So often travel photographs and the stories that go along with them only highlight the wonderful, the amazing and the life-changing aspects to the trip. When I show my pictures to family, friends and travel enthusiasts, they see that spectacular view or the amazing animals and listen to the funny or insightful stories that go […]
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It has just rained here and everything is now cool and quiet. The waves are gently coming in and the fog is lifting – sublime, but in a very different way than we had expected. We decided to stay on the not-touristy side of the island, the one that has no beaches and the one […]
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Our wanderlust has taken us all over the world and although we have never regretted visiting any country, there are some countries in which it is easier to be vegan than others. But this doesn’t mean that we would have traded our experiences on the high Tibetan plateau or the rice terraces of Banaue, Philippines simply […]
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Although we hadn’t planned on it, our travels led us to ring in the New Year four times in 2014. It was amazing to see how different cultures celebrated the ideas of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. While some traditions were more familiar than others, some were very unique and even bizarre. Here […]
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What a year! 2014 was a year of amazing travel including to three new countries and major changes such as relocating across the world as we begin the next chapter of our lives. Let’s look back at this eventful year: Singapore In January, I was lucky enough to travel with Lek Chailert, the founder of […]
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I was very excited to join Save Elephant Foundation‘s Surin Project, wanting to spend time with elephants again. I soon discovered, however, that this was a different sort of elephant project, one that helped people. But I wasn’t interested so much in people; I wanted to help and be around elephants. So, while I begrugedly attended the mahout (elephant care-taker) […]
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I was very happy to spend one of my last weeks in Thailand at the Surin Project, which helps improve the lives of captive elephants. After volunteering for a week at Elephant Nature Park in the north of Thailand, where I learned about the plight of Asian elephants, I was eager to do all I […]
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While in the village of Ta Klang in Thailand’s Surin Province, I came across a paper-making factory that taught me how to turn elephant poo into paper. Unfortunately, the poo is collected from captive elephants, usually chained to either a tree or post of some sort, standing with their poo racked and stacked to the side. […]
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To the unprepared visitor arriving to Phuket during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar might be a bit jarring. With fire crackers, gods, trances and cheek impalement it can be easy to forget about the food. Not only is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival unlike any other food festival worldwide, it is also one of the most […]
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The van takes the familiar curves and we know exactly when to turn our heads to the left for the next beautiful view. “This is our last time”, we look at each other with tears in our eyes, “Let’s make the most of it” and brace ourselves for a series of hard goodbyes. Ever since […]
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Editor’s Note: We met Apple at Elephant Nature Park, where she lives and works as a guide. She shares her knowledge of elephants with visitors who come to the park to volunteer, teaching them about the lives of individual elephants as well as the plight of Thai elephants in general. Apple has learned non-violent techniques […]
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Of course, stray dogs live a tough life regardless of what streets they roam in their corners of the world. However, it seems as though the dogs that call the lanes of Chiang Mai home face a particularly uphill climb. These soi dogs, as they’re commonly known, must overcome challenges around every turn if they […]
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Elephants are matriarchal by nature, forming strong, tight-knit all-female herds, kicking out males when they become of age. In the wild, female elephants only consort with males for reproductive purposes, always returning to the herd. In the wild, Southeast Asian jungles, herds are typically comprised of only family members. However, in sanctuaries, such as Elephant Nature Park, […]
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Located in the hustle and bustle of the Silom district in Bangkok, Bonita Cafe is a quaint escape serving delicious meals. Focused primarily on animal welfare, this restaurant does a great job in transforming traditional comfort food into hearty, vegan dishes. Atmosphere Decorated with unique pieces of Americana, Bonita Cafe transports visitors to a country-style […]
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Located on an unassuming small street off of Suthep Road, Ice Love You serves up vegan ice cream (mostly) in a comfortable setting. Although this locale mostly targets local Chiang Mai University students with flavors such as CMU cheese (not vegan), everyone is welcomed by a friendly staff. Flavors Ice Love You has two freezers […]
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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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