As a traveller I find myself on a neverending quest for something “real”, something that doesn’t involve being hoarded around by a leader holding an umbrella or scrambled in a sea of other lost tourists.  If that seems to be your M.O. as well, then a visit to Baan Bat will surely not disappoint. Tucked … read the full post

I must confess, I was tempted not to post on Wat Rachabophit and just keep all of its under-the-radar splendour to myself, but mother always said that “sharing is caring”. On a recent research pilgrimage for Travelfish.org I spent some quality time sampling dozens of Bangkok’s illustrious wats. Of course I was impressed by the … read the full post

Nothing says summer time where I come from (the flat, dry farming part of the world) like a Sunday trip to the lake. Waterskiing, grilling, and Sunday afternoon beers are an integral part of the summer social fabric. Lacking a boat, I thought that Sunday afternoons next to the lake were something I’d just have … read the full post

Recently a friend asked if I wanted to go watch Sunday afternoon muay Thai in a TV studio. I had visions of what that might mean, but none of them actually mirrored the words, “Sunday afternoon Muay Thai in a TV studio.” The event in fact proved to be exactly what she had described. Full … read the full post

Finding pleasant ways to be outside in Bangkok is a never-ending quest for me. It is humid, there are crowds, more often than not I have just sludged through an opaque ankle-deep puddle. With the goal of spending the day outside and making my way to new territory I spent a recent Sunday afternoon on … read the full post

I am a sucker for any experience that will allow me to imagine I am living in a Brontë novel. To my mind, any window to the past is a delight, be it a 19th century read, or old-world architecture and eats. While staying at the Mandarin Oriental will be out of my price range … read the full post

You know a place is something special when you stumble upon it by accident, realise its awesomeness, and subsequently cancel the rest of the day’s plans in order to stay and enjoy. This is what happened to me at Suan Rot Fai. I really had every intention of making it to the largely talked about … read the full post

One of the joys of visiting (or living in) Thailand is the food. Some people come for the weather or the scenery or the exoticism; I came for the food. And stayed for the food. And continue staying for the food. Did I mention the food? The food. Food is so central to Thai culture … read the full post

For the record, before I moved to Asia I hated karaoke. Hated with a capital H. I grew up on the prairies where karaoke was someone named Lurleen screaming a country song about divorcing a dog into a microphone while everyone drank themselves to heaven. There’s something supremely unsettling about having a bunch of drunk … read the full post

After pretty much just a few hours in Thailand, you will notice that Buddhist amulets are everywhere. People wear them around their necks, hang them from their rearview mirrors, keep them on desks, on tables, at home, at work, and everywhere in between. Carrying an amulet on you is meant to invite good fortune, protect … read the full post