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Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Zambia
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
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  • Activities
    • Camping
    • Cycling
    • Hiking
    • Kayaking
    • Motorcycling
    • Scuba Diving
    • Skiing
    • Yoga
  • Planning
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting
    • Gear and Packing
  • Travel Styles
    • Active and Healthy
    • Couples Travel
    • Educational and Experiential
    • Foodie Travel
    • Long-Term Travel
    • Nature and Outdoors
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Road Trips
  • Responsible Travel

Ski Trip Essentials: A Packing List for Your Next Powder Day

February 13, 2019 By Ryan Victor 2 Comments

Snowy mountains with empty ski runs cutting among pine trees.

If you’re new to skiing or snowboarding, all the gear that’s required can seem intimidating. Here’s exactly what you need for a day on the slopes – plus some tips for finding great gear on a budget.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Gear and Packing, Nature and Outdoors, Skiing Tagged With: activities, packing list, ski gear, Travel Styles

Seeing the Green in Singapore: Hiking the Southern Ridges Trail

August 30, 2018 By Ryan Victor 4 Comments

You might think of Singapore as just a sterile concrete jungle, but you’d be wrong! The city-state has a hidden side of parks, forests, and walking trails, and the Southern Ridges is probably the most iconic one.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Hiking, Nature and Outdoors, Singapore Tagged With: activities, Henderson Waves, Mount Faber Park, Southern Ridges trail, Travel Styles

Climbodia: A Rock Climbing Adventure in Cambodia

January 9, 2018 By Ryan Victor 8 Comments

Why just look up at Southeast Asia’s limestone mountains when you could climb them? Ryan went rock climbing in Cambodia (with a company called Climbodia, ha!) and tried everything from top roping to rappelling.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Asia, Cambodia, Nature and Outdoors Tagged With: activities, Climbodia, Kampot, 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

A Guide to Cambodia’s Burgeoning Craft Beer Scene

September 10, 2017 By Ryan Victor 23 Comments

When you think of travel in Cambodia, what comes to mind is probably Angkor Wat or maybe just the Southeast Asia backpacking trail - but probably not craft beer. As it turns out, there’s a lot more in Cambodia than just Angkor beer - the country has six breweries! If you visit Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, or Kampot, consider stopping at one for some interesting Cambodian beer and a unique experience.

You probably wouldn’t expect Cambodia to have any microbreweries – but it turns out there’s six! Ryan visited them all, and now he’s sharing the highlights (and lowlights) of each, including where to find the best IPA, take a date you want to impress, and have an interesting local experience.

Filed Under: Asia, Cambodia, Foodie Travel Tagged With: activities, craft beer, Kampot, phnom penh, siem reap, sihanoukville, Southeast Asia, Travel Styles

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

A Motorcycle Adventure to Cambodia’s Bokor Hill Station

July 7, 2017 By Ryan Victor 12 Comments

Cambodia is ripe with opportunities for adventure travel, and Kampot is no exception. Just 20 miles away is the Bokor Hill Station, a now-abandoned hill station developed by French colonists in the 1920s. Today, it’s a renowned spot for urban exploration, and it makes a great day trip from Kampot. There are plenty of organized tours to Bokor, but you can also rent a motorcycle in town and ride up independently for more adventure. Either way, you’ll enjoy the refreshing cooler temperatures and stunning views of southern Cambodia.

Bokor Hill Staton in Cambodia had been on my radar as a top urban exploration site for a while before we visited. It’s full of interesting abandoned old buildings, including what used to be a luxurious French hotel, and it makes a great motorcycle trip from Kampot.

Filed Under: Asia, Cambodia, Educational and Experiential, Motorcycling, Nature and Outdoors, Road Trips Tagged With: activities, Bokor Hill, Kampot, Travel Styles, urban exploration

Spend Summer Outside: The Best Hiking Near Boston

July 1, 2017 By Ryan Victor 4 Comments

To make the most of the Fourth of July in New England (or any summer weekend), head outside! Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont all have some great hikes for various levels. These five trails are some of the best hiking near Boston, including the Mt. Washington hike and other trails in the White Mountains.

The Boston Pops, a huge fireworks show, and all that history make Boston one of the best places to celebrate the Fourth of July. But to get the most out of the holiday weekend in New England, consider spending part of it outdoors. Here’s five of the area’s best hikes to get you started.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Hiking, Maine, Massachusetts, Nature and Outdoors, New Hampshire, North America, U.S., Vermont Tagged With: activities, Boston, Mt. Washington, New England, Travel Styles, White Mountains

In Honor of Canada Day: A Guide to Fundy National Park

June 29, 2017 By Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

Fundy National Park in New Brunswick makes a great road trip or long weekend getaway, especially if you live on the East Coast of the U.S. or Canada. This guide covers all the best hiking, camping, and other activities the park has to offer, including the unique Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy.

In honor of Canada Day 2017, we’re highlighting one of Canada’s smallest and least-visited national parks. Fundy offers great hiking, stunning campsites, and unique landscapes, all without the crowds. Plus, it’s super accessible from the East Coast.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Camping, Canada, Hiking, Nature and Outdoors, North America, Off the Beaten Path Tagged With: activities, Fundy National Park, national parks, Travel Styles

3 Days in Bozeman, Montana: An Itinerary for Outdoors Lovers

April 15, 2017 By Ryan Victor 8 Comments

Bozeman, Montana, is a haven for outdoors activities, from skiing and snowshoeing to hiking and kayaking. If you love the outdoors - and want your adventures complemented by good restaurants, strong coffee, and local beer - use our 3-day itinerary when you travel to Bozeman.

Bozeman has long been one of our favorite towns, not least because of its restaurant scene and abundance of outdoor activities year round. If you have a free weekend, use this itinerary to discover the best it has to offer.

Filed Under: Montana, Nature and Outdoors, North America, U.S. Tagged With: activities, Bozeman, bridger bowl, hyalite canyon, skiing, snowshoeing, Travel Styles, vegetarian

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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 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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