THE TRAVEL BLOG OF TROY HENDERSHOTT, GLOBAL BACKPACKER FOR ALMOST 3-YEARS CONTINUOUS, SINCE 2012

TRAVEL INSPIRATION

4/10/2015

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself
in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday. – John Wayne

#MachuPicchu #Peru

Friday, April 10, 2015 (DAY 1,131)
"Travelers are a different breed of people. They are musicians, artist, semi pro snowboarders and surfers. Writers, archery masters, and sometimes nudists? Getting robbed is nothing but an inconvenience or a reason to just stay put in a city for a while longer and injuries are simply conversation starters into a good story. Cliffs are there to be jumped off of. Your poor physical appearance is nothing a few beers and a dip in the pool can't fix....Some people save their money to spend on a nice house, car, or their retirement. Travelers spend everything they have on experience, the now, the present. Sacrificing stability, possessions, relationships and financial security to invest in living, laughing, dancing, sweating, learning, searching, and discovering the world and themselves. A lot of travelers are considered unique in some way at home or others wild. So what a wild experience to get unique people from all over the world into one room where all of the sudden these individuals who are a different breed at home are now in a community of like minded people. The traveling world is a community of its own. A family away from family. Everyone and everything is accepted, and you are friends with everyone in the room by just walking through the door. Which is the hard part of travel. It isn't the cold showers or sleeping on uncomfortable beds in a room with 10 other people. The bug bites, lack of cleanliness, or crowded buses. It is when it comes time to say good bye to these people you meet. People who have loved you for just being yourself, inspired you to make happy decisions, shared an experience with you that no one else can quite understand without being there. I'm having a hard time saying bye to people that I know I may not ever see again... but happy that I was lucky to meet you." – Courtney Runyon

"If somebody would have told me a year ago that my week long jaunt to Jamaica for spring break was going to turn in to backpacking around the globe for a year, I never would have believed them. While it has been the best thing I ever could have done, it has definitely been hard at times. I am an incredibly lucky person. But so is everyone. It's easy to see someone's life from the outside and think it is more glamorous, happier or easier than yours, especially with people's constant need to brag about what they are doing via social media. How happy or in love they are, the "luckiest person in the world" statements, or pictures of what they are eating, drinking, what party they are at or trip they went on. Sometimes I feel like I’m conforming to this when putting up pictures of my travels. But it is the easiest way to keep my friends and family informed on where I am and what I'm doing. And for that, I am thankful of the old fb. However, that's not to say that everything has been smooth sailing. The most awesome people you meet will have been through the worst. And anyone who has escaped heartache, loss or grueling obstacles that life seems to catapult at them, they truly are the unlucky ones, because they have probably not experienced much at all. Be kind. Be selfless. Be brave." – Ashley Jones

#MachuPicchu #Peru

#ElTunco #ElSalvador

#Sunrise at #MachuPicchu #Peru

#SanJuanDelSur #SJDS #Nicaragua

#Flying over #Nicaragua

#Utila #Honduras with #ParrotsDiveCenter

#Mancora #Peru

#RioDulce #Guatemala

#Flying over the #AndesMountains #Peru

#Sunset at #SanJuanDelSur #SJDS #Nicaragua

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BE KIND. BE SELFLESS. BE BRAVE.

1/24/2014

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Don’t ever be afraid to reinvent yourself. – Bill Nuti

Friday, January 24, 2014 (DAYS 690 - 705)
As any backpacker will tell you, it is more often about the people you meet along your journey than it is about the incredible landscapes or countries you find yourself in, because these adventurous souls share much of the same experiences, hardships, and loneliness that is inevitable with any great journey, but we also share strength, determination, and beauty in living life with a new sense of clarity by learning to be more patient, understanding, and compassionate for others. One of these great inspiring individuals has been my friend Ashley from Oregon that I first met in Krabi, Thailand back in September of 2013 and was reunited with her in Bangkok several months later, and yet again coming back from South Korea as we made the trek north to Chiang Mai in November. She wrote, “If somebody would have told me a year ago that my week long jaunt to Jamaica for spring break was going to turn in to backpacking around the globe for a year, I never would have believed them. While it has been the best thing I ever could have done, it has definitely been hard at times. I am an incredibly lucky person. But so is everyone. It's easy to see someone's life from the outside and think it is more glamorous, happier or easier than yours, especially with people's constant need to brag about what they are doing via social media. How happy or in love they are, the "luckiest person in the world" statements, or pictures of what they are eating, drinking, what party they are at or trip they went on. Sometimes I feel like I’m conforming to this when putting up pictures of my travels. But it is the easiest way to keep my friends and family informed on where I am and what I'm doing. And for that, I am thankful of the old fb. However, that's not to say that everything has been smooth sailing. The most awesome people you meet will have been through the worst. And anyone who has escaped heartache, loss or grueling obstacles that life seems to catapult at them, they truly are the unlucky ones, because they have probably not experienced much at all. Be kind. Be selfless. Be brave.” I couldn’t agree more because while many people only see the photos of what I put up online, they often have no idea how difficult the journey was to be able to take that single solitary photo. It’s not about a lifestyle of “look at me, and be envious,” but to encourage others to be brave and strong in their life and to have faith in what they can achieve. When I took my first solo-backpacking trip to Europe in 2004, the extensive proliferation of the Internet as a communication tool was still up and coming, and international calling cards or short emails were the only way to let family and friends know that I was out of harm’s way. But, even now 10 years later, while I am able to post in more of a broad format with my travel blog or uploading photos to good ole fb, which is more of a way to backup my photos than anything, it is still limiting with the lack of consistent WiFi or other obstacles at times and can certainly be frustrating. But, as I spoke with family and friends before departing the States, telling them very seriously that I am unsure where life may take me and that I am unsure if I will ever return to the States to live, I am thankful for all of life’s blessings, daily, and hope that courage may find you to achieve your dreams and passion in life.

MY RTW PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
Things that always tend to be a constant in my life; some type of bug bite or healing scabs from scratching at bug bites, guessing which items of clothing may be clean enough to wear that day with the smell test, and the numerous unread (often buried) messages and emails that get neglected. I continue to apologize the most for the last one, but attempting to juggle staying in contact with people is not always the easiest with differing time zones and trying to experience the places that I am in, even with the luxury of living without a specific scheduled daily agenda, thus the reason for having a travel blog that even I have been pleasantly surprised with the fact that I have continued to stay disciplined in writing as often as I can over the past two years. I realized from my previous travels that this would ultimately be the easiest way to bring others in to an understanding of extended travel as well as to allow those to feel as though they are there joining me on my journey. This time I have found myself in one of the world’s 10 most expensive cities, Singapore. The little red dot as it is commonly referred to because that’s typically how it is referenced on maps due to the miniscule size of the country and has been humorously embraced, I know that many of my fellow backpackers that have experienced it wonder how on earth am I able to spend 16 days here while traveling on a budget? My answer. You need a Rommel. A good friend from California that happens to work in finance is the only way I’ve been able to stay here without breaking the bank.

I can’t say enough great things about my host, as he knew that I have been living on quite the frugal budget, and with his invitation to come for a visit he has certainly exceeded every conceivable notion of showing me the city he has called home since September of 2011. Rom played the role of tour guide in the best manner as he courted me through a two-week bromance of wining and dining me, haha.

He took me to some of the best places to eat around the city; everything from the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice at Maxwell Road Hawker Center made notorious by Anthony Bourdain to more upscale dining establishments and enjoyed one of the best breakfast burritos I’ve ever had at Muchachos Mexican restaurant in China Town. This above photo is the chicken rice S$3.50 ($2.75)

On my second night in Singapore, Rom took me to the world’s highest al fresco bar in the world, Altitude, to celebrate my recent birthday where he generously purchased bottle service for us in the form of an expensive bottle of Belvedere Vodka, which reminded me of my classy friend Andrea Vlad. Standing and looking out over one of the most comprehensive 360 degree views of the city on the 62nd floor, 282 meters (925 feet) above sea level, I couldn’t help but be reminded of all of the high roller trips to Vegas with Jesse, Diamond Bobby B, and the entire Cali crew, where dropping between $40,000-$50,000 in a single weekend wasn't much to blink an eye at for this group. It was a far cry from budget traveling and backpacking that’s for sure.

My accommodations continued on pace with the luxury treatment that I was being shown, since Rom was living in a condo, which has the feeling of a resort with the incredible pool, sauna, gym, and other various amenities in this gated community I am wondering how I will readjust to dorm life after this.

Sunday Funday was a trip to the popular island resort of Sentosa, which is derived from the Malay word Santosha and translates to “peace and tranquility.” The small 5km island receives some five million people a year and has two golf courses, two five-star hotels, and most famously is home to Universal Studios Singapore. After arriving at the beach and seeking a place to grab a seat, we are told that the covered lounge chairs near the pool are reserved and so this prompts my baller friend to inquire about a cabana. The waitress tells us that it’s S$50 ($39) per person for a cabana and without blinking Rom has already agreed to this. I suppose when you’re used to dropping on average S$300-S$500 ($236-$393) on a night out or upwards of S$1,500 ($1,181) this is a drop in the bucket. Lucky for me, aye. The strangest site other than the fact that the beach has been completely engineered and man-made is the ocean view that is littered with massive cargo container ships in the near distance.

In the following week build up to the Chinese or Lunar New Year (as it is more commonly referred to), Rom has been given the privilege of working from home and taking Friday off work entirely. Once again he’s doing a great job of showing me around the city and today it’s a stop at the world’s highest urban brewery, Level 33, as we lift our S$33 ($26) pints to another exclamation point of Singapore. I cannot get over the staggering prices, and the reason I’ve listed them is to demonstrate why Singapore is in the top 10 most expensive cities in the world, and more so in the fact that this certainly is not a backpacker or budget travel friendly place. When I think about the fact that my daily living expenses in Laos hovered around $5-$6 per day and included a private bungalow on the Mekong River and two or three meals a day, my entire weekly budget is the same price of one pint here. Again cheers to Rom for having deep pockets and funding our adventures in Singapore.

My first Lunar New Year in Asia is full of excitement, as Singapore has decorated many areas of the city, primarily in China town, and the holiday season is in full swing. One of my first experiences is when I attempted to go to the grocery store after meeting a new local friend, Laura, for dinner. Just after 11:30pm the lines were absolutely insane and reminded me of being at the grocery store just before a blizzard in Denver. Some things that I’ve learned about the East’s largest holiday is that locals do not refer to it as Chinese New Year, but Lunar New Year, and the Chinese are not the only ones that observe it. Countries such as South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia just to name a few, also celebrate this family oriented holiday. A few of the new friends I’ve made while in Singapore are taking part in the world’s largest human migration with this year’s projections of an estimated 3.62 billion journeys taking place, one of which is Marliany, who is going home for a few days to visit her family in Indonesia. All in all the festivities and traditions are a sight to behold.

Another Sunday Funday began with a trip to what is billed as the world’s most expensive stand-alone casino property at $5.7 billion, Marina Bay Sands. I remember seeing a photo of this property several years ago when it first opened in 2010 and I still couldn’t believe I had a chance to visit such an incredible structure. There are three 55-story towers with 2,561 luxury rooms and suites that support the Sands SkyPark with a 150m vanishing edge pool and displays a full 360-degree view of Singapore. This amazing five-star hotel also boasts the world’s largest public cantilever, has an indoor river that is modeled after the Venetian in Las Vegas that is lined by high end shops, an indoor skating rink, the MasterCard Theaters, which often bring in Broadway shows on their world tours, the world’s largest Luis Vuitoon boutique, home to the ArtScience Museum in the construction form of a lotus, and many other amenities that will have you gasping. Watch the building of Marina Bay Sands.

I just wanted to say, “THANK YOU,” to everyone that helped make my time in Singapore an absolutely excellent one. I know that for most backpackers or budget travelers they don’t have the chance to spend more than a few days in the red dot country, but through all of the kindness and generosity I’ve been shown it’s been an incredible 16 days. First off I’ve got to give major props to my boy, Rommel, he has been the best host by taking me to the key landmarks of the country, helped fund pretty much every one of our adventures, and introduced me to some incredible people. Two of those guys were my coffee shop mates, Sam and Brad. I’d also like to thank the local girls that took time out of their busy schedules to meet up with me, Laura and Rara, and for even buying me dinner. Rom’s roommates for allowing me to crash on their couch, especially Christian for helping me out the first time I came through on my way to Indonesia and Dave for all of our awesome conversations, I hope that your business takes off man and just remember my consulting fee is only half. Haha. Plus for all of the other friends that I met briefly thank you as well. It’s been a great time Singapore, but now it’s back to hostel life and my 33rd country, Cambodia.

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SURVIVING LOI KRATHONG – CHIANG MAI LANTERN FESTIVAL

11/16/2013

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Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it. – Sai Baba

Saturday, November 16, 2013 (DAYS 621 - 623)
If this festival is not on your bucket list, it should certainly be added along with experiencing several days in Thailand’s northern city of Chang Mai. Loi Krathong, which can be translated as “floating decoration,” also coincides with the more popular Lanna festival of Yi Peng (ยี่เป็ง), and is held on the second full moon of the Lanna calendar, thus the translation, "Yi" meaning "2nd" and "Peng" meaning "month" in the Lanna language). During this time a multitude of Lanna-style paper lanterns khom loi (โคมลอย), literally: "floating lanterns"), are released into the night’s sky in unison, or at least that is the point, and just by having a camera amateurs can suddenly appear to be professionals with just a few clicks capturing this incredible moment. Since I was arriving very close to the date of this festival from Korea, thankfully my friends Toby and Jade who have been living in Chang Mai for quite a few years had some very pertinent advice that I want to share with those willing to make the journey for next year’s 2014 Loi Krathong festival scheduled for the 7th of November.

DOUBLE CHECK THE DATE OF THE FESTIVAL:
Believe it or not, the Internet was wrong on the actual date listed, which stated November 17th would be the release of the lanterns, and it was actually on November 16th. After speaking with several locals, we came to the conclusion that because this is religious festival they try to keep the farangs (foreigners) away from it, and the following week there is another lantern release that is catered to tourists, even though there was nothing mentioned on the web about this either.

ARRIVE EARLY:
Try and arrive a few days before the start of the festival as well as be sure to arrive in the early to mid afternoon at Mae Jo University–the campus grounds where the crowd congregates to release the lanterns. We were also told to leave within one hour or less after the lanterns are released because the pedestrian walkway is the size of a narrow two-lane road and people were getting pushed to the canal banks, even falling in the polluted water, and others, such as our group, climbed fences and squeezed through barbed-wire fences to escape the masses.

MAKE A RESERVATION:
Once again Ashley, Adrian, and myself waited too long to make a reservation (within two weeks of the festival) for our accommodation and paid a premium for our 3-bed private room, but in the end it still worked out. This also includes transportation, whether you are planning to arrive by planes, trains, or automobiles (awesome film by the way) book early or you may be smashed in a horrible 13-plus hour ride.

BUDDY SYSTEM:
With an estimated 100,000 people plus attending this year’s festival, just realize that while patience is a virtue, this will certainly test your breaking point. Feeling like children at several points, we grabbed hands of the closest person to you and latched on to the buddy system because you felt as though you were in a slow-moving swaying mosh pit, and even this often had broken links in our Red Rover-style form of keeping the seven of us together. Since we did get separated badly, it’s best to select a specific meet-up point that’s not a general area, such as the end of the road–it will be nearly impossible to find one another in the crowd.

MY RTW PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
After speaking with one of the women at our guesthouse, our group has decided that we should try and leave around 3:30pm, since it will take us an estimated 30-minutes to drive the 17km outside of the city to Mae Jo University. Trying to wrangle a group of seven people is just about as difficult as wrangling midgets (and trust me, I know a thing or two about this), I have my troops in order and before we know it we have picked up three more people to fill out the back of the red pickup trucks that service as taxis around Chiang Mai. As expected there is plenty of traffic that keeps us at a standstill in the heat, but this doesn’t seem to be as awful as I was expecting with brief bouts of a breeze when we were accelerating and plenty of stories and laughter with our group as the anticipation and excitement built up for tonight’s event. Ashley, my American partner in crime, has actually stuck around Thailand for an extra month, just for tonight, before heading on her next adventure of conquering Australia.

We have decided to give in and purchase three large Lanna-style lanterns for the price of 100THB ($3.15) for the set, before we make our way through the crowds to what is normally an open grassy space, but has been replaced with thousands of people. The confused mixed information we have all received from locals as well as the web has us thinking the release will be occurring at 6:30pm, but this is not the case. Since we are in the back of the crowd, towards the front is a group of monks that are chanting and speaking, but the sound in almost inaudible to us even with the assistance of speakers and this continues for almost two-hours. Unable to sit, and barely being able to kneel if we do it one at a time while the rest of the group stays upright, we watch the sun go down over the trees and the almost full moon (officially it will occur tomorrow night) is shining brightly down upon us. Through some confusion, Adrian and I prematurely lit one of the lanterns as other people around us were doing the same, because we thought we heard the signal to begin doing so. Thankfully we have another lantern that Asia is holding and has even taken the time to write each of our names on it with her red lipstick.

When the announcement finally occurs and the entire crowd to lights their lanterns, it is a bit chaotic, but suddenly it is one of the most beautiful sights as the entire night’s sky begins to be covered with these floating lanterns. Fireworks begin to add to the color in the sky and none of us can believe just how incredible the atmosphere has become. You can’t help but smile and think that regardless of how many photos or videos are taken, it will never do it justice to actually standing there and experiencing it firsthand. Remembering Toby’s advice, we grab everyone and attempt to push our way through the crowd towards the back gate. After walking a few inches shoulder to shoulder with the mob, we start noticing people climbing over a fence and standing there not moving for several minutes we decide to do the same. One by one we hop the fence, walk through trampled grass–behind the vendor’s lined along the narrow road, and eventually crawl through barbed-wire fence, which leads to our meet up point, an outdoor makeshift BBQ restaurant labeled ‘Home of the Cowboys.’ Since we all became separated, after about 15 or 20 minutes we’ve gathered everyone and decide to get out of Dodge. First, we jump inside the back of a slow moving red truck with an elderly couple to the end of the road, secondly, we’ve managed to negotiate with a local man that is solo on his motorbike with a sidecar and jam eight of us on this thing as we feel it will bottom out with even the slightest pebble on the road, then we are dropped off at the end of the main road where we manage to jump aboard another red taxi truck and make it back to Chiang Mai just after 11pm. Completely exhausted and being true Americans, Ashley and I along with our Swiss buddy Adrian and his love for the King, the three of us take the short walk to Burger King for a late night dinner and then crash out in our room to a Thai movie on the tellie.

The second night of the festival is where the name derives from, Loi meaning ‘to float’ and Krathong is typically in reference to a lotus decorated circular container and most have candles or sparklers attached to them to be lit and placed on the Chao Phraya River or even the canal in the city. Ranging in sizes, price, and elaborate design, as you walk through the streets not only do you have people trying to sell you their krathongs, but you also notice an army of both men and women quickly tying and wrapping these together sitting just behind or off to the sides of the tables of finished krathongs ready for sale. Two humorous local guys catch our groups’ attention, which at this point we’ve added Kettia from Chicago, Flavia from Brazil, and about five others from England and begin to make our way towards the river bank.

As we are pushing through the crowds, or better yet, just moving to the slow motion and direction of the thousands of other patrons, it is sensory overload. The incredible combination of lights, illuminating parade floats, marching bands, and every other combination for a night festival you can imagine, our group is constantly stopping to take advantage of photo opportunities. Through these brief pauses, I continue to find myself in conversation with someone different in our newly formulated group, as we begin our turtle’s pace through the streets. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the names of any of the people from England, but then again what have the British every done for us–other than try to take our freedom–haha, and so our slow journey takes us over an hour to reach the river bank before finally making it down to the cracking bamboo pier that I am certain can snack at any second with the amount of people on it. All I can do is pray, that this bamboo be strong–hold many people, because I feel that if I were to fall in the river water I’d come out with a variety of new diseases. It shocks me to see that there are locals waist deep helping assist people with placing their krathongs in the water.

Once we feel that we have accomplished our mission of getting our krathongs afloat, we fight our way through the crowds instead of just being swayed in the direction, and make our way down a side street and to an outdoor rasta café and snatch up the last table on the sidewalk. All around us there are fireworks lighting up the sky or just making loud noises–LOUD NOISES!–and we just take in the scenery of the continued floating lanterns above us. We all agree that it is nothing compared to the release from last night, as these are scattered throughout the sky in all directions, but they are still beautiful and Ashley makes the comment that they look like large poetic moving fireflies with the souls of angles or maybe she just said, “look at them red thingys there in the sky, they be movin, like up and stuff.” I mean she is from Oregon people and I just found it’s best to tune her out sometimes. Bahaha, I can’t wait for her to read this when she is in Australia because in order for her to declare satisfaction it would require jumping continents to do so.

As the festival winds to a close and the erupting masses of people begin making their way out of Chiang Mai, I’ve decided to stay a few days to allow the crowds to dissipate and this also gives me a chance to meet up with my friends Toby and Jade, who I’ve met through college friends that went to University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and have been living in Thailand for several years. We’ve formulated a plan to go out for dinner and on Monday evening just after 5pm they arrive at MD House, our guesthouse, with the newest member of their family, their adorable two-month old son, Cy. Since they have a car as well as a restaurant in mind that is outside of the old city, Toby has us racing through the streets, since he’s obviously learned the ins-and-outs of Thai driving, and I’ve invited my friend Asia from Poland along to fill the last open seat in their car. It’s always extremely enjoyable to be treated to a posh restaurant while backpacking, and Toby and Jade have been extremely kind by encouraging us to order whatever we’d like and that just a few hundred baht ($6.31) contribution will be fine. I can’t thank them, as well as all of the other amazing friends and people I’ve met throughout my travels enough for all of the kindness they have shown me. I really feel blessed not only in the opportunity to meet up with friends that literally live all around the world, but also in the chances to reconnect with them, and in this case, meet them as their family’s grow.

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THE LIES AND TRUTHS OF BACKPACKERS

11/15/2013

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Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test. – Alain de Botton

Friday, November 15, 2013 (DAYS 620)
There are numerous lies and truths of backpackers that are found to be both humorous and absolutes–typically these statements have every intention of being nothing short of the truth, but it seems that as soon as they are uttered verbally it is almost a guarantee that you will be participating in the opposite actions of these statements. I know there are hundreds but these are just a few that come to mind.

THE THREE RELATIVE TRUTHS OF HOSTELS:

It is always someone’s first day.
It is always someone’s last day.
Someone always wants to celebrate their birthday, whether it has just passed or is six months in the future.

SOME LIES OF BACKPACKERS

I’m leaving tomorrow.
Of course I remember you…where are you from?
Next time, I’m just taking minimum things in my backpack.
I try to limit my time on Facebook when traveling.
See you soon again.
I’m never going home.
I'm only changing my flight back home once.
Tonight I'm going to bed early.
I'll see you soon.

MY RTW PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
Being woken up from a deep sleep, we arrive in Chang Mai just after 5:30am. Groggy and in a haze, we somehow manage to grab a taxi and make it to our hostel, MD House in the center of the city. We are pleasantly surprised to notice that this hostel has not one, but two swimming pools and includes a free proper breakfast with our stay. Since the lantern festival has caused the cities population to swell, we feel very fortunate to have been able to book a place in the city limit and with such great amenities. After checking in to our luxurious 3-bed private room with ensuite, cable television, and even a refrigerator, we are famished and head back past the small lobby and order some breakfast. Stuffing our faces like a fat kid in a donut shop, the speedy onset of exhaustion begins to creep in and we are down for the count for late-morning naps.

When I wake up, I notice I have a message from our Swiss friend Adrian who will be arriving early tomorrow morning and inquires if he can stay with us. It often amazes me how things continue to work out, not only for myself at times, but also for the other great friends I’ve made along the way. I tell him that because we hesitated in making a reservation for this festival that we were forced to book a 3-bedroom room and so we have plenty of space to welcome him.

Since it is still early afternoon, even after our nap, we’ve decided to spend it playing with Tigers! I’ve seen photos from other friends that have experienced this in Chang Mai and knew that it was on my list as well as an elephant trek while in Northern Thailand. Just after 2pm, we’ve negotiated with one of the numerous red pick-up truck taxi drivers to take us to Tiger Kingdom for 200THB ($6.33) round trip and being the only two passengers we sprawl out in the back of the truck with foam benches. 20-minutes later we arrive at the infamous Tiger Kingdom, and our excitement rises to level orange. After debating over the various packages, we’ve decided to do the whole sha-bang. We begin with the baby tiger cubs and work our way up to the full-grown adult males. I don’t even know how to describe this experience as it was so surreal, from when the cubs were running around and pouncing on you to the larger cats that even walking past you could topple you over from their sheer size. Safety was not something I was entirely worried about, because the staff does a great job of limiting the number of people in each of the various cages and sticks close to your side as well as watching your backside. They continue to tell you not to touch their heads, front paws, or to approach them from the front, but laying on them on their hip and petting them on their side or stomach is fine. Ashley and I are both still in disbelief of what is occurring and comment, “oh, what’d you do today? Yeah that sounds nice, we just played with fricken Tigers, no biggie.”

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TRAVEL INSPIRATION

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself
in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday. – John Wayne

BE KIND. BE SELFLESS. BE BRAVE.

Don’t ever be afraid to reinvent yourself. – Bill Nuti

SURVIVING LOI KRATHONG – CHIANG MAI LANTERN FESTIVAL

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it. – Sai Baba

THE LIES AND TRUTHS OF BACKPACKERS

Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test. – Alain de Botton

About the Author

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All content is
© 2011-2017 of rtwexperiences.com All rights reserved unless otherwise noted.

TRAVEL INSPIRATION

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday. – John Wayne

BE KIND. BE SELFLESS. BE BRAVE.

Don’t ever be afraid to reinvent yourself. – Bill Nuti

SURVIVING LOI KRATHONG – CHIANG MAI LANTERN FESTIVAL

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it. – Sai Baba

THE LIES AND TRUTHS OF BACKPACKERS

Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test. – Alain de Botton

About the Author

Archives

Categories

All content is © 2011-2017 of rtwexperiences.com All rights reserved unless otherwise noted.

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself
in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday. – John Wayne

All content is
© 2011-2017 of rtwexperiences.com All rights reserved unless otherwise noted.