Cambodia sits on the eastern shores of the Gulf of Thailand, squished between southern Vietnam and the south-central border of Thailand. For many people, Cambodia is nothing more than a quick pit-stop between the two countries, summed up by the day-time adventures through the ancient temple complex of Angkor in sweltering heat and the night-time dance clubs of Pub Street in Siam Reap. Although close to two million visitors flood the temples ...

India: Sprawling metropolises, streets jammed with people, and vast slums are usually some of the first images that come to mind. With a population of over 1 billion, India is not known to be a place of isolation. In the lowlands, it is nearly impossible to get away from the crowds and even the smallest towns have a high population density. But as you venture north of Delhi, up into the foothills of the Himalayas, you’ll find yourself in a very d...

India is a country that is hard to conceptualize. The diversity of religions, cultures, languages, and traditions is mind-boggling, yet they all coexist (not always peacefully) throughout the country. It is a place rich in mythology, spirituality, and color, which all combine to make one aspect of Indian life thrive: festivals.  There are many festivals throughout the year, each celebrated differently from place to place, but always wit...

The backpacker routes of South-East Asia tend to wind through the three major countries of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but right there in the middle is the underrated paradise of Laos. Without a border on the ocean, less traffic makes their way through the mountainous country (no islands? What?), and a significantly lower population than its neighbors (just under 7 million) means there aren’t very many cities or large towns. The laid-back me...

St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia next to Moscow, and it is located in the Northwestern corner of the country on the Baltic Sea. It was founded in 1703, but changed names multiple times in the 20th century before settling back in with its current name in 1991. Although St. Petersburg suffered after the World Wars and had a rocky climb back to economic and social stability, the city is now prospering due to its location on the Ba...

The internet is overflowing with articles about Thailand, one of the hottest destinations in the world for traveling, working, and teaching English abroad. Millions of foreigners flock to the country every year for the infamous beach parties, tropical island get-a-ways, elephant rides, and Bangkok nightlife. Just last year, Bangkok was rated the most visited city, and over 26.5 million people visited the country overall. For anyone looking t...

The majority of students looking to study abroad turn their sights to the well-known countries of Europe for their experience. Great Britain, Italy, France, and Spain each hold a spot in the top five countries with the most foreign students. It’s easy to imagine why so many people flock to these countries, but there are opportunities all over the world with fantastic schools and programs waiting to be taken advantage of.  Costa Rica, wi...

The infamous Hana Highway is a 68-mile stretch of road winding through the jungle from Kahului to the tiny town of Hana in Maui, Hawaii. Every day, hundreds of rental cars brave the hairpin bends and one-lane bridges to reach the isolated town nestled at the bottom of Haleakala, the inactive volcano that takes up the majority of the eastern side of the island. The drive there and back will take about four hours, so most people leave the reso...

Volunteering abroad can be a daunting and problematic goal to pursue. Saving up, acquiring visas, working out a place to live, and adjusting to a foreign culture are only some of the difficulties, not to mention finding the right place to give your time. WWOOFing takes care of so many of these problems, and it is one of the easier volunteering gigs to acquire thanks to the website and the other members that have contributed their input. The inter...

There’s a huge array of mistakes one can make when traveling, studying, working or volunteering abroad, and many regrets can bubble up after returning home and looking back on your experiences. The majority of them are almost irrelevant, or not worth the worry. The epic failures become great stories, and the real, detrimental mess-ups are lessons for the future. One magical aspect of getting out into the world is that you’re sometimes required to...