Far East Travels Podcast

Kyoto, Japan once the imperial capital of the country is located in the Kansai region on Honshu island. Known as the city of 10,000 shrines Kyoto offers an abundance of history and culture. Unlike Tokyo, Kyoto was spared from heavy bombings by U.S. Forces during WW ll with many  shrines and temples of the city pre-dating this era. Arashiyama To get some expert advice on how best to spend your time...

Luang Prabang is one of the most picturesque towns in Southeast Asia. The name literally translates to Royal Buddha image. It’s rich history, beautiful architecture combined with a strong Buddhist monastic community makes it a place all too tempting to stay longer than planned. On my most recent trip to the former royal capital I was fortunate enough to be  in time for the country’s most important...

  Tibet is one of the most fascinating destinations in the world. It’s average elevation is 4900 meters or 16,000 feet making it the highest region on the planet and the reason why it’s called the roof of the world.  The Tibet Autonomous Region is apart of the People’s Republic of China and there are several restrictions that apply when traveling there. All travel through Tibet must be booked thro...

Senso ji is a Buddhist temple located in the  Asakusa District of Tokyo. It is the oldest temple in Tokyo dating back to 645CE. It’s one of the most popular sites to view in the city with over 30 million visitors a year. Thousands come daily to worship, pray, and eat!  The Nakamise-dori is the street on approach to the temple that houses many shops. It was started in the early 18th century when lo...

Taipei’s MRT System is super efficient and very easy to get around on with all stops and information in English. If you’re staying in Taipei for more than a day make sure you get an Easy Card pass from the vending machines at all stops or pick-up a 1, 2, 3 or 5 day Taipei Pass at information counters.  In this podcast we will make 3 stops on Taipei’s MRT Red Line. First from Main Station we’ll hea...

The Gokyo Valley is a great alternative or add on to the standard Everest Base Camp Trek. Quieter trails, and spectacular views even of Mt. Everest. Gokyo is reached by walking the same trail towards EBC, following a two night stay in Namche Bazaar for rest and mostly acclimatization.  It’s not long out of Namche before you take the turn for Gokyo at Sanasa. It feels like you’ve left a freeway for...

Tsukiji Market-Tokyo, Japan. Home to the world famous tuna auction where wholesalers bid on blue fin tuna worth tens of thousands of dollars almost everyday. For the lucky few who brave the early morning hour like myself recently it’s a chance to get up close to this unique arena of high stakes bidding on the most prized fish in the world. The lucky few? 120 to be exact. Some of the guidebooks and...

The Tonle Sap is the largest fresh water lake in all of South East Asia and provides more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia.  Many floating villages, and communities made up of  houses raised on giant stilts depend on the resources of the lake as a way of life. Intertwined with the rising and falling of water levels. From Siem Reap it’s approximately 15km to the lake, about 20 minutes or...

The Batu Caves are a series of limestone caves and cave temples located in Selangor, Malaysia. So easy to get to it even has it’s own train stop.  I picked up the KTM Comuter train at KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur which can be reached via the Kelana Jaya line if you’re staying near KLCC. In less than 30 minutes the giant limestone outcrop was in view.  Leaving the train station you are immediately su...

Hoi An is one of the most atmospheric towns in Vietnam boasting Unesco World Heritage status with beautifully preserved Japanese Merchant Houses and Chinese temples. I started out the mornings here in their open air market, one of the best ways to experience true local culture. There was the usual fresh produce and live birds and fish for sale as well as lots of flowers ready to brighten up homes...

Swayambunath or The Monkey Temple is one of the most significant temples to Tibetan Bhuddists of Nepal, perhaps only coming second in importance to Boudhanath, the largest stupa in the country. It is also called the Monkey Temple because holy monkeys live here. Why are they considered holy? It is said that Manjushri the bodhisattva of wisdom and learned raised the hill that Swayambunath sits on. W...

When Derek Cowan set out to backpack in Southeast Asia he wanted an experience more fulfilling than just a handful of memories on the party trail. So he researched a number of different volunteer opportunities finally deciding on helping out an organization in Vietnam. What began as a retreat from a distressful life in Scotland and recovering from a suicide attempt has now turned into his role cre...

Most streets showed signs of damage from the earthquakes with crews tirelessly working to breakdown and clean-up the buildings that were too damaged to repair Nyatapola Temple is the highest pagoda style building in Nepal at 5 stories. It was constructed in 1702 and was so well built it withstood the great earthquake of 1934 with only minor damage.  The upper storey was rebuilt after the earthquak...

The Japanese call them Sakura, cherry blossoms and it’s one of the most celebrated events of the year when they bloom in the Spring. Hanami, is the viewing and appreciation of the blossoms and Hanami parties can be seen in parks all across the country. When I arrived in Tokyo recently it was just a little too early for the season. The lack of Sakura didn’t stop people from starting their parties e...

I was staying in Battambang, Cambodia. While I was there I had to visit one of the area’s most famous attractions, the bamboo train. The bamboo train gets it’s name from the  bamboo deck or floorboard used that rests on top of the wheels that can transport anything from chickens and rice to people. In Khmer it’s called a Lorry and has been used since the Khmer Rouge shutdown of most regular train...

  Keelung’s Miaokou Night Market has a reputation of being one of the most popular night market’s in Taiwan. The Main street where the Dianji temple first started drawing patrons to the area is lined with food stalls serving some of the most popular dishes and snacks found in Keelung.  This is a very tourist friendly night market with translations in Japanese and English, some are loose in their d...

In this episode join me for one of the most exciting wildlife spotting adventures in Asia. I’m deep in the heart of Ratanakiri province in northeast Cambodia heading for the jungle and a chance to get up close to the rare northern yellow-cheeked gibbon. This week’s Far East Adventure Travel Podcast. Ratanakiri province is located in the remote northeast corner of Cambodia, bordering Laos to the no...

  Dihua Street or Grocery Street is where many residents of Taipei, Taiwan head to for stocking up on food, snacks and treats for the Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year. I recently visited the famous shopping market just two days before New Year’s Eve. I was there to shop, sample food, indeed why many people pay a visit and talk to some Taiwanese about why they enjoy Lunar New Year. Dihua market,...

  Bukhansan National Park is almost 80 sq/km in size and is located so close to the urban area of Seoul, South Korea that it’s possible to take the subway here, like I did on this visit.  I started out in Insadong and transferred to line number 1 and rode the train until the very last stop of Dobongsan, which is actually the name of the mountain I’m going to hike up today. I think it’s important w...

Can’t think of a better thing to do when hanging out in a super modern city like Seoul, South Korea then to go for a bike ride. It’s a great way to see another side of life here besides the typical tourist things  like visiting temples, museums and going shopping plus it’s so up close to everyday life here. I actually got my idea for this ride from the latest Lonely Planet Korea guide with a few m...

It’s often overlooked or just a mere stopover to or from Siem Reap, home of the famous ruins of Angkor Wat but Battambang Cambodia should be on your radar of places to visit in this country. Full of Khmer culture, early 20th century French architecture and a unique charm unlike anywhere else in Cambodia. Join me John Saboe for an exploration in and around Battambang, Cambodia in this episode of Fa...

Excerpts from "Early Morning At The "Tomb Raider" Temple. The crowds that visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Angkor Ruins region can be overwhelming. Over 2.3 million people visited the site in 2014 making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Southeast Asia. On my last visit I spent many early mornings wandering the ruins including visits to Ta Prohm, the temple complex made...

Excerpts from "Hiking Seoul, South Korea's Guardian Mountains" East Asia is such a super friendly place for foreigners with efficient subway or MRT lines throughout all major cities including Seoul, South Korea. All stations have English signs and all stops are announced in English.  Namsan mountain is the most well-known of the four guardian mountains of Seoul with the famous landmark, Seoul N To...

Excerpts from Kyoto-City Of 10,000 Shrines Kyoto is located in the central part of Honshu Island, Japan and was the imperial capital of the country for over a thousand years. It is also known as the City of Ten Thousand Shrines. It is an absolute must see on a visit to Japan. Because there are so many sites  I met my expat friend Niall Gibson, who is a guide and travel specialist living in Kyoto t...

Excerpts from "Ultimate Trekking Adventure-Everest Base Camp, Nepal Part 2 Having completed one of the toughest days of the trek it was time to move back onto the busy trail to Everest Base Camp.  The trail from Lobuche to Gorakshep is only about 5 kilometers but at an average elevation of over 5000 meters it is still challenging, especially when you have a hill to traverse like this one. This is...