Destination: the World’s Only Coon Dog Cemetery (Alabama)

by Chris | Mar 6, 2017 | Offbeat, Unique, United States | 1 comment

It’s a resting place for a very specific type of dog — and there’s a lot more going on than you might think. For my non-American readers (or you city slicker types): Coon dogs are a specific breed of hound dogs regarded for their prowess at hunting...

The Florida ‘stop-bys’ round two – 9 MORE places worth a few minutes apiece

by Chris | Mar 2, 2017 | Offbeat, United States |

One set of weird places deserves another. Florida has no shortage of ‘stop-bys’ — those places worth a few minutes of your time as you’re heading somewhere else. Presenting nine more interesting places across the state of Florida worth stopping by as...

One of America’s oldest buildings comes from Medieval times – see the Cloisters of the Ancient Spanish Monastery

by Chris | Jan 23, 2017 | Offbeat, Unique, United States |

Yes, the United States has centuries of history. It’s still a baby compared to some countries, but it does have some history that goes way back. Centuries before Ponce de Leon and the mythical fountain of youth, construction began on these cloisters in...

Hide the kids and get ready to blush – Destination: World Erotic Art Museum (NSFW)

by Chris | Jan 18, 2017 | Offbeat, Sex museums, Unique, United States | 2 comments

It’s not every day you explore one of the world’s largest collections of erotica. And no, I’m not talking about the internet. NSFW, obviously. Founded in 2005 by a self-described “middle-aged Jewish grandmother”, the World Erotic Art...

Destination: The Otavalo Animal and Craft Markets (Otavalo, Ecuador)

by Chris | Feb 16, 2016 | Bizarre, Ecuador, Offbeat, Places, South America |

It’s not every day you follow a cow to the market. Held only once a week on early Saturday mornings, Otavalo’s Animal Market is not what you would describe as the easiest thing to see for yourself. If you are sensitive to the treatment of animals, this...

Destination: the OTHER Roman coliseum and a secret surprise (El Jem, Tunisia)

by Chris | Nov 4, 2015 | Offbeat, Places, Tunisia, Weird | 1 comment

It’s not every day you have a place to yourself as a tourist. Despite being easy to reach and a wonderful example of Roman architecture, this 3rd century UNESCO World Heritage doesn’t get nearly the sort of coverage it deserves. We saw no more than 10...

Destination: an afternoon in old town Phuket

by Chris | Apr 17, 2015 | Offbeat, Places, Southern Thailand |

Wrapping up a trip to Phuket can mean one of two things: go out with a blast along the island’s many beaches, or take it down a notch and take in some of the lesser-seen sights. I love the beaches, but a walk around Phuket’s Old Town was in the cards. To...

Nang Talung Museum: Thai shadowplay made awesome

by Chris | Mar 4, 2015 | Offbeat, Places, Southern Thailand, Weird |

Shadow play and shadow puppets used to be the way to tell a story. With all the technological advances made in recent times, it can be interesting to see how stories were told long ago. Founded in 1987, the home of National Artist Suchart Subsin is now a small museum...

Destination: Chalong Bay Rum Distillery

by Chris | Feb 25, 2015 | Offbeat, Places, Southern Thailand, Weird |

Every so often, a place takes me by surprise in an amazing way. Ko Samui makes rum. Chiang Mai makes vodka. Here in Phuket, the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery is a surprisingly offbeat look at how to make some proper rum. Using local sugar cane (Thailand is the fourth...

The tale of Singapore’s two toy museums – one big, one small, both worthwhile

by Chris | Jan 12, 2015 | Offbeat, Places, Singapore, Weird | 1 comment

See the toys your parents and grandparents might have played with. Yeah, I’m a big fan of toy museums. Been to two in Thailand (see the Million Toy Museum in Ayutthaya, the Batcat Museum in Bangkok, and there were quite a few in the House of Museums) –...