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Taryn Linton
I will be embarking on a four month journey in SouthEast Asia. I will be starting in October for a month in Nepal. There I will be volunteering in a local hospital. For the following three months I will be travelling throughout Northern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Southern Thailand, Malaysia and finally Singapore.Taryns World
Travel Blog Posts
February 12th 2008
After my addiction to scuba diving started in Thailand, I couldn't help but be enticed to go do some diving in Borneo. Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the center of Southeast Asia. This island is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Borneo is very rich in biodiversity compared to many other areas. There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees, 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds. It is also the center of evolution of various species of plants and animals. The remaining Borneo rainforest is the only natural habitat for the endangered Bornean Orangutan. The island historically had extensive rainforest cover, but the area shrank rapidly due to heavy logging for the needs of the Malaysian plywood industry. ... read more
December 24th 2007
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state. A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, replacing the 1975 version. The central role of the Communist Party was reasserted in all areas of government, politics and society. Although the state remains officially committed to socialism as its defining creed, the ideology's importance has substantially diminished since the 1990s. The President of Vietnam is the titular head of state and the nominal commander in chief of the military of Vietnam, chairing the Council on National Defense and Security. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies, according to government figures. The Vietnam War destroyed much of the economy of Vietnam. Upon taking power, the Government created ... read more
December 5th 2007
Although I'm very glad to have visited Cambodia, it was the hardest country to visit by far. Cambodia has a population of over 13 million people, with Phnom Penh being its capital. Cambodia is the successor state of the once powerful Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indochinese Peninsula between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small number of hill tribes. Until the 15th century, the Khmer Empire was a powerful civilization who's center of power was Angkor. Here, a series of capitals were constructed during the empire's zenith. Angkor Wat, the most famous and best-preserved religious temple at the site, was built between 802 and ... read more
December 1st 2007
As my guidebook rightfully states, Laos is Southeast Asia's most relaxing country to travel in. In the north, rugged terrain of emerald mountains and beautiful limestone peaks are criss-crossed with rivers. And the south is flat with a vast variety of palm trees. Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma (Myanmar), Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. After a period as a French protectorate, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 but the fighting between factions continued for several years. The Lao government quickly recognised the shortcomings of ... read more
November 25th 2007
From Bangkok, I took an overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is among some of the highest mountains in the country and stands on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river. Travellers usually make their way up here for the variety of outdoor activites the city has to offer. You can rock climb on beautiful limestone cliffs, go trekking to nearby hilltribe villages, take some courses in Thai cooking, Thai massage, and/or Thai boxing (Muay Thai), or just hang out and enjoy the amazing night market along the Ping River. As if I didn't see enough temples in Nepal and Bangkok, it was time for more in Chiang Mai. This city has more than 300 temples, which is ... read more
November 17th 2007
Bangkok, a population of 12 million and growing. Where there is a fascinating mix of ancient temples, soaring skyscrapers, ultra cool cafes and restaurants surrounded by simple street stalls. It was actually a culture shock for me to come back to pave roads and neon signs after being in Nepal for six weeks, but also a bit refreshing. A little history of Bangkok. The capital of Thailand was established at Bangkok in 1782. But the nickname, Bangkok, was given by foreigners and refers to a small village within a larger blast. The Thais call their capital "Krung Thep", or City of Angles. This city is heavily devoted to their king, Bhumibol Adulyadej. His name means "Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power". Having reigned since June 9, 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state ... read more
November 12th 2007
I spent my last weekend in Nepal at Royal Chitwan National Park. This is at the Indian border and is a complete contrast from the Tibetan border. It is really warm and there are banana trees everywhere. The best part was sharing the streets with elephants. The elephants are the main mode of transportation here and are very tame and docile. We were able to ride them through the jungle and bath with them. On our ride in the jungle, we spotted four one-horned rhinos which are rare to see. We got within a few feet of them while safely riding the elephants. Next, we were taken on a canoe ride where we saw crockerdiles and some local birds. Afterwards, we went on a jungle tour and spotted some white monkeys and a variety of interesting ... read more
November 5th 2007
It all started with our flight into Lukla. I feel I had the best group to do this trek with. We are all volunteers but from different countries. Ilsa and Kyra are from Holland, Helen is from England, Brandon is from Canada, and of course me. This was a very interesting topic when we met other groups of trekkers. They all loved our little international group and the fact that we were volunteers. Upon arrival to the airport, we were informed our flight had been delayed for a few hours due to the overcast. I couldn't understand why the clouds would matter so much until I saw our plane. It was tiny, shaky-looking 14 passenger plane. When I saw it, and heard it, I wanted to cry. I couldn't believe I had to fly in this ... read more
October 11th 2007
After 2 weeks of the smog and noise in Kathmandu, I decided it was time to venture out of all the chaos. There is really only so much you can take of the dirt, crowds, beggers, horns and traffic. My first adventure was to The Kopan Monastery. I trekked along a hill side mountain bike path for about 2 hours. I was pleasantly surprised to find such lush pine forests and an abbundance of rice fields just a short distance outside Kathmandu. Along the way I passed many local Nepalese people. They were doing their daily activites, such as harvesting and beating rice, washing clothes and dishes in large metal bowls outside at the faucet, and showering outside at the communal "shower". It's amazing how many children stay at home and help around the house doing ... read more
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