Travel with me

Travel snapshots from Toonsarah

  • Home
  • Destinations
    • England
      • London
      • Newcastle-upon-Tyne
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Bulgaria
      • Estonia
      • France
        • Paris
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Jersey
      • Latvia
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Spain
        • Seville
      • Switzerland
      • Ukraine
    • Beyond
      • Africa
        • Botswana
        • Cape Verde
        • Gambia
        • Kenya
        • Morocco
        • Namibia
        • Senegal
        • Tanzania
        • Zimbabwe
      • Americas
        • Belize
        • Canada
        • Chile
          • Rapa Nui
        • Costa Rica
        • Ecuador
          • Galapagos Islands
        • Guatemala
        • Jamaica
        • USA
          • New Mexico
          • New York City
          • Washington State
      • Asia
        • DPRK
        • India
          • Kerala
          • Rajasthan
        • Indochina
          • Cambodia
          • Laos
          • Vietnam
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Oman
        • Syria
        • United Arab Emirates
        • Uzbekistan
  • Themes
    • Architecture
    • Art
      • Crafts
      • Street art
    • Colour
    • Dark tourism
    • Eco-tourism
    • Food & drink
    • Gardens
    • History
      • Ruins
      • War
    • Landscape
      • Coast & seascapes
      • Deserts
      • Mountains
      • Rivers
    • Nature and wildlife
      • Animals
      • Birds
      • Plants
        • Flowers
        • Trees, forests and woodland
    • People
      • Culture & tradition
      • Street photography
    • Travel in general
  • Photo galleries
    • Themed galleries
    • Travel galleries
  • Postcards from the road
  • Challenges
    • Photography challenges
      • Just One Person
      • Lens-Artists
      • Mid-week Monochrome
      • Monochrome Madness
      • One Word Sunday
      • Photographing Public Art
      • Pick a Word
      • Squares
      • Sunday Stills
      • The Changing Seasons
      • Words of Wisdom
      • Cee’s challenges
        • CBWC
        • CFFC
        • CMMC
    • General challenges
      • Monday walks
      • Writers’ Quotes Wednesday
    • Challenges archive
      • Bird Weekly
      • Friendly Friday
        • The Friendly Friday Challenge: how to join in
      • Friday’s Foods of the World
      • Life in Colour
      • One-to-Three
      • Ten photos
      • Thursday Doors
      • Thursday Trios
  • About me
    • Contact me
    • ‘Always Write’ interview
    • My love of travel
    • My photography
      • Photographic techniques
      • My photography journey
      • Video
    • Disclaimer & GDPR
  • Archive
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • England
      • London
      • Newcastle-upon-Tyne
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Bulgaria
      • Estonia
      • France
        • Paris
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Jersey
      • Latvia
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Spain
        • Seville
      • Switzerland
      • Ukraine
    • Beyond
      • Africa
        • Botswana
        • Cape Verde
        • Gambia
        • Kenya
        • Morocco
        • Namibia
        • Senegal
        • Tanzania
        • Zimbabwe
      • Americas
        • Belize
        • Canada
        • Chile
          • Rapa Nui
        • Costa Rica
        • Ecuador
          • Galapagos Islands
        • Guatemala
        • Jamaica
        • USA
          • New Mexico
          • New York City
          • Washington State
      • Asia
        • DPRK
        • India
          • Kerala
          • Rajasthan
        • Indochina
          • Cambodia
          • Laos
          • Vietnam
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Oman
        • Syria
        • United Arab Emirates
        • Uzbekistan
  • Themes
    • Architecture
    • Art
      • Crafts
      • Street art
    • Colour
    • Dark tourism
    • Eco-tourism
    • Food & drink
    • Gardens
    • History
      • Ruins
      • War
    • Landscape
      • Coast & seascapes
      • Deserts
      • Mountains
      • Rivers
    • Nature and wildlife
      • Animals
      • Birds
      • Plants
        • Flowers
        • Trees, forests and woodland
    • People
      • Culture & tradition
      • Street photography
    • Travel in general
  • Photo galleries
    • Themed galleries
    • Travel galleries
  • Postcards from the road
  • Challenges
    • Photography challenges
      • Just One Person
      • Lens-Artists
      • Mid-week Monochrome
      • Monochrome Madness
      • One Word Sunday
      • Photographing Public Art
      • Pick a Word
      • Squares
      • Sunday Stills
      • The Changing Seasons
      • Words of Wisdom
      • Cee’s challenges
        • CBWC
        • CFFC
        • CMMC
    • General challenges
      • Monday walks
      • Writers’ Quotes Wednesday
    • Challenges archive
      • Bird Weekly
      • Friendly Friday
        • The Friendly Friday Challenge: how to join in
      • Friday’s Foods of the World
      • Life in Colour
      • One-to-Three
      • Ten photos
      • Thursday Doors
      • Thursday Trios
  • About me
    • Contact me
    • ‘Always Write’ interview
    • My love of travel
    • My photography
      • Photographic techniques
      • My photography journey
      • Video
    • Disclaimer & GDPR
  • Archive

Follow me

Follow Travel with me on WordPress.com

Topics I’ve touched on

africa architecture art birds black_&_white bulgaria cambodia cffc chile churches cities colour costa_rica dprk ealing england flowers france friendlyfriday Friendly_Friday history india just_one_person_from_around_the_world landscape lens-artists Lens_Artists_Challenge london Monday_Walks mountains nepal new_mexico north_korea paris people photography photo_effects PPAC rivers ruins Street_Art Street_Photography Sunday_Stills usa village wildlife
  • Culture & tradition,  Laos,  Monday walks

    Island life in the Mekong

    September 26, 2022 / 33 Comments
    Blue sign welcoming to village

    On a small island in the Mekong River in southern Laos, Done Deng, lies the village of Ban Houa Done Deng. The name means 'village of the head of Done Deng' as it lies at the northern tip of the island. The villagers benefit from the financial support of the nearby hotel, La Folie, which has enabled a school to be built here.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Three women in red checked fabric wraps

    The Maasai people of the Ngorongoro Crater

    January 25, 2021
    White houses, blur minaret and dome, distant mountains

    A walk along the Corniche in Muttrah

    June 9, 2022
    Dark table with lots of small dishes

    Gallery: Dining in (Japanese) style ~ kaiseki

    March 6, 2021
  • Laos,  Monday walks,  Ruins

    Wat Phou: walking in the footsteps of the king

    May 23, 2022 / 31 Comments
    Avenue lined with small stone pillars and distant mountains

    Wat Phou is a pre-Angkorian Khmer Hindu temple at the foot of Mount Phou Khao. The Khmer chose this site because the unusual shape of the mountain peak seemed to them to resemble a Shiva linga. Today it was so hazy that the peak was hard to make out, but we had seen it yesterday in the late afternoon sunlight.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Blacksmith crouching

    A village blacksmith in the Lao highlands

    March 10, 2021
    River with small boats and rocky cliff

    A day on the Nam Ou

    July 3, 2021
    Blue sign welcoming to village

    Island life in the Mekong

    September 26, 2022
  • Cambodia,  Laos,  Photographing Public Art

    Gallery: motorbike ‘art’ in South East Asia

    December 27, 2021 / 18 Comments
    Pink bike helmet with Pinkie logo

    From time to time while travelling I find myself taking photos on a theme, even if I hadn’t intended to when I set out. In Cuenca and Tallinn it was doors; in New Mexico it was Harley Davidson motorbikes. And in Indochina it was not only the motorbikes but the bike helmets.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Stone ruin surrounded by trees

    Gallery: Ta Prohm, Angkor’s Royal Monastery

    October 7, 2021
    A man with a young girl on his shoulders

    Lunch with Mr Noon and his family

    January 13, 2023
    Close-up of fried tarantulas

    Gallery: fancy a snack in Spider Town?

    April 30, 2021
  • Culture & tradition,  Laos,  Life in Colour,  Sunday Stills,  Travel galleries

    Gallery: the monks of Luang Prabang (a life in orange)

    October 11, 2021 / 22 Comments
    Man in orange robes by worn plaster wall

    You only have to spend a few hours in Luang Prabang to see why this town regularly tops lists of travellers’ favourite places. Its laid-back vibe, its historic royal palace and perhaps most of all its beautiful Buddhist temples, over 30 in total. What struck me was the way that the monks and tourists co-exist, with full respect among (most of) the latter for the traditions of the former.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Man frying insects at a food stall

    Exploring the street food of Phnom Penh

    April 3, 2021
    Tiles painted with a bull's head

    Gallery: Majolica, the ceramic tiles of Seville

    November 27, 2021
    Distant mountains with colourful fabric in foreground

    Exploring the temple town of Manakamana

    December 6, 2022
  • Cambodia,  Friendly Friday,  Laos,  Travel galleries,  Vietnam

    Gallery: getting up close and personal

    September 24, 2021 / 31 Comments
    Hand holding knife and straw shavings

    Like many photographers, I shoot quite a lot of images of flowers and that’s the first thing I think of when asked to showcase macro photography (which technically-speaking I don’t do) or close-up photography (which I do a lot). After that, my next thought will be insects. And I already have a few posts here on those lines. So what to do when Amanda asks for close ups and macros for this week’s Friendly Friday Challenge? The following photos are all taken from my travel archives, specifically my early 2020…

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Pink bike helmet with Pinkie logo

    Gallery: motorbike ‘art’ in South East Asia

    December 27, 2021
    Ornamental gate

    The Killing Fields of Cambodia

    June 23, 2022
    Banner with photo of two women in yellow dresses

    Friendly Friday: meet some wedding guests in Cambodia

    October 8, 2021
  • Landscape,  Laos,  Lens-Artists

    A day on the Nam Ou

    July 3, 2021 / 26 Comments
    River with small boats and rocky cliff

    I like nothing more than a boat trip. Whether we are by the sea, a lake or a river; if there is an opportunity to get out on the water I will take it. And the smaller the boat, the better. I have little interest in large cruise ships, the so-called ‘floating hotels’. I want to feel the movement, maybe reach out and dip my hand in the water, or feel the spray on my face as we cut through the waves.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Rock arch with rock stack

    Gallery: earth’s story told in its rocks

    March 27, 2022
    Rain spattered window with blurred landscape

    Learning to dance in the rain: Iceland’s Golden Circle

    October 23, 2021
    Rock face with small caves and bushes

    In the footsteps of the Anasazi: Tsankawi

    May 3, 2022
  • Culture & tradition,  Just One Person,  Laos

    A village blacksmith in the Lao highlands

    March 10, 2021 / 26 Comments
    Blacksmith crouching

    The scent of wood smoke hangs in the air. Children play in the dusty soil. Small pigs, chickens and dogs wander at will between the wooden houses. And inside one a blacksmith is at work, shaping a machete over glowing coals. This is Phou Taen Khamu, home to some of the Khamu people, one of Laos’ minority ethnic tribes.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Large building with green oriental roof

    A look inside the Grand People’s Study House

    November 18, 2021
    Line of seated stone statues wearing red caps and bibs

    The Bake-Jizō of Kanmangafuchi Abyss

    February 16, 2021
    Two men in fancy dress

    Gallery: Comic and Games festival in Lucca

    November 8, 2020
  • Cambodia,  England,  Laos,  Lens-Artists,  Vietnam

    2020: my (pandemic) year in review

    January 3, 2021 / 46 Comments
    Red lantern, blue wall, green shutters

    The year that has just past will remain long in all our memories, no doubt, and not for the best of reasons. A year ago the new coronavirus was just seeping into our consciousnesses and we had no idea how it would turn our lives upside down. We certainly know that now!

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Man seated in front of poster of himself

    Meeting a survivor of S-21, Tuol Sleng

    February 24, 2021
    Header image with two small photos

    Friendly Friday Challenge: think about your viewpoint

    July 1, 2022
    White window shutter and green leaves

    Eating out with a conscience in Indochina

    April 17, 2021
  • Laos,  People,  Ten photos

    Around the world in ten photos: day four

    December 20, 2020 / 11 Comments
    Woman crouching by a river panning for gold

    A woman crouches beside the fast-flowing river, panning for gold. Hers is a simple life in a rural village, but success here could change it forever.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Avenue lined with small stone pillars and distant mountains

    Wat Phou: walking in the footsteps of the king

    May 23, 2022
    Red lantern, blue wall, green shutters

    2020: my (pandemic) year in review

    January 3, 2021
    Blue sign welcoming to village

    Island life in the Mekong

    September 26, 2022
  • Animals,  Eco-tourism,  Laos

    Elephant encounters on elephant terms

    September 13, 2020 / 20 Comments
    Two elephants among trees

    Mahn and Mohn are mother and daughter. They were separated after Mohn was born, and sold to two different riding camps. Two years ago they were reunited at MandaLao, where elephants rescued from tourist camps and logging find sanctuary.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Back of whale with mountainous coast behind

    Thar she blows – eventually!

    July 7, 2021
    Lioness followed by two cubs

    Gallery: when three is better than two

    January 21, 2022
    Elephant calf drinking

    Meet the orphaned elephants being rescued in Nairobi

    May 15, 2021

Follow me

Follow Travel with me on WordPress.com

Subscribe to blog via email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,278 other subscribers.

Read my featured blogger interview

Logo for blogging feature
By Marsha of 'Always Write'

And my answers to Bren’s ‘five at five’ questions

Lady in a hat and red top sitting on rocks

Some favourite photos

Man in a turban with fishing nets
Fisherman in Fort Kochi, Kerala
Two elephants in long grass
Okavango elephants
Blue glacier edge
Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile
Elderly woman in black hat and sunglasses
In Santiago, Chile
Very large statues of North Korean Leaders
Statues of the Great Leaders on Mansudae Hill, Pyongyang
Water reflecting the sky with clouds and low sun
Approaching sunset in the Okavango Delta
Feet of huge metal sculpture, with man standing beside
The feet of the Angel
Large moai with row of more behind
The ‘travelling moai’ and Ahu Tongariki
Man in knitted hat by water, black and white photo
Waiting for the ferry, Banjul
Mountain reflected in a lake
On the road to Dyrholaey
Sunset at Wahiba Sands, Oman
Squirrel with a conker in his mouth
In Walpole Park, Ealing
Silhouette of a man in a gateway
Looking out from Bundi Palace
Blue and pink bird on a dead tree
Lilac-breasted Roller, Chobe NP, Botswana
Buddhist monk in orange robes with mobile phone
Monk at Wat Nong Sikhounmuang, Luang Prabang
Man sleeping in a tuk tuk by a carved stone wall
Tuk tuk driver by the Terrace of the Leper King
Close up of flamingo with head tucked under
Flamingo (Jersey Zoo)
Lady with baskets of fruit sitting by a canal
In Hoi An, Vietnam
Small fishing boat with a man in it, on a large lake
Lake Atitlan
Wet street and two people with bright pink umbrella
Street in Lucca, rainy day – edited

Some topics I’ve touched on

africa architecture art birds black_&_white bulgaria cambodia cffc chile churches cities colour costa_rica dprk ealing england flowers france friendlyfriday Friendly_Friday history india just_one_person_from_around_the_world landscape lens-artists Lens_Artists_Challenge london Monday_Walks mountains nepal new_mexico north_korea paris people photography photo_effects PPAC rivers ruins Street_Art Street_Photography Sunday_Stills usa village wildlife

Archive

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020

You may have missed

  • Gallery: seeing Japan in black and white
  • Gallery: the sound of silence
  • Gallery: the doors of Nepal
  • A city stroll in London
  • Gallery: a pop of colour to brighten the darkness

Follow me

Follow Travel with me on WordPress.com
All images and texts copyright Sarah Wilkie - 2023 ©
 

Loading Comments...