With over 17,500 islands in Indonesia, how on earth do you choose where to visit? We’ve all seen the usual recommendations but what if you want to get off the beaten track? Australian expat Cherie reveals her pick of the best islands for your Indonesian adventure.
No trip to Bali is complete without a few beach days. However, not all of the beaches in Bali are of the same standard. In fact, some are pretty overrated! This article will help you weed out the good from the bad!
Search for the best beaches in Thailand and you’ll be inundated with articles aimed at folks on their two-week vacation. …
10 Best Beaches in Thailand – You May Not Have Heard Of! Read More »
For travellers visiting the 4000 Islands in Laos, a kayaking trip is an absolute must! Read South East Asia Ambassadors Will and Ellie’s verdict on exploring the winding waterways of the Mekong. They even spotted the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins!
For 4 months this summer starting June 1st, Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi will close to tourists. Authorities in the Philippines are discussing a 6-month closure for Boracay Island. Is a closure necessary to protect these natural beauty spots and where should be next?
Underwater, I felt like I had discovered a whole new world. A world that relaxed me and made my over-active mind feel at ease. For once I wasn’t thinking about our future travel plans or my to-do list. I was living in the moment.
Dreaming of a beachy getaway with white sands & crystal blue seas? This is the ULTIMATE LIST of drop-dead gorgeous paradise islands in Southeast Asia!
The popular island of Koh Samui is often disregarded by backpackers as a ‘tourist trap’. Artist Kai A. explains why there’s much more to the island than meet the eye, from terracotta temples to Chinese shrines, crystal beaches and the Muslim call to prayer. This island is a hotbed for creative types…
In the southeastern part of the Maluku Islands in Maluku Province, Indonesia, you can find a particularly enchanting group of islands, Pulau Kei (the Kei Islands). These islands are home to some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable.
The Kei Islands (Kei Besar, Kei Kecil and Kei Dulah are just three of many islands) are known as the forgotten islands. It’s still possible to spend a day walking the beaches without seeing a single other foreigner.
If you’re looking for desert island vibes, clean white beaches and unspoiled nature, then Gili Meno is the island for you. It’s the smallest of the three Gili Islands, at only 1km wide and 2km long, and has a tiny population of 400 (as well as no cars – travel is strictly by horse and carriage only!). Compared to the backpacker favourite, Gili Trawangan, or the more family-friendly Gili Air, there’s very little nightlife on Gili Trawangan (and only a few restaurants) which is why some people stereotype it as the ‘couples’ island. So whether you’re travelling alone or on a romantic escape with your loved one, here are some tips for you!
Want a once in a lifetime chance to cruise across the Indonesian coast with 20 other backpackers in a party boat? Why not spend three nights and four days sailing from Lombok to Flores in Indonesia, and explore Komodo National Park along the way!
With over 2,000 kilometres of coastline, 1,700 islands containing thousands of pristine beaches, towering limestone karsts, tropical rainforest, amazing wildlife and a chilled out burgeoning backpacker scene – Palawan is a paradisiacal adventure playground waiting to be discovered!
When the mighty Mekong River flooded its banks, it created an archipelago known as Si Phan Don. It is translated as 4,000 Islands and, although the river swallows most of these islands in flood season, some remain above water level, boasting riverside bungalows, guesthouses and a refreshing tranquility away from the chaotic backpacker trail of Southeast Asia…
Kaila Krayewski is a Canadian expat living on the tropical island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. She tells us about her life on the island and some important lessons she’s learned along the way…
Is it still worth visiting Koh Phangan if you’re not interested in the Full Moon Party? We caught up with Israeli expat, Sharon, who runs the popular website, phanganist.com, to find out more about what the island has to offer, from yoga to Muay Thai, and learn about how the reputation of Koh Phangan has changed in recent years…
Iconic sands like Maya Bay (Koh Phi Phi) and Freedom Beach (Phuket) in Thailand offer a beautiful setting but the experience is marred by swarms of tourists, some of whom have no respect for the natural environment. When we arrived in Southeast Asia, we heard whispers about a largely untouched desert island paradise – but how could we get there? And was the mythical island all that we hoped it would be?
Home to the notorious monthly Full Moon Party, it’s no shock that Koh Phangan has somewhat of a dodgy reputation. The truth however, is that this island is special and offers far more than it is given credit for. It’s creative, eclectic, underground, spiritual, artistic; it’s got a great, free-flowing vibe; a tight community that integrates both expats, locals, and travellers who keep coming back. We introduce you to the often overlooked dynamism of Koh Phangan.
Could you survive on a deserted paradise island? Make your own shelter? Find your own fresh water and fish for your own dinner? In today’s society we have become so comfortable that we have forgotten about the basic skills needed to exist in a sustainable way. But what if you could go back to this simple way of life? Would you be happier? Feel more freedom? Travel writer and blogger, Martin decided to find out!
Sip milky iced tea while listening to melodic jazz from a street café. Haggle over homemade batik at a Malay fabric shop. Just a few reasons, says travel journalist Leigh-Anne Hunter, to ditch the beach for a day and wander through Phuket’s fascinating, but little-seen Old Quarter…
The island of Koh Phangan in southern Thailand is notorious for the Full Moon Party and a hedonistic destination for young backpackers! However, there’s so much more to the island than meets the eye. In recent years, it has become a hub for yoga and spirituality and draws thousands of ‘soul-searching’ travellers who are looking for more than just buckets and beaches. After the New Year’s Eve celebrations died down this year, we made our way to Agama Yoga on the beautiful West coast of the island to meet the founder of Agama Yoga School, Swami Vivekananda Saraswati. We discuss yin and yang, the laws of karma, tantric sex, God and reincarnation!
A while ago we heard a whisper about a beautiful little island. It’s the ubiquitous backpacker-trail search for the beach that everyone seems to be drawn to. Do deserted white sandy beaches still exist? We decided to check out this hidden isle called Koh Phayam for ourselves.
Waking up to bright blue skies, turquoise waters and a day of teaching wide-eyed backpackers to discover a whole new world… is this the job of dreams? So what is it really like getting paid to live in paradise? Here, we compare a regular day in the life of a Western office worker alongside a regular day in the life of Ludo, a dive instructor at Big Blue Diving, Koh Tao, Thailand…
Writer, blogger and lover of all things ‘travel’, Neil Barnes retells a fiery tale of adventure, nightlife and drunken decisions… Whilst enjoying the splendours of the beautiful island of Koh Phangan in South Thailand and sampling the delights of cheap Sam Song rum served in a sandcastle bucket, Neil made potentially the stupidest decision he’s ever made. Whether it was the Red Bull or just the buzz of travelling he’ll never know… Would you make the same mistake?
Would you like to give something back whilst you travel? Sometimes it is not all about seeing the Top 10 sights in a country, but about staying put for a while and finding out more about how your visit can help the local community. Jessica Simmonds from Scotland decided to take time out of her gap year to volunteer for three months in Thailand. She chose Lanta Animal Welfare, (LAW) a non-profit organisation based on Koh Lanta, Thailand, which takes care of the large population of stray dogs and cats on the island. Her experience was fun, rewarding and most of all valuable to the local area…
New Zealand-born Anna Cleal is the Director of a brand new, pioneering company ‘Flip Flop Tours,’ which aims to give backpackers their first taste of the Philippines! She talks about how some backpackers may be put off visiting the 7,107 islands due to fears of safety, lack of travel information or general laziness to leave the landlocked circular South East Asian trail of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia! Here she tells us about the amazing travel opportunities for backpackers in the Philippines and dispels any doubts people may have about visiting the country…