25 Wednesday Dec 2013
Mr. Selfish and I wish our readers a merry and selfish Christmas! May you indulge all of your wanderlust desires next year. We know that we certainly will…
Come the new year, we will commence blogging every day until we’ve covered our recent trip to Hong Kong, the Maldives, and Japan. We look forward to sharing with you our trip report and the many, many photos we took.
09 Wednesday Oct 2013
Posted in Asia, China, General, Japan, South Korea
Tags
Selfish Guide, Selfish Guide to China, Selfish Guide to Japan, Selfish Guide to Seoul, Selfish Years, The Selfish Years
It took me a while but I’ve finally completed the Selfish Guides to Seoul, China, and Japan, which completes the rest of Asia. Considering that Mr. Selfish and I spent 33 days in China and 43 days in Japan, I don’t think that it was that long. Okay, so we did leave Asia about four months ago. I promise that I’ll finish the Selfish Guides to Australia, New Zealand, and Bora Bora in a much shorter time.
Here are a few pics from the new Selfish Guides:
If you would like to see the Selfish Guides in their entirety, please click here.
01 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted in Accommodations, Asia, Australia, Best Of, Europe, Oceania, Travel Hacking
This is the final part of our 15 part series on the Best of Our Selfish Years of Traveling. You can check out the other parts below:
Our great Selfish Years adventure started when I discovered the world of miles & points, back in September 2011. Mrs. Selfish and I applied for 2 Citi AA cards, for a grand total of 150,000 AA miles a piece: enough for two business class tickets around the world!
We’ve done some pretty awesome things, flown some amazing flights, and stayed at some world class hotels. So how much did it all stack up?
Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?
Mrs. Selfish and I spent a grand total of 372 days of straight traveling, leaving the States in August 2012, and returning in August 2013. During the course of the trip we saw 102 cities and flew 61 flights across 25 countries. 
We spent the most days in France, followed by Japan, Australia, and England. Expensive countries, indeed – though surprisingly, Australia was the MOST expensive country – coming in at roughly 50% more in costs than any other country.
Some random factoids:
30 Monday Sep 2013
Mr. Selfish and I are starting to settle down in San Francisco and are happy to be here for the next few months. It’s odd being in one place and being able to fully unpack our suitcases. We are definitely enjoying SF life thus far, especially our new view:
We can’t believe how fast this past selfish year went by and are truly grateful for all of the wonderful experiences we had.
Here are our top 60 photos of the past year. Enjoy!
27 Friday Sep 2013
Tags
Conrad Maldives, Doubletree Naha, Fukuoka, Intercontinental Hong Kong, Maldives, Okinawa, Ritz Carlton Okinawa, Selfish Year, Selfish Years
When we first started traveling abroad, I figured our year long wanderings would end one of two ways:
1) After traveling for a year we’d be so sick of it, that we’d immediately settle somewhere and never leave.
2) Our travel obsession would get worse and we’d have problems staying anywhere for longer than a month.
Unfortunately, it looks like it’s #2.
Mrs. Selfish and I have been settling into San Francisco for two weeks now, and I’m already starting to get antsy. While it’s nice to have a slightly more permanent home (at least for the next few months), I miss the call of the open road.
Fortunately, I anticipated this outcome and booked a new trip back in July. Come late November, we’re heading to the Maldives and Okinawa for scuba diving, by way of Hong Kong and Fukuoka, Japan!
Let’s see if the Maldives is everything it’s cracked up to be!
Okinawa, Japan’s Winter Paradise.
07 Saturday Sep 2013
Tags
Angkor Wat, China, Downton Abbey, Great Barrier Reef, Highclere Castle, New Zealand, Nha Trang, Russian Tourists, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Terracotta Warriors, Yellow Eyed Penguins
Mrs. Selfish and I were very fortunate to be able to travel the world (safely!) for a year, seeing and doing things we would otherwise never do. While the majority of the trip was amazing, we had more than our fair shares of letdowns.
Whether we went in with inflated expectations, or the experience really wasn’t that worth doing, there were things that just didn’t live up to their reputations.
For your consideration, I present you our 10 biggest letdowns (in no particular order). The first image is what I imagined the experience would be (thanks to the magic of the internet) and the second is reality.
Enjoy!
Imagination: Sunrise over mystical Angkor Wat. Peaceful. Tranquil.
Reality: Shoving your way through throngs of tourists to catch a shot of overcast ruins at 5:00am in the morning.
Siem Reap, and Angkor Wat are awe-inspiringly awesome and totally worth doing. That being said, catching the sunrise was one of the most touristy experiences of our entire trip. We woke up at 4:30am to hit Angkor Wat along with what seemed like 1000 other people. Totally packed, and not that sanguine – definitely not what I was picturing.
Imagination: Strolling the grounds of Downton Abbey with Maggie Smith on a perfect day.
Reality: Rainy weather most of the time. Plus they rent it out for weddings. Wha-wha.
While we still had a blast at “Downton Abbey,” Highclere Castle is actually quite different from what you’d hope. The Castle is used to shoot the show mostly during the summer, and is open to the public for a few (hotly visited) months. The inside is peppered with familiar rooms, but it’s full of family skiing photos from the 80’s. Plus the duchess of Highclere will try and sell you her book on the REAL Downton Abbey in the gift shop. Classy.
06 Friday Sep 2013
Posted in Africa, Asia, Best Of, Europe, Food & Drinks, North America, Oceania
Mr. Selfish and I had a lot of amazing food during this selfish year. It was incredibly hard to narrow it down but here’s our top 20 eats in no particular order:
It cost under $1 USD for a deluxe Vietnamese sub (banh mi) at Tiem Banh Mi Phoung in Hoi An. Mr. Selfish was so obsessed with it that we ate over 10 banh mi during our five-day stay in Hoi An. We were able to identify about 10 ingredients in the banh mi, but we lost track after we hit the double digits. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious.
Tayyabs is located near White Chapel, which is close to Brick Lane in London. Although there is always a crazy line out the door, Tayyabs is completely worth it. It is by far the best Indian food we’ve ever had.
During our stay in the Philippines, Mr. Selfish and I became fixated on sisig, which is made from parts of pig’s head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi (a type of lime) and chili peppers. It isn’t the best for you, but man, is it tasty! The best sisig was from Gerry’s Grill, which is near the Taal Volcano close to Manila.
05 Thursday Sep 2013
Tags
Conrad Koh Samui, Hilton Bora Bora, Hilton Queenstown, Intercontinental Danang, Paris, Park Hyatt Sydney, Park Hyatt Tokyo, Riad Pachavana, Ryokan Sanga, Selfish Year, Selfish Years
Prior to our year of reckless traveling, Mrs. Selfish and I only splurged once on a hotel, staying at the Sofitel Hanoi for our Honeymoon. Otherwise, business as usual was a 3-4 star hotel using sites like hotels.com.
And then I discovered the world of miles and points.
With a bank roll of millions of hotel points, spread out over 5 different hotel programs, Mrs. Selfish and I decided to spend our year abroad in style – hitting up some of the travel hacking community’s go-to destinations.
Here’s the 10 best places we stayed in chronological order. Some are miles and points accessible, though some can only be paid for with cold, hard cash!
Mrs. Selfish and I spent an amazing 6 weeks in Paris in Montmartre, the same Arrondissement where the movie Amelie takes place. Taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Paris was something I’ll never forget, and certainly nothing screamed “Paris” quite as much as waking up to a view of the Sacré-Cœur every morning.
Anyone interested in renting the same flat can do so at Airbnb.
Mrs. Selfish and I arrived in Marrakech, disoriented and utterly confused. Marrakech’s old town is maze of twisting streets and Aladdin-style scamming street rats, children who try to get you lost so you’ll pay them to take you to your hotel.
Nevertheless, we quickly succumbed to Marrakech’s charms – especially after staying at the lovely Riad Pachavana, which we saved $150 on thanks to three Expedia BRG coupons.
For more, check out our full post on the Riad Pachavana.
In the Philippines we were fortunate enough to stay at El Nido, located on Palawan – a protected island south west of Manila. Accessible only by a small private plane (max capacity of < 50), El Nido is a beautiful, isolated paradise. Despite being an all-inclusive resort, the food and activities were pretty great. Plus they have a killer happy hour with an amazing view.
For more information on Palawan check out our full trip report.
04 Wednesday Sep 2013
Tags
Best Of, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Selfish's Top 20 Experiences, Top 20 Experiences, Top Experiences
Mr. Selfish and I are winding down our posts on the blog. We are currently driving cross-country and fondly reminiscing about our epic selfish year. We’ve had so many wonderful experiences that we both smile every time one of us says, “Remember that time…” We’ve decided to do some wrap-up posts, including some best of lists.
Here are our top 20 experiences in no particular order:
Mr. Selfish and I took Rick Steve’s advice and did a driving tour around the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. We were so fortunate to have perfect weather that day. It was so lovely that we even considered buying a summer home in Dingle.
Flying in a four-person plane from Queenstown to Milford Sound in New Zealand was truly amazing. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined it to be, and I don’t even like the Lord of the Rings series.
We had many wonderful animal experiences during this trip. The one experience that stands out the most for me is holding this 9-month old panda cub in Chengdu, China.
03 Wednesday Jul 2013
Tags
This is a continuation of yesterday’s post, which was so massive we decided to break it up into two parts.
26. Paying for company is a pretty common thing.
There must be a serious level of loneliness in Japan. In a cat café you can pay to hang out with dozens of cats, while you sip coffee. In maid cafes, a young woman dressed in a maid outfit dotes on you for the paid time. In a hostess bar, a more sophisticated woman hangs out and talks with you, while you pay for her drinks and time. They even have a boyfriend service, so ladies don’t feel left out of the action.
27. Jazz is the go-to music for every department store and bar.
Pretty much every restaurant, department store, or elevator will be playing jazz music. Not the smooth type either – the good stuff.
28. Pets are allowed on temple grounds – if you carry them.
I guess the bigger dogs get left at home.
29. Space efficiency is remarkable.
Many restaurants have baskets for your clothes or belongings that go under your chair. Toilets with a sink combo are pretty common. After flushing the toilet water pours out of the sink and refills the toilet bowl.
30. Food packaging is meticulously handled.
Grape tomatoes and strawberries are packaged in rows, with an OCD level of insanity.
02 Tuesday Jul 2013
Tags
Japan is a wonderful, advanced, backwards, strange, clean country with a history as rich as a ramen broth. It’s a country built on respect for each other, yet their history shows very little respect for other Asian countries. It’s a country full of contrasts – Buddhism, Shintoism, and Christianity all live together a strangely harmonious blend.
After spending 43 days in strange ol’ Japan, I’m still scratching my head. And while we only scratched the surface of this crazy country, Japan is a place I plan on coming back to over and over to dig a little deeper.
1. Toilets and sinks are super advanced.
Actually, pretty much anything to do with cleaning is. Toilets come with heated seats, sprays, sounds – pretty much everything you could ever want and more. The sink in the above picture comes equipped with soap and a dryer!
2. Water is so pure, you don’t need soap.
When entering temples or shrines there’s usually a fountain for people to clean their hands and drink water. Most public bathrooms (and even restaurants) have all the latest in washing technology – but no soap! We couldn’t get anyone to explain it, but it seemed as if the Japanese view water differently than the west… or basically everywhere else.
3. Shrines are everywhere – even in Buddhist temples!
Shinto shrines are located everywhere, with small statues and offerings. Even inside Buddhist temple complexes! Strangely Shintoism, an ancient Japanese belief that everything has a spirit, co-exists with Buddhism and Christianity. Apparently it’s not uncommon for the Japanese to borrow from all 3 belief systems: a Christian wedding, a Buddhist burial, and Shintoism for everything in between.
4. …which might explain why mascots are everywhere.
Everything has a mascot. Everything. Public transportation. TV Stations. Even prefects. I imagine this has something to do with Japan’s Shinto belief system, but who knows?
5. They have charms for pretty much everything.
Pretty much any temple you enter is hocking charms for anything. Love. Happiness. Prosperity. Good grades. Safe driving. Who knew such good fortune was available for the low, low price of 300 yen?
01 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Accommodations, Asia, Hyatt, Japan, Tokyo, Travel Hacking
For our last five nights in Japan I booked us at the mother of all hotel redemptions – the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Famously shown in “Lost in Translation,” the Park Hyatt Tokyo has become a point-collector’s dream redemption: a luxury hotel in the middle of Tokyo, with killer food, killer views, and a killer price tag.
30 Sunday Jun 2013
Tags
Asia, Day Trip, Japan, Mount Takao, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Takaosan, Tokyo, Yakuoin Temple
The gym that Mr. Selfish and I found in Tokyo was closed on Mondays, so we decided to take a day trip to Mount Takao on a Monday for some easy hiking. It takes about 50 minutes and 370 yen to reach Mount Takao (aka Takaosan) from Shinjuku. On a clear day, you can see Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and Yokohama from the top.
Mount Takao has seven clearly marked trails. Mr. Selfish and I decided to hike up the Biwa Waterfall trail and down trail #1, which passes the monkey forest and the Yakuoin temple.
The Biwa Waterfall trail takes you along the limpid waters of the Biwataki Stream through a forest of low cedars. We saw the Biwa Waterfall from a distance but weren’t too compelled to come closer since it seemed quite small.
29 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Searching for the Best . . ., Tokyo
Tags
Asia, Food & Drinks, Ichiran, Japan, Kyushu Jangara, Menya Musashi, Ramen, Rokkakuya, Tokyo
Mr. Selfish and I knew that as soon as arrived in Tokyo, we would start our search for the best ramen there. We went to three new ramen shops, as well as an Ichiran, which we loved in Fukuoka.
First, we went to Kyushu Jangara, which is located in Harajuku (located at Shanzeru Harajuku II 1-2F, 1-13-21 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). They serve tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen with a boiled egg, pork chashu, and thick slices of pork belly.
Verdict: The ramen was quite tasty, especially with the two different types of pork. The broth was porky and flavorful but the noodles were just standard.
Score: 8.0.
28 Friday Jun 2013
Tags
Fish Market, Godzilla, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Tokyo, Toto, Tsukiji
Japan is known for its cultural oddities – girl groups, cosplayers, robots, and advanced toilet technology to name a few. Since our last trip to Tokyo only scratched the surface of bizarro-Japan, Mrs. Selfish and I vowed to find some of the weirder parts.
Starting with a pilgrimage to find a statue of one of Tokyo’s oldest icons: Godzilla.
Yeah, couldn’t resist taking that photo.
A quick search found that Godzilla was close to the Imperial Palace, in the adjacent Hibiya Park. With map in hand, we quickly set off to find the giant mutant.
While the park was lovely, Godzilla was no where to be found! Mrs. Selfish decided to ask the local park information – and discovered that Godzilla was actually in a much smaller park to the east.
Apparently Godzilla is no longer big in Japan.
If you’re trying to find the guy, Godzilla is located right next to the Starbucks behind the Hibiya station. I guess the guy is down on his luck.
The Selfish Years 