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TWO GREEN BACKPACKS

Travel blog on traveling South-East Asia on a budget!

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    • Thailand
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  • Countries
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Laos
    • Cambodia
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • A beer on the beach, Thailand
    A Day in the Life,  Europe,  Food,  Ponderings

    Goodbye Island Life….

    September 23, 2018

    So long story short, we have now left Koh Tao. The place where we made our lives for the past 5 years; made a home, created life-long friendships (cheesy but true, especially when you work, drink, eat, even sometimes live aside one another!), and most importantly, started our diving careers from Open Water students, through to Master Scuba Diving Trainers. To run through it quickly, the biggest reason we left the comfort of our island home is because we are looking for the next challenge, and in that, we decided that we needed to find something that will set us up for our future. We love being Scuba Instructors, and…

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    emma 4 Comments

    Related Posts

    Slowly Healing

    July 30, 2013

    Update on our Travels – Short Term Future Plans

    December 6, 2013

    We are the worst people…

    May 14, 2015
  • 'She Can't Swim',  A Day in the Life,  Diving,  Thailand

    Hard Day at Work

    March 15, 2016

    When you make a bubble ring off your fiance's head. #uwproblems #diving #islandlyf A photo posted by emma.o (@elko.em) on Mar 15, 2016 at 4:57am PDT

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    emma 1 Comment

    Related Posts

    Another Freak Accident – To Burn or Not to Burn

    January 10, 2014

    We are the worst people…

    May 14, 2015

    Diving to join the under water world in Koh Tao

    May 20, 2013
  • 'She Can't Swim',  A Day in the Life,  Thailand

    GET SOME, and GET ON IT.

    March 14, 2016

    Awesome new work shirts designed by the ever so talented Lionel Kobi. #getsome #gettingsome #gotsome @saireecottagediving #kohtao A photo posted by emma.o (@elko.em) on Mar 13, 2016 at 10:17pm PDT Stop thinking about it, and do it. Get Some. Get on it. Find out what you love, and do it. Whether it’s traveling, being successful in your career, or with your family and friends. Do it. Be Happy, and Get Some. We did, and we love it.

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    emma No Comments

    Related Posts

    The ‘She Can’t Dive’ Chronicles: Deep Dive, Nitrox, & O2

    December 18, 2013

    The Diving on Koh Tao

    January 21, 2016

    We are the worst people…

    May 14, 2015
  • 'She Can't Swim',  A Day in the Life,  Diving,  Thailand

    UPDATE: Still Diving…

    February 23, 2015

    … Still loving it.

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    emma 1 Comment

    Related Posts

    Excuses To Not Travel

    November 20, 2014

    The ‘She Can’t Dive’ Chronicles: Deep Dive, Nitrox, & O2

    December 18, 2013

    The Diving on Koh Tao

    January 21, 2016
  • A Day in the Life,  Thailand

    Back on Tao = Back to Bikinis, Curries & Sunshine

    February 2, 2015

    Did we mention we’re back on Koh Tao in Thailand? And diving everyday again? Cos we are.

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    emma 1 Comment

    Related Posts

    Wok to Cook in a Wok – Cooking Dinner On An Island

    July 16, 2014

    Mowing the Grass

    August 20, 2014

    Any Doctors reading this?

    June 11, 2013
  • Cambodia,  Food,  Laos,  Thailand,  Top Things To Do,  Travel Guide,  Vietnam

    How to Do Street Food in South East Asia

    December 31, 2014

    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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    emma 2 Comments

    Related Posts

    Palm Beach Bungalow Resort at Koh Rong

    June 6, 2013

    Elephant Politics In Mondulkiri

    June 20, 2013

    Don’t be That Guy (or Girl) to order Crab and then Complain

    June 22, 2013
  • A Day in the Life,  Diving,  Thailand

    Koh Tao – Don’t Not Come and The Day We Saved A Turtle

    September 17, 2014

    Just wanted to post an update re: current murderous situation on Koh Tao. We are fine. Yes, it was pretty close to us, but considering it happened on the longest, busiest stretch of beach on Koh Tao where the majority of locals, foreign locals, and tourists stay, everything is in close proximity. Especially on an island about 21 km². It’s a horrid situation, but not believed to be a random attack which makes us feel better. For now, business is as usual. On the upside, this morning I was filming a diving video for a few fun divers and we stumbled across a turtle that had its’ fin stuck in…

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    emma 5 Comments

    Related Posts

    Hard Day at Work

    March 15, 2016
    A beer on the beach, Thailand

    Goodbye Island Life….

    September 23, 2018

    Turtle at Lham Tien

    August 28, 2014
  • A Day in the Life,  Diving,  Thailand

    This Is What We Do – A Diving Video

    September 13, 2014

    Here’s an underwater video I shot for Sairee Cottage. Lionel is side-mount diving with a colleague. Side-mount diving is diving with two tanks either side. That’s double the air, and potentially double the dive time. You look cooler (very important in diving), and you can squeeze into some pretty cool crevices!  

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    emma 1 Comment

    Related Posts

    We are the worst people…

    May 14, 2015

    An Accident in Danang

    July 11, 2013

    A Day In Vientiane

    September 13, 2013
  • A Day in the Life,  Food,  Thailand

    Wok to Cook in a Wok – Cooking Dinner On An Island

    July 16, 2014

    We have a small electric wok that smells slightly of burning plastic. We also have one chopping board, one knife between the two of us, and some cheap cutlery. With some fresh ingredients from the local grocery store, a shop we’ve affectionally named ‘The Smelly Shop,’ and some meat from an esky of ice we’ve been eating quite well. Here’s a bunch of dishes I’m pretty proud of!

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    emma No Comments

    Related Posts

    Slowly Healing

    July 30, 2013

    Turtle at Lham Tien

    August 28, 2014

    Some Familiar Faces Came to Visit

    February 18, 2014
  • Diving,  Thailand

    Diving with Team Awesome – Koh Tao Diving Video

    May 21, 2014

    Two very cool divers, which are now very good friends have cut together this awesome video about our diving together! I assisted on their Open Water, Advanced, Nitrox, Deep and Wreck Specialty courses during my Divemaster course at Sairee Cottage and it was a fantastic experience! Some of my first dive leads were these guys! Lucky I didn’t get lost. Thank you Tobbe and Linda. All credits for the video goes to Tobbe and Linda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqNVP_2xL3o

    Read More
    lionel No Comments

    Related Posts

    Things We Do In Bangkok

    May 16, 2014

    A Stressful Day

    February 4, 2014

    Update on our Travels – Short Term Future Plans

    December 6, 2013
 Older Posts

Hey! It’s Emma & Lionel

Two Green Backpacks

We quit our jobs in 2013 to travel South East Asia on a budget for 3 months. This turned into 5 years. Now we are scuba diving instructors on a tiny island in Thailand… with no plan to go home.

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We quit our jobs in 2013 to travel South East Asia on a budget for 3 months. This turned into 5 years. Now we are scuba diving instructors on a tiny island in Thailand… with no plan to go home.
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