Sunday May 20, 2012
Photo by Tony Conboy III
Home to Nintendo, kimonos, and famous temples -- Kyoto, Japan, is always a big hit with visitors to Japan.
But don't expect a small, Japanese village. Kyoto is home to nearly 1.5 million people, but still manages to retain a cultural charm that keeps people coming back; a whopping 30 million annual tourists, in fact!
Maybe it's the 2000 religious temples and shrines packed into the city, the UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the famous handicrafts, or the fact that Kyoto offers an image of Japan that people expect to see. The city even has a push to offer discounts for people who wear traditional kimonos!
For an Asian city of its size, Kyoto is billed as an extremely 'green' city. The United Nations even chose to call its initiative to fight global warming the Kyoto Protocol. All 191 country/states signed the Kyoto Protocol, but the United States refused and Canada later renounced its decision in 2011.
Regardless, Kyoto is one of the few places in the world where you may see geiko or maiko walking the streets in traditional robes. Who wouldn't want to see that?
Guest writer Tony Conboy III has written about his experiences in Kyoto, Japan, and gives some great reasons for enjoying the city.
- Use this Kyoto, Japan, travel guide to enjoy one of Japan's cultural hubs!
Wednesday May 16, 2012
Photo by Greg Rodgers
Traveling over the past six years I've seen a substantial increase in the number of Chinese tourists who are venturing abroad to remote places such as Lake Toba in Indonesia and Pai in Thailand.
Part of the reason for the increase in Chinese travelers is obviously the large population taking advantage of an economy literally exploding with growth.
The rest of the story is much more surprising: Admission costs to sites and attractions in China are skyrocketing. Chinese travelers are finding it cheaper to go abroad than to travel their own country lately.
Admission fees at many major sites in China have raised from 20 to 100 percent over the last year. For example, Jiuzhaigou -- a national park in Sichuan Province -- charges a whopping US $49 entrance fee per person; compare that to US $12 for a week-long pass to get inside of Yellowstone National Park or the Grand Canyon.
Entrance permits at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China are also sorely out of proportion to similar sites in other Asian countries, and the problem only appears to be getting worse.
I remember being charged nominal fees to go inside of many small parks, gardens, temples, and other attractions while in China. Luckily, students receive a 50% discount at many attractions, so be sure to bring your student card with you -- the savings can really add up.
As student cards around the world all look different, I even met some young travelers who flashed California driver's licenses and were allowed inside at the student rate!
Saturday May 12, 2012
Photo by Greg Rodgers
There comes a time in every travel writer's life when they wrestle with a choice: give away a great, secret place or be stingy so that the place doesn't get too busy.
It's time to let the cat out of the bag on one of Thailand's incredible island secrets: Koh Lanta.
While Koh Lanta isn't exactly a hidden little island, it is strangely far less visited than it's neighbors Phuket and Koh Phi Phi. With deep water and a soft sand bottom, the swimming here on Long Beach is the best that I've enjoyed in Southeast Asia. I left only the second set of footprints in the sand this morning. Why do people jostle for towel space on other beaches?
I was last on Koh Lanta in 2007, and given the rapid rate of development on Thailand's once-unspoiled islands, I feared the worst when coming back here. I can barely recognize tiny Koh Tao after just four years of rapid growth.
Instead, I found Koh Lanta mostly the way that I left it four years ago. The same character-rich bamboo bungalows open to the Andaman Sea and the same laid-back atmosphere prevails among locals. All seems to be intact and no big resorts seem to have clawed their way onto the island - yet. The only modern improvement that I've found so far is fast Wi-Fi with a sea view -- who's complaining?
Even still, the island is mostly closed. I was the only guest in my bungalow -- one of only a few choices still open -- until today. There are very few restaurants still open. I can see remnants of the recently finished busy season, however, Koh Lanta shuts down each year around the end of April.
While coming to a 'closed' island may not seem like such a good idea, I was able to negotiate a big discount on a bungalow with a sea view. I even opened a coconut -- picked up for free off the ground -- this morning for breakfast.
The weather in Koh Lanta is unpredictable, but if you're willing to brave coming to an island after the regular boat service stops for the year, you'll be rewarded with unbelievable serenity and beaches to yourself.
Monday May 7, 2012
Photo by Greg Rodgers
I'm regularly asked how I can afford to spend so much time living in Thailand.
Here's an exact rundown of my expenses for today -- just another day in Bangkok:
- Accommodation in my boutique hostel: $10
- Two 1.5-liter bottles of water: $1
- Breakfast in the guest house: Free
- Pad thai noodles for lunch: $1.33
- Laundry service: $1.75
- Dinner: $3.25
- Iced coffee so I could write this in an air-conditioned cafe: $3
So, all in all, I've enjoyed Thailand for only $20.33 today. The iced coffee was a luxury, but we have to have our indulgences.
Even still, I could save more money by moving up to Pai or Chiang Mai in the cheaper part of Thailand.
While I know that using today as an example isn't entirely realistic for the average traveler (i.e., I didn't visit any sites or do much) -- I walked instead of using tuk-tuks to save money, slept and ate for cheap, and will later be using the money I saved to pay for the bungalow in the photo above (which opens to the beach and costs $16 per night by the way).
On the other hand, there are plenty of restaurants around here where I could have spent $20 -- my entire daily budget -- on a single appetizer!
The truth is, how much money you spend in Thailand really comes down to you. If you only have a short time here, have fun and burn cash. Otherwise, you can literally live for two months based on what the average person spends on a two-week vacation somewhere else.
Here's a breakdown of expenses in Thailand for food, drink, accommodation, transportation, and hidden costs:
