That Backpacker

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The Bamboo Train in Battambang: The Good and the Ugly

A Sunrise Over Angkor Wat and A Conversation with Strangers

9 Lessons Learned from a Month Backpacking around SE Asia

The Luxuries of Travel in SE Asia

May 21, 2013

I am getting spoiled here. And I mean seriously spoiled! One of the many luxuries of travel in Asia is the incredibly low cost of living. Sam and I are travelling as a couple and we have a daily budget of $50 for the two us. We are staying in nice guesthouses, eating out 3 [...]

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Kayaking in Halong Bay

May 17, 2013

Our kayaking faces - ready to explore the bay

Halong Bay was one of the destinations that I most wanted to visit in Southeast Asia, and I finally made it there last week! Sam and I chose to take a 2 day tour of the harbour and one of the activities we got to enjoy on our first day at sea was kayaking! I [...]

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Why You Need to Visit Vietnam

May 16, 2013

A woman carries a yoke basket down the streets in Hoi An, Vietnam

If you only have time to explore one country in Southeast Asia, choose VIETNAM! Let’s admit it, when it comes to travel, Vietnam gets a bit of a bad rep. Before coming here all I heard were stories of travel scams, robberies, aggressive touts, and warnings that I’d be treated like a walking dollar sign. [...]

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There’s A Place In…Marrakech

May 12, 2013

In this edition of There’s A Place In… Savi and Vid take us on a stroll of the beautiful streets of Marrakech. Savi and Vid have visited 37 countries together and run an offbeat travel and fashion blog at Bruised Passports. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. What drew you to Marrakech [...]

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Shopping for Clothes in Hoi An

May 10, 2013

When in Hoi An, you go shopping! I am currently in Hoi An, a city in the center of Vietnam that is world renowned for its tailors and custom made clothes. This city is so small that it feels more like a town, yet it is home to more than 200 tailor shops that can [...]

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The Silk Lanterns of Hoi An

May 8, 2013

A shop selling sillk lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam

They are everywhere. They hang from trees, line the store fronts, and light the markets at night. Hoi An is one of those towns that is able to transport you back in time, and a lot of it has to do with these beautiful silk lanterns. Wandering around the old town, I feel as though [...]

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Beach Towns or Colonial Cities?

May 6, 2013

Red lanterns and flags on the streets of Melaka, Malaysia

Three countries, twelve cities, and ten weeks of travel later, I am starting to discover what kind of places I like to linger in. Before setting out on this extended trip around much of South East Asia, I would have considered myself a beach bum with a preference for hippie seaside towns, where you eat [...]

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Surviving the Temples of Angkor

April 30, 2013

Visiting Banteay Srei, one of the temples of Angkor

Oh, the temples of Angkor! One of the highlights of travel in Cambodia. It may seem like an easy task to explore these ancient temples, but where does one even begin?! Bike or tuk-tuk? One day pass or seven day pass? Angkor Wat or the lesser known sites? Here are some of my tips for [...]

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Misadventures on the Mekong Delta

April 27, 2013

Traveling down the Mekong Delta in Vietnam

With a dip of the paddle into the café au lait waters, we effortlessly glide down the narrow waterways of the Mekong Delta. A strange kind of palm tree that I have not seen before lines the banks, and like feathered plumes they shield us from whatever wildlife may lurk on the mainland. We row [...]

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Cambodian Cooking Class

April 22, 2013

Nary-Kitchen-Khmer-Cooking-Class-Battambang-Cambodia (13)-001

This past week I signed up to do something I’ve never done before – take a cooking class! I like to think that I’m a decent cook, but the truth is I’m really just a great eater. I like to eat. A lot. Breakfast and second breakfast, mid-morning snack followed by an early lunch, then [...]

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The Bamboo Train in Battambang: The Good and the Ugly

April 18, 2013

Riding the bamboo train (nori) in Battambang, Cambodia

Battambang isn’t the most popular destination for travellers passing through Cambodia, but those who do make it to the northwestern part of the country know about the notorious bamboo train. Located in the outskirts of town, the bamboo train, or nori, is essentially a bamboo flatbed on wheels, which is powered by a small motorcycle [...]

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Rural Cambodia by Tuk-Tuk

April 17, 2013

This week I went on a little tour of the Cambodian countryside, and it has been one of the highlights of my time in this country! (Along with watching the sun come up at Angkor Wat, of course.) When we were making plans for this outing, we told our tuk-tuk driver, Mr. Bay, that the [...]