Vat Phou: Discover the Unique Ancient Khmer Temple of Laos

On the west bank of the Mekong River, in southern Laos, the ancient ruins of Vat Phou (Wat Phu) sit in tranquil solitude at the base of a mountain. Built between the 5^th and 11^th centuries this unique Khmer temple complex, and it associated settlement, were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001. The only Khmer temple in Laos, Vat Phou is much older than the famous Angkor Wat, and is where it all began.

 

Gliding with Gibbons: The Amazing Gibbon Experience

 

The air was heavy as I woke up on the morning of my last day in the Nam Kan National Park. Typical in the rainforest, a dense fog hung to the treetops and mountain ridges, obscuring the forest below it. Nearer by, the song of tropical birds rang out as they made their morning rounds.

 

Exploring the Enchanting Hoh Rainforest - The Ultimate Travel Guide

The Hoh Rainforest is one of the most spectacular temperate rainforests in the world. Old growth forests of spruce and maple, enveloped by imaginably green mosses and ferns, adorn the forest floor as far as the eye can see and the majestic Hoh River runs through, bringing life to forest, its inhabitants, and the Pacific Ocean beyond. It is no wonder it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve.

 

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill: Where Art and Gardens Converge

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill is where art meets earth to create the most beautiful of garden spaces. One of the oldest botanical gardens in Massachusetts, this 171-acre garden space is a must see for anyone traveling through central Massachusetts.

Dear Future Peace Corps Volunteer

When the pandemic swept around the world, Peace Corps was forced to evacuate all of their volunteers, nearly 7000, from the sites that they were serving in. Two years later Peace Corps has been slowly returning volunteers to these countries it once served. Madagascar, the country in which I served for 3 years, finally got its first volunteers since the evacuation. Having finished up 11 weeks of training in Mantasoa, Madagascar, the volunteers swore in yesterday to begin their journey as Peace Corps Volunteers in Madagascar. 

While watching their swearing in I was reminded of my service, the amazing and life changing experience I had, and all of the work that was done and has continued to be done in Madagascar. This blog was started as a way to chronical my time in Madagascar; my life and work as a volunteer, the culture of the Malagasy people, and the Peace Corps experience as a whole. In light of the new volunteers starting their own service I wanted to share a post I wrote as a letter to future Peace Corps Volunteers.

 

Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Gifts for Travelers [Updated: 2022]

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for that traveler in your life?  Buying for travelers can be a hard task.  What do you get for someone that is always on the go?  In my experience, most travelers like to pack light and we like to only take those things that are useful or will make our trip easier. 

 

So, skip the money belt this year and buy your modern nomad something they will actually love and use.  Here is a list of the best travel gifts for wanderlust travelers, no matter what your budget.

 

Explore Colonial Williamsburg: Best Guide to America's Revolutionary City

Colonial Williamsburg bring history to life. Once the capital of Virginia, Williamsburg is arguably the birthplace of the American Revolution. This historic site is the country’s largest outdoor history museum and quite literally a theater in the streets. Where historic figures like George Washington and James Madison tell you about their lives, where cobblers make colonial shoes from scratch, and the buildings that surround you date before the American Revolution.