It’s impossible not to fall in love with the resilient, beautiful humans of Cambodia. They are thriving, often through intensely creative outlets. Whether in spite of, or inspired by, their horrid modern history, and their rich and vibrant long term history, the result is is a profound statement of humanity. Angkor boasted more 1 million people […]
The music started sometime around sundown in the little space between buildings. A marquee, brightly decorated with fairy lights, billowy silks, and an abundance of flowers was the scene for the nuptials and the raucous celebration that surrounded it. A massive set of mega-amplifiers generously shared the happy couple’s joy through music to all within […]
There are few places that give you a sense of a people and their culture than a local market. The sights and smells may be familiar or foreign, but from a market, you know what a community eats, how they flavour their food, the resources that are in abundance, the things they need for daily […]
We were privileged to be able to volunteer at JB School, an English language school in a farming village in Cambodia. We wanted to understand more about what life is like for the “regular” Cambodian away from the tourist trail, and felt that giving something that was within our gift to give – our time […]
Growing up in Australia in the 70s, we learned the story of the Anzacs, like Simpson and the Donkey. As a young boy, Anzac day was a public holiday much like any other – a day off school. The holiday didn’t always fall on the 25th April back then, Instead, the Anzacs were memorialised with […]
They say that Angkor Wat is the mother of all wats – not because she came first (and apparently it’s a “she”), but because she’s so vast, that she gave birth to all the other wats. Angkor Wat is so important to Cambodia that it’s on the flag, and even the Khmer Rouge left her […]
We landed in Cambodian city of Siem Reap, the gateway for Angkor Wat and the temples surrounding it that together make up the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site. Airport transport came in the form of a tuk tuk, and we were dubious as to whether our excessive amounts of luggage would fit on the little […]
We landed in Bali with curiosity bubbling over. I had only ever seen photos of Bali enticing would-be tourists to come to these far away sand swept shores. As an American, Bali has always been an unreachable exotic luxury island on the other side of the globe. Far too expensive and too far away for […]
Our time in Thailand was coming to an end. Christmas was coming, and we had a few days in Bangkok for shopping, catching up with old friends, exploring, and templing. From there we would head to Bali to share some vacation time with Mark’s brother and his family before going to Australia for the holidays. […]
There are a whole lot of Elephant sanctuaries in Northern Thailand, and their keeping is somewhat controversial. Elephants have long been an integral part of Thailand’s culture and history. The animals have been rescued from lives of service either in circus, tourist trade or as beasts of burden. They now live a bucolic life, taking […]
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