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After years of working 70 hours a week at jobs I detested, I felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. Searching for meaning in my life, I abandoned my successful but unsatisfying career and set out on a six-month solo backpacking trip around the world to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography. My blog features stories about the destinations I visit, people I meet, the crazy things...Read more here.... 
The white yacht that had so majestically delivered me from northern Thailand into Laos pulled into Luang Prabang on day two and was immediately assaulted by a pack of urchins who crawled through the windows and battled over our luggage. My instincts were not fast enough; before I knew it a disheveled boy barely larger than my bag was clambering up the steep stairs with my duffel in tow. Though I tried to keep him in my sights, the uneven concrete steps demanded my attention and he soon scampered out of view, leaving me to wonder if I would ever see my luggage again. Under a blistering afternoon sun I scaled the stairway, wishing that my sadness over leaving the boat could be erased as easily as I swept away the sweat stinging my eyes. The Luang Say Cruise had ended too soon; nothing would have pleased me more than to stay on that lovely boat, sailing down the Mekong River forever.
Main residence at Luang Say Residence in Luang Prabang, Laos
Fortunately, my gloom was short lived. Like balm for a bee sting, representatives of the Luang Say Residence met me at the top of the staircase with a bottle of icy water and a chilled, lemongrass-scented towel. I hopped into the waiting van, where my luggage had magically been deposited, and slapped the towel on the back of my neck. Our ten minute ride to the newest luxury resort in Luang Prabang provided a tantalizing glimpse of traditional Lao wooden houses, French colonial buildings, and exquisite ancient temples that promised this ancient spiritual center would be fascinating. By the time we pulled into the sweeping circular entryway of the resort, any remaining disappointment over leaving the cruise had vanished.
Following a refreshing glass of lemongrass tea and a brief check-in procedure, I was escorted through gardens planted with exotic grasses and palms to one of the Pioneer Suites, a detached two-story building that housed four units, two on the ground level and two on the second floor. Though pleasant looking, the simple exterior of the Pioneer Suites belied their luxury; I stepped across the threshold and beheld a four-poster king size bed draped in soft mosquito netting; sitting area with sofa and coffee table; private balcony; writing desk; large flat screen TV; mini bar; wardrobe with in-room safe, bathrobe and slippers; and huge marbled bathroom with his and hers sinks, closet toilet, spacious shower with rain head, custom toiletries, and hair dryer. Continue reading
Posted in Accommodations, SE Asia travel | 
Accommodations, blogsherpa, Laos, Luang Prabang, Luang Say Residence, luxury, northern laos, resort | 
10 Comments
Most visitors to the Palenque Mayan Ruins in Chiapas, Mexico make the mistake of staying in the town of Palenque. Because the town and the archeological site share the same name, tourists assume that they are one in the same. Upon arrival, however, they discover that the ruins are a 15-20 minute ride from town. The short trip can be done by taxi for 50 pesos (about $4 USD) or colectivo (shared van) for 10 pesos (about 80 cents US), but there is an even better solution. Rather than staying in Palenque, choose accommodations in the tiny jungle village of El Panchan.
The town of Palenque, located a 15-minute drive from the ruins
El Panchan’s location right outside the entrance gate to Palenque is one reason to choose it but there are even more compelling reasons. First, the price of accommodations in El Panchan is much more affordable. Although there are numerous options, I chose Margarita and Ed’s, where I rented a cabana with twin beds and a private, ensuite bathroom for about $15 per night. The room was spotless and well-furnished, there was round-the-clock hot water, and though the owners told me the closest Internet connection was in Palenque, I actually got a signal (albeit weak) on my Mexican TelCel Aircard that allowed me to get email and upload blog posts. Continue reading
Posted in Mexico travel | Accommodations, blogsherpa, Chiapas, cultural, cultural travel, culture, Don Muchos Restaurant, drumming, El Panchan, Hostel, hotel, jungle, Margarita and Eds, Maya, Mayan, monkeys, Music, Palenque, recommendations, ruins, tabasco-and-chiapas, Travel | 41 Comments
Because I often stay at hostels I was interested to learn some interesting facts about the differences in booking prices between the two largest hostel booking services on the Internet. A recent study by Reed Business Insight revealed that HostelBookers is, on average, over 8% cheaper than HostelWorld, and HostelBookers is now backing that claim up with a guarantee. If you find the same deal cheaper anywhere else, they will refund double the difference! (Details about their price guarantee here).
Travelex Cash Passport pre-loaded with £1,000
To celebrate this price promise they have launched a competition which will run over the next three weeks. Nine winners will take away some fantastic prizes, with three winners being announced every week between May 26th and June 9th. For the top prize HostelBookers has partnered with Travelex.co.uk to offer three lucky travelers the chance to win a Cash Passport pre-loaded with £1,000 (that’s British PoundsPanasonic camera, which equates to approximately $1434 U.S. dollars at today’s exchange rate).
Three entrants will win the second prize of a Panasonic Lumix TZ8 Camera, and three more will take away the third prize, a 32gb iPod touch. (Full details of the HostelBookers contest can be viewed here). Continue reading
I first learned about HotelPal from my friend Anil, who publishes the travel blog foXnoMad.com. This free application for the iPhone and iPod Touch allows users to search for accommodations at more than 100,000 hotels, inns, resorts, and B&B’s worldwide, making it’s among the most complete hotel databases available anywhere.
HotelPal app for the iPhone and iPod Touch
Immediately, I downloaded it and browsed around the interface. It seemed fairly easy to use: I simply needed to choose a hotel, type in my billing info, and tap “Book Now.” This week I finally had an opportunity to test it out during my tour of the Tampa Bay area. While my experience with the application was excellent, I found myself using it in a totally different manner than the developer intended.
Because I prefer not to be locked into structured itineraries, I rarely pre-book accommodations before leaving home, and this instance was no different. I left Sarasota at 4:30 p.m. in order to have plenty of time to find a hotel, check in, and still on time for my 8 p.m. Yo-Yo Ma concert this past Wednesday. Once I was in the neighborhood of the concert hall, I whipped out my iPhone, opened HotelPal, and clicked on “search.” The iPhone’s GPS automatically determined my geographic location and returned a list of nearby hotels and Continue reading
Posted in Accommodations, Travel tips | Accommodations, app, foxnomad.com, hotels, iPhone, last minute, money saving, motels, reservations, save, Travel | 31 Comments
This is no joke. TripAdvisor, one of the Internet’s most trusted sources for member reviews on attractions, accommodations, and restaurants, asked their members to reveal the cheapest, most comfortable lodgings around the world. The following is just a sampling:
Shiva Guest House in Kathmandu, Nepal
The Shiva Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal. Average price per night: $9. Member comment:
“The guesthouse is right in the center of Bhaktapur, rooms with great view on Durbar Square. Breakfast at rooftop with excellent view on city and Himalaya’s. In times of festivals quite noisy in rooms at front side. The guys really make you feel at home.” Continue reading
Posted in Accommodations | Accommodations, budget, customer recommendations, hotels, lodging, low priced, motels, Travel, tripadvisor | 20 Comments
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