We were told that a visit to Siem Reap would not be complete without seeing a sample of traditional Khmer dancing. The Aspara Theatre was recommended as one of the nicest venues to see this type of performance. It’s a beautiful building with an interior of rich wood and many intricate relief carvings. Aspara and [...]

The Summer Palace was a second residence for the emperor of China, it was used to escape the summer heat of the city. The location is  just fifteen kilometers from central Beijing making it  easily accessible by local bus. Unlike the barren flat grounds of the Forbidden City, this site is full of trees and [...]

When you travel, it’s the people that make a place special. Tibet is no exception. We found the culture, traditional clothing and devotion to religion fascinating. Of all the places we have been to around the world, it was the Tibetan people who touched us the most. The language barrier prevented us from talking with [...]

It was a shock to go to the washroom for the first time in China.  It was during a stop in a rural while taking a Sleeper Bus from Hong Kong to Yangshou. The bus was equipped with a small closet washroom, but I never saw anyone use it. If the locals were not using [...]

Miniature of Angkor is located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. If you don’t have time to see all the Angkor temples on your list you can visit this lovely garden to see many of them on a miniature scale. Master craftsman Dy Proeung has hand carved several replicas out of sandstone. The yard and gardens are [...]

As we wandered the town of Siem Reap we noticed tuk tuk drivers involved in some sort of activity on the street sides.  They were using the small tiles of the sidewalk as a game board.  It appeared to be a complex version of tic tac toe.

Imagine a small 6.5 acre plot of land where the buildings are so tightly packed together that they virtually form a solid unit. Every inch of space has been utilized to house a flourishing population. Buildings have been added on top of each other making the construction so dense that sunlight can not reach the [...]

We specifically chose the guest house Peace of Angkor for our stay in Siem Reap because the owner is an avid photographer. He schedules day trips that allow for fantastic photo opportunities.  The trip we booked with him took us to an area on Tonle Sap that had seen very little in the way of [...]

Sera Monastery sits on the outskirts of Lhasa. At one time it had a population of over 5000 monks, but now houses only a few hundred. The Chinese government has imposed restrictions that limit the number of monks allowed at each monastery in Tibet. Sera survived the cultural revolution with light damage, but most of [...]

It was challenging to travel around for three months in China as vegetarians. We do eat fish, but that didn’t seem to make it any easier. We’re not complaining, but just giving our experience. The last thing we want to be are travelers that whine about not being able to get the same food as [...]