyk Kul Lake

Of all the ‘stans’ - Kyrgyzstan undoubtedly had the most beautiful landscape of all. The cultural experiences we had access to in the deep corners of the countryside were unlike any experience we’ve had to date; spending time with the golden eagle hunters, watching an authentic game of Kok-Boru (a goat carcass game via horseback), and spending time with a nomad family in their 10-person yurt. Just, wow.

Pictured: Standing in front of the Palace of Independence in Astana

Our few days in Kazakhstan were eye opening ones! We never imagined that a new and young city like Astana would have so many modern buildings and tourist attractions to see. We spent half of our time in Astana, and the other half in Almaty (the previous capital of Kazakhstan). Astana is for those who enjoy the city life and Almaty is for those who enjoy the outdoors.

Pictured: Playing a game of chess at Deep Dive Dubai

Max said it best when he described Dubai as what life might be like if we were forced to live on Mars. Life in Dubai is very different from life in the states and we’re grateful for the opportunity to experience both!

Pictured: Atop the city walls in Sighnaghi, the city of love.

Traveling around Georgia is best done via car and we saw so much beauty that has brought backpackers and trekkers here for many years. Tbilisi has so much unique personality that we couldn’t quite place it or compare it to any other city we’ve been to. The mix of asian, european, authentic Georgian and other surrounding cultures made the city of Tbilisi a lively one and we look forward to going back to visit.

Pictured: Standing in front of the Temple of Garni, located about 45 minutes outside of Yerevan 

Armenia has an impressive history of preserving their history, language, and culture all while being surrounded by “giant empires” throughout history. The city of Yerevan had many different areas to explore, and the local authentic food quite possibly could have been our favorite part.