Sweat was oozing out of his pores when Philipp Meier arrived at Koh Chang, an island in southern Thailand. The peace and quiet, however, promised to be the perfect antidote after the tourist hustle and bustle of nearby Koh Phayam.
Turkish Timber
It was 1976 and Mike Chambers was traveling overland on the Hippie Trail across Eurasia. During a stop in Turkey, tempers flared when a fellow traveler insulted a local vendor and suddenly, in the resulting scuffle, Mike became the target of an angry mob.
A Zulu Healing in South Africa
This article is an excerpt from the new book, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD…and How Cultures Do It Around the World, by YourLifeisaTrip.com executive editor Judith Fein.
Honesty Island
Philippines-based American expat B.J. Stolbov heads off to Batanes, a remote cluster of islands, located almost 200 miles off the northernmost tip of Luzon, to discover if the islands are as crime-free as their reputation.
Mauthausen Concentration Camp: Because turning away is never an option
Fyllis Hockman recalls a sobering visit to Austria’s Mauthausen concentration camp and why we should never forget.
Singing in The Philippines
If you travel to the Philippines, where singing is a national pastime, American expat B.J. Stolbov advises you to let go of inhibition and join the fun.
Meeting Muslims: An Intimate Story
A series of random encounters introduced American expat Aysha Griffin to the Muslim community in Girona, Spain, where she is currently based.
Trieste to Ljubljana by bike: Impressions, thoughts, hardships
On a cross-border bicycle trip, Simon Goodall pedaled between Italy and Slovenia undeterred by a hangover and headwinds.
An unexpected encounter with smugglers in Madagascar
Alarm bells went off in Jacqueline Hitt’s mind when the small plane she was traveling on made an unscheduled landing on a makeshift runway in a remote part of Madagascar.
Demystifying Malta
Elyn Aviva traveled to Malta to experience sunrise at the 5,500-year-old Mnajdra Temple on the day of spring equinox. Unexpected insights are revealed when the event wasn’t the sacred experience she’d anticipated.
Not All Who Wander Are Lost, But Most Are.
Richard Collins was at a low point in his life when friends decided he needed a night out at Healing House, a performance art center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He arrived feeling resistant and awkward, but like life often does when you are at rock bottom; the experience surprised him.
Tap and Take in Nairobi
During a business trip in Nairobi, Mike Chambers fell victim to a standard street crime scheme. His response, however, was anything but standard.
When Water Comes, Books Go
When a burst valve results in a flooded study, author Nancy King is left temporarily book-less and bereft.
Two Beach Boys Find Paradise Lost in Cambodia
After six long winter months of teaching at an all-boys school in remote China, Richard Collins and his friend Isaac arrived in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, looking for a backpacker’s beach paradise. As it turned out, finding paradise wasn’t as easy as they’d imagined.
Food Sharing, Barcelona Style
Some people love to share their food. Kristine Mietzner, not so much. Then a Barcelona food tour changed everything.
Caught in Khartoum
Jailed in a Sudanese prison wasn’t what Mike Chambers imagined when he went to Africa. Then luck and the actions of one officer changed everything.
Into the Amphitheatre
A hike into the Amphitheatre at South Africa’s Royal Natal National Park to see the world’s second highest waterfall seemed like a good idea—until it didn’t. With heavy mist obscuring any possibility of a view and a water-slicked, cliff-hugging ladder providing the only way in or out, Richard Kitzinger suddenly found himself face-to-face with his greatest fears.
Where’s Oprah?
When Holland America announced the “Oprah Experience” as one of the highlights of its cruise ship Nieuw Statendam it wasn’t exactly what passenger Cathy Meils expected when she signed on for the ship’s premier voyage.
Shanghai Hairy Crabs
Erin Mooz flew halfway across the world to visit her college roommate’s hometown, Shanghai, during Hairy Crab season, one of the city’s most anticipated culinary events of the year, and discovered there was more to the tradition than the delicious crustaceans.
Expat’s Lament
When American expat Elyn Aviva and her husband relocated to Asturias, Spain, after seven years in Catelonia, the safety net of knowing how to do things and where to go was suddenly gone and their spirits soon matched the region’s dismal winter weather.