Installment #2 in my Budget Breakdown series details how much my Thailand trip cost. These posts are meant to help provide some transparency on travel costs, especially to newbie travelers. I spent 6+ weeks in Thailand during high season (November to February). More than a month of it was in northern Thailand as a solo budget… Read More Budget Breakdown: How Much My Thailand Trip Cost
I’ve always wanted to go to Chiang Rai, but it wasn’t until I got there that I realized just how sad it was that I hadn’t been there before. I absolutely fell in love with Chiang Rai. So many people go to Chiang Rai as a day trip from Chiang Mai or as a stopover… Read More The Best Things to Do in Chiang Rai: Why It’s Worth More than a Day Trip
Thailand is the land of temples, and perhaps one of the most famous and unconventional is Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple. It is certainly a gem of the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai, likely the attraction that brings in the most visitors each year. Those in the know also come for… Read More Heaven and Hell: The White Temple and Black House of Chiang Rai
Ask people what is the most traveled country in southeast Asia, and it’s likely they’ll respond with Thailand. In fact, this ancient land of Siam has been so popular as part of the Banana Pancake Trail that it’s arguably too touristy in some parts. I definitely felt it in certain areas in the southern islands,… Read More Caving in Soppong: Adventures on Thailand’s Wild Side
“You have to go to Pai!” “Omg have you gone to Pai yet? I was just there and wish I could go back asap.” “Did you go to Pai? Pai is so cool.” I’ve heard dozens of variations of these enthusiastic exclamations over the past year both in Thailand and back home in the States.… Read More Why I Didn’t Love Pai Despite All the Hype
The first time I went to Thailand in 2014, I made a compromise with my friend and went down to the islands after we hit up Bangkok. But northern Thailand, and specifically Chiang Mai, remained at the top of my bucket list. So after I wrapped up my tour of China last fall, I immediately… Read More Ultimate Guide to Chiang Mai: What to Do, See, and Eat
The largest city in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is home to literally hundreds of temples (wats). One of my favorite things to do in Chiang Mai is to walk around and explore new wats that I haven’t been to before, but the sheer number of them can be overwhelming to someone visiting Chiang Mai for… Read More The Best Temples in Chiang Mai that You Must Visit
When I left on my funemployment trip through Asia, the only plans I had was to start in Manchuria and work my way south as the weather got colder and to meet my boyfriend in southern Thailand for Thanksgiving. So I packed mostly warm weather clothes and a few layers for autumn in China, all rolled… Read More What I Packed for 5 Months in Asia, from the Himalayas to Southeast Asia
Growing up, I don’t think I had a conscious awareness of race until we moved to Florida, where the ugly legacy of slavery and Jim Crow made race something that was much more obvious. But while race wasn’t on my mind, I had always been fascinated with ethnicity. Not race or nationality, but ethnicity. China’s… Read More Does Cultural Tourism Help or Hurt Ethnic Minorities?
As the first hammering pounds came down on my back, I winced a bit and wondered whether I’d made a good decision. What if she injures me? As she worked her way down to my buttocks, I wondered what bruises I was going to end up with. Stop. If your mind is going somewhere illicit,… Read More You Haven’t Experienced Thailand Until You’ve Tried This Type of Massage