Once upon a magical time, I spent weeks carousing around the islands and beaches of Thailand in all my ’round the world trip glory. Ok ok, so carousing might be a strong word; the reality looked a lot more like me basking on beach mats, reading oodles of books while lying beachfront, gorging […]
To a certain (semi-large) sector of my friends, I’ve been coined the Fresh Air Fund Kid, an allusion to the program that sends city kids out to the boonies for a few days to get their nature on, and I’m any indicator, return to the city happily aware of how […]
Does life get much sweeter than hopping longtail boats among Thailand’s perfect Andaman Coast islands? Um, that’s a rhetorical question. Answer: NO. It absolutely does not. Here’s why: 1. The view from your beach blanket, more often than not, looks quite a bit like this: 2. Once you’re happily ensconced […]
It’s one of my favorite lines of one of my favorite TV shows, HBO’s “Rome.” Atia of the Julii sends a gift to placate her arch-nemesis, Servilia: a large African slave with a pink ribbon tied around his, er, well-endowed man parts. Her daughter looks at her dubiously and asks […]
The list of superlatives that could describe Railay Beach, Thailand hardly do its stop-you-in-your-tracks beauty justice. I’ve got to admit, after the unforgettable Maldives, it’s hard to be overwhelmed by even the loveliest beaches. So many are truly gorgeous, like Koh Kong, Cambodia, but few will be as pristine and […]
I blissfully began my stay in the lovely isle of Koh Samui, Thailand by basking in a few hours of perfect sun. But alas, my cheery reverie would shortly be followed by a 3-day stretch of intermittent torrential rains — the kind with thunder claps that make you leap out of bed […]
Why is it that almost universally, as you head south in a country, the vibe becomes more mellow, the people generally more friendly? At least that’s been my experience at home in the States, in India, across various European countries, in Vietnam, and now I’m desperately hoping, in Thailand. I […]