Want to know something kind of crazy? On my four-month round-the-world trip, during which I visited 10 countries total, I visited only three new countries. And the only new one in Southeast Asia? Malaysia. But thankfully, Malaysia was so historical and surprising and different from anywhere else I’ve been (besides Singapore, perhaps), that it made me feel like a less … Read more
Without a doubt, Koh Tao is one of my favorite places in Southeast Asia. Last fall I spent three weeks there and this spring I returned for two and a half. On both visits I only intended to stay a week, but well, Koh Tao is tough to quit. Koh Tao is heaven for young people. A palm … Read more
Yes, you read that correctly. Coup. On May 22, 2014, the Thai military took control of the government and enforced curfew and martial law, banned political gatherings, censored the media and detained and arrested politicians. As fate would have it, I had a flight to Bangkok booked for May 23. So on my last night in Delhi, I weighed my … Read more
You’ve been in Southeast Asia too long when… Chang starts to taste good. And Singha tastes even better. You no longer flinch when you jump into an ice-cold shower. You consider $2 to be an outrageous price to pay for a beer. You haven’t had a massage in two weeks and that feels like a … Read more
After my three-week yoga retreat in land-locked Ubud, I was craving ocean air. So I booked a ferry ticket to Gili Trawangan, a tiny, teardrop-shaped island off the coast of Lombok. Though Gili Trawangan (or as it is locally known, Gili T) is geographically close to Bali, culturally it’s worlds away: most of the islanders are … Read more
When the same company that owns the Grand Mirage asked me if I would also like to review the Samabe, their brand-new luxury suites and villas, a Bali all inclusive, I couldn’t believe my luck. My parents are fans of luxury hotels and as a kid I stayed at hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, The Peninsula … Read more
On my last week in Bali, I decided I needed to break up my serene yoga and coconut water routine with something a bit more… adventurous. So I signed myself up for an early morning trek to Mount Batur, Bali’s most active volcano. When my alarm jolted me awake at 2 a.m. (the earliest alarm I’ve … Read more
When I was 16, back in 2007, I read Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s New York Times bestseller. And then I read it again. And again. Needless to say, Eat, Pray, Love firmly put Bali on my map of dream destinations. And seven years later, I finally ventured to the island I had read so much about.* And … Read more
One of my goals at 23 was to get in the best shape of my life, and where better to do so than beautiful Bali? But as a budget-conscious backpacker I knew I couldn’t afford a $1,500+ packaged yoga retreat- so I devised a plan to do a yoga retreat on a budget. More specifically, I … Read more
Remembering my three weeks in Ubud, Bali, makes my heart hurt a little. Because I kind of wish I could stay forever. Something about Bali just got under my skin; from the daily Hindu offerings to the the eerie, repetitive rhythm of the gamelan to the ornate family compounds. Out of all the places I’ve been … Read more