Articles (3535)

Lamu Island, Kenya: Living the Swahili Coast in 2026

A reflective narrative from a 2000 stay on Lamu Island, Kenya's most atmospheric coast, combined with 2026 travel logistics, costs, and cultural context for visiting this UNESCO-protected archipelago.

At Home in Lamu (6 of 7)

Lamu was a haven for expats. Some had houses in town or in Shella but just spent a few months a year there. The few who lived full-time in Lamu formed a tight group and probably would never have gotten along back home. First there was Carmen.

Lamu Island, Kenya: Magic and Tourism in 2026

Lamu Island's distinctive magic persists despite tourism growth. A 2000 narrative paired with 2026 travel essentials for Kenya's most atmospheric destination.

When Adventure Turns Into Misadventure (2/2)

The early trekking part of our trip was not the pure Himalayan adventure we had anticipated but became largely an urban/rural cultural excursion, which in its own right was quite fascinating and certainly wildly different and unfamiliar to us First World types. Were we disappointed because our trip had changed character? A little, yes –

When Adventure Turns Into Misadventure (1/2)

Trip to the Tropicana – Havana, Cuba

The Train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta (2/2)

Thirty minutes passed before the horn sounded and the usual fight to be first on ensued. A short while later we pulled into the large station at Cirebon, which was a classic old Dutch colonial building with wrought iron gates, stained glass windows and a large overall roof. After the usual hoard of sellers, beggars

Buses and Fun, Fun, Fun (1 of 2)

Syria in 2026: Palmyra, Damascus, and the Levant's Ancient Heart

Explore Syria's ancient sites through a 2000 narrative, updated with 2026 travel realities and modern accessibility information.

Assad’s Syria (1 of 2)

One week turns into three in this Middle East gem.

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #19

Kampuchea Comedy When travelling in South-East Asia, it is easy to get overwhelmed. The transportation, language, food, and climate are often so different that it is often challenging to remain fresh and eager. Add to this five months of travel, long daily journeys and a sales system based around badgering the consumer, and one can

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #18

Republic of Lao When we got to the Laos border, we thought it was odd that there was three km of "no man’s land" between where we exited China, and where we entered Laos. It was weird, and we had to take a small truck between the two (so we wouldn’t be tempted to enter

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #17

China When we crossed into China, we were in for a quick shock. It had been fairly straightforward to get around most of South-East Asia, and most stores had signs written in English or French. In China, all the signs were in characters. It was weird at first, but we learned a dozen words, pointed,

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #16

Vietnam When we first arrived in Viet Nam, the first thing we noticed was that the roads were substantially better. After the back of pickups in Cambodia, it was nice to be in a mini-bus. Even if the roads were still crooked, at least they were paved. We started in the South in the city

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #15

Kingdom of Cambodia Very, very early on Thursday the 2nd, Mari and I were sitting patiently on the sidewalk in Bangkok. We learned later that the time we had been given was the time at which point the driver started getting out of bed. 1½ hours later he showed up to pick us up, and

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #14

Thailand Feb 20 – March 2 On a fine, yet early Sunday morning, we awoke in Malaysia. It was pitch black and Mari and I were about to embark on a 12 hour journey by Mini-Van. We decided that in the early hours, we needed food. We strolled through town, and our hearts sank as

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #13

Peninsular Malaysia North from 1 – February 11-20 When we landed in Singapore, we were at 1 degree North Latitude. Since leaving Singapore, we have been heading steadily North. Currently we sit on the small island on Pinang, located in the NorthWest corner of Peninsular Malaysia. On Friday the 11th, we boarded the local bus,

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #12

Gong Xi Fa Cai Have a happy and prosperous lunar New Year On the 3rd of February, with 6 bucks in our pockets, Mari and I jumped onto a bus at 6am. We had a dew drenched tent stuffed in our backpack, and our clothes were less than clean. The only money we had left

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #10

From Melbourne with Love – January 26th Well Ladies and Gentlemen, here we sit in the southern most tip of our Australian Odyssey. It is from this point that we once again begin to head North. It is also from here that we put our car up for sale, and once again start packing our

South East Asia on a Hamstring – January 18

Tirta Gangga – January 18, 2000 I finally got my banana pancake at Hotel Prima Bambu in Tirta Gangga. Unfortunately, it was raw-ish and more of a crepe with bananas cooked into it than the banana pancake I was hoping for. My quest shall have to continue. We had a morning walk through the rice

Les Trois Mousquetaires go to France, Italy and maybe a few other places #1

My family and friends (and my older girl herself) think I am out of my mind to want to travel with my two teenage girls (13½ and almost 12). It’s not just a teenage thing, “Mom, it’s going to be so booorriiing,” or “Mom, what do you mean we are going to walk a lot

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #7

December 28th: Queensland Coast Okay ladies and gents, thanks for being so patient, sometimes the updates are few and far between. So, three weeks ago we left Sydney, and the car has been running like a top. In the tropical rainstorms, we found a leak, but duct tape has made short work of that. Gas

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #6

Oz Update So it has been about 10 days since we have been in Australia, and things are going well. After buying our blue Ford Falcon, we have been living like gypsies, exploring the open road, and sleeping in our car. First off, we went to the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney. We spent

Tim and Mari’s World Tour #5

Sydney 2000, Holy #@*! To anyone who was planning on going to Sydney, I recommend it highly. This is probably one of the coolest cities I have ever seen. The mix of people and cultures, museums and aquariums, business and partying is unique for sure, and fun even if you just watch. One thing about