Now is the Time to Visit Burma

I’ve wanted to visit Burma for quite some time and was really excited when the political situation finally improved enough to make it ethical to do so. Yes, I do worry about such things. Burma has a pretty bad track record when it comes to human rights violations, but they are improving. When I was …

No Plan Is The Best Plan

I’ve found when traveling that having everything scheduled and worked out in the finest detail simply makes for a poor travel experience. If you have everything planned out then there is no opportunity of the unexpected to happen, which is where most of the excitement from travel come from. Or, if it does happen, you …

Komodo National Park: There Be Dragons Here

One of the most exciting trips I did was visiting Komodo and Rinca islands in Indonesia. They are famous, of course, for the Komodo dragons that live on them.These giant monitor lizards roam around the islands and tend to hang out near the ranger stations (where they smell the food that is cooking). A visit …

A Day Trip to Ayutthaya, Thailand

Not far from Bangkok—about an hour by car—is the former capital of the Kingdom of Siam, the city of Ayutthaya. Now the UNESCO recognized Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya played a major role in Thai history. Ayutthaya was the seat of 5 dynasties and 33 kings, and also was involved in over 70 wars (mostly with the Khmer …

How to Get a Myanmar (Burma) Visa in Bangkok, Thailand

Applying for a Myanmar visa in Bangkok, Thailand is really easy. A simple form is required, two passport size photos, 810 baht, and some time to wait in line is all you need to get your visa. I’ve been in Thailand for a couple weeks now and decided instead of doing a visa run I …

Exploring Southern India: Goa & Kerala

Rajasthan in Northern India was a really awesome experience. I saw more in one month in one country than I see on multiple visits to several countries. Of course, Rajasthan is just one small slice of India, so for the last couple weeks I made my way South to Mumbai (Bombay) and then on to Goa …

Desecrating Holy Sites in India

India has many holy places. I visited two of them. Pushkar, with its 52 ghats surrounding the holy waters of the lake in the center of the city, and Varanasi, with its hundreds of ghats lining the Ganges River. You are definitely not supposed to take photos of people praying at the ghats, and most …

Rajasthan in Technicolor

Rajasthan is one of the most traveled areas of India, and with good reason. There are several beautiful and unique cities throughout Rajasthan. While the Taj Mahal is actually in the state of Uttar Predesh next to Rajasthan, and makes up one of the points of the Golden Triangle, the rest of the beauty is …

Where’s the India I Was Warned About?

When I told people I was going to India, I received a lot of advice (which I actively solicited). I was also warned to prepare myself for India. India is filthy, India is a mess, and India is difficult to navigate. Exactly the opposite has occurred on my travels through India. I’ve been in India …