Let's Explore

Asia

Four years and counting across East and Southeast Asia with three kids. Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and beyond. Real costs, real itineraries, no theoretical planning.

Showing 80 articles

Guide

Best eSIM for Vietnam: Holafly Prices, Coverage and Code ADAMANDLINDS

The Holafly Vietnam eSIM costs $27.50 for 7 days or $73.90 for 30 days with unlimited data on GPC Vinaphone, and code ADAMANDLINDS takes 5% off. Prices, real coverage notes, and when a local SIM is the better buy.

Aug 11, 2026 10 min read

Journal

Flying Into Thailand on a DTV: Da Nang to Chiang Mai With Eight Bags

All five of our Thailand DTVs were approved in just under four weeks at $340 a head, and we flew out of Da Nang the following week. Here is the real application timeline from Vietnam and what the 180 day entry stamp looked like at Bangkok immigration.

Jul 26, 2026 8 min read

Where to Stay

Staying Overnight at Ba Na Hills: What a Night at the Mercure Actually Gets You

We booked two nights at the only hotel on the summit of Ba Na Hills for Harper's seventh birthday and stayed forty-four hours instead of six. Here is what it cost, what the overnight buys you, and the one window we paid for and slept through.

Jul 26, 2026 12 min read

Journal

We Got Our Thailand DTVs: Moving to Chiang Mai for a Year

All five of our Thailand DTV approvals came through yesterday. Next up: a house in Chiang Mai for at least a year, a palate expander for Cora, and the bikes the girls have been asking about.

Jul 17, 2026 4 min read

Things to Do

What to Do in Osaka: Our Guide After Three Months of Living There

We spent three months living in Osaka this spring, on top of visits going back to 2022. Here is what earned repeat trips, what it cost, and how to book it.

Jul 16, 2026 5 min read

Comparison

Seoul vs Tokyo with Kids: An Unfair Comparison We Made Anyway

325 days in Japan against thirteen in Seoul is not a fair fight, and we made the comparison anyway: subways, food money, theme park math, and which city we would send a first-timer to. Free members get the full breakdown.

Jul 15, 2026 6 min read

Things to Do

What to Do in Seoul: The Free Half and the Cheap Half

Half of the best things to do in Seoul are free and the other half cost less than you expect: Lotte World is $23, the Han River cruise is $13. Our full list from thirteen days there, with Klook prices and code ADAMANDLINDSKLOOK.

Jul 14, 2026 8 min read

Where to Stay

Where to Stay in Seoul: Neighborhoods First, Then Hotels

Where to stay in Seoul is a neighborhood question before it is a hotel question. Here is how Myeongdong, Yongsan, Jongno, Hongdae, and Gangnam compare, with specific hotels and current rates, from a family that spent thirteen days there.

Jul 13, 2026 9 min read

Guide

Tennoji and Shinsekai: The Part of Osaka We Kept Coming Back To

We spent three months based in Osaka and kept ending up in the same southern pocket of the city, from Tennoji Zoo through the retro streets of Shinsekai under the Tsutenkaku tower. Here is the zoo, the tower, the food, and how to string it into an easy half-day with kids.

Jul 7, 2026 8 min read

Journal

Da Nang in 2026: Something Has Changed

We spent seven months in Da Nang and came back for three more. A month in, we are quietly counting down to leaving. Here is what changed.

Jun 4, 2026 8 min read

Review

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU: The Onsen Ryokan Worth the Splurge

Every room at Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU has a private open-air onsen bath fed by natural hot springs. Here is the full breakdown of room types, pricing, and how we think about the value.

May 18, 2026 8 min read

Review

Tokyo Mount Fuji Full-Day Private Tour Review: Worth It for Families & Our Klook Code

Our review of the Tokyo Mount Fuji Full-Day Private Tour on Klook. When the $417 private vehicle beats group bus tours for families, plus how to save with code ADAMANDLINDSKLOOK.

May 18, 2026 11 min read