The Monsoon Diaries
190+ countries. ER doc & author, taking thousands along. Travel far, keep your day job, and turn strangers into friends for life. Join us!
Yemen Day 2/3: Waking Up to A Military Takeover | Shibam Diggity - Where Are Skyscrapers Born? Here, in The Manhattan of the Desert - The Monsoon Diaries
Yemen Day 2/3: Waking Up to A Military Takeover | Shibam Diggity - Where Are Skyscrapers Born? Here, in The Manhattan of the Desert - The Monsoon Diaries
Day 2 was supposed to start with a morning drive to Al-Mukalla, the seaport and capital city district of Hadramawt. But that plan aged poorly, because we woke up to this instead: Just like my morning of our last day in Kabul in 2019, we woke up to deep groaning rumbles that […]
Recent Travel
Niger At Last: A Second Chance - The Monsoon Diaries
Niger At Last: A Second Chance - The Monsoon Diaries
11 months ago, I sat on the tarmac in Niger’s International Airport at Niamey, watching my trip evaporate due to visa complications. The Niger Embassy in Washington D.C. had stopped issuing visas to Americans entirely. But I don’t give up. In late October 2025, I reconnected with Culture Road’s founder, Rik Brinks and […]
Yemen Day 4: Mukalla Drive - The Monsoon Diaries
Yemen Day 4: Mukalla Drive - The Monsoon Diaries
Al-Mukalla Pulling ourselves away from a desert mirage paradise at Haid Al-Jazil, we swapped our armed guard at another checkpoint during the 2 hour drive to Mukalla. You point that thing away from me! After a long wait at one of the checkpoints, we passed a few makeshift roadblocks (not an […]
Yemen Day 3: Where Reality Surpasses Dreams at Haid al-Jazil-lion Miles Away From Reality - The Monsoon Diaries
Yemen Day 3: Where Reality Surpasses Dreams at Haid al-Jazil-lion Miles Away From Reality - The Monsoon Diaries
Haid Al-Jazil As the afternoon began to wane, we continued onto our accommodation for the night at the Haid Al-Jazil Resort Hotel, named after what it overlooks and its location perching dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Wadi Do’an. You’ll find remarkably good tourist infrastructure here, Hadhramaut-style. We settled into basic but […]
Yemen Day 3: Wadi-"we" Do'an Here? - The Monsoon Diaries
Yemen Day 3: Wadi-"we" Do'an Here? - The Monsoon Diaries
Deep into Wadi Do’an From Shibam, we drove deeper into the Hadhramaut system, heading toward Wadi Do’an, a dramatic side valley that branches off the main wadi. Because of the recent military takeover of the local Hadrhamaut government yesterday, we had to wait a bit at our checkpoints for armed guard swaps. […]
Yemen Day 2/3: Waking Up to A Military Takeover | Shibam Diggity - Where Are Skyscrapers Born? Here, in The Manhattan of the Desert - The Monsoon Diaries
Yemen Day 2/3: Waking Up to A Military Takeover | Shibam Diggity - Where Are Skyscrapers Born? Here, in The Manhattan of the Desert - The Monsoon Diaries
YE-ah-MAN! Yemen Mainland Day 1: Oh Sei-yun Can You See? - The Monsoon Diaries
YE-ah-MAN! Yemen Mainland Day 1: Oh Sei-yun Can You See? - The Monsoon Diaries
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Upcoming Trips (Join Us!)
December 2025 - Yemen
December 2025 - Yemen
Join our upcoming headliner trips this year!
January 2026 - Park City, UT (Ski/Snowboard)
January 2026 - Park City, UT (Ski/Snowboard)
February 2026 - Lapland
February 2026 - Lapland
March 2026 - Tomorrowland Winter
March 2026 - Tomorrowland Winter
Join our upcoming headliner trips this year!
Spring 2026 - Zermatt (Ski/Snowboard)
Spring 2026 - Zermatt (Ski/Snowboard)
April 2026 - Paraguay
April 2026 - Paraguay
June 2026 - Trans-Canada Highway
June 2026 - Trans-Canada Highway
July 2026 - Tomorrowland 2026 & Explore headliner trips in Europe
July 2026 - Tomorrowland 2026 & Explore headliner trips in Europe
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Featured Articles
WSJ: ‘Is There a Doctor on Board?’: Tales From In-Flight Medical Emergencies
WSJ: ‘Is There a Doctor on Board?’: Tales From In-Flight Medical Emergencies
TIME: A Full-Body MRI Scan Could Save Your Life. Or Ruin It
TIME: A Full-Body MRI Scan Could Save Your Life. Or Ruin It
Most medical experts are wary of the controversial scans.
amNY: 2025 Primary Election: The three Democratic candidates vying for Manhattan Borough President
amNY: 2025 Primary Election: The three Democratic candidates vying for Manhattan Borough President
City Council Member Keith Powers, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and political newcomer Dr. Calvin Sun are each vying for the Democratic nomination. Powers and
NYT: Manhattan Primary Election Results
NYT: Manhattan Primary Election Results
Get live results and maps from the 2025 New York primary election.
BBC: The man who went to the North Korean place that ‘doesn’t exist’
BBC: The man who went to the North Korean place that ‘doesn’t exist’
Substack: Between Trying & Becoming: A Doctor and a Therapist on Hope, Purpose, and Playing for the Long Game
Substack: Between Trying & Becoming: A Doctor and a Therapist on Hope, Purpose, and Playing for the Long Game
Business Insider: I'm an ER doctor who runs a travel company on the weekends — and it's landed me a 6-figure book deal, free trips, and more
Business Insider: I'm an ER doctor who runs a travel company on the weekends — and it's landed me a 6-figure book deal, free trips, and more
NYPost: Despite high-flying careers, these entrepreneurs enjoy a successful travel side hustle
NYPost: Despite high-flying careers, these entrepreneurs enjoy a successful travel side hustle
HuffPost: I'm An ER Doctor. Here's The 1 Thing I Always Do When I Travel.
HuffPost: I'm An ER Doctor. Here's The 1 Thing I Always Do When I Travel.
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Buy a copy of "The Monsoon Diaries"
Hardcover: The Monsoon Diaries: A Doctor's Journey of Hope and Healing from the ER Frontlines to the Far Reaches of the World
Hardcover: The Monsoon Diaries: A Doctor's Journey of Hope and Healing from the ER Frontlines to the Far Reaches of the World
"There are heroes among us, and Dr. Calvin Sun is one of them. Read this book." -Lisa Ling, journalistThe Monsoon Diaries is the firsthand account of Dr. Calvin Sun, an emergency room doctor who worked tirelessly on the front lines in multiple...
Apple Books: The Monsoon Diaries
Apple Books: The Monsoon Diaries
Biographies & Memoirs · 2022
Audible: The Monsoon Diaries
Audible: The Monsoon Diaries
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Read by the author.The Monsoon Diaries is the firsthand account of Dr. Calvin Sun, an emergency room doctor who worked tirelessly on the front lines in multiple hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.Drawing upon the lessons he learned from his adventure...
Amazon: The Monsoon Diaries: A Doctor’s Journey of Hope and Healing from the ER Frontlines to the Far Reaches of the World: 9780785291756: Sun, Calvin D., Lisa Ling: Books
Amazon: The Monsoon Diaries: A Doctor’s Journey of Hope and Healing from the ER Frontlines to the Far Reaches of the World: 9780785291756: Sun, Calvin D., Lisa Ling: Books
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Aftermovies
Proof of Life: A First Campaign in 3 Months - YouTube
Proof of Life: A First Campaign in 3 Months - YouTube
Six months ago, we ran for something bigger than ourselves — a campaign that began with a question: could someone like me even try?We didn’t have a political...
South Korea (Apr. 2023)
Wed Sept 28, 2022 - The Monsoon Diaries Book Launch Party
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Sardinia & Corsica (Sept. 2021)
The Great USA Roadtrip (Aug. 2020)
Egypt (Nov. 2019)
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What is Monsooning?
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