Eric, Author at Poplar Travels

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Jan 30 2017

What motivates you to travel?

Travel Tips

by Eric

For the past few years, Eric and I have traveled mostly as a couple. We sold just about everything we owned, moved to Thailand, explored Southeast Asia together, moved back to the U.S. and have been making trips ever since. Our love for travel, though, began way before we met. For each of us, family trips were an important part of our childhood and a way to connect with immediate and extended family members. When my cousins and I were all young, we would meet up a few times a...

16 Comments

Nov 16 2016

8 Stocking stuffers for the traveling gentleman

Style, Travel, Travel Tips

by Eric

It's getting close to the holidays and Christmas shopping will be upon us soon. In an effort to ease the pain of shopping for the men on your Christmas list (men can be notoriously difficult to shop for), I've compiled a list of eight great stocking stuffers that any stylish traveling man will love. Manly men on the go need gifts they can take with them when they jet to their next destination. Grid-It – $14 The Grid-It System is an elastic organization system for electronics and personal items made of a...

1 Comment

Aug 03 2016

On the road with Maui Jim Sunglasses

Style, Travel

by Eric

As a frequent traveler I always find myself in sunny destinations carrying around at least two different pairs of sunglasses. One pair ends up not offering enough sun protection and the other is usually too dark. This might be because I always tend to pick sunglasses based solely on the styling and fit. I have never given much thought about the lens quality… until now. After trying out some new Maui Jim shades with color enhancing lens technology, my world has literally become a lot more beautiful. Maui Jim sunglasses use...

16 Comments

Jan 25 2016

The five month field test: Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Headphone Review

Reviews

by Eric

Over the past few months I have been field testing the wildly popular Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless headphone to determine if these are truly the best headphones for travel. [gallery type="rectangular" link="none" size="medium" ids="5252,5250,5249"] Design The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless headphones look good...

5 Comments

Sep 28 2015

5 simple tips to travel healthy and help you wake up and go

Travel Tips

by Eric

It is always exciting to travel to new places and experience new things. Here are a few tips to keep yourself healthy in order to enjoy your travels to the fullest! 1. Stop! Don’t order that Gin and Tonic on the plane It’s always very tempting to order a mid-flight cocktail, especially since alcohol can sometimes help you fall asleep quickly. However, alcohol will actually disrupt your sleep and leave you less rested, probably more irritable, and with a slightly weaker immune system. Catching a cold or feeling the effects of fatigue is never...

0 Comments

Sep 03 2015

An Adventure Along The Columbus Ale Trail

Food & Drink, Travel Tips

by Eric

I recently took a weekend to escape the hot humid summer here in Virginia and traveled over to the trendy city of Columbus, Ohio, to check out the booming craft brewery scene. It had been a busy few weeks for me so I was excited to relax, sip on some cold brews, and learn a bit about beer. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="4809,4811,4813"] I hopped on a short flight from IAD to Port Columbus Airport and to my surprise, I received an upgrade to United first class. This doesn't mean much on a commuter...

4 Comments

Jul 19 2015

Summer Brunch

Uncategorized

by Eric

The club was opened in August 1978 by Steve Fallon. When the Fallon family bought the corner building in uptown Hoboken with its street-level tavern, Steve Fallon's sisters Kathryn Jackson Fallon and Anne Fallon Mazzolla along with brother-in-law Mario Mazzola were interested in turning the factory workers' tavern (General Foods' Maxwell House Coffee factory was a block away on the Hudson River) into more of a restaurant. The Hoboken band "a" (featuring Glenn Morrow, Richard Barone, Frank Giannini, and Rob Norris; the latter three later forming The Bongos) asked if...

0 Comments

Jul 03 2015

Exploring Life In Columbus

Inspiration, Travel

by Eric

As you already know I am always looking out for the next best thing in unique travel experiences. Since I’ve planted shallow roots in the USA for the next few years with the Walden Hall project, I’ve shifted my focus from Asia to a little closer to home. This coming August I will be heading to Columbus, Ohio to check out their booming craft brewery and distillery scene. I had not realized until recently how much culture is packed into Columbus. Dozens of music and art events are held every year...

1 Comment

Jun 25 2015

The DROID Turbo by Motorola (Pushing The Limits Of Smartphone Photography)

Travel

by Eric

I love travel photography. You probably already know this from my previous posts but I often take between five hundred to a thousand photos a day while traveling. Ever since my last long term excursion I have been upgrading my travel photography gear to keep up with the growth of Poplar Travels and as I hone my travel photography skills, I am always looking for the newest and best thing to add to my travel bag. About a month ago I reviewed a phone that, at the time, was the newest...

0 Comments

Jun 04 2015

Dripthat Social App For Travel

Inspiration, Travel

by Eric

As you already may know, over the past year I have been quite the social media addict. On any given day I am active on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook but I also use another platform that you might not be familiar with. Dripthat is a new social app that enables you to combine video and photos into “drips” which can be shared instantly with your friends or the public and also over a stretched amount of time. This might sound a little bizarre, but I have been testing this new...

1 Comment

May 20 2015

Travel Gear Test: LG G4 Smartphone

Reviews

by Eric

The past few weeks I have been testing out a new piece of travel gear that I’m sure will make waves when it is made available to the public. The G4 is the newest top tier smartphone from LG and I’ve been testing its functionality, aesthetics, and features thoroughly during my recent travels. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="4554,4553,4550"] Upon first opening the box I was surprised at how nice the phone actually looked. Its gunmetal accents and light brown, stitched leather back give it a sophisticated aesthetic. It was a great match for my...

1 Comment

Apr 01 2015

Philip Parker Navy Sydney Watch Review

Style

by Eric

Philip Parker Watches is a Swedish watch company specializing in high quality slim watches under the influence of clean Scandinavian design. All their watches feature premium Swiss movement and come in a variety of case tones and strap colors. The Philip Parker Navy Sydney I tested has a red white and blue nato strap with a silver plated stainless steel case. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="4248,4249,4250"] Design The Watch arrived in a sleek black padded box. The first thing I noticed when I tried it on was how thin the watch case was. The case...

1 Comment

Mar 31 2015

A Great Small DSLR Backpack For Travel

Reviews

by Eric

Before we embarked on our most recent adventure through five countries in Southeast Asia, we had to carefully choose what gear we were going to bring. We decided to only travel with carry on luggage and began to research what to do with our camera and all its accessories during our travels. We were sick of putting our small DSLR bag inside a larger backpack, so we decided what we needed was a small, durable camera backpack that could fit multiple lenses but still qualify as carry-on luggage. We have used...

2 Comments

Mar 20 2015

Glory Legend Cruise Review: Halong Bay

Reviews

by Eric

On our trip to Vietnam we knew we could not miss the famous UNESCO Heritage site of Halong Bay. There are only a few options to explore this historic site and the most popular is an overnight cruise. We tested the new Glory Legend Cruise experience for a three day and two night cruise in luxury and comfort. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="4005,4004"] The Room The room was small and simple but well decorated and had a night stand, lamp and racks to hang our clothes on. The bathroom was pretty nice and had a...

0 Comments

Feb 10 2015

Elago Tripshell World Travel Adapter Review

Reviews

by Eric

One of the necessary items in any perpetual traveler’s travel kit is a world power adaptor. I received my Elago Tripshell World Travel Adapter a few months ago and since then I have put it through some rigorous use. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="3458,3460,3459"] The Tripshell World Travel Adapter supports over 150 countries and comes with a dual usb charging component so you can charge multiple devices at once. This feature is so handy that I use the Tripshell World Travel Adapter almost every night to charge my iPhone and iPad. The construction is solid...

1 Comment

Feb 08 2015

How To Get A Myanmar Visa

Travel Tips

by Eric

Due to the rise in tourism in Myanmar and the continued improvement of government organization, applying for a visa for Myanmar is now as easy as paying a bill online. The new e-visa program does not require a visit to an embassy, it sends a visa via email and is approved within 3 days. The Myanmar visa can be applied for directly on the Ministry of Immigration and Population’s website at http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/ The Myanmar visa is currently available for residents of 50 countries and the list can be viewed at http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/NoticetoTourists.aspx All you...

1 Comment

Feb 07 2015

What to do in Mandalay, Myanmar

Travel Tips

by Eric

Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Myanmar. It is a bustling city but very different from Yangon. It lacks the unique colonial architecture, clean roads and semi-organized traffic intersections, but has a unique history and will provide a memorable experience. Explore traditional craftsmanship, holy Buddhist sites and take a day trip across the river to see the full spectrum of Mandalay's attractions. Get to know the city's unique character with this list of what to do in Mandalay. Silk Weaving Workshops We visited the Shwe Sin Tai...

0 Comments

Feb 04 2015

What To Do In Yangon, Myanmar

Travel Tips

by Eric

Yangon is the busiest city in Myanmar, and because of its status as the former capital city, it is bustling with culture, good food, and beautiful architecture. On our visit we worked closely with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism to bring you a listing of the best attractions and cultural destinations in this historic city. Just visiting Yangon is an experience in itself but there are a few key places that you must see during you visit to this culture rich city. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="3271,3269,3308"] 1. Shwedagon Pagoda The Shwedagon Pagoda will always...

7 Comments

Jan 30 2015

Peak Spa And Beauty Salon, Chiang Mai Review

Reviews

by Eric

Peak Spa is located in the Night Bazaar neighborhood of Chiang Mai. It sits on a quiet alley directly next to the large Shangri-La hotel. Peak spa is a day spa, full service beauty salon and hair salon. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="3254,3256,3245"] We were picked up in the morning and driven to the spa in a new shuttle car. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted and sat down to discuss the spa treatment schedule for the day. The reception and waiting areas have large glass walls that give off a modern spacious feel...

0 Comments

Jan 01 2015

The Best Wireless Mouse For Travel: Logitech Ultrathin Touch Mouse

Reviews

by Eric

The new year marks the new age of tech reviews here on Poplar Travels. We are currently reviewing dozens of travel technology products so that we can help guide you through the vast ocean of techcessories. For the past few months I have been testing the Logitech Ultrathin Touch Mouse in various travel situations with my MacBook Pro. Here are the results: [gallery type="rectangular" ids="2819,2821,2820"] The Logitech Ultrathin Touch Mouse is exactly as the name describes. Ultra thin and sleek, at first glance it resembles a space age ouija planchette rather than...

2 Comments

Dec 29 2014

The Latest Tech Accessories From Zagg Tested By Poplar Travels

Reviews

by Eric

The new age of tech accessories (techcessories) from Zagg is upon us. As you may know, Zagg is the maker of my favorite Ipad keyboard, that I am currently using to send emails while I write this post. A while ago our friends at Zagg sent us some new gear to test out the Poplar Travels way. After over a month of rigorous testing, here are the results. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="2809,2804"] Invisible Shield GLASS The new line of Zagg screen protectors includes the GLASS screen protectors which, as you might have guessed, are...

1 Comment

Dec 19 2014

The Marina Bay Sands Resort and Casino: Singapore’s Luxury Icon

Reviews, Top Hotels

by Eric

The Marina Bay Sands resort and Casino is a massive integrated resort with three towers, fifty seven levels, one of the worlds largest infinity pools, and a multilevel casino. There is also a subterranean luxury shopping center, a museum, and theaters inside the resort. Everything about the Marina Bay Sands screams luxury and should, as it is the most expensive hotel in the world with a USD$4.7 Billion price tag. During our last visit to Singapore, we found ourselves visiting the Marina Bay Sands on many occasions. Not because we were...

1 Comment

Dec 14 2014

Red Sky Bar : Sweeping Views Of Bangkok

Food & Drink, Reviews

by Eric

On our most recent trip to Bangkok we met up with some friends from back home for a day of shopping and to try out some bars that we missed on our first trip. After a long morning wandering Chatuchak Weekend Market followed by an afternoon exploring the maze of stores in the gigantic Central World Mall, we decided that we needed to relax for an evening of drinks. We happened on Red Sky Bar by a bit of a happy accident. I had heard that Zense Rooftop Bar had a good view...

3 Comments

Dec 11 2014

The North Face Ultra Fastpack: The Best Hiking Shoe For The Perpetual Traveler

Reviews

by Eric

I’ve always been an outdoorsy person. Whether I’m in the mountains, at the beach, or in the city, I can always find some time to take in some fresh air. I have found over the past few years that because of the various climates and terrains that I find myself in, I tend to have a large variety of shoes and boots. About a year ago, as I was planning my departure from a normal career and taking a step into travel blogging, I made my first trip to New...

0 Comments

Dec 06 2014

How To Unlock Your iPhone For Travel

Travel Tips

by Eric

There are many preparations that you need to make when planning for a trip. If you happen to be traveling to another country an important and overlooked preparation is making sure that your phone is able to work with a foreign cellular service carrier. For vacations of only a few days, buying a cheap disposable phone or only using your current phone with wifi is a simple option, but if you are traveling for a while or if you need reliable internet, like us, then knowing how to unlock your iPhone...

1 Comment