Southeast Asia photo book

Dubai

SOUTHEAST ASIA Bangkok

Siem Reap

Luang Prabang

Chiang Mai

SOUTHEAST ASIA 2014 ITINERARY New York, U.S.A.

Feb. 22

Dubai, U.A.E.

Feb. 23

Bangkok, Thailand

Feb. 24-26

Siem Reap, Cambodia Feb. 26-Mar.1 Luang Prabang, Laos

March 1-4

Chiang Mai, Thailand

March 4-6

Bangkok, Thailand

March 6-7

New York, U.S.A.

March 8

DUBAI

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Burj Khalifa rises high above the Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping mall, includes the Dubai Aquarium and themed shopping areas

Burj Khalifa Height: 2,717 ft / 163 floors Observation deck: 124th floor Years Built: 2004-10 Architect: Skidmore Owings and Merrill

Views from the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa

Sights on the Big Bus Tour including a mosque and the Burj al-Arab

OPPOSITE: The Atlantis Resort on the Palm Jumeira Island and view to Dubai Marina

ABOVE: Dubai Metro station and Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates

Bur Dubai Souq

Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum House

Dubai Museum in the 1787 Al Fahidi Fort

Avocado honey smoothie

BANGKOK THAILAND

Wat Arun on the Chao Phraya River at sunset

The Grand Palace This large complex in the heart of the Old City served as the center of government and home of the royal family from 1782 until 1925. The palace complex is comprised of temples, residence halls, throne rooms, and governmental buildings surrounded by a tall white wall over a mile long.

W a t Phra Kaew

Phra Siratana Chedi

Phra Mondopi

Chakri Maha Prasat

Wat Pho

OPPOSITE: The 140-foot-long reclining Buddha at Wat Pho THIS PAGE: Sunset over the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun viewed from our hotel, the Arun Residence

Wat Arun This “Temple of Dawn� is covered in mosaics made of porcelain fragments once used as ballast by boats from China. The central prang tower reaches 282 feet above the Chao Phraya River.

River boat on the Chao Phraya, one of Bangkok’s many canals, food market in Dusit, portrait of the royal family on the side of a street

LEFT: Thai lunch at the Vimanmek Teak Palace BELOW: Phra Sumen Fort, boat on the Chao Phraya

OPPOSITE: Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall, Vimanmek Teak Palace

LEFT: Rama VIII Bridge, Santichaiprakarn Park

Khao San Road

TOP: Tuk-tuks on the streets of Bangkok ABOVE: Air Asia flight at the Siem Reap airport

SIEM REAP CAMBODIA

Preah Khan temple in Angkor

OPPOSITE: Khmer lunch on Pub Street Alley, Andrew with Amok and Brenna with beef Lok Lak

ABOVE: The Steung Siemreap Hotel

Angkor Wat This Buddhist temple, originally Hindu, was built in the 12th century and remains to be the largest religious monument in the world. The temple has three rectangular galleries, each rising above the next with ďŹ ve towers at the center, representing Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. The entire complex is surrounded by a 623-foot-wide moat and 2.2-mile-long outer wall. The immense size and grandeur of Angkor Wat is truly breathtaking.

TOP: Sunset at Angkor Wat

BOTTOM: Traditional Cambodian Apsara dance

Foggy early morning and sunrise at Angkor Wat

Ta Prohm

Pre Rup

Ta Som

Neak Pean

Preah Khan

The south gate of

Angkor Thom meaning “Great City�, this 12th century metropolis served as the last capital of the Khmer empire

The sights of the Angkor complex seen from the back of a tuk-tuk

Angkor Thom including Preah Palilay, Terrace of the Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King

Phimeanakas

Baphuon

Bayon

g n e h k a B Phnom

Cambodian barbeque included grilling raw meat on a metal domed charcoal broiler surrounded by noodles and veggies boiling in broth. Our sampler platter included crocodile and ostrich. Andrew also tried fresh coconut water.

Seeing Siem Reap by tuk-tuk. The stands of glass bottles full of yellow liquid are the “gas stations� most tuk-tuk drivers used.

Banteay Srei

Phnom Kulen

1,000 Linga on the Kbal Spean River with ďŹ gures of Yoni and Linga along the river bottom and the Terrace of Sdach Kamlung.

Our tuk-tuk driver, Mr. Rob, showing us around at the Phnom Kulen waterfall. We got very dirty from the dusty roads.

Banteay Kdei

Tonle Sap

Boat ride out to the floating village on the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake.

Crocodile farm and school on the Tonle Sap. The water level marker indicates the shore in the rainy season. Water depth can very between one and nine meters.

LEFT & TOP: Wat Bo CENTER: Siem Reap River BOTTOM & RIGHT: Wat Preah Prohm Rath

LUANG PRABANG LAOS

Wat Ho Pha Bang

LEFT: Every morning we journeyed across this bamboo bridge on the Nam Khan River between our hotel and the town. It is reconstructed yearly as it washes away during the rainy season.

ABOVE & RIGHT: The100-meter-tall Phu Si Hill sits in the middle of Luang Prabang and includes a 328-step climb to the top.

LEFT: View from atop Phu Si Hill.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Women selling prayer offerings including flowers, incense, & caged birds.

FAR RIGHT: The gilded stupa of Wat Chom Si on top of Phu Si Hill.

Wat Ho Pha Bang

LEFT: View to the Royal Palace from Wat Ho Pha Bang RIGHT: Buildings and Wat Sensoukharam along Sisavangvong Road

Wat Xieng Thong

ABOVE: A stroll down Soulignavongsa Road BELOW: The Nam Khan River meets the Mekong River

Wat Mai

ABOVE: Roof of Wat Mai LEFT: Wat Aham under restoration BELOW: That Makmo meaning ‘Watermelon Stupa’

We are millionaires... well at least in Lao kip. We withdrew 1,000,000 kip from an ATM two days in a row. Each million is equal to about $125.

OPPOSITE: Sunset on the Mekong River and a Lao dinner.

OPPOSITE: The steep climb up to the top of Kouang Si waterfall

ABOVE: The bus ride back including a stop in a Hmong village

Monks gather alms as part of their morning ritual in front of Wat Sensoukharam.

Our morning bicycle ride through town started by crossing the Nam Khan River over this bike only communist-era bridge.

We rode our bicycles through some neighborhood roads, past a couple of unfriendly stray dogs, and up a hill to Wat Phol Phao.

Our airplane at the Luang Prabang airport. While waiting for our flight, we tried some hot chili squid flavored Lay’s.

CHIANG MAI THAILAND

The Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center

Wat Phan Ohn

Lanna Architecture Center in a former royal residence which combines western and local traditional architecture

Wat Phan Tao

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Phra Singh

Elephants show off their intelligence by painting a picture of a tree and by demonstrating their skills in the logging industry.

After our elephant ride through the jungles of Northern Thailand, we took a leisurely bamboo raft ride down the Ping River.

Delicious Thai Lunch

Entrance to Chiang Dao Cave

TOP: Buddhist shrine tucked into the rocks of the cave.

OPPOSITE: A small temple in front of the mountain above Chiang Dao Cave.

TOP RIGHT: A giant spider Brenna found. Our guide, Tu, told us he eats them in his village.

BOTTOM: A woman of the Karen “long-neck” tribe.

TOP & LEFT: Our delicious meal of Khao Soy, a traditional dish of Northern Thailand. Aprons are provided since the bowl of meat soup topped with fried noodles can be messy.

ABOVE: Brenna plays a dart game in one of Chiang Mai’s many night markets.

Saithong Guesthouse

Riding up the mountain of Doi Suthep in the back of a songteaw taxi

OPPOSITE: The 309 steps up to Wat Phra That on Doi Suthep

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Wat Chiang Man

ABOVE: The Three Kings Monument in front of the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre RIGHT: Celebrating Brenna’s 27th Birthday with a piece of chocalte cake BELOW: Ronald McDonald greeting guests with the traditional Thai “wai” gesture at the Chiang Mai airport

BACK TO

BANGKOK THAILAND

The Lacquer Pavilion at the Suan Pakkad Palace

Suan Pakkad Palace

A collection of traditional Thai houses, formally the residence of the Thai prince and princess

Jim Thompson’s House

A group of traditional Thai structures collected by Jim Thompson, an American businessman who revitalized the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s

OPPOSITE: The MBK Center mall and trafďŹ c on the streets of Bangkok with the Skytrain high above LEFT: Brenna goes shopping and spends all our Thai Baht except the change left in her hand CENTER & RIGHT: The Assumption Cathedral, the principal Roman Catholic church of Thailand

We spent our last night in Bangkok exploring Chinatown where we ate a delicious meal of Hoi Thod, a Thai style crispy pancake of oysters fried with egg and sticky batter.

United Arab Emirates

Thailand

Cambodia

Laos