When I decided to return to South East Asia this past fall and Laos made the itinerary, I knew I had to find a way to connect with these creatures. Afterall, Laos is the Land of a Million Elephants. However, finding a truly-ethical elephant tour in Laos proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought.
International Destinations
Is a Long Layover in Dubai Worth it?
Over the past 60 years Dubai managed to push its way onto the traveler’s radar. Boasting the world’s tallest building, opulence, and luxury that will make you feel like royalty. Dubai: the Las Vegas of the Middle East. But is that really what’s really going on here? Many people have a long layover in Dubai, but is it really worth leaving the airport?
Trekking Planner Nepal: A Review of Nepal’s Premier Trekking Agency
Layers upon layers of endlessly steeper and higher peaks surround you. You’ve been walking for days, but each rotation of the earth is more astonishingly beautiful than the last. Every village you stop in you’re immediately treated like family. Your guide has been coming to this region for nearly 15 years, he knows everyone like a brother and you, by default, are extended family. Taking a break on the trail you share a snack with your team and a stranger. Open arms, open hearts, and breathtaking scenery. None of this would be possible without the team at Trekking Planner Nepal.
Campfire Tales – Short Stories in the Outdoors
We’ve all been there. You’ve got this idealistic plan of spending some time out in the great outdoors. But it’s not all sunny days and easy going. Here are some short stories of what happened when things go haywire.
Travel to the Peruvian Amazon
Laying awake under the mosquito net I’m staring at the ceiling of the bungalow. The air is still thick, and covers are useless. Silently I listen to the orchestra of sound around me. Each species rhythmically singing it’s tune, as if they’ve all been practicing for centuries. Despite the exhausting humidity and general uncomfortable feeling that comes with constantly being covered in a film of sweat I’m at ease. The noise is deafening – as if someone is blasting a system right by your bedside. However, I’m pleasantly tired. It’s as if every moment was meant to exist just like this.
Why You Should Travel to Indonesia
I was 48 hours deep into a long, weary journey from Bali to Jogjakarta. During that time I had traveled by local bus, suspiciously un-seaworthy ferry, crappy bus, inconceivably crappier bus, taxi, foot, and finally – train. To give you a sense of how far I traveled Jogjakarta and Denpasar, Bali are roughly the same distance as Los Angeles is to San Francisco. In other words, about a 5 hour car ride in America. Without going into too much detail, as this particular stint is a story on its own, I was filthy, I was exhausted, I was hungry, and at the end of my rope. To make matters worse, my SIM card had run out of credit and I hadn’t been able to find a place to stay.