Squeezing into the oyster can of LAX and 19 hours of flying coach later, Bangkok hits me like a freight train: Heavy air and loud noise bounce off paved streets and temporarily blind a few …
Thailand news & travel reviews
Thailand news & travel reviews
Thailand and back again
The real Chiang Rai
After easing through Phuket and bustling through Bangkok, the Northern mountainous jungle villages of Chiang Rai left the friendly smiles of the big cities behind. My first impression of Chiang Rai? Holy crap! Never before …
May 4, 2015
Bangkok's kitchens
The sounds of a kitchen are like conversations. In the beginning, you hear the fracas of so many people speaking to each other, sometimes over each other. It’s the repartee against the quick pause and …
January 1, 2015
Floating nuns in Kanchanaburi
Thailand is a country full of magical surprises. One of them, located in the Kanchanaburi province, is a temple called Wat Tham Mangkhon Thong. As you enter, you're swallowed by the giant head of a …
October 11, 2014
Southeast Asia: it's a hostel world
“What do you want to do when you come visit?” “I don’t know! You plan it.” Well, let’s just see how this goes: I'm traveling on a shoestring budget through Southeast Asia with my mom. …
June 17, 2014
17 travel tips for Thailand
1) Leave your rolly luggage at home. Wear a backpack and only fill it ⅔ full. You will shop – if not for yourself, for your friends. Most of all, make sure that your bag …
December 12, 2013
Charmed in Chiang Mai
The strong smell of black coffee served in a plastic cup no bigger than a shot glass startled me from my deep slumber. As one flight attendant pushed the cart forward, tightly squeezing it along …
Have You Eaten Rice Yet?
As I watched my favorite street vendor whip up the usual thirty baht (approximately $1 USD) shrimp pad thai, I noticed that she added more love into it than usual on this particular evening. Devouring …
August 24, 2012
Mysterious Encounter in Bangkok
There are events that happen occasionally while traveling that are destined to remain mysterious and unexplained. It may be a chance encounter, a brush with fate, or something that brings to mind the Shakesperean quote …
The Pirate Streets of Koh Phi Phi
After riding elephants in Krabi, Thailand, it was time to leave that madness behind. So I hopped a ferry for the island of Koh Phi Phi. Midway though the hour-and-a-half-long ferry trip, ominous clouds could …
June 15, 2012
Enchanting Chiang Mai, Thailand
The Thai rainy season greeted me in the form of monks in flowing orange robes holding little umbrellas. Their smiles beamed at me through the thick mist as I sauntered through the old section of …
June 2, 2012
Paradise, Thai-Style: Beaches and Islands of the Andaman Sea
I first became intrigued with the beaches and islands of Thailand while reading an account about a family selling their home in those halcyon days when the real estate market was skyrocketing. They intended to …
Ayutthaya, Thailand: City of Buddhas
The ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya, about eighty kilometers north of Bangkok, is a worthwhile day trip if you’re staying in Bangkok. To really appreciate Ayutthaya, it helps to know a little about its history. …
Do's and Don'ts in Bangkok
Bangkok is the introductory city to Asia for many Americans, and the hectic pace and traffic may remind New Yorkers and Angelenos of home. A city of eleven million, Bangkok can be a slow crawl …
Bangkok is Drowning
About four months ago, in the hot, laboring days of summer, I decided I needed something to work for – something to get me through the weeks. A trip. I set my sights on Southeast …
November 4, 2011