Author Archives: Archana
A Hindu and a Muslim make a Buddhist pilgrimage to the Golden Rock
From Yangon, we jetted to the village of Kinpun, which serves as the base for a major Buddhist pilgrimage site known as the Golden Rock. The Rock sits atop Mt. Kyaiktio and legend has it that the rock maintains its precarious slanted position thanks to a Buddha hair in the stupa. We spent one day … Continue reading
What’s that red stuff? and other burning questions about Burmese culture
Myanmar’s traditions are less a part of travel vernacular than, say Thailand’s (ladyboys). Here, I break down the ones you’ll see most often in Burmese culture — on and off the streets. What’s that red liquid stuff on the streets? I first thought it was blood, but it’s actually the remnants of chewing the ubiquitous … Continue reading
The wild and weird city known as Yangon
Culture shock. We haven’t really had any during our travels. But here we were in Myanmar’s former capital of Yangon, walking streets filled with dosa makers, begging monks (a really odd sight) and fortune tellers. People stared, people asked us where we came from and not a tourist was in sight. It was filthy, it … Continue reading
The ins and outs of traveling to Myanmar
Myanmar is known for many things — food, temples, strict sanctions — but decent Web connections is not one of them. So though we’ve left the country (and are now in Malaysia), we won’t deprive you of stories and pictures. But before we share, I think it’s important to tell you what we did before … Continue reading
Koh Tao is for (snorkel) lovers
We ended our week in the Thai islands on Koh Tao, a small island on the Gulf side that doles out almost as many SCUBA certifications as dive shops in Cairns, Australia. (That’s a lot.) I’ve already dived in Australia and Eaman wasn’t super keen, so instead, we spent our time engaged in our favorite … Continue reading
7 steps to beach bum life: Koh Phangan edition
I had dreams of beautiful Koh Phi Phi and low-key Koh Lanta before this trip, but with rainy season upon us, we had to stick to the Gulf side, where the islands are well-protected from monsoons. So which would it be: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao? Believe it or not, we had been … Continue reading
