Making the Most of your JR East Pass
For those who have been, or even planned to visit Japan I’m sure you’ve heard of the Japan Rail Pass. For those of you who are thinking of visiting Japan but haven’t yet heard of this cost-effective, money-saving travel tool, this post is for you. We’ve just returned from Japan, and wanted to share our experience […]
Don’t Skip: Nagasaki, Japan
Intro to Nagasaki Fishing village to busy port Modern visitors to Nagasaki may not realize there’s a lot more to the city’s history than its sad title as one of the places an atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. Nagasaki was once a sleepy fishing village. When the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, they […]
Don’t Skip: Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
Intro to Labuan Bajo Labuan Bajo lies on the westernmost coast of the island of Flores in Indonesia. Known best for its proximity to Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo does see a fair number of tourists. At heart, it’s still a small fishing village, but the tourism industry is growing fast, and there is a wide […]
Literacy Program in Laos: Big Brother Mouse
Big Brother Mouse Literacy Program A highlight of our visit to Luang Prabang was volunteering at The Big Brother Mouse literacy program headquarters. The project, which began in 2006, is Lao-owned and operated, and based in Luang Prabang. Big Brother Mouse publishes books in the Lao language (as well as in Lao/English), an important contribution, as there […]
Getting Sick: Rural Cambodia vs. Bangkok
Getting Sick on the Road For most of us, getting sick while traveling is pretty high on the list of fears. It’s no fun to be ill no matter where you are, but being away from home in an unfamiliar setting and in many cases without access to services in your native language can be […]
Don’t Skip: Qingdao, China
Intro to Qingdao We visited Qingdao quite unintentionally, but it turned out to be a great stop. Located at the southern tip of the Shandong peninsula, this charming port city has a different feel than any other place we visited in China. From 1897 to 1914, Germany administered Qingdao as a concession, and made a […]
Longsheng Rice Terraces
Longsheng Rice Terraces Hands-down, our favorite part of our visit to Guilin was a day-trip several hours away to the Longsheng Rice Terraces. We shared transportation with four others from the hostel: a recent high-school grad from Peru studying in China, whose father is Chinese, a guy from Slovakia, and a couple from Holland, the […]
Surviving the Overnight Hard Seat: Xi’an to Pingyao
Xi’an to Pingyao Vowing to never again settle for a “hard seat” on an overnight train (especially the lowest grade, like the one we experienced), we arrived in Pingyao from Xi’an. We had said to ourselves, “How bad could it be?” The reality was pretty terrible. We had seat numbers, which was a good start, […]
Don’t Skip: Jeju Island, South Korea
Intro to Jeju Island Jeju is marketed as the “honeymoon island,” popular with couples who take the opportunity to visit Love Land and the Museum of Sex after their walks on the beach. Get past the tourist promotion though, and volcanic, subtropical, Jeju will surely reward you with its unique history, culture and charm. Jeju is best known […]
Travel Budget Laos: Counting Kip
Travel Budget Laos Although our time there was much shorter than we wanted, Laos left a lasting impression on us both and a thirst to return. When asked about our favorite destinations, Laos always makes the list. This landlocked land has faced more than its share of turmoil, but visitors today will find a peaceful […]