That tower pictured above looks beautiful, doesn’t it? Naturally, I took a picture. Zoom in and you’ll discover, as I later did, that it’s filled with human skulls. Dark tourism. That’s a term given to the kind of tourism that covers concentration and death camps, war zones and sites of gruesome death, torture and degradation. People
You Must Visit The Killing Fields. Read More »
I’m riding through the back roads of Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the back of a motorbike. As much as I’d love to be the one driving, that just isn’t done in Siem Reap. They’d rather have tourists hire drivers than attempt to drive on their own. That said, I’m having a great time exploring the
Losing My Fertility in Cambodia Read More »
I had been warned about the difficulties of crossing into Cambodia. Corruption is rampant, particularly at the Aranya Prathet-Poipet border, lying halfway between Bangkok and Siem Reap. Many people there are routed to a fake embassy and charged extra before being taken to the actual border. Thankfully, coming from Laos, we were at a different
Trouble at the Laos-Cambodia Border Read More »
Swimming in the Mekong. It just sounds wrong, doesn’t it? I hear Mekong and I think Vietnam War. I picture Forrest Gump wading through chest-deep water in full military gear, the rain coming upwards. Even Lonely Planet warned that the Mekong would be muddy and disgusting through December, not turning bright turquoise until early in
Swimming in the Mekong: Surprisingly, Not That Gross Read More »
You know what’s worse than being woken up by a rooster? Being woken up by a cow and baby who are currently having a scream-off. “Moooooo.” “Waaaaaah!” “MOOOOOOOO.” “WAAAAAAAAAH!” Welcome to Si Phan Don. I came to Laos’s Four Thousand Islands, or Si Phan Don, knowing very little about them. I knew they were nestled
The Challenge: Learning to Relax in Si Phan Don Read More »
I’m at a tiny gas station in the Bolaven Plateau of Southern Laos, trying to explain to the woman how much of the magenta liquid I need. I point to my nearly-empty fuel gauge; she hands me the hose to hold while she cranks the manual pump. And then I have to figure out how
Off the Beaten Path in Laos: The Bolaven Plateau Read More »
“Why you no have boyfriend?” The first time I’m asked this question, I’m on the overnight train from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani, the only foreigner in the car. I’m taken aback by the older woman’s question and simply smile and giggle. Thankfully, this is a very Thai answer, and it suffices. I knew this question
“Why You No Have Boyfriend?” Read More »
Railay is one of Krabi’s most beautiful beaches, only accessible by boat and packed with islands of limestone. Railay had been one of the destinations I had wanted to visit the most on my Asia Jaunt. In fact, I had wanted to visit Railay for four years! Right after I started my first post-college job,
The Endangered Beauty of Railay Read More »
Koh Lanta National Park did not disappoint: it was just as beautiful and as inexplicably deserted as the rest of the island. I still don’t understand why Koh Lanta has so few visitors compared to the other islands and beaches on the Andaman Coast, but I don’t care. That’s one reason why I loved the
Exploring Koh Lanta National Park Read More »
Loy Krathong is a Thai holiday taking place during the full moon of the twelfth month of the year — usually November. On this day, Thais build krathongs, or floats and set them on the water. These krathongs bring good luck for the coming year. Matt and I weren’t planning to be in Koh Lanta
Celebrating Loy Krathong in Koh Lanta Read More »