Category: Southeast Asia

By , August 5, 2013 8:04 am

I must admit that before I visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, I had no idea that there had been a genocide in Cambodia. Knowing what I know now, I find that disgraceful. I’d like to blame my schooling and cultural upbringing for sheltering me from this world-scale bit of history, but I’m not sure that I rightfully can. It is possible, after all, that I’m the only one who &#91read more]

By , July 21, 2013 9:00 am

Siem Reap was hot. It was something like 37°C outside every day. Not the hottest weather we’ve experienced, but combined with the crippling near 100% humidity, it sure felt like the hottest. After a few days of bicycling between temples in that heat, combined with the mandatory daily drinking of 8 litres of water, my skin became waterlogged. All my pores were swollen, red, and itchy. I had sweat too much. &#91read more]

By , July 18, 2013 4:51 pm

We arrived in Cambodia after a terribly long travel day that involved a train, a tuk tuk, a border crossing, a bus, a tourist bus, and a really long walk to our hostel.  We were already worn out from a month of racing across Thailand, so we decided to slow things down. A lot. We had originally planned to stay in Siem Reap for about 5 days.  This would give &#91read more]

By , June 23, 2013 11:04 am

Wat Saket & Phu Khao Thong (The Golden Mountain) A Buddhist temple in Bangkok, dating back to the Ayutthaya era. Phu Khao Thong (also called the Golden Mountain) is built on top of a man-made hill within the Wat Saket grounds.  The hill is the result of a collapsed chedi that King Rama III (1787 – 1851) had constructed.  It collapsed during construction because the soft soil couldn’t support its &#91read more]

By , June 17, 2013 11:34 am

Wat Pho (also spelled Wat Po) is next door to the Grand Palace and complements a palace visit nicely.  It is the largest and oldest wat in Bangkok, and is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (its official name is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan).  It is also known as the home of the traditional Thai massage.  There is a bodhi tree in the Temple’s gardens &#91read more]

By , June 11, 2013 3:35 pm

Bangkok’s China Town is a popular tourist attraction.  It is centered around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Roads, and contains many streets and alleys full of shops and vendors selling just about anything.  This is one of the oldest areas of Bangkok. The main roads are lined with gold shop after gold shop by day, and are always packed full of customers.  The streets and alleys are lined with vendors selling &#91read more]

By , June 7, 2013 11:02 am

It’s impossible to travel Southeast Asia without at least a few obligatory stops in Bangkok – the transportation hub of Thailand.  We made six separate stops in the city, and spent a total of 14 days.  We saw many of the “must-sees” (like Khaosan Road, the Grand Palace, China Town, and the Reclining Buddha) and a few more off-the-beaten path destinations. Our Explore Bangkok series will share a few of &#91read more]