The first wave of culture shock hit us while we were still in Thailand. Checking in for our flight with El Al, Israel’s national airline, gave us our first taste of what our trip to the country might be like. The waiting area in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport around El Al’s counter already seemed louder than […]
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Teaching English as a Second Language lends itself to a nomadic lifestyle, allowing me to combine my love of teaching with my love of traveling. I have taught in four countries including my own, spanning three continents. While usually my classrooms have been the standard desk, chair and white board scenario, my travels have opened […]
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Sticks of incense stand upright in the freshly up-turned dirt, filling the air with their fragrant smoke. Like runway lights, they lead the way from where I stand to Mae Tee, finally at rest. Before she came to Elephant Nature Park, Mae Tee was forced to work in the logging industry, hauling massive logs through […]
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Located at 24 Sriwichai Road, just outside of the beautiful Wat Suan Dok complex, Magical Garden Cafe is only a 5-10 minute ride away from guesthouses inside the moat, as well as the ever-popular Nimmanhaemin Road. Atmosphere A beautiful garden setting sets the atmosphere at the Magical Garden Cafe, as one of its greatest selling points. Just on the […]
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Every year many tourists come to the small town of Chiang Mai to soak up the sun, relax from the stress of daily life and enjoy amazing cuisine. Located on the bustling street of Loy Kroh in the tourist center of Chiang Mai, the Centara Duangtawan Hotel provides the ultimate luxurious experience. First Impression One of the […]
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Before we moved to Thailand, the extent of Thai dishes in my repertoire was a makeshift curry using store-bought green chili paste and coconut milk. Although I knew that I wasn’t preparing anything authentic, I hadn’t realized just how far from a true Thai dish it really was! After taking part in a full day […]
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One of the highlights of spending some time in Ubud, Bali was ringing in the year 1936. We discovered that celebrating the Balinese New Year was unlike every other New Year’s celebration that we had ever experienced. It included a combination of music and dance performance, scary monsters, bonfires and silent introspective meditation. This very […]
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Juicy 4 U is located on Ratmakka Road, just off the inner Moat Road (Moon Muang) and only 200 meters from Tha Pae Gate. Situated next to the Elephant Nature Park office we found ourselves eating lunch there every day of the week for over a year. Even being so familiar with this locale, Juicy 4 […]
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Off the northwestern coast of Lombok, Gili Trawangan is known as the party island, when compared to its smaller siblings of Gili Meno and Gili Air. However, the island’s nightlife was not the main draw for us. Instead, it was the promise of snorkeling with sea turtles that forced us to include the rowdy isle […]
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Just as we were about to click the “book now” button, we decided to first read a few reviews of the hotel in Jakarta we were considering. This is when we learned that the hotel follows Sharia Law. Out of both curiosity and adventure we confirmed our booking, wondering what we had in store for […]
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Located on the quiet side street of Ratmakka Road, just off the inner Moat Road (Moon Muang), Taste From Heaven Vegetarian Restaurant is only a short five minute walk from ThaPae Gate. This restaurant used to be located on the other side of the moat but closed about a year ago in order to revamp […]
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We spent a month traveling in Indonesia and were pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to find a variety of vegan options. Although we only visited three islands in the archipelago – Java, Bali and Lombok – we certainly got a good taste of the country’s cuisine. All across Indonesia tofu and tempeh are […]
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After sharing with our guest house owner, Taruna, that we not only enjoyed gamelan (bronze Balinese orchestra), but we have also played, he invited us to a trance dance ceremony to bless a new village temple that was to be performed that night in the village. Perhaps not sure if we were aware of the […]
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The Loving Hut is a chain of vegan restaurants with franchises located around the globe. Surprisingly, despite all of our travels, we only first came across their locations while on our month-long vacation in Indonesia. In total, we dined at three of their locations, including Yogyakarta, Denpasar and our favorite in Jakarta. Located on the top floor […]
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Adinda Homestay on Jalan Sugriwa is located just far enough away from the touristy section of Ubud to be relaxing, yet is close enough to be able to enjoy the macaques at Monkey Forest and take in performances on several stages. It is also a stone’s throw away from some great restaurants, including many vegan options. […]
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Flanking Yogyakarta on opposite sides, the ancient Buddhist temple of Borobudur lies in the west and the Hindu temple of Prambanan sits to the east. In the spirit of convenience, we reluctantly signed up for a tour to visit both temples in one day. If we had the chance to do it over again, though, […]
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Si Doi Hotel Legian is perfectly located for a quiet stay away from the loud party scene of Kuta, yet still close enough to the restaurants and the famous Kuta Beach. Along with its sister hotel in Kuta, Si Doi in Legian is locally owned, family-run and the staff has high standards of hospitality. First […]
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Any time we take a trip to a new country, we research scams we may encounter. In preparation for our month-long visit to Indonesia, this was no exception. We learned about bank machines that would only collect our account information rather than dispensing money. We were prepared for friendly strangers inviting us to an art […]
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