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 […]
Perils of Pet Sitting, What You Should Know
I’m going on my fifth year of pet sitting in Southeast Asia. I wasn’t even aware that such a thing as pet sitting or house sitting existed in a ‘professional services’ category, until I read a blog about it on the 1 Dad 1 Kid website. I signed up immediately and was an official pet […]
Meeting the Rainforest with Flight of the Gibbon
I clutched the rope for dear life, as the distant tree tops below made me feel slightly light-headed. I’m not sure when I had become phobic of high places. Maybe it had always been with me and I hadn’t noticed. But as I embraced my first Flight of the Gibbon Chiang Mai zipline adventure, I […]