TRAVEL UPDATE – COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS At the beginning of March, we received a warning from the US State Department to either come home now or
5 YR. OVERSEAS TRAVELVERSARY
We are currently into the tail end of Year 5 on our RTW journey. We have traveled to all corners of the world and visited
Mexico City (Mexico)
Prior to our visit, I really had no burning desire to visit Mexico City and had the perception that the city was just a massive,
Sayulita / San Pancho / Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)
SAYULITA – An hour northwest of Puerto Vallarta on the west coast of Mexico, Sayulita is often called pueblo mágico, or, “magic town.” This part
Cancun / Playa Del Carmen / Cozumel (Quintana Roo, Mexico)
CANCUN – We flew into Cancún and despite not being of any real interest to us, we felt the need to understand the reason why
Tulum / Lake Bacalar (Quintana Roo, Mexico)
LAKE BACALAR – Our time is up in Merida and we emabarked on the longest drive (4 1/2 hours) of our Yucatan Peninsula roadtrip. It
Valladolid / Izamal / Telchac Puerto / Merida (Yucatan, Mexico)
Mexico has a reputation for being dangerous and unsafe. Between five full seasons of Breaking Bad, endless documentaries of the ruthless El Chapo coupled with
Isla Mujeres (Mexico)
Isla Mujeres is an island a few miles off the Caribbean coast, accessible via a short 20 minute ferry ride from Cancun. Obviously, it isn’t
Andalusian Coast – (Southern Spain)
Following our seven week road trip in Morocco, we headed off for the month of July to explore the infamous summer beach scene of Southern
Morocco
The first country we have visited in Africa has landed us in Morocco. A new continent for us Flashpackers. When planning our next destination on
Travel – The Game Has Changed
Over 25 years ago, I embarked on my first backpacking journey around Southeast Asia long before all of the technology that is available to travelers
Utrecht (Netherlands)
We have departed the Southern Hemisphere summer in Australia & New Zealand. We continue on with our RTW journey and return back to the Northern
Melbourne / Wilsons Promontory / Phillip Island (Victoria, Australia)
Following our extended road trip along the Great Ocean Drive, we were forced to re-adjust our mindset from wide open spaces to the more congested
Great Ocean Drive / Grampians National Park (Victoria, Australia)
After our stay on Kangaroo Island, instead of driving directly to the town of Cape Fairy which was our first stop to begin the
Kangaroo Island / Adelaide (South Australia)
Barbie and I are currently into Year 4 of our RTW journey. We have visited Australia on three separate occasions simply because the country is
Burleigh Heads (Queensland, Australia)
We really did not have any intention to visit the Gold Coast on our return to Oz. As a result of the absurd rule when
North & South Island – Return Visit (New Zealand)
If you want to indulge in some international travel and the sound of going abroad is a bit frightening, NZ has got to be
Moorea / Raiatea / Tahiti / Bora Bora (French Polynesia)
It was a great 12 month run in Maui. The goal was to ‘recharge’ before heading off on the road again. Prior to committing
Maui / New Orleans / N.Carolina / Florida (USA)
It’s been about three years since Barbie and I said, “Fuck it” and Dropped out of Society. For the past 3 years, we have constantly
Byron Bay / Noosa Heads (Australia)
We have returned to Byron Bay and Noosa Heads because we had such a good time at these places on our previous three month
Tokyo – Part Deux (Japan)
We have returned to Tokyo for another nine nights to close out our stay in Japan. This completes five (5) weeks Flashpacking around
Kanazawa / Takayama (Japan)
KANAZAWA – We hopped on the train from Hiroshima to Kanazawa which is on the north/west coast of Japan. I had thought Kanazawa was going
Hiroshima / Miyajima (Japan)
We took the Sakura Shinkansen high speed train from Osaka to Hiroshima and the journey was an absolute breeze. These high speed train rides
Osaka / Nara (Japan)
If you are looking for food, fun and action, then Osaka is for you. Who needs cultural attractions, when you have all this street action
Kyoto (Japan)
Kyoto did not disappoint. The city is arguably the most picturesque city in Japan. Many tourists claim it’s their favorite city in Japan and it
Tokyo (Japan)
There is a new sheriff in town and his name is not Reggie Hammond. The name is Tokyo and it’s my new favorite Asian city
Bangkok (Thailand)
Our time is up in Amsterdam and we are heading off to Japan. We are real excited about our visit to Japan as both Barbie
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Barbie and I had such a good time during our 2 week stay in Amsterdam last year, we pulled the trigger on a repeat visit.
Ireland
Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, Green Clovers, Blue Diamonds, Purple Horseshoes, and Red Balloons! We have landed in Dublin to kick start our
Rotterdam (Netherlands)
We arrived in Rotterdam to kick start Year 3 of our RTW. On our last visit to the Netherlands almost a year ago, we based
Maui / Oahu (Hawaii)
After 10 months overseas ‘on the move’ during Year 2 of our RTW journey, we arrived back in the United States and it felt as
Hoi An / Da Nang (Central Vietnam)
Hoi An / Da Nang are our final stops in Vietnam and close out Year 2 of our RTW journey. We have been traveling so
Tam Coc / Ninh Binh (North Vietnam)
TAM COC / NINH BINH – After some real fun in the hectic big city of Hanoi, we were looking for a quieter place
Hanoi (North Vietnam)
HANOI – Hanoi is a strange and frenzied place. Hanoi is just pure chaos and anarchy. There are so many motorbikes rushing through the
Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta (South Vietnam)
GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM. We have returned to SE Asia after a one year hiatus. We craved a return to the culture shock from
Hong Kong / Macau (China)
Last year, we spent about 8 months in Asia to kick off our first leg of our RTW journey. We have now returned to
Sydney (Australia)
Following our relaxed tropical beach retreat in the Society Islands of French Polynesia, we were refreshed and re-energized. We have decided to head back to
Tahiti / Bora Bora / Huahine / Moorea (FRENCH POLYNESIA)
There are 118 islands and atolls (about 67 that are inhabited) that make up French Polynesia. These islands are divided up into five (5) groups
North Island (NEW ZEALAND)
We flew out of Nelson on the South Island and began the North Island leg of our journey in Auckland. Amazingly, there was absolutely
South Island (NEW ZEALAND)
The following is the longest post I have written on this blog as it encompasses our 5 weeks of travel on the South Island of
Perth & Southwest (Australia)
WA (aka Western Australia) is the definition of an off the beaten path destination. The beaches and national parks have a fraction of the visitors
Tasmania (Australia)
Tasmania is an island, roughly the size of West Virginia, off the southern coast of Australia out on its own, in the middle of the
Melbourne (Australia)
We were warned by some locals we met during our travels in Queensland that the weather in Melbourne is quite volatile. The saying goes, “Melbourne
Cairns / Cape Tribulation / Port Douglas (Australia)
CAIRNS – 20 years ago, arrival in Cairns was like arriving in Japan. Today, arrival in Cairns was like arriving in China. Despite the fact
Noosa / Fraser Island / Hervey Bay (Australia)
PEREGIAN BEACH / NOOSA HEADS – We left the beaches of Surfers Paradise and headed 3 hours north in our very eco-friendly hybrid rental car.
Byron Bay / Burleigh Heads / Surfer’s Paradise / Brisbane (Australia)
Our marathon flight from Tel Aviv to Brisbane/Australia hit the record books and goes down as the longest flight on our journey. Three legs for
Rosh Pinna / Akko / Nazareth (Northern Israel)
ROSH PINNA – We took the drive up north from Ein Gedi along the eastern side of the West Bank to the artist town of
Ein Gedi / Dead Sea / Masada (Southern Israel)
Most travelers to Israel on a limited vacation only come to the Ein Gedi/Dead Sea/ Masada area for either a day trip or just
Jerusalem (Israel)
On our first full day in Jerusalem, we headed directly to the Jaffa Gate to meet up with our walking tour of the Old City.
Tel Aviv (Israel)
We arrived at the airport in Lisbon for our departure to Tel Aviv with plenty of time to spare. We had been warned about the
Ericeira (Portugal)
A short drive up the coast from Cascais lies a really cool under the radar town of Ericeira. Quite honestly, I never even heard of
Cascais (Portugal)
Cascais is a wealthy suburb and charming Portuguese fishing village that also possesses amazing, wild and rugged surfing beaches just outside of the town. Unlike
Lisbon (Portugal)
Lisbon is the perfect place to wander aimlessly, getting lost in the maze of cool hilly cobblestoned streets. Throw in a bunch of colossal stone
Barcelona (Spain)
When seeking scoop/tips prior to our trip to Barcelona, the number one place that seemed to always come up was to check out Las Ramblas.
The First Question Asked To Us
The first question that always seem to be asked: How are we able to go on this Flashpacking journey and how do you afford
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Bold Statement…….Amsterdam ranks up as one of the coolest cities in the world. And, that says a great deal coming from us Flashpacking beach
Saratoga Racetrack (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Ahhh, “The August Place to Be”…..Saratoga Springs, NY. It’s home of the Saratoga Thoroughbred Horse meet (aka ‘The Spa’) for about 40 racing days.
Zion National Park (Utah)
Our two (2) months in Maui went by just way too fast and the time spent was a great respite from our nonstop SE Asian
Maui ( Hawaii)
After being constantly on the move for the past seven (7) months traveling around SE Asia, we elected to settle down a bit and rent
Ft. Lauderdale (Florida)
Following our time spent overseas, we elected to make a pit stop in Ft. Lauderdale to chill with GaryO and JoyceyO. We basically listened to
New Orleans Jazz Fest (New Orleans, LA)
New Orleans? Hmmmm. How did our asian butts land here? Is the journey over? Naaaaa! After going online and viewing the artist lineup at this
Southeast Asia Summary
We have elected to extend our break from constantly being “on the move” and base ourselves on one of our favorite islands in the world…Maui.
Ko Pha Ngan (Thailand)
Ko Pha Ngan Island is renowned for its monthly full moon party. For a few days a month, the island sees some 30,000 people cramming
Ko Samui (Thailand)
There are so many islands in the south of Thailand and deciding which ones to visit is a good problem to have. In addition to
Luang Prabang (Laos)
Laos is a really overlooked country and many travelers do not include it on their SE Asian itineraries. Although there are no beaches in Laos,
Philippines Summary
The Philippines is one of those places that everyone dreams about but few people actually visit. This is a real shame. The country is absolutely
Cebu City (Philippines)
We arrived on the island of Cebu and used Cebu City (3 visits) primarily as the jumping off point to the surrounding islands off Cebu.
Malapascua Island (Philippines)
A tiny island at the northern tip of Cebu, Malapascua was our next island stop. To get to Malapascua, we took a 4 hr. open
Siquijor Island (Philippines)
If you are looking for a 5 star island experience then the island of Siquijor may not be for you. If you are looking for
El Nido, Palawan (Philippines)
The scenery in Palawan will most definitely blow you away. It is comprised of cluster of beautiful islands surrounding the main island of Palawan. The
Manila (Philippines)
We spent the weekend in Manila visiting Barbie’s brother and his family. We really enjoyed our stay and it was great to see and hang
Boracay Island (Philippines)
The Visayas are a group of islands located in the central Philippines, the major islands being Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros, Panay. The Visayas is also
Myanmar Summary
Myanmar, the largest country in SE Asia is also the least visited country in the region largely due to the controversial military dictatorship which controlled
Dala / Yangon (Myanmar)
We returned to Yangon for a few days with three (3) primary objectives. 1) To visit the township of Dala just outside Yangon. 2) To
Ngapali Beach (Myanmar)
Nagpali Beach is the cherry on top of our time in Myanmar. So what makes a country a perfect 10? It must have a collection
Inle Lake/ Nyaung Shwe (Myanmar)
The main base for visiting Inle Lake is the small, relaxed town of Nyaung Shwe which is the gateway. The town itself is rustic with
Bagan / Nyaung-U (Myanmar)
Bagan is simply unique and one of the most fascinating places I have visited in Asia. This throwback dusty town has such a relaxed pace
Yangon (Myanmar)
Yangon is to Myanmar as Bangkok is to Thailand: it’s massive and spread out, it’s the business centre, it’s chaotic and it’s nothing like the
Koh Lipe (Thailand)
So, why is Ko Lipe such a cool island to visit? In my book, any tropical island where you can go barefoot all day, even
Langkawi (Malaysia)
After spending the previous month or so in urban city areas, it was real nice to arrive on the relaxed Malaysian island of Langkawi on
Penang (Malaysia)
Penang is Malaysia’s second largest island and it’s quite unique. Many even claim that Penang is the ‘Pearl of Malaysia’. It is so unique that
Singapore Summary
I had a feeling something was amiss when I noticed Barbette was surfing the internet with this strange sort of excitement. Barbette fessed up and
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Many backpackers/flashpackers for some reason leave Malaysia off their itineraries which in my opinion, is a mistake. It is possible to travel on a very
Malaka (Malaysia)
Malacca (or Melaka – in Malay) is on many travelers itineraries as it’s a logical stop off on the way traveling via land thru Peninsular
Singapore
Although very small in size, Singapore has a population of 6 million people making it a fairly crowded city-state. What makes Singapore a real pleasant
Cambodia Summary
A countries wealth is measured in GNP (aka Gross National Product) Cambodia is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries as measured by its GNP. Strangely,
Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Phnom Penh is having a development boom. You can visually see the new high rise apartments going up and many infrastructure improvements in the works.
Kampot (Cambodia)
How Barbie got crabs in Kep, Cambodia? More on that later. Kampot town has really nothing to it. Kampot doesn’t look like much on first
Koh Rong (Cambodia)
Koh Rong island is just 1 hr. by fast boat from Sihanoukville. A few years ago, Koh Rong, Cambodia’s second largest island, was a virtual
Otres II Beach, Sihanoukville (Cambodia)
Sihanoukville is Cambodia’s premier beach location and is a fixture on the South East Asian party trail. The town of Sihanoukville is a dump and
Battambang (Cambodia)
How cool is Battambang? Well, it’s hot as shit yet it is one cool mellow Cambodian town. To really take in this place, it’s best
Siem Reap (Cambodia)
We arrived in Siem Reap which is our first stop in Cambodia. Barbie and I immediately felt the difference in the attitude of the locals
Ao Nang, Krabi (Thailand)
We will be flying out of Thailand from Krabi airport. We needed to make our way to Ao Nang via a longtail boat for our
Railay Beach, Krabi (Thailand)
Railay is a real unique place. It is not an island, nor a beach town…..the Railay Peninsula is so different from any beach area I
Ko Phi Phi (Thailand)
The popular backpacker party island of Koh Phi Phi is a short boat ride from Phuket. This is where the movie, The Beach, was filmed
Ko Yao Yai (Thailand)
We arrived in Ko Yao Yai. As we hit the pier on arrival, Barbie had a huge smile on her face and was totally in
Phuket (Thailand)
We have about 2 weeks left on our Thai visas and it was about time to get our beach loving butts planted on some of
Pai (Thailand)
I am happy to report I have uncovered the whereabouts of all the Deadheads since the passing of Jerry Garcia. A majority have apparently very
Chiang Mai (Thailand)
Big city life and over the top energy in Bangkok was a blast but getting off the plane and seeing green fields and such a
Bangkok (Thailand)
Arrived in Bangkok. I have been here about about a dozen times and each time is just as eye opening. You will either love or
What is a Flashpacker?
So what is the difference between a Flashpacker, a Backpacker and a 2 week package tourist on holiday from work? Simply put, a flashpacker is
Indonesia Summary
The maps that appear below are of the 1st country we hit (Indonesia) and our 1st stop (Bali), Lombok and the Gili Islands. If
Seminyak/Legian/Kuta (Bali, Indonesia)
Arrival back from the Gili Islands to the Kuta area in south Bali was like going from a relaxed Grateful Dead concert and landing straight
Gili Air (Lombok, Indonesia)
I am finally caught up with this blog so hopefully posts will be more timely. Note, if you are having issues viewing the videos posted
Gili Trawangan (Lombok, Indonesia)
The Gili islands are 3 small coral cays a short distance off the north west corner of Lombok. Each island is different in character. Gili
Amed (Bali, Indonesia)
On our 3 hr. drive from Munduk to Amed we drove along the north coast of Bali hugging the ocean and passing thru the beach
Munduk, Bali, Indonesia
Took a 3 hr. ($30) car service north from Ubud to Munduk. Munduk is a remote town in the north of Bali with many ricefields
Ubud (Bali, Indonesia)
It was an easy 1.5 hr. drive from Bingin Beach on the Bukit Peninsula to get to Ubud. The last time I visited Ubud was
Bukit Peninsula (Bali, Indonesia)
Took 1 hr. drive south from Changgu Beach to the Bukit Peninsula. There are about a dozen or so beaches lining the Peninsula and they
Changgu (Bali, Indonesia)
Arrived in Bali after a long but extremely comfortable Cathay Pacific flight via Hong Kong. We used frequent flier miles (55K one way) to fly
Leaving Las Vegas
Barbie and I have lived in Las Vegas for 18 or so years and it was time to move onto the next chapter in our
