Who needs a tour guide when you have friends like these? Angkor Wat with a little help from the local police.

By Paige Stringer

My first glimpse of Angkor Wat came from the back seat of a Cambodian police officer’s motorbike.

It all started with an early evening arrival in Siem Reap. After checking in to my hotel, I referred to my guidebook which suggested that sunset at Angkor Wat was a visual experience not to be missed. Curiosity piqued, I checked the clock, noted the dying sun and decided to quickly walk the five kilometers from my hotel to the temples.

It soon became clear that walking the distance was not the safest idea for a woman traveling alone. Beyond Siem Reap’s city limits, the road turns gritty. Overgrown vegetation, dense banyan trees, and the flickering light of squatters’ campfires replace the shiny veneer of the tourist capital. I picked up my pace and made the mental note to find a tuk-tuk for the return trip back to town.

Suddenly, a Cambodian police officer stepped out of the woods, blocking the path in front of me, and hollered in a thick accent, “Stop! Stop! Stop right away!” (more…)

Follow Christina on her 62-kilometer trek through the hills of central Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma.

By Christina Koukkos

The bus from Yangon (also known as Rangoon) crawled away in a swirl of dust and exhaust, leaving Marjan and me standing alone and delirious from lack of sleep on a dark street at 3 a.m. The bus had delivered us to Kalaw, a popular trekking base in Myanmar, three hours early. After just two days, the country was already living up to its oft-repeated comparison with George Orwell’s “1984.” In Myanmar, up is down. Left could be left, or it could be right — the steering wheels of local vehicles, we had noticed, might be on side one or the other. And now the most outrageous evidence so far: a public bus that arrived three hours ahead of schedule.

Marjan, my travel companion, held the flashlight as I squinted at the map in our guide book and led us the few blocks to the Golden Lilly Guest House. Beyond our most immediate need of a place to sleep, our plan was to hire Lilly’s brother Robin, a well-regarded local guide, for a three-day, 62-kilometer trek through the hills from Kalaw to the western shore of Inle Lake. Besides the physical challenge, lovely vistas and chance to interact with local villagers, the trek promised a respite from the tension and paranoia (real or imagined) that we were constantly being monitored by a government suspicious of independent travelers. More practically, the trek promised a transportation option that did not feature the organ-jarring discomforts of bus travel. (more…)

India is a breathtaking, beautiful, but at times bewildering country. Here are my tips on how to make a trip to the sub-continent run smoothly while making the budget stretch, as I learned from my recent trip to Delhi and Rajasthan with my other half — The Norwegian.

By Jenny Wight

1) They say the clothes maketh the man, and in India, especially if you are a woman or are straying from the tourist trail, choosing modest clothes will certainly make your trip easier. Indian clothes will not only look beautiful, but protect you from dust, insects, impertinent stares and the sun. The retailer fabindia has stores throughout India, and is an excellent choice. During our stay I visited many temples and forts in a salwar kameez, a long fitted tunic and the most enormous pair of drawstring trousers. Modest they may be, but flattering to the hips they ‘aint. One sweltering day on a visit to Humayun’s Tomb, a kindly yet mortified Delhi matron sidled up to me and whispered to me, “Actually, we wear these inside,” pointing to the drawstrings of my trousers that were swinging brazenly between my knees. Imagine walking into a crowded restaurant with your fly unzipped, this is the Indian equivalent.

2) Most of India is hot most of the time, and the tap water is best avoided. Apart from the environmental impact — which is hard to avoid — the cost of bottled water can really add up. Hotels seem to make a fair profit on bottled water as even the budget joints jack up the price by 50% or more. While we were staying at a cheap and cheerful place near the magical Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, we bought bottles for five rupees at the local shop down the road, whereas our guest house was charging 20. The classier hotels charge 50 rupees and more. (more…)

A trip to the DMZ only heightens the wish that one day, unification for the Koreans will no longer be a dream.

By Jon Wick

3/29/09

2:42 p.m. Dora Observatory, DMZ

Razor wire surrounded us as soon as we reached the northern border of Seoul. Manned watchtowers lined the rivers and even tanks cloaked in camouflage stood at the ready. The proximity of this otherworldly situation to the cultural and business center of the country was staggering. Our vulnerability was quickly becoming apparent.

Three weeks prior to this, I found myself searching for destinations to pass my time in Korea. I dusted off the idea of visiting the Demilitarized Zone (better known as the DMZ) from the recesses of my mind and decided to see if it was even possible. A simple internet search, a few clicks, and I had the intriguing world of the DMZ at my fingertips.

The only way to get there is through a guided tour, and without actually going into North Korea, there are far more options and itineraries available than I had ever imagined. You have a choice of half-, whole-, or two-day overnight trips to different locales along the world’s most heavily fortified border. I ended up selecting an adventure travel company, paying roughly $35 USD for the daylong option. An hour north of Seoul we were to visit an infiltration tunnel that could get Northern troops within a hour of Seoul, the special “Freedom Bridge,” and an observatory with a panorama of the DMZ and North Korea. Despite it being labeled as one of Korea’s most popular tours, it was no problem reserving a seat. My expectations of seeing a country the world sees as part of an “Axis of Evil” were at Guinness Book proportions. (more…)

Looking for some ideas for your next trip? Here are 10 must-see spots in Asia as revealed by an insider.

By Carl Thompson

Asia is the ultimate travel destination for the summer: easily accessible, endlessly diverse and comfortably affordable. With exciting cities, scenic splendor, fascinating wildlife, towering monuments and unique festivals, all of your best travel stories are likely to originate here. Just some of the highlights of this incomparable region, from India to Japan, are covered in this short but comprehensive guide.

India: Jaisalmer

The interminable bus journey to reach this dauntingly remote corner of India is amply rewarded by the spectacle of Jaisalmer’s vast city wall, with its 99 circular turrets rising dramatically out of the Thar Desert. Once inside the Golden City, look for the havelis, the former mansion houses of rich merchants, with their glorious honeycomb balconies and lattice-work parapets. This is a place to lose yourself in twisting medieval streets, then explore beyond the surrounding sand dunes on a camel trek.

Don’t miss: The ornate gate, complete with Krishna temple, leading to the Gadi Sagar Lake at sunset. (more…)

Come trek into northern Thailand to visit the hill tribes that call this remote corner of the world home. But beware, after visiting, you may want to do the same too.

By Justin Calderon

The reflection of me in her metallic bonnet said it all. The red hue of ultraviolet contamination could be seen slowly contrasting into my pale skin. The mirror image projecting from the overlaying pieces of metal upon her head made my lanky body appear double in size as if I was meandering through a carnival fun house.

As she pursed open her lips, black teeth jutted out, bearing more resemblance to sharp obsidian shards than incisors. In the northern Akha hill tribes of Thailand, black teeth are considered as beautiful as white diamonds. The shiny metallic necklaces and hats they adorn themselves with are worn to trap the spirits around them and ward of those who mean harm. Deep in the humid jungle, an hour drive north of the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand near the imaginary Burmese border (there are no roads between Burma and Thailand in this region), I began my trek amongst the two hill tribes that populate the region, the Akha and the Karen. Along with several other backpackers and a Karen translator, we made haste towards the humid rolling hills of the north.

Your quintessential travel package will take you on a three-day, two-night hike around the northern hills. These packages come in various lengths depending on your contacts in Chiang Mai. The area surrounding the Golden Triangle, a border touching Burma, Thailand, and Laos — infamous for trafficking an insurmountable amount of controlled animals, drugs and weapons — is inhabited by various hill tribes that exist far from traveling interlopers and the paved roads of Bangkok. (more…)

With its massive stupas, vast eco-reserves and relaxed vibe, Savannakhet is a must-see in southern Laos, but to really understand the region be prepared to slow down and take it all in, one laid-back day at a time.

By Hal Amen

Savannakhet was quiet. Shockingly quiet.

Coming to it as I did, direct from the shrill buzz and agitation of Vietnam, I was taken aback by the palpable tranquility that surrounded my little guesthouse, the one with the spacious second-story patio looking out over the Mekong River and Thailand beyond. I sat there in the darkness of Laos that first night, gazing at the bluish glow of lights on the opposite bank, imagining where I’d rather be.

Before a day had passed, my restless traveler’s eyes had already tired of spiky-roofed wats (temples found all over Southeast Asia) and the muted pastels of crumbling colonial architecture. A lazy lunch spilled into an aimless walk through the deserted town center and a half-hearted search for the bus station. Maybe I could book a seat south, I thought to myself as I wandered, on to the city of Pakse and then further down to the acclaimed 4,000 islands region, where the Mekong opens up just above of the Cambodian border. Or perhaps I’d simply jaunt over the bridge to Thailand — backpacker’s paradise.

Instead, I stumbled upon the Savannakhet tourism office. Its excursions required little marketing, and I quickly signed up for a day hike through the nearby Dong Natad Protected Area, the region’s prime destination for eco-tourists. (more…)

By Lizzie Simon

On my last night in the Yunnan Province in rural Southwest China, I encountered three handsome, blond horses lingering at the entrance of my reconstructed Tibetan lodge. They had wandered in from one of the neighboring Naxi tribe’s wheat farms. I had spent the entire week making contact with exotica, and that night, like every night, I approached bedtime with equal parts exhaustion and excitement. Earlier, at dusk, I had spied these same horses mingling with the yaks, pigs and sheep across the gently babbling brook that just barely separates the resort and the local Chinese Tibetans going about the daily rituals they’ve enacted for centuries. And now they were at my door, perhaps filled with the same curiosity with which I had viewed them. In the Yunnan Province, the seamlessness between one’s visit, the astounding natural beauty and the ancient authentic culture is exquisite. And it is this rare seamlessness that makes the Yunnan Province such a spectacular destination for adventure.

A longtime favorite for Asian tourists who revel in its culture-rich villages and extraordinary natural environments, China’s rural Yunnan Province now lures travelers from all over the world who want to be inspired and intoxicated by its spectacular terrain, unique cuisine and welcoming people. Of all of the provinces and autonomous regions in China, the Yunnan Province has the highest number of ethnic groups, which creates enormous culinary, religious and linguistic diversity. Spring is an ideal time to visit the area, when the crisp mountain air is temperate. Winter months can be harsh, and it’s best to avoid the rainy season in July and August. (more…)

Feel like the world’s getting smaller? A trip to the Middle East will help convince you otherwise. Here’s seven easy lessons to help make sure you’re prepared.

By Laura Bridgestock

Spending ten days traveling from Istanbul to Damascus promised to be the most exciting trip I’d ever taken — and it was. I’ve never been anywhere so completely different from my own country and culture. It was kind of a surprise, in a reassuring way, to realize that the relentless march of globalization hasn’t yet turned the world into one homogeneous mass. (Damascus must be one of the last places on Earth holding out against the big yellow “M” and the big green “S.” You know who you are.)

And while the locals were all very friendly and helpful, it was also pretty overwhelming at times. Looking back, there were plenty of things that would’ve been useful to know before getting there. So if you’re planning a trip to Syria, or anywhere in the Middle East for that matter, take a cue from my hard-learned lessons and save yourself some unneeded hassle.

Lesson 1: Use The Buses

A full day on a bus in a hot region sounds like a nightmare, but with all the trains canceled we had no other options for the 24-hour trip from Istanbul to Aleppo. A series of canceled trams and other minor disasters meant that we had missed our bus by mere minutes.

As a result, we found ourselves in the hands of a very large, denim-suited Syrian man who was laughing jovially in our faces as we desperately tried to explain our situation. After we finished our story, he happily accepted some additional money from us and loaded us onto another bus leaving a half-hour later. (Another lesson here: Syrians may have a slightly sadistic sense of humor, but they’ll look after you in the end.)

In fact, our panic was completely unfounded — it turns out there are buses leaving every half-hour to pretty much everywhere. Despite their frequency, they’re all full, and it’s easy to see why. With western sitcoms on the TV at the front, a steward bringing round refreshments, and (most importantly) air conditioning filling the cabin, Syrian buses are actually one of the most comfortable places to spend the hottest part of the day. And once you’re in the country, it doesn’t take more than a few hours to get between any of the main towns. (more…)

By Kyle Long

Within the first five minutes of exiting the airport I got a pretty good sense of what I was going to find in Vietman. Arriving here can be a bit of a shock at first, especially if you’ve just spent the last week relaxing in some of the country’s more laid-back neighbors, such as Laos or Cambodia.

“No minibus, you wait long time,” a man told me as I arrived at the taxi-stand. “Taxi leave now.” We proceeded to the airport-to-downtown minibus, as per the suggestion by the lady I spoke with at the information desk, paid our $2 each, and promptly sped away in about three minutes. Yes it was cramped, but saving $10 for a 45 minute-ride feels pretty good when you’re watching every cent. (more…)