DESTINATIONS | GRRRL TRAVELER

Budget Hotels: How far would I walk to find Mr. Right?

Filed under Cambodia, Phnom Penh by Christine Ka'aloa on May 6, 2012 at 5:28 pm {10 comments}

: Window shopping in Phnom Penh: How far would you go?

With budget hotels in Southeast Asia, you never know what to expect.

Sometimes, you stumble upon a princely palace that’s cute, charming and cheap, all in one.

Other times, a first impression doesn’t always do a place justice and you can’t always tell a bargain when you see it.

It’s like that first 15 seconds of surprise, when you meet a blind date in person and discover he’s mildly errr… ugly or just not your type. It kicks your *shock* notch up a little. But maybe after 15 minutes after the initial stun wears off, you warm to him; find he’s actually a nice guy. But do you dream about a second date? Not necessarily.

You still need perspective… to shop around a bit.

(more…)

Are you a street-smart traveler or just travel-jaded?

Filed under Cambodia, I Survived! by Christine Ka'aloa on April 30, 2012 at 6:04 am {26 comments}

: Streetwise or travel-jaded?

Street wise.

Been-there and done-that.

Old hat.

After traveling in Asia over the course of a year, there were two things I felt I had become proficient at: haggling and avoiding scams.

If I sensed a scam, my windows rolled up and my auto pilot kicked into a prickly cold shoulder with a ‘Don’t fuck with me‘ attitude. In a negotiating situation, I’d never trust the first price up front. Assuming the dealer was trying to score a few extra bucks, due to the “tourist” sign blazing on my head, I’d shoot for lower or walk away… and keep walking.

Did I forget how to have fun at these times? Maybe so. But as a solo female traveler looking out for my own back, I’d learned to cultivate street smarts.

Then again, maybe you’d call me …travel- jaded. (more…)

Cambodia: Which of these Fear Factor foods would you eat?

Filed under Cambodia, Fear Factor Foods by Christine Ka'aloa on April 12, 2012 at 4:34 am {28 comments}

: What’s Cambodia’s Fear Factor?

By the time I got to Cambodia, after having visiting much of Southeast Asia, I found there really wasn’t many Fear Factor Foods I haven’t seen.

’Same Same’… but not too different.

Still, it excites me to explore cultural differences, even if it makes me squirm a bit.

Here’s a few interesting foods as well as, a couple of players I haven’t yet seen…

(more…)

What are STD shops in India for?

Filed under Delhi, India by Christine Ka'aloa on April 1, 2012 at 4:05 pm {7 comments}

: STD Shops in India: It’s not a shop to contract sexually transmitted diseases

STDs.

You see them advertised everywhere in India. They’re posted on banners outside shops, lining highway roadsides, in towns and in busy cities.

To travelers, the abbreviations are misleading. They’re not what we know them as in the U.S.

(more…)

Mumbai’s Dhobi Ghats reveals India’s remarkable laundry men

Filed under India, Interesting People by Christine Ka'aloa on March 28, 2012 at 12:29 pm {9 comments}

Dhobi Ghats, Mumbai, India

Mumbai is an unrelenting and persevering city.

It drives hard to catch up to the city’s honking horns, foot traffic and bustle. However, as much as it powers through on old railway cars, this international city never seems to catch up to the modern age (read my post here). In many ways, I’m glad it hasn’t caught up. It preserves the kind of (more…)

Hello Kitty! What’s up with Korea’s cutesy cafes?

Filed under Cool/Veg Restaurants & Bars, Crazy Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on March 23, 2012 at 1:26 am {14 comments}

I have the honor to introduce my first guest post. Well, not really… When my mom was visiting me over the holidays, she vigilantly wrote a bunch of emails to my family back home. I’m posting a short excerpt of one of our cafe excursions. Enjoy!

Full Story »

Photo Essay: A Teddy Bear Museum on Jeju Island?

Filed under Jeju Island, Photo Essays by Christine Ka'aloa on March 19, 2012 at 2:45 am {20 comments}

At the Teddy Bear Museum on Jeju Island, the teddy bears do more than just sit in glass cases in wait of love. These teddies make art history, play out war enactments, they impersonate famous stars, such as Elvis and Marilyn, they depict Korean history and even act out scenes from popular movies, like Titanic.

Full Story »

Is Siloam Sauna the best jjimjilbang in Seoul?

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Accommodations by Christine Ka'aloa on March 12, 2012 at 7:04 am {18 comments}

So, I’ve promised some of you the inside tip on the best jjimjilbang in Seoul… After the disappointment of Seoul’s much hyped Dragon Hill Spa, I was reluctant to return for another night of overnight non-thrill on a hard wood floor. Fortunately, a friend offered me an alternative suggestion…

Full Story »

BB Cream: Korea’s Best Kept Secret to Gorgeous Skin!

Filed under Glam Around the World, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on February 22, 2012 at 4:24 pm {20 comments}

Why do Koreans get such luminous and flawless skin? For a country fixed on skin-deep aethestics, plastic surgeons, immaculate dress styles, pinpoint-fluffed hair and healthy diets, it stands to consistent logic that Koreans would know how to ‘create’ great looking skin.