Far East Travels Podcast

I am currently in Nha Trang, Vietnam, the Riveria of the South China Sea. With the new lockdown measures in place it looks like I will be here for awhile so I hope to share more about this very developed beach resort for your future travel plans. In this episode I'll also have an update on the lockdown/travel situation for Ho Chi Minh city and updates from the Phuket, Thailand "Sandbox" which has...

Probably the most ambition announcement of reopening to international tourism in Southeast Asia was made by Thai Prime Minister Prayut this week when he said Thailand will reopen all of it's borders in 120 days. The Phuket "Sandbox" opening for July 1st is still set to go and Bali has confirmed it will open July 1st but to limited tourists, mainly Chinese. For the rest of Southeast Asia and East A...

DaveInOsaka, Dave Greco, shares with us his adventures across Japan this past year. Dave is a prolific livestreamer, YouTuber, who has a passion for sharing his travel experiences. Dave is a Canadian expat who has lived in Japan for 20 years and up until before the pandemic was a convenient base for his travels across Asia and beyond. With travel restrictions Dave continued his passion for travel...

Because of the recent lockdowns it's been easy to track down some expats and talk about what is living abroad really like. In this episode I speak with American Expat Mark Arinsberg about what life has been like since he moved to Ho Chi Minh City in early 2020. Mark is a super positive guy with a message that will certainly inspire people to pack up and move their life somewhere else, his preferen...

My good friend and travelblogger/podcaster Bruno Black gives us an update on the current pandemic situation specifically affecting Taipei City. Bruno is a long-time resident of Taiwan and currently lives in one of the main centers of Taipei, Main Station, which is very close to the latest epicenter of the pandemic. Bruno also gives some context to what you've been seeing on the news from Taipei sp...

With the latest cluster outbreaks throughout East Asia to South Asia the prospect for borders reopening before the end of the year is becoming less likely. For those that have retreated to Thailand on an annual basis the good news is plans for opening Phuket to vaccinated visitors for quarantine free travel is still at this pointed slated for July 1st. In recent episodes I've said that the possibi...

Since the end of the Reunification long weekend cluster outbreaks of COVID19 have resurfaced in Vietnam. In this episode a brief update on the current closures and conditions. As well as bars, karoake clubs, being closed, only takeout food from restaurants, cities in Vietnam have now closed schools, in some cases for the remaining of the school year at the end of May. Thanks so much for listening...

Thailand is still planning on opening up Phuket to vaccinated tourists beginning July 1st despite a new spike in COVID cases throughout the country. Cambodia has seen the worst outbreak particularly in the capital of Phnom Penh since the beginning of the pandemic. Vietnam's Quan Am province has a proposal for a July 1st opening to vaccinated Korean resort going tourists. That and more in this epis...

In this episode I talk about the current requirements for obtaining a retirement visa in the following countries, outside of a pandemic situation, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and also cover off how people have been able to retire in Vietnam without a retirement visa. Currently it is not possible to utitilize any of these programs with the exception of Thailand. I can stress enough how important...

It appears that Thailand is gearing up to open up to international tourists by July 1st. This will allow foreigners that have been inoculated with a COVID19 vaccine to enter Thailand through Phuket without having to quarantine. More on this as well as news from Taiwan, and Bali. Support the podcast by becoming a patron:https://www.patreon.com/FarEastTravels One time donations:https://www.paypal.co...

Is it what travel will look like in the future? Lonely Planet recently published a list of countries that is now allowing visitors to enter without quarantining provided they've been inocculated with COVID19 vaccintations. In this episode I'll run down the list and point out what we can expect in the future of travel. As well I'll talk a little about the new travel bubble between Taiwan and Palau....

Announcements mostly by tourism associations eager to help their members and clients reopen their tourism driven businesses have been making announcements in the last few weeks that tourism could possibly open up in certain countries in Southeast Asia in particular by July 1st. I certainly hope that tourism has a chance to start recovering soon but I'm a little skeptical that most countries will r...

In this episode I'm coming to you from a little patch of sand on T20 Beach in Da Nang, Vietnam. In normal times on a Friday late afternoon I would probably be seeing many tourists on this beach that had just arrived from different cities in Vietnam, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Due to the pandemic it appears many of these luxury resorts sit quiet waiting for things to open up again. The American...

It's one of Vietnam's premier destinations, with a world-class pristine stretch of beach, plenty of outdoor activities in the region, ancient and historical sites and more. Da Nang, Vietnam is one of the countries most desirable places to live and attracting more foreigners in recent years for long term stays. Because Da Nang is central it makes it very easy to move between the countries two large...

In this episode thoughts on the recent coup in Myanmar and an update on Tet in Vietnam and the latest outbreak mostly in the north. Many Lunar New Year festivities are being scaled back across East Asia and Southeast Asia. Typically 300 million people, the world's largest migration of people takes place in China every year for their "Spring Festival". Transport operators have put into place strict...

Join me from one of a few Tet Festival Markets taking place in Saigon, Vietnam. This one from District 1's Le Van Tam Park. In the episode I talk about how unless you are visiting relatives here I would advise not traveling to Vietnam during the Tet Festival. Reasons like transporation challenges, competing with millions of Vietnamese for plane, train, and bus tickets is one of the biggest ones. I...

In this episode more sounds and atmosphere direct from the Binh Tay Market, District 6&5, and the giant Tet Lunar New Year Market. One of the most colorful times of year has to be the lead up to the Tet Holiday, Vietnam's most important celebration. Colorful ornamental artificial flower displays and decorations splash with color and spill out onto the street as vendors wave in potential customers...

Another chance in this episode to feel the pulse of Saigon, Vietnam and it's Tanh Dinh Ward in District 1 with a walking tour of it's most prominent sites. Fully worth exploring whenever you visit Ho Chi Minh City this is an interesting neighborhood with a mix of retail, local traditional markets, and the beautiful Tanh Dinh "Pink Church". Thanks for listening! Email me-john@fareasttravels.com . F...

Happy New Year! I'm back with another experience podcast with a walk through the Thi Nghe Market in Ho Chi Minh City's Binh Thanh District. This is a handy market for me to visit for street food, snacks, lunch, and fruit and a great market for anyone visiting that's staying in District 1. An alternative to Ba Chieu Market if you found that one too overwhelming, (featured in the last episode), with...

Join me for a walk through one of the busiest local markets in Saigon, Vietnam. The Ba Chieu Market is located in Ho Chi Minh City's Binh Thanh District, a short 10-12 minute taxi ride from District 1. I'm always encouraging travelers to get away from the tourist places in order to get a real sense of what the people of Vietnam, or for that matter, wherever you're traveling. Tourists markets or zo...

There's so much to cover for India's biggest and richest city, Mumbai. In this episode I'll start with the streetfood, some of the restaurants I enjoyed on my last visit, what to expect as far as accomodations go, and some sights and things you should do. It's an incredible food city, one of my all time favorites, and of course the street food plays a big part in the makeup of the food scene in Mu...

I often get asked what's Christmas like in East or Southeast Asia. On this Christmas morning in Ho Chi Minh City I woke up to the din of traffic noise, sellers with loud megaphones blasting out messages of coconuts and brooms for sale, and the loud banging of construction. So Christmas is just another day here but of course it's not surprising with Christmas not being a national holiday a only may...

I do not recommend travel for leisure at this time but there are places that currently welcome tourists. I did not mention Thailand but the Kingdom is now open to tourists from all countries. Please check the Thai Embassy websites for further details. Nepal is open to tourists as are the Maldives but this is definitely risky traveling at this time for holidays. There are options for people to work...

In this episode a short update on apps that will most likely be used to confirm COVID tests and vaccines before you board your flight in the future. As well as a look back at one of the most underated destinations in my opinion in Southeast Asia, Malaysian Borneo. Kuching, Sarawak is a wonderful city to base yourself for some unique outdoor and wildlife adventures. Not necessarily a place for beac...

Thanks so much for supporting the podcast. It's been way too long since my last update but in this episode I have alot to cover including the current situation in Southeast Asia and the re-opening of Thailand to long-term tourists. An update from Ho Chi MInh City, Vietnam, and some highlights of my last trips to Nepal in 2018. I have some amazing listeners to thank in this episode with their very...