A fruit, similar to the lychee, the rambutan is one of my favorite fruits I’ve tried in Southeast Asia. I originally though the rambutan was just a different variety of lychee with a sweeter taste but it is in fact a different fruit all together. How to eat a Rambutan I had never seen or eaten this strange fruit before coming ...

  Salak (sa-lak or sa-la) or Snake Fruit in English is an unusual looking fruit, which looks like it’s covered in snake skin. This fruit is found all over Southeast Asia but it is originally from Malaysia and Indonesia. Don’t let it’s bizarre, reptilian, looks keep you from trying it if you get an opportunity. How to eat a Snake ...

Bagan is a small town filled with countless temples. It’s a beautiful place for anyone that enjoys architecture. While I recommended that Bagan makes it onto everyone’s Myanmar itinerary, a day or two is really all you need unless you really injoy temples.   Tips for Bagan The countless temples are spread out over a great distance and you have ...

While it isn’t fast, smooth, or on schedule, the train ride between Hsipaw and Pyin Uu Lwin is considered one of the top train rides in all of the world and was an incredible experience.   Getting Your Ticket Since you’re already traveling in Myanmar (Burma) you know how… bureaucratic traveling the country can be and train travel is no ...

Setting off from Ngwe Saung headed north, we headed on what we were told was a one hour journey to Chaung Tha Beach. Like most directions in Asia, that was a gross under approximation of time.  Starting from our guesthouse, on the south end of Ngwe Saung beach, we drove over packed sand until a rock face blocked our path. ...

What happens when the government takes a large chunk of beautiful beachfront property, then sells and leases it for development? Nothing. Not yet anyways. On the western coast of Myanmar lies Ngwe Saung, a beautiful beach paradise with many resorts, clean sand and sun …but no one is there yet.   Though it was the low season, Ngwe Saung is ...

A fruit, larger then a grape, coming in many colors in styles, the Lychee is one of my favorite fruits found in Southeast Asia. How to eat a Lychee Though Lychee flavored items are available in the States, I had never eaten one before coming to Southeast Asia. For those of you who aren’t familiar with eating a Lychee, there ...

While cruising the work exchange site Helpx, I stumbled upon a program where you can work with exotic animals and decided to apply. Volunteering with Safari Voluteers ended up being an amazing experience I’ll never forget. Their Story Ned and Tat were two tourists visiting a Thai zoo outside of Bo Phloi, Kanchanaburi and they were appalled at what they ...

When plans fall apart you’ll be frustrated, angry, worried and anxious but it’s not the end of the world. After flying to Thailand, I had 30 days of traveling before my Thai visa expired and I needed to leave the country. I was planning on heading to Cambodia and working my way around the region but ended up going to ...

Independent travel can sometimes be lonely and I have not yet developed the traveler’s mentality of being able to strike up a conversation with just anyone I see along the way (not that I haven’t made friends along the way). That being said, I seem to be drawn to a particular group of people, my people, flow artists.  Whether it’s ...