Samui Plus, Thailand: A Traveller’s Guide
Are you interested in Thailand’s Samui Plus scheme? This allows fully vaccinated, international travellers to visit the three most popular islands without needing to complete a lengthy state quarantine!
News
When Will The Laos China Railway Open To Cross-Border Travel?
The Laos China Railway will connect Vientiane with Kunming in China. But when will it open? We dive into everything you need to know if this train journey is on your bucket list!
Phuket Sandbox: Everything You Need to Know
On 1st July 2021, Thailand opened up its borders to vaccinated international travellers without the need for quarantine. They call it the “Phuket Sandbox”.
Maya Bay Reopening – Everything You Need To Know!
With Maya Bay reopening in 2022, we take a look at the reasons it closed as well as the new restrictions in place to protect this stunning bay…
A Guide to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Sandbox
Cambodia has announced that it will begin to restart tourism with the launch of the Sihanoukville Sandbox. Incorporating popular destination Koh Rong and the resort of Dara Sakor in Koh Kong province too.
When Can I Travel to Bali? The Race to Restart Tourism
After a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, Bali’s planned reopening has been pushed back again. So when can you travel to Bali? We look at everything revealed so far about the current plans to reopen Bali.
Phu Quoc Island Opening – Vietnam’s Plan to Restart Tourism
The Phu Quoc Sandbox is a new scheme that aims to attract fully vaccinated international tourists to the resort island in the south of Vietnam. If successful, it will kickstart a much-needed revival of tourism in the country.
Asia Travel News | Where to Get Up to Date Info
We share our best resources for keeping bang up to date with the latest Travel News from Asia! Newspapers, blogs, newsletters, podcasts and more…
STA Travel Go Bust! Have you been affected?
The famous student travel company, STA Travel, went bust this week leaving thousands of travellers with cancelled trips and no refunds!
What Will Travel Look Like in a Post COVID-19 World?
This week, we’ve been looking into our crystal ball* and seeing how travel could change in a Post COVID-19 World. Will things go back to normal? And do we want them to?
Komodo Island Shut-Down: Fake News?
Komodo dragons are one of Southeast Asia’s most alluring creatures. Komodo National Park attracts more visitors by the day. What does this mean for the dragons themselves. Samantha Lego tells us what she learnt on a recent trip.
Christmas in Asia: What’s A Homesick Backpacker To Do?
Turkey, stuffing, Christmas crackers and a questionable present from your gran — this is what Christmas is all about, right? Wrong. Being away from home for the holidays can be tough for a backpacker on the road; some might even say it’s the hardest part about travelling. so here’s a guide to “Badaa Din” and how to sprinkle some backpacker Christmas spirit, no matter where in the world you are!
Songkran Survival Guide – Thailand’s Water Festival
As people gear up for the world’s biggest water fight, if you’re secretly dreading it and are wondering if it’s okay to book yourself a posh hotel, buy lots of beer and avoid the next three – five days, then read this guide on how to survive Songkran, and make up your mind…
Becoming a Yoga Teacher in India: Review of 200-Hour Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training Course at Parimukti – Part 3
The final part of our day-to-day diaries of the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course in Goa! What an incredible month of emotional ups and downs, physical challenges and life transforming knowledge! Now, at the other end of the experience, we can honestly say that this is one of the best and most intense experiences that you can do as a traveller in Asia…
Becoming a Yoga Teacher in India: Review of 200-Hour Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training Course at Parimukti – Part 2
Daily Diaries from Week Two of the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course. A difficult week blighted with injury and tiredness. No one said becoming a Yoga Teacher would be easy! Would we make it through to the end to realise our potential?
Beyond the Temples of Angkor… Volunteering to Provide Free Education for Poor Children of Cambodia
Many travellers visit Cambodia to cast eyes upon the famous Angkor Wat Temples, yet, is there a richer experience to be had in this beautiful, yet impoverished country? Read one traveller’s experience volunteering with SOID (Supporting Orphans and Indigent People of Cambodia for Development Organisation), a small NGO that provides free education to the poor children of Veal Village, Siem Reap…
The Burmese Backpacker Boom!
When over 50 years of conflict that made the country a no-go zone for travellers came to an end, Southeast Asia suddenly had a new and amazing country for intrepid travellers to explore! Now backpackers are hitting Myanmar’s shores in droves. So what does the country have to offer them in terms of adventure? And will the country’s under-developed infrastructure be able to handle the newfound popularity?
Revealed! Your 100 Best Moments of 2014 and Our Two Lucky Competition Winners!
On Christmas Eve, we asked you to share with us your Best Travel Moments of 2014. The response was incredible. From special moments shared with locals, friends and family amidst spectacular landscapes to homecomings, close encounters with nature, solo spiritual moments… and many more! Read these special travel moments and be inspired to hitch on that backpack… oh and we reveal the two winners of our competition!
Same Same But Salsa! From Backpacking South East Asia to South America…
Could you backpack forever? Already thinking about where to head next? Some of our team members are currently exploring South America (and starting a whole new backpacker magazine)! If you’re keen to keep on travelling, but can’t believe you’ll find a more beautiful beach or mountain range than you’ve already laid eyes on in South East Asia, don’t fret! We’ve put together a list of places in South America where you’ll feel right at home!
Notes From the Editor: Do you Embrace the Prospect of ‘Change’ into Your Life & Travels?
The anticipation of a big change has been lingering in the air of the S.E.A Backpacker office in Chiang Mai recently. As soon as it was felt, we knew deep down that we must follow our hearts and obey the backpacker spirit that brought us here in the first place… Even though making big changes in your life is never easy, sometimes you need to take the plunge and dive right into the next adventure…
Making the Most of a 7-Day Trip in Myanmar / Burma
Burma, (or Myanmar) the land of Aung San Suu Kyi, is a country little visited by the world; however after just recently opening it’s doors there is a new surge of travelers pouring in. As tourism is relatively new, travellers have the unique opportunity to see a country re-writing it’s own history and re-creating it’s collective identity. However, it also means that the backpacker trail is not as well worn and pre-trip information is key. Here Andres Nunez del Prado- a Peruvian native traveling the world, tells us the in’s and out’s of his recent trip to Burma, giving us invaluable on the road insight!
Is the Lonely Planet Dead? We Question the Future of the Travel Guidebook…
With Lonely Planet being sold by the BBC this week for a shocking £55 million loss, does this put the future of guidebooks into question? This happens in the same week that we hear Frommers guidebooks, born in 1957 with the groundbreaking ‘Europe on 5 dollars a day’, announce the decision that they will publish no more titles. So what do you think? What is the future of Lonely Planet and the travel guidebook in general? Is there still a place for the guidebook when you are planning your trip?
The Party’s Over! The end of Tubing in Vang Vieng
You’ve heard the rumours filtering from the Banana Pancake Trail and you don’t quite want to believe it. What’s that? Noooo! Frame and mount that ‘In the Tubing’ vest of yours… ‘Tubing’ is really over.
20 Tips for Travellers to Myanmar (Burma)
Over the past year, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been opening up to tourism and has seen a huge increase in backpackers recently, with the small amount of guesthouses barely able to accommodate them! Asia’s last frontier, the ‘real Asia’ and the ‘land that time forgot’, it’s easy to see why Myanmar is so captivating to the adventurous traveller. If you’re planning a trip to Myanmar, read our 20 essential tips, covering everything from visas, flights and crispy US Dollar bills to wearing your longyi and embracing thanaka bark!
The Rainforest World Music Festival, Sarawak, Borneo
Next weekend the only place to be is deep in the heart of the Borneo jungles. A place of exotic mystery, the thrill of adventure; the land of ancient virgin rainforests, hornbills, orangutans and the fabled white Rajahs. As well as being home to 27 ethnic groups, between 13th – 15th July it houses the mother of all global music festivals…
Flying Through the Jungle on the Longest Zipwire in the World!
Here at South East Asia Backpacker magazine, the team love to squeeze an adventure into our schedules and what could be better than flying through the rainforest on a Sunday afternoon? Seven of us took on the challenge, and were transformed from a group of quivering wrecks into a bunch of screaming daredevils.
Interview with Vang Vieng Entrepreneurs, Greg & Owen
Undoubtedly the star attraction of Vang Vieng, a town on highway 13 between Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos, is the Nam Song River lined with rope swings, zip wires and a multitude of cool bars – a veritable playground for backpackers! Karen Farini catches up with Greg and Owen, 27 year old UK twins, who own the coolest and quirkiest entertainment space in town to get the low down on running a business on a river bank prone to annual flooding, the locals’ view of the abrupt change in culture and of course the crazy and controversial phenomenon known as tubing…
The Bali Arts Festival, Bali, Indonesia
Taking place over an entire month from mid June to mid July, the Bali Arts Festival is a unique extravaganza of arts, music, dance and history celebrating passion and pride in Balinese culture. Amongst other performances, famous masked dances originating from tribal villages are showcased and ancient classic stories retold. There’s a vibrant atmosphere all across the island as celebrations are enjoyed by locals and travellers alike. For first time travellers to Bali, it’s a fantastic introduction to the rich heritage of the spirited destination…
Our 2-Year Anniversary and a Thai Buddhist Blessing
This month, we celebrate the 2nd Birthday of S.E.A Backpacker Magazine. Boy oh boy, do they grow up fast! It only seems like yesterday that the very small and very nervous S.E.A Backpacker team set off on a preliminary trip to Koh Tao and Koh Phangan to tell people about our vision and look for sponsors to help us get off the ground. Pressed T-shirts and sweaty hands, we knocked on doors of bars, restaurants, dive schools and hostels with a basic mock-up that two years later has grown into the magazine you are reading now!
Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Rabbit
On 3rd February 2011 Chinese communities all over Southeast Asia will welcome in the New Year of the Rabbit. As dragon dances parade the streets and firecrackers fill the air, people hang red lanterns, give lucky red envelopes and pray for good fortune in the coming twelve months. But what does the Year of the Rabbit have in store? And why do people wear red at Chinese New Year?
Thaipusam Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Thaipusam Festival is one of the largest and most extravagant Hindu festivals in Asia celebrated by followers worldwide. Each year, millions of devotees flock to the sacred site of The Batu Caves in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur to offer extravagant gestures of penance to Hindu Deity, Lord Murugan, son of Shiva. See incredible phtotos and watch amazing footage from January’s festival…
Backpacker Video Diaries: Bug Eating in Bangkok!
It’s a backpacker rite of passage. After a couple of beers someone in your group suggests that you go and eat some grub. Literally! In carts up and down the Khao San Road in Bangkok and elsewhere in the city, you’ll see insects for sale as a tasty snack. There are crickets, silk worms, grasshoppers, beetles, cockroaches, and last but not least scorpions!
Tubing! Vang Vieng, Laos: What’s all the Fuss?
Up there with the Full Moon Party in terms of a backpacking ‘rites of passage’, Tubing in Vang Vieng, (Laos) is known as the best party in South East Asia! A startling claim for a place described by the Lonely Planet just fifteen years ago as ‘far removed from the Western world.’ With backpackers flocking there in the thousands; it’s clear the excitement isn’t about to slow down soon! But can it really be as good as they all say it is? One backpacker tells his tale…