Seoul, South Korea

As I was booking my flights for this trip, I noticed it ended with an extra day before I had to return to work.  And I wanted to take full advantage of everyday I had off.  A friend of mine told me about the Seoul airport doing layover programs.  Turns out they have quite a few options for long layovers so I picked the 24 hour one as thats all I had time for.  They book a hotel for you city center and give you a metro card and small gift!  I was so excited to be able to explore more before having to take that long ass flight home.  From wheels down to wheels up, I had exactly 24 hours to see as much as I could.  Once I got past customs, I went to the counter and my little gift bag with my name and info on it was waiting for me! It was so flipping cute! I then set off to find the metro and it took about one hour and 15 minutes to get to Seoul Station.  The hotel they picked for me was extremely nice and perfect location.  Once I checked in, I took an Uber to the N Seoul Tower.  I took the cable car up the hill and got rewarded with stunning views of Seoul.  

I got a great nights sleep in the very comfy hotel bed then I was up really early to continue exploring.  The breakfast at the hotel was massive so I had a great start then I was out the door.  The main temple I wanted to see is closed on Tuesdays, go figure but a smaller one nearby was open.  I walked there so I could get a vibe of the city.  It's definitely the most westernized feel of an Asian I have experienced yet.  I also felt very safe as I was alone on this journey.  After seeing the temple and stopped in a couple stores, I took another Uber to the Hanbok Village.  A tourist area of the city with traditional Korean buildings, it was so cute.  After a few minutes there, I tried to go to one more area but realized I was out of time.  I had to go back, repack and check out of the hotel.  Once I did that I already had to head back to the airport sadly.  This was such a tease but an exciting way to break up my long flights home.  One day I'll do a full South Korea tour.  Until then, here are a couple photos I got last minute!  If you want to see photos from the Seoul Tower, those are on my IG: kelseynicolesmith

More Vietnam Photos

 

Vietnam!!!

Vietnam has been at the top of my travel list for quite some time now so when it came time to decide where to go for slow season this year, my mind was already made up.  The last time I was in SE Asia was 2.5 years ago so I was long overdue to return.  There is something about that part of the world that I just love!  I chose a travel company called Intrepid for this trip as there was so much I wanted to see and thought a company would make it easier.  Plus meeting new people and having new friends to travel around with is an amazing experience.  Intrepid is now my new favorite company and I hope to book again with them soon because the trip was amazing.  Our TD was Thanh and he made the trip so smooth and exciting!  We had 12 people on this trip including myself, most being from Australia.  

We started in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.  It was a bit crazy because they were celebrating their independence day during our trip but I still loved seeing the city.  The old quarter was so cute and being able to take a motorbike everywhere was such a treat.  I swear they are the best drivers there.

We also stayed the night on a boat in Ha Long Bay which is a World UNESCO Heritage Site.  So beautiful and the boat was very nice as well!  We went swimming on an island and toured a massive cave and kayaked!

Then we took a sleeper train down to central Vietnam to the city of Hue.  This is something I have always wanted to do but I will say I do not think I want to do it again.  The train wasn't very nice and kind of dirty plus the bathroom situation wasn't great. I knew when our TD kept calling it a five star train, we were in for an interesting ride.  All good experiences though!  We took more motorbikes around Hue and visited the Imperial City.  

Then we drove down to Hoi An which is the cutest city!  Saw more temples and the old town. Very photographic city!  I also got to spend a day at the beach!  

Our last stop was Ho Chi Minh City which we flew to.  This city has so much to offer and I definitely need to go back to see more.  We saw a few historic sites and went shopping at the markets.  Our last full day was spent exploring Mekong Delta which was gorgeous!

Vietnam is an amazing country and I barely scratched the surface.  This is a return country for me one day!  Everyone was so nice and welcoming which made me want to return more!  Thank you Thanh and Intrepid for an unforgettable trip! And to all the new friends I made, I truly hope we can travel together again soon! Below are my camera photos from the trip using my Canon 5D Mark IV.  My iphone photos are already posted to my IG:  @kelseynicolesmith

I'm currently planning my next trips for 2026!

Last of my BDay Trip Photos

 

More 34th BDay Trip Photos

 

34th Birthday Trip

Last post I mentioned my original plan for my birthday this year had fallen through but I did come up with a back up plan!  Copenhagen and Gothenburg!  My original plan was to take the first ever direct flight from the States to the capital city of Greenland, Nuuk but the price for this four hour flight was insane and couldn't be justified.  So Denmark and Sweden became the new trip!

I quickly fell in love with Copenhagen.  Very easy to use public transport which one was of my favorite parts because getting to experience a city that was truly built for people instead of cars was amazing! Also the food was incredible as you can find any genre of food you want.  Copenhagen felt like a melting pot almost which was fantastic.

Another highlight was I stayed at a capsule hotel for the first time.  Well more of a pod hotel but still I absolutely loved it!  If you ever get a chance to stay in one I highly recommend it especially for solo travelers.  This was my first time doing a full international trip completely on my own.  I honestly felt so comfortable in Copenhagen so its a great choice if you can't find a friend to join you!

I explored Nyhavn, Rosenberg Castle and gardens, Christianshavn area, an underground museum, Elephant gate, the marble church, walked across the circle bridge and found trampolines in the ground! Also walked up the Round Tower which I highly recommend, amazing views of the city!  I also had the best cheesecake ever at Hart Bakery, the Danes truly understand desserts! I tried to get lost in a few neighborhoods just to see what I'd stumble upon.  And I had lunch in the meatpacking district which was delicious.  So many great areas I truly enjoyed this city and all it has to offer.  If I had more time, I would have gone to see the giant trolls just outside of the city, I guess I need to go back! 

I also took the train up to Gothenburg Sweden and took a boat over to an island that's apart of the archipelago which I highly recommend.  Your metro pass will cover the cost of the boat which was super cool.  I walked around the downtown area which had a lot to offer and see. I also went and had dinner at a church that was converted into three restaurants and saw the Haga district.  Super cute town! 

Then I took the train back to Copenhagen for one final night and I explored the beach and saw a concert. Amazing solo trip and I hope to return one day! Here are my camera photos from the trip, using a Canon 5D Make IV.  My iphone photos are already posted to my IG: kelseynicolesmith

Next trip will be to Vietnam in September!

France and Malta

Before busy season started this year, I was able to hop back over to Europe to check off more destinations.  I also wanted to visit Madrid again as I loved it so much I needed to see more.  I only have photos for France and Malta as these were my new countries!  I really enjoyed visiting Nice, France also know as the French Riviera.  Although a bit cold, the sun was out and was still very nice weather.  I was surprised by how blue the water color was at the beach.  Their beaches are also rocks instead of sand which was a nice surprise.  I love seeing how different beaches are around the world.  Here's hoping I can see many more.  We walked around the town square, the castle and the old town.  Had amazing food and took a ton of photos.  Although I much enjoyed Nice, I do feel it was a one and done.  Malta however was my favorite. This small island packs a rather large punch.  Due to its location, it has many influences such as Italian, North Africa and I even got Croatian vibes.  The weather was stunning and so was the architecture and food!  We stayed in the capital city of Valletta.  So much just in walking distance so I highly recommend staying there.  We took a bus from the airport, very convenient and easy.  We also took an Uber over to the other side of the island which was less city and more beaches and cliffs.  This was the highlight of the trip for me.  Watching the prettiest sunset I've ever seen but sadly I did not have my camera with me because I thought we were going horseback riding.  That did not pan out but we got to walk the cliffs around the beach instead and I have to say it was absolutely stunning!  I did have my phone though so I have photos on my Instagram! On the way back to the other side, we had dinner in St Julians and that area is super nice as well and more nightlife.  Not sure I need to return to Malta but I wouldn't be against it!  Great trip and I miss Spain already!  Below are my final shots from this trip using a Canon 5D Mark IV.  Phone photos are already posted to my IG: @kelseynicolesmith

My next trip will be for my 34th birthday this summer and although my original plan is not going to work out sadly, I am currently working on a back up plan!

Enjoy the photos!