Famous for its great food, laid-back atmosphere, and stunning Mekong views, we’d been meaning to visit Chiang Khan for years. The problem had always been finding an opportunity. It’s not especially close to anything, making it hard to plan a visit. Our chance finally came during a two-week road trip through Isan. After making our
Chiang Khan: Thailand’s Most Charming Mekong Riverside Town Read More »
Escaping the Monsoon When planning a Southeast Asia getaway during August, finding a location that escapes heavy monsoon rains can be a challenge. While much of the region experiences frequent downpours this time of year, Kuching, Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of Borneo is supposed to offer drier weather, so we decided to give it
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Bangkok to Perth Our main goal in heading out to Western Australia was to catch up with family, but always wanting to explore, we also took the chance to sneak away for an overnight trip north of the city. We rented a car right on arrival at Perth Airport (we chose Europcar, but there are
No Baggage Allowed I’d advocated for bringing carry-on luggage only from the beginning. I hate waiting at baggage carousels, dread losing a bag or missing a connection, but my real motive was far simpler: I wanted to manage as few items as possible. Looking after three young children on the road was going to be
Somewhere along the Andaman coast, we did something that I would once have thought completely crazy: we left our wallets, car keys, and phones right on a shirt on the open beach, and casually disappeared into the waves for two hours. It didn’t even cross our minds to worry. Now, you could argue we’d been
While the Thai lowlands swelter in stifling heat, cool winds carry mist across alpine meadows studded with wildflowers and long-trunked pines. Phu Soi Dao is not at all the kind of destination most people associate with Thailand, but ever since I’d read a feature about it in a local newspaper, we’d been planning a trip
Phu Soi Dao: Guide to Thailand’s Stunning Alpine Wilderness Read More »
Walking Away It felt like a crisis. Government policy had shifted, pushing us past an ethical boundary we refused to cross. Staying in our jobs was no longer an option. Yet looking back, I’m strangely grateful for that push. It stripped away the status quo and forced us to radically reevaluate our lives. With the
A narrow, 300-kilometer province whose mountains divide the Isan Plateau from the rest of Thailand, Phetchabun is the definition of a borderland. Reaching it requires at least a four-hour drive from any of Thailand’s major cities, but its isolation makes it all the more worth visiting. Jump Ahead We were heading north to Loei and
Phetchabun: Discovering Thailand’s Forgotten Borderland Read More »
With striking shapes and colors perfect for filmmakers and Instagram feeds, the mangrove estuaries and limestone karst islands of Phang Nga Bay have become an essential stop on almost every Southern Thailand itinerary. With that popularity comes crowds, however, so while you’ll likely be sharing the experience with a lot of other people, it’s still
How to See Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island (Without the Crowds) Read More »
The usual approach in travel writing is to claim you’ve uncovered some secret place that you’re now sharing with the world for the first time. This time, I’m the outsider. Jump Ahead In our first two years in Thailand, we treated Rayong as an easy weekend getaway when we didn’t have the time or energy