We showed up in Asia as the dumbest guys in the hostel room, assuming we could continue streaming Netflix, WatchESPN, HBO Go, and all the other media comforts of home while travelling outside the US. A few of the below messages quickly put us in our place and we realized we’d be without them for…
Halong Bay is one of the “must dos” in Southeast Asia. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, the bay is famous for abrupt karst rock formations caused by millions of years of geomorphology (thanks google) that jut out of the sea beautifully and randomly. The rock formations and resulting caves are uninhabitable and have thus…
Cambodia is a case study on how good we have it in the U.S. From 1975-1979, ~25% of their population was killed (2 million people) by the ruthless Khmer Rouge regime through a combination of mass murder, disease, and starvation. Along with 2 million people, the Khmer Rouge also killed the Cambodian (also known as…
We recently had the pleasure (probably not the right word) of experiencing one of the most notorious border crossings in Southeast Asia, the land crossing from the 4000 islands in southern Laos into Cambodia. Going from one corrupt country to another, more corrupt, country, via a lightly-used crossing point is a recipe for, I don’t…
“This bank charges a transaction fee of $5 for using this ATM. This charge is in addition to any fees that may be assessed by your financial institution. Are you sure you want to continue with the transaction?” Seeing this message 2-3 times a week followed by an obligatory press of the “Yes” button can…
The next best thing to a river full of native trout is one that runs through a cave. Alison vetoed a 24 hour bus ride from Vientiane to Hanoi (I didn’t put up much of a fight) so our next stop took us to warmer weather in southern Laos, where we’ll eventually keep going south…
One of the primary tourist attractions in southern Laos is Wat Phou, the site of ancient ruins located just outside Champasak in between Pakse and the 4000 islands. The ruins date back to the Khmer empire in the 5th century and the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sounds awesome, right? So how…
Outside of plane flights and bus tickets, virtually everything you buy in this part of the world is negotiable. Lodging, trinkets and clothes at the market, tuk tuk fares, massages, and sometimes even food are all negotiated items. Although some people would rather avoid conflict or feel bad haggling over a few bucks, the reality…
If you ever find yourself venturing near the northern part of the Thai/ Laos border (definitely a top 10 destination for Americans, right?), you 100% have to do the Gibbon Experience. In a nutshell, we just spent two days ziplining and trekking deep in the Laos (pronounced without the “s”) jungle and slept in a…
Using your iPhone on the cheap while in Southeast Asia (or anywhere for that matter) is actually pretty damn easy. However, because domestic carriers like Verizon and AT&T would much prefer you pay them exorbitant fees to use your phone abroad, the simple steps to accomplish this are not widely known. Here are the basic…
Beaches & Backpacks 