The Backpacker Beer and Curry Guide to South East Asia

It doesn’t matter which country you are travelling in South East Asia, it’d be rude not to sample the local ale and national curry. We’ve put together a beer and curry matchmaking guide for backpackers. 'Cos let’s face it, you drink enough of the stuff!

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Top 10 Attractions To Do on a Budget in Singapore

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...

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The White Temple & The Black House: Chiang Rai, Thailand

Just five hours north from Chiang Mai, is the smaller, less touristy city of Chiang Rai. Many travellers arrive here on a northward journey from Chiang Mai to Laos and are already feeling 'templed out' by the 300+ temples that make up the ancient walled city of Thailand's cultural capital. However, there is just one more experience that awaits the culture vultures amongst you! And we promise this one is worth a look! Dubbed the 'heaven' and 'hell' of architecture, the White Temple and the Black House will conjure a clashing of emotions. One dark, mysterious and almost sadistic, the other white, ethereal and other-worldly, these two opposing buildings couldn’t be more different...

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10 Travel Scams to Avoid in South East Asia!

Although not everyone is trying to con you in South East Asia, there are more than a few backpackers over the years that have fallen prey to ingenious (and not so ingenious) travel scams. Perhaps it is getting ripped off for a few rupee in a taxi or perhaps an elaborate role-play which aims to empty your bank account! Read these tales of pesky tricks, double deals, hoaxes and swindles and learn the signs to look out for to make sure you’re not the next victim…

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Mud, Sweat and Rice

As the World’s largest exporter of rice, Thailand’s country and culture revolves around this tiny pearly grain. Paddy fields dominate over half of all the arable land area and consume over 50% of the country’s labour force. Rice can also be found throughout the Thai menu, in all it’s forms and varieties. The most common type of rice grown in Thailand is Jasmine rice, known locally as 'Hom Mali' and it is in a paddy field full of the crop that my story begins! 20-year old student Laura Davies, on a three-month internship with S.E.A Backpacker Magazine, spends the day in a rice field learning about Asia's most important grain...

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Our 2-Year Anniversary and a Thai Buddhist Blessing

This month, we celebrate the 2nd Birthday of S.E.A Backpacker Magazine. Boy oh boy, do they grow up fast! It only seems like yesterday that the very small and very nervous S.E.A Backpacker team set off on a preliminary trip to Koh Tao and Koh Phangan to tell people about our vision and look for sponsors to help us get off the ground. Pressed T-shirts and sweaty hands, we knocked on doors of bars, restaurants, dive schools and hostels with a basic mock-up that two years later has grown into the magazine you are reading now!

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10 Most Popular Backpacker Books in South East Asia

Those who have been traveling recently may have noticed that there seems to be some kind of backpacker book club on the South East Asian trail. A quick perusal of the second hand book stores in any of the main backpacker haunts and you'll see the same copies, well-thumbed and highly priced denoting their status as big hits amongst the backpacker crowd. Some travel books, some best selling thrillers, here are the top 10 most popular books doing the rounds on the South East Asian circuit this year. Get in with the backpacker book conversations by getting a head start on your reading before you arrive! What are your favourite books to read whilst traveling?

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Burma: Stepping Back in Time

Isolated from the rest of the world, Burma retains a sensual, sultry charm. In the summer months the heat hangs low and hazy, trapping the smoke of cheroots, traffic fumes and the heady sweetness of incense. Men dress in longyis (long sarong style skirts). Women’s faces are smeared with thanaka (tree bark). Down on the banks of the Irrawaddy in Yangon, men ferry back and forth loading up dilapidated 1940s flotilla ships with an assortment of wares. Ox-drawn carts clatter through narrow streets leaving plumes of dust. Entering Burma is like stepping back in time...

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7 Epic Journeys in South East Asia

Some involve arduous days on a hot, cramped bus, some consist of a five minute breezy ride on the turquoise sea... no matter how long or short, there are some journeys from your backpacking adventure that you will never forget! We spoke to backpackers to find out the most memorable trips in South East Asia. From the famous 27 hour Laos-Vietnam bus, to the infamous tuk tuks of Bangkok, how many journeys can you tick off?

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Thaipusam Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Thaipusam Festival is one of the largest and most extravagant Hindu festivals in Asia celebrated by followers worldwide. Each year, millions of devotees flock to the sacred site of The Batu Caves in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur to offer extravagant gestures of penance to Hindu Deity, Lord Murugan, son of Shiva. See incredible phtotos and watch amazing footage from January's festival...

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