For many of the cities we visit, I look up events happening during our stay. We don’t attend many, since they tend to be performances of international artists or bands – and we’ve come to that country to experience their local art. However, in Bangkok, we did. I had read about a market/festival that had gotten rave reviews the…
Neighborhood: Tennoji-ku (ward) Also Called: N/A Pros: It was within walking distance or a short subway ride to almost everything we wanted to see, from a distinctive Japanese puppet show to their Times Square-like area. It felt safe, but that was true of everywhere we visited in Osaka, so not sure if that merits mentioning. It was…
Cambodia had a lot to recommend it. Regardless of what’s in the guide books, here’s what we enjoyed and remember the most – now that we’re two months removed: B’s List Being rich! From being able to get so many massages to paying $15 for medical care that would have cost thousands back home <link coming>,…
Here are some things we were surprised by in Osaka: Subway cars have heating vents underneath the seats, so you feel like your feet and/or butt are being warmed. Excellent idea! Toilet seats are also heated. An even better idea! They generally have a lot of features, from a bidet-like sprayer to a sound-making machine to cover the…
Neighborhood: Tonsai Bay Also Called: N/A Pros: Lots of different restaurant, shops, and activity vendors are within easy walking distance. There are even a few local Thai stands, which is rare here. (None of them are any more affordable than anything else on the island though, so choice does not equal affordability here.) You don’t have to…
Neighborhood: Thong Sala Also Called: Town, Port Pros: Lots of different restaurants and shops are within easy walking distance. This also means that food tends to be more affordable, because there are many options. It’s fairly equidistant from various parts of the island, from the parties on the east side to the beaches of the west side,…
If we had it to do over again, we would likely skip Koh Phi Phi. It is an island exclusively for tourists, with the corresponding lack of authenticity and affordability. (There’s a cost just to step foot on the island!) That said, here’s what we saw during our day and a half there: Fire Show: Not…
Railay Beach is technically in the town of Krabi, but it’s cut off from the rest of the city by jungle and cliffs, so the only way to get there is by boat. We were here for two days, and here’s what we did: Sa Phra Nang (Hidden Lagoon) [link has good photos]: This is a hike…
Lots of massage parlors around the world advertise their “Thai massages.” Not surprisingly, these massages sometimes have little in common with the real deal. Here’s what I experienced over the course of ten massages: Places in Thailand usually advertise multiple styles of massage: Thai, oil, foot, aloe vera (oil), milky (oil), relaxation (oil), aromatherapy (oil),…
These twelve things surprised us generally about Thailand: Pictures of the king are everywhere, not unlike in Cambodia. However, in Thailand, there is also a formal law that prohibits any negative speech about the king! It is called lèse majesté, and violating it carries a hefty prison sentence. The law was recently reinterpreted by the Thai…