A Special Treat: Barbie Takes the Mic! Hey everyone, Big Doug here. As Barbie and I cross the incredible milestone of 10 years traveling the world
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Siem Reap (Cambodia)
My first visit to Thailand was back in 1991 when the country was nicknamed, ‘The Land of Smiles’.The calming demeanor of the smiling Thais was
Koh Lanta / Bangkok (Thailand)
Following our extended stay in Australia, our travel compass instinctually pointed us back toward one of our absolute favorite corners of the world: Southeast Asia.
Gold Coast / Cairns (Australia)
G’day from the Gold Coast: 40 Miles of Beach Paradise We flew into Australia on Qantas, the national carrier. It’s hard to explain, but the
Amsterdam / Leiden (Netherlands)
Our 3-Week Dutch Pitstop After a month-long stay on Madeira Island, we headed back to one of our absolute favorite destinations in Europe: the Netherlands.
Madeira Island (Portugal)
Europe’s Best Kept Secret? Our One-Month in Madeira Island Despite its growing popularity, Madeira Island is a true hidden gem that still manages to remain
Naples (Italy)
Our three months in Italy have officially come to an end. We managed to time this stint perfectly, catching the crisp, fresh days of early
Florence (Italy)
90-Day European Schengen Visa Planning After two fun-filled weeks catching up with the entire extended Oringer clan and friends in Florida, it was time to
French Polynesia
Resuming the RTW Journey: From Maui Isolation to French Polynesia Covid is over… or so everyone says. For 2.5 years, Barbie and I had been
Oaxaca (Mexico)
Finding the Soul of Mexico: Food, Mezcal, and Festival Magic in Oaxaca Mexico just keeps surprising us. We recently spent a couple of weeks in
Our World Journey Map
The Google Earth link below will highlight every stop (270 locations) during our current RTW (Round the World). Fly virtually to every location we visited
What I miss about travel during Covid-19
Hunkered Down on Maui: Reflections from a Halted Round-the-World Journey The Day the World Paused This Covid-19 virus has put a screeching halt to all
5 YR. Overseas travelversary
Barbie and I recently wrapped up Year 5 of this nonstop around-the-world journey. We’ve traveled to all corners of the globe and visited some of
Isla Mujeres (Mexico)
Isla Mujeres: Island Escape Just a short, 20-minute ferry ride from the chaos of Cancún lies this mellow island called, Isla Mujeres. Being this close
Travel – The Game Has Changed
The Flashpacker Evolution: 25 Years Ago vs. Travel Today Over 25 years ago, I packed a bag and embarked on my very first backpacking journey
Utrecht (Netherlands)
Utrecht: An Alternative Dutch Base We have officially departed the Southern Hemisphere summer in Australia and New Zealand. As we continue on with this round-the-world
Melbourne / Wilsons Promontory / Phillip Island (Victoria, Australia)
Melbourne: Following an epic, extended road trip along the Great Ocean Drive, Barbie and I had to quickly re-adjust our mindset. It’s always a trip
Great Ocean Drive / Grampians National Park (Victoria, Australia)
Halls Gap: Grampians National Park After our time wrapped up on Kangaroo Island, we had a choice to make. The official starting line for our
Kangaroo Island / Adelaide (South Australia)
Kangaroo Island Barbie and I are officially into Year 4 of our round-the-world journey. This is our third time visiting Australia. The country is just
Burleigh Heads (Queensland, Australia)
Airline Rule Forced Us into the Gold Coast We honestly had zero intention of visiting the Gold Coast on our return to Oz. But as
North & South Island – Return Visit (New Zealand)
New Zealand: The Ultimate Empty Space: If you’ve been dreaming about pulling the trigger on some major international travel, but the thought of navigating a
Moorea / Raiatea / Tahiti / Bora Bora (French Polynesia)
Leaving Maui & Kicking Chill Mode into Overdrive: Onto French Polynesia It was wonderful 12-month run in Maui. The original game plan was simple: hunker
Maui / New Orleans / N.Carolina / Florida (USA)
Three Years on the Road: Dropping Anchor in Maui It’s been about three years since Barbie and I finally said, “Fuck it,” and dropped out
Tokyo – Part Deux (Japan)
Tokyo: We officially returned to Tokyo for another nine nights to close out our time in the land of the rising sun. This wraps up
Kanazawa / Takayama (Japan)
Off the Beaten Path: Local Pulse in Kanazawa & Takayama We hopped the train from Hiroshima and headed straight for the northwest coast of Japan
Hiroshima / Miyajima (Japan)
Hiroshima: We hopped the Sakura Shinkansen high-speed train from Osaka to Hiroshima, and the entire journey was an absolute breeze. These bullet trains are so
Osaka / Nara (Japan)
Osaka: If you are looking for food, fun, and non-stop action, then Osaka is absolutely for you. Seriously, who needs historical cultural attractions when you
Kyoto (Japan)
Kyoto: Kyoto did not disappoint. The city is arguably the most picturesque spot in all of Japan. Many travelers claim it’s their absolute favorite city
Tokyo – Part One (Japan)
Debunking the “Too Expensive” Myth A lot of long-term backpackers and travelers skip Japan entirely for budgetary reasons, mistakenly dismissing it from their itineraries because
Bangkok (Thailand)
From Amsterdam to the Chaos of Bangkok: Our time is officially up in Amsterdam, and we are finally heading off to Japan! We are incredibly
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Amsterdam: Barbie and I had such a blast during our two-week stint in Amsterdam last year that we did what any self-respecting flashpackers would do:
Ireland
Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, Green Clovers, Blue Diamonds, Purple Horseshoes, and Red Balloons! Road Tripping the Wild Atlantic Way We have officially
Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Rotterdam: Ditching Amsterdam Barbie and I have officially landed in Rotterdam to kick-start Year 3 of our round-the-world journey! On our last visit to the
Maui / Oahu (Hawaii)
After ten months straight of being on the move during Year 2 of our round-the-world journey, Barbie and I officially touched down back in the
Hoi An / Da Nang (Central Vietnam)
Hoi An: For me, Hoi An is one of my absolute favorite cities to visit in Vietnam because it’s a total quintuple threat. It’s photogenic
Tam Coc / Ninh Binh (North Vietnam)
TAM COC / NINH BINH: Tam Coc: After some real fun in the hectic, high-octane big city of Hanoi, Barbie and I were looking for
Hanoi (North Vietnam)
Hanoi: Hanoi is a strange, frenzied, beautiful piece of work. It is pure, unadulterated chaos and anarchy. There are so many motorbikes rushing through the
Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta (South Vietnam)
Ho Chi Minh City: Good Morning, Vietnam We have officially returned to Southeast Asia after a one-year hiatus. We were craving a return to the
Hong Kong / Macau (China)
Hong Kong: Last year, Barbie and I spent about eight months in Asia to kick off the first leg of our round-the-world journey. After a
Sydney (Australia)
Sydney: Following our relaxed tropical beach retreat in the Society Islands of French Polynesia, Barbie and I were feeling completely refreshed and re-energized. We decided
Perth & Southwest (Australia)
Cruising Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the definition of an off-the-beaten-path destination. The beaches and national parks down here get a mere fraction of
Melbourne (Australia)
Melbourne: We were warned by some locals we met during our travels in tropical Queensland that the weather in Melbourne is quite volatile. The saying
Cairns / Cape Tribulation / Port Douglas (Australia)
Cairns: Twenty years ago, rolling into Cairns felt like landing smack in the middle of Japan. Today? It’s like arriving in China. Just like in
Noosa / Fraser Island / Hervey Bay (Australia)
Peregian Beach/ Noosa Heads (Sunshine Coast): We left the towering high-rises and beaches of Surfers Paradise behind, and headed three hours north. We did it
Byron Bay / Burleigh Heads / Surfer’s Paradise / Brisbane (Australia)
IDF to ‘No Worries’: Israel to the Gold Coast Our marathon flight from Tel Aviv to Brisbane hit the record books and officially goes down
Rosh Pinna / Akko / Nazareth (Northern Israel)
Upper Galilee to Nazareth We took the drive up north from Ein Gedi, hugging the eastern side of the West Bank, all the way to
Ein Gedi / Dead Sea / Masada (Southern Israel)
Ein Gedi & Dead Sea: Judean Desert Most travelers hitting the Ein Gedi, Dead Sea, and Masada circuit do it as a frantic day
Jerusalem (Israel)
Jerusalem: On our first full day in Jerusalem, we headed straight to the Jaffa Gate to hook up with a walking tour of the Old
Tel Aviv (Israel)
Tel Aviv: We arrived at the airport in Lisbon for our departure to Tel Aviv with plenty of time to spare. Before heading out, we’d
Cascais (Portugal)
Cascais: Cascais is a wealthy suburb and Portuguese fishing village that hides some absolutely wild, rugged surfing beaches just outside of the main town. Unlike
Lisbon (Portugal)
Lisbon: Lisbon is the perfect place to wander aimlessly and get lost in a maze of hilly, cobblestone streets. Throw in a bunch of colossal
Zion National Park (Utah)
Zion National Park: Our two months in Maui went by way too fast, but the time spent was a perfect, much-needed respite from our nonstop
Maui ( Hawaii)
Maui: Lifestyle at The Masters After being constantly on the move for seven months traveling all over Southeast Asia, Barbie and I elected to slow
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
Ko Pha Ngan (Thailand)
Koh Phangan: Koh Phangan is world-renowned for its monthly Full Moon Party. A few days every single month, the island witnesses some 30,000 people cramming
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
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
What is a Flashpacker?
Update 2026: The post below was written in 2015 when we began our RTW journey. Now 10 years later, I can say we are really
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
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 