Seven-Month Flashpacking Odyssey Through Southeast Asia We have elected to extend our break from constantly being “on the move” and drop anchor on one of
Category: Southeast Asia Summary
Cebu City (Philippines)
Cebu City: We arrived on the island of Cebu and used Cebu City across three separate visits primarily as our urban launchpad to the surrounding
Malapascua Island (Philippines)
Malapascua Island: A tiny speck of land sitting off the northernmost tip of Cebu, Malapascua was our next official island stop. But getting there? Well,
Siquijor Island (Philippines)
Siquijor Island: If you are looking for a glossy, five-star mega-resort island experience with manicured lawns and infinity pools, then the island of Siquijor may
Manila (Philippines)
We spent the weekend in Manila visiting Barbie’s brother and his family. We enjoyed our stay and it was great to see and hang out
Boracay Island (Philippines)
Boracay Island: The Visayas are a group of islands located in the central Philippines—the major ones being Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros, and Panay. It’s also
Dala / Yangon (Myanmar)
Dala / Yangon: We came back into Yangon for a few days with three very specific, non-negotiable objectives: Cross the river to check out Dala
Ngapali Beach (Myanmar)
Ngapali Beach: Ngapali Beach is the absolute cherry on top of our time in Myanmar. So, what makes a country a perfect 10 in my
Inle Lake/ Nyaung Shwe (Myanmar)
Inle Lake / Nyaung Shwe: The main gateway for visiting Inle Lake is a small, relaxed town called Nyaung Shwe. The town itself is completely
Bagan / Nyaung-U (Myanmar)
Bagan /Nyaung-U: Bagan is simply unique and easily one of the most fascinating places I have ever visited in Asia. This throwback, dusty town has
Yangon (Myanmar)
Yangon: Yangon is to Myanmar what Bangkok is to Thailand: it’s massive, spread out, acts as the main business center, and it is completely chaotic.
Koh Lipe (Thailand)
Koh Lipe: So, why is Koh Lipe such a cool island to visit? In my book, any tropical paradise where you can go completely barefoot
Langkawi (Malaysia)
Langkawi: After spending the previous month or so grinding it out in chaotic urban areas, it felt incredibly good to roll up to the relaxed
Penang (Malaysia)
Penang: Penang is Malaysia’s second-largest island, and it is a truly unique. Many travel types even claim it’s the undisputed “Pearl of Malaysia.” It’s so
Singapore Return
Singapore Return: I had a bad feeling something was seriously amiss when I noticed Barbette surfing the internet with a strange, frantic sort of excitement.
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Kuala Lumpur: For some strange reason, a lot of backpackers and flashpackers leave Malaysia completely off their itineraries. In my opinion, that is a mistake.
Malaka (Malaysia)
Malacca: Malacca (or Melaka, if you’re talking like a local) lands on a ton of itineraries because it’s a totally logical land stop on
Singapore
Singapore Part I: Although it’s tiny in size, Singapore packs a massive population of 6 million people, making it a seriously dense city-state. But what
Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Phnom Penh: Phnom Penh is currently in the middle of a massive development boom. You can visually see the new high-rise apartments shooting up into
Kampot (Cambodia)
Kampot & Kep: How Barbie got crabs in Kep, Cambodia? More on that juicy bit of data in a second. First, let’s talk about Kampot.
Koh Rong (Cambodia)
Koh Rong: Koh Rong is located just a quick, one-hour fast boat ride from the gritty docks of Sihanoukville. Only a few years ago, Cambodia’s
Otres II Beach, Sihanoukville (Cambodia)
Otres Beach / Sihanoukville: Let’s be completely honest: the main town of Sihanoukville is a total dump. Even though it’s marketed as Cambodia’s premier mainland
Battambang (Cambodia)
Battambang: Well, it’s hot as shit, but it is one cool, mellow Cambodian town. To really take this place in, do yourself a favor: stay
Siem Reap (Cambodia)
Siem Reap: Barbie and I just rolled into Siem Reap, our first stop in Cambodia, and the shift in energy was instant. Compared to the
Ao Nang, Krabi (Thailand)
Ao Nang: We flew out of Thailand via Krabi airport, which meant making our way over from Railay Beach. Because of our insanely early morning
Railay Beach, Krabi (Thailand)
Railay Beach: Railay is a truly unique beast. It’s not an island, and it’s not your typical beach town. In fact, the Railay Peninsula is
Ko Phi Phi (Thailand)
Koh Phi Phi: The popular backpacker party island of Koh Phi Phi is just a short boat ride from Phuket. If the name sounds familiar,
Ko Yao Yai (Thailand)
Ko Yao Yai; The second we hit the pier on Ko Yao Yai, Barbie had a massive smile on her face. She was totally in
Phuket (Thailand)
Phuket: Navigating Southern Thailand’s Island Scene With about two weeks left on our Thai visas, it was high time to plant our beach-loving butts on
Pai (Thailand)
Pai: Where Have All the Deadheads Gone? I am happy to report that I have finally uncovered the whereabouts of all the Deadheads since the
Chiang Mai (Thailand)
Chiang Mai: Big city life and over-the-top energy in Bangkok was an absolute blast, but getting off the plane and seeing green fields and a
Bangkok (Thailand)
Bangkok: Arrived in Bangkok. I have been to this action-packed Asian city about a dozen times now, and each and every time is just as
Seminyak/Legian/Canguu/Kuta (Bali, Indonesia)
Bali: Returning from the Gili Islands to the south Bali tourist strip of Kuta, Seminyak, Legian & Canguu was a total shock to the system.
Gili Air (Lombok, Indonesia)
Gili Air: We took a quick 20-minute boat ride over to Gili Air from Gili T. Now, arriving on Gili T was already something special,
Gili Trawangan (Lombok, Indonesia)
Gili Trawangan: Decoding the Gilis: Three Islands, Three Vibes For those who don’t know, the Gili Islands are three tiny coral cays sitting just off
Amed (Bali, Indonesia)
Amed: On our three-hour drive from Munduk over to Amed, we cruised right along the north coast of Bali, hugging the ocean and passing through
Munduk, Bali, Indonesia
Munduk: We took a three-hour private car service north from Ubud up to Munduk, which only set us back $30 bucks. Munduk is a remote
Ubud (Bali, Indonesia)
Heading Inland to Bali’s Cultural Heart We had an easy hour-and-a-half drive from Bingin Beach on the Bukit Peninsula to get up here to Ubud.
Bukit Peninsula (Bali, Indonesia)
Bukit Peninsula (Bali): We took the one-hour drive south from Canggu Beach to the Bukit Peninsula, and it was a game-changer. On my last visit
Canggu (Bali, Indonesia)
Bali: We finally touched down in Bali after a long but comfortable journey. If you’re going to fly across the world, this is absolutely the
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