Backpacking, Budget & Independent Travel Information for Southeast Asia

Couchsurfing is a phenomena that has turned backpacking upside down. Being able to travel the world and find a bed for free sounds too good to be true. So what’s the catch? Is Couchsurfing as easy and as fun as some smug travellers claim? Travel writer Mark Wiens discovered that Couchsurfing really is a way that you can travel cheaply, make friends with locals and have authentic travel experiences that hostel junkies can only dream of… Have you tried Couchsurfing yet?

Buddhist new year in Thailand is a time for renewal, spiritual cleansing and super soakers… what!? Yes that’s right folks, if you happen to be in Thailand between the 13-15 April, you can’t fail to get involved in what has to be the world’s biggest water fight! So where are the best places to enjoy the festivities? And what are some tips for staying dry? Here’s a hint… there are none! Be prepared to get wet, VERY wet… Sawasdee P’Mai (Happy New Year) everyone!

What does travel and living in a foreign country teach you? Does it changed your personality? Does it change the way you look at the world? Since the idea of backpacking began, travellers have returned home with shaggy unkempt hair, a dozen bracelets on their wrist, perhaps a bindi on their forehead and proclaimed to their wide-eyed parents ‘woah man, Cambodia really changed me.’ I want to delve deeper into this statement and ask why? And how does it change you?

Sat at work dreaming about travel? Reading blogs and travel websites and living vicariously through the adventures that you read? Usually such musing can be written off as mere fantasies and easily whisked away by grumbles about money and making ends meet. But wait, there’s good news! Travel and work don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Countless people, from a diverse range of professions are figuring out ways to make travel and work compatible. So how do they do it? Is it as good as you imagine? Does it really pay the bills? Travel writer, Marisa Charles caught up with a few of these working travellers to see what it’s really like…

Backpacking is one of the most free times of your life. With no job to get in the way, no responsibilities and your worldly goods on your back; could backpacking be the ideal time to meet that potential someone!? With the amount of alcohol that’s consumed on the South East Asia trail, it’s not surprising there’s a few tales to tell! Talk about beer goggles; wait till you get your bucket goggles on! If you’re looking to pick up on the backpacker trail here at S.E.A Backpacker, we’ve put together some perfect travel-themed chat up lines that definitely won’t get you a slap in the face… try them out this Valentines Day and let us know the results!

Are you currently teaching and living in South East Asia? If so, we want to hear from you! We are looking for people to interview for a brand new resource that we are creating about teaching across the region. We want to find out about your day-to-day work, your lifestyle, challenges and perks of the job! Do you have a story to tell that can inspire others to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime?

The beautiful, tropical island of Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand has long been stereotyped as a ‘party island,’ due to the monthly ‘Full Moon Party’ taking place on Haad Rin Beach. However, recently the island is becoming a centre for arts and culture in Thailand, with the rise of independent events such as the highly-acclaimed, Phangan Film Festival. Held in 2012 on 24th – 26th February, the festival hosts a diverse range of global films; from a documentary about global warming, to a film exploring punk-rock and spirituality to a short movie portraying the magic island of Bali, Indonesia. Making a well-needed cultural change from the usual backpacker event, this festival is definitely one to put on your travel itinerary…

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…