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Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia: A Romantic Getaway

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The pier at Lazy Beach, Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia

Are you looking for a romantic break from the bustle of Southeast Asia? Are there too many tourists, touts and Bob Marley songs on other islands? Head to Koh Rong Samloem, where the water is clear, the bungalows are private and the beach is almost deserted. There are actually a few different beaches to stay … Read more

My Travel Fears (Including Rats, Bats and Drowning)

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I hope you aren’t looking for a deep, philosophical piece about loneliness or missing out on a normal life. Those things don’t scare me; my travel fears are much more concrete…

Rats

As a kid I was always scared of mice. Maybe it’s the way they scurry, or the fact that they can get anywhere they want to, but they always stressed me out. I never saw many, but just like the show Mad Men, I saw enough to know I wasn’t a fan. Rats are just like big mice, so I guess it’s natural that I’d be scared of them as well. I’d heard horror stories of rats in beds, eating through backpacks and even on plates served as dinner.

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5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job and Travel

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Everywhere I look in this virtual world are inspirational travel quotes, interviews with perpetual travellers and just straight out abuse of the 9-5 lifestyle – all designed to inspire people to leave their old life behind and travel. I’m fine with the inspirational stuff, even though it’s not really my thing (you’ll never catch me repeating any travel quotes), but what I really can’t stand is someone denigrating another person’s lifestyle choice because it doesn’t align with their own. I have seen a lot of call to action slogans like “Quit your shit, soul sucking 9-5 job” and to me these are just completely insulting to the millions of people who choose, and probably enjoy, this lifestyle.

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Changes in Vang Vieng, Laos: Should you Still Go?

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A farm in Vang Vieng, Laos

Are drugs, bikini clad women in the middle of town, and blatant disrespect for a modest culture not really your thing? You’re in luck, as all of those dodgy (and some might say fun) things are no longer a reality in Vang Vieng, Laos. I was lucky enough to visit just before and just after … Read more

Is Haw Par Villa the Weirdest Tourist Attraction in the World?

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A crab boy at Haw Par Villa, Singapore

Are you looking for something different in a tourist attraction? How about something a little bit weird (and a bit scary if you’re a kid!) Haw Par Villa might be the place for you, it’s definitely one of the strangest places in Singapore!

The Ten Courts of Hell

For some reason I thought Buddhism was a peaceful religion. That all changed when I entered the Ten Courts of Hell exhibit at Haw Par Villa, Singapore. Models of decapitations, people getting thrown on spikes, chucked into pools of boiling blood and almost every other gruesome torture you can imagine greet those who enter. The fact that punishments for things like cheating on exams and wasting food seemed just as harsh as the ones for rape and murder confused me, and I walked out of the exhibit completely rethinking my view of Buddhism. In reality that view was based on almost nothing, as the only time I’ve come in contact with the religion is at temples, and I’m not really one to ask too many questions about the spiritual side of them; I just like how they look. The Ten Courts of Hell is definitely one of the scariest places in Singapore, make sure you visit but warn your children first!

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Four Old Capitals in Mandalay, Myanmar For the Price of One

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A yellow temple in Innwa, one of the old capitals in Mandalay, Myanmar

I should probably do more research before I reach a destination. I had no idea what there was to see in Mandalay until a motorcycle taxi driver said something about 4 old capital cities, and that he would take me to them for $12, not bad on a backpacker budget! All up it would take … Read more

Am I a Lazy Traveller?

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If you asked me whether I’m a lazy person the answer would probably be yes. I’ve always seen work as a bit of an inconvenience and my life’s goal is to find a way to pretty much not work.  At the moment I’m working hard (if you can call teaching around 22 hours a week hard) to save enough to travel for around 3 years and sometimes people ask me why. I usually give the same answer: it’s a socially acceptable way to not have a job. If I stayed in New Zealand for 3 years and just sat around and watched TV people would abuse me for it, but since I’m travelling I’m suddenly doing something worthwhile and respectable. Of course that isn’t the only reason I want to travel, in fact it’s pretty far down the list, but not working for 3 years really does excite me.

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