I hope you enjoy my travel blog (even if you aren’t diabetic!) In Nov 2017, to celebrate my retirement, we traveled for 2 months to Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Qatar. It was an Odyssey, for a type I diabetic such as myself.
Then in 2019 we visited Japan (along with Queenland Australia)
In 2022 we visited Israel and Jordan (along with Egypt).
In 2023, as a part of our ’round-the-world’ trip, we visited the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Nepal, India, Vietnam and South Korea). In fact, we could have called our ’round-the-world’ trip a ‘pan-asia’ trip!
Vaccines before you leave – I always check out the CDC for my destination country or countries. Here’s the link for the CDC Vietnam travel page. Of all the vaccines recommended, the typhoid vaccine is the one my healthcare plan considers non-routine, and I had to pay for it.
Come along with me as we travel for five days in Jordan in November 2022. Originally we planned the trip as a short, couple-day excursion to see Petra, from Egypt. As happens with most of my trips, the more I learn the more I want to see. The trip to
Petra, Jordan lured us to extend our original two week Egypt vacation to include Jordan. As usual, in planning, I wondered, “While we are in Jordan, what else should we not miss?” Turns out there is a lot to see and do in Jordan – we spent almost a week
Did you know that Bethlehem is in the West Bank? We didn’t know this before our trip. What an extraordinary view we were given into both conflicting cultures.
My research led me to believe that Kyoto would easily be my favorite city in Japan. The results of my study churning around in my mind, I created our list of must-see attractions and quickly became overwhelmed. The temples, markets and castles were spread throughout a large city. I plotted
Dry heat, that’s what I think of when I think of Qatar, and sand, that is, of course. Sand doesn’t impact me as a diabetic (as a contact lens wearer, yes) however heat does, impact me for sure. I’ve written an article Diabetic Travel Tips for International Travel which discusses
If any country in our Southeast Asia Odyssey required us to purchase medical and evacuation travel insurance, Laos was it. My studies of healthcare in Laos led me to understand how challenged the country’s healthcare system is, and how prevalent such diseases as malaria and dengue fever are. These statements
We visited Japan in October 2019. Over the years I have tried to reduce the size and weight of our luggage, and the task seems fruitless. With every new trip I find new needs, new reasons that a previously unregarded item become critical. Diabetic Travel Tip For our railway tripping
Subtitle: You don’t have to stay five nights to feel you’ve really done Tokyo. Having stayed five nights, I can tell you that some Tokyo sights are amazing, while others are better experienced in other Japanese cities. Tokyo is an expensive place to visit, so don’t feel disappointed you can’t
While in Takayama, Japan, we took a quick day-trip to Shirakawa-go, a small village chock full of “gassho” houses, set in the mountains west of Takayama. Gassho houses are traditional A-frames built in the mountains of Japan. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors flock to the village of Shirakawa-go to
We designed the itinerary of our entire Australia and Japan trip around attending the Takayama Autumn Festival. It was advertised to be one of the top three festivals in Japan. We were also enticed by the promised small-town atmosphere and the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Shirakawa-go villages of traditional houses.
Where to find Dr. Pepper in Japan Prior to our arrival in Japan, Greg had seen a picture of a Diet Dr. Pepper vending machine in Japan. He was so excited to think that he would be able to readily find Diet Dr Pepper. Oh, not so! And he was
I had read that many people rate Kyoto as their favorite city, so I did not hesitate to dedicate four days and five nights to finding out why. Kyoto is not a city of Ferris Wheels and crazy neon lights – it’s a city of beautiful temples, historic buildings and
Both Nara and Himeji are popular day trips out of Osaka and Kyoto. We visited Nara in October 2019 as a day trip out of Osaka, and then stopped in Himeji as a detour on our train journey from Osaka to Kyoto. We were very surprised by the huge number
When we travel, each night I download our photos to our tiny laptop. We select the best of the day and create a photo collage, and email it off to family and friends, and post it on Facebook – kind of like a newfangled postcard. This means that I have
Many of the travel tips for Japan apply to every traveler, not just diabetics. Japan is a modern, fast-paced place and is easy to visit in a healthy way. I’ve written a full soup-to-nuts article on Travel Tips for International Travel. Check it out before you continue on. Skip over the
For so many, Osaka Japan is a day-trip out of its more famous nearby cousin, Kyoto. But since we flew into Osaka from Cairns, Australia, we made Osaka our first home-base city in our October 2019 tour through Japan, staying there four nights. What an excellent decision! As a first
When we travel, each night I download our photos to our tiny laptop. We select the best of the day and create a photo collage, and email it off to family and friends, and post it on Facebook – kind of like a newfangled postcard. This means that I have
Hello, my name is Wendy Kirkwood Powers and this is my travel blog with travel tips and travel stories for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. |
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I am a type 1 diabetic, and have been for fifty-three years. From Antarctica to Svalbard, Australia to Africa, I’ve visited every continent. With my husband Greg, I have been on safari to Africa, wandered among the blue boobies in the Galapagos, slogged through jungle mud in Laos, and he has even chased an ocelot in Costa Rica (with his camera!) Our travel has taken careful planning, and constant attention to what is most important. I want to give you the inspiration and travel tips to enable you also to look beyond your own personal challenges, to not hide behind those words “I could never” and to see the world. |
| Click here for my mission and core diabetic travel tips |
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| Diabetic Travel Tips |
| for International Travel |
The list goes on... Click here to read them all! |
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Scotland Sand and Sea - an unusual view of the Islands and Highlands of Scotland in paperback and Kindle from Amazon |
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Antarctica: Voyage Beyond the End of the World Glimpses of penguins, seals, whales and ice collide with fragments of shipboard life and cold feet. in paperback and Kindle from Amazon |
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Amazon - The River Grows on You - My top three Amazon experiences? The amazing mud cliffs and boats along the huge Amazon ... in paperback from Amazon |
