Christine Ka’aloa | GRRRL TRAVELER

About GRRRL TRAVELER

Christine is a Camera Operator & Producer for reality TV in North America. She enjoys photography, writing, creating art and traveling off-the-beaten path to remote countries and lifestyles she never thought she'd explore.
Website: http://www.grrrltraveler.com
GRRRL TRAVELER has written 359 articles so far, you can find them below.

Packing Tips: Should you pack a travel towel?

Filed under Packing Tips by Christine Ka'aloa on November 18, 2011 at 12:33 pm {14 comments}

: Eagle Creek Travel Towels

So you’re on the road and your luggage is loaded with spanking new travel gear. Now is the time to see if what you bought really works! Will you revise your load if it doesn’t work the way you imagined?

One of the items I least care to pack is a towel.

If I were only staying only at hotels, this may not be a concern. But if I’m backpacking (which I am) and budget abodes are my game (which they are), then a towel is a necessity. Or is it?

Should you get a travel towel or not?

I’m always trying to lighten my load and create more space in my backpack. As I’m my sherpa, schlepping my house by foot over country borders, all that “junk“ I’ve packed begins to weigh on my mind, …heavily. Perhaps it’s all psychological, but it’s my least favorite part of traveling. I begin to think of ways to (more…)

Long-term solo travel and three mistakes I wish I avoided

Filed under Features Slide, Interviews by Christine Ka'aloa on November 16, 2011 at 1:40 am {23 comments}

Long-term solo travel. I wouldn’t call it easy. Being homeless and living on the road is hard work!

By my sixth month, my travel enthusiasm began fluctuating. I was still thrilled by the unending travel adventure I was living; but also, starting to feel run down from shouldering the constant responsibility of it. Being it was my first attempt at such a feat however, I didn’t expect things to be 100% smooth sailing. I knew I would hit rough spots and battle demons. But had I planned better, I’ve no doubt my ride would’ve been smoother.

Here are three mistakes I wish I avoided…

(more…)

Atrocities of Tourism: 6 annoying habits of tourists

Filed under Features Slide, Interesting People by Christine Ka'aloa on November 9, 2011 at 6:04 am {23 comments}

: Crowded sunrise at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

No matter how much you’d like to selfishly keep good places from changing, development in the name of progress is inevitable. With growth and the popularizing of travel comes the stampede of crowded tourist buses, over-worn backpacker routes, souvenir shops clamoring for the sell and then comes the irritating habits of tourists…

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Photo Essay: Is Laos still a virginal beauty?

Filed under Laos, Photo Essays by Christine Ka'aloa on November 3, 2011 at 2:57 am {4 comments}

top photography Laos

At first, visiting the tourist cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, my spirits were a little low. Vientiane was a bland-spirited, straight-faced urban player with few bones of humor to pick; and though, Luang Prabang was inviting as a foreigner-friendly, party-throwing mecca, convivial to tourists, its only dwellers seemed to be travelers, monks and those who work in tourism. Where was the virgin Laos I’d heard about from others?

Hitting the Laotian countryside, the facades of French colonial architecture melted away. Concrete turned to wood and earth, revealing a Laotian maiden. Small communities of bamboo hut villages, wrapped in the karst landscape that’s fed by the Mekong snake. Rice paddy fields stretch over the land like canvas and locals enjoy the simple unfettered existence of ‘village life’.

Outside of the cities, rural Laos is ‘purely’ refreshing... (more…)

Top 5 things to do in Luang Prabang

Filed under Laos, Laos tips & stays by Christine Ka'aloa on October 31, 2011 at 10:58 pm {7 comments}

: Luang Prabang’s main street

At the heart of Northern Laos rests Luang Prabang. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the small city blends old European colonial architecture with a Lao urban structure and has a bit of everything. From river beach to tourist bars and riverside restaurants, roadside baguette stands and Buddhist temples, the diverse jewel of a city can easily be explored on foot or bicycle. So with all there is to see, what should you actually do?

Here’s 5 things to top your itinerary:

1) The view from the top of Mount Phou Si

Sometimes, I’m all for sentimental travel cliches. Watching sunsets and city views from mountain peaks are quickly becoming one of them! As the highest hill point in Luang Prabang, Mount Phou Si beckons travelers with an alluring and romantic view of the city. It’s a casual 8-10 minute stroll up (more…)

Written by Christine Ka'aloa Laos

Photo Essay: Vientiane after Dark

Photos of Vientiane at night

October 30, 2011 0

Written by Christine Ka'aloa Hawaii

REVIEW: Where to get your screams in Hawaii this Halloween

It’s fright week weekend and I’m in Hawaii to relive my nightmare with Boo! This year, the Halloween buzz is highlights two premiere places where the best scare is predicted to be. I’m going to let you in on a little secret; I’ve already had a head jump on both of them!

October 28, 2011 0

Written by Christine Ka'aloa Accommodations

White Sheets Review: A most unique stay at Beung Pai Fish Farm, Thailand

“Catch-and-release” fish resort? What’s that?

This as the first time I was hearing the term. Graham, a 40-ish expat from the U.K., sitting next to me on the bus, was eager to divulge his secret hideaway, the Beung Pai Fish Farm…

October 27, 2011 2