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 383 articles so far, you can find them below.

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 {27 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…

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Atrocities of Tourism: 6 annoying habits of tourists

Filed under Interesting People, Volunteering & Social Impact by Christine Ka'aloa on November 9, 2011 at 6:04 am {24 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 {8 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…)

Photo Essay: Vientiane after Dark

Filed under Laos, Photo Essays by Christine Ka'aloa on October 30, 2011 at 10:45 pm {no comments}

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REVIEW: Where to get your screams in Hawaii this Halloween

Filed under Hawaii, Tours and Events by Christine Ka'aloa on October 28, 2011 at 8:47 pm {no comments}

haunted lagoon hawaii halloween

It’s fright week weekend and I’m in Hawaii to relive my nightmare with Boo! This year’s Halloween buzz highlights two première fright night events, where you’ll get the biggest scream. Who will the Hawaiian masters of terror be? My Grrrl Traveler Scream Award goes to the Haunted Lagoon and Hawaii’s Haunted Plantation. I’m going to let you in on a little secret; I’ve already had a head jump on both!
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Haunted Lagoon

The Lady of Laie is back and she’s still haunting the Polynesian Cultural Center‘s lagoon!

Haunted Lagoon is one of the biggest productions I’ve seen next to a theme park. Pirates, ghouls, killer clowns, headless ghosts, screamer zombies, (more…)

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

Filed under Accommodations, Chiang Mai by Christine Ka'aloa on October 27, 2011 at 8:10 pm {2 comments}

thai fishing hat

A” catch-and-release” fish resort?

This was the first time I heard this term.

I was on a minivan bus, thrilled by my last-minute decision to whisk away for a two-day weekend to a place, I’d known only from a paragraph in a guidebook. It was like a blind date. I didn’t know what to expect and I was nervous; I hadn’t a clue where I’d be staying!

Pai, the Thai-hippie backpacker town, just three to five hours north of Chiang Mai and 362 road curves to survive, was my mysterious destiny. Little did I know then, that Beung Pai Fish Farm would be the destination that sold me on the entire place!

“It’s not in the guidebooks and there’s so many resort and guesthouses in Pai. It’s spread mostly by word-of-mouth. It’s a little outside of the main antics of the town- in the middle of some rice fields- but trust me, staying there is worth it!”

Graham, a 40-ish expat from the U.K., sitting next to me, eagerly divulged his secret hideaway. My curiosity was hooked. I held onto it like a college kid waiting for SMS text directions to a secret rave.

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The 8 Best iPhone Apps for Travelers

Filed under Freebies & Apps, Reviews by Christine Ka'aloa on October 24, 2011 at 1:16 am {12 comments}

From travel maps to GPS gadgets, travel guides and conversion tools, these days, my love for travel has me downloading nifty programs which will turn my iPod Touch (read my post here) into a Swiss Army utility. I spend hours going through them, uploading and deleting, with the ultimate test– to travel with them. On my latest bout of long-term travel, here are 8 travel-worthy iPhone travel apps I found successful, downright useful and which won’t waste your time!

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How to get around in Laos

Filed under Laos, Where can I get a ride? by Christine Ka'aloa on October 21, 2011 at 10:32 pm {12 comments}

: Laotian Ferry boats

When I took the overnight train into Laos, that was the start of my adventure with Laos transportation. Getting around in Laos isn’t hard but it can be an interesting adventure. Check your expectations at the door and go along with the fun.

Basics to know about getting around Laos: