We’ve collectively lived and worked in Asia for more than 40-years. After that long, one begins to wonder where ‘home’ is? Is it where you were born? Where you grew up? Where you’re living now? Or a combination of all of those? And the longer one is away from their country of birth, and continent for that matter, the stranger it can feel when you return for a visit. On this episode we’ll chat about things we’ve found odd, uncomfortable, and just plain strange about returning to the west after re...
Jun 01, 2022•44 min
Thailand is a country that many people know. Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui; you’ve likely heard of all those places. Well, today we’re not going to talk about any of them. Today we’re going to speak with someone who has lived there for more than two decades. Planned trips for the rich and famous across the kingdom, and find out where some of the lesser known gems are that should be on your travel radar.
May 15, 2022•41 min
Hotels can make or break a trip. Sometimes they bring you closer to a destination, sometimes they elevate your experience and other times they are the destination themselves. Trevor and I have been lucky enough to stay at a lot of interesting and memorable properties across Asia over the years, and today we’re going to share some of those experiences with you. From high-end to charming and local, there’s a wide range of winners here you’re sure to want to make a part of your next trip to the reg...
May 01, 2022•48 min
On this episode of Talk Travel Asia Podcast, we chat with Matt Hunt about Free the Bears, an organization that rescues and protects bears with programs in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, where today’s guest happens to be available for a live interview with me, your co-host Trevor Ranges. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit and support the Free the Bears sanctuary here in Cambodia, where Matt will soon join us, so I’ll turn the mike over to my co-host Scott Coates, who has visited Free the Bears’ si...
Apr 15, 2022•37 min
While we typically book our holidays based on the destination, it’s often the component experiences that really make or break a trip. Whether a half or full-day outing, day-trips within a longer trip, are the elements that make a vacation truly memorable. Still, making the most of your time can be challenging, so how do you ensure that you make your hours in-country count? Today, we’ll share some of our favorite, most rewarding, and memorable half and full-day experiences across the region that ...
Apr 01, 2022•45 min
An nation of islands off Asia’s Pacific coast, Japan includes the four “Home islands” of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, which most travellers are familiar with, as well as nearly 7,000 more, mostly volcanic islands, that stretch over 3,000 km NE to SW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Japan is slightly smaller than the US state of California, and nearly the entire landmass is made up of the four primary islands. But, with towering mountains and almost 30,000 km of coastline, Japan is c...
Mar 15, 2022•48 min
French Polynesia comprises four archipelagos in the South Pacific, stretching for more than 2,000 km. Perhaps most famous of the islands, Tahiti conjures images of a postcard-perfect tropical paradise with coral-fringed lagoons and over-the-water bungalow hotels. But with more than 100 islands, French Polynesia is certain to harbor a few travel surprises, and our guest today will share some of her insights about how to make the most of your time and budget on a trip to this far-flung part of the...
Mar 01, 2022•41 min
Longtime listeners and friends likely know that Scott and I love beer. I’ve worked on and off in the beer industry for decades and Scott has retained his amateur status in hopes of someday representing Canada when beer drinking becomes an Olympic event. Today, we’re going to talk hops and mashed malts from across the continent, to help you enjoy the best brews during your next Asian adventure on this episode: Favorite Beers of Asia.
Feb 15, 2022•40 min
As we reach the beginning of 2022, the world looks forward to traveling again, but the travel experience may never be the same. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, as we discussed in a recent episode #132 Predicting Travel Trends in Asia for 2022 and Beyond. Supporting this assertion, an June 2021 Booking.com study that polled more than 29,000 travelers across 30 countries suggests that the pandemic has been the tipping point for sustainable travel. But how are travelers to know which p...
Feb 04, 2022•42 min
The Republic of Maldives, is a collection of 1,200 small coral islands in the north-central Indian Ocean, with only 200 of them being inhabited. Famous for luxury bungalows on stilts over stunning clear water, no natural point is higher than 1.8 meters, and there’s a population of less than 600,000. The country stretches 820 km from north to south, and more than and 130 km from east to west, covering a large swath of ocean. Put on a tropical shirt and let’s discover Maldives with travel writer T...
Jan 15, 2022•33 min
While Talk Travel Asia has been sharing and dreaming of travel since 2013, there are still lots of countries in the region that we’ve yet to dedicate an entire episode to. As we begin 2022, we note a handful we’re curious about and hope to feature in the year ahead. Get ready to expand your travel ‘bucket list’ as we share some fun, interesting, and quirky facts about 13 countries we’d like to cover as show topics in 2022.
Jan 01, 2022•41 min
The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. Covering a distance of nearly 5,000km from its source on the Tibetan Plateau in China to the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam, the river flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam. It’s basin is home to one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world, with more than 20,000 plant species and 850 fish species discovered to date. An estimated 80% of the nearly 65 million people living in the Lower Mekong River B...
Dec 15, 2021•48 min
What began as a brainstorming exercise for new topics turned into a trip down memory lane. One of the greatest gifts of travel is the stories we carry with us for a lifetime. Just as we have recorded not 1, nor 2 or 3, but 4 episodes of Tantalizing Travel Tales, we bring you something similar: Our Best, Worst, Scariest, and Strangest Travel Experiences. In Asia of course!
Dec 01, 2021•51 min
Central Asia is one of those regions that few international travers are familiar with, nowadays. That wasn’t always the case, however, as the Silk Road was once a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Europe and Asia, and Central Asia was at the heart of this prosperous trade route. Geographically, Central Asia stretches east-west from the Caspian Sea to China and Mongolia, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. In between are “the ‘Stans”, i...
Nov 15, 2021•31 min
Here we are, nearing the end of 2021 and hoping that the future soon looks brighter around the world and we can all get traveling again. It’s been a while since Trevor and Scott last met in person and with vaccines appearing to be having positive effects and countries talking about opening up again soon, we thought it was time to do a check-in with one another. On this episode we’ll gauge what’s on our travel radar, places we’d love to travel together and give updates on what regional travel for...
Nov 01, 2021•23 min
“Singapore may look small, and geographically speaking it is, but this tiny island city-state is jam packed with a myriad of things to do, see, buy and devour. The sleek and efficient public transport system makes zipping around a breeze, allowing you more time to dip your toes into this melting pot of cultures, religions, food and architecture.” That’s an excerpt from an article by today’s guest, Ria de Jong, about the Lion City, otherwise known as Singapore, the smallest and southernmost count...
Oct 15, 2021•40 min
The subject of many novels and movies, Central Asia sits at the crossroads of legendary rivalries and is crossed by the fabled Silk Road. The region is massive, covering more than 4-million-square-km and includes five countries that were formerly a part of the Soviet Union, including Kyrgyzstan, the focus of this episode. Both Kyrgyzstan and it’s neighboring countries have diverse cultures and rich histories but are largely unknown to western travelers. On this episode, we’ll chat with travel wr...
Oct 01, 2021•42 min
We don’t have a crystal ball, nor do you. But with mass vaccination taking root, we’re hoping the future soon looks brighter and borders will open again to travel in the not too distant future. So with that, on this episode we’ll share some things we hope happen when travel kicks-off again, cross our fingers that certain trends are left in the past and imagine travel anew. With that said, all items discussed might not materialize, then again some of them may. So join us as we look to that light ...
Sep 15, 2021•24 min
Few modes of travel hold as much allure, intrigue, and romance as going from here to there by train. Riding the rails has been a mainstay for roughly two centuries, and as lines were built, formerly inaccessible areas of the world were open to anyone who could afford a ticket. Nowadays, high-speed rail projects are making traveling by train faster than by airplane on some short to medium-haul voyages, with more and more countries updating their systems. On this episode we’ll chat with James Clar...
Sep 01, 2021•45 min
Making the most of holiday time should be a prime objective of any trip. After all, we can make more money, but not time. Ensuring that every minute of a trip is as of high value as possible, tuned-in, and ready to go, can positively impact the experience. But the importance of good arrangements and planning increases exponentially when building an activity-based trip. Equipment needs to be ready and working well, support needs to be considered, accommodations often need to be dialed-in ahead of...
Aug 14, 2021•48 min
Among the many things Thailand is famous for, one is its beaches and islands. World famous amongst travellers are the islands of Phuket and Ko Samui, while Ko Pha Ngan is famous with backpackers and Ko Tao for scuba divers. But with two major coasts featuring over 3,000 km of coastline and dozens of smaller islands, many of which have accommodation of some sort, Thailand has island and beach destinations for nearly every type of traveller. On this episode we’ll chat with David Luekens, a travel ...
Jul 31, 2021•43 min
Language screw-ups, weird taxi driver stories, and warning signs we wish we could tell our younger selves are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this special cross-over episode between Talk Travel Asia and Bangkok Podcast. Scott and I have each spent the majority of the past 20 years living in Bangkok, as have our guests, Greg and Ed, whom we’ve known nearly as long as we’ve been living in Asia. Over the past two decades, the City of Angels has changed nearly as much as the four of us have, an...
Jul 15, 2021•57 min
Travel creates opportunities to try new things, learn about the world, meet inspiring people, be active and disconnect from daily life. Our guest today will discuss how he’s making it possible for underprivileged young people to gain these experiences and their benefits in order to help transform their lives. Over the years, Talk Travel Asia has regularly explored the topic of Responsible Travel and how to have a positive impact while exploring Asia. Previously, we’ve tackled topics including Ov...
Jul 01, 2021•36 min
Over the years, Scott and I have drawn comparisons between living in Asia and what it must be like living in Europe. Both are made of a number of relatively geographically smaller countries that share some similarities but are otherwise very different in terms of language, food, and cultural customs, to name a few. While we often make this comparison in regards to travel, as it's very easy, especially from Bangkok, which is geographically central to Southeast Asia, to travel to one of a half doz...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Regularly overlooked by visitors, the Northeastern region of Thailand colloquially known as Isan, is comprised of 20 provinces, making it Thailand’s largest region. Those who discover it experience an area of immense beauty and fascinating culture. Inhabited by a mostly ethnically Lao population, Isan is where many famous Thai foods originated. The region is largely flat, borders Laos to the north, Cambodia to the south, with the Mekong River constituting a large section of its international bor...
Jun 01, 2021•36 min
Traveling in Asia is exotic and the animals you’ll encounter certainly can be different from those in your home country. From elephants to street dogs, you’re bound to have at least a couple ‘interesting’ animal encounters on a voyage through Asia. After living in the region collectively for more than four decades, we’ve had some fun, at times unnerving, and unique animal experiences which we’ll share with you today.
May 15, 2021•44 min
Over the years, Talk Travel Asia has regularly explored the topic of Responsible Travel and how to have a positive impact while exploring. After all, we need to preserve the places we visit in order to be able to enjoy them in the future, and treat local communities with respect along the way. We’ve looked at the work of Andaman Discoveries, discussed Overtourism, learned about the Living Irrawaddy Project, chatted with the good people at Friends International, and many more. Today we’ll chat wi...
May 01, 2021•28 min
Visiting areas of Asia with monkeys can be very exciting. As monkeys are such intriguing creatures, people often consider them to appear friendly, especially if they’re not scared of humans. These monkeys usually expect people to give them food, whether the humans want to or not and they can be very cheeky if not dangerous in certain circumstances. Once you spend a reasonable amount of time in Asia where monkeys are found in so many places, you’re very likely to begin amassing some stories of en...
Apr 15, 2021•39 min
On this episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast, we get Laos travel tips from legendary travel guidebook writer Nick Ray, who has written about traveling to Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar for Lonely Planet travel guidebooks. Laos, a landlocked country sandwiched between Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China, is a bit unknown, sleepy, and largely undiscovered by travelers. Many know of the former royal capital Luang Prabang and some have heard of the capital Vientiane, but beyond that, it’s largely a my...
Apr 01, 2021•41 min
Although we love to share travel tips and advice about travel around Asia with expert guests, there’s nothing like sharing travel stories. As Scott and Trevor have been living in Asia for 41 years, they’re well-worn, traveled, and traversed expats with quite a few travel tales. But despite spending so much of their lives in Asia, Trevor and Scott are still amazed by how often there’s something wild just around the corner on a weekly, if not sometimes daily basis. Life continues to amaze and thes...
Mar 15, 2021•44 min
