Borneo without a plan: Kota Kinabalu & Sandakan
We had to leave Indonesia. Our visa said so. So we started planning. We played with the idea of visiting Singapore–one of the cheapest international flights from Denpasar. We scrapped that idea when we learned there would be a city-wide anniversary celebration and the already high prices would be inflated. We were almost convinced we’d go to East Timor. How […]
Ramadan in Lombok + A last minute trip to the Gili Islands
Bali is distinctly different from her Mother, Indonesia. Born from another father than Sumatra, Papua, Borneo, or even Java or Tenggara next door, Bali was raised observing completely unique cultural and religious rituals than the others–and really, than the rest of the world. Much of the differences between Bali and the other islands, spawn from religious views–where Indonesia is mostly Muslim, Bali […]
Taking the Long Way to Lombok
PART I: Our most pleasantly unpleasant Indonesia visa experience… The tire began wobbling in an ominous way. We quickly pull to the side of the road and inspect our bike. Sure enough, the tire is soft. We scan the area. Busy highway; crowded roundabout ahead; gardens and plant nurseries line the streets. We see some local men on a smoking break and […]
Living like a Digital Nomad in Ubud
One month has passed in that way time passes when you are living someplace new and different. Fast yet slow. Plenty of days spent in a mixed blur of laziness and work; motorbike adventures and days where we barely left the house or our computers. Getting comfortable. Learning the lay of the land. We’ve been in Bali a month and we […]
Birds in Paradise: A Day in Bali Bird Park
The attendant showed us the calculator screen,”800,000 rupiah…” The cost for two tickets to Bali Bird Park. We hadn’t done our homework. We made the 30 minute drive south from Ubud and arrived to find out the entrance price, the equivalent of $27 USD/each, was far more than our cheap selves wanted to pay for a nonchalant day trip. We looked at each […]
25 Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
Often, visitors have asked me what it is they should check out when spending a few days in Saigon. So, here it is! My comprehensive list of where to eat, what to do, where to chill, what to see in Ho Chi Minh City; and how to find it. 1. Get Lost in Cho Lon AKA “Chinatown.” Wander around with your […]
3-Days on Cambodia’s Peaceful Coast
The two sleepy towns of Kep and nearby Kampot on Cambodia’s southern coast may be some of the best spots in the world for an ultra relaxing getaway. That is, of course, when you take away the moderately stressful and involved travel days we spent arriving. However through the rose colored glasses of memory, those annoyances can just as easily resemble adventure. […]
Road Trip! Chiang Mai & the Mai Hong Son Loop
There is perhaps no other place as gushed about by the blogging and location independent traveler than Chiang Mai. So we had high expectations before arriving–we even considered scoping the place out as a future potential temporary home. It was a good thing we didn’t make any major decisions before visiting. We weren’t blown away by Chiang Mai. Don’t get […]
Caving in Northern Thailand
We arrived at Cave Lodge after a pleasant 2-hour motorbike ride from Pai. Cave Lodge is a special sort of guesthouse. The kind that will live in my memory alongside gems like La Serrana in Colombia or Utopia Lodge in Guatemala or Hostel Candelaria in Valladolid, Mexico. Nestled in a hillside overlooking a tame river near the village of Sappong and the Thailand […]
Myanmar Part II: Around Mandalay
Having really no real plans for Mandalay, we spent much of our time in a glorious state of wandering. One day we rented a motorbike and drove to the U Bein Bridge to observe the famous spot at sunset. At 1.2 kilometers long, built in the early 1850s of reclaimed teak wood from the former royal palace, this bridge is famed […]
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