Visiting Besakih, the Mother Temple of Bali

Pura Besakih is the most important of all temples to the Balinese Hindus. Unfortunately too much tourism has resulted in locals attempting to squeeze every rupiah they can possibly get out of a visit here. But don’t let that take away from a pleasant, enlightening visit to Besakih — the architecture, history and cultural significance, as well as its pure beauty, are worth the trip.

A Thousand Words: Jungle Living

My inspiration of the day — the overgrown jungle at the ruins of Ta Prohm in Angkor, Cambodia. (Click the photo to really see.) A small reminder of what Earth is capable of when left to its own devices. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Learning the basics at Pum Thai Cooking School

All I wanted was a beach chair and a good sunscreen, but the lifeless gray skies hovering over Phuket had derailed my plans of soaking in the Thai sun. With light rain drizzling from above, I decided to sign up for the afternoon cooking class at Pum Thai Cooking School to learn about the basics of Thai cuisine.

Bicycling through Angkor, Cambodia

Tuk-tuks are the vehicle of choice to the many tourists who visit the Angkor temples, but bicycles lend the freedom to explore. Rent one for $1 per day from a local vendor in Siem Reap, and have your pick of the majestic Angkor Wat, the mystical faces of Bayon, the overgrown jungle of Ta Prohm and more. By bicycle, all of Angkor is yours.

The Ghosts of Family Past: Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge

When I told mom I was traveling to Cambodia this summer, she didn’t hide her apprehension. “Cambodia? Why do you want to go to there?” The thought of her little girl in a faraway Third World country didn’t do much for the nerves. But she had every right — she herself had escaped the war-torn country just 30 years ago.

Bargaining in Asia: Tips & Tricks

The Asians, we loooves to bargain. First-time bargainers will find that it’s a bit like chess: easy to learn, hard to master. It’s buyer vs. seller, and the person with the strongest will always wins. Here’s a comprehensive guide to bargaining in Asia, a list of observations made in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China last year while I was satisfying my animalistic consumerism. So many cheap goods and so little time!!

The Best of Thai, the Worst of Thai: My first – and last – elephant ride

I should have known better than to have accepted the tuk tuk driver’s suspiciously cheap offer. Never trust the tuk tuk drivers who approach YOU, I thought to myself. Regardless, my buddy Neil had a mission. We had arrived in Thailand less than 24 hours ago, and our first order of the day was elephants. “If I get to ride an elephant, then I’m set for the rest of the trip,” he proclaimed.

My Asia travel companion: Canon PowerShot SD1200

For my Asia trip this year, I decided to graduate myself from my (perfectly functional) Canon PowerShot SD600, which had served me faithfully for years through countless vacations, parties and other such celebratory activities, to the sleek new Canon PowerShot SD1200. I put off purchasing it until a few days before the trip, so Asia would be its first test. Now 700+ photos later, I gotta admit that I’m probably a Canon-ite for life now. Check out the photos.

A Thousand Words: More to Angkor than Wat

Angkor Wat is the icon of Cambodia, the pride and joy of their history and the emblem of their country. But most people don’t realize just how expansive the kingdom of Angkor was. Amidst the grounds of this ancient city was a large network of temples, palaces, lakes and irrigation networks built many centuries ago.

A Thousand Words: Welcome to Cambodia

This intricate wrought iron design is part of the gates to the Silver Pagoda, a Buddhist temple located on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It’s just one symbol of the incredible history of art and architecture that was largely destroyed and dismantled during the Khmer Rouge regime — Angkor (the pictures of which I will hopefully upload soon) is also another.

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