Out of Norm Travels

My photo-adventure tour for 2015 was to this seriously exotic location which is synonymous with Genghis Khan . The Inner Mongolia  (Chinese:  内蒙古 ; pinyin:  Nèi Měnggǔ ), officially  Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region  or  Nei Mongol Autonomous Region , is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in the north of the country, it contains most of China's border with Mongolia with a small section of the border with Russia, its capital is Hohhot, with Baotou, Chifeng, and Ordos as its other major cities.  (above info extracted from Wikipedia) Map from  http://www.chinahighlights.com/inner-mongolia/map.htm With almost one-third of China's grasslands stretching some 1,490 miles (2,400 km) across northern China, it has the bucket of r olling hills as far as the eye can see. L arge areas of rich grassland provides pasture for sheep,  goats, cattle, and the famous Mon...

Part 2 of my December travels brought me closer to the Thai-Cambodian border, within the Ta Phraya National Park ( Thai : อุทยานแห่งชาติตาพระยา )  where I  found myself in one tourist location that is not well known to non-Thais called Lalu. This is Thailand's small version of the famous Grand Canyon. It is quintessentially an area of earth stalagmites; naturally caused by the erosion of rainwater and the subsidence or collapse of soil. Its closeness to Cambodia resulted in the naming of this place which means "penetrated"  in Khmer language. With an area of more than 2,000 hectares, its uniqueness warrants an afternoon visit. The combination of wind and rainwater has eroded the hard rock into many shapes similar to a city wall or cliffs. You will find this same scene on a bigger scale at Phae Mueang Phi of Phrae province resulting in some locals calling it "A New Phae Mueang Phi". Getting here from the visitor area requires the hiring of a guide and tract...

This is part 1 of my Thailand adventures in 2014 when I made a trip down to Phanom Rung Historical Park . So what's so special about this place? This is located in the northeastern Isaan, Buri Ram province of Thailand. Phanom Rung (Thai: พนมรุ้ง ), or full name, Prasat Hin Phanom Rung (Thai: ปราสาทหินพนมรุ้ง – Phanom Rung Stone Castle is the largest and the most beautiful Khmer site in Thailand that was built over the 10th to 13th centuries from sandstone and laterite and dedicated to Lord Shiva , a supreme Hindu deity. It is said that the architectural design of this complex symbolizes Mount Kailash, his heavenly dwelling located in India. It consists of 3 naga bridges. Going through the walkway, you can reach the first naga bridge. There are 70 sand stone posts on either side of the walkway. The third naga bridge takes the visitors to the main sanctuary. Here is a photo of the layout of the temple grounds.   After restoring the temples for close to...