Background

I'm a travel writer based in San Francisco, and author of six guides to Southeast Asia from Avalon Travel Publishing/Moon Publications and National Geographic. Titles include Southeast Asia Handbook and Thailand Handbook from Moon Publications and National Geographic Thailand. More information can be found inside my FriskoDude Blog listed below.

 

Journey Across Asia

My first year-long journey around Asia, on a $795 one-way Pan Am ticket to Bali, took me initially to Japan where I photographed some geishas and a pair of friendly young girls along with some still life such as paper cranes and painted fans. Then it was over to Korea where a few old men still wore traditional costumes.

 

Then I continued south to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines where I enjoyed two months in the tropical paradise -- from Manila and Cebu City, to Boracay and El Nido.

 

Bali proved a photographic dream with its fabulous beaches, scenic rice terraces, and mesmerizing Balinese dance.

 

On a sidetrip to Papua New Guinea, I attended several "sing-sings" (village festivals) where I quickly photographed this fabulously decorated young man in face paint and another guy who was somewhat frightening. But the kids were cute and life as a fisherman looked pretty idyliic.

 

I then traveled back to Indonesia, and crossed Java by bus and train to Jakarta, where I found these old becaks and traditional Bugis sailing ships down at the harbor.

 

Then up through Sumatra and ferry across to Penang, then down to Singapore where I discovered this lovely young ballerina and her ballerina friend. A children's costume contest turned up this young man dressed as a Mandarin and his younger companion with beaded headdress.

 

Then it was a month in peninsular Malaysia, visiting Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, and Tioman Island and Kota Baru on the east coast.

 

Thailand is everybody's favorite country in Southeast Asia, thanks to its fabulous temples, lovely young ladies, and it superb beaches such as at Ko Phi Phi and, well, at Ko Phi Phi again. Monks, Buddhas, and bronze lions added to the exotic flair.

 

After traveling around Northeast and Southeast Asia for six months, it was time to head west to Burma (now called Myanmar) and the Indian subcontinent, with its fabulously surrealistic countries of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India. But I'll save that for another day...

 

My Travel Blog

Travel writers and others interested in the Travails of Travel Writers are invited to visit my other blog at TravelWriters

 

Photo Details

I've been running around Asia for two decades, carrying a horrendous amount of camera gear (Nikon and Olympus 35mm), and so have created several travel groups where you can view my photos and add some of your own. Please join in!

 

Flickr Travel Groups Administered by Carl:

 

Bali Images

 

Burma Images

 

Cambodia Images

 

Hong Kong Images

 

India Images

 

Indonesia Images

 

Japan Images

 

Laos Images

 

Malaysia Images

 

Nepal Images

 

New Guinea Images

 

Philippines Images

 

Southeast Asia Images

 

Thailand Images

 

Vietnam Images