I recently returned from a five-week adventure that stretched from Hawaii to Sydney, up through the Great Barrier Reef and Darwin, then onward to Bali, Singapore, Bangkok, Vietnam, and finally Hong Kong. Each place brought its own vibrant culture, yet what connected them all for me was how history is respected alongside rapid cultural change.
Oceania
The adventure started in Hawaii’s archipelago, specifically on Oʻahu, which is the third largest yet most populated island. Here, the island’s natural beauty is undeniable—especially along the windward and north shores, where jungle-topped mountains rise above aqua water and soft sand. Across the island, the surf scene and aloha spirit shape everyday life, while in Pearl City, WWII history still feels close to the surface through harbor memorials that hold stories that haven’t settled. And Waikiki… part paradise, part Vegas–we found delicious dining at a simple marina pub where locals visit. And I was happy to see the new Cirque du Soleil ‘Auana –best Cirque show I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot of them)!
Australia—a country I’ve now visited three times—felt new on this trip. Traveling from Sydney past the Gold Coast through Queensland and into the Northern Territory, I found cities filled with optimism and momentum. Quiet WWII reminders remain in Sydney, Airlie Beach, and Darwin, yet each place moves confidently forward. The Great Barrier Reef—stunning, fragile, and still recovering from recent cyclones—felt mystical and expansive, a true world treasure. I still find myself drawn to this amazing country–the people are so awesome…I predict, I’ll be back. There’s still so much to explore.
Asia
Bali greeted us with grace and devotion: temples tucked into daily life, elegant sculptures at every turn. Singapore stood in sharp contrast—precise, engineered, orderly, and fixed firmly on the future. Bangkok layered temples with traffic, kindness with commerce, and color with scooter-chaos.
In Vietnam, as we traveled from south to north, I felt how the war still lingers quietly in memory even as the country surges ahead. Ho Chi Min city’s (Saigon) intensity (more scooters), Hoi An’s rice fields and recovering waterfront after a recent historic flood, and Ha Long Bay’s ancient calm each revealed a different chapter of the same story—a nation carrying its past while building its future with unmistakable pride. This is a country worth paying attention to: it’s up-and-coming and planning for a strong future!
Hong Kong was our final stop—a city of shimmering density where mountains and skyline meet the harbor, moving at a pace that feels both orderly, modern, and electric.
Five weeks, seven countries, and countless moments of awe. What stayed with me most wasn’t the difference between places but how each one holds its history close while steadily creating the future.
Inga J Smith 