Note: The actual sunrise was covered in part 1 of this story. In case you missed it, you can view it here. Leaving Angkor Wat, we had four temples remaining on our must see list. At Kimseng’s suggestion, we made a short fifth stop along the way at East Mebon, constructed in the 10th century and […]
After several days of working inward from the most outlying areas of the Khmer Empire, it was time to experience sunrise at Angkor Wat itself. Why not? I tried to not have expectations. “It will be crowded.” “We have to get there really early to have a chance.” “Many people who go end up […]
Angkor Thom is a large city of 9 km² within the enormous Angkor Archaeological Park which stretches over some 400 square kilometers. These numbers alone should give you an insight into the “temple burnout” of which many tourists complain after two or three days of trying to cram it all in (an impossible task). After a […]
Angkor Wat is a destination where a little research beforehand will greatly serve you. I have been wanting to come here for a few years, and yes, I did a lot of research! This series will hopefully make your time more enjoyable. I planned on staying one week in Siem Reap. We loved our guesthouse […]
We were in Singapore during Chinese New Year. But there was much to see in this vibrant city besides the colorful larger than life silk screen figures. Here were a few of our highlights including a couple suggestions that we just did not have the time to see during our three days: Our great room at […]
We spend almost a month in Laos, officially named Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR). We loved our time there and spend most if it in the mountainous and slightly cooler north. I put together a tentative itinerary not long before we left Thailand. As usual, it changed frequently as we learned and adapted to suit our […]
A UNESCO Failure an editorial Here are some of the alternate titles I considered for this post: Racism Rears its Ugly Head in Cambodia (racism is always ugly). UNESCO: You really fucked this one up. World Heritage Site in a Border Dispute Whenever I research visiting a new country or region, one of the […]
Northern Lao, where countries collide like tectonic plates culturally subducting with names like Akha, Hmong, Yunan, Kamu, Shan, Burmese, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Mon, Kmer and Zou. After arriving in Houay Xai, we decided to stay the night at Daauw Home. I wanted to stay here because all profits go to their Woman Empowerment Activities for the […]
Morning mist shrouds the Mekong as we depart Luang Prabang, commencing a two day boat trip to Houey Xai (pronounced “way-say”). We decided not to go on the $30 public boat. They often put more than 100 people on it. I hear the engine noise is deafening if you are unfortunate enough to be in […]
For our second full day (Tuesday) in Luang Prabang, we visited Kuang Xi Falls. This is accomplished by a 30 minute yuk tuk ride (some do it on scooters and bicycles) through lovely green countryside steadily climbing the hills. 20,000 kip gets you into the park, about US$2.50. From there paths lead past a bear rescue […]