Chiang Mai, Thailand, has loads of interesting things to experience, above and beyond merely enjoying th city. Here are a few exciting options: We’ve always thought those nifty ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) looked like heaps of fun, and finally had it confirmed one day in the Mojave Desert’s Dumont Dunes area. In Thailand, you can experience […]
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Touring Thailand by train from Bangkok
Virtually all trains leave from Bangkok’s centrally located Hualamphong railway station. A few southern routes and commuter lines also originate at the Bangkok Noi/Thonburi station, which has a dock on the western side of the Chao Phraya River at the Tha Rot Fai pier). The Wong Wian Yai station, located off Thaksin Road in Thonburi, […]
Read the rest of this entry »Touring Thailand by bus from Bangkok
Eventually, you’ll be heading off to a destination that will require bus travel, either because your airline doesn’t fly there, or you don’t want to rent a car. Buses, especially the overnight VIP-type, are comfortable and air-conditioned. There are three major bus stations in Bangkok. Here’s a quick user’s guide: Ekkamai Station: For points southeast […]
Read the rest of this entry »Low cost air travel in Thailand
These are exciting times for visitors electing to travel by air within Thailand, as three low-cost airlines are vying for low-cost domestic fares, flying out of Don Muang airport, and offering fares to destinations such as Chiang Mai for as little as 500 baht ($13 USD). While offering lower prices than traditional carriers such as […]
Read the rest of this entry »Malang, gateway city to East Java, Indonesia
The pretty Dutch colonial city of Malang is a great place to spend a couple of days, with good restaurants, nice hotels, interesting things to see in the city, and a good city from which to book tours to nearby temples and the extraordinary volcanic region of Gunung Bromo. Malang Top 4 1) We found the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Kawah Ijen sulphur haulers in Java, Indonesia: the world’s worst job?
The trek up the Kawah Ijen volcano, then down to the fiery natural sulphur furnace near the famed turquoise lake is one of the most interesting treks in Java. It’s roughly 2km up to the crater’s edge, then perhaps another 1 km down the steep interior to the beds of raging sulphur fountains, where workers […]
Read the rest of this entry »Meraki volacano lahar buries village of Kaliadem
Gunung Meraki, 30 km north of Jogjakarta, remains Java’s most active volcano. The destructive force of Meraki includes a series of lahars, one of which, in 2006, raced down the bebeng River and buried the town of Kaliadem. Today, a visit to Kalidem is interesting, both for the half-buried remains of the town, as well […]
Read the rest of this entry »Mt. Pinatubo lahar’s path to destruction
In June of 1991, Mt. Pinatubo on the Philippine island of Luzon blew its stack, sending up a giant plume of ash 25 miles high. Most of the destruction in human terms, however, came with a typhoon, in which a deadly mixture of water and ash caused massive lahars to wash over a huge amount […]
Read the rest of this entry »The rice terraces of Malecong, near Bontoc, Philippines
Perhaps the most-visited ancient rice terraces in northern Luzon are those near the city of Banaue, but few would disagree that having this bucolic setting pretty much to oneself makes the experience more personal. The terraces of Malecong are 30 km north of Banaue, 7 km north of the city of Bontoc up a winding […]
Read the rest of this entry »Tough Bessang Pass provides real challenges in traveling to the Bontoc-Banaue-Sagada area from Vigan
The lack of proper driving maps for northern Luzon, Philippines is one of several challenges in driving the island. Still, there’s much to see in the north, from the colonial architecture at Vigan to the spectacular rice terraces in the Bontoc and Banaue areas. This post will help you to avoid a tough road situation […]
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