Backpacking, Budget & Independent Travel Information for Southeast Asia

Would you like to give something back whilst you travel? Sometimes it is not all about seeing the Top 10 sights in a country, but about staying put for a while and finding out more about how your visit can help the local community. Jessica Simmonds from Scotland decided to take time out of her gap year to volunteer for three months in Thailand. She chose Lanta Animal Welfare, (LAW) a non-profit organisation based on Koh Lanta, Thailand, which takes care of the large population of stray dogs and cats on the island. Her experience was fun, rewarding and most of all valuable to the local area…

Perceived as an economic concrete jungle, Singapore is recognised for being a worldwide financial center powerhouse. For this reason, many travellers on a budget visiting South East Asia fail to consider Singapore as a travel destination. However, there is more to Singapore than just banks! The city exudes with diverse and countless points of interest, stunning parks and gardens and a fascinating mix cultures representing many other areas of Asia. Even on a tight budget, it is nice to know these Top 10 will not put a dent in the pocketbook…

Call yourself a backpacker!? With scruffy hair, dozens of bracelets tied around your wrist and mismatched flip flops, you certainly look the part. But have you truly entered into the South East Asian backpacker spirit yet? Have you left the old, (clean) ‘you’ behind to discover a new ‘travelling you?’ Someone who is a lot less fussy, a load more spontaneous and maybe, just maybe a little wiser? There are times during your travels when you will even shock yourself with how well you have adapted to your new backpacker lifestyle! If you nod in agreement to any of these twenty-five statements then you are well on your way to earning your backpacker stripes…

The S.E.A Backpacker Office is now open in the heart of the backpacker district of Chiang Mai! Now you can see us in action and find out what we get up to every day of the week… are you sure you want to know? Let’s forget the word ‘office’ for a minute, as there are no suits, photocopiers and miserable secretaries here! Just like the magazine is a ‘travel diary’ for everyone, we want to open up the doors and invite everyone to join in creating a meeting place and travel hub for backpackers in South East Asia. A place where people can share ideas, get advice for their trip and most importantly be inspired. All welcome!

I’ve often noticed the confused looks on the faces of some locals as they watch a herd of intrepid backpackers walk past. Why the hell don’t you just sit down and take your bag off? They must be thinking. Have you not got a home to go to? Are you crazy walking around in the heat with a 60 kilo rucksack on your back? Mmmh. They may have a point. But still, something makes us do it. Something inside our foolish souls gives us the urge to wander far from our safe homes. So, how did it all begin? Who started this nomadic trend in the first place? And just how has the concept of the ‘backpacker’ changed over the years?

30 years ago, there was no guidebook to Thailand in print. Teaming up with Lonely Planet founders, Tony and Maureen Wheeler, Joe Cummings wrote the first travel guide to Thailand since 1928, ‘Thailand: A Travel Survival Kit’ in 1981. He continued to work for Lonely Planet for the next 25 years. To date, he has written over 40 guidebooks and books about Asian culture and now works as Deputy Editor of the Bangkok Post’s TheMagazine. We met up with Joe in Bangkok at a swanky ‘flashpacker’ hotel to find out more about life as an iconic travel writer…

South East Asia is famous for it’s street food, but the sad fact is that many backpackers are either too scared to try it or have no idea what to order or where to start! It’s true with the abundance of stalls selling a huge variety of dishes ranging from curries, soups, noodles and rice dishes to fruit, dried squid, meatballs, kebabs and deep fried snacks – the experience can be overwhelming to say the least. “What will I order? How will I know what I’m eating?” Here are some guidelines to get you started as a street food connoisseur…

If you’ve been to Vang Vieng’s town centre you’ll be familiar with the alcohol buckets, 24 hours ‘Friends’ marathons and souvenir shops that compose the backpacker enclave. You’ll definitely be familiar with the popular ‘Tubing’ scene. You may not, however, have heard of Mr T’s organic farm. It’s only 4km away from Vang Vieng’s town centre, but feels another world away from the hedonistic tubing and party culture that the small Laotion town has become so famous for in recent years. Traveller, teacher and writer, Penny Atkinson describes a very different side to the popular Laotion party destination…

Regarded by many travellers as the most dangerous vehicle on the road, motorbikes, if treated with respect, can also be the most fun! (Don’t tell your mum we said that) There is nothing better than riding in the beautiful countryside, with the wind on your face and the sun shining, free to go wherever the road takes you… It is without doubt one of the best ways to get off the beaten track and away from other tourists as fast as possible! Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of your experience and most of all stay safe and in one piece…

New Zealand-born Anna Cleal is the Director of a brand new, pioneering company ‘Flip Flop Tours,’ which aims to give backpackers their first taste of the Philippines! She talks about how some backpackers may be put off visiting the 7,107 islands due to fears of safety, lack of travel information or general laziness to leave the landlocked circular South East Asian trail of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia! Here she tells us about the amazing travel opportunities for backpackers in the Philippines and dispels any doubts people may have about visiting the country…