Offbeat Thailand

Sometimes I feel spending on water is like paying for something that is my right just by arriving on this planet. How much we’ve taken it for granted is astonishing. Anyway, one almost hidden cost of travel is those little plastic bottles of water. They add up to a lot of our travel budgets and … Read more

Going off the beaten track in Thailand, Slowly. . . . Disclaimer 1: This itinerary is for slow travel. Disclaimer 2: No parties, sex tourism, or pretentious insta-luxury travel included. Overview I decided to experience Thailand differently, and hence I moved North or South and never stayed central. The regions of Thailand include North, Central, South, and … Read more

A Guide for Alternative Travelers & Respectful Backpackers Disclaimer 1: This guide is not for party animals, sexpats and package tourists. Disclaimer 2: This is not a guide to the islands. It is based on my road trip along the mainland coast of Southern Thailand. When everyone is island-hopping, the mainland becomes the offbeat. I set off on … Read more

Sawadeé! I’ve been traveling across Thailand over the last month – mostly exploring the offbeat. As always, learning the language has been my biggest tool to explore the offbeat and connect with the locals. Not to forget it also helps get in negotiation to get better prices than “the English” tourists. I was surprised when … Read more

I attended the Yee Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai this year. Yee Ping or Yi Peng is a festival held just before the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand. The act of releasing the lanterns on this day signifies letting go of all misfortunes and ills of the past year. People also like to make … Read more