• Thailand

    Bangkok

    June 26, 2014 - By 

    Everyone hears a lot about Bangkok. You never stop hearing about it, and I absolutely could not wait to romp around one of the world’s most famous cities. With our flexible schedule we were able to squeeze in an entire week in this infamous capital city, and I must say Bangkok exceeds my expectations. Although I live in San Francisco, one of the most liberal cities in the U.S., I still needed time to adjust to the most sexually liberal place in the world. Lady boys are everywhere, and I don’t mean scantily clad lady boy hookers waiting outside bars. Most lady boys I saw were…

  • Thailand

    Ko Tao – Scuba Heaven

    June 21, 2014 - By 

    There is nothing Thai about Ko Tao, the tiny 21 km² island in the Gulf of Thailand. The main road runs about 5 km long and hugs Sairee Beach, the longest beach on the island that runs a short 1.7 kilometers. You basically go to Ko Tao for the following reasons: 1. Scuba dive. 2. Hang out on the beach. 3. Drink, party, and/or pub crawl with the Brits and Aussies at any of the numerous bars. During our first night we enjoyed drinks at a beach bar and watched in awe at the local fire dancers. Our favorite show involved a young Thai man…

  • Thailand

    Ko Phangan and the Full Moon Party

    June 15, 2014 - By 

    The other reason why we hastily left Cambodia was because we planned on attending Thailand’s world famous Full Moon Party. While we were in Siem Reap, Chris looked up the full moon party dates. June 12th marked the next party, which was only 7 days away from the time we started our research. “How far is it from Bangkok?” I asked. “Um….it’s on an island,” Chris replied. After our bike tour to Beng Melea on Sunday, we loaded onto a large bus Monday morning (from a reputable tour company) and made our way to Bangkok without any issues, thankfully unlike our…

  • Cambodia

    Angkor

    June 10, 2014 - By 

    People only come to Siem Reap for one reason: the wats, known as the Angkor Archeological Complex. Tickets are expensive by SE Asian standards—a 1-day pass is $20, a 3-day pass is $40, and a 7-day pass is $70. We opted for the 3-day pass. We came during the low season, which has its pros and cons. The low season entails a fraction of the crowd typically swarming the temples during the high season, making it less likely to see or start a tourist brawl.  However the low season takes place during the miserably hot and dry months from March-May…

  • Cambodia

    Scambodia

    June 8, 2014 - By 

    There is no pleasant way to cross the border by land into Cambodia. I’ve heard and read so many bad stories of scams, so I figured purchasing slightly more expensive bus tickets from a Western-run business would guarantee a smooth journey. Nope. Here is the letter I wrote below to that company: Hello, A couple of friends and I purchased VIP minivan bus tickets from Adam’s Bar in Don Det to Siem Reap. We were told that the price was a bit higher ($40) because there would be WIFI and only 10 passengers per van, making it a more pleasurable journey. Unfortunately,…

  • Cambodia

    Poor Mr. Jefferson

    June 6, 2014 - By 

    Funny fact: In Cambodia the US Dollar reigns. Just the paper kind, though; in place of coins they use Cambodian Riel ($0.25 = 1,000 Riel). Jean received a $2 bill as change at a restaurant yesterday. Today I tried to spend it at another restaurant but was refused. They knew it was real, but they didn’t want to try and explain that to the next recipient. Poor Thomas Jefferson. No one wants you. Except in Vietnam. Apparently the $2 bill is trendy to keep in your wallet there.

  • Laos

    Southern Laos (Don Det)

    June 5, 2014 - By 

    The Mighty Mekong stretches widely at the southern border between Laos and Cambodia, harboring hundreds (maybe thousands?) of little islands. The entire area is called Si Phan Don, or 4,000 Islands. Whether or not there really are four thousand islands, there are definitely plenty of uninhabited bodies of land and shrubs, ranging from large rocks to small villages. Don Det is the most popular island frequented by backpackers and the only way to get there is by a tipsy boat from the tiny town of Nakasang. The islands surrounding Don Det and the land mass to the east all belong to Laos,…

  • Laos

    Southern Laos (The Bolaven Plateau)

    June 4, 2014 - By 

    Maps in Southeast Asia are only useful for travelers since the majority of locals cannot even read a map. Their sense of direction depends on memory and landmarks; the concept of cardinal points is nonexistent. Fortunately, motorbike rental companies provide hand-written maps for their customers. I grabbed an extra map for Eric, and we depended on this route and major attractions for the next few days ahead.    Day 1 (May 28): Pakse to Tad Lo Eric and Dina had to renew their Lao visas for an expedited fee since their visas had expired, so we had a slightly late start to…

  • Laos

    Southern Laos (Pakse)

    June 3, 2014 - By 

    Prior to arriving in Pakse in Champasak province, I knew nothing about it. All I knew was that it was the gateway to the Laos-Cambodia border, and that we were going to stop by Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) smack center in the Mekong for some hammock time. By late afternoon I read about Wat Phou, Saphai village, and the Bolaven Plateau. Chris and I decided that we could not leave Laos without exploring the Bolaven Plateau, but properly exploring it would require anywhere from 3 to 10 days. We decided to do it in 4 days, 3 nights. Since…