Showing 1 - 10 of 20
Southeast Asia's birding bubble
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 08/10/2020
» Normally at this time of year, Puwish Lenvaree would station himself in the forests of West Papua, an Indonesian province on New Guinea Island. Over the past three years, he routinely spent much of the latter half of each year on New Guinea and nearby islands such as Waigeo and Halmahera mainly because it's the mating season for birds-of-paradise, which occurs only in that part of the world.
Not quite a staycation
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 27/08/2020
» Dying to get back to nature but national parks are so far away? Longing for an outdoor experience but you don't think you have enough time?
Skipping ahead
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 23/04/2020
» Earlier this month when I launched this bi-weekly Travel Diary series, I had a gut feeling that this coronavirus pandemic could drag on a lot longer than many people had thought. Maybe it could even take a whole year. However, feedback revealed that readers were more optimistic and believe it won’t be that long. Some even suggested that it would benefit them more if — instead of featuring destinations suitable for the season that matches the current time of year, but may not be useful if the travel ban is still in place — I should just skip a couple of months ahead.
Thailand's abundance
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 09/04/2020
» April is usually the height of the hot season. The sea, both in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman, is at its best. The forest, meanwhile, may seem lifeless, yet actually there are a lot of interesting things going on in the ecosystem. Most waterfalls, for example, may not be boasting powerful cascades, but the calm, clear water reveals a fascinating array of fish and other aquatic lifeforms that thrive. And guess what: even during this dry period of the year, there are falls in some protected forests where the water continues to flow down rigorously, regardless of what month is shown on the calendar. Too bad I don't have their photographs in digital form and no time to dig through the piles of slides.
Bees can help solve a jumbo problem
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 08/01/2020
» Conflicts between wild elephants and farmers living near forests can be severe in certain parts of Thailand. The problem happens when the pachyderms venture outside of their natural habitat to forage. That often results in villagers losing a year’s crops, elephants getting killed or both. But a non-violent solution is now a possibility, and the public can help make it happen.
Back to the basics
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 02/01/2020
» On the breezy top of the limestone cliff on the east side of Doi Pha Phueng, 1,600m above sea level, I zipped up my jacket and let the sights and sounds of the natural surroundings soak in. Before me was a sea of forest-clad mountains, bathed in the warm rays of the morning Sun. The air was filled with blissful silence, with faint songs from invisible birds occasionally seeping in from the canopy below.
Do the right thing
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 19/12/2019
» There are only a few places where you can easily catch sight of one of Thailand's most majestic mammals, the gaur. Khao Phaeng Ma of Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Khieo district is one such place.
Flowered up in Pha Taem
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 21/11/2019
» Pha Taem is Ubon Ratchathani's most famous national park. However, not as much known is the fact that the best time to visit this natural wonderland of the northeastern province is now.
Bensley Collection - Shinta Mani Wild
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 14/11/2019
» Lauded by Time magazine as one of the World's Greatest Places for 2019, this high-end property in the Cambodian wilderness, 112km northeast of Sihanoukville Airport, is another masterpiece by internationally renowned resort designer Bill Bensley, who is also its co-owner.
National parks are for everyone
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 13/11/2019
» The year-end long holidays are just a couple of weeks away. Surely, when the much-awaited period arrives, tens of thousands of vacationers will be headed to many of the more than 150 national parks across the Kingdom.