Travelers through SE Asia all have their own long-distance bus horror stories. Some of them involve pothole-ridden windy roads and vomiting passengers. Others involve real danger, like an engine catching on fire or the driver falling asleep and running the bus off the road. Many people warned us about Thai and Cambodian drivers, though we Read Post
Skipping Scams at the Thai-Cambodia Border Crossing
I was anxious about crossing into Cambodia. Mike and I read up on a couple border scams and we were prepared to be misled and lied to, but I didn’t know how our pushback would be received. One thing was certain: We were determined to exit Thailand and enter Cambodia without paying a cent more Read Post
5 Ways to Make the Most Out of Myanmar
The best way to understand Myanmar is to clear your mind of any other place you have visited and let it stand on its own. Forget that time India. Ignore that week in Morocco. Do not even bring up Thailand. Myanmar is different, not same same. Myanmar was a nice surprise and a welcome change Read Post
Trekking Across the Myanmar Countryside
Up until this point in our journey through Myanmar, most of the sights we visited were temples and Buddha sculptures, some in caves, some on mountaintops and all of various shapes and sizes. After the staggering number of temples in Bagan, we were ready for a change. Instead of taking a bus directly to Inle Read Post
Sesame Tea and Tales from Trekking Guides in Kalaw
After leaving Bagan, Myanmar, we grabbed a bus to Kalaw, a small hill station that serves as the starting point for treks to Inle Lake. We wanted to visit Inle Lake and had heard trekking (also known as hiking for our American readers) was a pleasant and leisurely way of getting there. Lucy and Isabelle Read Post