Category Archives: Asia

The Batad Rice Terraces of the Philippines - An agricultural masterpiece

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The Batad Rice Terraces were carved into the Philippine mountains, supposedly mostly by hand, by the indigenous people of that area over 2,000 years ago. Apparently, if the steps were put end to end, it would encircle half the globe! It took a nine hour over night bus to reach Banaue, the entrance to the rice terraces, and initially, traveling there by myself, I was planning on visiting it on my own. Continue reading The Batad Rice Terraces of the Philippines - An agricultural masterpiece→

Solo Christmas on Boracay Island…a good idea? Maybe.

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While I was still recovering from my trek to Everest Base Camp by drinking too much coffee and eating too much Israeli and Indian food in Kathmandu, I knew I had to start thinking about where I was going to be for Christmas and New Years. The holidays, no matter where in the world you are, can be expensive and sold out if you don’t make prior arrangements. While Asia Continue reading Solo Christmas on Boracay Island…a good idea? Maybe.→

Exploring the Bangkok Temples: Stylish clothes, travel buddies, and…Snoopy?

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Having gotten a small bout of food poisoning the first time I was in Bangkok, I was looking forward to being able to do a bit of exploration of this fun and crazy city. And lucky for me, my friend Babs, who I’d traveled with briefly in China as well as in Nepal, was going to be in Bangkok at the same as me! Travel buddies reunite! Neither of us had been Continue reading Exploring the Bangkok Temples: Stylish clothes, travel buddies, and…Snoopy?→

Koh Lanta’s 4 Islands Tour: Longtail boats, snorkeling, and emerald caves

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Once again, in an effort to actually DO something while living the beach bum life on the island of Koh Lanta in Thailand, I decided to take a tour of some of the surrounding islands for a day. The ‘4 Islands Tour’ whisks you off to several islands within an hour boat ride for a bit of snorkeling and a delicious lunch on the beach. For 800 baht, or about Continue reading Koh Lanta’s 4 Islands Tour: Longtail boats, snorkeling, and emerald caves→

Exploring Koh Lanta by bike: elephants, rubber trees, and solitude

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After far too long being a beach bum on the beautiful island of Koh Lanta, I decided to do a bit of exploration. Wouldn’t be proper to spend two weeks on the island and only see 1/4 mile of it. The main way to get around the island is by moped. Everyone does it and the vehicles are widely available for hire, usually for around 200-300 bhat per day (about Continue reading Exploring Koh Lanta by bike: elephants, rubber trees, and solitude→

The sunsets of Koh Lanta, Thailand

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Earlier this week we had the joyous occasion of digging ourselves out of 36 inches of snow here in Massachusetts (gotta love winter in New England). That is just so many levels of not ok…I’m still sore from shoveling So naturally, while spending 3 hours shoveling in bitter cold and wind, it makes me think of warmer days. More specifically, Koh Lanta in Thailand. I talked a bit about Koh Lanta Continue reading The sunsets of Koh Lanta, Thailand→

Temple hopping, public cremations, and my favorite food spots in Kathmandu, Nepal

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After returning from the Everest Base Camp trek, I spent a lot of time in the Thamel region of Kathmandu doing absolutely nothing. There was a serious recovery and recuperation period needed. I spent most of my days with my butt firmly planted in a booth at the local coffee shop, Himalayan Java, working on my blog. Then, after a morning of drinking an unhealthy amount of caffeine, I would Continue reading Temple hopping, public cremations, and my favorite food spots in Kathmandu, Nepal→