Elephants are a significant animal in most Southeast Asian countries including India and Sri Lanka - the meaning of the word 'elephant' varies slightly but all comes down to some sort of Good Luck & Good Energy. Sri Lanka has held on to the love of elephants in Traditional & Religious Culture, dating back over 5000 years symbolizing Wisdom, Power & Wealth. It is estimated that Sri Lanka has the highest density of Elephants in Asia. … [Read more...]
The Audacious Promises of Sustainable Tourism
The audacious promises of sustainable tourism The promise that was never lived up to Don’t we all wish we could do more good while having the time of our lives travelling? Years ago, when I was still a student, a big part of my travel memories were filled with little children tugging at my jeans for a donation, the homeless out on the streets or seeing the local people do amazing crafts but only finding out after that they are extremely … [Read more...]
The Growing Irrelevance of Commercialized Mass Tourism
The irrelevance of mass tourism today The early 18-1900s, the age of industrialization, brought the world closer together with the widespread construction of railroads, the first flights and the first automobile. The burgeoning middle class could soon own their own wheels and take their first trains, travelling to places they never could, once accessible only to the mega rich. The age of mass tourism began in earnest. Today, more than 200 … [Read more...]
A Day in the heavenly city of Suzhou
Above there is heaven below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou goes the famous quote, I haven’t been above yet, but they did a great job below. Suzhou is a monument to China’s amazing growth and modernization, the new areas of the city display some of the best city engineering there is, with modern architecture, wide streets and beautiful gardens all around. While the old sections have been preserved and restored to serve as first class tourist & … [Read more...]
How Todays Hipster Makers Travel
The hipster maker culture The maker culture, part tech, part traditional, has been taking the world by storm, at least the hipster spaces. Now you can regularly find $90 courses teaching you wood-working, brass crafting or something similar along those lines. Its cool, definitely, but I always feel a little underwhelmed after participating in these kind of overpriced workshops. You make something really really simple (in the interests of … [Read more...]
The Magic of Arashan, Kyrgyzstan
Arashan is a trek that gets under your skin; it is a four to five hour hike up a rutted and rough dirt road alongside a raging river. From Karokal you can take mini bus number 350 - it is about 30 minutes to the drop off point. Or you can take a taxi for about 350 som. You can certainly hike this yourself in the summer - allow 4-5 hours along a very rocky rough dirt road that follows a quickly flowing river for much of the way until the road … [Read more...]
Bhutan: My Trek in Paro Chhu Valley, Jomolhari and my time in Thimphu
April 6th, SFO–Osaka–Bangkok My flight at 1055 was to Osaka (KIX) with another flight continuing on to Bangkok (BKK). My flight is delayed by one hour. I arrive at the airport at 0955 but the check-in agent needs to see an onward ticket from BKK and does not know where Bhutan is - and has not heard about Druk Air either! It takes 30 min, even though there are few people in the check-in queue while he verifies Thailand entry requirements for … [Read more...]
World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan – A Festival for Wanderers, An Olympics for Nomads
There’s nothing like scrambling to stay out from underhoof as two horseback wrestlers charge into a crowd of journalists to really set a festive tone. With the Winter Olympics having wrapped up in Sochi and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil only a few months gone, one might have assumed that all the best sports-themed travel opportunities were done for 2014. In a quiet corner of Central Asia, however, for the first time ever delegations from across … [Read more...]
Connecting with Locals and Experiencing Village Life in Thailand
When I travel I try to take advantage of meeting locals and seeking out home stay opportunities. Rather than seeing a country from just my own perspective, often times more superficially, staying with locals allows one to see and experience a country through their eyes. I find experiences more rewarding and despite the usual communication barriers I discover they are also intrigued with my perspectives and are curious about my own travels. My … [Read more...]
The Most Mysterious Island Of Asia: Pulau Besar
When you are traveling northward from Singapore there is a high chance that sooner or later you’ll find yourself in a hot and noisy town of Southern Malaysia, Malacca. After a few hours of sightseeing (not extremely interesting in fact) you’ll understand that you are covered with dust and start wondering if there is a clean beach nearby. That’s the moment when a quick Google search will lead you to Pulau Besar. WHAT IS PULAU BESAR? Pulau … [Read more...]
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