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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 2 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, featured

5 Offbeat Road Trip Stops: Unique Places to Visit in Arizona

December 15, 2020 By Jen Ambrose 14 Comments

Desert landscape of shrubs and red rocks with a blue sky.

Take it from us – there’s so much more to Arizona than the Grand Canyon. For an off-the-beaten-path experience, put some of these stops on your itinerary!

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: bisbee, featured, Jerome, Kingman, Petrified Forest National Park, Saguaro National Park

Bisbee, Arizona: The Funkiest Town You’ve Never Heard Of

January 3, 2020 By Ryan Victor 72 Comments

White brick exterior wall with tan mural reading “Historic Bisbee Est. 1880. Shoppes, Restaurants, Galleries, Museums, Lodging, RV Park, Queen Mine Underground Tour.”

Love funky artistic communities, laid-back hippie vibes, and lots of interesting history? Believe us when we say – Bisbee, AZ, is the town for you!

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: abandoned places, bisbee, destinations, erie street, featured, ghost towns, lowell, tombstone, Travel Styles, Tucson

Aboard the Dragon Legend: An Unforgettable Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise

November 18, 2019 By Jen Ambrose 2 Comments

Boats rowing toward small overwater buildings, in front of tree-covered karst mountains and a gray sky.

The Dragon Legend cruise was hands-down one of our coolest travel experiences ever. It was a taste of luxury, a chance to unplug, and a sustainable way to see Vietnam’s most iconic scenery.

Filed Under: Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Off the Beaten Path, Responsible Travel, Vietnam Tagged With: Bai Tu Long Bay, cruise, destinations, featured, Halong Bay, Travel Styles

Why Bai Tu Long Bay Is a More Sustainable Halong Bay Alternative

November 4, 2019 By Jen Ambrose 14 Comments

Cruising through Halong Bay is a major bucket list item in Vietnam – but it’s as crowded and polluted as it is beautiful. So we were thrilled to discover its more sustainable neighbor, Bai Tu Long Bay.

Filed Under: Asia, Nature and Outdoors, Off the Beaten Path, Responsible Travel, Vietnam Tagged With: Bai Tu Long Bay, destinations, featured, Halong Bay, sustainability, Travel Styles

Exploring the Best and Quirkiest Attractions in Jerome, AZ

July 19, 2019 By Ryan Victor 4 Comments

If you like offbeat towns, you’ll love Jerome, AZ. It’s home to a Claymation-esque museum and a massive stockpile of rusted out cars, among other unusual things – oh, and the town is purported to be haunted. It’s a quintessential road trip stop and an easy day trip from Phoenix, too.

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips Tagged With: abandoned places, destinations, featured, ghost towns, Jerome, Phoenix, Travel Styles

Anaconda, MT: An Offbeat Stop on a Montana Road Trip

April 11, 2019 By Ryan Victor 8 Comments

An outdoor mural of buildings and the text “Historic Anaconda. Where Main Street Meets the Mountains.”

When we planned a road trip starting in Montana, we knew the little town of Anaconda would be one of our first stops. With some offbeat attractions and almost no other visitors, it was exactly the type of place we wanted to explore.

Filed Under: Montana, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips Tagged With: abandoned places, Anaconda, destinations, featured, ghost towns, Granite Ghost Town, Lost Creek State Park, Philipsburg, Travel Styles

Beyond Beerlao: Sampling Craft Beer in Laos

November 12, 2018 By Ryan Victor 2 Comments

We enjoy exploring the local beer scene wherever we travel, and we especially love finding microbreweries in unlikely places – like Laos. Ryan’s sampled just about all the beers available in Laos, and now he’s sharing where to find the best brews (and which ones to avoid).

Filed Under: Asia, Foodie Travel, Laos, Off the Beaten Path Tagged With: Beerlao, breweries, craft beer, destinations, featured, Travel Styles, Vientiane

Exploring Buddhist Hell at Singapore’s Haw Par Villa

May 29, 2018 By Ryan Victor 12 Comments

Singapore is thought of as sterile and commercial, but it’s got pockets of quirk – and perhaps nothing quirkier than Haw Par Villa. This main event at this free museum/theme park is a massive exhibit on the Buddhist concept of hell, and let’s just say, there’s no inner peace or jolly Buddha here.

Filed Under: Asia, Educational and Experiential, Off the Beaten Path, Singapore Tagged With: Buddhism, destinations, featured, Haw Par Villa, Ten Courts of Hell, 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: destinations, featured, Koh Kood, Travel Styles

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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 outdoors adventure, ethical travel, and healthy living. 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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