Koh Tonsay, or Rabbit Island as it is called, is just a short ferry ride away from Kep, the heavenly seafood haven on Cambodia’s Southeastern coast. This island is relatively untouched, with the most developed beach containing only a smattering of thatched-roof huts, pecking chickens, and lazy dogs. The sand is soft and white, the…
Asia / Global Eats / Thailand
Soi 38 is a tiny little section off of Sukhumvit that I like to refer to as my night food market mecca. The stalls here have a reputation for being delicious and hygienic, so it’s a great place to ease in if it’s your first time eating street food fare–in fact, it was the first…
It seems like we have a near-obsession with getting closer and closer to the sky, building skyscrapers of Babel-esque proportions, reaching to touch the fingers of God. We clamber and climb and pay entrance fees with crowds of other people to catch a good view, to see the world with a bit of distance, where…
I would say that Phnom Penh is a pretty city, and as we drove away in our tuk-tuk, I reveled in the long, stretching green parks between the lanes of the road. But after about 10 minutes, I began to feel the grit of dust accumulating on my skin and in my hair. Much of…
Asia / Global Eats / Thailand
As promised, this post is part of a new weekly series: Tasty Tuesdays! Each week I’ll highlight a country/culture-specific food and tell you all about it. Because let’s be honest, half of travel is eating. Or something like that. Today, I bring you the glorious luk chup candies. I’ve been eyeing these gorgeous little morsels…
Of course, when dating someone outside your own culture, you expect cultural differences to arise. But to be honest, when I first started dating my English boyfriend, I didn’t really think about that too much. I mean, we (sort of) have a common language, share a lot of history, and in general are somewhat similar.…
Southeast Asia is notorious for sleepy persons snoozing in any crook or cranny they can find. There seem to be extra points for finding a way to sleep on the job! I don’t blame them. With the high afternoon heat, taking a load off and throwing your feet up in the air sounds like a…
I’ve been living and traveling abroad for about 3 years now. That means my excitement for receiving any sort of mail has quadrupled from normal levels! Sometimes it’s those little things that keep you feeling connected even when your feet are telling you otherwise. But what’s even better is when I get a package full…
Everyone has his or her favorite getaway, and mine is Koh Samet. Since it’s mainly a relaxation spot for Thais, the beaches are still relatively clear and clean (nevermind the recent oil spill, that’s another story!) and the locals are still happy to see you. The bungalows are cute and cheap, even if pestered by mosquitoes…
Thai food is pretty famous, but as far as desserts go, most people never stray much further than mango and sticky rice. While that’s admittedly pretty excellent, there is a whole array of Thai desserts which are spectacularly sweet and definitely worth a try. Khanom bueang is probably my favorite. I first saw these little…
Through the eyes of children, places take on a peculiar light–whether fantastical, frightening, or anything in between. Sometimes, when I’m exploring a place, I am caught off guard by the whimsy of children, reminding me to look deeper. At Bayon Temple in Angkor Wat complex, Cambodia, two children peek through a window as they play…
Wat Pho is one of my favorite temples in Bangkok. It’s the first temple I always take visitors to see, so I have been here many times! But every time I visit, I see it with new eyes and new heart. Wat Pho is one of the most famous temples in Thailand, containing the largest…
Oudt Leyden ‘t Pannekoekenhuysje was just a stone’s throw away from my little home in Leiden, and one of the first places I was encouraged to visit. The pancake house has been operating out of the center of the town since 1907, serving up the Dutch delicacies with precision to such guests as the Dalai…
The fire shows really are the highlight of a night in Koh Samet, absolutely free and absolutely amazing. There will be jugs of fuel dotted around the perimeter, and the dancers or fire spinners will simply dip the wicks in and set them ablaze! Watch your cameras, you might get a bit of gas splash…
A friend of mine is just about to make the trek over to the Netherlands to finish his Masters studies in Leiden. Now, Leiden has an incredibly special place in my heart. A few years ago, finishing my undergraduate degree, I got this crazy idea in my head to study abroad for my last term.…
I had been really good at posting regularly, and then had a minor freak-out about my thesis… okay, I’m still freaking out! I have been really busy writing away, and on top of that I have had some opportunities to volunteer a bit of my time for some great causes in and around Bangkok. All…
This is an ode to a sweet street food sensation. An ode to little pillows of dough, with airy pockets and a slight greasy ooze that, let’s be honest, everyone secretly loves. An ode to the little unsmiling man who drops dough in spattering oil, only to pull out these heavenly Thai donuts that leave…
Rant and Roam 