Welcome to Doug Burnett's Travelogues:

What could be better - a new city and plenty of time to explore. I love to just wander around with no particular place to be, taking each day as it comes. Of course, travel is not always like that: some days you must rise early and run to catch the train; others you end up wandering around in the rain looking for a decent hotel. But it's the hope that there will be something truly remarkable around the next corner that keeps me going.

Here are my most recent trips:

Click here for more photos New: Cambodia & Burma, January/February 2008 Why another trip to Southeast Asia? Well, it's the weather, the people and the food. This time I visit some folks I met on previous trips. New: Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Click here for more photos Havana, Cuba, November 2007 A close friend, Imm Gonn, took a short trip to Havana, which is forbidden to U.S. citizens. He asked me to post his pictures and comments. Here they are. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4,

Click here for more photos Vietnam, February 2007 Some places are so wonderful that they merit a second trip. This time I took my friend E along. We visited Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Hue. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Click here for more photos of Guatemala Guatemala, November 2006 A trip to green, friendly Guatemala: I spent most of my time in Antigua, with side trips to Flores to visit Tikal and then Panajachel to visit the Sunday market in Chichicastenango. Photo album: 1, 2, 3

Click here for more photos Thailand, Cambodia & Laos, Janurary 2006 A relaxing trip along the Mekong river: Phnom Phem & Siem Reap (Cambodia); Vientiane & Laung Parbang (Loas); and finally Nong Khai (Thailand). Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Click here for more photos How is Silk Made? Over the course of several trip to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam I have photographed the steps in the production of Mut Mee (also known as Ikat) fabric. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4

Click here for more photos of Pakistan Pakistan, April 2005 This was a dream trip: after a short stop in Delhi, off to Lahore and Peshawar with a visit up the Khyber Pass. Then back to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple before cooling off in Kathmandu. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Click here for more photos of Vietnam Vietnam, January 2005 Motorcycle recklesness in Hue; a brush with the military in Da Nang; custom-made clothes in Hoi An; and then my past catches up with me in Saigon. Also travel details. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Click here for more photos of Thailand & Laos Thailand & Laos, November 2004 A silk buying trip. I started in Isaan (northeast Thailand) where I visited some weaving villages, followed by a stop in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to buy more silk. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Click here for more photos of India South India, January 2004 Blessed by elephants, accosed by sadhus and crushed by wet pilgrams - Ah, India. First Madurai and Trichy, then Pondicherry and Mamallapuram, and finally Bangalore, Mysore and Chennai. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Click here for more photos of Java Java, October 2003 Breath-taking scenery, magnificent old temples, quick-to-smile locals but way too much rain. First stop Yogyakarta and then on to Wonosobo, Pangandaran and Jakarta. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4

Click here for more photos of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, February 2003 What a place: friendly people, interesting sights, wonderful weather and elephants everywhere. First, a tour of the Cultural Triangle, followed by a few days in Kandy, and finally relaxing at the beach in Unawatuna. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4

Click here for more photos of Peru & Ecuador Peru & Ecuador, September 2002 First, up to chilly Cuzco to visit Machu Picchu; then down to steamy Puerto Maldonado to visit the jungle; next Ecuador to shop the markets of Otavalo & Quito; finally, a flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Also hotel information. Photo album: 1, 2, 3, 4

Click for photos of India Eastern India, February 2002 Temples, mosques, snake charmers, fortune tellers and crowded markets: Calcutta, Bhuhaneswar & Puri, Hyderabad, Bijapur, Gulbarga & Bidar and Calcutta again. Photo album: 1, 2, 3

Click here for more photos of China China, September 2001 First, east through busy Tianjin to Beidaihe, near where the Great Wall meets the sea; then west to Kashgar for the Sunday Market with a stop in Urumqi and Turpan. Also the details. Photo album: 1, 2, 3

Burma Photos Burma, February 2001 Oh, I know it's now called Myanmar but that name simply doesn't capture the history and romance. My trip: Yangon to see the magnificent Shwedegon, on to the 2000 temples of Bagan and finally busy, noisy Mandalay. Also the travel details. Photo album: 1, 2

Click here for more photos of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan, September 2000 A rarely visited gem with magnificent Islamic monumnets,ancient Soviet hotels and completely unspoiled people - too bad about the food. My itinerary: Moscow, Tashkent, Bukhara, Tim, Samarkand and Turkestan. Plus visa problems and travel information. Photo album: 1, 2

Click for photos of Thailand and Cambodia Thailand and Cambodia, February 2000 Here's all you need to know: it's cheap and easy to get around with great food and wonderful people. First I visited Bangkok & Siem Reap and then Chiang Mai & Hui Hin. Photo album: 1, 2

Brazil, September 1999 Ah, Rio! where the people are friendly, the beer ice-cold and the sun blazing hot. I also visited Parati, Sao Joao del Rei and Buzios.

Iran, April 1999 Iran was the friendliest place I have ever visited. People stopped me in the street just to say hello and sometimes to give me a small gift. First I visited Isfahan, then Yazd, Kerman & Bam, and finally Shiraz & Tehran. Also information about getting a visa and hotels. Another visitor to Iran writes: Art Hilado.

China, April 1998 Bustling markets, picturesque gardens, ancient temples and people, people, people. My report: Hong Kong & Guilin, Shanghai & Suzhou and Xian & Beijing. Also hotel review and making reservations.

Northern India, February 1997 Elephants, holy men and shit on my shoe. First Delhi, Varanasi and Agra and then Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Also making travel arrangements.
A special treat: Ute and Gabi's 1997 Passage Through India

Jordan, Syria & Israel, May 1996 Middle Eastern surprises: hospitality in Syria, guns in Jerusalem and a sudden end in the desert of Jordan. Travel details too.

Mexico, September 1995 Oaxaca is perhaps Mexico's most beautiful city. Plus a visit to Teotihuacan, near Mexico City.

Greece and Turkey, September 1994 Come with me to sunny Samos, Ephesus, Marmaris and Rhodes where every night I slept within sight of the sea. Also Athens.

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Opening picture

35 Years of Travel

1969 Puerto Rico Why is a dark figure leaning over me in the middle of the night?

1970 Europe The fine points of camping in a WWII bunker.

1974 Jamaica Will this tropical jaunt end in jail?

1978 Grand Cayman Living like a local is easy: stay with Mrs. Whitaker.

1980 Mykonos Learning to do laundry Greek-style.

1982 Kavala The end to a perfect breakfast.

1982 Istanbul Why are they badmouthing my hometown?

1989 Central Turkey Be careful who you shout at.

1995 Port Antonio Who is that strange looking guy? Why it's Captain Case.


Here are links to some other interesting Internet travel sites.


Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA March 2008

A special thanks to Mark Wilson and Paula Stampfler for patiently reading my words and correcting my errors.