#135 - Checking in with Scott & Trevor

Here we are, nearing the end of 2021, the future looks brighter around the world, and we hope to all get traveling again. It’s been a while since Trevor and Scott last met in person and with vaccines appearing to be having positive effects and countries talking about opening up again soon, we thought it was time to do a check-in with one another. On this episode, we’ll gauge what’s on our travel radar, places we’d love to travel together and give updates on what regional travel for us looks like in the coming months. This is Checking in with Scott & Trevor.

Trevor returned to Lazy Beach for his b-day, but it was a bust.

How are we doing?

Trevor asks Scott about his wife Erika being back in Bangkok: “The two of you must be excited to enjoy a trip together.”

Scott:

Hopefully Canada at XMAS.
Lots of biking and long walks in reduced traffic city, Hua Hin, Nakon Nayok, Chonburi

Trevor explains that he has been away from Siem Reap for a few weeks. Forgot his suitcase, got sick on his birthday beach trip, recovered already, and busy as ever. So he still needs a holiday, more than ever, Trevor explains.

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Singapore Skyline - Talk Travel Asia Podcast: Discover Singapore with Ria de Jong — Singapore is hopefully on Scott’s travel horizon.

What’s on the agenda, travel-wise?

Trevor – my beach trip was a bit of a bust, but I did surf down there but I’m eager to go back to the beach, so back to the beach I go, hopefully. Kep and Kampot are likely trips in the near future for some fun in the sun with the Villa Vidici crew. That’s the near future.

Scott: Cambodia in Feb and/or Singapore, but those three for sure I’d say by March 2022:

Singapore: family for CNY / KH: PNH, REP and I’d love to follow the Mekong River north.
Of course, the great wildcard still is COVID, visas, borders

Trevor: Otherwise, I’ll go back to Siem Reap and spend some time at the temples of Angkor before people come back – and my ticket expires. And I’ll return to Hawaii before this year is out.

Coming “Home” – how easy would it be for us to return to Cambodia or Thailand?

Scott and Trevor discuss the current visa, quarantine, sandbox, etc rules (which are likely to change in a week, but they mention that). They also discuss some of the current options for people who want to travel to Cambodia or Thailand now.

Scott: Opening up on November 1, here in Thailand, for some designated places – it’s going to be messy for a while, but they really need to make it plausible and rather painless for Dec – Jan or all is lost for this year; but I fear it won’t be that way. You will be able to come to this country with insurance, a test before/arrival, then at least one night in a hotel. That’s what entry is going to look like. For a while. But… many things will not be open, making ‘fun’ very different than before. Restaurants, bars and some attractions are not going to be going strong. Trips will need to not focus on those things and play-up that there are simply not many people. There will be negs and positives for the first year, but that should be capitalized on.

Trevor: Cambodia seems to be trying to keep pace with Thailand and the latest news was that you could fly from Thailand to Cambodia without a quarantine, but there’s no flights as of yet. I’m sure things will keep changing, but it seems that each change seems to be good news.

Manoa Waikiki and Diamond Head from Tantalus — Where’s Trevor Somewhere down there in Waikiki sometime soon!

When shall we see each other again?

Trevor: I’d fly to Bangkok for Thanksgiving if I could get a flight… otherwise returning from Hawaii maybe I’ll fly to Bangkok first.

Scott: Hopefully next year if you don’t make it here. But sooner the better. It’s about 21 months now! But if it’s ‘easy’ then Dec in KH but I don’t see it being ‘easy’ for a bit

Here are a few things we need to do together:

Polo Chicken or Khmer BBQ
A variety of beers in either spot
A bike ride
Boat ride

== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |description=Hokkaido University in Winter |date={{Taken on|2013-02-15}} |source=http://www.panoramio.com/photo/92601930 |author=[http://www.panoramio.com/user/7768346?with_photo_id=92601930 Kenneth Lee Sutherla…]... — People living in the tropics dream of snow as Scott does of Hokkaido (photo courtesy of **Kenneth Lee Sutherla**)

If we could meet up somewhere else, where would it be?

Scott:

I’d love to do Chin State in Myanmar or the hilltribe areas NW of Mandalay: Lashio, Hsipaw; but that’s not going to happen for a while
Motorbikes to Viang Xai, Laos like Nick Ray mentioned
Ha Giang – NE Vietnam by motorbike

Trevor: We should get together in Hawaii. Next summer.

Further Afield in Asia in the next Two Years?

Scott:

Nepal
Hokkaido & Okinawa
Taiwan: cycle up 105km, starting sea level on the east coast, 105km up to 3,275 to Wuling Pass on Mt. He
Huan.

Trevor: I’m down with Japan. I’d sign up. Nepal would be cool as well. You can share some of your favorite spots.

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