Hanoi hit me like a ton of bricks. My three-hour flight from Singapore was easy enough, but flying always exhausts me no matter how long or short the flight. Getting to the airport, getting through customs and immigration, figuring out how to spend the rest of that particular currency, flying, visas, more customs and immigration, …
I woke up on a Singapore Sunday craving some yoga. Although I thought I would practice a lot in Bali, I didn’t really get into the scene there. Plus, I really needed to atone for the intense digestive workouts I was giving my stomach in Singapore! Luckily there was a small, warmly lit studio just …
On my first full day in Singapore, I was waiting out a short rainstorm in my hostel when I overheard another guest trying to plan his day with suggestions from the hostel owner. He didn’t seem too thrilled with any of the options, and as the rain began to let up and I was tying …
Singapore gets a bad rap in the travel and backpacker community. It’s not as gorgeous as Thailand, as gritty as Vietnam, as groundbreaking as Myanmar. Plus, of course, it’s wildly expensive, on par with New York and Tokyo amidst a subcontinent of cheap places to live. I’d read that there wasn’t much to do and …
How did I even find out about Kuala Lumpur? Malaysia never factored into my travel dreams. I’m not sure why. I’ve long dreamed of elephants in Thailand, seeing the temples at Angkor Wat, and eating street food in Vietnam, but Malaysia never pinged on my radar. But when I altered my plans to include Sumatra, …
I was pretty excited to flee Bali. Don’t get me wrong—I had some great experiences there. Snorkeling Menjangan Island; joining the locals in a parade for Kunigan; practicing yoga in the rice fields; enjoying cheap Balinese massages. But at the end of the day, I think it just wasn’t for me. I was glad to …
As an animal lover, it has been tough traveling in southeast Asia. Sad stray dogs and cats run rampant everywhere, and even in touristed Bali, the cacophony of cockfights can pierce a peaceful evening. It breaks my heart constantly. So I was determined to plan my trip around some volunteering at animal sanctuaries—I wanted to …
I’ve spent a fair bit of time puzzling over why people have such a positive mental image of Bali. Before my trip, if I mentioned my plans to visit Indonesia to anyone, I received mostly indifferent looks. Say the word “Bali,” though, and it’s a different story. Bali evokes paradise. But why? It’s one of …
I don’t quite remember how I found out about Mount Ijen on the island of Java, but I do remember that as soon as I saw the pictures of its turquoise crater and electric blue flames, I knew I had to go. It’s more or less the reason I came to Banyuwangi in the first …
Indonesia started with a whirlwind of transit. I flew direct from Tokyo to Jakarta, overnighted in the airport hotel there, then navigated the crazy Jakarta airport to fly again to Surabaya, a mid-size but overwhelming city. Jakarta and Surabaya were both assaults on the senses, masses of people, sights, sounds, and smells. I was lucky …