Smiling Albino

The low-down on Bangkok’s floating markets

In your research for Thailand, you may have come across an anecdote calling Bangkok the Venice of the East. Well, that was once true, but not so much anymore. Back in the day, Bangkok was veined with canals (called khlongs in Thai) and boats were the primary means of getting around. But over the past […]

Dollhouses of the Gods: A look at spirit houses

A lot of Smiling Albino’s customers have never been to Asia before, and the sights, sounds, tastes and cultural oddities can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. But that’s cool, that’s what we’re here for! After all, it’s our job to show you the behind-the-scenes action, the foibles and inside scoops that regular people don’t see. […]

When you need a travel expert…

After 14 years running Smiling Albino, we don’t think it’s a stretch to say that we know Asia pretty well. From Thailand’s beaches to Nepal’s peaks to Vietnam’s jungles to Cambodia’s back alleys, we’ve explored, led, written, filmed, eaten and made friends in nearly every type of place you can think of. And had fun, […]