ASIA
cambodia
Angkor Wat – A Millennium of Wonder
One morning, before sunrise, we arrived in Beng Mealea, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Siem Reap, Cambodia and in the Angkor Archaeological Park. As we
india
Kumbh Mela – The World’s Largest Religious Event
Introduction I finally made it to the Kumbh Mela where I… …observed thousands of Hindu pilgrims bathing in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges,
Mumbai – City of Dreams
Introduction Even though I have visited India several times, this was my first trip to Mumbai. I knew it was the target of a deadly
Northern India – Traditional Countryside and Overwhelming Cities
Overview India is incredibly interesting with a Babel of tongues, every color-shade and style of clothing, melodramatic Bollywood entertainment, a wide range of climatic
laos
Luang Prabang – The Jewel of Laos
We are sitting in a French restaurant in a quiet locale enjoying a three-course meal with sumptuous wine. Outside, we hear chants from a centuries-old
maldives
Maldives – Indian Ocean Paradise
Introduction We finally made it to the Maldives from Sri Lanka. From the Velana International Airport, we flew over many of the country’s islands. We
myanmar
Myanmar – Part 8 – Bagan
Bagan is an incredible archaeological site, in the class of the Giza Pyramids, Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, but is not nearly as well known.
Myanmar – Part 7 – Mandalay
Overview Since I was child, I thought of Mandalay as an exotic city, even though I did not know anything about it. Before I finally
Myanmar – Part 6 – Train & Road to Mandalay Through Pyin Oo Lwin
Overview In our collective consciousness, there is an awareness of the “road to Mandalay”. Those who kept awake during the poetry section of English literature,
Myanmar – Part 5 – Trekking By Hsipaw
Overview During a day of walking around Hispaw (pronounced See-Paw), we stopped to take a quick video where I speculated what our trek in the
Myanmar – Part 4 – Hsipaw
Overview Our next stop was Hsipaw (the pronunciation we used was See-Paw), a charming and laid-back town in the hills of the Shan State. Except
Myanmar – Part 3 – Inle Lake
Overview Inle Lake is one of the two major tourist attractions in Myanmar (the other is Bagan) and it’s the second largest lake in Myanmar
Myanmar – Part 2 – Trekking to Inle Lake
Overview Inle Lake is a super interesting location to visit in Myanmar, which I will describe in Part 3 of these Myanmar posts. Most people
Myanmar – Part 1 – Overview & Yangon
Is This the Time to Visit? Myanmar is a nation with a deeply-rooted Buddhist culture with many impressive temples, pagodas, stupas, statues and monasteries and
NEPAL
Nepal – Venerable Cities and Towering Mountains
Overview The number one thing most people associate with Nepal is Mount Everest and other massive mountains. In fact, eight of the highest mountains in
SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka – Part 4 – Colombo
Introduction We were impressed by several interesting memorials and temples we saw in Colombo, including this lion statue in front of a stupa… …the Red
Sri Lanka – Part 3 – Jaffna Peninsula
Introduction We entered Jaffna not knowing what to expect. We found the central food market was lively despite decades of civil war… …the people
Sri Lanka – Part 2 – Cultural Triangle
Introduction We explored the Cultural Triangle, the center of Sri Lanka history, where we saw Buddhist statues and wall paintings in Dambulla Cave… …the
Sri Lanka – Part 1 – Tea Country & Gal Oya National Park
Introduction I knew a little about different ethnic groups living in Sri Lanka, including the Sinhalese, who are mostly Buddhist… …and the Tamils who
VIETNAM
Vietnam – Part 4 – Hanoi
Introduction Hanoi is one of my favorite cities in the world. As with the rest of Vietnam, it is young and beaming with energy, optimism
Vietnam – Part 3 – Bai Tu Long Bay
Introduction I can’t remember how and when in my childhood when I associated strange, hump hills with Vietnam. However it impregnated my brain, this iconic
Vietnam – Part 2 – Ba Be National Park
Introduction We were slowly sailing by karst peaks on the Nang River. We occasionally saw someone walk through the dense forest. We passed through a
Vietnam – Part 1 – Sapa
Introduction As we walked in the chilly air down a steep mountain path, we saw a panorama of formidable mountains with serpentine rice terraces. Our
