Posts Tagged ‘Thailand’

Impressions of Bangkok

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Guest post by @midlifepassion

Bangkok is an assault on the senses. I step out into the heat and humidity and am struck by the noise, the smog and sheer number of people.  There are cars and scooters everywhere. They take up every inch of the roadway, honking and weaving. The roads are narrow and pedestrians, traffic, bicycles and dogs seem to come from all directions.  It’s an intricate, chaotic dance that appears quite dangerous at first glance. I’m afraid I’m taking my life into my hands by venturing out into it. But surprisingly, there’s no anger or frustration, simply much patience and courtesy.  The honking is more of a “hi! I’m next to you” than “get out of my way.” I’m amazed at how smoothly it all flows.

Lane markers are only a suggestion and drivers are free to create additional lanes as they see fit. Scooters seem to go wherever works for them. It amazes me how many people can ride on one scooter. Anything that can fit into a tuk tuk or onto a scooter is easily carried, whether it’s rolls of carpet or the entire family. Helmets are merely an afterthought. Maybe it’s because traffic never really moves fast enough for it to be a concern.

Food stalls and carts are everywhere. The smells are overwhelming. I find much of the food unrecognizable and am unable to read the Thai characters.  Refrigeration appears to be non-existent and there seems to be a complete lack of sanitation. I wonder how I’ll possibly be able to eat for the next month.

There’s no sense of personal space. There are simply too many people for that. We’re crammed into the buses, sky train and taxis. Everyone competing for their own small space, yet with a calmness and politeness I’ve not experienced before.

A stench of garbage and filth rises along with the sun.  The tuk tuks belch thick black smoke as they zip between cars. There’s a stark contrast of business suits against barefoot vendors balancing baskets filled with their wares on long carry poles. It’s a world that I could never have imagined.

As I fall into the flow and routine of Bangkok, I quickly lose my sense of trepidation and embrace the uniqueness and beauty of this incredible city and the people who live here. I laugh at my first impressions of this amazing place. I love the street food and find it fresh and healthy; it tastes like nothing I’ve ever had. It’s inexpensive, available everywhere I turn and  I just can’t get enough of it.

In this city of striking contradictions there’s a sense of spirituality juxtaposed with a strong sense of superstition, a belief in numerology, luck and other seemingly incompatible beliefs. The incredible poverty is set against a background of spectacular wats embellished in gold. A reverence for the king is palpable yet there is intense fighting amongst the two predominant parties.

The people are kind and generous and go out of their way to help me – a strange white woman who doesn’t speak their language. We persevere in our attempts to understand each other with good humor and much laughter.  They are curious about me and what I think of their country. I wonder whether they’d be received in the same gracious way in our country.

This is the first time I’ve ever traveled alone. I feel lighter, stronger and definitely happier. I know that when I leave here I will have been touched in ways that I never could have imagined. My life will be forever changed by this experience and these beautiful people. This is a city that I will return to time and time again. Bangkok and its people will forever hold a very special place in my heart.

Peggy McPartland

Peggy McPartland is a traveler, explorer,  avid fan of anything outdoors and a passionate believer in helping others. She’s  made the decision to live her life in an entirely new way and will be leaving the corporate world early 2012 to travel the world and live the life of her dreams. You can follow her as she finds her way and inspires others to break free of their routines and create a life filled with passion and meaning.  www.midlifepassion.com

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Posted in Asia | 10 Comments »

A Traveler’s Night Out

Monday, May 16th, 2011

When you’re traveling, do you see more during the day or at night? Check out these night time photos of places from around the world taken by your fellow wanderlusters.

Connie Hum

Connie quit her job and left New York City in 2009. Since then, she’s lived in Istanbul, sailed the Mediterranean, slept in a cave inside Petra, belly-danced in Cairo, practiced meditation in India, trekked the Himalayas and volunteered in Thailand. Connie is now calling Hong Kong home, if only she would stop getting lost! Follow Connie’s (mis)adventures on www.connvoyage.com or Twitter at @connvoyage.

Kelsey Freeman

Kelsey is something of a nomadic jack-of-all-trades. After having moved 28 times in 8 years, she’s currently living near Washington DC. She works odd jobs as well as being a graphic designer, web designer, photographer, and writer.

She is also a former professional tall ship sailor, she’s working on her private pilot’s license, and she rides a vintage Russian sidecar motorcycle. She is an avid historical reenactor and travels frequently within the east coast to attend events. Photography is her true calling though and she is passionate about exposing people to cultures, places, and people they might otherwise never know about.

She loves to travel and used to live on a small, rural island in South Korea. Her favourite country is Switzerland, she’s currently planning a journalism expedition to Mongolia, and she once spent a year living out of her truck, couchsurfing around the USA and Canada!

Kevin Revolinski

Kevin Revolinski is the author of The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey and the Bangkok expert for NileGuide.com. His website and blog are at The Mad Traveler.

Michael Hodson

Michael just completed a sixteen month, round-the-world trip without taking a single plane.  His blog — One Lap, No Jetlag — is at www.mobilelawyer.blogspot.com and you can Twitter him at @mobilelawyer.

Lash

Lash is passionate about traveling the world nomadically and sharing her adventures and the cultures of countries she visits. Way back in 1991 she quit my job in the USA, packed up and moved to Japan. She lived in Kyoto for 6 years, saving money to travel the world. In 1997, mission accomplished. She left Japan and began her world travels… Fast forward to 2010: still traveling! Check out her blog Lash World Tour.

Toby

Toby and Karen are your hosts at the Gibbs Bay Inn. Toby grew up in Nepal, India and West Africa and Karen is from a small village in East Sussex, England. They have a passion the mansion, service, the Caribbean, family life and running this beautiful old Guest House. “We love how there is always some old timer on the island who has an anecdote or scandal about the property from the old days.  As we watch the sun disappear over the yard-arm with our guests we always feel we have found our Nirvana.”

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Posted in Asia, Australia, Europe, France, Photo Collection, Turkey | 2 Comments »

Do Good Thursday: Volunteer With We Women Foundation

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Guest blog post by Ursula Cats

We Women Fundation

“Some people would like to study to help themselves. Some people think they will study and then go to another country to work and make a lot of money. But for me I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to help my people. I know a lot of people who need help. I have a plan.” -Pao Naing, Unrecognized Refugee from Shan State , June 2010

We women from Burma project assists unrecognized refugee women from Burma.

I have always had the motivation to support people who have fewer opportunities than I do. To gain more knowledge on developmental work, I decided to enroll in the Master’s program in anthropology in September 2009. It was not complicated to find a focus for my fieldwork: the women who had fled from Burma to Thailand who did not obtain a refugee status. The anthropological agency based theories I used, however, did not correspond directly with what I actually saw and experienced. The women flee from a country ruled by a military regime, who make them leave their homes because of human rights violations. Upon arrival in Thailand they are forced to live illegality with no affordable acces to healthcare, education and other basic human rights. Living daily life in fear of police checks does not seem to give much room for agency to the people and so I met a lot of women who tried to survive within uncertain circumstances. The women felt they were oppressed by the state and their traditional positions as women. Through these stories I was eventually able to gain a perspective of the women themselves, which I used in my thesis to shed light on the situation of unrecognized refugee women from Burma.

The future aspirations these women had, as became apparent in my research, inspired me to keep taking part in the lives of my informants and their communities. I wanted to turn research into action and decided to start a new foundation: We Women. This foundation offers unrecognized refugee women from Burma the opportunity to become community leaders through obtaining higher education. The reason why We Women’s focus is on education, is that the women we work with told me during my fieldwork, that studying was an aspiration that helped them getting through the difficulties of their daily life existence and would give them the oppertunity to become active in the struggle for human rights for the people from Burma.

It is incredibly rewarding to work with unrecognized refugee women from Burma. The women are highly motivated: they know that there are few chances for them to study and put their souls into their work. They never complain about the long days and you can see their passion shine through their expressions and body language. They are proud women that want to work hard to attain equal rights for their people.

My experiences throughout my life, including my master study taught me to take on the perspective of the people I work with. Researching the background and needs of the target group is thus a very important aspect of the We Women foundation. It’s about the women themselves; they are getting the opportunity to realize their dreams and ideals: they make the difference, not me!

I hope that after reading this blog more people get enthusiastic about working with unrecognized refugee women, because we need volunteers around the world and in Thailand to help the women to achieve their future dreams.

Available positions:

  • Fund-raising and networking assistant
  • English teacher
  • Social media employee
  • All-round employee

Job descriptions can be found here.

Ursula Cats

Founded by Ursula Cats, an anthropologist and drama therapist, the We women foundation was established after Cats’ work and research in Burma and Northern Thailand. For many years she has been active in human rights.  Working as a lobbyist, campaign organizer and action coordinator for Burma her passion for the people of Burma deepened. She is dedicated to supporting those who live without the liberties and freedom too often taken for granted in many parts of the world. She is motivated by her passion for her work and research. The we women foundation is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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Posted in Asia, Do Good Thursday | 3 Comments »

Do Good Thursday: Getting Sanuked In Thailand

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Guest post by @brieee

The past few Saturdays, I have had the privilege of “Sanuking My Saturday” with the amazing Dwight Turner and a handful of other volunteers. Each week, we go to two communities within Bangkok- one in the slums along the train tracks, and one a bit closer to middle class, but both equally amazing. Every single one of the children are so incredible, smart, and absolutely adorable. I can honestly say that I love every second I spend with them and there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be on Saturdays than with them (and I can really say in the world, because I’ve traveled as far around the globe as I possibly could to get here!) . Quite often, I find myself wondering how I can repay them, as I feel that they are doing me such a great service, rather than the other way around. I actually feel like I’m lessening the experience by trying to put it into words, so I’d prefer to let the photos speak for themselves.

These two are the rowdy, little troublemakers of the bunch. Don't let those innocent faces fool you! They're loads of fun though, and they never cease to make me smile.

This girl is at the class every Saturday, without fail. I've never heard more than a few words from her, but she's still got a way of really tugging at my heart strings.

These sisters are three of the sweetest, smartest, most beautiful little girls. Just this past Saturday, their mother came to pick them up early from class. She only managed to coax the little one away- the other two refused to leave!

This cutie is one of the youngest at our morning session. He, like most of the kids, is fascinated by my camera, but hasn't quite grasped the concept of sitting still for it. But come on… just look at those eyes! I think they speak for themselves.

I can't help but see a mini Buddhist monk whenever I see this boy! He's always got a smile on his face, and it only takes a second for him to make one creep onto my own.

Wandering around with a look of awe and confusion, I think this guy takes in a lot more than he lets on!

Each of the children who attend our classes has such a distinct personality from the next one. It always amazes me how well they get along and treat each other like family. I go to them as a teacher, but most of the time I feel like there's a lot more for ME to learn from THEM.

If you’re currently in Thailand or thinking about volunteering in Thailand, visit In Search of Sanuk for additional information on all their volunteering needs.

Brianne Hoyt-Stern

Brianne Hoyt-Stern was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives and works in New York City. She specializes in 2D animation and design and has earned her BFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts. She enjoys spending her free time taking photographs, especially HDR images. Although she loves art, her greatest passion is traveling. She tries to combine her two loves by taking much of her inspiration from the traveling she has done and her time spent overseas. Her artwork is a strong reflection of her experiences. Follow Brianne on Twitter @brieee.

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Posted in Asia, Do Good Thursday | 3 Comments »

Photo Collection: Faces Of The Future (Part 2)

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

This is for everyone who found joy in the first collection of Faces Of The Future and for those who wanted to contribute their photos. I hope these photos brings a smile to your face because I couldn’t get rid of my Kool-Aid smile while I was putting this post together.

I received a large number of submission for this photo collection and I am very sorry to say that I was not able to use every single photo that was submitted. Please don’t hate me. Look at the babies instead!

Misones, Argentina

Michael Tieso

Michael Tieso started Art Of Backpacking with a vision of sharing cultural knowledge to the world and inspire more people to travel. He left the cubicle life to travel the world in May 2009 and he still continues the journey to this day with no end to it. He loves adventure, food, and music. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @djskylab.

Guatemala

Photo by Halle Hughes, aged 10 traveling near Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Halle was on her first trip overseas with her 2 sisters and parents and said the best part of going to Guatemala was doing Dog Meets World and meeting other kids.

Costa Rica

Photo by Kathryn Rouillard, a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica took pictures in Playa Panama and said that practicing DMW was "one of the highest highs I have experienced thus far as a PCV in Costa Rica.

Dominica Republic

Tanzania

Haiti

Taken by Carolyn Lane, founder of DMW in Lacul, Haiti in a village along the sea. None of the children had ever had their photos to own!

Carolyn Lane

Carolyn Lane is the founder and president of Dog Meets World, nonprofit organization seeking to put a photo in the hand of every child in need in the world.

The Caribbean

Taken at Grand Anse Beach, Grenada, Caribbean

Maharasthra, India

Taken in Ellora, Maharasthra, India

Cairo, Egypt

Taken at an engagement party held on the street, Cairo, Egypt

Connie Hum

Connie HumConnie Hum is a bit of a loose canon. She gets an idea in her head and she just goes with it. After making the decision to live the life she’s always wanted, Connie left her amazing apartment in New York City and job at an international consulting firm in February 2009. Since that time, she’s lived in Istanbul, sailed in the Mediterranean, slept in a Bedouin cave in the mountains of Petra, bellydanced her way through Cairo, drank afternoon tea in London, danced with young Buddhist monks in Burma, learned the art of Vipassana meditation in an ashram in India, trekked the Himalayan mountain range in Nepal and sunbathed in the gorgeous beaches of Thailand. And this is only the beginning! You can follow her travel (mis)adventures on www.connvoyage.com or on Twitter at @connvoyage.

Sapa, Vietnam

Hmong girl with baby brother

Little Hmong girl carrying her baby brother. Click on the photo for the story.

Laos

Hmong girl from Laos

Hmong girl from Laos

Hmong girl from Laos 2

Another Hmong girl from Laos

Belaga, Borneo

Kayan mother and child

Kayan mother and child

Theodora Sutcliffe

Theodora Sutcliffe is on a longterm round the world journey with her nine year old son. Since leaving London in January 2010 they’ve visited Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia: next stop Indonesia Visit www.travelswithanineyearold.com for more travel pics and stories.Theodora is a single parent from London, England traveling around the with her son Z. Follow her on Twitter @Mummy_T.

Bangkok, Thailand

From a train ride from Bangkok to the border of Cambodia. It was a 5 hour train ride on wooden benches and cost 50 cents so we were the only foreigners on the train and no one spoke English. Unlike in North America where we'd never give our children to strangers, we were greeted warmly by the people on the train who offered their baby to hold. Although we didn't speak a common language it was one of the most memorable events of my trip.

Baby on the train from Bangkok to Cambodia 2

Ayngelina Brogran

Ayngelina left her job, apartment, boyfriend and friends to travel solo. You can read about her adventures at Bacon is Magic, as she eats her way through Latin America and beyond.

Granada, Nicaragua

Guatemala

Mexico

Lainie

Miro and Lainie (mother 43 and 11 year old son) share their adventures from the road of life, discussing issues of humanity, global citizenship, slow travel and living in the moment as they backpack through the world.Stay up to date with them on their blog & podcast at RaisingMiro.com which chronicles their nomadic adventures, Raising Miro on the Road of Life.

Cambodia

She was just a cutey. She has a huge smile on her face in every, single picture we have of her.

A couple of the younger boys just thought it was hilarious to use me as their own personal jungle gym. It got quite tiring after a while, and of course everyone wanted to try when they saw these two, so the next thing you know, I had 15-year-olds not much shorter than I trying to hang on me.

This is my boy again. It started pouring rain, and they all wanted to go out and play. In typical SE Asia monsoon season weather, it just POURED down buckets of rain, and they all had a blast.

You obviously can't tell it from this picture, but this little guy was the most surly and mad looking for the first couple hours after we arrived. Once he warmed up to us, he was like he is in this picture. Adorable.

This was the youngest girl, Nita, who was about 2 years old and as you can see, simply beautiful. Everyone was her bigger brother or sister, and they all took care of her and watched over her.

Adam & Megan

Adam and Megan set off on a year-long RTW trip in October 2008, touching down in eleven countries and ninety cities over three continents. Now back home in St. Louis, Megan is back at her career as an attorney, and Adam is trying to bust into the travel writing business. You can check out Adam’s brand new site, still a work in progress with new content being added daily, at www.worldtravelforcouples.com, or you can follow Adam’s journey to become a travel writer at www.journeyofatravelwriter.com. Adam and Megan also kept a blog of their RTW trip, at thewanderyear.com. They are both on twitter, @aseper and @wanderyearmeg.

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Posted in Africa, Argentina, Asia, Europe, India, Latin America, Photo Collection | 11 Comments »

8 Volunteer Opportunites In Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

If you have a personal story, volunteer resources, tips and advice you’d like to share for Do Good Thursday, please email me at monica@apairofpantiesandboxers.com.

Thailand’s a popular destination to visit for budget travels but did you also know that it’s a great destination for budget volunteer opportunities in Chiang Mai? Some programs can be costly but in Thailand, there are many programs that provide more than just housing for you. If you’re interested in volunteering in Thailand, below is a list of programs in Chiang Mai.

Volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park

Volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park

Image via mcsilly.blogspot.com

If you’re into animals, and I mean BIG animals, the Elephant Nature Park just might be your calling. It appears to be one of the most popular volunteer opportunities in Chiang Mai for those who are interested in traveling around the country from four-wheel truck to bamboo raft, experience local and tribal lifestyles, culture and hospitality and most importantly, helping to save these endangered species.

  • Accommodation: Traditional huts in the park with showers
  • Cost: $375/week (includes transportation, lodging, food & elephant care)
  • Duration: One, two or four week programs available
  • Safety Precautions: Although rare, there have been isolated reported cases of malaria
  • Insurance:  All volunteers must obtain travel insurance and show proof of this at the start of the program
  • Positions available: Professional veterinarian, elephant student vets, elephant helpers

Click here for additional info: http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/volunteer/index.htm

Take Me To Volunteer

This volunteer program is in an orphanage in Chiang Mai. Volunteers will be working with orphans, getting involved in the activities of the charities and their fund raising, helping to welcome visitors to the charities and wherever your assistance might be needed.

  • Duration: Minimum of 3 nights
  • Cost: $405/3 nights; $570/week
  • Volunteer Hours:  Monday – Friday, 9AM-5PM

Click here for additional info: http://takemetovolunteertravel.com/VolunteerThailandChiangmai.html

Travel To Teach

Travel To Teach

Travel To Teach has two volunteer programs available.  Volunteers have the opportunity to teach English at two Primary schools with children ages 6 to 15 years old.
They also have a Restoration and Camps program where volunteers work to improve the structure and quality of the camps where students go to learn English. The time available for this position is when the camps are close for school holidays which are between mid-February to mid-May and in October.

  • Accommodation: Dorm in a stone and wooden Thai style house, communal room with TV, DVD and computer, kitchen gas cooker, toaster, fridge, water kettle, other cookware, western style toilets and hot water shower.
  • Costs: Discount of $340 for couples or two friends; Apply in May, June and July to receive a $135 discount

*This program states that they are currently not placing volunteers, however if you look under Program Fees arrivals dates for the program are listed. If you are interested in volunteering for Travel To Teach, please verify directly with the organization.

Click here for additional info: http://www.travel-to-teach.org/thailand/volunteer-chiang-mai.php

Kid Launch

Kid Launch Volunteer Program, Chiang Mai Thailand

The kids are waiting for a teacher! Could it be you?

Kid Launch has just opened its first hill tribe school north of Chiang Mai and is looking for volunteers to teach English to both students and parents. Formal schooling has been limited here for the students of this hill tribe due to its location.

  • Duration: Minimum of 3 months

Click here for more info: http://realvolunteerthailand.com/volunteer-teachers-needed-in-chiang-mai-thailand/

Teaching Monks In Chiang Mai

There is an opportunity open to volunteers who are interested in teaching or assisting the Thai faculty of teaching young monks ages 12-18 at five different monasteries in Chiang Mai.

  • Requirements: Must be 18+ at the beginning of the program. Proficient and written and spoken English
  • What is provided: Airport transportation, 2-day orientation, lodging, breakfast, full comprehensive travel and medicine insurance, in-country support and pre-departure information.
  • Start date: 1st and 3rd Monday of every month
  • Cost: Ranges from $600 for 2 weeks to $1350 for 8 weeks; additional $125 a week after 8 weeks.
  • Application fee: $200

Click here for more info: http://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/thailand/volunteer_teaching_english_thailand.htm

Rustic Volunteer Travel

Volunteers will be working in childcare centers set up by the local government and Buddhist temples to support children and orphans between the ages of 2-6.  Volunteers can create their own lesson plans to conduct within class which best suits the needs and interests of the young children.

  • Work hours: 8AM-12PM
  • Accommodations: Room/food is managed by Rustic Volunteer Travels for volunteers. Volunteers are placed with hostel families or hostels.
  • Start date: 2nd and 4th Monday of each month
  • Cost: Ranges from $280 for 1 week to $1,380 for 12 weeks; additional $30 a week after 12 weeks (Food not included)
  • Application fee: $250

Click here for more info: http://www.rustic-volunteer-travel.com/thailand/

Gap Year In Asia

Several projects are available in Chiang Mai to teach English, work at an orphanage and help build necessary facilities with hilltribe people. The programs are listed below from Gap Year Asia.

  • Duration: 1 week to 24 weeks
  • Accommodation: Single room guest house in Chiang Mai; Homestay if you volunteer with the hilltribe people.

Click here for more info: http://www.ifrevolunteers.org/thailand/volunteer_in_thailand.php

Orphanage
This orphanage in Chiang Mai is the home for orphaned children in the Northern Region of Thailand caring for babies and children up to 6 years old and for girls from the age of 7 until 18 years.

Hilltribe Village School
Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand is home to interesting and colorful ethnic minorities, known as the hill tribes. Most of the hill tribes have migrated into the region during the past 100 years from the Asian interior and have preserved their traditional ways. The village school is a government school, teaching from grade 1-9. Most of students are hilltribe children. There are 250 children at this school aged 3 to 9 years old.

Orphanage for HIV affected Children
This project helps children whose parents have died from AIDS by providing an education so they can develop their skills to earn a living and allow them to become self-supportive. The orphanage needs volunteers for English teaching, cooking and teaching music.

Building Facilities in the Hilltribe VillagesThis is a great project to give back to the community in a very practical way. At this project you will be actively helping local hill tribe villages to build necessary water & sanitation facilities or other facilities such as school buildings that are needed at the time to improve the lives of the hilltribe people considerably.

Charity for Single Mothers
Volunteer at this charity for single mothers in Chiang Mai. This is a temporary home for unemployed single mothers with very young children and a shelter for unmarried pregnant young women prior to the birth of their child. Volunteers can teach English or teach vocational skills such as sewing, cooking, crafts, baking or jewelry making.

Children Foundation
This project in Chiang Mai works in northern Thailand focusing on early childhood care development, education, life skills and children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV. Volunteer activities include teaching English and helping in the office of the project.

Village School & Child Care Center
The school and child care center is situated in the heart of the community in the village very close to an elephant camp. There are 33 children at this school and child care center aged 3 to 5 years old. Most of the students are hilltribe children. Volunteers will be helping to take care of the children, play with them and teach basic English.

Click here for more info: http://www.gapyearinasia.com/chiangmai.html

IFRE Volunteers Abroad

IFRE offers one week of language and cultural orientation ($250/week) but you can opt to go directly to the volunteer project. The volunteer programs include working with disadvantaged children, teaching English in primary and secondary schools, teaching English in a Buddhist temple and working in an elderly home.

  • Start dates: 1st and 3rd Monday of each month
  • Application fee: $349
  • Program fee: Ranges from $299 for 4 days to $1,781 for 12 weeks (Includes 3 meals a day, accommodation, travel insurance, airport pickup, in country transportation, country coordinator support, volunteer care and other services and emergency support)

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Posted in Asia, Do Good Thursday | 16 Comments »

Sunsets From Around The World

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Sunsets are one of Mother Nature’s greatest masterpieces. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see them anymore. By the time I’m out of work, the sun has already set in the Concrete Jungle. To satisfy my desire to be mesmerized by sunsets, I asked my fellow friends and travel bloggers to submit photos of their best sunsets. Talk about a visual overload.

Without further adieu, feast your eyes on this. I hope it satisfies your wanderlust…for now.

Koh Samet, Thailand

A beautiful calm sunset after a day of riding ATVs and exploring the jungles of Koh Samet, one of the less visited islands of Thailand.

Finisterra, Spain

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After walking about 2000km in Spain on the Camino de Santiago, my reward was one of the most beautiful sunsets over the Atlantic at the most western tip of Spain: Finisterra, the "End of the World". My journey was over in Spain.

Somewhere over the Atlantic

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While trying to take pictures of those creeping clouds over the Atlantic, an old lady next to me told me: "When the clouds are like this, it's going to rain tomorrow". I nodded politely without really believing.. It rained the whole next day after weeks of sunny days.

Dan Nahabedian

Dan is wandering soul and a traveler, eager to learn from the entire World, and excited to share all the Knowledge and the Beauty captured through his lens. That’s what he’s am all about! Check out his blog Canvas of Light for more jaw dropping photos and follow him on Twitter @Eloren.


Redondo Beach, California

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My first ever California sunset. This majesty of nature that is a west coast sunset was experienced at Redondo Beach, which has been a frequent host over the years to the Mavericks surf competition.

Ohio

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While heading to my car after a long day, exhaustion the foremost thing on my mind...I didn't notice a group of people standing & just staring at the sky. Actually, I almost ran into them. They were staring at this sunset. I joined them! Exhaustion forgotten.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

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Candlelight. Handsome companion. Mexican tequila. Playa Del Carmen sunset. A beautiful evening.

Naples, Florida

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While out on a long walk during a trip to Florida, following a death, this sunset appeared. It felt like a message; that the world could still be a beautiful place and healing would come in time. When I look at this image, I'm reminded no matter how bad things get - they will always, eventually, get better.

Kirsten Alana

Kirsten Alana is a photographer and travel writer currently in the Midwest who is planning a late 2010 move to the East or West coast. She always has a quote ready and waiting to share. She’s an avid Jane Austen fan, adventure & experience junkie, Francophile, passionate fan of Mexico, Apple and Canon geek, New Englander by birth and the daughter of an artist. Kirsten also loves to support charities and her current favorite is “Charity:Water”. You can find her on Twitter @kirsten_al.

Eagle Beach, Aruba

Humuhumu at the Grand Wailea, Maui

Melanie Waldman

Melanie is one half of Travels With Two, a travel blog for couples. She’s a writer and artist. Travels With Two is a guide to those places we (and many other couples) have been and loved, in the hope that you’ll be inspired to do the same. You can follow her on Twitter @TravelsWithTwo.

Mt. Arbel Israel

This was taken after a hike to the top of Mt.Arbel, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee in the north of Israel. I was traveling there with a group, and this photo was taken towards the end of our trip. This will forever remain one of the top moments of my life, and the picture is a perfect representation of that.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

I've never seen anything more beautiful than and Australian sunset. The colors and the atmosphere set the mood for an unparalleled experience. Taken from a sailboat, watching this sunset over the Great Barrier Reef was nothing short of amazing.

New Jersey, USA

I grew up in New Jersey, just minutes away from here. On a recent trip back home I was driving through the area and, quite literally, saw it in a whole new light. They are HDR images, and I think they prove that sometimes, the most beautiful things are in your own backyard.

Brianne Hoyt-Stern

Brianne Hoyt-Stern was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives and works in New York City. She specializes in 2D animation and design and has earned her BFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts. She enjoys spending her free time taking photographs, especially HDR images. Although she loves art, her greatest passion is traveling. She tries to combine her two loves by taking much of her inspiration from the traveling she has done and her time spent overseas. Her artwork is a strong reflection of her experiences. Follow Brianne on Twitter @brieee.

Grand Canyon, USA

Aye, Jack & Emma

These are pictures of sunset over the grand canyon. We started a tradition of traveling as a family during every spring break since Emma is a spring break baby, both Jack and myself have birthdays in late March and early April as well our Anniversary is in early April. So our tradition is to celebrate all those special days by traveling together as a family. So in 2008 when Em was 5, we took her to Disneyland on a road trip. On our way back from California, we stopped in Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Albuquerque and Roswell. We always take tons of pictures as I’m sure many travelers do and these are two I feel capture that evening’s beauty. We waited to see the sunset from the beginning to the end armed with picnic items, warm clothing and even a blanket and we had an amazing time together.

Follow this fabulous family of three on their inspiring blog Got Passport: Will Travel. Will Serve and follow them on Twitter @gotpassport as they prepare to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer.

Vounaki Marina, Greece

Just before picking up a yacht and embarking on one of the best weeks of my life.

South Africa

Taken from the back of a jeep at sunset in Phinda game reserve, South Africa, enroute to going leopard tracking with friends. Amazingly, we found one. Even more amazingly, he didn't come and join us in the jeep - although he seemed very keen for a while. Story here.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Taken with a beer in hand on the deck of a junk in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Story here.

Queensland, Australia

Sunset from the back of a yacht in Butterfly Bay, Hook Island. This is one of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays group just off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Dave Dean

Dave was born and raised in small town New Zealand providing  him with the perfect beginnings for a lifelong travel addiction. After graduating from university with a degree in History and Political Science he packed his meagre belongings into a backpack and headed for London. The subsequent years have seen him travelling through thirty-something countries and watching my ‘must see’ list grow larger almost as quickly as I’ve watched my bank balance grow smaller. Check out Dave’s blog, What’s Dave Doing, and follow him on Twitter @driftingkiwi.

Banks Penninsula, New Zealand

I waited on the ridge in high winds for over an hour to shoot this sunset over Robinson's Bay in the Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.

Mile Lagoon, New Zealand

It was a 2hr hike to get here to Three Mile Lagoon, New Zealand and I was totally alone save a couple of deer. The tide came up and I had to hike back through the forest in the dark using my camera's autofocus light to find the trail.

Opotiki, New Zealand

It was beautiful how the cliffs down the beach faded into the mist near Opotiki in New Zealand. The bird in the sky was a nice touch (though I considered removing it).

Dustin Main

Dustin Main is the author behind the Skinny Backpacker, a blog that offers the inside source on traveling around the world as a scrawny guy. His current itinerary starts in New Zealand, then Australia, North to SE Asia, west to Nepal, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Europe, then South America, Antarctica, and hopefully some time in Latin America before limping his way home. Have somewhere to suggest?  Someone I have to meet?  Let him know! You can find him on Twitter @dustinmain.

Dunedin, New Zealand

Darwin, Australia

Texas, USA

Adam Groffman

Adam is a graphic designer living and working in Boston who will soon embark on his own RTW trip.. He’s always loved traveling and plans to travel as much as possible. His blog, Travels of Adam, features content on his past and present travels. Follow him on Twitter @travelsofadam.

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In Search of Sanuk

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Via www.insearchofsanuk.com

Hi Dwight, let’s start having you tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to start In Search of Sanuk?

Thanks Monica. To make a long story short, when I returned to Thailand in 2008, I had a group of friends who were interested in doing more to give back, but didn’t really have any opportunity. I helped them organize an event at an orphanage and the following month we had a fundraiser party. What I didn’t plan for was that since then people have come to expect me to plan and organize these types of initiatives here. I never intended to start anything. I am emphasizing that because people who meet me now assume I have a background in non profit or development work. Anyway, fast forward a little over a year later and I have my hands full with all kinds of activities. I’m working lately a lot with refugees and the homeless, but my biggest project revolves around structuring a volunteer teaching project in the slum.

Why the title ‘In Search of Sanuk’?

Sanuk is Thai for fun or enjoyment. It’s a word you can’t really avoid if you’ve spent any time in Thailand. Sanuk shapes the way Thais conceptualize life and is really one of the main factors in the laid back, but fun seeking nature of Thais.

Other than sanuk, what else are you in search for?

I’m not purely looking for sanuk here. But I did want to borrow that Thai concept and apply it to the desire to give back and reinvest in the community here. A lot of what I do is just challenging or disproving the traditional picture we have of charity. People are so bent on enjoying themselves and I wanted to borrow from some of that energy and show people that helping and having fun aren’t mutually exclusive, but are really intertwined.

When, where and how did you have the epiphany of creating this mission and starting these project?

No epiphanies. No shortcuts. No one hit me over the head with instructions on how to do good. I actually set out trying to latch on to what other people were doing. I resisted the idea that I should start my own thing. They are so many cool things happening here, that I thought I would jump on board someone else ship and just tell people about it. Well, that didn’t work at all. A few key people pushed me create something of my own, but this all happened over a period of about five months. Which should be encouraging to all of use who aren’t born geniuses. Again, I never intended to start anything.

What was your biggest challenge starting In Search of Sanuk?

Me. The fear of starting something new. The doubt and over emphasis on the things I lacked: funds, time and experience. I never recognized those as things that made me just like the rest of the planet. We tend to think we have to be exceptional to be heard, but what I have in common with most people is what sets me apart, but it took a while to begin to see that. Once I did, I began to find my voice and pickup more momentum with ISOS.

What have you learned through your experiences running In Search of Sanuk?

I have learned so much. The first thing that comes to mind is that doing good things does not make you a good person. Also, doing what you know to do is right isn’t laudable, it’s just what you should do. Recognizing those things means you have to have your heart in the right place to help people even when it’s not easy and there’s no obvious reward. It also redefined how I feel about burnout. Burnout isn’t bad. When helping people becomes exhausting, I’m thankful because it purifies my motives. Otherwise we become narcissistic about change making, clouding our ability to help and connect with others doing the same.

Via www.insearchofsanuk.com

Why did you choose Thailand? Do you plan on expanding to other parts of Southeast Asia?

Thailand chose me. I was recruited to teach hear about 4 years ago for a 10 month contract. What I didn’t know is that I would build an affinity of the people, a knack for the language, and love of the lifestyle. I went home for a year near the beginning of the recession and eventually ended up back here. This is home and now I’m only focusing on doing what I’ve committed to here well.

Where do you & your organization hope to be in 10 years?

ISOS is still young. There’s a lot that needs to happen in the next 10 months to decide if it will exist in the next 10 years. I’m talking about the challenges of creating something long term and sustainable. To even be having this discussion is as daunting as it is exciting. So I’m dealing with looking for and applying for funding, while hypothesizing about the possibility of being able to hire staff or have a real office in the future.

What is your next upcoming project? What kind of help will you be looking for? What does In Search of Sanuk currently need the most right now? School supplies? Donations? Clothes? Volunteers? Do you have extended programs for volunteering? (IE: weekly, monthly)

We just expanded our project teaching on the weekends in two Bangkok slum communities. I’m always looking for volunteers both short and long term. This is designed for people who live and work in Bangkok to have an easy way they can give back. If someone is looking for something more long term, I’d love to have a grant writer (who wouldn’t, right?), but you don’t necessarily have to do that from Bangkok.

Donations are the biggest need. I have been able to get some of the projects we’re doing with kids partially funded, but I need more funding to move toward sustaining operations here. ISOS is still very grassroots and the funds I have been using mostly come from people here who have attended parties or events we’ve thrown. Those donations, along with what people give through my website go a long way. I’ll give you a recent example. This past weekend I helped a man buy a rice cooker ($15). If you can imagine, a broken rice cooker in a Sri Lankan family of four is quite a crisis, especially for this refugee family without any rights to work in Thailand. A small donation helped this man’s family in a big way. The same man who earlier this month, confessed to me about having to pawn his wife’s jewelry to pay his family’s rent ($100).

About Dwight Turner

Dwight Turner started InSearchOfSanuk to challenge you to create your lifestyle of fun and giving. We’re igniting change in Thailand and we want to help you do the same in your community. We all have a role to play. Dream Big, Work Smart, Start Local.

You can also follow Dwight on Twitter @insearchofsanuk

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