When someone learns that I am a travel writer, the next question out of their mouth is usually, “What’s your favorite travel destination?” It’s a question that’s almost impossible to answer. There are so many incredible places in the world, and every destination has a different allure. I adore Italy for its passionate culture and colorful seaside villages where ancient buildings hang from cliffs. Zimbabwe was a particular favorite because the people were genuinely warm and welcoming, despite the political struggles and economic adversity they were enduring.  New Zealand had the friendliest people I have ever met, and breathtaking scenery, to boot. But, if forced to narrow it down to one place, my favorite travel destination would have to be Thailand.

Krabi islands and karst stones in southern Thailand

I’ve visited Thailand four times and will be traveling there for a fifth visit this fall. Just the thought of returning is exciting, but this time something extra special is in the works. I have been invited to stay at the the world’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve Phulay Bay, located in Krabi on Thailand’s southern peninsula. I have been to Krabi – or I should say I have been through it; on my most recent trip I caught the ferry from Krabi to the Phi Phi Islands – but I have never stayed in Krabi. In this area of Thailand, jungle-clad limestone pinnacles protrude from a sea of such pure turquoise that it makes my eyes hurt. The scenery is so exquisite that it’s it’s how I imagine heaven must look, and the photos I’ve seen of the new Ritz-CarltonReserve Phulay Bay are equally gorgeous. I simply cannot wait!

The Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay arrival pavilion

The property has been designed for those who wish to escape the stresses of everyday life and immerse themselves in a personally-tailored-to-suit luxury vacation experience. Set on the shores of the Andaman Sea, Phulay Bay is a striking 54-villa and pavilion boutique hotel offering unspoiled views of the naturally rugged shoreline.

The resort is the vision and work of Thai architect Lek Bunnag, who has combined modern styling with distinctive accents from Thai, Middle Eastern and Moroccan cultures. Bunnag takes inspiration from beautiful things from around the world to create an environment where the senses are continuously Read the rest of this entry »

Remember playing tag when you were a kid? Slapping someone on the back and yelling, “Tag, you’re it!” Well, I’ve just been been ‘virtually tagged.’ My friend and fellow travel blogger, Shannon Lane, was ‘tagged’ to participate in the meme known as My Three Best Travel Secrets (a meme, which rhymes with cream, is a catchphrase or concept that spreads rapidly from person to person via the Internet). From what I understand, the game was started by Katie of Tripbase.com, the lovely folks who awarded me second place in the category of best North/South American blog of 2009 in their annual Travel Blog Awards.

After sharing three great secrets about her home state of Louisiana, Shannon ‘tagged’ me to be next in line to divulge my best travel secrets. My first reaction was, “Only three?” How could I possibly narrow it down to only three. Should I talk about little known secrets in Sarasota, Florida, such as the $40 annual membership to GWiz Science Museum that provides FREE admission to over 300 other science centers throughout the U.S. as well as other attractions around the State of Florida? Or about my list of little-known coffee shops around the country that let me work on my laptop all day for the price of a cup of coffee, like Sippin’ Internet Cafe in Key West, Pastry Art in Sarasota, or Rev Coffee in the Atlanta area?

In the end, I decided to reveal my secrets for booking last minute accommodations and transportation around the world without breaking the bank. Frankly, I detest being locked into definite travel plans. My preference is to book the first night at a destination (two nights at most), and then wing it from there. Fellow travelers are always eager to share secrets about spectacular, little-known towns or sites they have visited and not being locked into reservations allows me to take advantage of these tips, but it also means I am often looking for last minute bookings, which can be frustrating as well as expensive. However I do have a few tricks to help with this process, which I’ve detailed below: Read the rest of this entry »

OK, maybe a few words. These teens at Bangkok's Chatuchak Market seemed intimidating when I snapped the shot, but when I lowered the camera, they broke out into broad grins.

Mixed in amongst the rock, R&B, blues, and folk songs that comprise my music collection is a CD that contains a 20-minute recording made at a lake at the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2004 I visited this Sanctuary, which is located in a remote area on the southern peninsula of Thailand. There are no generators at Khlong Saeng. No planes fly overhead. And cell phones get no reception, thus the ‘music’ of the CD is the mating calls of wild gibbon, the whoosh of giant hornbills soaring overhead, and the sounds of waterfalls cascading off the limestone towers that surround the pristine lake.

There is a resort of sorts at Klong Saeng. The only family living at the lake has constructed a series of thatched-roof bungalows that float on giant bamboo logs along the shore, tied together like boxcars on a railroad siding. Read the rest of this entry »

I learned today of the death of my dear friend, Ron Wilcox. I met Ron last May as I was walking through the village of Pai in northern Thailand. I was standing at an intersection that didn’t appear on my map, puzzling as to which way to go, when he pulled up on his little red scooter and inquired, in his delightful Welsh accent, “Are you lost, luv?” Little did I know it then, but this was Ron’s modus operandi; he was always helping people. And although I wasn’t lost, I took him up on his offer to give me a lift and hopped on the back of his motor scooter. Five minutes later we were at his modest house, where I was introduced to his wife, Nicky, and his two year old daughter, Briony. As I munched on fresh-picked lychee fruit and drank steaming hot coffee, Ron regaled me with the story of how he came to live in Thailand. Upon retirement, he’d come for a short visit, met Nicky, and never left. He’s been helping the local people of northern Thailand ever since (you can read about some of his good works in one of my earlier posts, here).

Read the rest of this entry »

It seems a simple thing, crossing a street. But my idea of how to get across a busy street in the U.S., whether on foot or in a vehicle, is significantly different from methods employed to cross streets in other places in the world. For example, take a look at this video showing a busy street in India:

As I traveled around the world I was intrigued by the various means employed to cross a street. On my very first morning in Saigon, Vietnam I spotted a bakery across the street from my hotel. I stood at the curb for 15 minutes, waiting for a break in the monstrous traffic but the vehicles just kept coming. Just as I was about to give up, a local man stepped off the curb, walked out into the midst of the traffic, and slowly crossed the street as the vehicles weaved and darted around him. Eventually, I got up the nerve to try it and stepped out into the stream of traffic. Read the rest of this entry »

You just GOTTA love Thailand. Check out this short video of a train running through a Bangkok market:

When I began this trip I decided I would select three words that best described each country I visited. Initially I was going to wait until the ed of the trip and compile them all into one post, but I have decided to do this immediately upon departing each country, as the reasons for selecting those particular words will be fresh in my mind. So, here goes for the countries I have visited to date:

VIETNAM

1. Industrious (With the possible exception of Hanoi, people were bustling about everywhere I went – busy selling, buying, doing. Not surprising, since Vietnam is currently the fastest growing economy in the world)
2. Emerging (rather than poor)
3. Stuck (There is severe mistrust between the multitude of ethnic groups that inhabit Vietnam and abiding oppression of the non-Viet peoples by the government; there is distinct dislike between North and South Vietnamese – I heard over and over again from northerners that they wouldn’t want their daughters to marry a slow, stupid southerner and from southerners I heard repeatedly how northerners couldn’t be trusted; and there is severe corruption in the country at the government level. The result is that Vietnam is identity-less – the people themselves do not yet have a feeling for who they are as a nationality, much less a national identity. They are well and truly stuck.)

BALI:

1. Lush (Greenery and lush jungle was everywhere)
2. Spiritual (The most beautiful temples I have seen anywhere in the world)
3. Beautiful (A feast for the eyes in a small island that has such diversity – dense jungle, towering active volcanoes, colorful offshore reefs, and lovely beaches)

CAMBODIA: Read the rest of this entry »