Things to Do in Rishikesh

December 8, 2019

Rishikesh is a very spiritual city, and you can feel it when you are here. People are so kind and welcoming. Strangers say namaste as a greeting as they pass you on the street, someone you just met will offer you a ride on their scooter if you are going in the same direction, and the city sits around the holy Mother Ganga, which is the river you might know as the Ganges (gan-jeez), which has a distinct spiritual energy of its own.

A gorgeous view of Ram Jhula one evening from our dinner spot.

It seemed like just after 2 weeks, I became friends with everyone on my street: the family that ran my favorite general store, the husband and wife duo who built my favorite restaurant all by themselves using only recycled materials, the guy who made the best smoothie bowls, all the street dogs and especially the family of 6 puppies up the road, and all the cows living on my street.

My little pups that I fed and visited everyday.

I lived there for 2 months, near my yoga school, and away from the main tourist area, more nestled amongst the mountains and that was really lovely. It was amazing to watch the sun rise and set every day behind the mountains. And I loved laying in bed in the morning, and listening to the streets wake up: horse hooves trekking loads up the mountain roads, cows mooing, children laughing on the way to school, dogs barking and playing. It’s a really amazing place, especially if you can stay for a while. And if you can, here are some great things I recommend doing.

1. Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga teacher training is one of the main things this area is known for. I did a 200 hour kundalini certification through Adi Yogpeeth, and couldn’t have been happier with my choice. There are hundreds of schools in the area, and more being built each day, so you’ll have to do a fair bit of research to choose your school. Doing teacher training here is very affordable. Even with a flight, I think it’s cheaper than most trainings I’ve seen in America and Europe. And these trainings include room and food and excursions, so it’s a really amazing experience.

2. Dunk Yourself in the Ganga (with caution)

One of my friends from yoga school told me she heard if you dunk your body in the Ganga, head all the way under, you’ll receive all the answers you are looking for. So obviously we had to try it haha! We did this in November, so it was a bit chilly, and the water is super cold, so it was quite a rush. I ended up dunking myself in 3 times because it was just so fun. I’m not sure that I received all my answers, but no worries! I had a great time.

A few words of wisdom: 1. Please be careful where you do this! The Ganga’s current is strong, and it would be possible to wade out too deep, and get pulled out. People drown in the Ganga each year, so you don’t want to mess around. Just find a shallow area on one of the many beaches and do it there. 2. Woman, do this with clothing on only. I know this is a very annoying double standard, because men can go in in their underwear. But for now, that’s the way it is. So make sure you are dressed appropriately in general, and then just dunk yourself in those clothes.

If you don’t want to go all the way in, you can also just scoop some water in your hands and put it on your head. You’ll see a lot of Indian people doing this.

3. White-water Rafting on Mother Ganga

This was such a fun adventure, and gave us a real taste on just how strong and scary this river is in some points. We decided to do a 1 hour rafting tour, that cost 500 rupees (~$7). I was all excited about this, but I’ve only ever white-water-rafted once, and by the time we got to the shore, I was getting a bit nervous! The drive to our launching point was enough to get anyone’s adrenaline going, but then as we are standing on the shore, waiting to load into the raft, we see a raft go over this crazy rapid, and every single person fell out. And not only did they fall out, but they remained under for a scary amount of time, and I did not even see them all get back into the raft before they all turned a corner. I’m sure they were totally fine, but this was a super frightening start to our adventure!

It ended up being pretty scary, but only in 2 parts. The rest was super calm. Like you wouldn’t believe that level of calmness could transition into rapids so quickly. The worst part was the first set of rapids we did. I swear, it felt like we were on the open ocean which how big the waves are. The raft would go up and down at least 12 feet each time. But luckily no one fell out.

4. Ganga Aarti

This is a spiritual ceremony that takes place every evening on the Ganga in various locations. The one I went to was at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, and that was great because it wasn’t too large. This is a ceremony that is done in gratitude to the River Ganga and all that she has provided for this area. There are some fascinating rituals to behold here, many taken from the ancient text the Vedas.

5. Visit the Main Rishikesh Market (closed on Thursdays)

This market is where the locals shop so things are usually cheaper, and it can be pretty intense but fun. I can usually only last about 40 minutes walking around before I need to go home for some peace and quiet. I was in the tourist/yoga school area of town, but it’s very easy to grab a blue tuk-tuk into town for 10 rupees. And it’s super fun because you will get totally jam packed in them with wayyyy too many people. I would say they are meant to seat 6 (Indian people do tend to be smaller than Americans), but once I got crammed in there with 11 and it was a wild ride.

6. Bridge to Bridge Walk

There are two main bridges in the area: Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula. I was staying closer to Lakshman Jhula and crossed it many times. Just crossing the bridge is an adventure on its own. And actually, you do need to be careful of the monkeys! They are fierce here and will bite or attack. And they are always on these bridges. Cows and bulls also cross these bridges haha. And there’s tons of people and the bridges have a slight bounce to them, so it’s kind of scary the first time. And on Ram Jhula, motorbikes are also allowed to cross, so it’s really just totally crazy dodging monkeys, cows, people, and motorbikes at once. But you can cross either bridge, and then walk from one to the other on the south side of the Ganga. It’s a more peaceful walk, and you can stay pretty close to the river the whole time. I think it takes about 30 minutes to go from one to the other.

The picture has nothing to do with healing, I just love it.

7. Healing

Rishikesh’s spiritual nature brings out a ton of healing opportunities, every type you could imagine: crystal healing, chakra healing, pranic healing, reiki, massage therapy, Ayurvedic therapy, meditation, yoga, everything really. So if you are interested in getting a healing, or learning some of these techniques, this is a perfect location. I ended becoming certified in Reiki healing and really enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the “spiritual” realm these days that use this term to just take advantage of people who are in a hard time. So make sure you ask around, find a local you trust and ask them for a recommendation.

8. Waterfalls

I didn’t end up going to any waterfalls, but there are a few in the area and Neer Waterfall looked super beautiful. My friends went, and came back with stunning pictures. This would be an especially great activity if you need to cool off for a bit. Make sure to take some mosquito repellant for the treks up to the waterfalls!

9. Get involved in the community

Being in Rishikesh was so freeing, and I felt like beautiful and amazing things were happening all the time. I randomly got the opportunity to teach yoga to kids and it was one of my favorite experiences there. The kids were absolutely amazing, and it allowed me to practice my new yoga teaching skills. It was on the most unbelievable rooftop setting at an ashram near the river. The kids were so sweet and fun and grateful. I’m so thankful for this experience.

10. Rajasthani Hotel Rishikesh Sweets

India has the most amazing and unique sweets you can imagine. Check out my post on food to read more in detail. But the Rajasthani Hotel is a famous spot for sweets, and you can try just about anything there. Sometimes there’s even a long line because it is so popular. Even if you can’t make it out to this hotel, try as many sweets as you can get your hands on!

11. The Beatles Ashram

This is a really cool Ashram. It’s about a 30-40 minute walk from Lakshman Jhula. It’s a huge abandoned ashram that has been graffitied all over with this amazing artwork, much of which has to do with the Beatles. It’s a large area so you can spend a long time in it walking around. Definitely a great place to get some unique photos. Even though it’s “abandoned”, it does cost to get in haha. For foreigners it was 600 rupees.

My friends Shree and Ashkia after getting their tattoos.

12. Get a Tattoo

Why not?! I wanted to get one, but ended up not doing it because I wasn’t able to get the drawing right with the artist. Plus, I really enjoy donating blood back home, and even though I did research on this, and it seemed like I would still be able to give, I didn’t want to risk it. The tattoo my friends went to was Sacred Ink Rishikesh. They were really kind, and did a wonderful job, and designed some really beautiful pieces. There’s tons of tattoo places around, you can even just get them done on the street (which I don’t recommend), but this one had a really cool vibe.

13. Kirtan

Kirtan is a really beautiful thing to do. It’s chanting mantras and dancing to them. It’s kind of like a meditation of it’s own as you can really just let yourself go to these often simple and repeatable chants. And the people leading them have fascinating instruments and beautiful voices. We went to a session by the Hare Krishnas which was very good, but my friend Shree also led us in some of her own just casually on some nights with her guitar, and its was beautiful.

14. Go to a Wedding

If you are in India for a while, especially during October November when many weddings happen, it’s pretty easy to get an invite. A friend of a friend of a friend is enough haha. I went to two weddings during my 2 months there and they were a-maz-ing! You can’t even imagine all the food and the wild dancing that goes on. And on my second wedding, we rented saris for 300 rupees to get the full experience!

All dressed up in our saris and enjoying the festivities.

15. Festivals

Hinduism has seemingly endless festivals and ceremonies, so if you are in India for any period of time, it’s likely it will coincide with a celebration. I was in Rishikesh for Diwali and Dusshera and they were both really fun. For Diwali, we mostly just shot off fireworks all night. Literally everyone was shooting firecrackers, into the wee hours of the night so sleeping was pretty difficult. Kids were shooting them off too, definitely no age restrictions.

Dusshera was such a fun night. A few of us from yoga school went with our friend Ishan who lives in Rishikesh in the main area of town to watch the effigies burn on the river. However, we left late, and getting there in time to get a spot turned into this huge adventure. Luckily Ishan was guiding us or we never would have figured out how to get there. But it started with this epic tuk tuk ride into town until we hit so much traffic (because of the ceremony) that we had to get out and run through the streets for about 20 minutes to get to the river. Ishan was so fast, and we watched his head bob up and down in between hundreds of people down the narrow and winding streets and we ran and laughed to keep up with him. It was so magical. On the way back, there were literal swarms of people, should to shoulder foot traffic that was actually a little unnerving. Overall, it was such an adventure.

My time in Rishikesh was just so magical and life-giving. I am so grateful for the 2 amazing months I got to spend there, and all the friends and memories I made. But as with every location I’ve had the privilege of staying in, at some point, in my heart, I can tell that it is time to move on. And so with a full heart, I left Rishikesh to go to a new place in India and live at an ashram for some time.

Food in India

November 20, 2019

The food in India has completely blown me away. It’s so delicious, healthy (well it can be), and inexpensive. There are SO many varieties and SO many things we just don’t have equivalents for back home or in other parts of the world I’ve been. I know that I’ve only scraped the tip of the iceberg here in terms of things to try, but below are some things that I loved, and that you should look out for if you ever find yourself in India.

Most of these are variations of barfi. But the white ball is the rasgulla.

Desserts

Obviously, let’s start with desserts. One thing I love about India is that desserts are a big deal here. It’s pretty common to have something sweet after every meal, so I fit right in.

French Bakery. There’s a place called the French Bakery just a few minutes walk away from Adi Yogpeeth in Rishikesh. They have lots of delicious options like chocolate coconut protein balls, brownies, and carrot cake. But the queen is the vegan chocolate cake. It’s really incredible and only about $1 for one big slice. You have to try it if you are in the area.

Barfi. Certainly not the most appetizing name haha, but this was one of my favorite treats in India. It’s milk-based, like pretty much all the desserts in India seem to be. It’s very creamy and sweet and just delicious. The texture is kind of like a light fudge. It’s so hard to stop eating once you start. And there is endless variations of barfi. So give any of them a try! I even had one with chocolate running through the center.

Coconut ladoo. This I discovered late in the game when it showed up on the counter of my favorite local shop unexpectedly. I was used to stopping there and buying sweet chickpea balls for 5 rupees, but then on Diwali these bright pink and white balls caught my eye. They quickly became one of my favorites. They taste a lot like those Neapolitan coconut rectangles you can get back in the states in the Mexican food aisle. There is other types of ladoo, but I really love this coconut one.

Rice Pudding. I never got rice pudding from a shop. But the family I was staying with in Delhi made it a few times and it was really good. Definitely worth a try if you can find some!

Gulab Jamun. Gulab jamun is an easy one to find back in the US. They serve them at most Indian buffets I’ve been to. They are the little golden balls, like a fried bread dough, soaked in sugar syrup. They are soft and delicious, and it’s hard to stop eating them once you start. There is also rasgulla (picture above in the box of sweets) which looks similar to gulab jamun but is a white ball. It’s a cottage cheese based dumpling that has been soaked in rose flavored sugar syrup. I think these are not nearly as good as gulab jamun which is why they are not getting their own section.

Kulfi. Kulfi is this fun and popular ice cream treat that’s shaped like a cone but smaller on top, wider on the bottom. You can get this easily on the street but it’s not that great from those carts. If you go to a bigger shopping mall, and find a place dedicated to kulfi with lots of different flavors, that’s the best place to get it.

Milk cake. I don’t even know how to describe this one actually. And the thing is, I had one I really didn’t like (it was kind of sour), and a few that I loved. Like barfi, there seems to be endless variations. But the ones that are good are maybe like a bit of a cross between cookie dough and fudge. They have a milk flavor like a chocolate chip cookie dough base, without the chocolate. And the texture is a bit more soft and crumbley than fudge. Anyways, definitely really delicious if you find a good one.

Head chef showing us how to make the oat balls.

Healthy chocolate oat balls. You’ll find a huge variety of healthy ball things if you are in Rishikesh. Most of them are made with protein powder. The French Bakery, mentioned above, makes a very nice coconut chocolate one. But while I was at Adi Yogpeeth, the head chef in the kitchen taught us how to make his own dessert version, minus the protein (although you could easily add chocolate protein powder to this instead of the cocoa powder). He was always mixing it up and trying different things, but the essence is some oats (mostly oats), some chopped up cashews and almonds, and some sort of chocolate powder (often cocoa powder, but once he blended a whole tube of Oreos and used that instead and it was so good, and another time he blended up a whole tube of vanilla chocolate biscuits). Once you get the dry mixture together, you just add honey until you get the right consistency to be able to roll it into a ball. Dust on some coconut shavings to make it look cute, and voila! Oh, and it’s vegan! Another time he made a version that included milk and ghee, but I did not get to witness the making of this. So I’ll stick with the vegan version. Also, I’m thinking adding some turmeric would be fun as well! I’ll definitely be making these at home.

Vegan Banoffee Pie. This was my absolute favorite dessert in Rishikesh, and it can only be found at Tulsi Restaurant, which is located in the Tapovan area near many yoga schools. It’s a cookie crust, then a layer of toffee, then coconut cream, and then freshly cut bananas…all vegan! And it’s sooooo good. If you are in Rishikesh, just make a stop at this restaurant. It’s the best one in town, and the owner will welcome you in like family. I went to this place every single day for an entire month, but somehow managed to control myself, and only eat the banoffee pie on Sundays.

Savory

India has been a fantastic place to be a vegetarian, and Rishikesh is great for vegans. In fact, meat is not even sold or available in the main areas of Rishikesh. I never once struggled with protein intake, like I did in many parts of Southeast Asia. My diet mainly consisted of lentils (daal), cooked vegetables, milk products (which are way better here, although generally I try not to eat animal products), and breads (usually chapati or paratha.) And turmeric. Turmeric is in everything.

The breads. The best bread for me is definitely paratha which is a thin, circular shaped, fried bread with many layers the way a croissant has. Usually it is filled with a very thin layer of turmeric potato mash, but I’ve also had it with a sweet filling like apple cinnamon. But my favorite way to have it is totally plain but with lots of extra ghee and salt. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten, hot off the grill. Chapati or roti are also very popular. They are basically the same, in fact, I think chapati is a type of roti. These are another type of round flat bread, more akin to a tortilla. Also very delicious and perfect for helping you eat with your hands, as utensils aren’t always available, and eating totally with your hands is very normal. There’s also dosa which is made of rice flour and is a very thin and crunchy bread that gets folded over like a taco, surrounding some sort of yummy vegetarian filling. Poori is very thin and puffs up like a balloon when you fry it. It’s not my favorite just because it’s not as thick and decadent and buttery as the infamous paratha, but it’s fun to try for sure. And, of course, the one we all know – naan. Which I surprisingly have had zero of since I’ve been in India. This is always served at Indian restaurants back in the US so I expected to see it everywhere. But the chapati is the most popular and served with everything, at least in the North where I’ve been.

Lentils. Lentils are a staple here, and I eat them pretty much twice a day, for lunch and dinner. They are made into a soupy type dish called daal. They are really delicious and keep me doing well with my protein intake. There are all sorts of different colors of lentils, but the ones I’ve seen most frequently are yellow and brown. I really enjoy them, especially with some cooked potatoes or cauliflower, curd on top, and a side of chapati for scooping! Yum!

Curd. As mentioned, milk products are very important here, and the cows are highly revered because of how much their products sustain life. Curd is a bit like yogurt, although it is not made in the same way. But for all intents and purposes, that’s basically what it tastes like. A plain greek yogurt. But more delicious. And it’s good on everything. I like to put it on my vegetables or daal or dip the paratha in it. It’s a common side dish with many Indian meals.

Idli. Idli is such a fun dish. It kind of has the shape of an alien space ship. I think it’s usually made of rice flour, and it’s squishy and a little grainy. I had one of these on my way to India on the flight with some red sauce. But mostly, since I’ve been here, I eat it with coconut chutney, and it’s sooo good. They make it for us at the school, but not very often, so it’s a very special treat.

Street food

I love trying all sorts of different street foods while I’m traveling. And I’ve never once gotten sick (this probably also has a lot to do with me not eating meat), so I’ve gotten pretty adventurous at this point. Street food stalls in India are definitely more rustic than most of the ones I tried in SE Asia. And I’ve heard you do need to be careful to make sure, if they are serving you a sauce or something, that it is made with filtered water. But like I said, I haven’t had any problems.

Aloo tikki. This is definitely my favorite street food in India. It is a fried potato patty served with different types of sauces. The one pictured on the left had pieces of corn in it and was served with a sweet and spicy sauce. But normally I find them without the corn, and served with three different sauces on top. It is SO delicious and pretty spicy. They cost 40 rupees for two which is about 50 cents, so it’s also a really amazing deal.

Momos. My friend who was visiting Nepal told me about these, and said they were a must try. And they come in as a very close second place for favorite street food. They are vegetarian steamed (or fried) dumplings. I don’t even know what is inside of them, but they are so good. And they come with a variety of dipping sauces. They usually cost 50 rupees for 8 dumplings which is about 70 cents.

Pani Puri. These are very popular and you will see them everywhere in huge bags. These in particular I was told to be careful with because they are served with a liquid that may or may not have unfiltered water in it. These really aren’t my favorite anyways, but since they are such a staple here, and locals love them, I am writing about them. I’s a little fried puffed up hollow ball, filled with a strange liquid. They serve you five, but only one at a time. Since they serve them to you separately, and one after another, and there’s all the liquid, it feels like you are taking shots at a bar haha. The liquid itself has good flavor but they just give you way too much of it and it feels like you are eating a soggy chip or something. Not my fave! But other people love it, so give it a shot.

Drinks

Normally, back home, I never buy drinks at restaurants and just get the free water. But in most other countries, you have to pay for water, so you might as well try something fun.

Lemon nana. This is supposedly a famous drink in Rishikesh. It’s super delicious and I’ll try to make it once I come back home. It’s a slushy consistency made with ice, lemon juice, sugar, and fresh mint leaves all blended up together. The one shown obviously has some additional food coloring, but most of them take on a natural dark green color from the mint. They are consistently good anywhere you get them.

Golden milk. This is big here, and unexpectedly delicious. I only ever made it myself. Our yoga teacher told us it’s good to drink at night after dinner, so that it helps with flexibility in the morning during asana practice. It’s warm milk, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp turmeric, and 1/2 tbsp optional ghee. It doesn’t sound that appetizing but it’s really delicious. It takes on a beautiful yellow golden color, hence the name. And as mentioned, the milk products are so good here. I never liked cow’s milk growing up, but I could drink the milk plain here.

Chai or milk tea. This is maybe the most common drink of all time. Tea brewed with milk and sugar. It’s super delicious, especially because the milk here is so good, and they use unrefined, unprocessed sugar. It’s sweet and decadent. I have it every morning with breakfast and sometimes for a break later in the day. You can find lots of street stalls selling this as well. Sometimes it has a bit of a spice to it too which is really nice.

Himalayan flower juice. This is really amazing, and I only found it at one place in Rishikesh, called Tulsi Restaurant (mentioned and linked above). It’s juice made from pure pink Himalayan flowers and there’s really nothing like it. I don’t even know how to describe the flavor, but as you can see, it’s a gorgeous pink drink, cold, refreshing, and unique. I could easily drink 3-4 glasses in one sitting.

Hydration juice. Hydration juice is another one that I will try once I get home, and I love it. Several months ago, I tried watermelon slices with salt for the first time. Have you ever had it like that? It’s so so good. Anyways, this drink is kind of based on that. It’s fresh watermelon, lime juice, and Himalayan pink salt. That’s it, no sugar. It’s really good and feels healthy and hydrating. And the salt makes it really special. I only found this at Tulsi Cafe.

Sweet lassi. The first time I had a lassi, it was a savory one, and I did not like it at all. It was actually kind of spicy too. But the sweet ones, I really love. It’s basically just yogurt and sugar and somehow it’s got more of a drinkable consistency. I’m not sure if they add something to it, or if it just produced like this. Either way it’s really good, and you can get a lot of different flavors. But plain is quite nice.

Well, that’s a wrap on my love letter to Indian food…for now, at least. I’ve been so so spoiled living in Rishikesh and getting to eat so much delicious healthy food, and getting to eat at the yoga school every day. I don’t even know how I will manage when I have to cook for myself again one day! But I’ll definitely be trying to replicate some of these dishes.

Yoga Teacher Training at Adi Yogpeeth

November 4, 2019

After taking just one kundalini yoga class in Bali in April, I totally fell in love and knew I would have to spend some more time learning about this type of yoga in the future. I took more classes while I was traveling, mostly in Chiang Mai, and decided to just dive into a YTT once I got to India. I also loved studying yogic philosophy in Bali at the Yoga Barn, so I was really looking forward to learning more of that during the course.

My fellow Kundalini classmates and one of our favorite teachers.

It was super hard to pick a school because there seems to be hundreds in Rishikesh. The good news is, at least wanting kundalini narrowed it down to about 12. After months of research, and having way too many tabs open on my computer, I finally crossed my fingers and settled on Adi Yogpeeth school. And I couldn’t be happier with my choice! It was a fantastic experience, and I feel so rich with new knowledge that I need a serious break from studying in order to practice everything I’ve learned.

Getting some much needed assistance into locust pose.

The schedule was pretty tough – classes from 5:40am all the way until 6:20pm. This was 6 classes each day: kundalini asanas, pranayama, Indian philosophy, anatomy, kundalini theory, and meditation. We had a short break for breakfast and a 2 hour 45 minute break in the middle of the day for lunch and whatever errands we needed to do, but that break always went by super fast. I often napped. By 6:30 I was ready for dinner, and by 8pm I was showered and in bed every night. It tried to stay up until 10pm each night just so I would sleep well. But often went to be at 9pm.

The school is in a really nice location away from the center of the city. It has wonderful rooftop spaces and is surrounded by mountains. My course was in October and the weather was perfect, cool in the morning/evening and warm during the day. There’s wonderful organic provision stores around with lots of great and healthy food, and plenty of cafes with only vegetarian and vegan options. You won’t find any meat in this town! The big juicy pictures of burgers you’ll see in the restaurants in town are veggie ones.

Speaking of food, I was really blown away by the food that Adi Yogpeeth served us 3 times a day as part of our tuition. The cooks are really nice and you can tell they enjoy what they do, and it translates to the delicious food. I was really happy with every meal they provided, and only went out for fun or to try some desserts.

Gorgeous sunrise view from our rooftop in Rishikesh.

The school also set up lots of nice extras for us. We had free henna one day (pictured below), outings to swim in a river (pictured below), an Ayurvedic massage, beach yoga, sound healing, and more. And they let us have our very own full moon ceremony on the roof using there pillows, mats, and fire pit (pictured below). My friend and I co-hosted it, and it was so fun. It was my first time hosting an event like that, after attending many like in during my travels in SE Asia.

Adi Yogpeeth does nice opening and graduation ceremonies with traditional rituals and great music. They seem to take the testing seriously unlike some other schools in the area I heard about. Of course, everyone passes but it’s nice to know that they care about the quality of teachers they are putting out in the world. I received the award for best student which is suchhhh a lofty title lol, but what is really means is I got the highest grade on the written exam. We also had to design and perform a 5 practical exams.

The kundalini itself was different than what I expected. Turns out the kundalini classes I had been taking were based off a modified version of kundalini that Yogi Bhajan took to the West. It’s really funky and weird, generally not physically taxing, and it leaves you feeling kind of high if you have a good teacher. But this was not exactly what we learned. At first I was a little disappointed, but in the end I was happy to learn the traditional and foundational principles and theory of ancient kundalini yoga, not the modified/western version. And I think this will be the case for pretty much any kundalini course in India. If you want to learn the Yogi Bhajan version, you’ll probably need to be taught in western countries.

To the right is a drawing of the Swadhisthana chakra I did during our kundalini theory class. It was an interesting way to get in touch with these invisible centers in our body. Speaking of chakras, yogic philosophy will definitely have you learning some things that might seem a bit out there if you aren’t used to it, like chakras and reincarnation and psychic powers, but I enjoy diving into the learning with an open mind, and taking what works for me practically.

For people who don’t know, yoga is a vast and ancient philosophy and way of life, that has broken down into many branches over the centuries. The physical postures that people are used to doing as exercise in the West are only a tiny tiny part of yoga as a whole. The goal of yoga, and the meaning of the word is “union.” You might say union with God, or union of the dualities or opposites inherent in life. As with any way of life or religion (although yoga isn’t a religion), practitioners can be dogmatic about the principles and philosophy, especially concepts like dharma and karma. But I found my teachers to be very receptive to questioning and teaching the material in an open way, not a pushy way. And we all definitely asked a lot of questions. And yoga also has a lot of really practical and basic life principles that I think most people would agree with like non-violence, non-stealing, truth, contentment, self-study, discipline, and surrender.

Of course, nothing is totally perfect, and I did have some very minor annoyances, but overall I am super happy with this school and highly recommend it. The director, Monika, is so sweet and runs everything so well. I don’t know how she stays so calm and organized with all these students and schedules and trying to meet everyones’ needs.

Another plus is the school has a cat or two that hang around here all the time. Naturally we became fast friends. The area the school is in also has a bunch of pretty well taken care of street dogs. There was a group of 5 puppies that we loved going to visit.

If you are considering Adi Yogpeeth as a school, or Rishikesh as a place to learn, and have any questions, let me know!

The cat on the very cozy, fluffy blankets you get to survive the cold nights.

New Delhi & the Family Stay

October 28, 2019

So I finally left South East Asia, after over 6 months of traveling there. The last month or more of travel, I had been feeling a bit aimless, and like I was just killing time or going through the motions. So it became quite apparent that it was time to move on and accept the next challenge. Which was India! 🇮🇳

One of the absolutely gorgeous and exquisitely-decorated cargo vans you will see on the roads.

To be honest, I had been afraid to go to India. I’d been hearing a lot of things about safety, about how hard being a woman traveling alone there is, how you either love it or hate it, about how crazy it is, and that men would stare at me all the time (more on these items near the end of the post). I’m easily exhausted by overstimulation so I kind of expected to get to India, be overwhelmed, and want to go home.

But it’s been the complete opposite! I’m totally captivated and energized by India. I completely love it.

Here is the delish vegetarian food I had on my flight. I devoured it.

Getting to India

I flew to India from Bangkok via Air India which I was super pleased with. I’m quite afraid to fly, so I decided to buy a more expensive ticket with a more comfortable airline so I had a better chance of relaxing. And I was super relaxed! I would absolutely fly with them again. My favorite thing was the red and yellow grandma-style fabric they use for their cushions and carpet. I felt instantly cozy and safe. This cost $247. You can get flights from BKK to DEL for cheaper, but I chose my mental stability over money this time.

Indian Visa

This is very important, as you absolutely need a visa and a return flight to enter India. I used the advice of Hippie-in-Heels, and everything went very smoothly. I definitely recommend going with this website to get your visa just like she did, even though it’s a bit more expensive. And I ended up using bestonwardticket.com to book a “fake” return ticket. I did not end up having to show this in immigration, but others I know did, so make sure you have some proof of onward travel.

Although we normally ate at home, here’s a meal we had out. It was soooo good, and so fun to taste all of those different things. Also, Indians seem to be really big on dessert, so obviously I fit right in!

Family Life

I am so fortunate to have a wonderful friend named Sonali, whose family I stayed with in New Delhi! Sonali was born in India, but her family moved to the United States. Some of her family still resides in New Delhi, and even though I’d never met them, they welcomed me into their home for 5 lovely days. (Btw, check out Sonali’s amazing Indian-inspired fashion line here).

Anyways, I stayed with Sonali’s Aunt, Uncle, and Grandma and had the most wonderful time! Their hospitality is truly unmatched, and I’m so grateful for the time I spent with them. They introduced me to so much wonderful food, taught me some cooking basics, took me all around New Delhi, and overall gave me such a fun and homey welcome to Delhi. This helped me so much since I was a bit scared to adjust to India.

The food Sonali’s Aunt made every night was unbelievable. Even though she made it look so simple to cook. We pretty much had the same thing for every meal, but with variations. Lentils, a side vegetable, curd, and a type of bread. The parantha (shown below) was my absolute favorite bread (maybe ever), but more on that in another post! And we pretty much had dessert after every meal – my kind of people! Ice cream, rice pudding, gulab jamun, and more.

Delhi

Delhi is completely wild. It’s untamed, and energetic, and colorful. The clothing people wear is so stunning and beautiful, and their pattern-mixing abilities are top notch. Everywhere you look there are people, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, cars, cows, dogs, food stalls, clothing stalls, and more. There is constant motion and constant noise, but it’s all part of the fun. The honking here is incessant and it’s much more aggressive than in SE Asia. Also, there are these absolutely stunning cargo trucks (like the one at the beginning of the post) with gorgeous typography and symbols hand painted on them. I can’t get enough of them. Each is so unique.

As energizing and amazing as Delhi is, it can also be overwhelming in an emotional sense. There are many people begging for food, there are many animals and people in harsh living conditions, and there is trash everywhere. Maintenance of public areas is not very high.

I would definitely recommend exploring this city with a local or someone who has lived there for a while. Ignoring the fact that I’m a woman traveling alone, I think I would still like some help. Even walking down the street is overstimulating because you need to be alert at all times to make sure you don’t get hit by something, run into an unexpected person, or vehicle, or step in cow poop.

Old Delhi and New Delhi definitely have very different vibes, so make sure to check them both out!

Things to do

Sonali’s Aunt and Uncle were so kind to take me to some amazing places in Delhi. My favorites were the Akshardham Temple, The Red Fort, two different shopping malls, and a local Gurdwara (Sikh temple). I really enjoyed learning about the Sikh customs, and when you leave the temple, they give you a Karah Prashad which is a small handful of this sweet cookie-dough like substance.

Speaking of food, I plan to do a whole post dedicated to food in India, but for now I will tell you that I’ve been completely blown away by everything I’ve eaten, and the huge variety of food that I never even knew existed. I’ve eaten a fair amount of Indian food back home in NC, and it just does not compare. And it is so easy to be a vegetarian here, which I did not find to be the case in South East Asia.

Safety

I have not been in India long enough to feel like I can really comment on the safety. But I will say a few things:

#1 is I’ve experienced zero safety issues so far, and have had a wonderful experience with everyone I’ve met, man or woman.

#2 I do think it’s of course better to be on guard, especially while you are getting to know the place you are staying. The family I was staying with made a big deal of my safety when I was traveling alone on the bus from Delhi to Rishikesh. They made sure I got on a state bus (not private), and took the most deluxe one offered. They said they didn’t feel it was safe for me to take a cab there alone (unless you get a driver recommended of course). After doing some research, I read that if you do take a cab or transit alone, and the driver says he wants to pick up a friend, do NOT allow this. Say no, and get a different vehicle. I didn’t go out anywhere alone in Delhi, and saw several tuk-tuks with signs that said “this driver respects women”… so there seems to be an obvious problem. But, again, I personally have not experienced any safety issues at all.

Here’s Sonali’s Uncle making sure I’m all good on my bus to Rishikesh!

#3 I know several women living in India who say it is safe as long as you are cautious, and don’t go out at night alone. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable going out alone anyways in Delhi (at least for a while) simply because it is so hectic. I could see how something could happen very easily just because you are so distracted.

And as for the staring from men, it does happen, but it’s not bad at all. And both men and women stare at me, but so far it has felt much more curious than threatening. And, anyways, often I’m accidentally staring right back taking in the beautiful clothing, or sometimes the different spiritual markings on their foreheads.

(P.S. I do dress in accordance with cultural standards here! Sometimes I was a quite casual in Southeast Asia, but here I think it’s important to cover shoulders, cleavage, and legs, especially if you will be venturing out from city centers.)

Another note on men is that it’s very normal for grown men to walk around holding hands here. And it’s fascinating how much less intimidating men in general seem when holding hands. I wish men in all countries would do this!

Moral of the story: I love India, I had the best stay with my Delhi family, and next I’m headed to Rishikesh for a month long yoga teacher training!🤞🏽

Thailand in 16 Days, with My Dad

October 15, 2019

My dad, Roy, came to meet me in Thailand for a very fun-filled and adventurous 16 days! You might be thinking…how the heck do you travel with your dad for that long?! Lots of people have asked me this haha. But actually, my dad and I took a 2 week long road trip together 2 years ago, so I already knew it was possible. Of course, some bickering took place…it’s family after all, but overall, we had a great time, and the bickering only added to the fun. Definitely a trip for the books!

I splurged a bit on some excursions that I wouldn’t normally do, but my dad covered a lot of meals and taxis (and he covered the majority of the bill for the very nice places we stayed), so I ended up spending about $675 for 16 Days in Thailand, which included my $100 flight from Bali.

Our way of travel was from South to North. Phuket → Khao Lak → Pranburi → Bangkok.

Phuket (9 Days)

Let me start by staying that I do not recommend staying in Phuket for 9 days. Phuket itself isn’t that great beyond a day or 2. It’s more of a launching pad for the other islands. I landed in Phuket a day before my dad, and we were staying at the very southern tip of the peninsula at this super nice Airbnb. This was a massive upgrade from everywhere I’d been staying, #thankyouRoy. Anyways, the airport is towards the north of the peninsula. You can move up and down the peninsula via taxi or public bus. A taxi will cost about 1000 Baht ($33) and take ~1 hour. The public bus, called Phuket Smart Bus, takes ~3 hours, but it only cost $5. And it was a very scenic view of Phuket. I quite enjoyed it. The only bad thing, is you see a lot of elephants tied up on the side of the road, waiting to be ridden by tourists who are not thinking about their impact! Anyways…

It was really fun to see my dad, and pick him up from the airport. Of course, my mom had packed all sorts of great snacks for me that I can’t get in Asia like hot Cheetos, and 2 new books. #thankyouMom. The majority of the time in Phuket was spent lounging by the pool, eating, and riding motorbikes! Yes, we rented some scooters and had a great time practicing and driving mostly down back roads!

We also spent some time in Phuket Old Town. The town is very cute, with may colorful buildings, great shopping, and good food. You can visit Monkey Hill which is pretty cool. The monkeys here are more brown, unlike the gray ones I saw in Bali.

Bangla Road is a really fun, albeit raunchy, area for bars and food. It’s a bit too much to have people on the street show you laminated flyers for “Ping Pong Shows” and other more crude things. No thank you!

But we still had fun walking around, and stopping at a bar to have a beer. Near this area is a massive mall and excellent spot for fresh street food. We stopped at the mall first to see “Aladdin”, as it had just been released, and then got some great food and beer on the street.

Promthep Cape is a really cool spot to check out for sunset one night. You can walk all the way to the end of the cape which was really awesome. It’s a little bit of a tricky walk at points, and strenuous on the way back so my dad didn’t go with me.

Another day, we hired a private longboat for $50 to take us out to two different islands for snorkeling and swimming. I absolutely loved being on the long boat. (There were many butterflies out on the water and it really made me wonder how they fly such long distances from island to island.) We went to Bon Island and Coral Island (I think that’s what it was called). The snorkeling was actually really lovely! I saw some spectacular fish: parrot fish, a puffer, rainbow fish, angel fish, and these crazy pink fish that kept biting us (and it actually hurt!).

One of the most fun things about Phuket/Thailand is all the 7-Eleven’s! My dad and I made a nightly 7-Eleven run which was so fun. He always wanted ginger ale, alcohol, and Dewberry cookies. It was really fun to get a new haul each night! And it was the cheapest activity we did in Thailand haha.

Roy braving the motorbike! Just about to take off!

The tough thing about Phuket is you really need a taxi anywhere you go. And they all have seemed to agree on this base price of 200 Baht ($7). So it’s not cheap. And often, the taxis are more than that!

From Phuket, you can reach all the other popular islands such as Phi Phi Island, James Bond Island, Krabi and more. We did not go to these. I’ve heard from other travelers that these and Koh Lanta are the places to be. So I’d recommend checking those out if you are planning a trip to Thailand!

Here’s us eating at a fancier restaurant, but there are a ton of adorable little local places outside and along the water in Phuket!

Khao Lok & Khao Sok National Park (2 days)

From Phuket, we took a short 2 hour bus to Khao Lok. We stopped here specifically so that we could go to Khao Sak National Park. We stayed in this accommodation, which was extremely nice, but unfortunately a lot farther from the national park than we realized. So we ended up having to hire a private taxi to take us to the park.

But it was all worth it because the park was truly spectacular! We felt like we were in Jurassic park. You pay an entry fee of 300 baht, and then get on a group boat or a private boat. We chose a private boat which worked great for us. It was only $50 for 2+ hours on the water. It’s really such a stunning place. I loved being on the water, feeling the breeze, and taking in the magnificent surroundings.

I had watched this video regarding the park before hand, and was really excited to try the jumping off points it shows. But they didn’t seem to be on our route, and I got sad when the driver turned around to take us home. So I showed him a picture and asked him about it. He seemed a tiny bit reluctant but then ended up taking us there and I had an absolute blast jumping off the precarious wooden structure and swimming around. It was a highlight for sure, and a real treat for him to take us there as it took extra time.

At night, we watched a lot of movies, and ate peanuts, and drank ginger ale. We always had dinner at the hotel. Their Greek food is very delicious.

Pranburi & Kui Buri National Park (2 days)

From Khao Lok, we took a very nice 9 hour overnight VIP bus to Pranburi for $30. This was a very comfortable bus, and we slept well, but unfortunately this was a bus that arrived at 3am in the morning. We actually had arranged for a taxi driver to pick us up, however, the bus driver did not drop us off where we expected…this happens all the time! So we got dropped off somewhere completely random in an almost entirely shut down city at 3am. It was definitely a bit creepy, and my dad was not thrilled. And after a lot of texting and calling and trial and error, we were able to link up with our taxi driver who got us safely to our hotel.

We went to Pranburi in order to be near Kui Buri National Park. Kui Buri is a national park known for its wild elephants and gaurs. We took a really fun pickup truck tour. That was the best part actually, riding around in the back of the truck and looking for animals. We did see some elephants which was cool, but they were a bit far away or covered by trees. The most magnificent thing we saw was a gaur! Gaurs are the largets bovine in the world, and wow it was huge. Completely amazing to see. I’ve never seen anything like this animal. His shoulders were massive.

I loved this tour, especially seeing the guar and riding in the back of the truck. However, I don’t think it’s worth going out of your way for. Unless you are in this area for something else, there’s really no need to come to Pranburi.

And some random shots of us getting a McDonald’s fix.

Bangkok (3 days)

Our hotel in Pranburi helped us get a 4 hour local minibus ride to Bangkok that cost $5. The driver was completely insane and I was terrified the whole time. I really don’t love minibuses! He literally was driving in the wrong direction of a multi-lane highway at one point. (See my guide on riding buses in Asia for more)

But we had a ton of fun in Bangkok. We stayed in this Airbnb which I really loved. There’s an adorable coffee shop right outside of it called 123 Baandee Happy Owls that’s fun to stop at. However, after spending a bit more time in Bangkok, I would recommend staying in the Khao San area. It’s very lively and fun.

We spent most of our time walking around and trying to stay cool. Lots of 7-Eleven stops for coke! One of my favorite places we went was the Old Siam Shopping Center. This is a really cool place to shop like locals do and check out a ton of different types of food. For a very modern and upscale shopping experience, check out Central World and Siam Paragon.

We also really enjoyed Wat Phra Chetuphon which is right next to the Grand Palace.

Then, sadly, it was time for my dad to leave. After he left, I stayed in Bangkok one extra night, and then took an 11 hour bus to Chiang Mai that cost $20.

Roy’s last meal in Thailand. He said it was the best one yet!

Roy ascending the escalator, headed home from BKK airport!

Although our trip through Thailand was a bit unconventional, we had an amazing time exploring the country together, and I can highly recommend giving father/daughter or mother/daughter vacations a shot!

And to end the post, here are some great pics of Roy reaching peak dad levels! From left: Roy straightens frames in our hotel room, Roy brings his own map to Thailand, Roy chooses alcohol

Roy straightens pictures in our hotel room

10 Things to do in Pai, Thailand

October 7, 2019

I had the best time in Pai! And actually I hadn’t even planned on going there. But I went back to Chiang Mai to kill some time before flying to India and I just felt so overwhelmed by the busy city, as I had just come from the relaxed and beautiful Luang Prabang. So I stayed a couple of nights in Chiang Mai and then headed to Pai for 5 nights. I took a 3 hour minibus there for 200 Baht (~$7). They run every hour from Chiang Mai.

If you read my post on buses in Asia, you know that I don’t love minibuses and the drive to Pai was one of the reasons I initially planned not to go. It’s 762 turns on mountain roads and my experience with minibus drivers did not leave me excited about this prospect. However, I used the company Prempracha and was extremely satisfied. The driver was excellent and handled all the turns slowly. And my motion sickness medicine had me dozing off the entire time.

I stayed at Pai Cat Hut, and was very happy with my choice to stay in town. There are many beautiful places to stay across the river (Baan Kati Sod looked adorable), but I enjoyed the convenience of being able to go to dinner at night by walking. Five nights in Pai cost me $140 Including transport there and back.

So here goes, 10 things to do in Pai…in no particular order, but #1 and #10 are my favorites. 😊

1. Learn to ride a motorbike

Pai is a tiny hippie town surrounded by mountains. The town center is small, but you’ll definitely want a motorbike to explore outside the center. And luckily, this is a great place to learn! The roads are not very busy, and people drive pretty slowly in town. And once you get out of town, there is very little traffic, the roads are mostly in great condition, and you have just slight curves to begin practicing your turns on.

It was low season when I was there, so a motorbike only cost 100 Baht per day ($3). This is an excellent price! I took my motorbike out exploring every day by myself and had the best time. My favorite day of riding was heading to Bom Bowls for a “Snickers” smoothie bowl, and then just going on down the road straight from there. Stunning scenery!

Keep in mind that technically you need a license to drive one (although the odds of getting stopped in Pai seem extremely low), and your health insurance probably does not cover injury on a motorbike. And please please wear a helmet!

2. Pai Canyon

Pai Canyon is a very cool spot for hiking and for sunset. There are some really interesting and somewhat treacherous narrow ridges to walk along throughout the canyon. I recommend going an hour or so before sunset to do some hiking, and then getting back up to the sunset spot to watch the views. There will be other people, but it’s still very nice.

3. Walking Street Night Market

This is a pretty fun night market. Cars and motorbikes still drive through but it’s mostly foot traffic, and it has a nice mountainy night time vibe. I ate dinner here every night, and felt extremely safe walking around the town by myself. I really enjoyed the curry hand pies, Pad Thai, and the falafel. There’s also tons of cute bars and restaurants in this area.

4. Go on an eating extravaganza

Pai has great healthy options, and lots of vegan and vegetarian choices. It is a hippie town, after all. Honestly, they even recycle here! Which I NEVER see in Asia. Anyways, there is an overabundance of the cutest places you’ll ever even seen. My absolute favorite was Fat Cat, for the excellent atmosphere and yummy smoothies. Earth Tone also had a cool vibe, and I got this epic mango smoothie from there. Fine Rice Pai is a funky little noodle shop in town. The owner is awesome, and the wifi password is iloveyou so you can tell its a welcoming place. I had a very delicious Pad Thai there. And as mentioned above, you’ve got to try the “snickers” smoothie bowl from Bom Bowls!

Above: Mango Colada at Earth Tone, Peanut Butter smoothie jar at Fat Cat, Snickers bowl at Bom Bowls

5. Pambok Waterfall & the Bamboo Bridge

This is a great motorbike journey. The roads are a bit rough actually, but the scenery along the drive is so beautiful. Rolling hills of farm land as far as the eye can see. Pambok waterfall itself is quite unique. It’s a little cove waterfall with a small area for swimming. Definitely worth a stop. There was no entrance fee when I was there, but that may have been because of low season.

On your way to the waterfall, you’ll also see signs for the Bamboo Bridge. If you keep going past the waterfall, eventually you will find it. It’s a very long, winding, and rickety bamboo bridge in the rice fields of Pembok village. It’s definitely a bit of a tourist trap, but honestly it’s pretty cool. It’s gorgeous up there, and it’s fun to walk on the bridge and hope that you don’t fall through!

Pretty murals all over Santichon Village

6. Santichon Village

Santichon is an adorable little Chinese Village. The village center definitely feels like a bit of a tourist trap as well, but it’s really cute. It looks like hobbit town and theres an interesting human-powered Ferris wheel I really wished I could have tried. And driving through the village is really fun because there’s adorable murals on all the walls. If you keep driving, you can go all the way up to Yun Lai View point.

7. Mo Paeng Waterfall

If you go past Santichon Village, you will find the Mo Paeng Waterfall. Again, I did not have to pay an entrance fee here. This was quite a good waterfall as well. There is an area below that is nice for swimming, and you can hike up a little nearer to the top for a smaller spot or to sit on some rocks. Definitely would be nice to spend a couple hours swimming, relaxing, and eating.

8. The White Buddhas

There are two nice white Buddhas in town. One at the top of Wat Phra That Mae Yen. I did not climb to the top of this one, because after all my time in Asia, I still forget to cover my legs when going to visit a temple. They have wraps you can rent but I didn’t feel like paying the fee. Anyways, I was very happy with the other white Buddha, called White Buddha. It was a different sort of temple with funky blue tiles on the floor and I really enjoyed it.

9. Yoga

There are a couple of yoga places in town. I went to Sawasdee Yoga and was quite happy with it. It was 200 Baht per class. You can find all sorts of other hippie type activities as well like open mic nights, fire dancing, ecstatic dance, and meditations…often for free!

10. Go to Sundown Playground for sunset

You’ll definitely want to catch some beautiful sunsets while in Pai. While Pai Canyon is a popular spot for this, my favorite place to watch is Sundown Playground. It’s so peaceful and gorgeous. Honestly, I almost cried when I was there from the sheer beauty. Definitely check it out!

Bus Travel in South East Asia

October 1, 2019

After spending over 200 hours on various buses in SE Asia, I can say that I absolutely love bus travel, and I highly recommend doing this at least once during your trip. I’ve seen truly the most STUNNING landscapes from the comfort of my bus seat. And no matter what happens, it’s always an experience. Sometimes one of enlightenment on the open road, sometimes one of spiraling frustration, loneliness, and why-am-I-doing-this, and nearly always one of making new friends! In fact, taking the bus is my #2 recommendation on my list of tips for traveling SE Asia! Find the ins and outs of bus travel below:

Awaiting a bus to Thailand in Vientiane, Laos.

VIP Buses

Ahhh VIP buses…a true gift from the bus gods. Big comfy reclining seats, blankets, throw away toothbrushes and toothpaste, snacks, bottled water, power outlets, fresh wet washcloths in the morning, and sometimes if you are really lucky, your own personal entertainment center just like in an airplane! VIP buses are almost always worth the extra cost in my experience. These and regular buses are sometimes double deckers, so it’s always fun to check out the top floor, and if you are really brave, sit in the front seats that are right up against the window! If you have a long or an overnight journey ahead of you, I highly recommend going VIP.

The nicest VIP bus I’ve ever taken was in Myanmar. It looked like a night club!

We had our own personal movie and game screens, wow!

The staff was so nice, and even brought around hot coffee.

Regular Buses

Regular buses are fascinating. They usually are carrying non-tourists, lots of unwieldy cargo, and have a much different vibe. I took a very, shall we say, “rustic” looking bus in Myanmar on which I was the only tourist. It was really old, with old blankets, and old curtains. And inexpensive. They played some sort of prayer music for hours on end, and then switched to a very odd television show that everyone is forced to listen to because it’s played over the speakers. At one point, this bus pulled over to the side of the road and 5 people got out and squatted in broad day light to use the bathroom. #1 or #2, I have no idea. I was happily taking a picture of a cow outside the window, when I realized I had multiple squatters in my frame, and I abruptly and awkwardly put my phone away. Regular buses make plenty of stops, and are a great way to travel. They are missing the nice amenities of the VIP buses, but it’s worth it.

Minibuses/Minivans

Minibuses, also called minivans, are another popular, and usually less expensive option. I think they hold 13 people, and they can be pretty cramped. Unless you get 1 of 2 of the single seats on the side.

Let me go ahead and say that I really prefer not to travel by minibus. I feel a bit unsafe and claustrophobic in them. Especially if I don’t get one of those 2 single seats on the side. These drivers tend to be pretty crazy (although sometimes that happens in big buses as well) and you get truly packed into these buses with too much luggage and things people are transferring from one place to another. These buses (and big buses actually) often double as the mail man, transferring large packages and cargo along with an already packed bus of people and items.

And in Cambodia, I took a minibus who advertised one of their perks as “trained drivers.” Ohemgee does that mean all the other companies are not training their drivers?! This would not shock me. Several of my experiences on minibuses have been frightening for one reason or another, and I only take them if I have to.

VERY cramped 4 hour minibus ride to Bangkok with my dad. At one point, the driver was going down the wrong side of the highway into oncoming traffic.

No AC which added to the cramped feeling. Just this interesting fan mercifully keeping some level of air flow.

Sleeper Buses

If you are taking a night bus, you should ask if it is seating or beds. I find the seating ones quite comfortable as they are usually big reclining seats with blankets. The sleeper beds are a fun one-time experience, but only if you are traveling with a friend! Especially if you are a woman, I don’t think you should take these alone, unless you find one with single compartment beds. I took one in Cambodia with a friend, and that was really fun and crazy and uncomfortable, but we were together so we could laugh about it. I took another in Laos, that I did not realize was a bed sleeper. The bed was WAY smaller than the one in Cambodia. It was literally the width of a twin bed and two people were supposed to share it. Amazingly, or so I thought, no one had the “seat” next to me. Even though I was worried about my stuff, I eventually curled up and fell asleep. That is, until one of the bus employees woke me up rudely by pushing my body over to make room for himself! I tried to tell him no and to get another bed (there were other’s available) but he did not listen. I had to lay there, completely uncomfortable and afraid for two hours, until I got the brilliant idea to annoy him enough until he left.

Also keep in mind, that many overnight buses arrive at their destination at 3 or 4am which is a safety and convenience consideration. As I’m traveling alone, I usually only take night buses that arrive the next day at 6am or later.

My friend Helen and I with ample room on our very first sleeper bus! This was a fun and hilarious experience to share.

This is the size of the bed when I accidentally took a sleeper bus alone. This is literally the width of a twin! For two people…

What about going to the bathroom?

I’ve taken many many buses in SE Asia at this point, and only two of them had a bathroom on board. And as I’m sure you can guess, it wasn’t very easy to use anyways considering the conditions of the roads. Buses usually make ample stops during the journey. When you stop to eat, there are rest areas there. These bathrooms usually leave a lot to be desired if you are accustomed to Western standards. They are outdoor, so there are usually a lot of little spiders and spider webs. There is usually a mix of Western and squat toilets, and often squat are the only option. The floors are dirty and wet. It’s definitely a get-in-and-get-out situation. These places almost never have toilet paper so BRING YOUR OWN. And if you really really have to go, you can ask the bus driver to pull off on the side of the road.

What about eating?

VIP buses provide some sweet and non-filling snacks, and sometimes a meal ticket is included in the price. But I always pack a bunch of fun snacks and water for the road. Especially because buses usually take longer than they are scheduled to take. The bus will stop at sometimes seemingly random times for dinner and breakfast. They pull over to little ramshackle establishments on the side of the road where you can get miscellaneous things with rice, or packaged snacks. Or if you are in Cambodia, fried bugs. You are usually pretty delusional by the time they stop, as you are often woken up for this.

Here’s an example of an inexpensive, but over-the-top spread I got on a stop in Myanmar. We got some bamboo, miscellaneous green things, and lots and lots of rice!

Are they safe?

Overall, I felt extremely safe on every bus I took. As I am finishing up this blog post, I am traveling through India, where I have to be much more careful and discerning when choosing transit, so I am now really appreciating how much freedom I had in SE Asia to hop on any bus, any time, to any place, all by myself. Of course, every now and then, you’ll get a driver who is clearly trying to meet some time expectation and drives like a bat out of hell, but this only happened to me a couple times. Sometimes the roads can be quite bumpy or windy, but it’s all part of the fun.

What about my sanity?

Indeed... For the first 6-8 hours, I’m riding high, having one epiphany after another, writing poetry, sorting out my mental demons….then I peak, and ever hour that passes is a steady descent into my demise. My sanity slipping through my fingers, and my energy to continue traveling depleting at an exponential rate. Bus travel will test you, especially if you are crazy like me, and do multi-day journeys. My longest was from Myanmar to Cambodia. It was a total of 46 hours, 36 of that on buses, and 10 of that waiting at bus stations at odd ours in the morning. And then there was a truly trying 26 hour journey from Cambodia to Thailand. Anyways, I’d recommend starting out with a nice 6-10 hour day bus. Watch the world pass you out the window, sink into some deep thoughts, then get to your destination and go to sleep sans the demise!

What’s the best way to book a ticket?

You can book your bus at the bus station (usually cheapest), through whatever hotel or hostel you are staying at (very convenient because they usually pick you up at your location), or through these three websites which I found very helpful: www.easybook.com, www.12go.asia, www.rome2rio.com. The tickets on here will be a bit more expensive because it’s online booking, but often it’s worth it.

But plane travel is so much easier…

Most travelers I speak to do prefer taking a plane (even though it’s worse for the environment). And if you are traveling for a shorter period of time, sometimes it doesn’t make sense to spend 8-12 hours on a bus because it eats up a whole travel day. But it’s really such a wonderful way to see the country you are in. I’ve seen so much of beautiful, rural SE Asia from the bus window. The landscapes are stunning, wild and lushly green. And you can get another perspective on how people live outside of the bigger cities.

Any last minute words of wisdom?

Don’t forget the toilet paper! And take a sweater! Most of the buses I’ve been on are freezing cold. I always wear pants, take a sweater, and end up using the blanket provided. Also, your luggage will be stored underneath the bus. Although I’ve never had any problems, I always keep my most valuable items in my smaller backpack with me in my seat.

And godspeed! It’s a wonderful way to experience the world!

Luang Prabang, Laos

September 27, 2019

I was lucky enough to get to spend 3 weeks in the lovely city of Luang Prabang, Laos. It’s a sleepy town (most things close by 11:30pm), UNESCO world heritage center, clean and beautiful, with lots of French influence (and French people). Everything you need to get to is easily within biking distance, and 20-30 minutes walking maximum. I did two different workaways there, and really loved spending my free time biking around town, especially along the river. Originally, I was staying there so long, because I was waiting for my new debit and credit card to arrive (re: my things were stolen), but I ended up being happy to stay for such a long time, and recommend this as a nice place to relax for a while during your travels.

The city wraps itself lushly around the Mekong River, which crosses into 6 countries. And off the Mekong River, is the smaller Nam Khan winding it’s way around. Beautiful views of the rivers abound, with pretty green mountains jutting upwards from the horizon. It really is picturesque. A flourishing town set right in the middle of nature’s beauty.

I entered Laos from Thailand. I took a really lovely overnight train from Bangkok to Nong Khai that cost $35. Then a quick train over the border that cost $1. I got my visa on arrival which required one visa photo and $35 USD. I took a taxi into the center of Vientiane and waited all day at a hostel that helped me book a night bus to Luang Prabang which cost $24. Three weeks in Luang Prabang only cost me $200 because I was doing workaways while I was there. So housing and most food was covered.

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What to Do

Kuang Si Waterfall. This is an absolute must! Definitely top 3 waterfalls for swimming I’ve ever been to, probably only outdone by Semuc Champey in Guatemala. During rainy season, the waters can be brown, but luckily for me, on the day I went, it was a stunning blue-green!

It was fun to take the hour long motorbike ride, but you can get a tuk tuk or minibus to take you as well! Entrance fee is 20,000 kip (~$2), and getting there and back will cost between 35,000-50,000 kip depending on how you choose to go!

Make sure you go all the way up to the top. You’ll get to walk up some very fun stairs with water rushing over them, and at the top, you’ll find a more private swimming experience under the groves.

Yoga. Utopia (also mentioned below for night life) is a really cool restaurant, bar, lounge, river spot. It’s basically the place to be if you are traveling through. There’s tons of space, lots of cool tables, cushions, and bean bags so you can just relax, eat, drink, and enjoy the river vibes. They host a couple different community events, one being yoga in the mornings and the evenings. They split the yoga schedule with another place in town called Sena. You can find the schedule here.

Community Movie night. L’Etranger Books & Tea is a great used book shop and place to hang out. Every single night, they host a FREE movie; you just have to purchase one thing from their menu. The movie selection is always really good, and I went several times. The people who work there are super friendly.

Night market. The night market happens every night. It starts at 4pm, but doesn’t really get going until around 6pm. There’s some really nice things in this market, and a fun food street. The food street is very narrow, and I felt like I giant lumbering through it next to all the small Lao people.

Old French Bridge. If you are up for a scare, take a terrifying walk across the old French Bridge! I actually feel a bit nervous recommending this, because I think it’s quite dangerous! When I went, there were boards missing in various places, and one wrong step could send you on a 60 fit drop into the river below. The bridge is easy for bikes and motorbikers to cross, but on either side is a path for pedestrians that will give you a thrill!

Bamboo Bridge. Although this had been destroyed by heavy rain when I was there, there’s a bamboo bridge crossing the Nam Khan River. Which actually leads right to my next recommendation, Garden of Eden. But this, bridge will take you into another, more local part of town that you can explore. Plus, it’s just fun to cross the bridge! If the bridge is still gone, there will be a boat that can take you across.

Garden of Eden. Garden of Eden is a really lovely jewelry store owned and run by a Lao couple. I stayed here for one of my workaways and painted wooden signs for them. I absolutely LOVED my stay here, and may do a post on it later. But for now, just know that there is really lovely jewelry there, all handmade by local women who are paid properly and sent to English school so they can have a better life. It’s a great place to support, and the owners, Nic and Lan are so kind and inspiring. Definitely have a chat with them while you are there! Or help the employees practice their English! I was lucky enough to stay in the amazingly romantic open-air river bungalow shown below!

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Sunset River Cruise. There are a couple of different companies who do this on the Mekong River. I would definitely recommend checking them out one night. Just make sure the weather is clear so that you’ll have a nice sunset.

Bars/Night Life

Utopia. As mentioned above, Utopia is a fun bar/restaurant to hang out at night. It’s not a party/dancing place, but it’s fun. Everyone there always seems up for meeting new people.

RedBul Bar. This is a great bar if you love playing pool, like I do. They play really fun music, and almost everyone in there is a local or expat living in Luang Prabang, so it’s fun to talk to everyone.

Waivan Restaurant. This is one of the few places you go if you want to have a wild late night, Lao style. There’s a few clubs like these on the outskirts of the town so they don’t have to adhere to the UNESCO rules of closing early. It’s quite an interesting experience! Live music, hundreds of people, everyone has there own table that they dance near and use to house there beer and ice (everyone in Laos puts ice in there beer). There will be very few tourists in a place like this, so it’s really fun!

Muang Swa. This is another night club, but very different! This is more of a traditional type of night club, and you will find older people here doing line dances and hand movements that everyone already seems to know. You can learn the steps and join in yourself!

U-Bar. This was a nice local bar with great live music. Not many tourists here either!

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Boun Khao Salak Festival – late August every year
So odds are, you might not be traveling through in August, but just in case…this is a really cool festival happening in the beginning of Buddhist Lent. The normally sleepy main street bordering the Nam Khan turns into a bustling market, and all day a long boat race takes place in the river. Fifty people on each team, and it’s amazing to watch them race in the sweltering heat. This was such a cool experience, and my first festival I’ve been lucky enough to attend while traveling Asia.

Overall, I really highly recommend a stop here. It’s been one of my favorite places in SE Asia. It’s a small town; even just staying for a few weeks, I got to know a lot of people and I loved biking around, running into my new friends everywhere I went. I was actually really sad to leave this place. It’s nice to find a place that feels like home for a few weeks.

Cambodia in 16 Days

August 22, 2019

I’ve found during my travels that instagram has been a really awesome way to connect with people and stay connected with friends back home. I had a good friend in college (named Helen), but after we graduated, she moved to a different state, and we didn’t keep up at all, besides following each other on instagram of course. And 9 years later, it turned out that both of us are on this same type of journey across the world. She was in Australia with plans to stop in SE Asia before going home, and I was already in SE Asia, so after nearly a decade of not talking, we decided to meet up in Cambodia! And it was wonderful!

Below is a summary of our trip with my real feelings about each place, and lots of practical tips. I entered Cambodia by bus, from Bangkok which cost $30. I got my visa ahead of time through this website, and it cost $36. It was very convenient.

Sixteen days in Cambodia cost me about $600. (This definitely does not include all the money I lost when my purse was stolen)

Siem Reap (3 Days)

Helen and I met up in Siem Reap. After getting over the shock of seeing each other after 9 years, we went out on the town! We both found Siem Reap to be a really fun city. Pub street is a really fun area with tons of cute bars and restaurant. Somehow they all look like they came staring out of a West Elm magazine! There’s a large market nearby with the usual tourist items, but if you go a bit farther out, and cross the river, you can find some very nice more unique markets. We also checked out Artisans D’Angkor which does a nice free tour, and you can watch the artists making the products, which was really enlightening.

For food, Pub Street is very popular. All the restaurants sell the same type of food. One place we really liked (not on Pub Street) was Spoons Cafe, which also has a great mission. Excellent food, and very good, maybe even a bit over-the-top hospitality. We also ate at Temple Coffee n’ Bakery one night. They have a really cool rooftop bar at night, and we were the only tourists when we went. We also couldn’t stay away from Project Y. Another mission-driven spot near Pub Street. Honestly the best froyo I’ve ever had. And the people are SO nice, and love to talk about what they are doing and how it’s changing lives.

Iconic image of Angkor Wat that is not exactly what it seems…

And of course, the reason people stop in Siem Reap, is for Angkor Wat! Although I enjoyed this, it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it would be, and I would do it differently if I had the chance. For one, it’s more expensive than I expected. One day passes are $37/person, and you need a tuk tuk driver to accompany you all day because the grounds are absolutely massive. Our tuk tuk driver cost $21 (plus tip) for 8 hours. We booked him through our hotel.

However, what we should have also done…and I highly recommend to you…is to hire a guide, or find some sort of audio guide before you go. You really need this or you have no idea what you are looking at. There’s almost 0 signage and no educational information. We walked around for 8 hours, and really had no idea what we were looking at.

The reason it’s not quite as spectacular as I though it would be is because the area is so huge, and you take a tuk tuk on normal roads from temple to temple. You don’t feel immersed in the experience. Maybe if you do the 2 day pass, and explore a bit more, you can feel more immersed…but I don’t know.

Also, the main area, and iconic photo you see of Angkor Wat is not nearly as beautiful as it seems. That beautiful body of water is actually a swampy and shallow bog with like 100 people standing at its edge all trying to get this picture. (Re: my tip about don’t plan your trip through instagram in this blog post)

But overall, I really enjoyed Siem Reap and it’s definitely worth 2-3 days on your trip to Cambodia!

Phnom Penh (2-3 Days, if any)

After Siem Reap, we took a 6 hour bus ride to Phnom Penh that cost $15. Honestly, I vote to skip this city entirely. I didn’t like the city from the moment we got there, and then my purse was stolen (detailed in this blog post), reconfirming my feelings. But besides that, there really wasn’t anything special to see in my opinion. The real reason to go there is to see the Killing Fields. So if you want to see those, then go to Phnom Penh. If you don’t, skip this city. And if you do go, I heard the area near the Russian Market is a nice place for accommodation.

San Monorom (3 Days)

We couldn’t wait to leave Phnom Penh, so we took a 6 hour minibus ride to San Monorom that cost $10. We went there to visit the Mondulkiri Project, which is an ethical elephant sanctuary. I’ve been searching high and low for one my whole time in Asia and finally felt like this one looked good enough to try.

We stayed at Tree Lodge, where the tours leave from. One cute and open-air double bungalow is $10/night. This place is really adorable and has great food as well.

We booked the 2 day tour with the Mondulkiri project and were quite happy with it. First day was trekking, and second day was the elephants. The first day, we got to ride in the back of a pick-up truck to the small village where our 18km trek began. We met our guides, and got some water and headed off.

On the way out, we saw a dead dog’s head on a stick which was quite alarming. We later learned, that most people in the village are animists, and this was an animal sacrifice that they made.

The 18km trek was quite nice. The landscapes were really beautiful and we hiked through the jungle as well. We stopped for lunch at a waterfall, and swam afterwards but it was very cold. I struggled a bit on the trek, as usual. It’s doable, but there are some uphill stretches that are a little tough. However, no one else seemed to have any problem with it. In the evening, we got a quick cold shower out of a hose in the wall, ate some pretty good dinner, family style on the floor, and drank some very interesting rice wine. We slept in hammocks, and let me say, they are not really comfortable for a full nights sleep! Plus they are a bit musty and you are using some old, and probably never washed blankets that everyone shares. But, I’ve basically gotten used to being a certain level of dirty or unsanitary at all times.

It’s alarming when they approach you in the water!

The next morning, we had some banana pancakes with Nutella, and then set off to meet the elephants! This was a pretty cool experience, and from what I could tell, I would give this an 8/10 on the ethics scale. The elephants had tons of land to roam, they each had their own mahout, they are given proper veterinary care, and they only buy elephants in an ethical way. All these elephants were already domesticated, and came from forced labor situations, so they are already accustomed to humans and being cared for. And they only had 5 elephants. The 5 elephants came to us because we had bananas, which they love, and then they left when they wanted to. We could walk around with them in the jungle.

I was shocked by what they look like up close. Firstly, Asian elephants are quite different looking than the gray African elephants I’m used to seeing depicted. They are smaller (though still huge animals) and have a brown color. I couldn’t believe how rough and wrinkly their skin was. They almost seemed prehistoric. Their eyes were more like a horses or a goats where you are kind of unsure what’s going on in their heads, not like a cat or dog where you feel connected instantly.

After this encounter, we had a rest…which we needed after the trek the day before. I fell asleep immediately. In the afternoon, we had the river encounter. Honestly, this felt wildly unsafe to me. I’m glad I did it, but I’m also glad it’s over, and I never need to do it again. We stood at a part in the river right next to a waterfall, and the current was strong. In areas, it was a little difficult even just to stand. Meanwhile, a giant multi-ton elephant is standing next to you vying for your bananas! This felt like a disaster waiting to happen. People brought their young children in the water, and it just felt like such a bad idea. We were supposed to “bathe” the elephants but they weren’t so interested in that, and like I said, it was difficult to stand, let alone scrub an elephant…

After that, we had to take another 30 minute hike just to get out of the park, and I was completely exhausted by then. We got back to the Tree lodge in the evening, and stayed one more night there which was really nice after all that hard work.

Overall, I think this was a good experience. I had a lot of fun, and I do feel like the elephants are treated well. In terms of safety, I would give this a lower rating. Safety standards are generally very different in Asia, but I felt like being in the river with the elephant was pushing my limit.

Sihanoukville (1 Day, if any)

The next morning, we took at 14 hour minibus ride that cost $18 to Sihanoukville. It was supposed to be less hours, but we hit a ton of traffic just before reaching the city. Sihanoukville was the worst city I’ve been to in all of SE Asia. I mean, the whole place is basically a dumpster. I feel bad saying that, but it’s true. The roads are completely torn up, walking around is a hazard, there are large groups of men loitering, insane traffic, and trash everywhere. Do NOT stay here unless you have to. You do have to come here in order to get a boat to Koh Rong. But if you can avoid staying the night, do so. We had to stay the night unfortunately, and stayed in this super overpriced and gross hotel near the water.

Koh Rong (6 Days)

Koh Rong is a really lovely and fun island off the coast of Cambodia. It’s very popular for the party crowd, and it’s main attraction is seeing the bioluminescent sea plankton at night. Sadly, we only had one good weather day, and the rest of the days it rained or was cloudy.

Helen and I spent an indulgent 5 nights drinking too much, eating too much, dancing, and playing pool and other bar games at a really fun place called Reef on the Beach, in one of their private bungalows. We had a great time, but after 5 days of this were completely exhausted, and ready for some more wholesome fun.

The plankton is quite easy to see. If you go to a dark spot on the beach at night, you can swim, not even too deep..and when you move the water around, it will light up like it has lots of little blue lightning bugs in it. I think you can take a boat out as well into deeper water, which I’m sure is really cool, but we didn’t do this.

Note, that there is NO ATM on this island so make sure you have enough cash when you arrive. There is a small and overpriced snack shop near Reef on the Beach. But the main town is about a 40 minute walk. So we spent the majority of our time at Reef on the Beach, napping, reading, and preparing for the night ahead…

If you want a quieter stay, you can try Koh Rong Sanloem which is a smaller island not too far away.

We left Cambodia by taking a sleeper bus to Bangkok that cost $30. Remember, these are beds!! So I really don’t recommend taking these buses unless you have a friend to take the spot in the bed next to you. Some are VERY cozy, and it would not be fun to share with a stranger, especially a strange man. It’s near impossible to sleep anyways as the roads are so curvy, and I was always almost hitting my forehead on this metal bar on the side of the bed. And Helen and I both had to get out multiple times on this bus to pee on the side of the road. Always an adventure!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

August 20, 2019

Chiang Mai is a really fun city to explore! It’s full of expats who have found a home there, and I recommend staying at least 5 days. It’s a good place to rest if you are traveling a lot, because there is delicious, healthy food, and great yoga classes. In this post, I’ll cover food, what to do, where to stay, and how to get around. My 10 days in Chiang Mai cost about $350.

Another gorgeous temple I stumbled upon.

Food

Let’s talk about food! Sooo many yummy options here, oh my! I’d been traveling the southern and central Thailand up until this, and was disappointed in the healthy food offerings (lots of delicious street food of course). So it was a huge relief to be here. Salad Concept is a really fun restaurant where you can make custom salads and salad wraps. They have SO many different topping and dressing choices. Creamy sesame was my favorite. Goodsouls Kitchen had really delicious food (including smoothie bowls) and baked goods. The night markets here are abundant, and have tons of good things to try. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to try mango sticky rice. Khao Soi is the traditional dish of Chiang Mai. It’s a soup dish with noodles and meat, and is quite spicy. A Kitchen is a darling local place I highly recommend. Definitely try the pineapple curry!! And any time you are in Thailand, go for a 7-Eleven meal! 7-Eleven’s are literally on every corner in all of Thailand. I liked to go for the refrigerated grilled cheese (which they toast for you on the spot!), a ice cold coke, and a chocolate chip banana muffin! This costs about $2.

Lots of cute things to find in Chiang Mai!

What to do

Yoga. My two favorite places to do yoga were Chiang Mai Holistic and Heart Space. Chiang Mai Holistic is a very nice place, with great classes and some free community offerings. They also have delicious protein shakes for after your workout. I loved the peanut butter one. There is also a free yoga class every morning in the park. I believe it’s at 9am, but you can find out on the Chiang Mai Community facebook page.

Heart Space was my favorite thing about Chiang Mai. They describe themselves as a community space for people to come together, open, and heal through meditation, song, ceremony, and whatever else the heart desires! And I have to say, it lived up to this description! I had been traveling for about 4 months at this point, and was still really struggling with depression and loneliness, and Heart Space was a place I felt so much peace and calm. I want to as many ceremonies as I possibly could. I had many dancing, eye gazing, chakra opening, cacao drinking, crying, laughing evenings spent here. The woman who runs the show is a true gem! I hope this place will be around for a long time.

Sticky waterfall. Now this is really cool! It’s a pretty big waterfall cascading over limestone rocks which have a stickiness to them that allows you to easily climb up and move around. There are some slippery areas, so do be careful. I spent a couple hours here with a friend I met in the area, and it was a blast exploring at our own pace. But you can also do this tour through any local company or airbnb.

Bars. North Gate Jazz Co-Op is a really fun and popular jazz spot with great energy in the main square. Warm Up Cafe is outside the square a bit, and pretty much only locals go there so it’s a cool experience. And Zoe in Yellow is a main dance club in an area of clubs and bars that was quite fun.

Hike. I hiked Monk’s trail to Wat Pha La and that was nice. But I more enjoyed the hike along the Huay Keaw Waterfalls. It was great to take a dip every time you got hot along the way, and you can walk for a long time up the mountain. I did these hikes in one day by taking a Grab taxi from one starting point to another. But be careful hiking here! I was almost bitten by a poisonous viper along the trail. (for real people)

Doi Suthep. This is a really lovely temple at the top of a mountain right outside Chiang Mai. I highly recommend going in the evening because the temple takes on a whole new aura at night. It’s peaceful and calm, and maybe even a bit mysterious or eerie. The breeze blows and the tiny bells all over the temple ring beautifully. You can see the whole city from up there. You can do a meditative walk around the inner path at the temple. You meditate while walking around it 3 times. I really enjoyed that.

Chiang Mai is a really fun place for shopping!

Thank you to my friend Helen Dear for these photos!

Sunday Night Market. This is the best market I’ve been to in all of SE Asia. It’s the best because it has so many different hand crafted items from local artisans. As opposed to all the same cheap stuff at every market stall that you usually see. I wanted to buy everything I saw! So many cute and unique things. I ended up purchasing a really cute and inexpensive cross-body bag, which unfortunately was stolen from me later (See blog post: How my Purse Was Stolen in Cambodia). And the fried sweet potato balls are a must try! Soooo good.

Thai Grand Canyon. I did not go to the Grand Canyon because I found out about it too late. But it looks like TONS of fun, and I wish I had! Definitely check it out.

Getting Around

Chiang Mai is kind of walkable. It’s better once you are inside the old city square. But it still takes about 30-40 minutes to walk from one end to another. There’s a lot of traffic on the outskirts, and crossing the street to get into the old city is a pain.

Grab is very useful there for taxis or motorbike taxis. There are also these red pickup trucks that drive all around town and take tourists to main attractions. I found them to be a bit tricky to use. But you just kind of walk up to them…while they are driving…and ask if they are going where you need to go and how much it costs. They are called songthaews.

Where to Stay

I stayed in the Nimman area which is just outside the old city to the Northwest. This was a nice area for food, and not too far of a walk to the old city. I would recommend staying here, or within the square of the old city. Anywhere you stay, you’re bound to find adorable murals as you explore, like the one on the left!

Chiang Mai is a great place to explore, and absolutely worth a spot on your Thailand itinerary. You can also get to Pai from here which I’ve heard wonderful things about. Just beware, you take a 3 hour minivan ride there on very curvy roads. Even the strongest stomachs get motion sickness on this one!

Instagram

San Francisco came and went so quickly! And I got back home just in time. Thanks @jmckello for such a fun time...and for 25 years of friendship! 🤩

Moving on to a new city after two truly amazing months in Rishikesh. It’s always hard to leave a place, but leaving this time was more like a heartbreak. Already missing my puppies, cows, friends, and all the kids! Until next time 💕

A daily reward for all my early mornings last month in Rishikesh. I don’t get up at 5am anymore, but instead I get a different perspective, hearing the street wake up outside my window: horse hooves trekking up the mountain roads, kids laughing on the way to school, cows mooing, dogs barking, and the early morning breeze. 🐎👫🐄🐕🍃💕