The smallest country in Asia, The Republic of Maldives, is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka. Formed of 26 natural atolls, made up of 1,194 islands, only 200 are inhabited. It is also the lowest country in the world, with an average elevation of less than 1.5 meters above sea level, making … Continue reading
Thailand, The Land of Smiles, never truer than during the week my team and I spent volunteering with the Fuller Center in Lampang. I hope you will consider leading or joining a team there, especially in the very able hands of their new host coordinator, affectionately called Angel. She’s amazing! While it is a bit … Continue reading
Founded in 1296, Chiang Mai was the northern capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom, succeeding Chiang Rai. While the city itself sits among spectacular mountains, the old city center is still surrounded by ancient walls and their gates, perhaps the most important landmarks of all its historical remains. From the air you can see, the … Continue reading
“…and the world’s your oyster,” so the song goes. I used Bangkok as my landing pad, on my way to Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai and Lampang and again on my way out of Thailand before heading to the Maldives, then Switzerland. I bookended with two nights on the front end, one night on the way … Continue reading
After a failed attempt to visit Laos with a friend eight years ago, thankfully, I got a second chance. Luang Prabang had been on my travel wish list ever since. My first stop on a five-and-a-half-week trip, this delightful little town on the Mekong was the perfect place to begin to adjust to a new … Continue reading
Although this would be my third time visiting Istanbul, because it’s one of my favorite places I didn’t mind the two-night stopover offered by Turkish Airlines in my way home from Malaysia. Plus, it gave me a chance to deplane, decompress, and delight in 3 new experiences in this magical, ancient city. Continue reading
I found the true beauty of Bali is in the hearts of its people, in the land, both cultivated and wild, and in the hospitality so freely offered its guests. Continue reading
We would spend the next week volunteering with our Habitat for Humanity Australia Global Village Team, partnering with Habitat Indonesia, helping to construct a home for a deserving family in need, an elderly couple who, combined, earned the equivalent of $93USD per month as farm workers. Thanks to Habitat, they will be able to live out their final years with dignity, eventually passing the home to one of their sons and his family. Continue reading
First there was the book, then the movie. Eat, Pray, Love. Thanks Hollywood: now nearly everyone has fantasized about falling in love in Bali. But how many of them have heard of Yogyakarta, pronounced, JOGE-Ja-karta? Very few I bet. Let’s change that. Continue reading
I’m always game to visit a new place, and I’d never been to Malaysia. On my way to Indonesia, I decided to book my roundtrip airfare to/from the USA through Kuala Lumpur, aka KL. Most cities are easy to explore for a few days, and that’s exactly what my friend and I did, with very little pre-planned. If you have a few extra days, it’s a nice strategy to begin to get over the jet lag induced by crossing 12 time zones. Continue reading
Global Staci 