Need a year end charity idea? Try Kiva!

As we near December 31st, you might be trying to decide on final charity organizations for the year (and for coming tax purposes).  Besides several non-profits I support, I always turn to Kiva as one of the best options for giving during the year.  Kiva is a non-profit lending organization, which describes itself as a company that "works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. One hundred percent of each loan is sent to these microfinance institutions, which we call Field Partners, who administer the loans in the field."

Should you decide that Kiva is also in your plans and you're a new account holder, I would be honored if you used my referral link to join:

http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/richard44012267

The benefit I receive through the link is the ability to send out more loans...always helpful!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!  And safe travels!

Place of the Day: Phnom Penh

I seem to recall Cambodia as one of the countries on "Where in the world is Carmen San Diego" that everyone had a hard time locating.  It's definitely on my list of places within the region to visit once I get that far, with such a rich culture and history to explore.  I tend to not let regional instability get to me too much, and I'm fairly confident that Cambodia has been relatively peaceful of late.  Hence, a future visit:

Phnom Penh - Cambodia

I think the one place I'd like to visit (at the top of my list) is the Silver Pagoda (which by the way is named due to 5000 silver tiles).  Holding a rare repository of Khmer Art and civilization artifacts, the Pagoda managed to survive the rule of Pol Pot in the 70s, but just barely.  A highlight continues to be the life-size gold Buddha adorned with more than 9500 diamonds - a site to be seen!

Most of the major airline alliances can get you to the region, so using points or miles shouldn't be too difficult.  If you can spare the time, you may also be able to sneak in a visit to Vietnam or even Thailand.

Tour of Jordan's House

No, I haven't been there personally.

But this video sure is close:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lf_w0olusA&feature=player_embedded

Amazing!

Place of the Day: Willemstad, Curacao

I haven't made it a priority in my travels to focus on the Caribbean as an aspirational destination - I've just always felt there is much more to see and do in Europe and the Middle East.  There are a few places that I wouldn't mind visiting (Aruba, Bogota, and Caracas come to mind), and I also saw a recent location to add my list (although I'm never sure exactly how to pronounce it):

Willemstad - Curacao, Lesser Antilles

The Dutch colonial buildings are enough of a draw for me to consider visiting this place, but the tropical atmosphere might be a close 2nd.  The Museum Kura Hulanda is also an interesting place to consider on your trip, along with the many snorkeling and diving sites that have become standard when visiting this region.  And while you're at it, why don't you try one of the amazing street cafes?  Willemstad also has the distinction of being one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

Hato International Airport is what you're looking for during your flight searches, and flights aren't typically too expensive depending on the time of year.  Connecting from Miami you can find flights as cheap as $392 on American right now, and that's pretty much the only way to get there from the US outside of Copa Airlines.