backpacking

Jin Li Ancient Street // This is Chengdu, China

Jin Li Street – Chengdu’s throw-back to ancient China’s commercial streets

Jin Li Ancient Street | This is Chengdu, China

Walking around Chengdu, you’d think it was a fairly new city – with all the modern buildings and its crisp look – but Chengdu has an amazing history. It was on both the Tea Horse Road and the Silk Road, which made it a trader’s paradise. Eighteen hundred years ago, Jin Li Street was the aorta of Chengdu’s commercial area. It was packed with shops, lined with lanterns, and bustled with pedestrians. In that sense, not much has changed, but the street obviously holds a different purpose now. It’s one of Chengdu’s greatest tourist attractions. The 400 meter pedestrian lane has that new Chengdu crispness, but the buildings are all decorated to look like ancient China. They’re beautiful, and the people flock to the street to absorb that beauty, and to buy a lot of panda souvenirs.

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Myanmar: The Friendliest People in the World?

Fisherman posing while putting out a net onInle Lake, Myanmar
I always do my research before traveling. As much as I enjoy spontaneity, it’s better to be prepared so I can maximize the often-brief time I have in a country.

For my first trip to Myanmar, a country that was in the midst of change, I relied on an exchange of emails with some friends that had recently been there. One particular piece of advice stuck with me: “These people will blow you away! Spend your money there. ”

My intrigue grew from not knowing exactly what this statement meant. How will the people blow me away? How does that relate to me spending money there? A few days in the country and it all started to make sense. The friendliness of the Burmese people was extraordinary, and I was happy to open up my wallet for them.

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28 Days Later: The Dirt on Traveling India

We are seasoned travelers. We’ve been to over 30 countries. We’ve taken beat-up buses through dangerous switchbacks. We’ve shared rooms with snakes, rats, and who knows what else. We’ve spewed liquid out of both ends in both hemispheres. And to be honest, I kind of like that aspect of travel. Unpredictability makes life exciting.

And then there’s India.

Ryan in India looking like crap.
What you look like after traveliing India for 15 days.

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The India Chronicles: 1 Month in Southern India

India Travel Videos - 28 days, 28 videos

This is more than just a 1 month guide to Southern India

I tried something new for this trip. I shot one video per day, and posted them day-by-day for my entire 28-days in India.

The results give you a pretty good look into what it’s like to travel for 30 days in India. Both the good and the bad.

Because I was shooting and editing every day, I didn’t have time to record the details (mainly costs) that I do with other guides (see my incredibly thorough $20/day Guide to Vietnam), but I do offer an authentic India itinerary that will have you in cool coastal towns, amazing mountain tea areas, mind-blowing temples, and real gritty India cities.

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Is Taipei, Taiwan the Best Food City in the World?

Get my guide to Vietnamese food with over 75 dishes.

After booking a flight for a week-long trip to Taiwan, we started researching things to do. Our list ended up looking like a restaurant menu. For us, food is almost always the highlight of a good trip, but in Taiwan the possibilities overwhelmed us. I was more excited about a Taipei night market, than I was Ankor Wat or Machu Picchu. We decided to stay in Taipei for the whole week, and basically live like a local – a local that’s on the highway to obesity.

Taipei, Taiwan – The Greatest Food City in the World?

Taipei, Taiwan: The Best Food City in the World?
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Taipei, Taiwan on the Cheap: 1 Week – $300

Guide to Taipei, Taiwan on the Cheap
When it comes to traveling to expensive countries, Sara and I always tell ourselves, “We’ll go when were older, and richer.” While we are waiting to strike it rich, there are plenty of places to see that are inexpensive. That’s part of the reason we moved to Southeast Asia. However, when a cheap flight to Taipei came across our web browser, we couldn’t resist a week-long vacation to possibly the greatest food city in the world. We discovered that it was possible to travel Taipei, Taiwan on the cheap.

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VIDEO: Mui Ne, Vietnam – Let’s Rock This Sh!t

Mui Ne, Vietnam | Mũi Né, Việt Nam

If you’re in Saigon and you need a break from the ‘beep’ or the ‘beeep beeeep!’, then a trip to Mui Ne is my suggestion to you. It’s a cheap bus ride from the backpacker district and there are plenty of hotels and resort where you can sit by the pool or the ocean and just relax. There’s also a few sights to see around the area. We rented a scooter and cruised around, stopping to see the amazing Fairy Stream. The seafood in Mui Ne is great. We spent far too much time throwing entire once-living creatures down our gullets. For lots more information about traveling to Mui Ne on the cheap, check out my guide to Mui Ne, Vietnam.

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