One of the things J. Legume and I joked about while getting ready for our 6 weeks across Thailand and Cambodia, besides which one outfit we planned to wear every single day and at which point we’d start going without underwear, was how our ongoing Instagram photos should probably have a hashtag. It’s 2013, we live and breathe the internet, and while irony is often play, I can become fairly obsessed (and horrified) with the evolution of social media for the sake (excuse) of VVC, and I can seriously say that there’s a purpose here: legitimate record keeping of the photos we share as a digital travel journal, of sorts.

Tagging is the only way I’d ever find anything in my Flickr account, but that’s another story altogether. One silly conversation later about our ‘budget’ vacation and fondness of the term ‘hiatus’ when we travel, the hashtag was born. ‘Hiatus, Hiatus‘ it was, and keeping track of our own documentation was in order. Two weeks in, riding a bike I was renting for a little over $1/day on the left side of the road down side streets in Chiang Mai’s Old City, and along highways across town, I already had pangs of disbelief at what happened only half a week before in Chiang Rai; fast forward four weeks to watching the sunset over Angkor Wat less than two years after I had done the same, the entire situation remained surreal, day by day. To look back at the photographic proof I’d decided to share, made the current happenings only that much more magical; they were the reality I didn’t want to end.

Just like some wacky vegan aunt who’s gotten her hands on a projector (which my friends are supposedly making happen pretty soon, so shiitake’s getting real), I’d like to share these tagged photos from our hiatus with one common theme: anything extraordinary that sorta kinda blew my mind. Some are the scenery, some are food, some are expressions — they’re all moments in time my companion and I found worth sharing, giving a glimpse into our amazing, cultural experiences and hopefully serving as inspiration to others. 

Each and every photo, merely a selection over 200 scenes we each found irresistible to capture, is already one that we wanted to share as we traveled on, from Bangkok to the northern mountains, then to Siem Reap and the south of Cambodia, off to islands, getting to know Phnom Penh, and back to Bangkok to meet up with a friend and fly back home to PDX.

So, sit back, prepare to scroll, and get ready for lots of gorgeous views, tropical islands, animals, tuk tuks and unforgettable local eats, courtesy of our requisite Instagram accounts, @donna__noble and @jdfunks. All photos include the dates posted and original captions.

Hashtagging the Hiatus: Scenes from Cambodia & Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand

Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Pai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Archaeological Park, Cambodia

Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia

Koh Rong, Cambodia

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Bangkok, Thailand

Tokyo, Japan

In case you’re curious, let me add that my dental work was totally legit and eating vegan is quite easy in both countries, particularly if like this vegan couple, you’re purposely seeking it out. Culinary tourism!

And just like someone who’s rather obsessed with their travels, there’s much more to come from the digital camera archives: the markets, travel tips, cuisines, cocktails, and everything else documented while the Iphone was out of sight. 

Somehow, I resisted sharing this in slide show format. You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.