High Five
It's not a travel story per se, but I wanted to share with you what have been the most popular travel stories on Tales of the Orient since I started back in June 2020
This remains one of my all-time favorite interviews, and in some ways it must have been fate. I came across Roland’s photo book in a local bookstore and was just fascinated by this one image of a young soldier running with a gun in one hand and a guitar in the other, the Khmer Rouge just a short way behind him.
Before Cambodia was forced to close its borders due to Covid, this elephant sanctuary outside of Siem Reap was a tourism success story. A French family, who had run rides outside the temples of Angkor for years, had relieved them of their burden and instead given them a quiet place where they could roam free.
I believe this was actually the first story I wrote, so in many ways San Kimhong gave birth to my blog. The tale of a man who missed the music of his youth so much he now dedicates his life to restoring old boomboxes and turntables, it’s an inspirational read, and reminds me I need to go and visit him again soon.
Ah, this was a fun interview. So Tim and I once worked together in Phuket, where I ran the paper and he headed up the TV station. It was a new but potent media business, housed in a small shophouse but making big news outside the island. Tim has since gone onto bigger and better things with the Thaiger.
I find it interesting that of this three-part story, the third has been the most popular - I guess people really do like a good ending? Jokes aside, I really enjoyed this trip to Battambang, Cambodia’s second but little-known about city. Now that borders are reopening, perhaps you’ll be able to visit too?
You can view the full list of most popular stories here. What have been your favorite stories over the last few years? I’d love to know, so please leave a comment below.