Talk Travel Asia

If there’s one thing that is almost always on visitors’ To-Do’ lists when traveling to Asia, it’s a visit to the spa: whether it’s a punishing Thai massage amidst the aroma of Tiger Balm or a hot stone therapy overlooking Balinese rice fields, pampering oneself should be high on the holiday agenda. While a massage is almost always less expensive here in Asia, there is such a variety of spa and massage experiences across the region that one could receive a different treatment each day and only begin to scratch the surface. Today we’ll discuss some of our most memorable and interesting spa and massage experiences in Asia.

So you want to ‘see’ Indonesia. That’s a big, broad desire. Where to start? Stretching 5,100 km, comprising 17,000 islands, this is the world’s largest archipelagic state. With 280 million people, it’s the planet’s 4th largest country and the largest Muslim-majority nation on Earth. Sweet surf, dense jungles with primates, dragons here and there, steaming volcanos, mega-cities, and 700 languages being spoken by 1,300 different ethnic groups, how do you approach this trip? Today, we’re going to do just that, with an Indonesian expert; journalist, travel writer, and explorer, Mark Eveleigh.

Nowhere is truly ‘hidden’ or ‘undiscovered’, but there are many places around the world, and Asia, that typical travelers don’t know about. After all, on your first couple of trips to a country, you want to see the ‘must see’ sites, and that keeps the vast majority of travelers following a similar path. On Ep. 116: Hidden Travel Gems in Asia, we not only shared some of our favorite spots, but restaurants and activities. On this episode we’ll dig deeper, focusing particularly on spots we enjoy but many travelers may not know about. Get ready to add a host of spots to your ‘must-see’ list.

We chat with Michael Juergens about wine and adventure racing in Bhutan.

Books can do that magical thing of transporting us to a far-away, mystical part of the world, whetting our appetite to travel somewhere, or perhaps scaring us off that destination entirely. And then there are those books that people read while traveling in a destination to bring them closer to it. On this episode we’ll share and chat about some of our favorite and most memorable travel books to get you informed and inspired.

Exploring a country by motorbike is one of the best ways to experience a new destination. Typically, however, one doesn’t think of a group of women or a solo female adventurer on a bike in a far-flung foreign land. Fortunately, we know better than to make such assumptions and we even know two women, Maeve Nolan and Andrea Vinsonneau who enjoy traveling by motorcycle as one of their personal passions. Today they will share some of their stories and their travel advice for exploring Asia by motorcycle.

The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. Covering a distance of nearly 5,000km from its source on the Tibetan Plateau in China to the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam, the river flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam. Its basin is home to one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world, with more than 20,000 plant species and 850 fish species discovered to date. An estimated 80% of the nearly 65 million people living in the Lower Mekong River Basin depend on the river and its rich natural resources for their livelihoods, making sustainable development crucial for the environment and communities living in the basin.

The Silk Road was once a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Europe and Asia that included the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Frequent listeners of our show will have already learned a bit about Central Asia from prior episodes #136 – Central Asia with Bradley Mayhew, and #133 – Travel to Kyrgyzstan with Stephen Lioy. Today, writer Tom Masters, who was originally on Ep. 140 about The Maldives, returns to our show to share his knowledge about Turkmenistan, perhaps one of the most mysterious countries of an already semi-unknown region.

Most international travel has one common element: airports. Beyond travel by train or ship, most visitors come and go by aircraft, making airport experiences inevitable. Fortunately, Asia is internationally known for having some of the best airports in the world. Today, we’ll talk about some, giving an overview of a few we know well, sharing some travel tales of our experiences in airports in Asia, and offering a few tips for layovers in some of our favorite – and least favorite – airport terminals.

There are few better ways to see a country than by motorbike. Wind in your face, sharing ‘hellos’ with people as you pass, stopping when you feel like it, and having the ability to take small trails, an iron horse is perhaps the ultimate way to travel. Today we’ll learn about motorcycling in Vietnam, from longtime rider and tour leader, Hawk Moon. Strap on your helmet and get ready for an adventurous episode.

We’ve collectively lived and worked in Asia for more than 40-years. After that long, one begins to wonder where ‘home’ is? Is it where you were born? Where you grew up? Where you’re living now? Or a combination of all of those? And the longer one is away from their country of birth, and continent for that matter, the stranger it can feel when you return for a visit. On this episode we’ll chat about things we’ve found odd, uncomfortable, and just plain strange about returning to the west after recent visits. Today we’re chatting about Reverse Culture Shock!

Thailand is a country that many people know. Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui; you’ve likely heard of all those places. Well, today we’re not going to talk about any of them. Today we’re going to speak with someone who has lived there for more than two decades. Planned trips for the rich and famous across the kingdom, and find out where some of the lesser known gems are that should be on your travel radar.

Hotels can make or break a trip. Sometimes they bring you closer to a destination, sometimes they elevate your experience and other times they are the destination themselves. Trevor and I have been lucky enough to stay at a lot of interesting and memorable properties across Asia over the years, and today we’re going to share some of those experiences with you. From high-end to charming and local, there’s a wide range of winners here you’re sure to want to make a part of your next trip to the region.

On this episode of Talk Travel Asia Podcast, we chat with Matt Hunt about Free the Bears, an organization that rescues and protects bears with programs in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, where today’s guest happens to be available for a live interview with me, your co-host Trevor Ranges. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit and support the Free the Bears sanctuary here in Cambodia, where Matt will soon join us, so I’ll turn the mike over to my co-host Scott Coates, who has visited Free the Bears’ site in Luang Prabang, Laos.

While we typically book our holidays based on the destination, it’s often the component experiences that really make or break a trip. Whether a half or full-day outing, day-trips within a longer trip, are the elements that make a vacation truly memorable. Still, making the most of your time can be challenging, so how do you ensure that you make your hours in-country count? Today, we’ll share some of our favorite, most rewarding, and memorable half and full-day experiences across the region that we’ve personally enjoyed to help you make the most of your time in Asia.

An nation of islands off Asia’s Pacific coast, Japan includes the four “Home islands” of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, which most travellers are familiar with, as well as nearly 7,000 more, mostly volcanic islands, that stretch over 3,000 km NE to SW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Japan is slightly smaller than the US state of California, and nearly the entire landmass is made up of the four primary islands. But, with towering mountains and almost 30,000 km of coastline, Japan is certain to harbor hundreds, if not thousands, of hidden gems that most travelers have never dreamt of. Today we’re going to discover a few of them.

French Polynesia comprises four archipelagos in the South Pacific, stretching for more than 2,000 km. Perhaps most famous of the islands, Tahiti conjures images of a postcard-perfect tropical paradise with coral-fringed lagoons and over-the-water bungalow hotels. But with more than 100 islands, French Polynesia is certain to harbor a few travel surprises, and our guest today will share some of her insights about how to make the most of your time and budget on a trip to this far-flung part of the world.

Longtime listeners and friends likely know that Scott and I love beer. I’ve worked on and off in the beer industry for decades and Scott has retained his amateur status in hopes of someday representing Canada when beer drinking becomes an Olympic event. Today, we’re going to talk hops and mashed malts from across the continent, to help you enjoy the best brews during your next Asian adventure on this episode: Favorite Beers of Asia.

As we reach the beginning of 2022, the world looks forward to traveling again, but the travel experience may never be the same. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, as we discussed in a recent episode #132 Predicting Travel Trends in Asia for 2022 and Beyond. Supporting this assertion, an June 2021 Booking.com study that polled more than 29,000 travelers across 30 countries suggests that the pandemic has been the tipping point for sustainable travel. But how are travelers to know which properties in Asia are the most sustainable and regenerative, representing the region’s next-generation hotels? That’s one of the topics we’ll be discussing with our guest, Tomo Hamakawa, on this week’s show.

The Republic of Maldives, is a collection of 1,200 small coral islands in the north-central Indian Ocean, with only 200 of them being inhabited. Famous for luxury bungalows on stilts over stunning clear water, no natural point is higher than 1.8 meters, and there’s a population of less than 600,000. The country stretches 820 km from north to south, and more than and 130 km from east to west, covering a large swath of ocean. Put on a tropical shirt and let’s discover Maldives with travel writer Tom Masters.

While Talk Travel Asia has been sharing and dreaming of travel since 2013, there are still lots of countries in the region that we’ve yet to dedicate an entire episode to. As we begin 2022, we note a handful we’re curious about and hope to feature in the year ahead. Get ready to expand your travel ‘bucket list’ as we share some fun, interesting, and quirky facts about 13 countries we’d like to cover as show topics in 2022.

The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. Covering a distance of nearly 5,000km from its source on the Tibetan Plateau in China to the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam, the river flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam. It’s basin is home to one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world, with more than 20,000 plant species and 850 fish species discovered to date. An estimated 80% of the nearly 65 million people living in the Lower Mekong River Basin depend on the river and its rich natural resources for their livelihoods, making sustainable development crucial for the environment and communities living in the basin. Today we’ll dive into the Mekong River and specifically its basin, where it empties into the ocean, with multiple-time TTA guest, author, and all around great guy, Nick Ray.

What began as a brainstorming exercise for new topics turned into a trip down memory lane. One of the greatest gifts of travel is the stories we carry with us for a lifetime. Just as we have recorded not 1, nor 2 or 3, but 4 episodes of Tantalizing Travel Tales, we bring you something similar: Our Best, Worst, Scariest, and Strangest Travel Experiences. In Asia of course!

Central Asia is one of those regions that few international travers are familiar with, nowadays. That wasn’t always the case, however, as the Silk Road was once a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Europe and Asia, and Central Asia was at the heart of this prosperous trade route. Geographically, Central Asia stretches east-west from the Caspian Sea to China and Mongolia, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. In between are “the ‘Stans”, including the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Today we have the benefit of an expert in the region, writer Bradley Mayhew, joining us to share a bit about everything we didn’t know that we didn’t even know, about one of the largest -- and least visited -- regions of Asia.

Here we are, nearing the end of 2021 and hoping that the future soon looks brighter around the world and we can all get traveling again. It’s been a while since Trevor and Scott last met in person and with vaccines appearing to be having positive effects and countries talking about opening up again soon, we thought it was time to do a check-in with one another. On this episode we’ll gauge what’s on our travel radar, places we’d love to travel together and give updates on what regional travel for us looks like in the coming months. This is Checking in with Scott & Trevor.

“Singapore may look small, and geographically speaking it is, but this tiny island city-state is jam packed with a myriad of things to do, see, buy and devour. The sleek and efficient public transport system makes zipping around a breeze, allowing you more time to dip your toes into this melting pot of cultures, religions, food and architecture.” That’s an excerpt from an article by today’s guest, Ria de Jong, about the Lion City, otherwise known as Singapore, the smallest and southernmost country on mainland Asia, which we’ll talk about on this episode of Talk Travel Asia.

The subject of many novels and movies, Central Asia sits at the crossroads of legendary rivalries and is crossed by the fabled Silk Road. The region is massive, covering more than 4-million-square-km and includes five countries that were formerly a part of the Soviet Union, including Kyrgyzstan, the focus of this episode. Both Kyrgyzstan and it’s neighboring countries have diverse cultures and rich histories but are largely unknown to western travelers. On this episode, we’ll chat with travel writer and photographer Stephen Lioy about his life in the region, particularly Kyrgyzstan, where he lives, to get some inside tips for visiting one of the world’s most remote travel locales.

We don’t have a crystal ball, nor do you. But with mass vaccination taking root, we’re hoping the future soon looks brighter and borders will open again to travel in the not too distant future. So with that, on this episode we’ll share some things we hope happen when travel kicks-off again, cross our fingers that certain trends are left in the past and imagine travel anew. With that said, all items discussed might not materialize, then again some of them may. So join us as we look to that light beginning to emerge at the end of the tunnel and begin imagining the travel that is hopefully to come.

Few modes of travel hold as much allure, intrigue, and romance as going from here to there by train. Riding the rails has been a mainstay for roughly two centuries, and as lines were built, formerly inaccessible areas of the world were open to anyone who could afford a ticket. Nowadays, high-speed rail projects are making traveling by train faster than by airplane on some short to medium-haul voyages, with more and more countries updating their systems. On this episode we’ll chat with James Clark, about recent and upcoming rail projects in Asia and those in the works to help you plan your next trip.

Making the most of holiday time should be a prime objective of any trip. After all, we can make more money, but not time. Ensuring that every minute of a trip is as of high value as possible, tuned-in, and ready to go, can positively impact the experience. But the importance of good arrangements and planning increases exponentially when building an activity-based trip. Equipment needs to be ready and working well, support needs to be considered, accommodations often need to be dialed-in ahead of time, and lots of other factors need to be considered. On this episode, as long-time travel professionals and travelers, Trevor and Scott will share some planning and execution tips they’ve employed while arranging successful surfing and cycling trips, to help you get the most out of your next active holiday.

Among the many things Thailand is famous for, one is its beaches and islands. World famous amongst travellers are the islands of Phuket and Ko Samui, while Ko Pha Ngan is famous with backpackers and Ko Tao for scuba divers. But with two major coasts featuring over 3,000 km of coastline and dozens of smaller islands, many of which have accommodation of some sort, Thailand has island and beach destinations for nearly every type of traveller. On this episode we’ll chat with David Luekens, a travel writer specializing in Thai islands, who will share some tips to help you plan your next fun in the sun holiday in coastal Thailand.

Language screw-ups, weird taxi driver stories, and warning signs we wish we could tell our younger selves are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this special cross-over episode between Talk Travel Asia and Bangkok Podcast. Scott and I have each spent the majority of the past 20 years living in Bangkok, as have our guests, Greg and Ed, whom we’ve known nearly as long as we’ve been living in Asia. Over the past two decades, the City of Angels has changed nearly as much as the four of us have, and, while three of the four of us are still experiencing it as a home, there’s an old expression that continues to summarize this expat life: the good, the bad, and the things that can only be explained by saying, TIT, “This is Thailand.”

Travel creates opportunities to try new things, learn about the world, meet inspiring people, be active and disconnect from daily life. Our guest today will discuss how he’s making it possible for underprivileged young people to gain these experiences and their benefits in order to help transform their lives. Over the years, Talk Travel Asia has regularly explored the topic of Responsible Travel and how to have a positive impact while exploring Asia. Previously, we’ve tackled topics including Overtourism and the preservation of the places we visit in order to enjoy them in the future, and we often feature organizations that offer great tourism experiences, including Andaman Discoveries, and the Living Irrawaddy Project. Today we’ll chat with Ameer Virani, Group Sustainability Coordinator at Asian Trails, who will tell us about Share the Wonder and discuss how tourism can continue to make a positive impact even in tough times.

Over the years, Scott and I have drawn comparisons between living in Asia and what it must be like living in Europe. Both are made of a number of relatively geographically smaller countries that share some similarities but are otherwise very different in terms of language, food, and cultural customs, to name a few. While we often make this comparison in regards to travel, as it's very easy, especially from Bangkok, which is geographically central to Southeast Asia, to travel to one of a half dozen different countries on a flight of no more than one hour, we’ve never discussed the differences between living in some of these countries. On this episode we’ll do just that, talk about expat life and how the experience differs between some of the countries we’ve personally lived.

Regularly overlooked by visitors, the Northeastern region of Thailand colloquially known as Isan, is comprised of 20 provinces, making it Thailand’s largest region. Those who discover it experience an area of immense beauty and fascinating culture. Inhabited by a mostly ethnically Lao population, Isan is where many famous Thai foods originated. The region is largely flat, borders Laos to the north, Cambodia to the south, with the Mekong River constituting a large section of its international border. With long distances between major centers and many more famous destinations within Thailand to compete with, Isan is largely left out of western guidebooks, generally overlooked by visitors, and genuinely deserves more attention. Our guest, longtime Lonely Planet writer Tim Bewer, lives in one of Isan’s major cities Khon Kaen, and will share his travel tips for this underappreciated region.

Traveling in Asia is exotic and the animals you’ll encounter certainly can be different from those in your home country. From elephants to street dogs, you’re bound to have at least a couple ‘interesting’ animal encounters on a voyage through Asia. After living in the region collectively for more than four decades, we’ve had some fun, at times unnerving, and unique animal experiences which we’ll share with you today.

Over the years, Talk Travel Asia has regularly explored the topic of Responsible Travel and how to have a positive impact while exploring. After all, we need to preserve the places we visit in order to be able to enjoy them in the future, and treat local communities with respect along the way. We’ve looked at the work of Andaman Discoveries, discussed Overtourism, learned about the Living Irrawaddy Project, chatted with the good people at Friends International, and many more. Today we’ll chat with Mary Storrie who has started a charity which empowers Sri Lankan women to drive tuk tuks, earning much needed funds and slowly changing cultural gender norms.

Visiting areas of Asia with monkeys can be very exciting. As monkeys are such intriguing creatures, people often consider them to appear friendly, especially if they’re not scared of humans. These monkeys usually expect people to give them food, whether the humans want to or not and they can be very cheeky if not dangerous in certain circumstances. Once you spend a reasonable amount of time in Asia where monkeys are found in so many places, you’re very likely to begin amassing some stories of encounters with them. And more often than not, it seems that such encounters with monkeys are not entirely positive interactions. Scott and I realized we have some pretty neat stories of monkeys (and apes) and on this episode of Talk Travel Asia will be sharing our Monkey Tales with you!

On this episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast, we get Laos travel tips from legendary travel guidebook writer Nick Ray, who has written about traveling to Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar for Lonely Planet travel guidebooks. Laos, a landlocked country sandwiched between Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China, is a bit unknown, sleepy, and largely undiscovered by travelers. Many know of the former royal capital Luang Prabang and some have heard of the capital Vientiane, but beyond that, it’s largely a mystery to most travellers. But that can be good news for visitors, as outside of those spots, it’s mostly void of tourists, teeming with welcoming locals, and largely off the traditional travel grid. On this episode we welcome back writer Nick Ray for his third appearance on the show to share the magic about travel Laos, including his work crafting the 10th edition of the Lonely Planet Laos travel guidebook, which came out in June 2020.

Although we love to share travel tips and advice about travel around Asia with expert guests, there’s nothing like sharing travel stories. As Scott and Trevor have been living in Asia for 41 years, they’re well-worn, traveled, and traversed expats with quite a few travel tales. But despite spending so much of their lives in Asia, Trevor and Scott are still amazed by how often there’s something wild just around the corner on a weekly, if not sometimes daily basis. Life continues to amaze and these experiences make for good stories. In this episode of Talk Travel Asia Podcast, Scott and Trevor share some wild stories about life living and traveling Asia in the fourth part of our Tantalizing Travel Tales series. Get a comfy seat, pour yourself a drink, and get ready to be transported throughout Asia.

Sitting just off the east coast of mainland China lies an island with a storied history. Formerly known as Formosa, and officially known as the Republic of China, Taiwan is a territory/country mired in controversy, but full of natural beauty and an attractive destination for those who love traveling Asia. Home to nearly 24-million people, Taiwan is one of the world’s most developed countries and yet the eastern two-thirds of it is highly mountainous. Strangely, this destination is not on many people’s travel radar. Today we’re going to get schooled on why Taiwan is an ideal travel destination from author and travel writer, Joshua Samuel Brown, about everything Taiwan has to offer.

Well, 2020 sure wasn’t a great year for international travel and 2021 looks like it likely won’t be much better. We’ve generally avoided talking about COVID on Talk Travel Asia, but we’re not going to let it stop us entirely from traveling, and aim to look at the bright side of things as much as possible. On this episode we’ll share where we hope to visit regionally if international travel doesn’t open up and a few spots outside of the countries we’re currently living in should borders open this year. Chin up, sunglasses on, let’s dream and plan travel we’re likely to pull off this year!

Mount Kailash, located in western Tibet, is considered to be sacred by Hindus, Bons, Buddhists, and Jains. It towers at 6,638m, and for Buddhists, represents Mount Meru, is central to its cosmology, and a major pilgrimage site for worshippers. One of those traditions involves trekking around its base, clockwise for Buddhists and Hindus, along its 52km path, seeking good luck and fortune along the way. The trip passes through remote lands, over a 5,500m pass and typically takes about four-days. Today we’ll chat with legendary traveler and writer, Joe Cummings, about his circumambulation of Mount Kailash in 2015.

Here on Talk Travel Asia, we explore a ton of locations but we also discuss many things to do when you visit them. They are often off-the-beaten-track, sometimes well known, once in a while well-trodden, but almost always worth a look and certainly a conversation. But then there are the many other places that are sometimes discovered by accident, perhaps on a fourth visit, or because a friend in-the-know put you on to it. These hidden gems are often the ones you enjoy and remember the most. While risking putting some of our favorite hidden gems on travelers’ radar, we’re willing to take the risk.

Few modes of transport are as exotic, effective, fun and well known as the Asian tuk-tuk. They go by other names such as auto rickshaw in India or ramork in Cambodia, but they all have the same purpose: to move people quickly and cheaply, with a wee bit of style thrown in. On this episode we talk about the role tuk-tuks play in local life, travelers’ journeys and as a holiday experience in themselves, which our guest, Julian Carnall, has experience doing.

Welcome travel lovers. On this episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast we’re getting seriously tropical with Favorite Beaches in SE Asia. We’ve done other episodes about beaches, including Episode 11 - Asia’s Somewhat Secret Beaches, but this time we’re going to touch on some of our favorites we’ve been to in the region. Many listeners in the west are going into winter and no doubt getting cabin fever so we thought this would provide a nice tropical escape. Scott and Trevor chat about how they selected ‘best beaches’, talking about their experience exploring beaches in the island and what they do and don’t like in a beach. Having spent many years as a travel writer, particularly beaches and islands, Trevor understands that different people are looking for a different thing in a beach. Consequently, what he considers “the best beach” isn’t necessarily the best beach for everyone, not even Scott it turns out!

On this episode of Talk Travel Asia, we’re going way off the beaten path. We chat with former Bike Magazine Editor in Chief, journalist, explorer, and all around adventurer Brice Minnigh, about his mountain biking expeditions in Asia, including a recent film he made, The Kora, where he and some friends spent 10-days circumnavigating Himalayan peaks in Sichuan province, China. So put on your biking kit, strap on your helmet and headphones, and get ready for an exciting ride ahead!

Helping you travel more smoothly and happily is what this episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast is all about. Recently we did an episode called 'Don’t do That!' to help travelers to Asia stay out of trouble while traveling the region. This episode is its companion, and we’re going to put a more positive spin on a similar topic by offering you some of our best Travel Hacks. So get ready for some winning tips which will make your journey even more enjoyable and incredible.

Bangkok is one of the world’s most visited cities. Its sites are some of the most featured on Instagram, and almost everyone will come up with some mental pictures of the city, good and bad, the moment they hear the name. Founded in 1782 when the Chakri Dynasty established Bangkok as Thailand’s capital, it’s a vibrant, dynamic city that dazzles the senses at every turn. Some love it, others hate it, and all with good reason. Today we’ll explore the City of Angels well beyond the surface with longtime resident and author Philip Cornwel Smith, who will share insights from his book Very Bangkok.

If you travel, you almost always end up spending a reasonable amount of time in a hotel or lodging of some sort. Your room and property typically plays a key role in your experience, especially if it’s a special trip or one to a new part of the world you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. You’ve likely had a hotel experience that you still remember due to a few special touches and you’d go back in a flash if you were there again. And you’ve likely also stayed somewhere that was a bust and tainted your overall memories of a destination. On this episode we’ll go beyond the throw pillows and welcome drink to think about what makes a great hotel experience, with Jason Friedman, a longtime luxury hotelier specializing in Asia.