My first and only trip to Guatemala was back in 2007, yet it stays in my memory as one of the most interesting ones I’ve taken, even now. I remember I got some free time fairly unexpectedly and was wondering where to go. Guatemala wasn’t on my radar initially, but my girlfriend at the time…
The Story of a Photo – Mingalaba (Myanmar)
I visited Myanmar well before its recent tourist boom – in 2008, to be exact. Only a trickle of foreigners were to be seen in the then capital of Yangon, and apart from the already touristy Inle Lake, Mandalay and Bagan, the rest of the country was either devoid of visitors or actually closed to…
My Top Ten Southeast Asian Sites
Now that the world is slowly starting to open up for traveling again, I would like to resume writing posts on some of my top-ranked places around the world, and what better place to start than Southeast Asia, one of my favourite regions of the world. Here is the list, in the 10 to 1…
My Thoughts on Elephant Riding
Recently, I had a chance to spend an hour riding an elephant in a village near Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand. Some of you progressively-minded readers might gasp in horror – how irresponsible of me. Don’t I know how awful it is for the animals’ spines and how badly these elephants are treated in the…
How I Spent My Quarantine?
As the world is enveloped by the Covid-19 pandemic, most of us are probably stuck at home under a quarantine, #stayhome or Shelter-in-place order or recommendation. Basically, the life as we know it has been severely disrupted. I found myself in the coastal city of Nha Trang, Vietnam around the middle of March and decided…
The Story of a Photo – Titian (China)
My trip to the Chinese province of Yunnan deserves its own post, which is forthcoming. But the main reason I wanted to visit it was the Yuanyang rice terraces, a UNESCO listed site, known locally as “titian”. Getting there wasn’t easy, but when I finally arrived, I realized I’m up for a big disappointment: the…
Thailand – 15 years later
RECENTLY, I returned from a month-long trip to Thailand. You might think, big deal, and for the most part, you’d be right. Thailand is the most visited Asian country after China, and Bangkok remains the world’s number one most visited city – that is, it’s ahead of Paris, London, New York and Tokyo among others….
Yes, I am Concerned About the Coronavirus!
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my thoughts on the (still beginning) coronavirus pandemic and its travel-related implications. At that time, I’ll admit, they were somewhat nonchalant. Boy, has the situation changed since then. The world is in full-blown scare. Tens of thousands of people are being infected far outside of China, the initial…
Destination: Northeast India (part 2)
In part 1 of this destination guide, I wrote about the Northeast Indian states of Sikkim, Meghalaya, the region of Darjeeling and the general logistics and reasons for visiting of the Northeast. This post describes the remaining states of his fascinating part of India. Assam By far the biggest state of the Northeast by area…
The Story of a Photo – Picking at the Sun (Philippines)
In travelling, and in travel photography, sometimes you encounter those “perfect” moments of light, place and atmosphere. You know, when everything kind of just feels perfectly balanced, perfectly calm, and all set for some good pictures. I felt exactly like that when I, completely by accident, “discovered” Barangay Seawall, the waterfront neighbourhood in the city…