Arts and Entertainment

There is no place in the world like Las Vegas. The hotels are over the top. We stayed at the Venetian Hotel which is luxurious. The really amazing part was the room price for the nights we were there was about the same the Holiday Inn Express. But the rate is sometime over $300. So, it pays to check all the hotels and look for deals.

As part of our DMZ tour we went to Dora Observatory where it is supposed to be the best place to see North Korea. First we had to go through a security checkpoint. We were told to bring our passports but no one checked them probably because the only non-military vehicles allowed are the designated buses which transport tourists from the nearby Imjingak Park into the secured area.

One of the most popular day tours in Korea is to the DMZ and Panmunjom. With all the news about the 29-year-old North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, I was curious to see if tours to the border area between North and South Korea were still possible. The two-mile wide DMZ runs about 160 miles along the 38th parallel cutting the Korean Peninsula in half dividing Korea into two.

Using our points on United Mileage Plus for tickets on Singapore Air, John and I flew from Singapore to Seoul for $44. And, using our points from the InterContinental Priority Program we stayed seven nights free at Seoul’s Seongbuk Holiday Inn. This was our first trip to Korea.

Bali is just one of many islands in Indonesia but it is the most famous. The name “Bali” conjures up images of gentle seas, swaying palms, sunny skies, and days of relaxation. And, so it is. Tourism continues to grow in Bali, so they are expanding the airport and constructing new highways to eliminate traffic congestion.