I have friends in Vietnam whom I have obligations to visit. The Songkran Festival made it possible to make the trip. I extended it to Yunnan province of China and visited some places I had not been to before.
Apr. 4, 2010
HCMC & Vung Tau
Khao Sok - Phuket - Similan Islands
I visited the Andaman Coast of southern Thailand 4 months after the 2004 tsunami. It’s time to check out this part of the country once again – using a different route of course.
Jan. 1, 2010
Khao Sok National Park
Jan. 1, 2010
Khao Sok National Park
Sumatra
Sumatra has always been a destination on my list. This fall seems to be a good time to make it happen.
Oct. 1, 2009
Melaka to Bukit Tinggi
Oct. 1, 2009
Melaka to Bukit Tinggi
Umphang - Mae Hong Son
Tee Lor Su Waterfall is the largest in Thailand and very popular among Thais (although not a major destination for foreigners). I’ve been always interested in checking it out. The opportunity eventually comes and I decided to extend the trip to Mae Hong Son as well.
Aug. 8, 2009
Umphang
Aug. 8, 2009
Umphang
Central Asia
Bangkok is indeed a transportation hub for Asia. There are even direct flights to a few Central Asian countries. Although April is not the best time to visit Central Asia (especially for the Pamirs), I still decided to take the Thai New Year holiday period to visit this “forgotten” part of the planet.
Apr. 7, 2009
Tashkent
Apr. 7, 2009
Tashkent
Palawan - Papua New Guinea
Having checked out most of the countries around Thailand, I started to explore farther destinations recently, notably the Middle East and North Africa. This holiday season I have a very strong desire to set my foot in Oceania. A friend of mine working in Papua New Guinea (PNG) invited me to see him and I made the decision quickly. The only airlines getting into the country is Air Niugini. They seem to have only one aircraft flying Asian destinations so frequency is a big issue. For me, transit in Manila is the cheapest and shortest route. Because of the frequency issue, I have 3 days to spend in the Philippines. I decided to check out Palawan, the so-called last frontier, on the way.
Dec. 28, 2008
Sabang
Dec. 28, 2008
Sabang
Ko Sichang
Having not traveled in more than 2 months, I decided to have a short break to Si Racha and Ko Sichang, perhaps the closest spots of interest to tourists from Bangkok.
Oct. 25, 2008
Si Racha
Oct. 25, 2008
Si Racha
Okinawa
A few days ago, I almost fainted and went to hospital for a thorough check-up. They didn't find anything and sent me home. I figured it's probably due to too much hard work and time for some relaxation. Looking at the map, most places around Thailand where I live have been visited in the last few years. A news report that a China Airlines airplane had an emergency landing at Naha Airport reminded me of this part of Japan. Seeing the ancient Ryukyu kingdom has always fascinated me. Decision was made.
Aug. 10, 2008
Bangkok to Naha
Aug. 10, 2008
Bangkok to Naha
Middle East
Mediterranean Sea, Dead Sea, Jordan River, Suez Canal, the Pyramids, the mummies, Nile River, Sahara Desert… All the names sounded that familiar in the geography and history textbooks but in the mean time so remote, until this April when I had a chance to experience them all.
Apr. 6, 2008
Beirut
Apr. 6, 2008
Beirut
Phu Kradueng
Issan has always been my favorite destination in Thailand simply because of its people. My previous trips to Issan were mostly passing-bys on the way to Laos and Cambodia. This time I decided to use the newly introduced company holiday to visit Phu Kradueng National Park, perhaps the best in the region.
Mar. 9, 2008
Phu Kradueng National Park
Mar. 9, 2008
Phu Kradueng National Park