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Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

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  • Responsible Travel

7 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Bangkok for the Curious Traveler

January 13, 2021 By Ryan Victor 6 Comments

Corrugated metal fence with yellow cat mural painted on it.

Looking for something a little different in Bangkok? From abandoned department stores to quirky museums, this list has got you covered.

Filed Under: Asia, Off the Beaten Path, Thailand Tagged With: Bangkok

How Housesitting Is Helping Us See the World

November 15, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 24 Comments

Free accommodations in a nice house and cool pets to play with while you travel? Yes, please! Housesitting has been a big part of our journey in Southeast Asia, and become much more than a way to save money.

Filed Under: Accommodations, Long-Term Travel, Thailand Tagged With: digital nomad, housesitting, petsitting, Travel Styles, TrustedHousesitters

Why We Didn’t Love Ao Nang + Its Redeeming Qualities

November 3, 2017 By Ryan Victor 12 Comments

After a change of plans, we ended up visiting Ao Nang in the popular province of Krabi. It was…not our favorite place in Thailand. But we did find some things to appreciate there, so here’s the good and the bad.

Filed Under: Asia, Thailand Tagged With: Ao Nang, hang nak, krabi

Taking a City Break: The Best Parks in Bangkok

October 23, 2017 By Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

The capital of Thailand is a sprawling urban metropolis, so it might surprise you that this city has many wonderful green spaces - and they’re some of the most underrated Bangkok attractions. The best parks in Bangkok are great places to relax and feel like you’ve escaped the city for an afternoon, so put Lumpini Park, Chatuchak Park, or another green space on your travel itinerary. Bonus: some of these parks make great things to do in Bangkok for kids.

Bangkok may be a massive urban center, but it turns out this city has a number of beautiful green spaces. Plus, a day out in a park makes a great respite from all the chaos.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Thailand Tagged With: Bangkok, Chatuchak, Lumphini, parks, Travel Styles

Exploring the Quiet Thai Island of Koh Kood

October 14, 2017 By Jen Ambrose Leave a Comment

Koh Kood is one of the most accessible islands near Bangkok, but it's still a relatively undeveloped travel destination. But with beautiful beaches, stunning vistas, and few crowds, it's the perfect place to relax and get off the beaten path. If you want to visit one of the quiet islands in Thailand, Koh Kood is the place to go.

We visited Koh Kood hoping for a quiet, laid-back Thai island without too many crowds. It delivered just that.

Filed Under: Asia, Off the Beaten Path, Thailand Tagged With: Koh Kood, Travel Styles

A Koh Chang Travel Guide for Getting Off the Beaten Path

September 26, 2017 By Ryan Victor 6 Comments

Koh Chang, Thailand, is the perfect island to get a bit off the beaten path. While Lonely Beach is a popular backpacking destination, the southern beaches of Bangbao and Klong Kloi are more secluded. Diving and snorkeling, as well as hiking, are the top things to do in Koh Chang. This complete travel guide has everything you need to know about Koh Chang, including what to do, where to stay, and how to visit the other islands of eastern Thailand.

Want to visit a not-too-touristy beach in Thailand? Head to the southern tip of Koh Chang. Here’s everything you need to know about traveling to the island.

Filed Under: Asia, Off the Beaten Path, Thailand Tagged With: Koh Chang, Travel Styles

Reflections on a Yoga Retreat in Thailand

September 18, 2017 By Jen Ambrose 20 Comments

The Whole & Happy Yoga Retreat in Thailand was an amazing week of self-exploration, adventure, and relaxation all in one. Attending a yoga and meditation retreat while you travel is a truly unique experience, and you can find affordable yoga retreats all over Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia.

If you’re an avid yogi, or even just a curious beginner, maybe you’ve thought about doing a yoga retreat. Jen’s reliving her time at the Whole & Happy Retreat in southeastern Thailand, a magical week full of yoga classes, relaxation, introspection, and wonderful community.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Thailand, Yoga Tagged With: activities, chanthaburi, meditation, Travel Styles, yoga retreat

Getting Back Underwater: Scuba Diving in Koh Chang, Thailand

August 8, 2017 By Ryan Victor 6 Comments

Koh Chang may not be the top spot for diving in Thailand, but this huge island has a lot to offer. After visiting Koh Tao to do a PADI open water diving certification five years ago, Koh Chang was a great place to get back into scuba. It’s known for wreck diving, but the waters are also full of tropical fish and colorful coral accessible to divers of all levels.

When we arrived in Thailand, it’d been five years since the first (and only) time I went scuba diving. The island of Koh Chang turned out to be the perfect place to get back underwater and kick off our life of travel.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Scuba Diving, Thailand Tagged With: activities, Koh Chang, PADI, snorkeling, Travel Styles

Looking Back on Three Months of Travel in Southeast Asia

June 26, 2017 By Jen Ambrose 14 Comments

You could spend years traveling around Southeast Asia, but this post covers slow travel as digital nomads over three months. We’ve traveled to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, including Bangkok, Krabi, Kampot, and Georgetown, Penang. Some highlights so far? Scuba diving, housesitting, a yoga retreat, and lots of delicious food!

After our first three months of traveling in Southeast Asia and working from the road, we’re looking back on our experiences so far. Our travels have taken us to Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, with highlights like housesitting, a yoga retreat, and a little-visited Thai island.

Filed Under: Asia, Cambodia, Long-Term Travel, Malaysia, Reflections, Thailand Tagged With: Ao Nang, Bangkok, housesitting, Kampot, Koh Kood, Koh Lanta, Penang, Southeast Asia, Travel Styles

Close-up of a white man and woman both wearing black with trees in the background, and an overlaying green banner that says "Welcome!"

Hi! We’re Jen and Ryan, an American couple on a journey to travel the world while working from the road. We’re passionate about outdoor adventure, responsible travel, and getting off the beaten path. Passions and Places is a space for us to share our stories and tips with you, but most importantly, we hope to inspire you to seek your own adventure.

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