All posts tagged Bangkok

Night Market in Hua Hin, Thailand

This is the second article in a six-part series about Hua Hin, Thailand, a coastal city near Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand. This post is about the Night Market in Hua Hin Town. Hua Hin hosts the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, a fun and unique sporting event. The 2012 tournament inspired me to write the children’s picture book Ellie the Elephant about an elephant that dreams of playing in the tournament. Enjoy these travelogues about this interesting area of Thailand.

Thailand has many night markets, and the one in Hua Hin is excellent. Located in the center of Hua Hin Town just off Phetkasem Road (Petchkasem or Highway 4), it’s open nightly from 6 p.m. to about 11 p.m. or whenever the vendors close up shop. Most stalls sell food, clothing, or souvenirs. It’s touristy but also frequented by locals. The Hua Hin Night Market covers a four block area packed with vendors. When we visited on a Saturday night in November 2012, it was bustling with shoppers.

Why does Thailand have so many night markets? The average temperature in Thailand is so hot that many people try to avoid doing anything outside until the sun sets and the air cools down. Evenings in Thailand can be hot but are generally cooler than daytimes. Thai markets are known for selling many of the same things – you can find the same souvenirs in stall after stall – but each market has a different flavor. Hua Hin Night Market is no exception. It’s perhaps best known for its good selection of fresh food, especially seafood, and wide range of local products for sale.

The iconic Hua Hin sign at the market’s entrance is a good place to take a photo to tell friends back home that you’re shopping in Thailand.

Makeshift stalls crowd the pedestrian street that stretches for two blocks between two-story buildings with even more businesses.

The delicious foods – raw, cooked, or fried – taste as delicious as they look.

A vendor gave my son a balloon that he enjoyed while my wife and I browsed a stall selling grilled chicken and local wines and spirits.

The market’s many restaurants and bars offer a mix of Thai and international cuisine. Hua Hin’s location on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand makes it a great place to enjoy fresh seafood.

We didn’t see Ellie the Elephant shopping at the Hua Hin Night Market. Then again, she probably wouldn’t have fit! She might have enjoyed the some of the yummy tropical fruits on display, but the vendors would not have been happy if she accidentally knocked over their stalls!

Ellie the Elephant is now available as an e-book or in print from Amazon and other booksellers!

More about Hua Hin, Thailand

Hua Hin Town

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a short story collection called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. He also wrote and illustrated Alexander the Salamander and Ellie the Elephant, two books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series. His books are available in e-book and print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. Edwards graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in China Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

The Cambodian Coast–Koh Kong

This is the final article in a four-part series about the Cambodian Coast. This one is about Koh Kong, a coastal city in western Cambodia on the Cambodian-Thai border. Previous articles featured National Highway 4 heading from Phnom Penh to the coast, National Highway 48 along the coast, and the coastal wilderness. This series is intended as a resource for those interested in exploring this intriguing area of Cambodia.

After a long day driving from Phnom Penh through the Cambodian wilderness on New Year’s Eve 2012, we arrived in Koh Kong City at nightfall.

I wished that we could have stayed in town but had to settle for a rural lodge several kilometers up the road. We stopped for a quick sunset photo on the Koh Kong City waterfront and headed to our hotel. I suddenly fell ill and celebrated the New Year in bed with a fever. What I thought were symptoms of dengue fever turned into a 24-hour flu, and thankfully I felt better in the morning.

The next day we drove the 7-kilometer long Koh Kong Bridge back to town. Built in 2002, the bridge spans the mouth of the wide but shallow Prek Kaoh (Kah Bpow) River.

The capital of Koh Kong Province and largest city in Cambodia’s western coastal region, Koh Kong City has a population of more than 35,000 but looks smaller with its residents scattered across a large area. With no stoplights and little traffic, the city streets resembled a ghost town when we visited. The city has long had a reputation as a “Wild West” frontier town and a haven for smugglers, but recent efforts to improve access via Highway 48 has helped integrate it with the rest of the country. It’s now more of a convenient stopover on the way from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, Thailand than a remote outpost.

The regional branch of the National Bank of Cambodia, also known as the “Red House,” is one of the more recognizable landmarks in town. It’s more pink than red, but who’s quibbling?

This lodge in the town center had a uniquely Kampuchean (former Khmer Rouge Cambodia) look to it with an odd melding of Cambodia architecture and communist symbolism.

Canals and boat moorings crisscrossed the city center, creating picturesque views and great photo opportunities.

When we visited, the city was in the process of sprucing up the waterfront, paving roads, and laying sidewalks in what looked like a half-hearted attempt to attract tourists, but it seemed like local officials were in no hurry to finish any projects. The place had an unkempt charm and organic look that centralized planning couldn’t duplicate. The tropical scenery just past the city center that gave the town a wild vibe.

Koh Kong City has both Buddhist and Muslim communities served by the Neang Kok Temple and Al-Mubarak Dubai Mosque. We saw Buddhist statues in a local park and two monks asking a local store for alms.

After our brief tour of Koh Kong City, we crossed the Koh Kong Bridge again and drove to the Cambodian-Thai border. The Prek Kaoh River looked more like a lake than a river.

On the way to the Cambodia-Thailand border, we passed a hodgepodge of eclectic architecture, including a Thai-style Buddhist shrine, Khmer-style gate, and the gaudy entrance to the Koh Kong Safari World Resort.

The drive from Koh Kong City to the border is about ten kilometers through some pretty countryside punctuated by a few beach resorts and homes. It’s one of the more organized, orderly, and uncrowded border crossings I’ve seen.

Although crossing into Thailand was somewhat confusing with few English speakers in the Customs and Immigration offices on both sides of the border, we made it through and entered Thailand after sorting out paperwork and communicating in hand signals.

For more information about driving in Cambodia, contact me at me@mgedwards.com.

More About the Cambodian Coast

Heading to the Coast (National Highway 4)

Driving the Coast (National Highway 48)

The Cambodian Wilderness

3 Comments

by mgedwards on May 8, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Asia, Travel, Writing

Tagged Al-Mubarak Dubai Koh Kong, Andong Terk, Angkor, Angkor Wat, Asia, Bangkok, Botum Sakor National Park, bridge construction Cambodia coast, Cambodia, Cambodia adventure, Cambodia Buddhism, Cambodia Coast, Cambodia customs, Cambodia drive along Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia ferry, Cambodia GPS, Cambodia Highway 4, Cambodia Highway 48, Cambodia immigration, Cambodia Islam, Cambodia photos, Cambodia road condition, Cambodia road development, Cambodia road hazards, Cambodia self-drive, Cambodia smuggler’s haven, Cambodia smugglers, Cambodia temple, Cambodia Thailand border, Cambodia Thailand border crossing, Cambodia traffic, Cambodia trafficking, Cambodia travel, Cambodia travelogue, Cambodia wilderness, Cambodian coast, Cambodian frontier, Cambodian government, Cambodian hospitals, Cambodian Wild West, Cardamom Mountains, driving Cambodian coast, driving in Cambodia, driving in the developing world, Garmin GPS Cambodia, GPS Cambodia maps, Gulf of Thailand, holiday in Cambodia, Kah Bpow River, Kampong Som Bay, Khlang Yai River, Ko Kong, Koh Kong, Koh Kong border crossing, Koh Kong City, Koh Kong Province, Koh Kong Red House, Koh Kong Safari World Resort, Krong Koh Kong, left-hand drive Cambodia, LHD Cambodia, National Bank of Cambodia, Neang Kok Koh Kong, NH4, NH48, Peam Krasaop Wildlife Corridor, Phnom Penh, Preak Piphot River, Prek Kaoh Pao, Prek Kaoh River, RHD vehicle in Cambodia, right-hand drive vehicle in Cambodia, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Southeast Asia wilderness, Srae Ambel River, Tatai River, Thailand, Trapeang Rung, Travel, which side do they drive in Cambodia

Posted by mgedwards on May 8, 2013

http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/the-cambodian-coastkoh-kong/

The Cambodian Coast-Coastal Wilderness

This is the third article in a four-part series about the Cambodian Coast. This blog post is about the Cambodian coastal wilderness, Botum Sakor National Park, and Peam Krasaop Wildlife Corridor. The first two articles featured National Highway 4 southwest of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, and National Highway 48 along the western coast. The final post will focus on the Koh Kong, a coastal city in western Cambodia and the Cambodian-Thai border. This series is intended to be a resource for those interested in touring the Cambodian coast.

When my family and I visited Cambodia in December 2012, we drove from Phnom Penh to the city of Koh Kong on the Cambodia-Thailand border. Along the way we passed through the country’s pristine southwestern wilderness. To the south, Botum Sakor National Park lay on a peninsula between the Gulf of Thailand and Kampong Som Bay. To the west, the Peam Krasaop Wildlife Corridor hugged the coast near the city of Koh Kong. To the northeast, the rolling Cardamom Mountains stretched from Thailand to the coast. It’s a spectacular triangle filled with scenic beauty in one of the most isolated corners of Southeast Asia.

Home to the second-largest wilderness in Southeast Asia (the largest is in Burma/Myanmar), the Cambodian coast has one of the largest native forests still left in Southeast Asia. It’s a place rich in beauty and diversity explored by few. Wildlife inhabits the forests and wetlands along the coast. Although there have been reports of illegal logging, poaching, and development in the area that may have had an affect on the local ecology and threatened local wildlife, it was unclear how widespread the damage was when I passed through. Improvements to National Highway 48 have made the region more accessible to people but also increased the human footprint here.

We saw some incredibly beautiful scenery during our drive through the Cambodian wilderness. Here are some of the best landscape shots.

As far as we could tell from our limited vantage point, humans seemed to coexist harmoniously with nature. While there was some clutter such as a broken-down vehicle and road-side litter along, the local residents seemed to take care of their environment. The forests we saw were generally intact.

At the end of our wandering in the Cambodian wilderness, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset.

For more information about driving in Cambodia, contact me at me@mgedwards.com.

More About the Cambodian Coast

Heading to the Coast (National Highway 4)

Driving the Coast (National Highway 48)

Koh Kong City and the Cambodia-Thailand Border

4 Comments

by mgedwards on April 29, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Asia, Travel, Writing

Tagged Andong Terk, Angkor, Angkor Wat, Asia, Bangkok, Botum Sakor National Park, bridge construction Cambodia coast, Burma, Cambodia, Cambodia adventure, Cambodia Coast, Cambodia customs, Cambodia drive along Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia ferry, Cambodia GPS, Cambodia Highway 4, Cambodia Highway 48, Cambodia immigration, Cambodia photos, Cambodia road condition, Cambodia road development, Cambodia road hazards, Cambodia self-drive, Cambodia Thailand border, Cambodia travel, Cambodia travelogue, Cambodia wilderness, Cambodian coast, Cambodian government, Cambodian hospitals, Cardamom Mountains, driving Cambodian coast, driving in Cambodia, driving in the developing world, Garmin GPS Cambodia, GPS Cambodia maps, Gulf of Thailand, Kampong Som Bay, Khlang Yai River, Koh Kong, Koh Kong Province, Krong Koh Kong, left-hand drive Cambodia, LHD Cambodia, Myanmar, NH4, NH48, Peam Krasaop Wildlife Corridor, Phnom Penh, Preak Piphot River, RHD vehicle in Cambodia, right-hand drive vehicle in Cambodia, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Southeast Asia wilderness, Srae Ambel River, Tatai River, Thailand, Trapeang Rung, Travel, which side do they drive in Cambodia

Posted by mgedwards on April 29, 2013

http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/the-cambodian-coast-coastal-wilderness/

The Cambodian Coast–Driving the Coast

This is the second article in a four-part series about the Cambodian Coast. This post is about the drive along coastal Highway 48. The first article featured the drive on National Highway 4 from Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, toward Sihanoukville. Future posts will focus on the Cambodian wilderness and Koh Kong, a coastal city in western Cambodia near the border of Thailand. This series is intended to be a resource for those interested in driving the Cambodian coast.

During my family’s drive through Cambodia in December 2012, we headed from the capital Phnom Penh to the coast via National Highway 4 (NH4). After a nerve-wracking drive filled with an assortment of traffic – trucks, cars, motos, buses, bicycles, tractors, pedestrians, cows, chickens, carts, and anything else that moved – potholes, speed bumps, toll booths, and bad drivers, I was more than glad to turn off onto the secondary National Highway 48 (NH48). It wasn’t just quiet – it was too quiet. We passed a few trucks, cars, and bicycles but not much else. It was as if this road newly accessible to the world had yet to be discovered as an alternate route from Phnom Penh to Thailand.

One of the least populated areas of Southeast Asia, the coastal region of Cambodia wedged between the Gulf of Thailand and the Cardamom Mountains is a true wilderness with virgin forests, rolling hills, and wildlife that mingles with the few locals, mostly farmers and fishermen, who live along the coast. If you have time during your Cambodia trip after requisite stops in Siem Reap (Angkor) and Phnom Penh, consider adding the coast to your itinerary. Botum Sakor National Park, Peam Krasaop Wildlife Corridor, and the surrounding region offer a view of Southeast Asia you rarely see.

This coast is an as-yet unspoiled gem protected by years of remote isolation. The only highway in the area, NH48, was built in 2003. The notoriously slow ferry crossings across wide rivers that hindered travel in the region were replaced by five concrete bridges in 2011. The bridges made the coast much more accessible, and tourists can now easily tour the area by car or bus.

The drive from NH4 to Koh Kong, a city on Cambodia’s southwestern border with Thailand, takes about 4.5 hours in good driving conditions. If you’re planning a trip to Cambodia’s coast, the photos in this travelogue will give you an idea of what to expect. These photos were taken in December 2012. Note that road conditions are subject to change.

For the first half hour of the drive, NH48 is tarred and sealed with rock chip and in good condition from the junction of National Highway 4 to the Srae Ambel River crossing. Traffic was light with some trucks hauling heavy freight and cows wandering on the side of the road. The concrete bridge was solid. The countryside in this area offered beautiful views of low-lying mountains to the northeast. A Buddhist temple and monastery just off the highway reminded me that I was in Southeast Asia.

For the next hour beyond the Srae Ambel River, the road showed signs of aging and the affects of the rainy season with warping, pavement chafing, and potholes – nothing unavoidable if you drive at a prudent speed. The landscape was flat with some picturesque scenery that included some quaint bungalows, rice fields and fish ponds interspersed with wild foliage.

The road quality was fair as I drove west on NH48 toward Koh Kong and passed the second new concrete bridge crossing a river that flowed into Kampong Som Bay on the Gulf of Thailand.

About 1.5 hours into our journey, we arrived at the town of Andong Terk and crossed the wide Preak Piphot River not far from the mouth of the Kampong Som Bay. This large, brand-new bridge spanned the river in a high arch that allowed fishing boats to pass below. We stopped on the bridge and took some great photos of the gorgeous river and delta that spread out below in all directions.

We drove on through the foothills of the Cardamom Mountains along the northern edge of Botum Sakor National Park. While we didn’t spot much wildlife, we did see some beautiful views. At this point our GPS loaded with Cambodia maps failed and could not pinpoint our location. We knew then that we had really gone off the beaten path! Considering that there was just one paved highway in the area, we were confident that the road would bring us to our destination, Koh Kong. Eventually.

The road was in poor condition through the national park with severe warping and some axle-bending potholes. Our vehicle had to creep through some place where the highway had become a washboard. To make matters worse, the road grew winding and traffic volumes increased as trucks slowed down to navigate their way around the tricky potholes and curves.

The road condition improved after we passed the fourth bridge across the Khlang Yai River at the small town of Trapeang Rung. The Cardamom Mountains offered stunning views in this area. Although the road surface was better here, the highway wound through the mountains in sharp curves. With dusk approaching and another 1.5 hours to drive, I had to consider both the road condition and the fact that driving in the dark on an unknown route was difficult. It turned into a race between sundown and reaching Koh Kong.

An hour later, we arrived at the Tatai River, our final crossing before Koh Kong. This was the most picturesque location on our drive. Pointing at the stilt homes with rusty corrugated roofs along the river’s edge and the tropical forest beyond, I told my wife, “We’re definitely in Southeast Asia! Look at this view.” The colorful houses and boats persuaded me that despite the frustrations along the way – the traffic, roads, driving into the unknown – the trip was worth the effort.

We drove the final half hour to Koh Kong on battered roads. As the sun set, the light faded to gray, and the dim light cast a rose-colored hue before the shadows and darkness set in. I wanted to enjoy the view but had to focus on reaching Koh Kong before nightfall. The twinkle of city lights in the valley beyond the Cardamom Mountains assured me that we would arrive before nightfall. And we did.

For more information about driving in Cambodia, contact me at me@mgedwards.com.

More About the Cambodian Coast

Heading to the Coast (National Highway 4)

The Cambodian Wilderness

Koh Kong City and the Cambodia-Thailand Border

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a short story collection called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. He also wrote and illustrated Alexander the Salamander and Ellie the Elephant, two books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series. His books are available in e-book and print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. Edwards graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in China Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

4 Comments

by mgedwards on April 18, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Asia, Travel, Writing

Tagged Andong Terk, Angkor, Angkor Wat, Asia, Bangkok, Botum Sakor National Park, bridge construction Cambodia coast, Cambodia, Cambodia adventure, Cambodia Coast, Cambodia customs, Cambodia drive along Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia ferry, Cambodia GPS, Cambodia Highway 4, Cambodia Highway 48, Cambodia immigration, Cambodia photos, Cambodia road condition, Cambodia road development, Cambodia road hazards, Cambodia self-drive, Cambodia Thailand border, Cambodia travel, Cambodia travelogue, Cambodia wilderness, Cambodian coast, Cambodian government, Cambodian hospitals, Cardamom Mountains, driving Cambodian coast, driving in Cambodia, driving in the developing world, Garmin GPS Cambodia, GPS Cambodia maps, Gulf of Thailand, Kampong Som Bay, Khlang Yai River, Koh Kong, Koh Kong Province, Krong Koh Kong, left-hand drive Cambodia, LHD Cambodia, NH4, NH48, Peam Krasaop Wildlife Corridor, Phnom Penh, Preak Piphot River, RHD vehicle in Cambodia, right-hand drive vehicle in Cambodia, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Southeast Asia wilderness, Srae Ambel River, Tatai River, Thailand, Trapeang Rung, Travel, which side do they drive in Cambodia

Posted by mgedwards on April 18, 2013

http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/the-cambodian-coastdriving-the-coast/

The Cambodian Coast-Heading to the Coast

This is the first article in a four-part series about the Cambodian Coast. This post is about the drive from Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, on National Highway 4 toward Sihanoukville, the country’s largest port. Upcoming articles will feature coastal Highway 48, the Cambodian wilderness, and Koh Kong, a coastal city in eastern Cambodia near the Thailand border. This series is meant to be a resource for those interested in driving the Cambodian coast.

When my family and I drove from Bangkok, Thailand to Cambodia in December 2012, we entered uncharted territory. Few visitors do self-drive tours in Cambodia. We learned through trial, success, and error that it’s possible to drive a 1,500 kilometer circuitous route from Bangkok, Thailand through Cambodia and back to Bangkok. Possible but not easy. Our 2.5 week road trip in the Khmer kingdom was a fascinating but trying experience with bad traffic, uneven roads, and routes that led to unknown places with sparse GPS coverage and meager route information in English.

Driving a right-hand drive (RHD) vehicle from Thailand, where you drive on the left side of the road, complicated matters in right-side drive Cambodia. My family acted as spotters to help me spot oncoming traffic in our RHD vehicle. Cambodia does not typically permit these vehicles in country, and enforcement can be haphazard. You may want to rent a left-hand drive (LHD) vehicle in Cambodia in lieu of entering the country with a car rental. If you don’t have experience driving in a developing country, you might consider hiring a car and driver that could make your vacation more enjoyable and less nerve-wracking.

We met adventure head on in the coastal region of Cambodia. One of the least populated areas of Southeast Asia, the beautiful area is truly a wilderness frontier. Internet research yielded little information about the region and whether it was possible to navigate a passenger car through the area. It is, as we learned along the way.

The drive along the Cambodian coast is now easy to do compared to the logistical challenges it once was. The Royal Cambodian government with international assistance improved National Highway 4 between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville on the coast as well as National Highway 48 heading northwest from Highway 4 to the Thai border (see map for reference). The paved roads have been improved, and most significantly, concrete bridges now span five rivers that flow south into the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a major improvement over the five ferries that once took hours to transport cars across these wide waterways. As of 2011, it was possible to drive along the Cambodian coast from Phnom Penh to the Thailand border in 4.5 hours without taking a single ferry ride.

A drive along the coast is well worth the trip. It’s a place rich in beauty and diversity explored by few outsiders. Home to the second-largest wilderness in Southeast Asia (the largest is in Burma/Myanmar), the region boasts one of the largest native forests remaining in Southeast Asia. Wildlife inhabits the forests and wetlands along the coast; although most are hard to spot from the highway, there are birds a plenty.

To drive to the Cambodian Coast from Phnom Penh, head southwest on National Highway 4. The 140-kilometer drive to the junction of Highway 48 takes about 2.5 hours depending on weather conditions, traffic volumes, trucks, buses, tractors, cow crossings, potholes, speed bumps, toll booths, bad drivers, motos, and pedestrians. The highway is a free-for-all with anything that moves using it as a thoroughfare. With few passing lanes, drivers will try to pass no matter whether it’s safe and may occasionally force your over to the shoulder when they misjudge the distance between oncoming traffic. The road is generally good despite potholes and curves that decrease visibility and make drivers more daring. This is one highway where it’s better to be safe and drive slow than be sorry and end up in a local hospital.

Although the drive can be frustrating, the great views make it more bearable.

Stay tuned for more travelogues about driving the Cambodian coast. For more information about driving in Cambodia, contact me at me@mgedwards.com.

More About the Cambodian Coast

Driving the Coast (National Highway 48)

The Cambodian Wilderness

Koh Kong City and the Cambodia-Thailand Border

5 Comments

by mgedwards on April 10, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Asia, Travel, Writing

Tagged Angkor, Angkor Wat, Asia, Bangkok, bridge construction Cambodia coast, Cambodia, Cambodia adventure, Cambodia Coast, Cambodia customs, Cambodia drive along Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia ferry, Cambodia GPS, Cambodia Highway 4, Cambodia Highway 48, Cambodia immigration, Cambodia photos, Cambodia road condition, Cambodia road development, Cambodia road hazards, Cambodia self-drive, Cambodia Thailand border, Cambodia travel, Cambodia travelogue, Cambodia wilderness, Cambodian coast, Cambodian government, Cambodian hospitals, driving Cambodian coast, driving in Cambodia, driving in the developing world, Garmin GPS Cambodia, GPS Cambodia maps, Koh Kong, Koh Kong Province, Krong Koh Kong, left-hand drive Cambodia, LHD Cambodia, National Highway 4, NH4, NH48, Phnom Penh, Politics of Cambodia, RHD vehicle in Cambodia, right-hand drive vehicle in Cambodia, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Southeast Asia wilderness, Thailand, Travel, which side do they drive in Cambodia

Posted by mgedwards on April 10, 2013

http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/the-cambodian-coast-heading-to-the-coast/

Kilimanjaro a Book of the Year Awards Finalist

My book Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill is a finalist for the 2012 Book of the Year Award in the Travel Essay category. The finalists were selected from 1300 entries covering 62 categories of books from independent and academic presses. These represent some of the best books produced by small publishing houses in 2012.

Over the next two months, a panel of sixty librarians and booksellers will judge and determine the winners. Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction, will be announced at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago on June 28, 2013, at The Pop Top Stage. Click here for a full list of the finalists.

Kilimanjaro is a travel essay that chronicles my attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. At forty years old and on the verge of a midlife crisis, I tried to change my life by climbing a mountain. This is my true story of facing Kilimanjaro and other challenges at middle age. The book, which features more than 60 photos from my trek, earned an honorable mention from the 2012 Global Ebook Awards.

Readers have called Kilimanjaro “life changing,” “inspirational,” “an epic journey of self-discovery,” and “a peek into someone’s personal travel journal.” It’s a book for anyone who feels over the hill and needs encouragement to make a life change in the face of difficult odds. It’s also for the casual climber, mountaineer, or hiker who is interested climbing one of the world’s tallest mountains. Filled with insights and advice for those who are contemplating their own Kilimanjaro climb, my book will put you on the mountain and inspire you to go over it.

Booksellers

Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill is available to purchase for U.S.$3.99 as an ebook, U.S.$9.99 (or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Amazon.com (US for Kindle)

Amazon.co.uk (UK for Kindle)

Amazon.ca (Canada for Kindle)

Apple iTunes (iPad and iPhone)

Barnes & Noble (US for Nook)

Barnes & Noble (UK for Nook)

Blio

Diesel Ebooks

Google Play (Android)

IndieBound

Kobo Books (available in Australia and Canada)

Smashwords

Sony ReaderStore

The Wordshop

Kilimanjaro is available to buy in print for U.S.$9.99 (or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:

Amazon.com (US)

Amazon.co.uk (UK)

Amazon.ca (Canada)

Barnes & Noble

Createspace

Diesel Book Store

Visit the Kilimanjaro web page for a complete list of booksellers.

Click here to read the first five chapters of Kilimanjaro. If you like it, you can purchase the entire book from one of the booksellers listed on the last page or from Scribd. Thanks for reading my memoir! I hope you enjoy it.

About the Book of the Year Awards

ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards program was created to highlight the year’s most distinguished books from independent publishers. The awards announcement provides an additional publicity opportunity for publishers long after a book’s initial publication date. After months of perusing the list of submissions, librarians and booksellers eagerly anticipate this announcement of finalists—a valuable resource for discovering obscure titles from the world of indie publishing.

Pick up your copy of Kilimanjaro today!

1 Comment

by mgedwards on March 20, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Awards, Books, Kilimanjaro, Writing

Tagged 2012 Global Ebook Award, Africa, ALA, Amazon, Amazon.com, American diplomat, American Library Association, American Library Association Annual Conference, amwriting, Android, Apple, Award, award finalist, Baker & Taylor, Bangkok, Barnes & Noble, Blio, Book, book award, Book of the Year Award, BOTYA, Change, Chicago June 2013, Climbing, climbing book, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, climbing mountains to lose weight, conquering mountains, Createspace, Crisis, defying naysayers, Diesel Bookstore, Diplomatic Corps, E-book, East Africa, Facebook, Faith, Fitness, Foreign Service Officer, Foreign Service-affiliated author, ForeWord Reviews, ForeWord Reviews award, former diplomat writer, getting over the hill, getting ready for Kilimanjaro, Global Ebook Award, Goodreads, Google Play, Google+, handling high altitude, heading over the hill, Hiking, honorable mention book, Indie Author, IndieBound, Inspiration, Inspirational, inspirational book, inspirational book for difficult times, iPad, iPhone, ITunes, Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro Book, Kilimanjaro Guide, Kilimanjaro Summit, Kindle, Kobo Books, Life, List of highest mountains, Memoir, Midlife Crisis, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mountaineering, mountaineering book, Non-Fiction, overcoming a midlife crisis, overcoming challenges, overcoming personal challenges, personal memoir, planning a Kilimanjaro climb, preparing for a mountain climb, Recreation, Seven Summits, Smashwords, Sony ReaderStore, South Korea, Sports, Tanzania, Travel, travel book, travel memoir, Travelogue, Trekking, trekking book, Twitter, U.S. Department of State, you and the mountain

Posted by mgedwards on March 20, 2013

http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/kilimanjaro-a-book-of-the-year-awards-finalist/

Fire Dancing!

In March 2013, we enjoyed a brilliant fire dancing performance during a weekend getaway to Ko Samet, a small island off the coast of Pattaya, Thailand. Ko Samet is a three-hour drive south of Bangkok and a great overnight getaway for those visiting Bangkok or Pattaya who don’t have time in their schedule to visit more popular island destinations such as Phuket and Ko Samui.

Fire dancing originated centuries ago in Samoa, a Polynesian island in the South Pacific. The islanders of Bali, Indonesia developed the Fire Dance independently as a mystical Hindu ritual known as the sanghyang to ward off witches during epidemics. Fire dancing is now practiced around the world primarily for entertainment purposes. The Ko Samet performance we saw at our beach resort was definitely entertaining.

It’s difficult to explain in words what photos and videos could show you, so without further ado, here are some shots of fire dancing on Ko Samet. Time elapse photography created the fire rings.

Here are some photos of the beach on Ko Samet at night. What a wonderful getaway! If you visit Thailand, visit Ko Samet or one of the country’s many popular island destinations for a great beach vacation.

Here’s a video clip of the performance.

Fire Dancing Performance, Ko Samet, March 2, 2013

1 Comment

by mgedwards on March 17, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Entertainment, Thailand, Travel, Video

Posted by mgedwards on March 17, 2013

http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/fire-dancing/

Coming Soon from M.G. Edwards

Dear Reader,

My blogging has slowed recently while I focus on writing projects. I hope to pick up my blogging pace again soon and publish more travelogues with photos. In the meantime, I want to update you on exciting news about some big launches that I have in store for this year. My literary factory, The Wordshop, is working overtime behind the scenes to produce a steady stream of new material, and I’m happy to give you a glimpse of things to come.

Ellie the Elephant Children’s Book – April 1

Ellie the Elephant, book two of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, will be available as an e-book on April 1, 2013. Ellie the Elephant is an illustrated picture book that encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie who lives in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing polo?

Inspired by the author’s adventures in Thailand and real elephant polo matches, the story features Ellie and her family, Monk the Monkey, human boys Ball and Mallet, and a host of elephants. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will introduce readers to the amazing game of elephant polo and inspire children to dream big.

Zoe the Zebra Children’s Book – May 15

Zoe the Zebra, book three of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, will be available as an e-book on May 15, 2013. Zoe the Zebra is an illustrated picture book that teaches children not to bully. A young zebra named Zoe who lives in the African bush joins forces with her friends Emma the Impala and Barry the Baboon to protect their friend Wally the Warthog from a pack of bullying hyenas.

Inspired by the author’s safari adventures in Africa, the story features Zoe and a host of safari animals. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will take children to the African plains and teach them to respect others.

New M.G. Edwards Website – May 31

M.G. Edwards and World Adventurers will merge into one website on May 31! My new website, www.mgedwards.com, will feature a completely new look and will be a single resource for my books, travelogues, photos and videos – including this blog.

The World Adventurers for Kids Collection (Books #1-3) – June 15

The World Adventurers for Kids Collection will feature the first three e-books in the illustrated picture book series: Alexander the Salamander, Ellie the Elephant, and Zoe the Zebra. The collection will take children on adventures in South America, Asia, and Africa and encourage them to listen to authority figures, to follow their dreams, and to respect others. The collection will be available as an e-book on June 15.

The first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander is about a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.

The World Adventurers for Kids Series features illustrated adventure stories told in a way that children ages three to nine will find entertaining and educational. Filled with illustrated photos and moral tales, they will take children all over the world.

Eurasia: Getting into Travel in Europe and Asia – August 2013

Eurasia: Getting into Travel in Europe and Asia, the second book in the World Adventurers Series and follow up to Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, will be released as an e-book in August 2013. It’s a coming-of-age memoir that chronicles the author’s adventures in Europe and Asia as a college student on a shoestring budget in 1994. The six-month journey by air, rail, and foot took him to 20 countries from Spain and Ireland to Russia and China — and almost everywhere in between.

Join him for an amazing journey through fascinating countries and cultures, encounters with memorable people and personalities, unforgettable moments and madcap misadventures . Love, ambition, and self-discovery mix in a story about a young man discovering the world and getting into travel – and trouble – for the first time.

Other News

All of these books should be available in print soon after their e-book releases.

I’ll update this page and publish new posts as more information comes available. Stay tuned for more news and information about these upcoming releases!

World Adventurers App Now Available!

World Adventurers is going mobile!

Click here to download the free World Adventurers mobile application (app) for Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Windows Mobile, and more. The new app features travel articles and photos from this blog as well as photos from the World Adventurers Facebook fan page, videos from the World Adventurers YouTube page, and more. All your favorite stories, photos, and videos from around the world are now available to enjoy on a single app.

The World Adventurers app is available to download exclusively through Conduit Mobile but should be on iTunes and other app stores soon. Stay tuned for updates.

The World Adventurers app splash screen for iPad

Click here to get your free World Adventurers app today!

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by mgedwards on February 27, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Technology, Travel

Posted by mgedwards on February 27, 2013

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Eurasia: The Travel Memoir

I hope you’ve enjoyed the travelogue series Eurasia chronicling my 1994 journey through Europe and Asia. It features some of the stories you’ll find in the upcoming travel memoir of the same name. Available in mid-2013, Eurasia will follow Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill as the second book in the World Adventurers Series.

The maps below show the travel routes I took during the six-month, adventure-filled trip. I flew from the United States to Europe in February 1994, and then traveled around the continent until August 1994, when I visited Russia and China. The whirlwind tour left me with many a fun tale to tell, from encounters with royalty and colorful figures to memorable experiences and sticky situations along the way.

Stay tuned for more Eurasia news and travelogues.