Ho Phra Keo is one of Vientiane's oldest temples. Built in 1565 by King Setthathirat, the Wat was used as the royal chapel of the Lao Monarchy, but more importantly it was built to house the Emerald Buddha. This sacred statue, which is now housed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, ended up in [...]
New Zealand is a trekker's paradise. In the three weeks beforehand, I had already trekked the Milford Track, helihiked on Fox Glacier and trekked part of the Queen Charlotte track in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds - not to mention the many smaller day hikess I had done in other parts of the country. My adventurous [...]
This week's travel photo is of some tiny bird cages at the top of Mount Pousi in Luang Prabang, Laos. I noticed these at many temples and religious sites in Laos. Vendors would sell these little cages with two tiny birds inside them, people then buy them, pray to Buddha and then release the birds [...]
Something that I love about Italy in general are its amazing piazzas, and Piazza Navona is one of the best in Rome. Standing in the place of the ancient Roman Stadium of Domitian, the piazza has kept the long shape of the original building. Piazza Navona was built up to what it is today during [...]
Probably the most popular attraction in Bangkok, the Grand Palace attracts thousands of visitors every day. Within the Grand Palace walls is the most sacred temple in Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew. Also commonly known as The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Kaew is a large temple complex that contains some beautiful buildings [...]
This week's photo is of my best mate, Mindy on Rainbow Beach in Queensland, Australia. At the end of Rainbow Beach is the Inskip Peninsula recreation area, which allows dogs and is one of our favourite camping spots. From Inskip Peninsula, (if you have a 4WD), you can take a barge across the small strait [...]
As I travelled through Laos, the Mekong River made a lasting impression. It was the first thing I saw as I entered the country across the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane, it was ever present as I explored the spiritual heart of Laos at Luang Prabang, and finally it was my highway as I made my [...]
After visiting the beautiful old town of Siena the day before, I was excited to continue on the medieval path through Tuscany to the small town of San Gimignano. Like many towns in the area, it originated as an Etruscan village but was built up into the town it is today during the middle ages. [...]
This week's travel photo is of a Buddha statue on the wall of Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Saen, Thailand. The construction of the temple apparently began in the year 1291, making it very old. The historic city of Chiang Saen, located on the Mekong River, is full of interesting ruins dating back to the [...]
I was glad to leave Phuket. It was like being in a different country outside of Thailand; the kind of country that I prefer to avoid. I wanted to find a real Thai tropical island to laze on the beach for a few days and although I knew that Phi Phi Island would be touristy [...]
