If you read our recent article about what seems to many to be a cultural propensity for scamming foreigners in Vietnam, you already know that if you do plan to go there you can expect to be cheated, overcharged, constantly touted, and possible even intimidated and abused. I personally still think a visit to Vietnam can be worth it, depending on what you are looking for – thought […]
Talk to people who have visited Vietnam and you often get mixed reviews. Even some of the most seasoned of travelers come to spend time in this fascinating country and report harsher treatment than in any other Southeast Asian country. So, what’s really going on? Are those who have issues just sensitive travelers used to being spoon-fed, or is there really something awry on the trail in Vietnam?
After all, […]
If you’re new on the traveling circuit, particularly in Southeast Asia, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to hit you when you get off the plane and charge up your bowels with some out of this world spices is the toilet situation. And believe me, after your first couple dishes of the delicious food from the region, you are bound to get, what they call in Thailand, a bout of […]
If you’ve read a lot of my articles, you probably know that I am big on getting off the tourist track and seeing some “authentic” local living—because in my experience, a lot of travelers see a candied up, worn out, and expensive side of the countries they visit. I could go on all day with reasons why, really, but then, I do that already. Today, I want […]
In one of my recent articles, I talked about the Thai taboo of touching people’s heads, and today I want to talk about the complete opposite—the human foot. While the head is considered a sacred part of the human body, the foot is considered the dirtiest (as it probably is) and also the least sacred. This may have come about to be due to sanitary concerns of the […]
My time in Thailand is coming to a close, and I’m not done writing about it by any means, but I do want to make it a point to cover some of the major “don’t do that’s” before I pack my bags and head out the door. After all, it’s often what we don’t know rather than what we do know that gets us in trouble on the road, […]
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As the end of my long stay here in Thailand comes to an end (and I’m almost 100% sure it is not the last), I’m really coming to terms with the time that I’ve spent here. I feel a real sense of homesickness about leaving that I never really felt in America and still rarely feel about my childhood home—as if by leaving I’m leaving a part of […]
There’s no shortage of options for accommodation no matter where you go in this country. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a couple hundred baht to spend per night or if the sky is the limit—you’ll have no problem finding something to suit your budget and tastes.
Of course, if you’re on the lower end, you’ll have to look a little harder to find something clean and comfortable, but even if […]
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In a lot of my articles about traveling, I discourage the idea of trying to see too many places at once and advocate the idea of settling down in one locale and really getting your money’s worth. I still stand by that, but I do realize that most people are limited on time when it comes to traveling, and that when you go on your first international mission, it […]