Squat toilets are terrifying when you encounter one for the first time. Where do you sit? How do you watch YouTube videos comfortably? Are there any benefits using squat toilets vs sitting toilets? How do I use a squat toilet with bad knees? But if you’ve traveled extensively, or about to go on a backpacking trip around Asia, you will definitely see these kinds of toilets. You may even have to use them when the time comes; during that jungle trek in Laos, or when you’re motorbiking through Vietnam, or after a Massaman curry in Thailand. Below I have compiled a list of tips on how to use a squat…
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The Essential Item to Pack for Backpacking SE Asia
I’m baaaack! I know it’s been radio silence for a long time on this travel blog, but that’s because Lionel and I haven’t been traveling. We’ve been settled on Koh Tao now for a while. This month was actually our 5 year anniversary of starting our PADI Open Water scuba diving course. In December this year, it’ll be our 5 years of actually living and working on Koh Tao as dive professionals! Crazy how fast the time has gone. I’ve slithered back out of the water that is now my home to talk about something that has radically changed my life recently. The thing that I believe is an essential…
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Koh Tao Festival 2016 Toilets. What to Expect.
Koh Tao Festival is upon us again! It happens every year, and is a two day event run by the Save Koh Tao organisation, and the local Koh Taoian community. This year it falls on the 18th and 19th of June, and right now I can hear the thumping bass from the festival grounds. It’s my third year attending the Koh Tao Festival, and as always, it’s a time for the Thais, Burmese workers, and Westerners (local, and tourists) to mingle, eat food, drink, and listen to looooud, peaking Thai techno/pop. There’s also usually a few shows that are performed on the main stage, and last night we watched the…
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A Plastic World
We were having lunch in Amed, #Bali when we noticed this kid singing and yelling, trying to entertain himself from outside his family's shop. During our travels around #SEAsia I loved checking out these little #cornershops where locals would buy everything from 3-in-1 coffee satchets to toiletries and enemas (don't ask me how I know)! Unfortunately, everything is packaged in tiny wrappings of multicoloured plastic which is then discarded and thrown onto the ground. As a diver we see the effects of the everyday plastic which gets washed into the ocean, literally choking the marine life and the coral. This won't get broken down for thousands of years and may…
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How to Do Street Food in South East Asia
Most times there will be a language barrier but this shouldn’t stop you from trying food carts. At first, we would move cautiously up to the food cart, looking at each other, whispering ‘do you think it’s safe to eat? What is that?’ and then point to something asking ‘how much?’ If you do ask how much, it may cause the street vendor to stop, think, and decide to tell you an inflated price. We now confidently walk up to the cart, have a look, put two fingers up, nod, hold out some cash, and hope for change. Just pretend you know what you’re doing! At times you will need…
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Money Matters in South East Asia
Money is obviously important everywhere and anywhere, but especially when you’re moving from one place to another, and changing currencies. Here are a few things we discovered about money as we traveled.
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Excuses To Not Travel
We come across a lot of people who after hearing that we just decided to pack up and leave home to travel South East Asia, tell us that they wish they could do it. I then give them a list of reasons of why they should do it, and they then give me a list of excuses on why they can’t. Here’s my response! I Have No Money Bull. You have money. You just don’t know how to use it. You obviously have enough money to buy a computer and to buy the internet to read this. You have money, you might not have enough to travel using planes,…
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What is Going on in Thailand?
Firstly, let me just say we are safe here on Koh Tao. Secondly, let me reiterate that we are safe on Koh Tao. Thirdly, mum, dad, we ARE safe. The first we heard about any trouble on the mainland had been through our families, reporting back what the western media has been reporting. Here on Koh Tao we didn’t notice anything different, it’s currently low season so the lack of tourists didn’t seem amiss anyway. This is what is happening so far. On the mainland, there is to be no gathering of more than five people. On the mainland, there is a curfew for locals and tourists between 10pm and…
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Should I Book Accommodation Ahead?
Should I Book Accommodation In Advance? No – often you can negotiate a cheaper price when you are face to face wth the owners. No – you can see what the room is actually like before you pay. How clean, how bright, what’s provided, etc. Yes – often you are guaranteed a booking, though not always.. We are in SE Asia after all. Yes – popular, low cost, very clean, highly rated Trip Advisor places may be booked out, especially in high season. Our Experiences Our first stop was Malaysia and I was feverishly looking up TripAdvisor, hostelbookers.com, hostelworld, booking.com, Airbnb, etc. for cheap but clean accommodation. I was going…
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Why We Traveled, and Why You Should Too!
We got to a cross-roads in our relationship and in our lives, about two years ago. We had good jobs and a bit of money. We could have invested the next few years climbing up our career ladders, purchased a house and a lengthy mortgage to go with it, or we could spend our money and go traveling. 100 points for guessing which path we chose! We did jump into it not really knowing what to expect, but one year later, we’ve come to realise we made the right choice. If you’re wondering if and why you should travel, here’s some of the reasons that made it worthwhile for us.…
