Far East Travels Podcast

With the situation for travel to China worsening the State Department Of The United States has issued a Level 4 travel advisory to China for it's citizens. To put this into context Level 4 is the same warning for a country that is at war. For Canada, Australia, and the U.K. the advisories are similar in that all non-essential travel to Mainland China is discouraged with a no travel warning to Hube...

How this slipped by me I still don't know but I found out just this week that Vietnam is amending their visa rules as of July 1st, 2020 and it's possible you could be affected. Although I still haven't seen official documentation on this particular change yet many people are commenting on forums about the new rule for tourist visas where you will have to leave the country every 30 daynin order to...

In this episode I talk about the opportunity one has to reflect on their self-improvement and personal growth while revisiting a travel destination. I've had the opportunity to do this on my current trip to Siem Reap after a 5 year absence. Also in this episode, alternative towns to Siem Reap to visit in Cambodia for a truly authentic experience of a slower paced Southeast Asia-Kampot, Kratie, Bat...

I'm always excited to hear from listeners of the podcast. What's even more special is a meet-up when we cross paths on our travels. I recently heard from Tudor, a Berlin resident originally from Transylvania, Romania. Tudor was in Siem Reap, Cambodia at the same time as myself so we got together to share travel experiences and of course I'm always eager to get feedback from listeners. I thought it...

I asked my Twitter/Periscope follower to chat with me ask I walked along the Siem Reap River towards the Royal Residence and Raffles Grand Angkor Hotel. If you're looking to get away from the main buzz around the old market and Pub Street area this is a nice walk. Although there is a fair bit of traffic along the road that runs parallel to the Siem Reap River it still can be a pleasant walk. Any q...

It's my first visit to Siem Reap, gateway to the Angkor Ruins in 5 years and I've got an update for you on what's changed. The current state of outside investment and growth is certainly reflective in the amount of new retail shops, particularly internationally branded stores, chains like Starbucks, and new locations of familiar Cambodian brands. I was shocked by how much more agressive drivers an...

Sharing an experience walking through the commercial center of Phnom Penh, Cambodia at the massive Orussey Market. As I shared this broadcast with my live Twitter/Periscope followers I field some random questions about Cambodia and travel in Southeast Asia. I try to visit and share as much as these experiences as I can in order to inspire travel off or out of the tourist zones. You'll just get a m...

In this episode I want to cover off some suggestions and tips for traveling, especially for extended periods of time with some self-catering tips. I prefer to self-cater my breakfasts if I'm not staying in a hotel or guesthouse that offers breakfast. It's the one meal where i can feel like I'm at home or in my own place. It's also a time-saver for me. I'm eating out two meals a day so having one i...

I had a few suggestions or warnings on a couple of my latest Phnom Penh YouTube videos to share or mention some of the scams that continue to go on here in the capital. The one I was intrigued by the most is the blackjack scam, as it's a fair bit more complex than your average tourist scam as there are several players involved. I also go over some of the more familiar scams to listeners and travel...

The supply far outweighs the demand for tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh and probably in Siem Reap, Cambodia as well. How do you manage the situation? It can be overwhelming to be asked several times an hour if you need a tuk-tuk. Along with motorbike taxis trolling next to you on the streets if you're not walking in the opposite direction of traffic. In this episode I go into the reasons why there are so m...

I hope you are enjoying the holiday with family and friends and wish you a very healthy, joyful, and prosperous 2020. This past Christmas week has felt quite uneventful and from an outsider, one of the least interested places in the whole Christmas celebration. Now that could be just that I'm used to more of a Christmas presence in East Asia and Southeast Asia because of the much more developed re...

An email from a listener who had a question on whether he should keep his plans for visiting Vietnam during the wet season or change it to the dry season inspired the topic for this episode so thanks Mike! It's a really good question that should be decided soley on the preferences of each person. They both have their positives and negatives. To clear up what exactly a wet season is in these region...

The Central Market is definitely one of my top sites to see in Phnom Penh. Personally while staying in the capital on most days I'll find myself here even for just a half-hour. It's buzzing with activity most of the day and the streets surrounding the market are also worthy of exploring. The dome area is impressive but unless you're interested in checking out gemstones, gold, and jewellry it soons...

Nguyen Trai Street is a vibrant local shopping area of Saigon's District 5. If you want real deals on clothing this is the place to visit. You'll find the prices here up to 30% of similiar items in the tourist district. There's also amazing street food and restaurants close by mostly serving Vietnamese and Chinese food. District 5 is part of the original Cholon area of Ho Chi Minh. At one time thi...

I always love visiting the Binh Tay Market in District 6 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's chaotic in the slowest of times. When I first started visiting HCMC I often visited the market in the mornings but lately I've been making my way out to D6 in the afternoons when the light is just right and the atmosphere is still frenzied. It's also a fun place to visit to see what seasonal items are for s...

How do people celebrate Christmas in Saigon, Vietnam? In this episode I chat about how people celebrate this holiday and what to expect if you visit at this time of year. Being a primarily Buddhist country, Christmas is not as an important celebration as the Lunar New Year or Tet. In fact, technically Christmas isn't a holiday at all, so if it falls during the work week, everyone goes about their...

Vietnamese markets are always a favorite place of mine to wander. A huge variety of fruit, seafood, and abundance, especially in Ho Chi MInh City and around this region that draws on food production from Mekong River Delta, the "rice bowl" of Vietnam. In this episode I'm wandering the Tan My Market in Ho Chi MInh City's District 7 while getting feedback and questions from viewers I've invited to w...

A listener recently sent me a message asking how safe is it to travel to Cambodia these days. He was about to visit the country for the first time with his girlfriend. The recent news of a young British woman gone missing on the island of Koh Rong once again raises concerns about how safe the country is for travel. Her body was discovered in the ocean a week after she went missing and after an aut...

In this episode Kyoto, Japan resident Niall Gibson joins me for a chat on the new Reiwa era that marks a new emperor and empress. We also talk about the recent ban on street photography in the traditonal Gion section of Kyoto and highlights of the upcoming fall koyo or red leaf season. Fall is a very special time of year to visit Kyoto-with lower daytime temperatures it makes for great hiking and...

Some basic information on what you need to know about visas in these regions. One thing that is the general rule of thumb is to have a passport that's valid for 6 months beyond for first day in the country you're visiting. Not all countries require this but most do. The visa process is getting easier and I've even heard talk of a possible ASEAN visa that would allow you to travel around the region...

Unhealthy levels on the Air Quality Index are a fact of life in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. In this episode I review the AQI so you'll have some context as to what could be considered safe or dangerous depending on how sensitive you are to air pollution. Other factors like seasonal conditions, for example the yellow dust from the Gobi Desert in Spring throughout East Asia, and the s...

In this episode I give you a quick run down of my go to apps for booking hotels, airlines, food delivery, rideshares, and general use and information. I did not mention rail apps that are handy for booking tickets in places like Taiwan, where you can reserve tickets for either Taiwan Railways or for the Taiwan High Speed Rail-I will leave those for future episodes. For myself these apps are equiva...

Full disclosure, I'm not 100% vegan, maybe 85%, which I suppose would infuriate some people because veganism seems to be just as much if not more of a cause than just a diet preference. Choosing to be vegan because you are concerned about the treatment of animals and the health of our planet are absolutely worthy choices to change your diet but I believe it's also OK just to be doing it for you an...

There are definitely much more than just 6 sites or places to see in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City but if I had to narrow it down to a few select these are the places I recommend you should see-especially on your first visit. Ho Chi Minh City has an estimated population of around 13 million. It is a megalopolis and rapidly changing. I've left off more tradtional markets and districts or spots that ar...

Join me on a walk through Co Bac/Co Giang the streets and area that was featured in the Netflix series Street Food Asia Ho Chi Minh City episode. You'll will definitely feel the rumble and energy of the motorbikes that act as the pulse of the city. I hope that these "on the street" episodes help you feel the energy of Southeast Asia and inspire you to travel and visit these truly dynamic places. A...