If you’re looking to see wildlife near Bangkok, most people will send you north to Khao Yai. With wild elephants, troops of gibbons, and birds of all kinds, it’s not a bad choice. The problem is that everyone else is making the exact same choice. For amazing animal encounters without the crowds, head south to Phetchaburi. The drive […]
Why Phetchaburi is Thailand’s Best Kept Wildlife Secret Read More »
Planning a trip to Vang Vieng, Laos? Discover blue lagoons, the Nam Xay viewpoint, travel tips, and what to expect—plus one unforgettable hike. Jump Ahead Vang Vieng doesn’t make a great first impression. The town feels a bit cobbled together: low-slung guesthouses and dilapidated storefronts with faded signs advertising the same tubing and lagoon excursions.
Vang Vieng: Limestone Peaks, Blue Lagoons, and One Very Bad Hike 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
They could smell blood before Kat had even taken her seat at the collapsible card table. The women gathered around, producing tiny plastic bags filled with glinting rubies, spinels, emeralds, and sapphires, sliding a few choice stones across the table for Kat to inspect. They waited for her to name a price. For dealers at Chanthaburi’s
Family Guide to Chanthaburi: Rubies, Red Ribbons, and Holy Footprints Read More »
Only a twenty-minute longtail ride from Thailand’s Andaman coast lies a quiet island of golden-sand beaches, sleepy fishing villages, and rock pools brimming with life. Here, in Koh Libong’s shallow seas, you have your best chance of encountering Thailand’s last remaining dugongs as they placidly graze in meadows of seagrass. Despite these attractions, Koh Libong
Koh Libong: The Best Thai Island for Families (That You’ve Never Heard Of) Read More »
As lovely as Phuket and Krabi are, the true magic of Thailand’s Andaman coast lies offshore. The Trang Islands — Ngai, Kradan, and Mook — along with nearby Koh Libong, offer better beaches and smaller crowds. Even if we were looking for a livelier scene, I’d take Koh Lipe over the coast any day. The
Why Koh Bulon Lae is the Andaman’s Best-Kept Secret Read More »
Just joining us? Check out our visit to Thailand’s other great Khmer ruins at Phanom Rung and Prasat Muang Tam. At the end of the ancient royal road that ran north from the imperial capital near Angkor Wat are the stunning ruins of Prasat Phimai. Few places in Thailand so clearly showcase the interplay between
Phimai and the Stunning Ancient Khmer Temples of Korat Read More »
The borderlands between Thailand and Cambodia are homes to many dozens of archeological sites. The recent unfortunate hostilities between the two countries are often described in terms of the capture and recapture of temple-topped hills. Further from the border, and, at the time of writing, well away from the fighting, are two of the finest
Demons on the Volcano: A Family Journey to Phanom Rung Read More »
This post is the first in a four-part series exploring the Angkor Empire Loop. We’re traveling through Thailand’s Isan region to uncover ancient temples that reflect the glory of Angkor Wat—minus the crowds. Follow along as we journey from the butterfly-filled forests of Pang Sida to Phanom Rung, the temple crowning an extinct volcano in Buriram. I lived in
Finding Pang Sida’s Butterflies on the Road to Isan Read More »
Koh Ngai, Koh Muk, or Koh Kradan: If you can pick only one, which should it be? Just a short longtail boat ride from the coast of Trang lies a chain of islands that checks every box of the ideal Thai escape: white sands, turquoise waters, and deep green jungle. The three most famous—Koh Ngai,
Trang Islands Triage: Which One Is Best for Families? Read More »