Intentional Detours

A few more deets about what shocked me from each country 👇🌏⁣
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1. Afghanistan - just how incredible the hospitality was, oh and the SMOOTHIES. ⁣
Quite literally the best in the world!⁣
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2. Laos - That it has an entire archipelago of river islands where you can experience the beach even though it’s landlocked!⁣
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3. Oman: How the heck it’s not on more people’s radars!⁣
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4. Indonesia - how HUGE and hot it is. Maps do not do this place justice! And yes it is HOT 🥵 you will always want A/C… except in Tomohon 😂⁣
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5. Myanmar - how utterly INCREDIBLE the food is. For me, it’s the best and most underrated in Southeast Asia.⁣
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6. Cambodia - You will never want to order crab again! Also Koh Rong was STUNNING it heavily exceeded my expectations ⁣
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7. Tajikistan: How average the Pamir Highway was compared to the incredible Wakhan and Zorkul roads 😍⁣
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8. Uzbekistan: There are so many stunning rural sides to it that most people stay skipping⁣
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9. Malaysia - how multicultural it felt, I loved being able to try so many different foods in KL I’d never seen before 😍⁣
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10. Thailand - How easy it is to get off the beaten path even with 40+ million tourists since everyone goes to the same 5 places 😛⁣
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11. Singapore - how clean it was! I was pretty bored here but can definitely say it’s the cleanest city I’ve ever seen.⁣
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12. Nepal: How December is actually the best time to trek despite everything saying go in October or March⁣
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13. Pakistan: Unmatched hospitality everywhere you go, these folks saved me when I overheated on a trek! ⁣
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14. Bahrain: It was sooo boring! I was also there are the hottest time which wasn’t ideal, deff go in winter⁣
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15. India: The diversity of it all, Spiti Valley is a world away from the capital! ⁣
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Let me know if you felt the same in any of these! ⁣

Pro Tip: December was truly the BEST time to do EBC 🏔️🇳🇵⁣
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…especially if you hate crowds like I do 😂⁣
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Here’s a bit more detail on each: ⁣
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1. You cannot see Mt Everest from the base camp! You will have to go to one of the various viewpoints for a good view.⁣
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2. To me, Kala Patthar has the best vantage point, especially at sunset 😍⁣
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3. …it was lowkey easy. But keep in mind I do live at 8500 ft, though I believe the terrain on the main trail is friendly to all hiking levels. ⁣
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4. Except for Kongma La! This is a seriously high pass that I wouldn’t recommend attempting without a guide unless you have significant experiences with crossing high altitude passes. ⁣
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5. The altitude can hit you anywhere, but Gorakshep and Lobuche are where I felt it most especially when trying to sleep⁣
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6. You can buy EVERYTHING in Kathmandu. It’s truly a hiker’s shopping paradise! ⁣
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7. Boiled water was $8 per fill up and there’s no avoiding this in winter 😭⁣
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8. Wi-Fi was sooo fast, though not free at $8/day/device. My NTC SIM worked through Dingboche ⁣
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9. The menus are sooo impressive, many lodges truly have better food than I’ve had at sea level in some countries⁣
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10. December is the BEST time to trek! We had so many iconic spots to ourselves perfectly clear weather. ⁣
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11. Go to the base camp in late afternoon to avoid tour groups! ⁣
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12. Donkeys can get very chaotic on trail and get replaced with dzos and yaks after Namche Bazaar. ⁣
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13. We were able to do laundry AND take showers all the way up in Lobuche at the end of December! ⁣
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Share with someone you want to do EBC with! 🫶📩⁣
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Thailand isn’t overrated, you’re just going to the wrong places 😝🇹🇭⁣
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I first visited Thailand in 2018, and it wasn’t just my intro to Asia but a place that truly changed my life.⁣
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It was the first time I discovered the world of digital nomadism, long term travel and living life outside of the box and to this day it remains my fave comfort country to keep going back to 😂⁣
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If you know me, you know I CANNOT do crowds or tourist traps, but luckily it’s still very easy to explore Thailand without encountering any of these, even in Bangkok! ⁣
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I honestly loved ALL of these places and have visited some multiple times. And yet these are just offbeat islands and beach areas, if you head into central or north Thailand you’ll find even more amazing local vibes 🤩
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What lowkey places in Thailand should I add to my bucketlist?

A little bit more about our route 👇⁣
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Every time I get to relive this lifechanging adventure through photos and videos I’m easily reminded why the camera is ALWAYS worth the weight 😂⁣
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But this was our route, starting from Khorog. The Zorkul Preserve requires permits, but Tajikistan makes this so easy to get. ⁣
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At $25/person/day they’re not the cheapest, but I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a permit that was more worth it in my life! ⁣
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We went from:⁣
📍Khorog⁣
📍Khaskhorog⁣
📍Kozideh⁣
📍Ishkashim⁣
📍Pitup⁣
📍Nizghar⁣
📍Langar ⁣
📍Pik Engels Meadows (side quest hike)⁣
📍Khargush⁣
📍An unknown hut near Zorkul Lake 😂⁣
📍Kuli Kukijigit Lake ⁣
📍Jarty Gumbez⁣
📍Murghab ⁣
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…all on rented cycles too that we randomly and spontaneously rented from the Pamir Lodge Hostel in Khorog! ⁣
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Bikepacking Tajikistan, and in particular, the Wakhan Valley lives rent free in my brain even 2.5 years later. ⁣
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If you’re looking for a serious adventure, I cannot recommend a better one 😍🏔️🇹🇯⁣