Travelogues
Our boat glides through water the color of emerald, a deep creamy stone green, cruising past towering limestone karsts that are home to wild tigers and elephants. Occasional ripples cut through the smooth glossy surface of the water below, shimmering back reflections of the jungle-clad environment surrounding us. Hundreds of peaks, carved of…
Even though Koh Lanta lacks the picturesque, powdery white sands of its more iconic neighbors, the island more than makes up for it with unruly tangles of jungle and a low-key vibe seldom found on more frequented shores. On most days, you’ll only be sharing one of Koh Lanta’s sublime beaches with a couple of tourists and some locals foraging for shellfish…
With the slow hum of the boat’s engine, we headed out into the pitch-black depths of Thale Noi’s peat swamp forest. Only aided by the light of our headlamps, we cruised cautiously over the vine-infested shallow waters – carefully navigating as to not get the propeller intertwined. Our mission on this particular morning was simple: to reach the Pak Pra Canal…
As one of the last hidden gems of Thailand’s southern coast, Khanom Beach is a non-touristy destination that’s full of striking mountain scenery and many long, empty beaches to relax on. When in Khanom, you’d never guess that the overly-touristic Koh Samui was only 25 km offshore. Despite the proximity, Khanom seems to be far away from the bustling shores of Koh Samui…
Founded by King Si Inthrathit in 1248 CE, Sukhothai Historical Park served as the former capital of the Kingdom of Sukhothai until 1438 CE. The city was the first in a series of independent polities that eventually coalesced to form a unified Siam (present-day Thailand). Today, the ruins of Sukhothai serve as a reflection of the diverse ancestry of…
The Phi Ta Khon Festival (ผีตาโขน) originated as a form of ancestral worship – a series of merit-making rituals where villagers must make offerings to the guardian spirits of Dan Sai. If for any reason Phi Ta Khon was not held annually, then it was believed that Dan Sai would be subjected to wraths such as illnesses, insufficient rain leading to famine, and more…
Situated in northeastern Thailand, surrounded by mountainous landscapes on the banks of the Mekong River, time stands still in Chiang Khan. As a sleepy yet spellbinding place, there’s something very special about Chiang Khan as it’s one of Isaan’s best-preserved historic towns – it’s full of charm and offers a unique window into the region’s fascinating past…
As Thailand’s newest province, Bueng Kan is a remote destination that’s ideal for adventure-minded travelers. Nestled in a distant corner of Isaan, Bueng Kan remains one of the least visited provinces in Thailand and is characterized by traditional rural life. So if you enjoy uninterrupted vistas of the Mekong, vast stretches of forest covered hills, and off-the-beaten-track…
As a juxtaposition of tranquility and dramatic beauty, the soft golden spill of Phu Ruea’s morning light has a magnetic quality that’ll captivate any traveler. It’s truly amazing to witness the mist-shrouded crags change colors from deep blue to smoldering yellow to a fiery orange. It’s as if two polar worlds are meeting, if not colliding before your very eyes…
As a border town on the bank of the Mekong River, Nong Khai has typically been overlooked as just another “gateway to Laos.” In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Saturated with temples, rich culture and folk ways of life, Nong Khai is full of character and off-the-beaten-track adventures. If you’re interested in visiting a peaceful and unique Thai city…
As an isolated tribe, the Hamar have been able to maintain a variety of ancient rituals such as the infamous Bull Jumping Ceremony. It’s a coming of age ritual where a young Hamar man (Ukuli) leaps over a line of 10 cattle as an initiation rite of passage. Once completed, the Ukuli becomes qualified to marry up to 4 women, raise children, and own livestock…
Located in the beautiful and underrated province of Loei, Phu Kradueng is a unique national park that offers a streamlined hiking and camping experience. It’s a novel trail that’s great for people who love nature, but aren’t invested in or not interested in going on a remote backcountry trek. For how commercialized this national park has become, Phu Kradueng still manages to be…
Nestled in a remote corner of the Phetchabun mountain range, Wat Pha Sorn Kaew is a shangri-la-inspired Buddhist sanctuary. It’s an unusual, yet serene temple that features a stunningly beautiful design: an eclectic mix of Catalan modernism and Indochinese Buddhist architecture. In particular, Wat Pha Sorn Kaew’s most striking feature is its larger-than-life…
In an offbeat corner of Phitsanulok, there’s an area that’s stunningly beautiful and reminiscent of Krabi’s infamous landscape. With limestone karsts jutting up from lush rice paddies, Noen Maprang’s Ban Mung (บ้านมุง) is a breathtaking destination with few visitors. The peaceful and rural landscape of Ban Mung offers travelers a serene atmosphere to decompress…
A mere 40 minutes from the bustling concrete jungle of Hat Yai is a charming and quaint coastal city known as Songkhla Old Town. The town itself has a distinctive nostalgic feel – it almost looks like a roll of 1970’s Kodacolor film with vibrant and heritage-rich undertones. Even the weathered walls of the town’s historic shophouses pay homage to the early 1800s…
Nestled amongst the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a small Buddhist kingdom that has maintained its rich cultural identity through years of isolation. Relatively untouched by industrialism and modernization, Bhutan was the first country in the world to outright reject GDP (an economic indicator) as the only way to measure progress. In 1972, the government…
In the West, we tend to view minimalism as the pursuit of less. But what if minimalism was much greater than a reductionist mindset. What if minimalism was a lifestyle of disciplined intentions? Desiring only what you need – nothing more, nothing less. A basic set of lifestyle choices where reduction is redundant. Since 8,000 BCE, Mongolian nomads have been the archetype…
In a remote corner of southern Myanmar lies an archipelago full of undisturbed islands. With stretches of bone-white sand enclosed by azure coral reefs and impenetrable walls of jungle-clad limestone karsts, each island offers its own unspoiled ‘Robinson Crusoe’ experience. Every year, less then 2,000 visitors make their way to this island utopia…
Heading south into a sea of never-ending sand, civilization vanished in our rear-view mirror. Even the sight of semi-nomadic camel herders grew faint as our SUV hummed by at a breakneck pace. Now, the only view out of our bug-smattered windshield was the emptiness of the vast open desert and all of its golden glory. Surrounded by nothing but open sky…
Located in the most remote section of the Omo Valley (the borderlands of Kenya and South Sudan), the Dassanech thrive in an extremely difficult and harsh environment. From constant drought conditions to flash floods, to armed conflicts… the Dassanech live on the margin and must constantly adapt just to stay alive. We knew getting to them would be difficult…
As the established trekking routes of Nepal have become flooded with tourists, other “unknown” trails have still remained a secret and maintain their authentic charm. Uncharted by tourists, the rustic villages of Nepal’s countryside offer breathtaking beauty and untouched grandeur. However, their remoteness makes them reachable only by foot…
As the smallest tribe in Africa (with a population of less than 1,000), the Kara’s existence is shielded from the rest of world. Constrained by geographical isolation, their contact with modern society is minimal which allows them to still practice a rich canvas of ancient traditions. To visit the Kara is to venture back in time and experience traditional living…
Women of the Kayan tribe are renowned for wearing brass coil rings around their necks. Given the hefty weight of these coils, their collar bones and upper ribs are compressed down vertically, thereby giving them the illusory appearance of a “long neck.” In rural Thailand, travelers can spend a day with the Kayan at Huay Pu Keng, a hill tribe village that’s nestled…
As the fourth holiest city of Islam, Harar is an ancient and enigmatic place that’s off-the-beaten-track in eastern Ethiopia (near the Somalian border). Inhabited for the past 7,000 years, Harar thrives on the preservation of archaic traditions – locals still live in rustic Adare homes that are fortified by medieval stone walls and still mouth feed clans of wild hyenas…