The first time I returned home after a big trip, I spent my first month back in the states weeping, reconsidering my life here and wondering how I fit into this whole job/commute/9-5 thing. Really, I think anyone who has ever taken a break from what we westerners consider 'Real Life' has had a painful reality check when they arrive home.
Nha Trang is the perfect laid back beach break as you make your way between frenetic Ho Chi Minh City and cultural Hanoi. James Pham explores why it may also just be the happiest place in Vietnam.
Southeast Asia has long been a major stopping point for backpackers around the world. Exotic destinations, beautiful beaches and mountains, bustling cities, fantastic food, friendly people, a well trodden tourist trail, and super cheap prices all contribute to one of the top regions in the world for traveling. If you are thinking about planning a trip around the classic Southeast Asian loop of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, Adam Seper is here to give you all the information you'll need to know.
Traveling around Vietnam can be extremely cheap. Extremely expensive. Or anywhere in between. Budget, bare-bones backpackers can probably get around on $10-$15USD per day or less. If you want to pamper yourself by staying in 5-star hotels and eating at the finest restaurants, you can blow through $150USD per day. Then there’s everything in between. [...]
A happiness study which takes into account a country's life satisfaction along with its environmental impact, rates the happiest places on the planet. Perhaps it will help you plan that next big trip?
From studying Islam in Turkey to helping out in the rice paddies in rural Indonesia or bedding down in a yak-hair tent with Tibetan nomads, here are 8 of the world’s best "live like a local" experiences.
By whatever name you call it, pho has placed Vietnamese cuisine squarely on the culinary world map. James Pham visits a Saigonese pho restaurant to unravel the secrets behind this national dish, rich in flavor as well as history.
Come discover a sumptuous feast of delicious travel destinations featuring the world's most enticing local cuisines. Explore some remarkable places with cultures, sights and food so divine, they have become the world's greatest travel destinations.
How far are you willing to go to find a truly unspoiled beach? Greg Banecker offers ten out-of-the-way beaches that may take a bit more time and effort to reach, but which are totally worth the trip.