What if, rather than using the six months (or more) most people devote to a round-the-world trip, I planned out a trip for a relatively short time? Say, 80 days, like the classic Jules Verne novel?
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Life and Death in Sulawesi’s Heavenly Kingdom
From baby graves, to elaborate funeral celebrations, to coffins than hang from steep cliff faces, Tana Toraja boasts some of the most bizarre, fascinating end-of-life rituals in the world.
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The Dark Secret of Indonesia’s Blue-Fire Volcano
If you think it’s crazy to hike into an active volcano just days after one of its neighbors erupts, ask the sulfur miners who work there how they feel.
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Three Perfect Days in Yogyakarta
Some places you travel just feel good immediately and for me, Yogyakarta, Indonesia was one of them. Use my three days in Yogyakarta itinerary as a starting point to make sure you feel as good as I did.
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Ashmageddon: Indonesia’s Mt. Kelud Erupts!
An active volcano exploded last night while I slumbered, so I did what any semi-insane travel journalist would do: I bought a face mask, grabbed my camera and headed outside into “Ashmageddon.”
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Why Is This Indonesian Man Tattooing Trash?
An unassuming man named Uwuh in Yogyakarta, Indonesian is taking on his country’s waste problem in a beautiful, amazing way. Read more about it!
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Why Do People Hate Jakarta?
If you’re passing through the Indonesian capital and are on the fence about actually going into the city, I recommend you spend at least a day here – if you do end up hating Jakarta, the least you can do is have your own reasons for feeling that way.
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Kegelisahan
I’m not sure about my upcoming trip to Indonesia. This thrills me; but it also terrifies me.
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Thailand in the Time of Protest
The 2014 Bangkok protests are of absolutely no danger to travelers – and the mainstream media needs to stop scaring us into thinking this is the case.
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The Great Lavender Schism
I didn’t ever end up finding the rolling fields of lavender that had motivated me to visit the south of France – but I found something much better.
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Camels, Craters and The Healing Silence
The heat, silence and endless horizon of the Israeli desert make the perfect healing cocktail.
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A Big Roadblock to Traveling in India
The process of getting an India visa for US citizens has recently changed, but not for the better. Here’s the good, bad and the ugly about getting an India visa from BLS International.
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Five Years Didn’t Change This Place Much
I just visited one of my favorite places in the world for the first time in almost five years. Thankfully, time hasn’t changed most of what I love about it!
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Chasing Vincent’s Sun
Although I spent just a few hours in Arles, I felt oddly more satisfied when I left than I have after exploring more famous cities for days or even weeks.
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Tel Aviv’s Hidden Paradise
The Shenkin Hotel is the perfect marriage of everything I need from a hotel and everything I love about Tel Aviv.
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The Baby Blue Birthplace of Kabbalah
I didn’t run into Madonna, Ashton Kutcher or Demi Moore in Safed, but the birthplace of Kabbalah is fascinating enough on its own – it doesn’t need celebrities.
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