Here is Part 2 of a three part series of photos I took in Nicaragua (see Part 1 here). With such a rich and colorful culture it’s pretty hard to not constantly be snapping away with your camera when you are there. Enjoy! Muñecas (dolls) at the locals’ market in the city of Masaya. Iglesia…
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Texas, it’s not the old school, Hollywood-inspired perception of solely a bunch of flat land with tumbleweeds rolling around in the wind. Texas is a massive state, over 25% larger than France, and this enormous size makes room for several different ecosystems, one of them being the…
Admittedly the Temples of Angkor near Siem Reap are the absolute must-sees when people visit Cambodia. They are some of the most amazing ruins in the world and certainly should not be missed. However, the capital city of Phnom Penh has its charms as well, so if you have an extra day or two I…
In last week’s post I covered the first five of the Top 10 things to do in magical Luang Prabang. As I have said before, this is my favorite little city in all of Asia, and that’s saying a lot! If you ever have the opportunity to go there, I really can’t recommend it enough….
As my flight was fast approaching Luang Prabang last month, I got goose bumps getting reacquainted with the beauty of northern Laos. Much of the time we were flying over the winding Mekong, and always nearby were fold upon fold of lush, green mountain ridges. As much as I was already looking forward to experiencing…
Last week I got back from a month in Southeast Asia, and I am very happy and excited to say that the voluntourism trip I helped lead in Cambodia was a massive success! The WOWi team, consisting of members from various parts of the United States, worked closely with the Ponheary Ly Foundation to teach…
When the subject of Nicaragua comes up many people immediately think of the awful civil war that took place there during the 1980’s between the Sandinistas and the Contras. No doubt those were some extremely difficult times for the largest country in Central America, but unfortunately too many people still think of the place as…
Although I personally sometimes kind of cringe at the idea of going to a place just because everyone else seems to want to go there, Angkor Wat is definitely one of those international travel destinations that I genuinely believe any well-seasoned traveler should visit at least once in their lives. As Lonely Planet described it…
One of the best ways to experience another culture in a colorful and meaningful way is to attend a festival that is important to whichever country you are going to visit. This of course is true pretty much anywhere in the world, and Southeast Asia is no exception. Here are five memorable festivals that will…
As many of you know I’ve been working as the Director of Overseas Projects for a nonprofit organization in Austin, TX called WOWi – the Windows of Wonder Institute. Below is a story about the organization’s current project in Cambodia that I wrote and was published in Wandering Educators recently. We are currently looking for…
If you prefer a more ‘old school’ Thai beach experience, then you should definitely consider Koh Lanta. Here are some short video clips that I took of the place. This island has everything from basic bungalows to first class resorts. And since it hasn’t been overrun yet with development you can still find that Robinson…
Bali, sometimes referred to as the Island of the Gods, is a relatively small island in the middle of Indonesia, an archipelago of about 13,000 islands south of the Philippines and north of Australia. For anyone who hasn’t been there they may wonder, why do so many people like it as a travel destination and…
I recently received a question from a friend of mine that I have actually gotten from other people a few other times in the past. He and his girlfriend are planning an upcoming trip to Southeast Asia where they hope to visit a few places in Thailand and Vietnam. Since, like most people, their time…
For the uninitiated Southeast Asia may have a nice ring to its name, but other than that they may not really understand why they should consider traveling there. With so many other places in the world to visit, many of which they know much more about, why take a trip to this particular region of…
I enjoy all the various cuisines in Southeast Asia, but the food in Thailand is by far my favorite, probably my favorite in the whole world. So I have often wondered, how did the food there get to be so much more diverse and complex than the fare in nearby countries that have pretty much…