Asia

Traversing Neverland: Ha Giang Loop

I've had an out-of-body experience or two in my life. At the very least, a brief spiritual awakening. My first was being front row to a Red Hot Chili Peppers show. A feat I accomplished by staying glued to the railing for six hours prior to those first few...

Postcards on the Dashashwamedh Ghat

"Henna?" The banks of the Ganga were lined with woven umbrellas. There was a festival that day - I never found out exactly what. But it was the reason I came down to Dashashwamedh Ghat again, even though I had already come the previous day. India was abundant in holy...

Practical Advice on Yachting Costs and Upkeep

Yacht ownership stretches well past the initial purchase price. It?s a significant financial commitment that covers the acquisition itself, day-to-day upkeep, and eventually, resale. Owners must factor in annual running costs such as fuel, marina fees, crew wages, and...

Sound(e)scape of Bali

Once every 400 days Bali is quiet and empty. The island falls silent for Nyepi, the New Year. For one day there is no group of boys gambling for pennies, no cages of fighting cocks set out in the sun and no-one walking in broken lines behind their gods. But today was...

AUB in Lebanon Was a Hard Sell, Part 1

I tend to stick to safe, predictable destinations when it comes to family holidays. Growing up in a war zone does that to you. I was born at the outset of the Lebanese Civil war in 1975 and spent the 1st 12 years of my life there. The war then came too close for...

Mud Bricks and Karaoke in Taanayel, Lebanon

"You absolutely must tell your driver to go to Taanayel, you'll love it," my Lebanese friend Lara said. Our conversation was conducted on a cell phone during a drive in the Bekaa Valley and those were the only words I understood clearly. What followed was: 'typical...

Insights from Kerala

The sun hits you when you first walk out of the airport in Kochi; the heat that accompanies its piercing rays takes less than a second to materialize. The Arabian Sea had first made an appearance to the starboard side when we were airborne, forcing the pilot to swerve...

My Day in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

In my third month as a Covid refugee sheltering in Taiwan, I finally had an opportunity to venture down south from rainy Taipei to sunny and warm Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan. In between two other destinations, I could unfortunately only fit in one...

The Experience of Walking Beside Laotian Monks

One Buddhist morning with the Laotian Monks. The colour of the air is infused with orange and pomegranate. And still, it is before dawn. Nothing can be heard except for the quiet barefoot steps of two dozen monks dressed in deep orange robes. And the morning song ( a...

Slow Boat to Bagan, Myanmar

I always enjoy using different modes of transportation when exploring new places. Today I was taking a riverboat, leaving Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma) and heading southward to Bagan. Most travelers make this journey by bus, but I chose to take the MGRG Boat instead....

Witnessing Cherry Blossom Season
in the Hunza Valley Pakistan

I am a Pakistani by nationality but I have barely spent any time of my life in the country. Earlier this year, I got this sudden urge to ditch all my other travel plans and explore my lesser-visited homeland, which is striving hard to make a place on the world tourism...

Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Searching for the One-horned Rhino

As a traveler, I often hear terrible things about wildlife decline so I was thrilled about going to find rhinos in Chitwan National Park. This elation was because I knew I stood a real chance of seeing one due to the country's strict zero-tolerance policy on poaching....