Have you heard about Langkawi wet markets? Unless you’re a cruising sailor and well versed in Southeast Asian produce or have some previous island life experience; shopping for food on some islands can often be challenging. Learning about local produce and their uses is a cultural experience you simply don’t get from a book, so […]
Urak Lawoi, The Sea Gypsies Of Koh Lipe
My goal was to get a photo of the shrine dedicated to the founding father of Koh Lipe, but like an Alice in Wonderland adventure, everyone I asked pointed me in a different direction. After my second sunbaked loop around one particular group of colorful tin-roofed buildings, I took my chances to enter the small […]
World War 2 Asia, Forgiven Not Forgotten
Unless a diehard history fan, the average visitor to Asia may not realize the impact that World War 2 and the Japanese Military Forces had on the region. Memories from that not-so-long-ago war are present nearly everywhere. The resilient people of Asia survived horrors which are often not repeated to younger generations of family members, […]
Discovering Penang Traditional Trades in Georgetown
Penang is one of those ‘Where do I begin?’ kind of places. With an absolutely endless selection of possible things-to-do available, it could easily take a month or more to explore all of Penang’s fascinating nooks and crannies. George Town alone is enough to keep the average sightseer hopping, that’s for sure. Especially for history […]
Langkawi to Hat Yai in 3 Easy Steps
Editor’s Note – Updated August 2025: This post was first written over 10 years ago and shares the slightly humorous story of my original trip from Langkawi to Hat Yai. Since then, my route preference has changed. For the latest ferry, taxi, train, and immigration details, plus my new recommended route, read: Langkawi to Hat […]
5 Foot Way Inn Changed My Opinion Of Hostels
Hostels are not for everyone and I’m pretty sure I fall into that ‘everyone’ category. Or at least I was sure. I had written hostels off years ago after a brief uninspiring experience. But you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks and sway their opinions as well. My recent stay with 5 Foot […]
What I Learned On A Day Trip To Saparua Island
No one should actually take a day trip to Saparua Island. Of course I didn’t realize this until later and I had no choice at the time either way. As the water taxi sputtered its way across the scenic waters of the Banda Sea, my mind had already envisioned a requisite media style picnic on […]