Hot Take: Maybe a bit overhyped as an experience, exploring the Great Barrier Reef was our reason to come to Australia and checked off a major bucket list item. (4.5 stars)
Pro Tip: Watch the weather for a calm day, the experience changes dramatically based on the conditions.
Read MoreHot Take: A long, but tremendous day in Australia’s jungles is sure to satisfy your wanderlust. (4.5 stars)
Pro Tip: Take a rental car to get a more personalized and intimate experience.
Read MoreHot Take: You don’t have to be a wine lover to appreciate a day or two in the lovely Hunter Valley, they have microbreweries and cideries as well as scenery is worth the trip all by itself. (4.0 stars)
Pro Tip: Watch your consumption if you self-drive…these wineries pride themselves on generous pours and heaps of wines to try (we split a tasting at every stop and it was plenty of booze).
Read MoreHot Take: Melbourne is a great place to spend a weekend, a week, or a lifetime (we could see ourselves living here). (4.0 stars)
Pro Tip: Dress in layers as the weather changes quickly here.
Read MoreHot Take: The penguins are the highlight, but our trip to Phillip Island was the best day of our 2 months in Australia. (5.0 stars)
Pro Tip: Check the weather (you will be outside all day) and go on a weekday to avoid the crowds.
Read Morehot take: No visit to Melbourne is complete without a trip down the Great Ocean Road; while it is a long day, you will have memories of it forever. (4.5 stars)
pro tip: pack your patience and a water bottle, the distances are great but worth it.
Read Morehot take: Saigon was our favorite of the two major Vietnamese cities as we loved the more modern and progressive take on development here. (3.0 stars)
pro tip: Download Grab before you get here or you will be at a loss to move about effectively
hot take: While not a ‘must-see’ highlight, we enjoyed our time in rural Vietnam getting a glimpse of life outside the cities. (2.5 stars)
pro tip: Lower your expectations and roll with the experience and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Read MoreHot take: A top highlight for Matt in Vietnam, touring the tunnels is fairly cheap ($20 each for the tour) and a MUST for any Westerner (as not just Americans have been involved in overseas imperialism). (4.5 stars)
Pro tip: To get the most out of the tour, try to empathize with the soldiers on both sides of the conflict to experience the site as it was (as opposed to just walking through it as though it were a theme park).
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