Contributions
Winter Camping in a Yurt at Silent Lake Provincial Park, Ontario
Created on January 14, 2011 by Melissa Rodway, WriterFor many Canadians, winter is a time of hibernation. Although Canadians are deemed a hearty bunch from the land of ice and snow, most have a natural inclination to hide indoors while waiting for spring. Torontonians in particular are often relieved when their plans are suddenly cancelled on a bitterly cold January night, giving them the ultimate excuse to imprint themselves on the couch instead of schlepping across the city. It is for all these reasons that if you mention you are going winter camping for the weekend, you are given a look as though you have three heads. In Toronto, winter lovers are rare. Fortunately I have been lucky to find my pack of five fellow winter adventurists, whom in a city of 2.5 ...
Going Beyond Angkor Wat: The Green Gecko Orphanage
Created on December 13, 2010 by Melissa Rodway, WriterSiem Reap is famous for housing Angkor Wat: the eighth wonder of the world, Cambodia’s most prized possession, and the epicentre of huge national pride. Angkor Wat is the most-featured ruin in the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site; and it was also the set for Lara Craft, Tomb Raider. There is no contest that touring Angkor Wat is a special experience, and if you visit some local community projects benefiting the Khmer (Cambodian) people, Siem Reap will always mean something more to you than just a tourist site. A contemporary, luxury hotel in the heart of Siem Reap, Hotel de la Paix has a genuinely warm and welcoming vibe, and is run by a charismatic Dane named Christian, who is as passionate about the hotel ...
Rockin' and Rollin' on the Battambang Bamboo Train
Created on December 13, 2010 by Melissa Rodway, WriterIf it's temples and ruins that you're after, there is no limit to what you will find in Southeast Asia. If you are ready to shake things up a bit, hold onto your teeth and head on over to Battambang, Cambodia for a wild ride aboard the bamboo train. Clear your thoughts of any images that may naturally come to mind, as the Battambang bamboo train is not your typical locomotive. Right before our eyes, a bamboo “raft” was placed on two sets of wheels resembling barbells. A motor was hooked up through a fan belt, a few cushions were thrown our way, and voila—we were off on our own magic carpet ride, clinging to a less-than-ample railing as we hurtled through the countryside at ...
Caving it Kong Lo Style, Laos
Created on December 13, 2010 by Melissa Rodway, WriterKong Lo Cave in central Laos is set in the remote wilderness of Phu Hin Bun, creating a naturally dramatic background for this eerily spectacular place. The Nam Hin Bun river flows through the 7.5 km cave where only small boats can travel for tourism in addition to transporting locals and small goods. In some places, the Laos Kong Lo Cave is up to 100 meters high, and the most confusing part of this caving experience is wondering how to get started, and where to pay your fare. When you arrive, there will be several boys and men sitting around chatting. They are your guides, and few, if any, speak English. Money is an international language, so once you have paid whomever may be sitting ...
Rejuvenate Your Feet with a Thai Foot Fish Massage
Created on December 13, 2010 by Melissa Rodway, WriterAlthough not quite as popular as the Thai massage, the foot fish spa is gaining solid ground in Thailand. Night and day, you will find travellers, business people and Thais of all ages dangling their legs into fish filled aquariums. After witnessing this treatment through open air shop fronts in Bangkok, I finally mustered the courage to give it a try by the time I reached Chiang Rai. The foot fish spa originated in Turkey, and since 2006, has caught on in parts of Europe and Asia. The medical purpose is to help those with skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema, although the drama of this experience is what draws most travellers in. Quite simply, it is one of those things you have to ...
Sleeping in a Hakka Tulou
Created on December 13, 2010 by Melissa Rodway, WriterChina is the fourth largest country in the world, but when travelling through rural China, with combined train and bus journeys often lasting up to 36 hours, it can feel like the largest country in the world. Although this can be a test in personality and patience, put away those dark parts of your soul and remember that it’s about the journey, not the destination. Okay, maybe in China it actually is about the destination. My intrepid travel partner and I made the trip one hour east of Yongding to explore the world of the Hakka, (meaning “guest people”), an ethnic minority who migrated from northern China during times of war. For one night, we were to live as they do, in a tulou. Although ...
The Plain of Jars and the Secret War
Created on July 02, 2010 by Melissa Rodway, WriterIf you’re seeking a little Laos mystery and history, make the trek to the Soviet style town of Phonsaven where clusters of ancient stone jars are peacefully scattered across northern plateaus. A visit to UXO villages resulting from a less than peaceful past also awaits. There are three different sites that you can choose from to visit the Plain of Jars. With only a few tourist offices in Phonsaven, each one, including your hotel, will try to convince you to spend an entire day driving around to visit all three. However, although visiting the Plain of Jars is eerily spectacular, you need to only visit Site One to feel the impact of this Laos mystery. The Plain of Jars consists of absolutely massive stone jars ...
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