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Visiting Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia…But Not for a Marriage...
I first met David Hogan, Jr., the publisher of the award winning Malaysia Asia Travel Blog, during a visit to Malaysia’s Penang Island. On that occasion, he took me to one of the island’s most popular...
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Swingin’ With the Endangered Orangutans of Borneo
“Say hello to the orange ones,” my friend said when he dropped me at the airport. He was referring to orangutans, known for their distinctive orange color and endangered status. For years I had dreamed...
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Protecting the Terminally Cute Sun Bears of Borneo
At high noon, I stood on the viewing platform at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Sabah, Borneo. In the intense humidity, rivers of sweat streamed down my face and neck. Within minutes, my...
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The Proboscis Monkey of Borneo – Proof that Size Matters After All
“Take you to see proboscis monkey?” suggested the taxi drivers lined up at the entrance to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Frankly, I had no idea what they were talking about. My visit to...
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VIDEO: Wild Borneo
Not only is Borneo one of the few places in the world to see orangutans in the wild, it’s also fantastic for seeing endangered Sun Bears, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and monitor lizards, among...
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Brunei – To Visit or Not, Given the New Sharia Law
On April 3, 2019, the Sultan of Brunei imposed Islamic sharia law on all residents of the country, including the 30% of the population who are not Muslims. In a nutshell, this means that people will be...
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Bo Sang Umbrella Festival in Northern Thailand
Across Thailand, thousands of small craft villages dot the landscape. Each one specializes in the manufacture of a particular handicraft. Especially in northern Thailand, the choices seem endless. In...
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VIDEO: Learning to Play Tibetan Singing Bowls in Kathmandu, Nepal
Each time I return to Kathmandu, Nepal, I find a new craze. This year it was Tibetan singing bowls. Not only were they for sale in shops all over the city, every Yoga studio or meditation class seemed...
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VIDEO: Nepalis Celebrate New Year in Pokhara, Nepal
I celebrated Nepali New Year in Nepal, this past April. My second home of Pokhara sponsored three solid days of performances in the park, including band performances, traditional dancing, and singing....
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An Epic Overland Journey from Lhasa, Tibet, to Kathmandu, Nepal
I’d given up on ever traveling overland from Nepal to Tibet. Three times I had tried and failed. The first tour I booked in Kathmandu, a number of years ago, was cancelled when the Chinese government...
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A Photo Journey Through Tibet: Lhasa to the Nepal Border
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my Tibet travel experiences as much as I have enjoyed writing about them. After my last story about how to travel overland in Tibet was published, I realized that I...
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Consecrating my Bronze Buddha Statue in Chiang Mai, Thailand
For years, I’d been searching for a bronze Buddha statue to place on my home altar. I knew the pose I preferred, the one known as Calling The Earth to Witness. It depicts Buddha sitting with legs...
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What it’s Like to Live in Thailand During the COVID-19 Outbreak
For the past 13+ years I’ve traveled the world to bring my readers stories about far-flung places. Eight of those years were spent traveling with no home base, just me and my suitcase, going from...
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Why Foreigners in Thailand Should Wear a Face Mask During the COVID-19 Outbreak
There’s a controversy brewing here in Thailand. In a nutshell, Thais are becoming increasingly upset about farang (Caucasian foreigners) who refuse to wear a face mask during the COVID-19 outbreak. For...
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Why There is No Shortage of Toilet Paper in Thailand During COVID-19
Recently, the Prime Minister of Thailand imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. throughout the country. He added that a 24-hour curfew was under consideration if the number of infected cases didn’t...
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Elephant Tourism – To Ride or Not to Ride, That is the Question
Not long ago, if anyone had asked me if I believe it is acceptable to ride elephants, my answer would have been a resounding “NO!” My point of view was challenged this past November, when the Tourist...
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A Fresh New Look for Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel
I’ve always heard it said that when I don’t know what to do, I should do nothing. Though it may sound simplistic, that idea has always worked for me, and the past year has been a prime example. I...
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Celebrating Makha Bucha Day in Chiang Mai, Thailand
It may have been nearly 14 months since I’ve been able to travel internationally, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been sitting at home here in Chiang Mai. I’ve taken advantage of COVID travel restrictions...
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The Cherry Tree Blossoms of Thailand
Most people have seen gorgeous photos of the cherry tree blossoms in Japan and Washington D.C. Far fewer have heard about the flowering cherry trees in Thailand. I was among the ignorant, until a year...
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Artists from Around the World Sketch my Photo of a Traditional Penang...
Here’s something new and fun and (for me) very exciting. A few days ago I received an email from Leslie Parsons (@montrealsketcher), an artist from Montreal. “I have a strange request for you,” he...
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The Ordained Dton Yaang Naa Spirit Trees of Thailand
The first time I saw the Dton Yaang Naa trees I was transfixed. I was returning from a press trip to learn about the care of Elephants in the Kingdom of Thailand, when our van driver turned down Chiang...
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Railay Beach in Krabi, Thailand – A Great Escape from Smoke Season in Chiang Mai
Every spring, when farmers burn their fields, a thick blanket of smoke descends upon my home in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Most years, I’m traveling at this time, but this year COVID-19 put a crimp in my...
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Krabi Town, Thailand – Like an Outdoor Art Gallery
Most people barely give Krabi Town a second glance. If they visit at all, they stay overnight on their way to Railay Beach, Koh Lanta, or the Phi Phi Islands. But during a recent visit to Railay Beach,...
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Dantewada “Land of Angels” Waterfall Park, the Newest Attraction in Mae...
There’s a new attraction north of Chiang Mai that only locals seem to know about. Fortunately, I am blessed to have wonderful Thai friends who invite me along on day trips around northern Thailand....
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Fighting the Blues with Blossoms
A couple of months ago I struck up a conversation with a young man at Cozy Coffee and Bistro, my home away from home in Chiang Mai. He was surprised to learn that after 18 years of visiting Thailand...
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I Want to Go Out With a Bang…Literally
March answered her phone, even though it was from an unknown caller. Maybe it would be her lucky day. Perhaps it would be someone asking to see one of the properties she’d listed in Bangkok. The woman...
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Bangkok – What’s in a Name
Thai society erupted in controversy last month when the government approved a proposal to change the official name of Thailand’s capital from Bangkok to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. While this might seem...
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Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai, Thailand – My COVID Silver Linings
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic was a scourge on the earth, however for me there were a few silver linings amongst the lockdowns and quarantines. One of those silver linings was simply...
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Phi ta Khon Festival – Thailand’s Answer to Halloween
Picture thousands of people dressed up as monsters, roaming the streets of a tiny village in northeastern Thailand. Giant ears, huge hooked noses, and foot-long spiked teeth sprout from their masks....
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The Magnificent Red Lotus Lake in Udon Thani, Thailand
I squinted in the pre-dawn grayness, searching for signs of the tropical pink water lilies that carpet the surface of Nong Han Lake every winter. A few minutes earlier, my friend Anne and I had...
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