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Nov 6, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Tom Vater |Travelogues Storyteller
I got somewhat close to a lofty ambition of being a movie villain when Thapphawut Parinyapariwat, also known as Sun, the owner of Bangkok’s Red Light Lab & Studio, photographed me with his wet-plate vintage camera. Since the beginning of the year, Sun has been taking portraits of guests of The Siam Hotel Bangkok, a family-run property that ranks as one of the most unique stays in Thailand’s capital.
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Oct 31, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Marco Ferrarese |Travelogues Storyteller
The atmosphere is as tense as the muscles and veins pushing against an almost impossible task: pulling a large, heavy trolley across a sandy sports arena. Before giving up the ghost and falling to his knees, dust lifting all around him as a halo, we have observed this large Kazakh man use all his strength to push a 200kg (440lb) trolley for about twelve meters exactly as a pair of oxen would do. The reward for pretending to be a beast of burden?
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Oct 22, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | John McMahon |Travelogues Storyteller
“It began with a quarrel about white elephants; at least, that is what they believe on the banks of the Menam River.”This is how Alec Waugh’s “Bangkok: A Story of a City” opens, setting the stage for an enthralling journey through the evolution of one of Southeast Asia’s most prominent cities. The book stands out as one of the definitive popular histories of Bangkok, tracing its development from a modest trading post to its modern status as a sprawling metropolis.
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Oct 3, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
I certainly didn’t go to Tajikistan for its cities. But after two weeks of Pamir Highway dust and grime, potholed roads, and camping out, I was ready for at least a few of the comforts of home. Little did I know that Khorog, the capital of mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan, would provide far more than just a bed and breakfast, and in fact, turn out to be one of the highlights of my road trip.
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Sep 3, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | John McMahon |Travelogues Storyteller
Majestic, mysterious and rarely seen, the whale shark deserves its status as one of the world’s most sought-after sea creatures. Spotting one is a rare experience serious adventurers place high on their bucket list. The Philippines, Mexico, and Australia have been popular places to see and swim with sharks for years. But the Arabian Gulf is gaining momentum as a prime destination for whale-shark spotting and has witnessed some of the most impressive congregations.
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Aug 20, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Liam Barnes |Travelogues Storyteller
Duarte Fernandes arrived in Siam aboard a Chinese junk ship in late 1511. The Portuguese envoy was welcomed ashore in the Siamese capital Ayutthaya by Ramathibodi II. Fernandes, the first recorded European official to set foot on Siamese soil, presented the king with a bejewelled sword and letter on behalf of Portugal’s monarch. The monumental meeting ushered in a prosperous trading relationship that endures to this day and signalled Siam’s ascension to the global stage.
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Aug 15, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
Wakayama’s Kii Peninsula only lies a few hours by train from Osaka and Nara. But it feels light-years away from the busy and touristy Japanese cities. You’ll find the traditional Japan here: think tiny, picturesque hamlets with tiled-roof houses, riverside hot springs, mystical deep cedar forests, and beautiful secluded Shinto and Buddhist temples and shrines. The area is so captivating that UNESCO awarded a World Heritage designation to the entire region for its Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes.
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Jul 23, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | John McMahon |Travelogues Storyteller
One of the most densely populated places on earth, Hong Kong is a center of finance, style, shopping, and luxury living. But offshore are over 260 islands that offer escapes into nature. People come for hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking or just relaxing with a cold drink on a sandy beach. These four are just a selection of the numerous islands there to explore.
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Jul 4, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Ron Emmons |Travelogues Storyteller
Before Northern Thailand became a part of Siam at the end of the 19th century, it functioned as an independent kingdom called Lanna (meaning ‘a million rice fields’). In its heyday of the 14th–16th centuries, Lanna extended its rule far into present-day Laos, China and Myanmar. But by the 19th century, the illustrious name had fallen into disuse, and the kingdom splintered into local fiefdoms.
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Jun 25, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Liam Barnes |Travelogues Storyteller
Udon Thani’s food markets aren’t for the faint-hearted. Amidst the evening cacophony of live luk krung music, student chatter and cries of vendors, rows of stalls stand adorned with every imaginable cut of meat. Slabs of moo grob, whole roasted ducks and links of sai krok Isaan dangle from steel hooks alongside hearts, tripe, intestines, tongue and tails from most imaginable animals.
