Riding motorbikes and scooters can be a great way of travelling around Southeast Asia. They're affordable, fun and they give travellers a tremendous degree of flexibility.
We're big believers in the need for having adequate travel insurance and nothing bites worse than you being in a bind and the insurer refusing to pay. Here are some of the most common gotchas you need to watch out for in travel insurance policies.
In all likelihood you will have a holiday with no more of a health or safety drama than a spot of Bali Belly, but that's not to say nothing can go wrong. It can. Here is a roundup on medical in the region along with some of the most common dangers you might face.
Cambodian table manners Travellers often worry about what to eat when they arrive in a new location, but considering how you eat can be just as important. Habits you take for granted could be offensive to those around you. Here's our introduction to appropriate behaviour in a typical Cambodian eater
There is no one "right" way to travel and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Some like to travel in a group, others like to tackle the road solo. Some like to plan everything down to the finest detail, others prefer to make it up as they go. Some fly when they can; others take the cheapest bus.
Southeast Asia is a deceptively big small place; sometimes covering what seems to be the shortest of distances can take the longest of times. This can be because of poor infrastructure, bad connections, bad weather, or all three. If you're set on milking as much out of your time in Southeast Asia as
What is your trip going to cost? By international standards, Southeast Asia offers amazing value--that $200 cubby hole in Kyoto, Japan will get you a private pool villa in Bali--but you need not be spending the earth to be comfortable.
What to pack While you can find exhaustive information online about what you should and should not pack, we take a simple approach.
Going to a Cambodian wedding Of all the hospitality that might be extended to visitors in Cambodia, an invitation to a wedding is probably the most special. Wedding parties usually take place in street-side yellow and pink marquees by the family home, or in a hall at a specialist wedding venue. Put
With a bit of thought and some sensible packing, the hassles of travelling with a baby or toddler in Southeast Asia can be well outweighed by the joys.
Why you need travel insurance? While it's true that basic healthcare can be cheap, the emphasis should be on the word basic--not cheap. Thailand, Singapore and to a lesser extent Malaysia have a higher standard of care, than say Cambodia or Burma, but this is often in private hospitals, not public.
With the exception of Singapore, safety standards in Southeast Asia may be lower than what you're used to in the developed world. Here are some of the main things to watch out for.
By and large, with the application of some common sense, Southeast Asia is a safe region for travel. It isn't perfect though. Here's what to keep in mind to up the chances of a trouble-free trip.
Every year another round of final-year results arrive and another year's worth of students decide to take a year off before hitting university--many of them aiming for a stint in Southeast Asia. You'd be mad not to be fitting in a sojourn in the region as a part of your journey, so here's some advic
Happy Khmer New Year! For the third time in four months, preparations are underway to bring in a new year in Cambodia. International New Year is an excuse to party with the rest of the world and Chinese New Year has been adopted as an unofficial holiday. But Khmer New Year still stands apart as one
Pchum Ben: Ancestor's Day in Cambodia We're in the middle of one of Cambodia's major holidays right now, although if you're visiting, you might not have even noticed. Pchum Ben is one of Cambodia's most important Buddhist festivals .
Respect for King Norodom Sihanouk The death of former King Norodom Sihanouk, aged 89, on October 15 during the Pchum Ben festival is being mourned by Cambodians. Increasingly frail, the King Father's last visit to Cambodia from his home in China earlier in the year proved to be his last. His death h