a travel blog
Cambodia has awesome temples, but it also has beautiful countrysides—and one of our favorite activities in Cambodia ended up being a bike tour through the green and verdant countryside around Battambang. Battambang is the country’s second biggest city after Phnom Penh, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it upon arrival. It has a very small town feel, and we could traverse the city center in […]
Before coming to Cambodia, I thought Angkor Wat was just that—Angkor Wat. But it’s actually just one temple of dozens in the area where the ancient Khmer city of Angkor use to exist. We were glad that we purchased the $40 three-day pass to allow us plenty of time to explore many different sites. And we happily did this exploring […]
The killing fields of Cambodia are a blunt reminder that humans can commit atrocious, unimaginable deeds. Vikram and I both knew woefully little about the killing fields and this terrible part of Cambodia’s recent history—before this year, the names “Khmer Rouge” and “Pol Pot” would perhaps ring a bell in my mind, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell you […]
After every country we visit, Vikram writes about our overall experiences and highlights. Here’s his take on Thailand! Thailand is not a secret. A linchpin of the Southeast Asia backpacking circuit, its picturesque beaches, phenomenal food, and friendly people have lured travelers for decades. For us, Thailand largely lived up to the hype. (Over?)development notwithstanding, the islands look like postcards, […]
We spent an unforgettable day at Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for retired and injured elephants. Going into the day, I knew virtually nothing about elephants and their role in the tourism industry, except that elephant shows and riding are common tourist attractions in Thailand. But we learned many chilling facts about how elephants are treated—their trainers basically torture them […]
A huge part of traveling for us is experiencing different countries’ and cultures’ food. And while Vikram may always be loyal to Malaysian food, Thai food tops my list of favorite cuisines. I would have said this before the trip, and now after going to Thailand I believe it more definitively. (Though currently, Vietnamese food is giving it a run […]
While we loved the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, I won’t deny that it was a pleasure to escape the city life for a week and chill out on some beautiful Thai islands. However, we were wary of visiting the islands during the rainy season (roughly June to October). But despite some drizzles and storms, we had a lovely and […]
Bangkok: I had no idea what to expect coming here. While I was super excited about Thailand in general—the food, the beaches, the jungles, the mountains—I felt largely lukewarm about visiting the capital city. What I had heard included that Bangkok was extremely trafficky, loud, and overwhelming. Doesn’t exactly sound all that pleasant. But really, aren’t most big cities somewhat like […]