Barbara Weibel

After 36 miserable years in corporate life, I walked away from my successful career to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography

Flips

Borneo
PHOTO: Leaves of the Borneo Giant Upright Elephant Ear
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
The island of Borneo, located just south of the tip of mainland Malaysia, is a natural wonderland. Most visitors come to dive or see the island’s …
Travel
10 lesser-known train trips
National Geographic
Travel The journey matters as much as the destination on these rail adventures our readers recommend. 2 Minute Read As travelers, we know there are a lot of ways to get from point A to point B. But if
Primates
The Proboscis Monkey of Borneo – Proof that Size Matters After All
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
“Take you to see proboscis monkey?” suggested the taxi drivers lined up at the entrance to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Frankly, I …
Android Phones
Life-Saving iPhone Tip Everyone Should Know — Takes Just 2 Minutes to Do
theepochtimes.com - Ruby Mey
If you were asked if you could last a day without a mobile phone, the answer is likely to be: No. According to a study, one in five people couldn’t …
World News
EU Officials Move To Clarify Rules For U.S. Travelers After Erroneous 'Visa' Reports
NPR - Sasha Ingber
European Union officials have moved to clarify travel regulations for U.S. citizens, following erroneous reports this week that Americans will soon be required to apply for visas. Last summer, the European
Borneo
PHOTO: Lucky Closeup of a Bornean Thick-Billed Spiderhunter
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
I traveled to the Malaysian State of Sabah on the island of Borneo mainly to see orangutans in the wild and to learn about the endangered Sun Bears. …
Borneo
Protecting the Terminally Cute Sun Bears of Borneo
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
At high noon, I stood on the viewing platform at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Sabah, Borneo. In the intense humidity, rivers of sweat …
Iceland
Icelanders Share Funny Facts About Iceland
holeinthedonut.com
The winters are long, cold, and dark in Iceland. As such, I had expected Icelanders to be a somber lot, patiently awaiting their few brief weeks of …
Orangutans
PHOTO: Orangutan Best Buddies – So Like Humans
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
Humans have long been fascinated by all members of the ape family. Orangutans, second largest of the apes after gorillas, rank extremely high on our …
Orangutans
Swingin’ With the Endangered Orangutans of Borneo
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
“Say hello to the orange ones,” my friend said when he dropped me at the airport. He was referring to orangutans, known for their distinctive orange …
Blogger Helps Man Find Long Sought Swiss Family Roots
holeinthedonut.com
A couple of weeks ago I received an email thanking me for posting photos of the old buildings in the village of Matten, Switzerland on my blog. The …
Visiting Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia…But Not for a Marriage Blessing
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
I first met David Hogan, Jr., the publisher of the award winning Malaysia Asia Travel Blog, during a visit to Malaysia’s Penang Island. On that …
French Rudeness to Tourists is Nothing More Than a Myth
holeinthedonut.com
I frequently travel solo to developing countries in the remotest corners of the world without the least bit of fear, but when it came time to visit …
Restoring Our Tropical Rain Forests
holeinthedonut.com
Often, my strong urge to travel has to do with seeing something before it disappears. For years I felt that way about going to Africa; I wanted to go …
Visiting the Healing Thermal Baths in Banos Ecuador
holeinthedonut.com
This entry is part 13 of 18 in the series Ecuador Still ragged from my bout with altitude sickness in Chugchilan, Ecuador, I dragged my weary bones …
PHOTO: Historic Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Grande Dame of Malaysia’s Capital City
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
I rounded a corner and stopped in my tracks. The old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station stretched before me in all her glory. Her lacy white skirts were …
Independent Travel in China is Difficult
holeinthedonut.com
What gives value to travel is fear. It is the fact that, at a certain moment, when we are so far from our own country, we are seized by a vague fear, …
PHOTO: National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara) in Kuala Lumpur
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
I was hot, tired, and sweaty after a day of exploring the Colonial Walk along the Gombak River in central Kuala Lumpur. I could have hopped on the …
These Women Over 60 Are Solo Travel Rock Stars
journeywoman.com
Zoe Dawes (Zoe with sea lions on Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - magical experience.) Name: Zoe Dawes Age: 61 Home base: North West England Number of …
Coral Castle, Powerful Energy Spot, Homestead, Florida
holeinthedonut.com
Everything happens for a reason. I was on the last leg of my trip home and had every intention of driving straight through to Sarasota when I got a …
There’s More to Kuala Lumpur than Petronas Towers and Shopping
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
Kuala Lumpur, capital of the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia, has always been a “pass-through” destination for me. Either I never made it out of …
Lama with attitude, Machu Picchu, Peru
holeinthedonut.com
Click on above photo to view it in large format Check prices for accommodations near Machu Picchu at Booking.com, Hotels.com, or HotelsCombined.com. …
Travelers leaving Japan to pay 1,000 yen departure tax from Jan. 7
thejakartapost.com - News Desk
Visitors to Japan will have to pay a 1,000 yen (S$12.50) levy when leaving the country from next Monday (Jan 7), Japanese media reported. Japan will …
Venice to charge visitors up to €10 to enter the city
gezzio.com
Local authorities in Venice will impose an entrance fee on the tourists who set foot in the canal city. According to Italy’s 2019 budget, that was just …
Mexico's San Miguel de Allende Overrated
holeinthedonut.com
I just don’t get it. For years I’ve been hearing about San Miguel de Allende. People rave about it being the place to go in Mexico, pointing to its …
Away Vegetarian Resort – A Whole New World for Traveling Vegetarians
holeinthedonut.com - Barbara Weibel
It wasn’t easy to be a vegetarian when I began traveling the world in 1997. At best it was difficult to find food without meat; at times it was …
Is Mexico Travel Dangerous?
holeinthedonut.com
It was my birthday and I was in Chihuahua, the last place in Mexico that I wanted to be. The city had been all over the news. Worried about the …