One woman's journey through the world
Primates that can fit in the palm of my hand; brownish-green hills that resemble overgrown anthills; caves that beg to have their stories of WWII told; a green river nestled between jungle-covered hills; access to a white beach lined with bars and restaurants owned by those trying to create a mini-Boracay; and some excellent diving 45-minutes away by boat. This is Bohol. Like so many other islands in the Philippine
Apo Island – not to be confused with Apo Reef – is one of those places some travelers think should be kept a secret. That if too many people know about it, too many tourists will come and ruin it. But like Mrauk-U in Myanmar, I think it deserves to be known and I honestly don’t think the hordes will descend upon it for more than the day trips easily
My favorite days of traveling are those when I’m both relaxed and busy: when I see or do something active but also enjoy a leisurely meal – ideally with someone whose company I enjoy; when I eat a new food or witness something unique to where I am; and when I end the day with a drink, I wind up in conversation with people who become friends. These are the
The world’s largest flowers are not particularly pretty. At least, not after their first two days in bloom. And some of them smell like decaying flesh. Yet people pay guides to lead them through jungles to see them. Last week, in the Cameron Highlands of peninsular Malaysia, I was one such person. Squeezing as much as I could into one day, I joined a tour that covered most of the
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, long before its Lord of the Rings fame, has been referred to as New Zealand’s best one-day trek. We did a number of day walks throughout the country and I understand why this one is crowded with Kiwis and visitors alike. The terrain includes desolate stretches of barren rock and earth, a climb referred to as the Devil’s Staircase, traces of old lava flows, vibrant green
Some people come to New Zealand to hike the Great Walks. Tramping, as it’s called here, is easy to do with countless trails of varying length and difficulty. We’ve done our share of day hikes and easy walks but when we packed for this trip, we chose not to bring sleeping bags or camping gear. So when we decided to tackle a Great Walk, we figured the easiest one was