Asia holds the titles for being both the largest and most populated continent in the world. It’s also rich with history. And that’s all before we get to Asia’s beaches and, of course, Asia’s delectable food.
Don’t be fooled, however. While Asia might sit as one gigantic land mass (with plenty of Asian islands), the various countries are very culturally distinct. From Japan and China in the north to Indonesia and Thailand further south, you could spend a lifetime exploring Asia’s different cultures and sights.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Beijing will no doubt grab the attention of city lovers but the Thai beaches, Cambodian temples, Vietnamese food and Myanmar’s Asia of yesteryear deserve separate trips all in themselves. But don’t worry, this easy to navigate continent makes it possible to combine a few countries into one trip.
For those of you looking to spend time backpacking in Asia, you’ll be thrilled to find that travel is pretty budget-friendly in these parts.
As for me, I’ve visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China, The Philippines and, most recently, Myanmar.
There’s still so much to see and I have some favourites I will return to time and again.
In my posts, I tend to cover things to do in Asia as well as what to eat, where to go, suggested itineraries and the occasional travel story about the downright odd and amusing things that happen while you travel…like that time I found a snake in my room in Vietnam. Don’t worry, ‘this never happens’ the hotel lady told me. Personally, I hear that a lot, but it’s all part of the story.
So, get stuck in. I hope there’s some Asia travel inspiration in here for you to enjoy.
As ever, I often travel quicker than I write so if I’ve listed some places in Asia above but haven’t got any posts up on the site yet, drop me a line. Or sign up to my newsletter.
Every now and then I come across a country and for one reason or another we don’t get on – that was my experience with the Philippines. Don’t get me wrong, the country is beautiful, the people even more so it really was not them – it was me. Three months breezing through Hawaii at … Read more
After almost three weeks trying and unanimously failing to find food heaven in the Philippines, I stumbled across the food phenomenon that seizes the palette of wealthier Filipinos and ex-pats alike each weekend – the Sofitel Manila Sunday Brunch. I should start by saying that there is very little that is Filipino about the food … Read more
Buffet dining can be a blessing and a curse in the same bite, depending how you approach the multitude of food on offer. The price is most often the most enticing aspect of a buffet, allowing you the chance to eat a wide range of cuisines in the same meal, but somewhere between low quality … Read more
“Food in the Philippines isn’t very good,” they were words from a fellow traveller and they came as a crushing blow. How could that be? I was in Asia – one of the cornerstones of the spice trade, a region that had sent its cuisine global with pandemic success. The Philippines had to have good … Read more
My visa for the Philippines expires in two days so I was determined to take a trip to the north of Luzon and the Cordillera mountains to visit the Batad rice terraces. The terraces are dubbed the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ and although I have come across many self-proclaimed ‘eighth wonders’ on my travels, … Read more
Manila, like any capital city is a sprawling mass meaning you’ll need to investigation various forms of transport to see the sights – having navigated the Philippine’s main city (with varying degrees of success) here’s my guide for how to get around Manila. Taxi The huge plus to Manila is that the taxis are super … Read more
I’ve met a lot of travellers who apply the land and leave style of travel to Kuala Lumpur, seeing it as nothing more than a convenient travel hub in Southeast Asia. Well having visited the city myself on two different occasions I can safely tell you that this is certainly not the case, with enough … Read more
I’ve been a fan of one-way tickets for some time now, mainly because of the flexibility they lend to my travels, but this buy and fly method doesn’t always work, as I discovered this morning when I was introduced to the stringent entry requirements for the Philippines. Booking A Flight To The Philippines I booked … Read more
After spending a month in the land of the rising sun, I’ve stayed in a fair range of places ranging from hostels to homes to hotels to temples. In this post I share where to stay in Japan on a budget (and in some cases where not to stay). Types of accommodation in Japan Hostels: There … Read more
It’s been too long since I wrote about eating in Japan – this time, my favourite discovery: okonomiyaki. What is okonomiyaki? Some describe it as Japanese pizza, others say it is more like a crêpe or pancake. I’m not sure I can accurately describe it in words…so I will describe it in pictures instead. The … Read more