Scott and Trevor recount their adventure to the remote Preah Khan temple in Kompong Svay, central Cambodia, which they visited in September 2018 by motorcycle. Remote, out-there, far-flung. All these words perfectly describe this temple complex. While located just 100 km east of Angkor Wat, it’s a lot further away from civilization than that. Located in Preah Vihear province, it is the largest single religious complex ever built during the Angkor Era. Constructed during the 11th century, it’s about 5km square, with what initially would have been a massive moat around it. We talked about going for years and finally made the journey in September 2018. We share how it all went down!
Continue readingMany countries in SE Asia have a sordid and fabled reputation. From movies about mercenaries trying to free POWs in the jungles of Vietnam to novels of colonialism and forbidden love, the region has served as a backdrop for more than a few of the world’s great tales and legends. Some true, others not so much. On this episode we’ll chat with American journalist, radio broadcaster, and documentarian, Patrick Winn about his life covering truly wild sides of life in one of the world’s most colorful corners.
This week’s episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast is about Rock Climbing in Asia. Sometimes when we go on holiday we like to participate in an activity we enjoy doing at home. Sometimes that’s even the entire point of traveling to a certain place such as a liveaboard scuba trip in the Philippines or a skiing trip to Japan. We’ve done a few episodes on sports-travel in Asia over the years: kayaking along the west coast of Thailand, hiking and mountain biking in Hong Kong, trekking and mountain climbing in the Himalayas, and even skiing in Iran. Today we’re going to talk about rock climbing: an activity that’s quite popular here in Asia, both as something to try out when you’re on holiday as well as an activity that can be a destination in itself.
On May 31, 2015 we posted a special episode of Talk Travel Asia, ‘Traveling Nepal Post-Earthquake with Mads Mathiasen’, which was one of our more popular episodes. We are following that up, chatting again with Mads about how the country is fairing more than one-year post earthquakes. You’ll be surprised to learn that it’s still a great place to travel!
It’s been more than two years since our first episode went live on June 11, 2014 and we’re suddenly at our 50th episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast! It’s been a ton of fun thinking of topics to cover and share, and we hope you’ve enjoyed the ride as much as we have. To mark our 50th episode, we’re going to share 50 Things We Love About Traveling in Asia. The categories will be broad, responses at times surprising, and we guarantee there are a few things in here you’ll want to try. Thanks for listening and celebrating 50 episodes with us!
When people hear ‘Hong Kong’ they naturally think of towering, futuristic skyscrapers in a city teeming with people. As one of the world’s most densely populated cities, to the uninitiated, Hong Kong wouldn’t seem like a place with mountains suitable for hiking and mountain biking. But it turns out there are tons of fantastic trails on those mountains you see from the city and lots more beyond the cityscape than most tourists see or experience. Today we’re going to chat with two experts about hiking and mountain biking opportunities in Hong Kong.
Many parts of Southeast Asia are famous for snorkeling and SCUBA diving. There are few parts of the world with as many great areas to get your face and body under the water than over here in the tropics. Countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, in particular, have world-class snorkeling and diving sites. If you’re thinking of getting your open water certification, want to get dives in, or love snorkeling, Southeast Asia is the place. Today we’ll chat about our favorite locations to get in and under the water and share tips from some of our friends. Get ready to get wet! Continue reading
Nepal is famous for having the world’s highest peaks, the Himalayas, and most travelers know the country is a hotspot for trekking, and likely have such a trip on their bucket list. But Nepal and trekking is much more than just big mountains. This ‘small’ Himalayan nation on the map would actually be about the size of the US if flattened out – it’s huge! In just 230km the country rises from its southern border at 70m to 8,848m in the north. That’s some serious vertical gain! The country has pretty much every climate covered and a lifetime of walking to be done. Our guest today, Robin Boustead, has been working on what must be one of the world’s longest walks for more than a decade, the Great Himalaya Trail. Going through Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, it’s over 6,000km long and looks incredible. We chat with him about how the Trail came about and how travelers can enjoy it.
The world is a big place, but air travel, opening borders, and less restrictive visa requirements have made it easier for travelers, in effect making the world a much smaller place. In December 2014 we shared some of the places in Asia we’d like to visit on ‘Dream Travel Destinations 1’. We’ve compiled a new list of destinations we’re keen to get to and are going to share them with you today. Dream big of new destinations in Asia with us!
Today we feature a real adventurer: someone pushing the envelope of creativity in travel and transportation, going above and beyond the beaten path. Many people take at least one trip per year, then spend the rest of the year dreaming about their next one. For some, this trip is a week or so in length, but there are a growing number individuals that are finding creative ways to make travel their full-time gig. These people roam the world experiencing places and activities, then blog about them, take photos, videos, and find creative ways to generate a full-time income. Today we’ll chat with Ric Gazarian, an American who’s been doing just that for a number of years.
- Adventure Travel
- Cambodia
- China
- Expert Insight
- Nature & Wildlife
- Nepal
- Podcast
- Singapore
- Sports
- Thailand
- Travel Advice
Episode 44: Great Day Hikes in Asia
- May 1, 2016
- Tagged as: adventure travel Asia, beach walks at Hua Hin, best day hikes in Asia, best day hikes in SE Asia, best hikes in Asia, best hikes in SE Asia, hike Doi Mae Salong, hiking Angkor historical park, hiking Angkor Wat, hiking Doi Mae Salong, hiking Hua Hin, hiking in Asia, hiking Kathmandu, hiking Malaysia, hiking Mount Kinabalu, hiking Nepal, hiking Railay Beach, hiking Shivapuri National Park Kathmandu, hiking Singapore, hiking Thailand, hiking the Great Wall of China
Enjoy these notes about Great Day Hikes in Asia, then listen to the episode, which includes additional details and witty banter from your hosts Scott Coates and Trevor Ranges. For a Google Map of the hikes which you can follow, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Scaling mountains is a pursuit that attracts some of the world’s most adventurous people. Attempting to climb the world’s tallest mountains within the Himalayas is an entirely other sport. On this episode, Scott and Trevor chat with Billi Bierling, a German who has spent much of her life living, working, and climbing in Nepal, among other Himalayan nations, about her passion for tackling some of the world’s tallest and toughest peaks, including Mount Everest, which she has successfully summited.