Travel Archives - The A List

From vibrant night markets to tranquil temples nestled in the mountains, there's a lot to see in Taipei. Beyond the sites of interest are also a plethora of gastronomic options from Taiwanese cuisine to delicious milk teas. I was excited to try some of Taipei's favorite food spots and even came across some spots that I had not researched beforehand. With our hotel being centrally located, it meant we were able to create a very diverse and lengthy itinerary to see as much as possible in 2 days. Below are the 5 spots you must visit in Taipei.

February 6, 2025

Taiwan

taipei

5 Spots You Must Visit in Taipei

Nestled in the mountains outside the bustling, busy, loud streets of Hong Kong, there lies a beautiful Buddhist monastery just outside the Lo Wai village in Tseun Wan. The Western Monastery is one of those incredible temples that makes your jaw drop and your eyes widen at all the beauty that is in front of you. It's not a historic temple (it was built in the 1970s and expanded in the 1990s), but it's one you should not miss when you are in Hong Kong.

January 25, 2025

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

A Visit to the Western Monastery

This will be my fifth Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. While I will admit that Christmas is my favorite time of year, Lunar New Year is a very, very close second (with Mid Autumn Festival coming in third). You can really feel the energy become more positive and hopeful. After everyone puts their Christmas decorations away by 1 January, everything switches gears for Lunar New Year, which usually takes place in January or February depending on the full moon. Christmas trees are swapped for peonies and orchids, green Christmas garland is swapped for red lanterns, and Santa is swapped for lions, dragons, and snakes (this lunar new year will be Year of the Snake).

January 24, 2025

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Lunar New Year in Hong Kong

What made our trip more magical for the holidays was the most luxurious hotel in the city - the Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Elegance, luxury, and comfort made this dreamy location the perfect home away from home as we explored Taipei for the holiday season. After a luxurious pick-up from the airport less than an hour away, everything was seamless from start to finish as we indulged in what now might officially be my favorite time of year in Taipei.

January 9, 2025

Taiwan

taipei

Holiday Season in Taipei // Mandarin Oriental Taipei

To start off the Christmas season this year, I was invited by Ritz Carlton Hong Kong and Clé de Peau for a special afternoon celebrating the holidays as well as Clé de Peau's City of Dreamlight collection. I am no stranger to both Ritz Carlton Hong Kong or Clé de Peau, so these two brands coming together for an epic tea collaboration meant for a very easy yes to the invitation.

December 20, 2024

Beauty

Hong Kong

Holiday Afternoon Tea With Ritz Carlton and Clé de Peau

Sometimes when you visit a place more than once, there's a spot or two that you just need to revisit. In Phnom Penh, it's the royal palace and Wat Phnom. Both are rich in history (and myths), and both are beautiful, peaceful monuments in such a busy, bustling, and thriving city. We visited in the early afternoon, during lunch hour, which meant the temple was extremely quiet and not full of tourists.

December 19, 2024

Cambodia

Cambodia

Returning to Wat Phnom

A multitude of colors and unique architecture stand out from the street of the sprawling royal complex before you even set foot inside. As we drove by in our remork, I pointed out to little bean that we were about to visit this grand, royal palace. Although she is still a bit young to understand palaces and royalty, the majestic pagodas and magnificent golden roofs were enough to make her widen her eyes in astonishment.

December 18, 2024

Cambodia

Cambodia

A Morning At The Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

Cambodia is quickly becoming our home away from home. Only a 2 hour flight from Hong Kong, it's very easy for us to visit for a few days or even a week. There's something about Cambodia that really makes us feel like we are at home, and we certainly felt right at home at the iconic Raffles Le Royal hotel in the heart of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. I'm very selective about where I choose to stay with little bean, since travel can still be overwhelming for a child at her young age, but just wait to hear why I knew I made the perfect choice in Raffles Le Royal to visit with little bean.

December 17, 2024

Cambodia

phnom penh

Getting The Royal Treatment at Raffles Phnom Penh

It's almost a crime to visit my home state of New Jersey and not visit the shore. During our nearly 2-week trip to New Jersey this summer, we made a point to visit one of the state's most popular shore destinations - Point Pleasant - and Jenkinson's Boardwalk. Neither the beau or little bean have ever visited the Jersey shore, as during our last visit when little bean was just 6 months old we couldn't find a time that worked for us around her 3 daytime naps. But now that she's down to one small nap (or even some days no nap!), we knew we wanted to spend the morning in the sand and dipping our toes in the ocean. And, of course, I needed to get my hands on some funnel cake!

September 5, 2024

New Jersey

New Jersey

Down The Shore at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk

Summer in New Jersey means it's time to pick some delicious, juicy peaches at the orchard and make yummy peach pie or even a peach and burrata salad. The last time we were in New Jersey, I took a then 6-month old little bean to the same orchard I used to go to all the time as a little girl - Battleview Orchards - because it was literally behind my childhood home in Manalapan. During that visit, we picked fresh strawberries because it was springtime. Now we were visiting in summer, which is prime time for picking the best peaches.

September 4, 2024

New Jersey

New Jersey

Summer Peach Picking in Manalapan, NJ

There really is no place like home. While I get to call Hong Kong my home now, New Jersey will always be my forever home. The last time I was in New Jersey was last spring, when little bean was around 6 months old and got to meet my family for the first time. It was a short trip, just under a week, and little bean was very young. This time, we visited for almost two weeks and got to visit during one of my favorite times of the year - summer. Summer and autumn in New Jersey are my favorite seasons. Looking back, the only time I experienced summers in New Jersey was when I was still attending school, so I have a lot of fond summer memories in my home state.

September 3, 2024

New Jersey

New Jersey

A Trip Back Home to New Jersey

I'm going to get straight to the point - did you know you can access the roof of the Duomo di Milano and get a bird's eye view of the city from atop one of the world's most iconic landmarks? I didn't! Getting the chance to walk across the roof and touch centuries old stone? Yes please. I had previously been to Milan in spring of 2016, and even then I did not know this was someone one could do. The beau, who has been to Milan many times, has also never been to the top of the Duomo and did not know it was an option.

August 19, 2024

Italy

Milan

Views From The Top of the Duomo di Milano