I'm being pushed and pulled to the edge, a quick smile for the camera (always!) and then I'm hanging off the side of a plane staring down twelve thousand feet to Lake Taupo (the southern hemisphere's largest crater lake) then before I can really process what is going to happen, Berry, my tandem guide, releases his grip and we flip forward making a few loops before free falling towards the crystal blue water below. The rush of air is deafening as we fall 200km/hour but I'm enjoying the ride down awe struck at the view which ranges from the North Island's [View Full Entry]

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There are some sites that you just can't miss when traveling to a region. In Europe it might be Versailles or the Running of the Bulls. In China, the Great Wall. Or in Egypt the Pyramids. In Southeast Asia the one site that is firmly on every traveler's itinerary is Angkor Wat. Although I'm not sure who makes up the 'official' rankings of World Wonders but this temple complex is undoubtedly on that list. Being that it is a must see locale, getting to Angkor Wat takes a great deal of time, patience and effort. Taking a total of 34 hours [View Full Entry]

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***This entry was written before Angkor Wat but due to 'technical difficulties' was delayed Laung Prabang, the city of 'calming alleyways' held our attention for another day as we had booked a guided tour of some nearby craft villages from Mee, the guy who runs our guesthouse. We had read some very positive reviews left by other travelers in a guestbook and decided that this tour, rather than some of the larger operations, would not be so voyeuristic. Setting off on our bicycles it was only a group of three, myself, Debbie, and Sarah (who we'd met the day before). Heading [View Full Entry]

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I was reading in the guidebook that even as recently as the 1940's, French diplomats who sought out a posting the furthest from Paris often chose Luang Prabang as it took just as long to travel from Saigon to Luang Prabang as it did to take a steamship from Saigon to Paris. A similar feel remains today as it took us just as long to cover 120 miles from the Thai border to Luang Prabang as it would to fly from Bangkok to New York and back again. Luang Prabang is solidly on the travelers' itinerary as the whole city [View Full Entry]

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Awake at 5am Debbie and I managed to drop ourselves out of bed and haul our packs a block down to the pick-up point for our trip to the Thai-Laos border. Although not as tightly packed as the Philippines buses the mini bus to the Thai border town had every seat filled with fellow travelers as we left Chaing Mai. The drive took just over five hours and some of the scenery was worth the cramped quarters. The sun was rising as we passed huge limestone formations jutting out of rice paddies and saw farmers working the fields wearing their [View Full Entry]

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Passing the days until Debbie's arrival was no easy task, I was measured multiple times for my hand tailored clothes, saw a few movies, ate some incredible Thai food and aimlessly wandered the city of Bangkok. Debbie's arrival on Thursday was the most excitement I'd had in a while and when the Airbus touched down 17 hours after leaving JFK I was ready with my huge "Debbie" sign. I was worried that I'd missed her because I saw a large group of white people leave the customs area (turns out they were off the London flight that arrived at the [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in Bangkok about five hours late I was concerned that I might have some difficulty finding my way into town and getting a bed in a guesthouse. What I should have known is that Bangkok is the city that never sleeps, especially for backpackers. The brand new Bangkok International Airport was filled with just as many people as if it had been rush hour and the shuttle buses to the travelers' ghetto of Kao San Road run well into the early hours of the morning. The van dropped me off at the far end of Kao San and I thought [View Full Entry]

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One country, two systems is the title given to the Hong Kong region by the Chinese government. Technically not their own country, China has set them aside with their own passport controls, currency and distinctly different culture since the British handed the territory back in 1997. I arrived in Hong Kong after a great stay in the Philippines. Unfortunately the plane didn't arrive until midnight and not wanting to spend an hour or more trying to find a hostel where I would pay $20 or more for a few nights sleep I camped out in the airport. It was surprisingly comfortable, [View Full Entry]

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Following the trek which ended upon my arrival in Boracay 28 hours after leaving Bantyan I was desperate for some western contact, as I was tired of being the only solo traveler around, and Boracay didn't disappoint. (and the beach wasn't bad either) Had a great room above a dive shop right on Boracay's "world famous" White Beach. The dive shop was very low-keyed and the owners operated a bar and restaurant in addition to their guesthouse and dive center. The beach at Boracay is truly one of the best beaches I've ever seen. Palm trees shade the sandy pedestrian walkway [View Full Entry]

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With a title like that how could you not read?? Well given today's long journey across a seemingly short distance I had plenty of time and material to allow me to get creative with a topic. Instead of lounging away my existence on the island of Bantayan for another interminable day alone I was up with the sun to eat breakfast, again brought hut-side by the smiling sisters of sugar beach and then I was off, straddling the back of a moped as I whisked off to the only other port on Bantayan for what I assumed was a short, one [View Full Entry]

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