Sometimes after a long day in the cold rainy outdoors, there is nothing better than curling up in front of a toasty fire! This delightful evening, spent reading and ruminating in a cozy hotel lobby, was spent at the Best Western Valemount, 1 1/2 hours west of Jasper, Alberta. Located at the doorstep of Mount Robson Provincial Park and Jasper National Park, this oasis of comfort in the middle of some of Canada’s most remote wilderness, this choice spot will recharge your batteries, leaving you ready to take on one of the most beautiful regions in the entire country!

You look at intricate graffiti in the first world, and one assumes that is uniquely a Western phenomenon. Upon traveling through the vibrant urban environments in Asia however, you quickly learn that street art is a global means of artistic expression, not solely limited to cultures back home.

Amazing stuff!

Freshly recovered from the mother of all head colds, I was determined to make up for lost time in paradise. After seeing promotional videos of Koh Nang Yuan on the internet prior to leaving for Southeast Asia, it instantly made the list of must-sees on my 2012 trip.

And in a moment, after perusing the photos below, it will surely make your bucket list!

Exclusive resorts, many accessible only by boat, dot the steep, boulder-strewn shoreline of Northern Koh Tao.

Approaching the island of dreams…

Ashore on the pier, making my way towards the ticket booth. Koh Nang Yuan is a privately owned island, costing visitors an admission fee of 100 baht ($3.30 CDN) to enter. Also note that plastic bottles and aluminum cans are NOT permitted; any of these items found on your person will be confiscated.

One of the sand bar beaches that make this island so famous … their profile is so low that they flood slightly at high tide … you will get wet up to your ankles crossing over to the viewpoint trail, but it still remains shallow enough that it appears that you are walking on water from a distance!

On the southern islet of Koh Nang Yuan, a boardwalk trail offers views of Koh Tao, as well as the aquamarine sea enveloping this pile of limestone rock. It also leads to a trail scaling the mini-mountain that rises 100+ feet above sea level, leading to a view…

… that is undoubtedly world-class! One of most mind-melting vistas you will ever see in your life … if there is any reason to visit Koh Tao, this would justify it all by itself!

And just to prove I didn’t pluck the prior image from Google to fool you all, here I am! To answer your question before you have a chance to ask: Yes, I do work out

The boardwalk leads around the back side of the island…

… where the ocean has taken a toll on certain sections! To compound this, the boardwalk stopped just short of making a complete circuit around the island, leading to a lengthy backtrack. Though, when you’re in paradise, you are barred from complaining, so I won’t

The northern islet of Koh Nang Yuan sports considerably less boardwalk, but the amount that exists still allows for mesmerizing sights, such as this one.

A diving class in mid-instruction in the lagoon between the northern and main isles of Koh Nang Yuan. If you are on the fence about whether to get your diving licence on Koh Tao, this should get you off of it. Not only are the courses among the cheapest in the world, just look at your classroom!

Diving not your cup of tea? How about a zipline ride from one island to another, over the prettiest waters you ever did see?! You know you wanna!

Dive boats hover over coral reefs in a spectacular bay on Koh Nang Yuan. If the previous two activities give you heart palpitations, surely snorkeling in these waters would be more to your liking?

A high sand bar provides many with a venue for basking in the sun … however, the lady in the foreground finds a supermodel worthy spot to bronze herself, laying out on a limestone slab, far away from the masses in the background.

I did not partake in the sun-worshiping festivities, as I had been extensively exposed to the sun during my wanderings about the island through the afternoon hours. Red as a lobster, I made my way back to my longtail boat taxi, and bid this amazing rock a fond farewell!

In spite of the pain I was in at the close of this day, it remains one of my most enduring memories of my 2012 trip to SE Asia. Make this island a cornerstone of your visit to the south islands of Thailand … just remember to pack your sunscreen and stake out some shade if you plan on spending any time in the sun … it is a scarce commodity here!

Continuing with the underrated, undiscovered theme regarding my former home, Edmonton contains alot of hidden charms … such as this Chinese garden, tucked away in Louise McKinney Park, located in the River Valley just east of downtown. Coming across gems like this constitute a large part of this cities’ unheralded charm, which shines through at full force throughout the spring, summer and fall. Sure, winter has its moments, but the warm weather months is when the City of Champions really is at its best!

In case you’re wondering when I’m going to feature my new city Calgary … not to worry, it is in the works. One needs to collect more photos first though, before attempting to do justice to Cowtown, which is a mission I am presently engaged in (as well as seeking a job!)

In an effort to attract more tourists to the island nation of Singapore, the national government authorized the construction of casinos several years ago. One of these gaming palaces was the Marina Bay Sands Resort, made famous by the massive Skydeck. 50 storeys high, it is best described as looking like a massive surfboard sitting atop twin towers.

Inside the complex, there is plenty to do, aside from flushing money down the slot machines. Pictured above is a reaturant abutting a portion of a river that snakes through the shopping mall portion of the resort (which you can have gondola rides also!), where one can have a decadent meal, fitting with the high-class shopping and high stakes gambling available on offer in this opulent section of the island of Singapore.

After a very enjoyable day of carving up Marmot Basin Ski Resort over Easter 2008, I set out down the Icefields Parkway to take in a world famous highway at a time of year where virtually nobody is on this lonely piece of asphalt. Dangerous? Yes it can be if you don’t fuel up to the max before leaving either Lake Louise or Jasper, as the gas bar at Saskatchewan River Crossing, open only during the summer, is snowbound, shut down, and very much closed. As long as you do this, inform people of your plans beforehand and bring blankets, food, candles, first aid kit, etc, you will be fine if the worst case scenario hits.

The reward for taking on this risk is stark beauty … the glistening white peaks, blowing snow from afar creating a cloud of fine, crystallized powder, random wildlife encounters, all heightened by the sense of solitude you get from knowing that you are the only person for hundreds of kilometres (except for park wardens and the occasional kindred soul driving by about once per hour or two).

Yes, being in a place this remote carries concerns worth thinking about, but don’t let it stop you from what will likely be an experience of a lifetime. Just make the appropriate preparations and then go for it!

Talk about a street with a view! Located straight at the end of the street on which my hostel was situated, this holy place is a landmark for Muslims and tourists alike…

Getting back to shore though, had its challenges though. With my back to the incoming waves, it was made that much tougher to maintain my footing on my way back to the sandy shores.

The adventure was worth it though!

Like any proper Irishman (or least half Irish lineage, in my case), celebrating the birthday of St. Patrick is practically mandatory. Between pints of Guinness and Strongbow, I managed to capture this shot of perfect strangers doing a jig to the traditional Irish tunes that were wafting out of the pub that night. A combination of low light, motion on the camera, plus a longer exposure than most of the photos I take created the apt effect that you see, which tells the story of a most joyous evening!

After 9 fun-filled days on Koh Phangan, it was time to head north to experience its smaller, rockier cousin, Koh Tao.  Renowned for vibrant coral, suitable for divers and snorkelers alike, it is a standard on the itineraries of many backpackers doing the rounds throughout Southern Thailand…

 Limestone outcroppings, mountaintops soaring from the coastline, and the small port town of Mae Haad looms in the distance.

 In spite of the seeming lack of arable land on Koh Tao, this market in the centre of Mae Haad overflows with various kinds of tropical produce.

 Scrambling over the headland to the north of Mae Haad, we arrive at the village of Sairee, which services beachside tourism.  It has all the amenities one would expect in a tourist mecca, especially restaurants spanning just about every type of cuisine… mmm mmm yummy!

 The beach at Sairee … not the best beach (by Thailand standards, very very high standards!), but still very beautiful when a longtail boat isn’t ripping by! :S

 Koh Tao — a place where memories are made, where dreams are realized…

… but not today for this gent! Dedication to my art notwithstanding, I longed only for my bed on this otherwise spectacular day, such is the misery of the cold with which I was infected.

However, this was to change on the following day, as an island offshore held vistas that will inhabit my imagination until the day I die. How’s that for a cliffhanger ending?