An annual lantern festival lights up the night in Lamphun, Thailand. (Photo: Getty) Writer: Whitney Shindelar, as told to Karla Walsh Local real estate agent Sara Hopkins and I first met when she reached out to me last fall, asking if I could help coordinate her family’s spring break trip to Paris . Mais oui! She and her husband, Marc, and their two kids made memories for a lifetime, so I was thrilled when Sara contacted me as she considered options to celebrate her upcoming 20th wedding anniversary. Sara had already told me that her passion for travel is nothing new. Her seventh-grade teacher took her and four of her best friends to Europe during high school, and her adventurous streak continued through her teens and 20s. The Des Moines native even moved to England for four years after college. In 2006, she and Marc spent months backpacking through Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand on a shoestring budget, staying in hostels, back when they’d been married for about a year. So I asked her about the upcoming anniversary trip. What’s the basic idea? “Marc and I adore the family we’ve built together, but this vacation is just for us,” she explained. “We crave local, authentic food and drink and don’t need it to be fancy. Hole-in-the-wall dives? Sign us up. We’re happy to splurge on local guides, anything that’s not a tourist trap, and a nice hotel — especially after staying solely in hostels during our first big trip to Asia. It would be so special to go back and experience those regions through a new lens.” With these parameters in mind, and a budget of about $15,000 for a 10-day trip, I zeroed in on three options. It feels really special to be able to potentially send the couple back to where they have adventured in the past, but to do so in style. The first two options are inspired by the areas of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam that Sara and Marc loved, but this time, with cultural and luxury components mixed in to not only provide new experiences but also to enhance their comfort in the spirit of celebration. The third option is a wild card, a totally new-to-them destination that is my absolute favorite: Indonesia! Which one would you like to take? And which do you think Sara chose? Scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter to find out. Option 1: Festivals of light in Thailand You’ll arrive in Bangkok just as the city prepares for Loy Krathong, Thailand’s beloved festival of lights. You’ll stroll riverside neighborhoods, explore gilded temples and then join locals as they release candlelit, lotus-shaped lanterns known as krathongs onto the Chao Phraya River to symbolize gratitude, renewal and a release of negativity. The city glows with lanterns and soft candlelight, giving even ordinary sights a magical, once-a-year atmosphere. From there, you’ll fly north to Chiang Mai, where the celebrations deepen with Yi Peng, the northern lantern festival. Here, locals and visitors alike release thousands of floating lanterns into the sky as they make wishes and release bad luck. You’ll have time to explore Chiang Mai’s craft villages, hillside temples and gentle northern landscapes before participating in a curated lantern release — one of the most iconic and visually striking cultural traditions in Thailand. Option 2: Buddha’s birthday and a river cruise in Cambodia and Vietnam The magic starts in Siem Reap during Buddha’s birthday, known as Visak Bochea, when Angkor Wat is immersed in soft chants, monks with candles and local families making spiritual offerings. It’s one of the rare moments when visitors can genuinely participate in local culture, experiencing Angkor not just as a historical site but as a living, breathing place of worship. Next you’ll travel to Phnom Penh to board Aqua Expeditions for a three-night journey down the Mekong, an intimate, design-forward vessel that takes you into corners of Cambodia and Vietnam that would be nearly impossible to access on your own. Daily outings include floating markets, small craft villages, riverside temples and quiet agricultural communities that offer a true window into life along the river. The itinerary ends in Ho Chi Minh City, where stylish hotels and outstanding dining create a vibrant finale. Option 3: Cultural exploration in Indonesia This trip kicks off in Yogyakarta, or Jogja, an extraordinary introduction to Indonesia’s cultural heart. Here, your days will unfold through coconut groves and the quiet countryside as you cycle toward the 9th-century Prambanan Temple, wander Jogja’s lively markets and artisan workshops, and then take in Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at sunset, its stone terraces rising like a sacred mandala between volcanoes and rice fields. It’s a natural fit for travelers who’ve already fallen in love with Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. You’ll continue on to lush and soulful Bali. Based in Ubud, you’ll explore terraced rice valleys, ancient temples and the island’s renowned craft villages before taking part in a traditional Balinese blessing and purification ceremony led by a local priest at a remote jungle temple. The journey then expands toward the sea, with time on Nusa Penida’s dramatic cliffs and turquoise bays, ending with a sunset at Uluwatu that feels almost cinematic. Earlier this year, Adel-based travel advisor Whitney Shindelar sent dsm contributor Karla Walsh to Southern Spain (where she captured some highlights on Instagram) and planned a dream birthday getaway for local art gallery owner Liz Lidgett. To contact Shindelar yourself, visit Undiscovered Sunsets about six to eight months before you’d like to travel. ...read more read less