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 »
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 »