Southeast Asian Roundup, Pt1 on Jan 25, 2011 in General Travel Have been meaning to post this since I completed a personal goal of visiting all 11 Southeast Asian countries in November last year, but have decided to give a good thought before I post what is probably the most candid entry in this blog so far. As...
It’s Vientiane, Not Vietnam! on Jan 4, 2011 in Laos laos vientiane Ahead of my November arrival, I was told by all the guidebooks to expect a very sleepy town in Vientiane considering that it is the capital of Laos. The first encounter I had with the city was on arrival after … Continue reading →...
Easy Daytrips Around Luangprabang in Laos on Dec 18, 2010 in Laos Luangprabang asia Kuangsi laos luangprabang Pak Ou Southeast Asia The area around Luangprabang in Laos is filled with a number of popular daytrip opportunities. Two have practically become must-see destinations that they’ve been included as part of any default itinerary of Luangprabang-bound visitors. We spen...
Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Luangprabang on Dec 12, 2010 in Laos Luangprabang asia colonial french laos luangprabang temple temples xieng thong The 8-hour car ride from Vientiane was one of the bumpiest I’ve been in. The driver couldn’t speak English but seemed as if he was on a mad dash to see who could get to Luangprabang first. Our van literally … Continue reading →...
Bhutan: Hassle-Free Tips on Dec 8, 2010 in Bhutan A trip to Bhutan is an experience in itself. It’s one of the most isolated countries in the world (Bhutan certainly ranks near the top) . Breathtaking scenery, thousand year old monasteries, gross national happiness, a different way of life ...
The Grand Finale – In Pursuit of (Gross National) Happiness, Pt4 on Dec 5, 2010 in Bhutan bhutan kyichu paro taktsang tiger's nest monastery trekking It is said that the highlight of any trip to Bhutan is the trek up to Tiger’s Nest Monastery. All the travel guides that cover this country inevitably include pictures of this building and it is clear to see why. … Continue reading →...
In Pursuit of (Gross National) Happiness, Pt3 on Dec 1, 2010 in Bhutan bhutan asia travel wangdue phodrang paro dzong As our guide had this habit of being tardy, we agreed to meet earlier the next morning – our third in Bhutan. We headed to Wangdue Phodrang – the easternmost part of the country that we got to visit during this trip. The relatively short...
In Pursuit of (Gross National) Happiness, Pt2 on Nov 29, 2010 in Bhutan bhutan punakha dzong buddhism chimi lhakhang Woke up at 6:30. Our guide was not going to pick us up until 9 but I decided to take my morning walk around Thimphu. My other companions were still in la-la land. I peered out the window and the sky was a total gray like the day before. The morning a...
In Pursuit of (Gross National) Happiness, Pt1 on Nov 27, 2010 in Bhutan It was still dark. The alam clock read 4:30AM. Having just arrived in Bangkok the night before from a roadtrip down to Udon Thani from Laos, my mind was still in a murky haze. My companions sleeping in the other bed seemed oblivious to the loud ringi...
Interlude on Nov 3, 2010 in Uncategorized It’s been so long since I’ve updated this blog. Blame it on the lack of traveling that marked the past six months. That’s going to change real soon. I will be off next week to Laos in order to complete a personal goal of visiting al...
