Champaca Journeys

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Champaca Journeys Guided cultural tours to Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Ethiopia, Namibia, Socotra Island, Oman and Peru Decades of experience.
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Cultural, nature and trekking tours of Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Socotra Island, Oman, and Peru. Small groups escorted by in-country based and licensed guide and USA based trip leader, John Leupold. Flexible schedule with attention to detail and a capacity to indulge special interests of participants make us stand apart from others.

Quick visit to Hoi An, Vietnam which I visited many years ago (& liked the then less touristy town, but still pretty fin...
22/11/2024

Quick visit to Hoi An, Vietnam which I visited many years ago (& liked the then less touristy town, but still pretty fine now). I love the decoration’s & aesthetic of Hoi An & ate so many times in a Morning Glory restaurant (the original, there are few branches) where my favorite dish was the pork stuffed calamari which put me into bliss state of contentment with each bite.

Surprised to find a perfect Negroni in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Found so much else I loved about this place from t...
22/11/2024

Surprised to find a perfect Negroni in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Found so much else I loved about this place from the look of the streets & the vibe of the people & the great food plus the delicious but controversial durian fruit with its huge spikes, foul small but exquisitely heavenly flavor. I did not overdo it with Negronis, but durian? Now that’s another story. No regrets.

George Town, capital of Penang was an unexpected destination as I made last minute plans to visit. Glad I went & saw & a...
21/11/2024

George Town, capital of Penang was an unexpected destination as I made last minute plans to visit. Glad I went & saw & ate & met locals. The young man in front of mural saw me looking & said “hey, take my picture.” Food was spectacular variety of Malay & Chinese & every possible variation. Lots to see, streets full of old & new buildings. Tons of atmosphere.

Street food in Bangkok is everywhere & feast for all senses with flavors & textures & aromas. These 2 ball sausages are ...
31/10/2024

Street food in Bangkok is everywhere & feast for all senses with flavors & textures & aromas. These 2 ball sausages are everywhere from morning to evening. Isaan sausages made from fermented pork & spices. Fermented food, like kim chee, sauerkraut, kombucha is good for the gut & same claim is made for these. They are ridiculously delicious and cost about 60 cents. Couple of these, some vegetable dumpling & any other the other myriad variety of street food & you have a fantastic meal for just a few dollars.

January 9-24, 2025 Ethiopia trip. We visit the remote & off the charts beautiful Omo Valley where we’ve become friendly ...
31/10/2024

January 9-24, 2025 Ethiopia trip. We visit the remote & off the charts beautiful Omo Valley where we’ve become friendly with tribespeople who way of life has not much changed in past 100 years. Meet these remarkable & friendly people & see a part of the planet few others get to see. All in safety, comfort & with delicious Ethiopian food.

https://www.champacajourneys.com/ethiopia-jan-2025

Kampong Phluk is a village on stilts on Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia. The seasonally flooded lake means the village is nev...
30/10/2024

Kampong Phluk is a village on stilts on Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia. The seasonally flooded lake means the village is never on dry land, but during & after the wet season it gets very impressive when the forest floods & all transport is by boat. A community eco-project has locals paddle visitors at tree top level (the trees grow to 45 feet tall & are commonly called freshwater mangroves but in fact are mostly Barringtonia acutangula & Diospyros camboniana. It’s an experience that certainly qualifies as surreal, as well as serene & beautiful.

Bangkok just after sunset.
29/10/2024

Bangkok just after sunset.

Dusk In Bangkok’s Lumpini Park.
29/10/2024

Dusk In Bangkok’s Lumpini Park.

Angkor Wat, day, sunrise & middle of afternoon. Spectacular any time, this is the largest religious structure in the wor...
29/10/2024

Angkor Wat, day, sunrise & middle of afternoon. Spectacular any time, this is the largest religious structure in the world, & to further stagger your mind, pictured is only Angkor Wat, just one of the very many temples that sprawl across this vast area, making the temples of Angkor the largest city on the planet when London was a mere village. Every time I visit my mind boggles at the beauty, complexity & grandeur of the place and how 1000 years after construction it still is in near pristine condition. Need a place to boggle your mind? Let us take you here!

China Beach, Danang, Vietnam. Now mostly called by its Vietnamese name, was R&R center for US military during the Vietna...
16/10/2024

China Beach, Danang, Vietnam. Now mostly called by its Vietnamese name, was R&R center for US military during the Vietnam War (which the Vietnamese call the American War). Pretty enough to attract tourists from all over, Danang is like Miami Beach in that it’s all shiny expensive hotels & tons of restaurants & places to spend your money & have some fun.

Morning on China Beach, Danang, Vietnam. Famously or infamously known as China Beach during the Vietnam War (which is ca...
16/10/2024

Morning on China Beach, Danang, Vietnam. Famously or infamously known as China Beach during the Vietnam War (which is called the American War here), this beautiful long strip of sand & sea is now full of hotels & resorts & tourists from all over the planet come to enjoy.

Next LAOS trip is December 3-16, 2024. Join us to visit one of the most dramatically beautiful and friendly countries in...
15/10/2024

Next LAOS trip is December 3-16, 2024. Join us to visit one of the most dramatically beautiful and friendly countries in Asia. Great food, amazing scenery, luxury hotels and unforgettable experiences. Message for more information.

The overwhelmingly yellow color of Hoi An, Vietnam is bcoz the color is thought to be good luck by Vietnamese. It certai...
14/10/2024

The overwhelmingly yellow color of Hoi An, Vietnam is bcoz the color is thought to be good luck by Vietnamese. It certainly makes for beautiful city, these old buildings with their yellow patina of age.

Nith is the star of Cambodian actors & we met her filming movie at the remote Koh Ker Temples a couple hours from Siem R...
14/10/2024

Nith is the star of Cambodian actors & we met her filming movie at the remote Koh Ker Temples a couple hours from Siem Reap. Her entire crew stopped to welcome us & all posed for pictures. Of course we were star struck. My friend Sopheara poses with her in one picture. He was recruited to act & model when he was 17 (this what happened to the criminally handsome) but remained at home with his family. My great good fortune as he’s become good friend & one of the best guides in Cambodia. Cambodia certainly agrees with me!

While all the temples of Angkor in Cambodia are remarkable, I’m most intrigued by Koh Ker which is remote & far from all...
13/10/2024

While all the temples of Angkor in Cambodia are remarkable, I’m most intrigued by Koh Ker which is remote & far from all the other temples. Koh Ker was built by King Jayarvarman IV in the 10th century & was briefly the capital of the entire Angkor Empire. Its stepped pyramid form is unique. It’s remoteness part of the appeal for me, and the surrounding forest only adds to its appeal. All of Angkor is fabulous. My advice: go! And be sure to visit the lesser known temples.

Bayon Temple, one of the many temples of Angkor in Cambodia dates from the 13th century. Visiting its grandeur again I w...
13/10/2024

Bayon Temple, one of the many temples of Angkor in Cambodia dates from the 13th century. Visiting its grandeur again I was stuck by the poise of this young girl whose mother was having photos of mother & daughter taken. The young girl motioned for me to take her picture, mother nodded it was ok. Here’s the young beauty.

Yellow seems to be predominant color in Hoi An.
13/10/2024

Yellow seems to be predominant color in Hoi An.

Street scene.
13/10/2024

Street scene.

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