Riding the Indian Pacific from Perth to Adelaide

Riding the Indian Pacific from Perth to Adelaide

Like seeing the glow worms of Waitomo Cave, riding one of Australia’s great trains has long been on my list of things to do. The romance of traveling across a continent by train, watching the landscape change as the miles tick by, enjoying meals in a dining car, and hopping off for brief stops in the middle of nowhere, what could be better? Australia has two well-known rail journeys: the

Beautiful El Nido: a far cry from the peace of Port Barton

Beautiful El Nido: a far cry from the peace of Port Barton

The Bacuit Archipelago is considered one of the highlights of any visit to the Philippines: limestone cliffs jutting out of the sea as in HaLong Bay but without much litter and with great snorkeling. El Nido, at the northern end of Palawan, is the best base for exploring the area and the tour industry is booming.   There are four standard island hopping tours with tours A and C reputed

Paradise Found: Port Barton

Paradise Found: Port Barton

Getting to and from Port Barton on the island of Palawan requires time on a terrible road or forking over a fair amount of cash for a boat. The road into town is under construction and will, almost certainly, increase tourist numbers when complete. But for now, Port Barton is a tranquil respite from the crowds of Puerto Princesa’s Underground River and El Nido. For me, it was nothing short

A Day in the Cameron Highlands

A Day in the Cameron Highlands

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

An Elephant Ride to Remember

An Elephant Ride to Remember

We rode elephants. We fed them; inspected the area between their toenails for sweat; assessed the dirt they’d collected overnight in different sleeping positions; counted the number of coconut-sized turds in their most recent dumps then inspected one for color, hydration, and smell; we washed them – the elephants, not the turds. But most importantly, we rode elephants. With my 65-year-old parents. There are numerous places in Southeast Asia to

My favorite country so far? It’s not Vietnam.

My favorite country so far? It’s not Vietnam.

We recently finished 30 days in Vietnam and while we had some good times and met some wonderful people – both Vietnamese and travelers – I can’t say I love the country. If I’m honest, I spent most of those 30 days (1) wishing we hadn’t booked a departing flight in advance so we could get the hell out, and (2) trying to keep my anger and stress to a

Hoi An: The Good and the Bad

Hoi An: The Good and the Bad

I don’t recall when I first read about Hoi An but when I learned that the town is full of tailors and new clothes can be had for cheap, it made my list of must-go places in Vietnam. Not only are the tailoring options plentiful, there’s an old town with buildings that weren’t destroyed in the American-Vietnam War, a full moon festival that has nothing to do with partying, excellent