Angkor Wat, the most well-known of over 1,000 temples in the ancient city of Angkor is an undisputed global icon, and also an emblematic source of pride for the Cambodian people – so much so that the temple even appears on the Cambodian flag. Any trip to South East Asia would surely be lacking...
Hội An. Vietnam’s Ancient Town by the River.
Vietnam’s World Heritage listed historic town of Hội An has aged well, so well that it is often referred to as a living museum in terms of its variety of middle age oriental architecture and preserved traditions. For the modern traveller, the town also offers plenty of boutique hotels, craft and souvenir shops, and...
Visiting Luang Prabang in Laos
The spectacular ancient and religious town of Luang Prabang in Laos has long been on the tourist trail, and for good reason. With more than 20 years of UNESCO status backing it up, this small and beguiling town, surrounded by mountains and crammed with beautifully preserved French colonial buildings exudes a safe sort of...
Ayutthaya – The Ancient Capital of Thailand
If the skyscrapers of Bangkok are getting too much for you, it’s easy to reach the ancient ruined capital of Thailand; Ayutthaya. Some 85km north following the Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s possible to do as a day trip from Bangkok, but we would advise spending several days...
Dharamsala – A piece of Tibet in India
After exploring the golden triangle we needed a change of scenery. Alex has an interest in Buddhism and meditation and feels strongly that the Tibetan Buddhists were forced out of their homeland by the Chinese, so the next logical step was visit the Himalayan town of Dharamsala – A piece of Tibet in India....
India’s Golden Triangle, Part Three: The Pink City of Jaipur
In order to complete our tour of India’s Golden Triangle, we took a short train ride from Agra to our third destination – the renowned pink city of Jaipur, in Rajasthan. We were quite excited to take the train as Indian trains have this semi-mythical reputation of being the quintessential Indian experience. Unfortunately getting...
India’s Golden Triangle, Part Two: The Taj Mahal & Agra
Arguably the number one sight in India is the Taj Mahal. Located in the city of Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh it is said to be the most beautiful building in the world. It is one of those things that is so iconic, it is burnt into our collective consciousness. Anyone remember...
The pre-Colombian coastal cultures of Peru
At first glance, the coast of Peru looks like a dusty, almost Martian desert, but its rich river valleys hold a wealth of archaeology from a series of advanced pre-Columbian cultures which also pre-date Inca rule. There’s nothing that Jess loves more than dragging Alex around dusty ruins to look at pyramids and pots...
Calakmul, Mexico – Entering the Kingdom of the Snake
Having said goodbye to Central America with a little tear in our eyes, we entered the Riviera Maya in Mexico to resume the usual business of finding dusty, remote and bug infested archaeological sites. So we rented a car in Chetumal and off we went in search of our next destination, the ancient city...
Back to the Caribbean – San Ignacio, Belize
Goodbye Guatemala…hello Belize, our last stop in Latin America. The town of San Ignacio, Belize is only a few hours away by collectivo (shared van transport) from the famous ruins of Tikal and the island town of Flores in Guatemala where we spent a few days, so it made sense for us to cross...