November 25-27, 2015 Everyone recognizes the incredibly picturesque karsts of Halong Bay... those limestone peaks that jut skyward from the water creating a landscape unlike any other... and like the millions of other tourists, I wanted in on that beauty. But my aversion toward crowds led me to do some research, and upon careful consideration … Continue reading Deep in the Flow – Tam Coc, Vietnam
November 22-24, 2015 As is my prevailing penchant, I wanted to venture far off the beaten path for some of my time in northern Vietnam, and so hired a guide for three days to travel north from Hanoi through the mountainous region of Ba Be Lake and Cao Bang, going as far as the border of … Continue reading Chillin Near China – Northern Vietnam
November 10-12, 2015 The 24 hours preceding our arrival on Phu Quoc Island was about as draining as travel can be... an 11 hour, mostly sleepless, overnight bus ride followed by three consecutive flights across three different countries. The salt on this exhausting travel wound was the final ride from the airport, the last half … Continue reading Island Life – Phu Quoc, Vietnam
October 3-4, 2015 Kalaw is a small Burmese town in the northeast state of Shan, Myanmar. At the moment it is still pretty under the radar as far as tourism goes, however its proximity to Inle Lake (about an hour and a half drive) which is an increasingly popular resort location, is what puts Kalaw … Continue reading Quaint Kalaw – Myanmar
October 31 - November 2, 2015 First let me just say, after a month alone in India, I'm terribly happy to have some company for the next three weeks. Lochan and I meet at the Bangkok airport and take the quick flight into Yangon together, and driving out of the Yangon airport and into the … Continue reading You Had Me at Hello – Yangon, Myanmar
October 28-30, 2015 Getting to this antiquated hill station is no easy task. Having been in India for over 3 weeks now, I fully understand the traffic (total insanity) and the roads (completely unmaintained) but did not anticipate these two factors hosting a 2-way thoroughfare on a single-lane road going up the side of a … Continue reading Darjeeling, More than Tea – India
October 26 & 27, 2015 Early morning, before all the street vendors have set up, I walk through the quiet village on my way to breakfast, pausing to sit on one of the stairwells leading down to the river, smelling the subtle incense that permeates the air. At this hour, the river is a surprising … Continue reading Namaste, My Friend – Rishikesh Part 2 – India
October 24 & 25, 2015 Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and built along either side of the sacred Ganges river near its source, Rishikesh has a beautiful intensity that is entirely unlike every other place I've been so far. While still densely populated, the chaos is severely dialed down, letting the natural beauty … Continue reading Om Namaha Shiva – Rishikesh Part 1 – India
October 22-24, 2015 My very first impression of this Capitol city is - it's so clean! And green! And there are road signs! Yes, there are still a ton of people and the traffic is still insane by US standards, but it's notably less chaotic than Mumbai... and thank god for that. I arrived in … Continue reading Two Days in Delhi
October 18-21, 2015 I will admit, I've been a little stressed since I arrived in India. Bombay was super intense and although I absolutely loved my time at the caves in Aurangabad, the logistics of traveling from place to place has been difficult. And of course there was my time at Vipassana.... wonderfully transformative, but … Continue reading Gorgeous Goa (and getting there.)
The Wanderlusting Files 