Lost in the Fantasyland of the Gili Islands
Close to Bali, but not close enough to be an exact copy of its resorts, are a group of islands that look like three teardrops from up above. Called the…
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Kuala Lumpur in Four Hours
On the way to Sri Lanka, I stopped in Kuala Lumpur and escaped the airport for a few hours to the city. It cost 100 ringgit ($24) for the express…
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The Boat Ride from Hell in Indonesia
I’m writing this post as a public service announcement for all other innocent travelers to spare you the hell that is the boat ride between Bali and the Gili Islands.…
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No Cash Money, Mo’ Problems: Finding Small Change is a Constant Hustle
It was my first time eating grilled fish with my hands, but it was absolutely delicious, presented whole with eyes and tail on a big round metal platter, and I…
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The Beauty and Scars of Sri Lanka
During my three days in Sri Lanka, all of my taxi drivers and hotel managers couldn’t walk away from our conversation without first mentioning “the incident.” The incident being, the…
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You Must Take the Train to Galle in Sri Lanka
I slid 300 rupees under the dark wooden slats at the window for a train ticket to Galle. A young man lit up by white fluorescent light gave me the…
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The Dreamy Coastal Town of Fort Galle
Galle is most charming in the mornings, when troupes of young girls trot to school in twos and threes, their arms swinging, their braids with red ribbons bouncing. At 7…
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Charmed by the Colonial Past of Laos, With Questions Toward its Future
This little town of Luang Prabang has won me over. It’s a souvenir of a colonial past, rough edges of wartime history buffed up and ready for public presentation in…
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The Intense High from Climbing Up Indonesia’s Second-Tallest Volcano
As the wind whipped my tent, I stepped out onto the edge of the world. A speckled swatch of stars were painted in the darkness over my head. Wow, I…
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Sunsets Never Get Old in Indonesia
The Daily Show in Indonesia is the sunset spectacle. During the early evening at about 5 p.m. I would pick my toes through drifts of soft sand to find the…
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