Known as Ho Chi Minh city since the late 70’s the city is still often referred to as Saigon by pretty much everyone…even VC vets we’ve spoken to! Saigon is a busy, bustling, crazy kind of place, it almost makes you feel like you can’t get your breath at times. With the worlds largest number of
Asia
Paragliding off Babadag Mountain and landing on the stunning Blue Lagoon Beach in Oludeniz, Turkey!
Back in 2006 I visited Oludeniz for the first time, this picturesque beach town on the south coast of Turkey was somewhere Shorty (Paul) had visited many times growing up and we were keen to check it out! Of course, being over 10 years ago and a family holiday it was VERY different to our
Things to do in The Cameron Highlands: A guide to Hiking the Dramatic Tea Plantations, Dense Jungles & Incredible Mountains of the Region. Plus Some Relaxing Activities Too!
Malaysia is such a diverse country and one of the places that really illustrates that is the landscape of the Cameron Highlands. Whilst the rest of the country is baked in sun and sweating in the humid conditions, up here the temperature and climate is totally different. The landscape, wildlife and the lifestyle is unique
Learning to SCUBA dive in Borneo: Completing our PADI course in the most stunning and unexpected place!
When we set off backpacking around South East Asia, doing a PADI course to become qualified open water SCUBA divers was one of the first things we added to our list of things to do! After doing a taster session over 10 years ago on a family holiday to Turkey and also having friends who
Penang Itinerary: What to do in Penang in 3 days. A Guide to this Beautiful & Historic Town in Malaysia.
Malaysia, as we’ve waxed lyrical before about, became one of our favourite countries in South East Asia. The amount of diversity within the culture, landscape, architecture and activities on offers across the two halves of the country are unrivalled. From the bustling capital of Kuala Lumpur to the rolling hillsides of the tea plantations of
Things to do in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Borneo: The Ultimate Kota Kinabalu Itinerary
The small but lively city of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah on the Malaysian side of Borneo is a world away from KL! The distinct culture and history of Bornean Malaysia combined with the dense jungles, unique wildlife, stunning coastline and the towering 4000m Mt Kinabalu makes it an enchanting place to visit. Having already fallen
Seeing Orangutans in Borneo: A magical experience seeing this fascinating endangered animal in its natural setting.
Flying over to the Malaysian part of Borneo most have one main objective: To see the endangered Orangutans in their natural environment in the only place in the world where they exist. With dwindling numbers over the last few decades this bucket list item is even harder to tick. However with many amazing conservation areas
Things To Do In Vang Vieng: A Guide To This Beautiful & Adventure Filled Backpacker Paradise!
Vang Vieng was once a byword for backpackers excess and the devastating effects it can have on a place. In the past this wonderful village surrounded by mountains and stunning rivers was described as a “Paradise Lost”, engulfed by the drunken backpackers who would pass through without a care for the culture or indeed the
Visiting the awe inspiring Leshan Giant Buddha in China, the largest pre modern Buddha in the world! A perfect day trip from Chengdu.
A magical and mysterious place, this ancient wonder left us in awe and made a perfect day trip from Chengdu to Leshan. The sheer scale of this enormous place almost too much to take in, the 90 year project of a dedicated monk it is still one of China’s most sacred Buddhist locations. It draws
Taking the 762 turn Chiang Mai to Pai scooter trip & the information on the bus from Chiang Mai to Pai, Thailand
After riding the length of Vietnam on motorbikes they became our favourite method of transport around South East Asia and wherever possible we would jump at the chance to do another trip. After such a long a gruelling trip in Vietnam though we searched out day trips on bikes as well as shorter multi day
Budget travel Asia: Our ultimate Southeast Asia transportation guide for backpacking Asia
How to get around Southeast Asia: One of the apprehensions and burning questions that many people have when they are planning their Southeast Asia itinerary is how to go about physically travelling around this vast region. From the practicalities of booking transport to crossing borders and navigating the many different options for transport when planning
Tea ceremony in Tokyo: The beautifully serine Hamarikyu Gardens tea house, Japan
When we visited Japan we were keen to try out a tea ceremony in Tokyo, to soak in all that tradition and observe the preparation and presentation of “The way of Tea”. But upon researching these ceremonial and ancient services we discovered that many were quite expensive and also a little too full on for
Experiencing the unique culture of Borneo up close and personal at the Mari Mari culture village. Plus, Where to stay in Kota Kinabalu!
When we decided to head over to Borneo, specifically the Malaysian side, we were keen to take the opportunity to soak in all this magnificent and mysterious island had to offer and especially to visit a Borneo cultural village. From trekking through the jungle in search of endangered animals to embracing the rich tribal culture of
Ayutthaya Thailand: The lost world of ancient Thailand & a treasure trove of temples
Ayutthaya Thailand is the one time ancient capital of the Siam, the precursor to the modern-day kingdom of Thailand. Founded in 1350 it is Thailand’s answer to Angkor Wat or Bagan, a huge complex of crumbling ancient temples awaits the intrepid to explore this historic gem. Easily accessible from on the Bangkok to Ayutthaya train it can
Vang Vieng Tubing, Laos: Why its still a fun way to see this beautiful town!
When you think of backpacking excesses, debauchery, drunkenness and generally the sort of behaviour that gives us more cultured travellers who happen to carry their belongings on their back a bad name the place Vang Vieng won’t be far from a mention. Over the past decade or so it has built up a reputation for all
