PLACES Guangzhou Walking Tour and Long Layover Posted on April 21, 2017June 28, 2024 The tour lasted a little over 4 hours and ended with lunch in a popular dim sum restaurant. Long layovers provide a chance to see things you might otherwise never see. Walking tours with a local are the closest thing to living like a local for a few hours and may end up being a highlight of your entire trip. Read more
CULINARY TRAVEL 6 Great Food Experiences in Chiang Mai Thailand Posted on January 25, 2017August 2, 2024 Chiang Mai boasts some of the best food in Thailand. Food stalls, like the Lady with the Cowboy Hat’s pulled pork, are Internet sensations. Unfortunately, we don’t eat pork, so I can’t add my two cents except that it smelled delicious, and she was swamped with customers. The city is… Read more
PLACES The White Temple: Visiting Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand Posted on December 11, 2016December 2, 2024 The temple is always in a state of maintenance and construction. The artist wants Wat Rung Khun to have pilgrimagers that return to Chiang Mai not unlike those who return to Spain’s Sagrada Família or India’s Taj Mahal. And not unlike Antoni Gaudí and Shah Jahan, Ajarn Chalermchai does not expect to see his great work completed as its expected to take approximately 60 and 90 years to complete. Read more
PLACES Top 10 Things to Do in Siem Reap: A Complete Travel Guide Posted on October 10, 2016November 10, 2024 I can’t believe Angkor Wat has never been considered one of the wonders of the world. It doesn’t have to be a wonder of the world to leave you lost for words. You know, I am a big history buff and I am never happier than when I’m walking in the footsteps of history, tracing my fingertips along the hard, cold stone or trekking through the doorways of ancient & often mysterious monuments. Read more
PLACES Tips for Visiting the Big Buddha in Phuket Thailand Posted on December 15, 2015November 10, 2024 Building Phuket’s Big Buddha began about 10 years ago as a labor of love and will cost roughly 30 Million Baht ($850, 000) when it’s completed. Now, ten years later, it has become a revered monument by both locals and tourists. More than 1,000 people make the 6km trek up the mountain every day to see the huge Buddha that’s still under construction. It is taking so long because of its scope, as well as the fact that it is being funded by donations alone. Read more
PLACES What to Expect: 4-Day Group Tour to Beijing China Posted on September 10, 2015July 30, 2024 First impressions about Beijing… it’s BIG!! Really big. More than 250 million people live in the city and its surrounding suburbs. Imagine that. There are only 50 and 322 million people living gin the entire countries of Korea and the United States respectively. Read more
PLACES Take the Great Wall Off My Bucket List Posted on September 9, 2015May 20, 2024 I was a freaking kid climbing those darn stairs– an old one– but a kid nonetheless!! It was something I’d dreampt about my whole life and I’m paying for it now. I can hardly move but it was worth it a thousamd times over for the views, the bragging rights and the exercise!! Look the Mongolian horde… oh no its just the bloody Brits. Read more
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES Knockoffs and Mandatory Group Shopping Tours in Beijing Posted on September 9, 2015May 18, 2024 Mandatory Group Shopping Tours in Beijing The Rebel in me talks a lot of smack about the high-pressure mandatory shopping trips the Chinese Government forces tour groups to go on. And shopping in Beijing can be intense. Yes, the Silk Market is high stress, a man-handling, chaotic swarm of knock… Read more