When we started this podcast back in 2014 to maintain our travel network while keeping in touch with one another, Trevor and I didn’t think much about where this would take us. Well, here we are a decade later, celebrating the 200th episode of Talk Travel Asia. We’ve covered a ton of ground, chatted with a load of interesting guests, considered aspects of traveling in this region that were new to us, and I think we love travel more than ever! Join us as we take a look back over the journey, reflect on some of our favorite episodes, most frequent guests, and everything we can think of in between. Here we go: the 200th episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast!
Between the two of us, Trevor and I have lived and worked in Asia for nearly 50-years. This has also coincided with most of our adult years, when people tend to discover more about who they really are and more fully form as individuals. But damn, 50-years is a long amount of time to live in what was a foreign land and is now simply ‘home’. This got us reminiscing about how we’ve changed while living in Asia, mostly for the better. There have been some life-changing items, we feel we’re now better citizens of the world, and want to share some of these with you. Giddy up!
Continue readingTajikistan, one of several former Soviet republics located along the Silk Road linking Europe and Asia, may be one of the least well known — and least visited — tourist destinations in Asia. Over several episodes touching on the central Asian nations colloquially known as ‘the Stans’ we’ve explored Tajikistan briefly, including an episode with Lonely Planet writer Bradley Mayhew about Central Asia. This week, we’ll chat with a man some consider the ‘World’s most traveled’ and we’ll put his knowledge of obscure Asian destinations to the test by talking with him about little-known Tajikistan
Continue readingFrom time to time, Scott and I receive messages from Talk Travel Asia listeners about their travels in Asia and we’re glad to have inspired or assisted them with their experiences. After some recent back and forths with several patrons about their Asian adventures, we decided to ask a few of them to come on the show and share their stories so we, and you, can learn about their trips and perhaps find some inspiration for your next journey to the region.
Continue readingFrom time to time, Scott and I receive messages from Talk Travel Asia listeners about their travels in Asia and we’re glad to have inspired or assisted them with their experiences. After some recent back and forths with several patrons about their Asian adventures, we decided to ask a few of them to come on the show and share their stories so we, and you, can learn about their trips and perhaps find some inspiration for your next journey to the region.
Continue readingOne’s first trip to Asia. It’s something few forget. The smells, the sounds, the crowds, big cities, wild landscapes, exotic food, a sometimes frenetic pace, tropical beaches, incredible mountains – you’re in Asia! We recently got chatting about our early trips to the continent, started to feel old, or perhaps well-experienced, and thought it might be fun to recount our initial journeys here. Reflect on those initial impressions and contrast it to our current lives and how we see things now. In these two parts, Scott then I will recount their first visits to Asia. Here we go for part 2…
Continue readingSlow travel is a buzzword that’s been kicking around a while: a “trend” in the travel industry, some might say, in the vein of ecotourism. Just as the terminology has evolved from global warming to climate change, however, more humans are increasingly considering their footprint, both on the environment and on the destinations they visit, often in an economic way. If slow travel means more than exhaust output of air travel – if slow travel means picking one particular destination instead of dozen and then using local means of transportation, bikes or hiking, even, to explore an area more in depth, at a more leisurely pace, then I’m all for it. Today, we have a returning guest and longtime friend of the destinations he lives and works in, Stuart McDonald, to give us his understanding of and experiences with slow travel in Asia.
Continue readingOne’s first trip to Asia: it’s something hard to forget. The smells, the sounds, the crowds, big cities, wild landscapes, exotic food, a sometimes frenetic pace, tropical beaches, incredible mountains – you’re in Asia! We recently got chatting about our early trips to the continent, started to feel old, or perhaps well-experienced, and thought it might be fun to recount our initial journeys here, reflect on those first impressions and contrast it to our current lives and how we see things now. In these two parts, I then Trevor will recount our first visits to Asia. Here we go…
Continue readingWhen most people think of Asia, the countries that come to mind aren’t likely to be those we’re about to discuss today. Located in Western Asia, on the border of Eastern Europe, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are countries most westerners are largely unfamiliar with at all. That’s all the more reason to learn a bit about them, as each has unique cultures, history, and tourist attractions that make them fascinating destinations. Today, show co-host Scott Coates will share his experience traveling through these interesting West Asian nations.
Continue readingRoad trips are one of travel’s great forms of adventures. From the Griswald’s cross-country family vacation to Wally World to my own explorations of Eastern Cambodia to design tours for international visitors, the road trip is a time-honored tradition. Nowadays, one might imagine traveling by camper-van to Mexico or Central America, or even renting a car in the north of Japan and driving it south from island to island, but who would ever imagine taking a road trip by car from Myanmar to Holland? Well, our guest Edwin Briels did just that, and today he’s going to share how it all went down. Buckle up!
Continue readingWhen it comes to mammoth, legendary train journeys, the Trans-Siberian Railway is up there. Coming in at 9,289 kilometers, simply put, it’s the longest railway line in the world. Starting in Moscow, it chugs east to its terminus, Vladivostok, but has another interchange where it then forks south to Mongolia and continues to Beijing, ultimately linking two of the world’s great cities. So, nearly 180 episodes in to Talk Travel Asia, we’re going to finally talk about this epic journey, what’s entailed and hopefully give you enough background to either inspire or give you the idea that this journey is not for you. All aboard – here we go!
Continue readingEveryone poops. There’s a book about it. Here in Siem Reap, Cambodia, there’s a blog that will direct you to the best nearby public toilet (which, incidentally is the preferred English word for a bathroom in Asia). Most people don’t plan their holidays around their trips to the toilet, but the experience is undoubtedly, and not always pleasantly, an unavoidable experience on every trip to Asia. Today, we’re going to share some of our experiences, offer a few tips to help you navigate the water closets of Asia, and hopefully give you a good laugh in the process.
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