Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Carnival of Blogs #21

2009-07-17T14:52:55Z

Summertime is the season for travel and all around the blogosphere people are heading off to travel. The weather is nice, people have vacation time, meet ups and conferences abound, and well, after winter, we all want to come out of hibernation. Here’s some of the trips and tips working their way through the web:

Sherry from Ottsworld is off to Mongolia.

Kristin went to Orlando and found that it can be fun for adults too!

Lots of people are off to TBEX, including Debbie from Delicious Baby, the good folks at Travellious, and a few bloggers who are doing a TBEX roadtrip. I’ll also be there and I’ll be speaking at the event.

Marta and Christian are roaming New Zealand.

In2travels finally started their adventures and will be meeting Gary, Two Backpackers, and I in NYC for dinner on Monday. If you are in NYC, you are more than welcome to join us.

Dave from GoBackpacking is in Bogota before coming back to the US.

One Giant Step took a few giant steps up the Inca Trail while making me insanely jealous.

Barbara from Hole in the Donut just did a great podcast interview about her round the world trip.

Ant from Trail of Ants is reflecting on two years of travel. Had I know he had been gone so long, I would have included him in my perpetual nomad list!

Dave is helping you deal with illness on the road, which is great advice because if you travel for a long time, you are bound to get sick once.

For all of you going to TBEX, it will be great to see you all. As for me, I’ll be heading out of Boston on Sunday to go to New York City before I head to Chicago. It’s good to travel a bit and meet so many of the travel bloggers I have been communicating with over the past year.

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The Weekly Photo: Rocky Mountain Park

2009-07-16T14:26:05Z

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado USA

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Perpetual Nomads You Should Read

2009-07-13T15:38:05Z

There are a lot of travel websites on the internet. It seems that anyone who has ever hit the road has also started a travel website. But most trips only last a year or so before people head back to the infamous “real world.” And when they do they stop blogging. Yet some of us don’t ever want to go back and we so keep going, finding creative ways to pay the bills and pursuing our dreams. We give up regular nine to five jobs and find a way to make travel work for us. Our goal is to travel the world and have a flexible work schedule to let us do that. So if you’re feeling down and need a travel or inspirational pick me up, the following nomads can help you and show that any life style is possible and there for the taking:

Almost Fearless
Christine gave up her well paying job at a Fortune 500 company to follow her dreams. Since then, she has traveled extensively in Europe, lived in Spain and Guatemala, traveled South America, and soon has plans to make her way to Asia and India. She’s currently pursuing her dreams of being a writer and has vowed never to return to the cubicle. Her digital nomad lifestyle is inspiration for many people who want to follow in her footsteps.

Everything Everywhere
Gary has been on the road for over two years and has visited over 40 countries, 90 world heritage sites, and taken more than 10,000 photos. Over that two years, his website has grown with the number of stamps in his passport and he has now over 6,000 RSS subscribers and 78,000 twitter followers. Gary’s site is easily one of the most recognized travel blogs on the web. Though Gary is on the tale end of this trip, he has already started discussing his next one.

Indie Travel Podcast
Craig and Linda has been moving around the world since 2007. They were English teachers in two countries Europe as well as Australia and are now back roaming the lands of their Native New Zealand. They use their English and writing skills to finance their extensive travels and then share that travel knowledge on the award winning Indie Travel Podcast to inspire others to pursue the world on a budget.

Uncornered Market
Audrey and Dan have been traveling for over 900 days now and show no signs of stopping. In 2006, they left comfortable jobs in Prague to explore the world and never looked back. To them, seeing the world change is more important than reading about it on the news. They are currently roaming Central America, photographing and writing all that they see. They use their extensive writing and photography skills to help pay the bills because, as far as I know, they have no desire to return to an office.

Benny the Irish Polygot
Benny decided that knowing one language wasn’t enough so he went off to learn seven more. After realizing that still wasn’t enough, he moved to Prague to learn Czech. I believe his current goal is to learn 12 languages. He has lived in 10 countries in the last 6 years as he as pursued his dream of becoming a human universal translator and uses his language skills to pay the bills. He plans to tackle Asia next where he plans to learn Thai and Chinese.

The Professional Hobo
In 2006, Nora Dunn decided to take the plunge. She sold her financial planning practice in Toronto Canada, and got rid of all of her belongings in order to free herself up for the adventure of a lifetime. Since then, she has been traveling, both in her own country and abroad. She uses her writing skills to help pay the bills but has also produced content for World Nomads where she got a free trip around Australia. She’s still currently in Australia planning her next adventure with her boyfriend.

Brooke vs the World
Brooke is another twenty something world traveler. In 2006, she decided to take on the world and in 2007 left the states to explore what life outside the US had to offer. She fought the world through Central Asia to learn Russian, taught in the Ukraine, explored ruins in Central America, and visited historic Europe. She is currently in Sydney, Australia teaching and blogging. But like all nomads, she’s always planning her next big trip.

Soul Travelers 3
Jeanne, her husband, and daughter are a family of three who has been traveling since 2006. They live in Spain a few months out of the year and then spend the rest of the traveling around the world. They are a good example of the fact that even when you are older with children, you can still live an independent lifestyle away. They educate their daughter on the road and she has probably learns more on the road than she would at a regular school anyways.

The Longest Way Home
Dave has been traveling for over four years as he searches for a place to call “home.” He’s roamed Asia, Africa, and Europe and pursuit of his goal. He’s currently in the Philippines to see if that is a good place to call home. Sadly, I couldn’t find a photo of Dave but I am sure we can all imagine him off having fun somewhere.

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The Saturday City: Ko Chang

2009-07-11T15:46:15Z

Located near the Cambodian border, I first heard of Ko Chang during my first visit to Thailand back in 2005. I was in Chang Mai and two backpackers were arguing over whether I should go to Ko Chang or Ko Samet and which one I should go to. Back then, Ko Chang was a backpacker’s paradise. If Thailand had something close to “The Beach,” this would have been it. There were few tourists on it, no resorts, no organized tours, a dirt road, and only a handful of guesthouses. Since it’s over six hours from Bangkok, most people never went there. They went to closer, more developed locations. Ko Chang was the perfect place to retreat too.

I never made it there in 2005. Or in 2006. Or 2007. But I did make it there at the end of 2008. I had heard rumors and stories about the island since 2005 about how tourism had exploded on Ko Chang and its neighboring islands. Now, there were resorts, package tours, paved roads, and overpriced taxis. However, Ko Chang was not nearly as overdeveloped as the island of Ko Phi Phi, Phuket, or Samui. And despite it’s recent surge in tourists during high season, it was still relaxing.

Ko Chang is the second largest island in Thailand so there is a lot of space to move around and get away from the crowds. The island has definitely seen a rise in tourism over the last few years and while it is a still a relative “secret” to most tourists, the word is out in the backpacking/budget travel scene. Prices on the island are much cheaper when compared to other islands and its relative size and location means that even when the island is busy, its still not that busy. However, there has been a big push lately to develop and promote the island and I suspect this peace will end shortly.

Ko Chang is part of a marine park with the same name and there is a lot to do in the area. Since Ko Chang is so big, it’s heavily forested and contains quite a few mountains. The island itself is said to have broken off from the mainland many centuries ago, which would account for this type of terrain. There are a number of good waterfalls and vistas on the island. There are a few official hiking trails where you can go hiking on your own and a few unofficial ones if you just want to explore, though I recommend getting a local to go with you. For divers, this marine park is excellent. There are a lot of reefs around and because Ko Chang is still “off the grid”, you’ll find most of these reefs still in tact and not overfished.

Most of the accommodation is on the left side of the island. The package/high end tourists end up at Hat Sai Khao beach (White Sands) on the top of the island closest to the mainland. This beach, along with the two below it, are were you’ll find most of the big resorts, expensive restaurants, and tourist centers. However, there’s a few luxury resorts up and down the island.

Most backpackers end up in one of two places: Lonely Beach, where most of the guesthouses, bars, clubs, and loud music are. Here’s you’ll find cheap accommodation, decent shops, and a relatively nice beach. Or there is the infamous Treehouse Guesthouse located on the southern right tip of the island at Hat Yao. It’s the only place there and it’s very quiet. You won’t find any loud music or bars here. It’s just the Treehouse. The Treehouse is sort of an institution on Ko Chang and, thus, is always full. The beach is alright during low tide, though it can be a bit rocky. But it is a great place to relax. And if they are booked out, you can always stay at their second location on Lonely Beach.

If Ko Chang is too touristy for you, you can head to the other islands of Ko Kood, Ko Maak, Ko Khlum, or Ko Rang. Luckily, most of these islands are undeveloped. Many are privately owned and can be rented out cheaply. The smaller ones have only a bungalow or two and if you looking to really get away from everything- skip Ko Chang and head to these little villages. Sadly though, the larger islands have not escaped development. One island that has become really overdeveloped is Ko Maak. I had heard this was a bit of paradise but was saddened to see that the island is ringed with expensive resorts and expensive prices. Ko Kood is slowly becoming that way too.

Yet despite its recent increase in tourism, Ko Chang still offers a lot of peace and quiet. How long that will last is not clear. I suspect pretty soon it will become a major destination for people- maybe as a half way point between Bangkok and Siem Reap. But eventually, the tourism that affected Ko Samui and Phuket will makes it way here. Take in Ko Chang now because, even at it’s current level of tourist development, its still a great place to go relax.

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The Weekly Photo: Caye Caulker

2009-07-09T02:29:27Z

Caye Caulker Sunset, Belize

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Four Cities, One Great Thing

2009-07-08T14:53:02Z

Guest blogger Scott McNeely is normally found managing the online activities at the tours and activities website Viator.com and the Viator Travel Blog.

Here’s a challenge. Think of your favorite city and pick your very favorite thing about it. Think of it as a “you are stuck on a desert island and you can only bring 1 thing” type of question. Except this time it’s “think of your four favorite cities and pick just one thing to share about them.” That’s the challenge Matt and I made for each other – pick four cities we both love, and share just one thing about each place. It is harder than you think.

New York City
I used to live in New York City. This make it both easier – and much harder – to pick one thing to love. And I’m going to cheat just a little here. I am not going to pick one thing about New York to love, I’m going to pick one idea about New York to love.

No doubt you can find a million unique things to chose from in New York -street-side pretzels, sidewalk dinners at 3am, the first day of spring, the Brooklyn Bridge, the museums. But all of that is just stuff. And as a former short-term resident of New York, I think there’s a more powerful idea here. The very fact that New York exists, and that you can actually live in it.

I believe, firmly, that every person should live in New York City for at least a year. Whether you’re rich or poor, American or foreign, young or old, single or married, it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s such an amazing, confusing, frustrating and rewarding place to live. It’s unlike any other city I’ve visited. And that madness is something everybody should experience.

London

I’ve been to London many times. And I’ve read the collected works of Charles Dickens more than once. And that’s what I love about London – its history is right there, just below the surface. Sometimes it’s even right there on the surface, like when you enter a pub that was mentioned in Great Expectations or Bleak House, and virtually nothing has changed since Charles Dickens wrote about it in the 1850s!

I’ve had this experience more than once, reading a passage from Dickens inside an ancient London pub, noting the very same decorations Dickens noted in his pages. You can’t just walk into the streets of San Francisco and into a Gold Rush-era saloon. Paris and Rome have many beautiful and historical buildings, yet history feels less intimate, less ‘right there’. You have to use some imagination to conjure up a gladiator battle at the Colosseum. Yet In London, in many parts of the city, its history is very much alive and present. And that’s what I love about London.

Amsterdam

Most people think of Amsterdam and they think of weed. But for me, the thing I love about Amsterdam is how beautiful it looks under a light coat of snow. I’ve been to Amsterdam a few times in the summer, and there’s no denying that Amsterdam is a wonderful place to spend a warm summer day.

But a few years ago, we ended up changing planes in Amsterdam in the middle of December. Our layover was something like 20 hours. So we headed into the city for a night. We were sunburned and dirty after 3 weeks camping in the Serengeti. I’m not sure any of us had warm coats. But no matter, we had 20 hours in Amsterdam and that was good enough.

It snowed nearly the entire time. We wandered the streets until 3am, marveling at the gently falling snow, the achingly beautiful canals, the towering architecture. And I was awed by how beautiful love Amsterdam looked in the snow.

Bangkok

I struggle when people ask me a question like, “what’s the best meal you’ve ever had?” I don’t know, I’ve had lots of great meals. And there’s no easy way to compare them.

But when it comes to massages, I can answer in a heartbeat- Bangkok. At the massage school inside Wat Po in central Bangkok. Wat Po is one of Bangkok’s most impressive temple complexes. You can easily spend a few hours wandering the grounds and enjoying the tranquility. The hectic streets of Bangkok seem a million miles away inside the grounds of Wat Po.

And then you come upon it: a massage school in the center of the complex, where a 30-minute massage from massage students costs $10. And it’s not a second-rate massage. Anything but. To my mind, the massages offered are the best in the world. All over Bangkok you find massage parlors. Thai massages are world famous and whenever I am there, I consistently get one, especially when I am at Wat Po.

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All Travelers are Created Equal

2009-07-03T18:54:15Z

I was looking over my interview with Rolf Potts and thinking about how he talks about the false distinction travelers make among themselves. How we compete to prove who’s a better traveler or how we aren’t like “the tourists.” And it got me thinking. In what is only a make believe competition, you see many travelers on the road trying to prove their status and superiority by talking about how much longer they’ve been on the road, where they’ve been, or by emphasizing the number of local buses they have taken. But let me tell you another travel secret- all travelers are created equal.

While I’d rather take advice from someone who has been traveling for 10 years over someone who left yesterday, the older traveler (and Rolf would probably agree) is no “better” a traveler than the younger traveler. You are not a better traveler simply because:

“You’ve been traveling for over a two years!” Really? Wow! That is truly impressive but do you want a cookie for it? I rarely answer this question at hostels because few people can say they have been traveling longer than me and I hate the “Wow! that’s awesome” response. But Uncornered Market is the King and Queen of long term travel and put me to shame. So does Rolf Potts. So do a million other people I have met on the road. We are all beginners at one point and there’s always someone who has been out longer than you.

“You’ve been to over X countries.” Travel is not about quantity, it’s about quality. In my three years backpacking, I’ve only been to about twenty five or so different countries. There are many people who have been to a lot more in a lot shorter of a time. But traveling slow is a much better way to learn about the places you visit. I’ve lived in three countries since I have been gone. I’ve spent extended time in England and Australia. Anyone can visit a lot of countries but not everyone can actually see a lot of countries.

“You don’t go there- it’s too touristy.” There’s a reason why people go to Bali, Paris, hike the Inca Trail, or head to Vegas- these places are fun. They may be commercial, overpriced, and full of “tourists” but they are still great places to go visit. The number of small local villages you have under your belt is not proportional to how great of a traveler you are. I think people should get off the tourist trail as often as possible. Explore the unexplored. Wander into local neighborhoods to see the rhythm of local life. Find a map, pick a random place, and go there. Some of my best travel memories are when I went to random cities. But I also have great memories from places like the Gold Coast, Amsterdam, Khao San Rd, and Barcelona. A good traveler sees a mix of both and understands that neither is perfect.

“You only do what the locals do.” If you really want to live like a local, buy an apartment and get a job. The world may be filled with different cultures and foods but the more you travel, the more you realize people are essentially the same. It doesn’t matter if you live in Egypt, Mongolia, America or France, everyone gets up, goes to work, wants to be happy, live well, and hope their children have a better life. You can eat at all the local restaurants you want and take as many local buses as you can but that doesn’t mean you know the local life. If you really want to live like the locals and learn the culture, don’t spend three days in a place- spend three months. Then maybe you’ll be a local.

“You don’t do tours. You’re better than that” People who say this often forget that the boat ride they took in Phuket or that trip to Fraser Island in Australia was also a tour. Not all tours are big double decker buses filled with sandal wearing tourists. They can be little backpacker tours too. Most tours aren’t inherently bad. I’ve taken quite a few and enjoy them. It all depends on the tour group and the company you go with. Taking trash about tour group travelers doesn’t make you better than them, it just makes you an ass.

Travel is a highly individualistic experience. Everyone takes their own path around the world. No two journeys are a like and therefore no two journeys can be compared. Travel is about opening your mind up to new experiences and people. The competition mindset simply closes you off to that. If you are a “real” traveler, you know that all travelers are equal and these false mindsets don’t matter. Remember that there is always someone out there who has been to more places, seen more things, and spent more time on the road then you.

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The Weekly Photo: Taipei

2009-07-09T02:15:25Z

Taipei, Taiwan taken from the top of Taipei 101

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Airline Review: Eva Air

2009-07-01T14:49:42Z

Eva Air is the national carrier for Taiwan. They fly all over Asia and to points on the west coast of North America. I had the pleasure of flying them a few times from while I was living in Taiwan and I highly recommend them! They are a great airline to fly.

One of the things I like most about flying Asian airlines is the level of service they offer. Their western counterparts keep slashing services and raising fees while the Asian carriers keep making your experience more enjoyable. Even the budget airlines like Air Asia offer better service than carriers like US Air, Air Canada, Ryanair, or American. On my six hour return flight to Boston from London with AA, I had a crappy meal, a surly attendant, and no personal viewing screen. On my three hour flight to Taipei from Bangkok, I got a delicious meal, a free beer, two ultra friendly attendants, and my own viewing screen. It’s not hard to decide which is better.

It’s because of service like that that I always try to fly non-western carriers whenever I can. I’m part of the Oneworld alliance because my AA frequent flier miles work with Eva Air, Cathay, and Japan Airlines. Eva Air was simply exceptional. For starters, the seats, even in coach, are plenty big and very comfortable. I had more room than I knew what to do with. While I’m not a big guy and usually have plenty of room, I found I had slightly more room than normal in these seats.

The food on the flight was delicious. You get a choice between two meals and I choice the chicken and rice. I had a nice Taiwan beer with my meal too. Overall, it was one of the most delicious airline meals I’ve ever had. Usually, I never finish my meal because, by about halfway, I tend to get ill from the taste (I’m looking at you Air Canada!) but I devoured all of this.

Moreover, you get a wide range selections on the viewing screen. There were about five movies, a few games, a handful of Taiwanese, Australian, and American T.V. shows, and plenty of movie channels. The staff is very friendly and they smile. That may not seem like a big deal but I can’t remember the last time I actually saw an attendant smile. The Eva Air people really seemed to care that I was comfortable and having a good time.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time flying with Eva. It is an airline that I would fly again and recommend to anyone. If you are in the Oneworld network, Eva is a code share partner with most of the alliance members. Additionally, Eva Air is usually a cheaper option to fly too, though you often have to connect via Taipei. I would definitely consider flying them the next time you fly in Asia.

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Free Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

2009-06-29T14:56:21Z

Last week I was in Washington D.C. to visit the city, meet a few bloggers, and go to the wedding of a friend of mine. Since I was down there for a wedding, I turned it into a mini-holiday. I’ve been to Washington D.C. many times and I really love the city. There are people from all over the world, making the city very eclectic, diverse, and a culinary delight. Yet there’s one really big downside to the city: cost. Washington D.C. is not a cheap city. Meals, hotels, transportation, parking- it is a lot of money. Luckily, there are many great things to do in the city that are free:

Visit the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is free to enter and there are 40 minute lectures in the main hall for free.

Visit the Capital Building. The Capital offers free tours throughout the day. Tickets are available at 8:30am on a first come first serve basis.

Visit the Smithsonian Museums. All the museums are free and they even have free wi-fi. Two of the museums offer IMAX movies and if you save your stub, you can get a second movie for four dollars.

Visit the Monuments. All the monuments are around the National Mall are free and the better part of a day can be spent seeing them. I’m a big fan of the FDR monument- it’s not that well known, relaxing, and not very crowded.

Visit the National Zoo. As part of the Smithsonian, this zoo is also free.

Take in happy hours. After a long day of walking and sightseeing, you could probably use a nice drink and a meal. Luckily, D.C. is awash with happy hour specials. Head over to Georgetown or DuPont Circle and enjoy great food at a great discount.

Washington D.C. is not always cheap but many of the city’s great activities are free. These activities will keep you busy for a few days, allowing you to see a lot of D.C. and take in the country’s history.

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