Skip to content

Traveling the world for the year with our three boys

Where have we been?
Posts
About

Where have we been?

Click for posts from colored countries.

kidsoncamels

Brunei! (1/27-1/28) I'm not going to lie, we mostl

Brunei! (1/27-1/28) I'm not going to lie, we mostly came to this tiny nation that shares the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia because we wanted to notch another country on our list. Mission accomplished! Also, we enjoyed eating dinner at the smoky (from all the barbeque stalls) night market and walking around the sleepy capitol city, briefly, in between monsoon rains and hot hot sunshine. Our biggest tourist attraction was the floating village which houses 40,000 people, used to be the main city of this Muslim (and completely alcohol free) sultanate, and is the reason it was once known as "The Venice of the East." In order to continue on to eastern Malaysia, we had to make a couple spontaneous ferry and bus purchases, which was markedly less planned than the rest of our trip, but everything went off without a hitch!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! (1/25-1/26) We were mostly

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! (1/25-1/26) We were mostly stopping here to fly onwards to Borneo, but all agreed two days was too brief. Even though there are less than two million people in this capital city, KL has more skyscrapers than Chicago, including the largest twin towers in the world (Petronas) and the second tallest building in the world (Merdeka 118). We tried to go up to the top of Petronas, but tickets were sold out. (James was especially bummed by that, so we'll see about visiting the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.) We were, however, able to visit the amazing Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine built inside ancient limestone caves at the top of a long series of colorful and monkey-infested steps. Also, Kuala Lumpur had a ton of malls and we ate most of our meals at the delicious Asian food courts inside!

Singapore! (1/21-1/24) This was Karen's and my fav

Singapore! (1/21-1/24) This was Karen's and my favorite city in Asia from our earlier trips. We still love it, but the boys were a little less enthused because of the constant rain we experienced during our four days there. We saw a lot of stuff, though, with highlights including the Chinese New Year celebration at Gardens by the Bay (including a light show at the awesome "cloud forest"), "hawker stall" food court visits, the Singapore Zoo (probably the best in the world), running with Charlie at the national stadium, walking around Little India, and the amazing Singapore Jewel (with a huge indoor waterfall and trampoline park) at the airport. Still the city in Asia we'd be most interested in living in, although maybe after the kids go to college!

Siem Reap, Cambodia! (1/15-1/18) In addition to a

Siem Reap, Cambodia! (1/15-1/18) In addition to a burger trip celebrating Henry's 50th country, the highlight here (as for most people) was the enormous temple complex of Angkor Wat. We spent a fascinating but long day touring three of the many temples, so were more relaxed during our other three days in this tourist-catering town. Highlights include a bird watching trip for Karen and Charlie, a butterfly sanctuary (which unfortunately kept a Python that was thinking about eating the sad scared duck they left in its cage), and a great Mexican restaurant with $2 margaritas. Also a new backpack for Henry! We had a great time before heading onwards for another a couple more nights in Bangkok before catching a flight to Singapore.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia! (1/13-1/14) Another huge sur

Phnom Penh, Cambodia! (1/13-1/14) Another huge surprise compared to our trip long ago was the Cambodian capital. Modern roads and enormous buildings were everywhere: I was even able to get some running gear at the fancy mall on the outskirts of town. (A hydration backpack for about 1/3 the cost in the US!) For a more grim point of comparison, in 2006 we took dirt roads to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, while the area now was completely built up around the preserved former prison where the Khmer Rouge committed some of their most notorious acts of torture. Both Tuol Sleng and the "Killing Fields" of Choeung Ek had excellent audioguides that helped the boys (and us) understand the inhumanity of a regime that killed up to 2.5 million out of 8 million Cambodians living in 1975. If you notice the pattern from similar stops in Poland, Bosnia, and Rwanda, I'd comment that we travel with the hopes that the boys will learn to appreciate and identify with cultures all over the world, but also think it's important that they witness some of the most notorious acts in human history.

50 Countries for Henry! When I was 14, I had been

50 Countries for Henry! When I was 14, I had been to exactly one country, the USA. Henry had me beat before the age of one when we went with my parents to visit my friends Mike and Beth in China. It was that trip, plus our trip a few months later to Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, that inspired Karen to dream up this trip we're currently on. (Karen was quicker to two countries than Henry, traveling to Germany from California when she was just a few days old, but he's definitely ahead of her pace now.)
To celebrate Cambodia being Henry's 50th country, we went to "Big Boy's Burger Restaurant" in Siem Reap so Henry could eat one of his favorite foods. A couple days earlier, we visited Angkor Wat, but if you compare smiles from the pictures, you can see which one Henry preferred more! (We're at 37 countries for the trip overall, so Charlie and James will be having their 50-country celebrations in the next month or so as well.)

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! (1/11) We had a

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! (1/11) We had a sobering few days with the boys starting here learning about some of the suffering that occurred during the Vietnam War prior to visiting Cambodia and focusing on the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. The "War Remnants Museum" was expanded and less propaganda-ish than it was when we visited "The Museum of American Aggression" the last time we were here, but they soberly laid out the inhumanity perpetrated by French colonialists, the French/American-sponsored Diem regime, and American soldiers (both in isolation as the result of individual officers ordering war crimes, along with the indiscriminate bombing of the countryside that was our national policy.) I thought the boys absorbed things well, recognizing the complexity of the times the events occurred.
We also visited the site where Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc set himself on fire in 1963 to protest that regime and visited some tunnels that the North used to attack said regime.
On the lighter side, we found a delightful German restaurant, and I squeezed in one more motorcycle -dodging run and extended my streak of countries where I've had McDonald's as a reward. We didn't spend enough time in Vietnam and hope to return in a few years!

Hoi An, Vietnam! (1/9-1/11) Karen and I absolutely

Hoi An, Vietnam! (1/9-1/11) Karen and I absolutely loved this laid back and scenic town when we first visited 17 years ago, so we really wanted to show the boys. It had changed over the years, now boasting a lively bar scene with many more "tourist" options of the tacky variety, but the people were still incredibly nice and we reprised one of our main goals from our first trip: buying stuff. Incredibly, the Number 41 Tailor Shop, where I had suits made en route to my job in Australia way back when, was still in business at the local fabric market. I had two more suits made (wool/cashmere, custom fitted, $120 each) and threw in some more pants and shirts on top of skirts and tops for Karen. The ladies who worked there were touched that we came back after so much time. The two younger boys were fitted for glasses (one day start to finish and very cheap) and made lanterns with a delightful couple who shared their story (with my permission, despite...how we look 🍻) on their Google Maps page. To top it all off, the Vietnamese postal service will come to your hotel on a motorcycle and pack up and collect any items you want to ship home at no extra charge. (Shipping was kind of expensive, but we included every souvenir purchased since Jordan.) Not pictured, but Henry loved the food too. Can I add that it was very strange to wear dress clothes again, even if very briefly for the fittings?

Hanoi, Vietnam! (1/7-1/8) We flew in from Laos und

Hanoi, Vietnam! (1/7-1/8) We flew in from Laos under some beautiful sunset views and had a great couple of days exploring the city Karen and I first visited in 2006. Scenes from my morning run included 1,000s of mopeds that were kind enough not to hit me on the sidewalk-less streets and old people doing exercises in the park, including slow dances. We visited the "Hanoi Hilton" where American POWs were held during the war and the anti-American language we found in the descriptions during our prior visit was fully replaced by new exhibits about how close we are now and how much we're cooperating as nations. Henry stayed home to do homework while the rest of us did an interesting walking tour where we learned about egg coffee, ancestor worship, crowded conditions in the old town, and the huge variety of foods sold at markets. On our second day we visited the excellent Womens Museum and had our fourth serving of pho.

Luang Prabang, Laos! (1/3-1/6) We enjoyed walking

Luang Prabang, Laos! (1/3-1/6) We enjoyed walking around and absorbing the sights in this laid back, UNESCO World Heritage recognized, French architecture-heavy village: including the night market, bamboo bridge, fancy lilly-pad restaurant, and hill with many Buddha statues. Charlie and James also worked on their chopsticks skills! The highlight for the younger two boys (Henry opted to stay home), though, was a trip a short drive away to the Elephant Village, where we got to feed and bathe four elephants who had been rescued from working in the logging industry. We didn't have a ton of expectations for Laos, but it ended up being one of our favorite countries of the trip!

Vang Vieng, Laos! (1/1-1/2) We could have spent mu

Vang Vieng, Laos! (1/1-1/2) We could have spent much longer in this gorgeous, outdoor adventure town. In just two days, we only had time for an afternoon tubing down the river (with a few gentle rapids), some zip lining for three of us (where Charlie was briefly stuck a couple of times), and a little cave exploration via walking and then tubing. Definitely worth the trip!

Vientiane, Laos (12/29-12/31) We enjoyed a relaxin

Vientiane, Laos (12/29-12/31) We enjoyed a relaxing few days in this laid back capital city. From my prior post, I mentioned eating and drinking too much: you can see here I had delicious "French cow" steak three nights in a row with Belgian beer and (box) wine... however it wasn't actually the new year yet? I did run, though! Also, we learned about the sobering history of the many millions of cluster bombs that the USA dropped on Laos in the 60's and 70's, 20-30% of which didn't detonate, leaving limb-threatening hazards for decades. We also read about the war from the Communist Lao government perspective at the very large and mostly empty Lao National Museum. Also, a beautiful temple that the king used to use to store national treasures.

Bangkok! (12/24-12/28) In addition to our Christma

Bangkok! (12/24-12/28) In addition to our Christmas adventures, we also visited The Royal Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. Also, Charlie ate a cricket and Karen and I had at least one massage per day. And we ate a ton of (non-cricket) food. Maybe related: I have a New Years Resolution to run more and maybe cut back on beer.

Happy New Year from Laos! We're kicking off 2023 h

One (Christmas) Night in Bangkok! James is a bit o

One (Christmas) Night in Bangkok! James is a bit overwhelmed by the action and neon lights of (PG-rated) Bangkok tourist streets near our dinner tonight. Finishing the night watching Harry Potter 7 (we just finished reading the series) after $3 haircuts, Italian and Thai food, and a river cruise. Merry Christmas to all!

Kathmandu, Nepal! (12/18-12/23) We loved our relax

Kathmandu, Nepal! (12/18-12/23) We loved our relaxed stay here in the valley of the Himalayas. We visited the royal squares in historic Patan, Kathmandu, and Bhaktapur, saw the very tip of Everest from afar (it's one of the smaller points in my mountain picture from Nagarkot), visited the "Monkey Temple" overlooking traffic-filled Kathmandu, and had many delicious and laid-back meals, the best being with the sister of our friend Roshan from home. We could definitely have stayed longer, but are heading out to Bangkok now. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

I finally got around to writing about our experien

I finally got around to writing about our experience finding a budget safari in Kenya. You can read more here!

https://kidsoncamels.com/blog/2022/12/19/can-you-do-a-kenyan-safari-on-a-budget/

Galle, Sri Lanka! (12/15-12/17) We enjoyed a coupl

Galle, Sri Lanka! (12/15-12/17) We enjoyed a couple of very laid back days in this old Dutch town inside the historic world heritage fort. Great food, gelato, and laid back strolls along with a little time at the beach (no phone/pictures for that, though.) Bonus couple of shots at the end of our Dehli stopover before flying onwards to Nepal. (We were just there for a night and our dinner consisted of bananas and corner store snacks from the last picture.)

Kandy and Colombo, Sri Lanka! (12/11-12/14) The hi

Kandy and Colombo, Sri Lanka! (12/11-12/14) The hill country town of Kandy ended up one of our favorite places of the entire trip. We enjoyed walking around the picturesque and wildlife-rich central lake, the Temple of the Tooth (named because it houses one of Buddha's teeth), a cooking class where we prepared 14 delicious Sri Lankan dishes, and exciting Kandyan dance. Views from the train on the ride up from Colombo were also amazing. (We only did a couple of mid-day stops in Colombo, but enjoyed a pair of excellent lunches there!) We would love to return!

6 Months, 183 days! That's how long it's been sinc

6 Months, 183 days! That's how long it's been since we arrived in Sweden on June 10th at the start of our trip. One of these days, I'll post a longer blog post or two about our experiences, but for now, here are some all-family pictures from each month of the trip so far. We're about halfway done now, but excited for more Asia, Oceania, and South America!

Load More Follow on Instagram

Buy the book!

Read more about how we met and got into traveling with our three kids.

Subscribe

Sign up here to see all of our posts!

Name*

Email*

Search for:

Recent Posts

Can you do a Kenyan safari on a budget?
Catchup Post: Italy, Tunisia, and Greece
Catchup post: Behind the former Iron Curtain
Catchup post: Balkans and Bulgaria
Catchup post: Habsburg Country

Recent Comments

Nancy Migneault on Can you do a Kenyan safari on a budget?
Matt on Catchup Post: Italy, Tunisia, and Greece
Carole J. Tipton on Catchup Post: Italy, Tunisia, and Greece
carole tipton on Catchup post: Balkans and Bulgaria
Nancy Jones Miller on Catchup post: Behind the former Iron Curtain

Archives

Archives

Countries

Africa (2)
- Kenya (1)
- Tunisia (1)
Europe (14)
- Austria (1)
- Belgium (1)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina (1)
- Bulgaria (1)
- Croatia (1)
- Czech Republic (1)
- Estonia (1)
- Finland (1)
- France (1)
- Germany (2)
- Greece (1)
- Hungary (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (3)
- Liechtenstein (1)
- Netherlands (1)
- Norway (2)
- Poland (1)
- Slovakia (1)
- Sweden (1)
- Switzerland (1)
- United Kingdom (3)
North America (2)
- United States (2)

Meta

Log in
Entries feed
Comments feed
WordPress.org

Where have we been?
Posts
About

Kids on Camels Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress