Spectacular safari in northern Tanzania Wide open plains, fields of wildflowers, and beautiful vistas abound in the Serengeti. In addition to seeing diverse wildlife and lots of wildebeests, we also hiked and learned about the Massai culture. Our first stop in Africa was Tanzania for a four-day safari in a remote area [...]
Rest and recovery with a little sightseeing On the tail of Michael’s dysentery, we spent six quiet days in Singapore where he had time to recover. But we did get in a little exploration time to see some of the city. We were amazed at what we thought was Michael’s speedy recovery [...]
The challenges of dog over population Economic and cultural factors contribute to dog over population in Thailand’s cities, rural areas, and islands. During our three week visit, we learned a bit about the challenges and people who are making a difference. As a dog-lover and rescue group volunteer, I always notice dogs when I travel. [...]
Magnificent ancient temples, troubled modern history On our 8-day visit to Siem Reap we explored incredible temples, visited interesting museums, found unique local art, and got dysentery. Goodbye Thailand Leaving Koh Phangan was a bit easier than getting there, but it was not without challenges. An early morning departure for the 7:30 [...]
Small island in southeastern Thailand Koh Phangan is not easy to get to, but when we did, we met partiers, expats, ferry scammers, and friendly beach dogs; along with lots of urgent care centers and bandaged tourists. Getting to Koh Phangan We expected the journey to be long, sweaty, and physical – [...]
Thailand's second largest city Check out temples, museums, galleries, shopping, yummy food and snacks at the Night Bazaar, and great nightlife in this vibrant northern Thailand city. Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, but it is a lot smaller and less hectic than Bangkok. The typical way to get [...]
Golden Triangle in northern Thailand In the Golden Triangle, the area where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet, you will find rolling hills, the Mekong River, ancient temples, and elephants. One of the most anticipated destinations was northern Thailand and the elephant camp at Anantara. The Golden Triangle area is located at Thai [...]
What's it like to meet an elephant? Two days of hands-on activities with Asian elephants at Anantara Golden Triangle. We rode, fed, and swam with the elephants, and learned from mahouts and a vet. Asian Elephant Conservation In Thailand, many elephants and their mahouts used to work in the logging industry. But in 1989, due [...]
Bangkok is a city of contrasts . . . Sleek high rises, modern malls with designer shops and food courts, elaborate temples, street shrines, and narrow alleyways with a life of their own. From snowy Seoul to steamy Bangkok; what a change - not just in climate. We ditched the winter coats [...]
Snowy Seoul, South Korea Seoul highlights: Insa Dong, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jogyesa Temple, Korean National Museum, Gangnam Style, National Folk Museum, and bibimbap. When we planned the world trip we tried to arrange it so we would be in each destination when the weather was mild. But it was inevitable that the timing [...]