Random Traveller #88 

Who are you?

I was born and raised in California. I’ve always been able to avoid a “real” job and been able to work independently, often on a variety of miscellaneous projects. I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember. I discovered the Internet back in the 1990′s. I then discovered my love of travel through an epic trip to Nepal while I was in college. In 1996 I combined all of my passions into a basic website, Dave’s Travel Corner, which has grown into an International travel community. Along the way I helped build a solar racing vehicle, worked with friends running a small Internet Service Provider and then ultimately got into wine with the crazy notion of trying to visit, taste the wines and write reviews of every winery in the Napa Valley. So far I’ve visited and reviewed more than 700 Napa wineries for my Napa Wine Project website over the past 6 years.

With Friends in Port Moresby

What’s the weirdest food you’ve tried and would you have it again?

This would have to be Suri (not to be confused with the helpful iPhone personal assistant, Siri) – a fat round larvae that lives in trees in the jungle. I first was introduced to this in the rainforests of Peru in the town of Iquitos. Venders were selling it on the dirt streets. I had never seen this before and it was somewhat intriguing (as I consider myself an adventurous eater!). This larvae is fairly decent sized, yellow with striations all over with a black part at one end of its round body. The vender I purchased one from flash fried it – basically warmed it up – so it was still shaking when I ate it. Would I try it again? Probably not – but I certainly would try other equally “weird” foods at least once.

Whats the Deal?

Travel is a drug for me and my website is the creative outlet – it was originally built as a journal based on my trips but has since evolved into an International travel community. We accept submissions from travel writers and bloggers, offer International photography, travel videos, travel interviews, forums, a huge collection of travel links and provide travel book and product reviews. I have been told it is a website to get ‘lost’ in – that sounds good to me!

Today working on the website is nearly a full time job (although the pay has yet to catch up with the crazy hours my friend and I spend on the site). The focus has always been on the content – we try to provide a respectable outlet for writers to share their content with readers – whether you are new to travel blogging or are well established. The site itself covers a wide range of budgets ranging from hostels to luxury. In my opinion I enjoy staying at places that either have character or class and stand out for whatever reason. We’ve never focused entirely on one type of travel – that probably is rooted in the fact that I personally enjoy many different types of traveling.

With Syy in Saipan

Have you surprised yourself while travelling doing something you never thought you could?

Yes, I’ve always loved climbing mountains but I have bad genetics for this type of outdoor adventure. Every time I get above approximately 3300 meters I get bad altitude sickness the higher I climb. That has happened every single time I’ve gone climbing and after a while you get very “sick” of feeling that way when you are supposed to be enjoying something and the beauty around you. Before a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, I even tried the common drug Diamox that climbers sometimes take to help mask the symptoms of altitude sickness. Unfortunately I was one of the several percent that have severe allergic reactions to this drug at low elevation. Agg!

So before an attempt on a 6000 meter peak in Peru several years ago, I budgeted several extra weeks for acclimatizing. This is not as budget friendly a way to climb a mountain as those who don’t have altitude problems – but I thought I would give it a shot. I did many day hikes, climbed as high as I could and then slept lower. I was in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca and there were several guesthouses and hostels located at fairly high elevations. I made sure I gradually climbed higher each day.

I was climbing with friends who I had previously climbed with. They all had witnessed the agony I had been in several times on previous climbs. So it was an unexpected surprise when I climbed higher and much healthier than one of my friends (who is usually strong at high elevations). I didn’t summit that expedition but I climbed to the uppermost slopes of that mountain and realized the extra preparation time did significantly help.

Sydney 2013

If you could have one a special talent to impress other backpackers what would it be?

How light I can pack. So far, regardless of the destination and length of my trip I always put everything I need in a small school sized backpack. This has its advantages, both being easier on my back when I carry it and always being able to carry it onto a plane. Disadvantages are doing laundry more often and doing without luxury items, like a pad (sometimes needed when I’m couch surfing). When I stay at hostels I’m always intrigued by the often large size of backpacks and curiously check out the contents of other backpackers when they are going through their possessions. Here is a list of items I always pack for either cool or warm weather: www.davestravelcorner.com/daves-pack-list/

What’s next?

To keep traveling of course! I am currently on a road trip that is lasting several months – but after I get back to “home base” in California and get caught up on some things I will be flying to Europe to visit my brother who just moved to Verona, Italy for a year. We will spend some time touring Italy as well as several other nearby countries. I’ve long wanted to visit any country that ends in ‘stan’ – and have my eye set on visiting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – hopefully later this year.

A big thanks to Dave for taking part, great to have you. Be sure to check hiim out here:

Blog: Dave’s Travel Corner
Facebook: Dave’s Travel Corner
Twitter: @DaveDTC

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Random Traveller #88 with Dave of Dave’s Travel Corner -

Often it’s the usual stuff like weather, food etc but this time of year it’s a little more specific. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of our trip, so good –  we took part two years running…

In the thick of it...

…Songkran!

The hardest thing about Songkran is describing to those who nothing about it just how much fun it can be.

“Well you know it’s just a huge water fight where EVERYONE gets involved! Seriously even on the quiet streets people are throwing water over each other and…. nobody punches anyone”

So maybe I’m not the best at describing events but hopefully the enthusiasm on my face does enough to convince others that Songkran really is something everyone should try and experience.

The water fights continue inside.

The morning after the night before. A slightly calmer Khao San Road.

Although we spent both our songkrans in Bangkok we had quite different experiences. The first year was always going to be special as we had no idea what to expect and it really is truly amazing to see just how involved everyone gets.

We had been away for a few days in Malaysia and returned  on the first day of the festival. After only a few seconds of emerging from the underground we spotted a group of young girls with buckets and a large barrel of water. They nervously gestured what they wanted to do (chuck a bucket of water of us)  - they looked slightly apologetic but we were happy to get straight into the Songkran mood!

A very gentle welcome compared to what we would experience later in the day. A long taxi ride to Khao San Road revealed that most of Bangkok was already soaked and the celebrations were in full flow, even the moped drivers weren’t safe from bucket loads of water.

Khao San Road was just mayhem, as you would expect, but incredibly good fun and we spent most of the day and night refilling our super soakers with ice cold water and “going at it”. We also got to meet and hang out with some other travel bloggers, which is always good fun.

A year passed and despite our plans to head home being set we opted to stay in Bangkok longer to enjoy another Songkran rather than squeeze in a trip to somewhere new. Having lived in Bangkok for a year we had decent group of friends and more idea of what was going on. After having so much fun the year before it wasn’t hard to get excited for another big water fight.

This time we headed to Silom rather than Khao San Road and found it to be just as crowded and exciting if only a little more Thai. Fire hoses sprayed (Blasted? Those things packed a punch) constantly and ice cold water regularly made it’s way down the back of your neck.

Silom attracts quite a crowd.

Kirsty was a popular target.

With three days to enjoy Songkran in all it’s glory it would be easy to enjoy both of these places, both of which are as much fun as the other and won’t disappoint.

We’ve heard a few people mention how they get sick of Songkran but for us it’s the perfect way to really let your hair down and take part in a very unique and eventful celebration.

Tip: Clay paste is also very popular during Songkran and can become quite a pain but Khao San Road is a clay free zone. Don’t let that stop you trying out the other areas during Songkran, you just have to supersoaker yourself to wash it away.

Are you celebrating Songkran for the first time this year or perhaps you have your own tale of water fights to tell?

Wish We Were There: Songkran 2013 -

Random Traveller #87 

Who are you?

I’m Nancy Sathre-Vogel, otherwise known as Mom to Family on Bikes. I am a 21-year schoolteacher, who has now chosen to leave the classroom for other pursuits. At this point, I am working on developing my writing and my bead art. Together with my husband and twin teenage sons, I live in Boise, Idaho for now.

Family on their bikes!

Whats the Deal?

Our website started in 2007 as a way to document our bicycle journey from Alaska to Argentina. We spent nearly three years on the road, pedaling 17,300 miles through fifteen countries. Ours was a world-record attempt, and my blog was our way to documenting the journey for Guinness World Records.

We finished our journey in March, 2011, and I’ve since morphed our blog into a source of encouragement and inspiration for others wanting to chase their own dreams.

We also sell our books on our site. I’ve got a few books already. One is about a year-long bike tour in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Another is about bike touring together as a family around the USA and Mexico. My newest book  is called Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World. you can have a look at the preview here. It chronicles our adventures on the road from Alaska to Argentina.

Biking in the snow

Have all the family always been keen cyclists or is it something that had to be developed overtime?

John and I have been into cycling for many, many years. In fact, we met when we were both planning to take a year off from teaching to cycle around India. Two months before school was out for the year, we heard about each other and decided to travel together. I flew to Pakistan with a man I didn’t even know, spent the next year biking through some of the most difficult conditions known to mankind, and we got married upon our return to the USA.

How do you schedule rest days?

We discovered pretty quickly that we needed to take enough rest days – if we didn’t Mother Nature made sure we did by one of us getting sick. It was much nicer to take rest days on our own terms, because that way we could enjoy them. If she did it, we were sick in bed and nobody enjoyed it at all.

We didn’t schedule them, per se. When we managed to find a good place to stay, we stayed an extra day or seven. If we were staying a yucky place, we moved on.

Has there ever been a time when someone refused to get back on their bike?

No. Never. There were quite a few times when someone just wanted an extra day off for whatever reason, so we tried to honor that. Unless there was a strong reason why we needed to move, we took another day off until we were all ready.

in Argentina

Why would you recommend cycling over land as opposed to more traditional travel?

There are so many reasons! You are outside in nature, you’ll get to know small villages, you meet more people, it’s a physical challenge… I’ve written a post about why I prefer bike touring over travel in buses here

What’s next?

At this point, we are planning to stay here in Idaho during the school years because our sons are taking a few classes. They are still homeschooled, but are taking advanced math and science classes through our local school system. We recently inherited a small cottage on the Connecticut shore, so are planning to spend summers there.
Of course, this could all change in a heartbeat, but that’s the plan at this point.

A big thanks to Nancy for taking part, great to have you. Be sure to check them out here:

Blog: Family on Bikes.org
Facebook: Family on Bikes
Twitter: @familyonbikes

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Random Traveller #87 with Nancy of Family on Bikes -

So the first question for our new feature is:

Kirsty,
I am thinking about taking a year out but don’t have much in the way of savings, I was thinking about a teaching job in Thailand but was wondering how easy is it to get a job teaching English? I am worried that I will turn up and won’t be able to secure a job and will have to return home within 2 months. Do you know what type of qualifications schools looking for and where you start applying for jobs?

Teaching in Thailand is incredibly rewarding and I have written loads of posts on this subject but never how to do it. There are a lot of things you need to consider before flying out.

First do you have a degree? Thailand requires a degree certificate before they issue their non-immigrant b visa. You need this visa to work legally and I would recommend that you bring the degree certificate out with you so you don’t have to do multiple ridiculous visits like me.

If you don’t have a degree you can still work in Thailand however it won’t be legal. I met lots of teachers whilst I was there who are working on tourist visas and some schools don’t mind but it isn’t recommended and can be quite annoying so my advice: do it the non b visa way.

My K2 girls

I do recommend that you also get some sort of TEFL qualification, however a lot of organisations will try to tell you need an expensive TEFL qualification to work abroad, but you really don’t! I decided that I would take a 40 hour course which covered all the basics. I went with i-2-i who usually have different promotions each month – I think when I did mine I got 20% off and could take an extra course for free. One downside to purely online learning is you cannot test out your classroom skills and my first test class was a bit of a disaster.

However even the more expensive residential courses that guarantee classroom hours may not prepare you fully. One of the teachers at my old school went down this route and found that their “classroom experience” was just teaching the other people on their course, not really the same as teaching 30 children who have no idea what you are saying! If you do go for a residential course make sure you do your research to ensure that you are definitely getting the experience you feel suits you best.

The best website to search for your perfect teaching job is Ajarn.com, which has been set up to advertise all teaching jobs in Thailand. The Thai school calendar is different to ours: their summer break starts mid March and last two months and they also have a one month break in October. Schools are mainly looking for teachers at the end of the school year, so the best time to start applying for jobs is at the beginning of March looking to start in May. Bangkok is the easiest place to find a teahcing job, especially if you don’t have any teaching experience – there are a surplus of jobs here compared to other, perhaps more desirable places. Naturally the more qualified teachers are going to get the dream jobs on paradise style islands and such like..

Guess who's under that costume?

A lot of adverts ask for at least 1 year experience but I wouldn’t worry too much about this. I applied for 20+ jobs and had at least 5 replies asking for more information – maybe it is just standard to ask for it. I would recommend that you apply for as many jobs as you can before you travel so you can have interviews lined up straight away. We were in the Eastern Cambodia when I got a skype interview for my job and everything snowballed from there.Thai’s can and do judge you on your looks alone, so you need to make a good impression straight away. Make sure you have a smart outfit for interviews and a good picture to attach to your CV.

Some Basic details:
Look at the contract you are signing try to get one that pays you for 12 months a lot of schools now only offer a 10 month contract which means you have to work in the summer or take a massive pay cut!
The best time to look for jobs is the beginning of March until mid May
The basic wage is between 30,000 – 40,000 baht but have a look at your duties and working hours. It might be better to go for a lower paid job that finishes at 12 and pick up a second one in a language centre to supplement your income
Look to live close to the school we lived a 100 baht taxi ride away which I used to share with other teachers at the school

Are you thinking of teaching abroad or do you have any over teaching related questions I can help with? Or if you want a question answered contact us at poiandkirsty@gmail.com or fill out a form here

Ask Poi and Kirsty Anything: Is it easy to get a teaching job? -

Random Traveller #86 

Who are you?
We are Charli & Ben, digital nomads who have been travelling the world since early 2011. After graduating a BA in Fine Art Charli worked for a number of London galleries coordinating their programme of exhibitions. Ben was working long hours in project management for a large multi national company and by the end of 2010 we were both beginning to dream of exploring distant shores.

Leaving the rat race we sold most of our possessions and each packed a 55L backpack to the brim. Our wanderlust has propelled us through six countries and has seen us qualify as PADI Divemasters, volunteer with an animal charity in Costa Rica, learn to snowboard in Vancouver, surf in Hawaii and manage a macadamia farm in NSW Australia.

The past two years have provided some incredible life lessons and benefitted us as individuals to such an extent that we felt we should do something to share our experience. Born from this desire is Wanderlusters – Wisdom for Wanderers a website dedicated to sharing travel news and advice along with tales from our travel journal. You can keep up to date with our journey by connecting with us on Facebook and Twitter @wanderlustersuk

Charli doing cartwheels on Whitehaven Beach Whitsunday Island Queensland Australia

What’s the one thing that should have never made it into your backpack but you can’t throw out?
We have a shameful secret that we must confess before answering this.
After being adamant that we would travel with only hand luggage for the duration of our adventure we have failed spectacularly. If you were to talk to the very lovely lady at the check in desk of our recent flight out of Hamilton Island she would tell you that we boarded the plane with two oversized carry on bags and three large suitcases. All of which were overweight.

We must point out that one of those suitcases contains our scuba diving gear which we take everywhere. Whilst we spent hours researching the best lightweight gear to travel with it still weighs a ridiculous amount when put together. The other two are mainly clothing, toiletries and gadgets. All of which we could travel without however we feel the gadgets improve our ability to record our adventure and we’d spend a fortune replacing clothing every time we changed climates.

Having no clear itinerary and accepting house sits all over the world means we often travel from tropical beaches to freezing snow caped mountains and consequently have to be prepared for both. 2011 saw us spend six months house sitting in Costa Rica followed by three on assignment in British Colombia. After an extended layover in Hawaii we were off to another assignment in Sydney.

Each time we pack our bags we strive to streamline our possessions and we think we have it down to an exact science. If it was expensive to purchase, is unavailable at our next destination or used on a regular basis it stays in the suitcase. If not it’s up for discussion!
We’re sure for some we have a wealth of extra bulk that could be culled however for our slow paced style of travel we think we do pretty well. We plan to shed some weight when we hit the backpacker trails of Asia so we’ll let you know how we manage with less gear!

Ben crab fishing in Port Germein South Australia

Have you surprised yourself while travelling doing something you never thought you could?
While house sitting in Costa Rica Charli volunteered with an animal charity dedicated to reducing the number of stray cats and dogs on the streets. Each month they held a clinic and would invite owners to bring their animals to be spayed. Dogs and cats are often allowed to roam freely and consequently owners often end up with unwanted litters of puppies which are then put out on the street.

When signing up to volunteer Charli was asked if she would assist with the operations, she would be charged with handing the surgical implements to the vet and holding various internal organs in place during the procedure. It was a job for someone with a strong constitution and we were both surprised at how well she managed. Normally the one to shield her eyes during a movie at the first sign of blood she was unsure if she would cope however thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The vet even commented on her natural ability and was surprised to learn she had no previous experience assisting live surgery!

During our eleven month road trip around Australia we came unstuck when our beloved Winnebago suffered an electrical failure. Ben worked tirelessly to find a solution to the problem, rewire and fit new batteries. Having no knowledge regarding vehicle electrics he showed an impressive amount of dedication to fix the problems we had inherited and upgraded the Winnebago so we would no longer worry about using a faulty electrical system.

Travel has strengthened the desire to better ourselves. We are often in situations where we must rely on ourselves to provide the assistance we require and as such have learnt to work methodically until a solution is found.

A freezing hike to Lake Louise Alberta Canada

What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had while travelling?
Travelling by bus through Nicaragua has to be top of the list. The Camionetas ‘chicken busses’ of Central America are infamous for their ignorance to maximum capacity regulations and pre-departure rituals. When visiting Granada during our visa run from Costa Rica we spent eight hours one hot afternoon sampling the delights of Nicaraguan public transport. After paying our dollar to the stern looking woman manning the unofficial barrier next to a brick wall we crossed the border at Penas Blancas and were stood on Nicaragua soil for the first time. Using our pretty limited Spanish we boarded the bus for Granada and began to wilt in the humid confines of the vehicle. During our intolerably long journey we relaxed as best we could considering we were surrounded by bags of rice, ears of corn and of course free range chickens. Free range meaning they were free to roam the bus and insisted on doing so. At one point a preacher sat down next to Charli and from what we gleaned tried desperately to cleanse her soul, quite a hard task in such a dusty and humid environment!

What’s next?
Our bucket list seems to be growing at an insatiable rate and our original RTW route was scrapped long ago. We’re currently in New Zealand and will be exploring this spectacular country for the next twelve months. House sitting plays a big part in our itinerary and with ten assignments in six countries already under our belt we have found it to be an exciting way to plan our journey. We spent Christmas and New Year house sitting in Auckland and have just accepted assignments in the Bay of Plenty and Hastings that will give us rest bite from our exploration later in the year.

On leaving New Zealand we are hoping to visit some of the island chains that litter the waters of Australasia. Being scuba diving fanatics we would love to explore as much of the reef systems in this incredible part of the world as we can.

A big thanks to Charli & Ben for taking part, great to have you. Be sure to check them out here:

Blog: Wanderlusters.co.uk
Facebook: Wanderlusters
Twitter: @wanderlustersuk

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Random Traveller #86 with Charli & Ben of Wanderlusters -

Random Traveller #85 

Mica!

Who are you?
Mabuhay! My name is Mica Rodriguez, a twenty-something traveler from the Philippines who loves to eat, explore and celebrate life. I maintain a number of blogs and one of which is Senyorita.net, where I put most of my travel-related stories. I also write for a Philippine entertainment tabloid where I am free to feature the Filipino celebrities I like… and dislike.

What’s the deal?
Originally, I bought the domain Senyorita.net for SEO purposes. I wanted to venture into all types of niche blogging and it is supposed to be a Beauty and Fashion blog. Unfortunately, I am not girly enough to keep up with that.

I started traveling in 2009 and I kept on sharing my stories at my personal blog (Micamyx.com). Some friends suggested that I make a separate blog for my travelogue and since Senyorita is quite catchy, I decided to convert it into a travel blog. I still have a lot of backlogs to work on, but I am not complaining. My recent trips opened my eyes to different possibilities and I am simply thankful with all the blessings I’m receiving now. Life is good!

Chiang Mai

When was the last time you had a specific “I love travel” moment?
My recent solo trip to El Nido, Palawan. Most of my travel blogger friends claim it as their top favourite destination in the Philippines. I wanted to go there with friends, but they’re all unavailable due to work schedule or the budget. I’m glad I pushed through with the trip as I was able to enjoy the island hopping tours, met new friends (locals and tourists) and ate a lot! It is also fun to see a lot of foreigners enjoying their holiday in this part of Palawan.

Have you surprised yourself while travelling doing something you never thought you could?
I am surprised that I am willing to sacrifice comfort and live within my means. My trip to Chiang Mai last February is a spontaneous decision and I went there with just enough money to feed me for a few days. My first mixed dorm experience was a memorable one. I grew up in an environment where the people around me are protective and look after me all the time. Sleeping with strangers is a big no-no and I remember almost crying during my first night in a mixed dorm. I’m glad that my room mates turned out to be cool and nice.

El Nido

Of all the places you’ve been were could you see yourself setting up home most?
I have two destinations in mind: Chiang Mai in Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia. It may sound redundant, but Chiang Mai is like a digital nomad’s haven – cheap food, cool weather and it seems like you can do a lot of things there. I also love Siem Reap because of the low cost of living and the Khmer people are really friendly and nice to talk to. I enjoyed talking to the locals during my short stay there. There were some instances where we’d talk about Manny Pacquiao and Marian Rivera – two of the Filipino celebrities that are admired in Cambodia.

In the Philippines, I can see myself staying longer in El Nido.

What’s next?
I had big travel plans months ago, but it didn’t push through. I just realized to just not plan too much or expect that a big thing will happen because you may end up disappointed. For now, I am heading back to Palawan within the month with a good friend. We’re revisiting Coron and we will take a sidetrip to Culion and Calauit.

A big thanks to Mica for taking part, great to have you. Be sure to check her out here:

Blog: senyorita.net
Facebook: /Senyorita
Twitter: @senyoritamyx

Fancy being Random Traveller 86? Contact us.

Random Traveller #85 with Mica of Senyorita -

So… Europe it was then but where?

When in doubt it’s always best to use a tried and tested holiday decision-making process.

Step one: Go on Google, click Images.

Step two: Enter keyword (in this case Europe)

Step three:  Scroll until you find a pretty picture that appeals.

Following this process it’s no surprise that we ended up picking Bled in Slovenia as our destination of choice, Bled’s number one appeal is simply the fact it is so picturesque.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

The church on an island in the middle of Lake Bled.

A few months and a few pennies later we arrived in Slovenia and weren’t disappointed, This time of year means wearing multiple layers and walking through a lot of snow but all that white stuff sure does add to the beauty of the place.

Bled is a very relaxed town and with very few people about it was very easy to just sit around for hours happily staring across the lake and surrounding mountains.  The small town provides enough in terms of restaurants and bars but that’s not really what Bled is about, in winter anyway.

Row row row your boat.

Identical twin?

Most people in the area have come to ski and you get the impression that most of the people you see in town during the daylight hours are just having a rest day before heading back up he mountain.

Walking around the lake it’s clear to see Bled probably has a very different vibe during the summer months.  Diving boards and water slides into the lake suggest it’s a much busier place when the suns out and a very popular holiday destination for the surrounding towns and cities.

Returning in the summer feels like a must but for Kirsty’s quiet half term getaway Bled fit the bill perfectly.

Teacher’s Getaway – Lake Bled, Slovenia -

Random Traveller #84 

Dave & Vicky

Who are you?
Vicky and I met in Ashland, MA when we were in High School. I was born and raised there while Vicky was born in Moscow and spent time in Australia and New Jersey before moving to little, old Ashland MA. We started dating and as seniors in high school we spent 2 days in Italy after graduation, which was probably when we got the travel bug.

In college we both stayed close to home. Vicky went to Boston University to study business and I went to Harvard to study Applied Math. Both of us studied abroad (Dave – Russia, Vicky – Spain) and our appetite for travel grew.

After college we moved in together in Washington DC and worked for two years in jobs related to finance and accounting. Neither of us was particularly fond of the work we were doing and longed for long term travel. In 2011 we conceived A Couple Travelers and planned out our itinerary.

Now we’re traveling around Asia and Europe for two years and have already been to Japan, Korea, and China and more!

What’s the deal?
We mainly blog about our travels on ACouple Travelers. To be honest, it’s a bit of a mish mash of a lot of things. Sometimes we’re talking about cooking schools, or about earning money blogging, but overall we try to limit it to our travel stories. We like to think that it is full of useful information for those who are interested to learn more about personal experiences of people who are budget traveling across Asia and Europe as well as plan their own trips. We have two other sites where we discuss more food related topics on AvocadoPesto and TravelingThroughFood since Vicky is a big foodie and I don’t mind eating.

Have you surprised yourself while travelling doing something you never thought you could?
Recently in China, while we were in a park in Chengdu, I joined in with a few dozen other Chinese people (who I didn’t know) and danced with them (to a dance I didn’t know). All of this is caught, embarrassingly, on film (and probably many others as well, since the Chinese got a kick out of it). It is surprisingly difficult sometimes to be silly and this was a big leap for me, but it was fun and I hope the next time an opportunity comes around like that we’ll take it.

The big departure.

What’s the weirdest food you’ve tried and would you have it again?
Vicky and I are really not the most adventurous eaters out there, to say the least. However, in Vietnam we did try worm patties, which were essentially mashed up worms mixed with something else (eggs?) to make a patty. It tasted…fine, actually. In fact, had I not known it was worms I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. Unfortunately, I did, and therefore had to stop after a few bites. At least we tried though!

If you could have one a special talent to impress other backpackers what would it be?
I really wish I knew some magic and/or card tricks. They’re so “easy” in the sense that they often don’t require much at all (a coin, a deck of cards) and yet so few people know anything about magic (myself included) that it’s always a good time. They’re great to pass the time in train stations and bus stops, which we quite often frequent.

Sunset in the Central Highlands of Vietnam

What’s next? (Future travel plans)
We’re really just getting going as we have a full two year trip planned. In the immediate future we’re heading to Burma and then to conquer the rest of SEA in Laos and Cambodia. In late May we’ll jump ship to Europe starting with a France road trip. Eventually we’ll be back in Asia doing Everest Base Camp and that’s just the first year!

A big thanks to Dave & Vicky for taking part, great to have you. Be sure to check them out here:

Blog: A Couple Travelers
Facebook: /ACoupleTravelers
Twitter: @Acoupletraveler

Fancy being Random Traveller 85? Contact us.

Random Traveller #84 with Dave & Vicky of A Couple Travelers -

In that time I’ve tried my best not to be ‘that guy’.  You know, the guy who’s been away for a while and now it’s all he bangs on about. Naturally though with the last couple of years being so interesting I can’t help but bring up some of my experiences, do I mention them too much? You’d have to ask those around me to find out but I’ve not noticed any eye rolling as yet…

It’s hard to look back on all that time away and remember the best bits as to be honest, it was all pretty great but there are of course certain points that keep coming up again and again.

I’ve creatively named them: The Highlights

Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
We’ve wrote about it in much detail before but the combination of an amazing place and fantastic people all at the same time made our visit to Ha Long Bay an unforgettable trip.

Penang – Malaysia
I’m not really revealing anything new when I say I’m not the biggest fan of Malaysia but once again it was the people that made my visit so great.  With Kirsty back in the UK for a few weeks I got to try my hand at solo travel and it really is as easy to make friends as people say.

Koh Phi Phi – Thailand
Having a group of friends come to visit is always going to make for one hell of a time. Throw in a tropical party island and it’s going to be especially good. After being away for over a year having my friends from home come out to play was amazing and made for one of the best periods of our time away.

Malapascua Island – Philippines
I was very excited to head to the Philippines, I can’t remember why exactly but it was just one of those places that  had always appealed to me. I loved every moment we spent there but Malapascua Island will always stand out, the diving was amazing and I still can’t get over how clear the water was even now.  We WILL be going back to the Philippines.

Songkran 2012 – Thailand
We could have gone on a final tour of the islands or squeeze in somewhere we had yet to visit before we left but we chose to stay in Bangkok. Songkran is simply that good and with a years experience living in the city we were able to enjoy it even more with some friends we’d made along the way. We certainly left Bangkok with a bang.

Reminiscing like this brings up the question that I’ve been asked many times since being back  “what the hell are you doing here?” I often wonder that myself, especially after waking to an alarm clock beeping and cycling to work in the rain.

The truth is though, if you’ve read above there is a clear pattern, people do really make a place. Right now it’s the people we’re with at home making Lincoln, no matter what anyone says nothing beats the fun you can have with your closest friends, even doing the most trivial of things.

Luckily with Kirsty in London we can still explore and when Kirsty has completed her course, I’m sure we’ll be on about how we can’t wait to get away again!

Happy New Year!

The Highlights of the Highlight of our lives (so far) -