Malaysia
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Snapshot Sunday: George Town Penang, Malaysia
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A Dog That Bites & an American Who Writes: A Rabid Afternoon in Borneo
Somewhere in my bag I must have a hidden rabbit foot, or four leaf clover stuck in my shoe because I’ve had a lot of good luck while on the road. Â I’ve been traveling for over a year and a half now and have had some insanely good fortune, somehow avoiding most of the typical annoyances of travel: food poisoning, missed flights, and stolen wallets. Â I’m actually nervous to write about how fortunate I’ve been so I’m knocking wood with my left hand as I hen peck the keyboard with the right to avoid any karmic backlash. That being said, for the countless amount of good things that have happened…
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The Jewel of Kedah: Langkawi Island Hopping
I’ve got 99 islets…Â Nestled in the Andaman Sea not far from the Thai border, the island of Langkawi is a Malaysian paradise. The area has so much to offer, from UNESCO world geopark sites, sailing, and duty free shopping. From mangrove forests to scenic views and unique wildlife, Langkawi island hopping is the best way to experience everything the region has to offer. One of the more serene beaches is Baras Basah which you can get to by boat. A white sand beach with beautiful clear water, with a dense forest in the background it is a great spot to relax in the afternoon. There isn’t much on the…
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Snapshot Sunday: 100 Steps in Borneo
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Ethical Malaysian Wildlife: Visiting Turtle Island Borneo
I rolled my pen across the wooden linoleum, sliding it back and forth over the table top as I glanced over towards the clock. Everyone busied themselves with small talk, knitting, or writing as we patiently waited in the cafeteria after dinner for a ranger to run into the room alerting us of a turtle laying her eggs. Female Green or Hawksbill turtles can come up to lay at any time so the wait in the dining hall could be anywhere from right after dinner to twiddling our thumbs well into the night. Turtles will only lay eggs in the evening and can be choosey about the conditions of where…
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Monkey Business: Borneo and a day with the Orangutans
Borneo The region evokes images of sprawling jungle, dark forests with murky rivers running through them, exotic animals lurking in tall, towering trees.  I’ve always envisioned it to be a mysterious place full of wildlife and dense uninhabited rain forests, a place where you could explore the unknown. Borneo is about the size of Texas, and is comprised of three countries, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei and houses some of the world’s oldest rain forests.  This small island makes up about 1% of earth’s land but the tropical paradise is home to over 6% of all the world’s species making it a region with incredible biodiversity.  Here’s a couple of facts that…
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Race to the Flower: the quest to find the world’s largest flower
Completely drenched in sweat, I adjusted my back pack and wiped my forehead taking a quick break. Â The sun beat down through the trees and it’s increasing heat let me know that afternoon was approaching. Â Slowly I climbed up the last small hill, navigating over the protruding tree roots as I approached the rest of the group, huddled around something off to the right of the trail, everyone snapping photos and bending down to the ground. I immediately smiled, probably one of the few to grace my face over the past two hours of hiking. Â We were finally here, we get to see the flowers! Â I pulled my camera from…
