Category: travel
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Black Bluff: It never gets easier
Black Bluff and I have a long history. It’s the kind of climb that sticks with you—not just because of its eye candy natural views or its place in Tasmania’s ominous Penguin Cradle Trail, but because it humbles anyone who dares climb it. I’ve hiked it three times now, and it hasn’t gotten any easier.…
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A Boxing Day escape to Lismore
The long inland route from Melbourne to Lismore has become a ritual, especially during Christmas when coastal routes transform into parking lots of misguided hedonists. Boxing Day found us at the Star Lodge in Narrandera, a grand railway hotel constructed in 1916. The two-storied red brick building dominates its corner site with substantial double-storey verandahs…
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The Steppenwolf on the beach
The Phi Phi Islands—a name that rolls off the tongue like a wave on the Thai shore. Nestled in the Andaman Sea, these islands are textbook natural beauty, with towering limestone cliffs, vibrant coral reefs, and clear waters. The islands landscapes have been the backdrop for countless postcard visions of paradise including, of course, the…
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Crabby in Krabi
My adventure in Thailand took an unexpected turn during the monsoon season, which disrupted my plans for a ten-day motorcycle journey on the Mae Hong Son loop in northern Thailand. By the seventh day, the nagging rains had turned the roads into dangerous paths, preventing me from taking any side trips. I decided to return…
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Pai in the sky
The ride from Chiang Mai to Pai was a breeze, contrary to my initial apprehensions. The road, slicing through the lush jungle of Northern Thailand, was in good condition. I even saw 18-year-old nubiles on scooters, confidently navigating the many curves in the way to Pai parties. Plus, being in Thailand, there were always pit…
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Thailand afresh
Bangkok is an addictive and chaotic symphony of contradictions. The city has morphed from a 15th-century trading post into a sprawling urban jungle where ancient temples stand shoulder-to-shoulder with horrible shopping malls. The city’s complexity is its charm. You can lose yourself in the labyrinthine of the markets, where every stall offers a consumer overload,…