Stuart McDonald

Slow travel is a buzzword that’s been kicking around a while. A “trend” in the travel industry, some might say, in the vein of ecotourism. Just as the terminology has evolved from global warming to climate change, however, more humans are increasingly considering their footprint, both on the environment and on the destinations they visit, often in an economic way. If slow travel means more than massive exhaust output of air travel – if slow travel means picking one particular destination instead of dozen and then using local means of transportation, bikes or hiking even, to explore an area more in depth, at a more leisurely pace, then I’m all for it. Today, we have a returning guest and longtime friend of the destinations he lives and works in, Stuart McDonald, to give us his understanding of and experiences with slow travel in Asia.

Ep. 186: Slow Travel with Stuart McDonald of Travelfish

One’s first trip to Asia: it’s something hard to forget. The smells, the sounds, the crowds, big cities, wild landscapes, exotic food, a sometimes frenetic pace, tropical beaches, incredible mountains - you’re in Asia! We recently got chatting about our early trips to the continent, started to feel old, or perhaps well-experienced, and thought it might be fun to recount our initial journeys here, reflect on those first impressions and contrast it to our current lives and how we see things now. In these two parts, I then Trevor will recount our first visits to Asia. Here we go…

Ep. 185: Scott’s First Trip to Asia

Dave Stamboulis

Those are the opening lines of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir, a “musical and metaphorical drive toward some irresistible far-off horizon”. The song has long-enticed me with it’s melodic mysticism, and when former guest Dave Stamboulis told me that he’d, quote, “Just completed a rather wild journey to Kashmir and Ladakh,” I knew that we had to have him back on the show to tell us more about these spectacular areas of India, a country we’ve been eager to explore more on Talk Travel Asia.

Ep. 184: Wild Journey to Kashmir and Ladakh with Dave Stamboulis

When most people think of Asia, the countries that come to mind aren’t likely to be those we’re about to discuss today. Located in Western Asia, on the border of Eastern Europe, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are countries most westerners are largely unfamiliar with at all. That's all the more reason to learn a bit about them, as each has unique cultures, history, and tourist attractions that make them fascinating destinations. Today, show co-host Scott Coates will share his experience traveling through these interesting West Asian nations.

Ep. 183: Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan

A.I. - Artificial Intelligence. It’s almost the only thing anyone is talking about in some circles. AI seems to be everywhere nowadays and creative industry workers are panicking over being replaced. On the other end of the spectrum, those already using it to produce grant proposals or file TPS reports rave about AI’s efficiency and accuracy, saving them countless hours on otherwise tedious chores. But what about travel? Are AI travel agents, AI-generated travel guidebooks, and AI trip planners about to revolutionize travel? Or is this technology as far from replacing travel professionals as it from replacing movie stars: eventually, perhaps, but not quite yet. Today we’ll discuss AI and the travel industry.

Ep. 182: Travel in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Edwin Briels

Road trips are one of travel’s great forms of adventures. From the Griswald’s cross-country family vacation to Wally World to my own explorations of Eastern Cambodia to design tours for international visitors, the road trip is a time-honored tradition. Nowadays, one might imagine traveling by camper-van to Mexico or Central America, or even renting a car in the north of Japan and driving it south from island to island, but who would ever imagine taking a road trip by car from Myanmar to Holland? Well, our guest Edwin Briels did just that, and today he’s going to share how it all went down. Buckle up!

Ep. 181: Myanmar to Holland by Car with Edwin Briels

When we travel, many of us hope to experience an exotic culture or visit a spectacular natural attraction. Often these are chosen based on recommendations from family and friends or may be long-awaited bucket list destinations. Little do many of us know, however, that the United Nations has already selected more than 1000 such sites, hundreds of which are in Asia. These World Heritage Sites are some of the most impressive destinations on Earth, and we’ll discuss some today that you may wish to consider adding to your next Asian adventure.

Ep. 180: Exploring Asian UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Taiwan is a country? - is it..? Okay, let’s start again… Taiwan is a territory that traditionally has way less people traveling it than should do so. Sitting off the east coast of China, there are few spots hotter geopolitically that Taiwan. But what’s there? Are the people the same as those from mainland China? What’s the terrain like? Is it safe? Friendly? Food decent? Well, you can say ‘yes’ to all of those things but today we’re not only going to touch on Taiwan as a travel destination for the second time on this show, but focus on cycle its east coast. So, pour yourself a cup of Oolong tea, steam some dumplings and let’s dream of what was once known as Fermosa.

Ep. 179: Cycling Taiwan's East Coast with Simon Foster

Suppose I told you that you were stranded on a deserted island? What’s the first thing you think of? Mine was, which island should it be? A random one in the south Pacific or a specific one I’ve long dreamt of returning to. Suppose you found a genie bottle there? What three wishes would you ask for? To be rescued, perhaps, or use one of the wishes to keep the island your secret hideaway. We’ve all had such thoughts, I hope – as Scott and I both have. Today, we thought it would be fun to pose such questions on an episode about Travel Fantasies and Future predictions.

Ep. 178: Scott & Trevor’s Excellent Travel Dreaming Adventure

Pierre Andre

We chat with Pierre Andre Romano about artisanal crafts in Cambodia.

Ep.177: Cambodian Artisanal Handicrafts with Pierre Andre Romano

With more than 40-collective years living and working in Asia, co-hosts Trevor Ranges and Scott Coates know the ins and outs of travel in the region, and love sharing them. Having spent over a decade as a travel writer for the likes of National Geographic and Fodors, Trevor implicitly understands how to see and figure a destination out. Scott has spent much of his time crafting bespoke adventures as the co-founder of a luxury travel company and knows how to make travel truly flow. Whether traveling as pros or exploring as amateurs, they share their passion for travel in Asia with you on Talk Travel Asia.

You are the main reasons i explored SEA...So happy you are back ,looking forward to season 3 👍
Especially as now all we can do is dream!🙏😊

Best of the lot

Even I’ll agree not every episode is The Big Lebowski but 1-star? If they left a review I’d take it more seriously. Probably a jealous Rik Gazarian ;P

Who gave us 1-star?

Talk Travel Asia

Bangkok is legendary as one of the world’s most exotic and exciting cities. It’s also one full of scams, hustles, and tourist traps. Luckily most of them are relatively innocent and non-violent, resulting in little more than a few more dollars spent than you’d like. After more than 25 collective years living in Bangkok, Scott and Trevor cover a few of the most common, elaborate, and colorful Bangkok scams so that you can have a lot of fun in Bangkok and not get ripped off (too badly)!

Talk Travel Asia - Episode #5: Bangkok Scams, Hustles & Tourist Traps

Happy New Year - it’s 2017 and our gift to you is a celebratory episode of Talk Travel Asia. Today we’ll revel in our very favorite things about Asia in a multitude of categories from how to get around to where to imbibe and a whole lot in between. We take on a variety of categories from best transport, to airports, best movies theaters and a whole lot in between. This is our Best of Asia from more than 33 collective years living and traveling in the region. Ring in the New Year by celebrating travel and get planning your trip to Asia for 2017!

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 60: Best of Asia

Many parts of Southeast Asia are famous for snorkeling and SCUBA diving. There are few parts of the world with as many great areas to get your face and body under the water than over here in the tropics. Countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, in particular, have world-class snorkeling and diving sites. If you’re thinking of getting your open water certification, want to get dives in, or love snorkeling, Southeast Asia is the place. Today we’ll chat about our favorite locations to get in and under the water and share tips from some of our friends. Get ready to get wet!

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 48: Snorkeling & SCUBA Diving in Southeast Asia

It’s been more than two years since our first episode went live on June 11, 2014 and we’re suddenly at our 50th episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast! It’s been a ton of fun thinking of topics to cover and share, and we hope you’ve enjoyed the ride as much as we have. To mark our 50th episode, we’re going to share 50 Things We Love About Traveling in Asia. The categories will be broad, responses at times surprising, and we guarantee there are a few things in here you’ll want to try. Thanks for listening and celebrating 50 episodes with us!

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 50: 50 Things We Love About Traveling in Asia

Bobby Chinn

Vietnamese food is one of the world’s great cuisines. As the country has opened to tourism over the last couple decades, more and more travelers have gotten the opportunity to try the real thing in-country. At the same time Vietnamese restaurants have opened all over the world with more and more people becoming fans of this fantastically diverse and tasty fare. Heavy in its use of fresh vegetables, Vietnamese food can also be a healthy choice. Today we’ll discuss Vietnamese cuisine, its place in the world and growing popularity with celebrity chef Bobby Chinn.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep 55: Vietnamese Cuisine with Bobby Chinn

Laos is one of Southeast Asia’s sleepiest countries. Home to 6.5-million people and landlocked, it’s a place of mystery for many travelers and unknown to much of the world. Once a French colony, also ruled by a royal family, then taken over by communist forces in 1975, it’s one of the region’s most friendly and unique destinations. Its number-one tourist destination by far is Luang Prabang, a charming town of 56,000, situated on the banks of the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers. A former royal capital, its been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995 and exudes laid-back cool. On this episode we’ll share our impressions and favorite things to do over a three-night visit.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 74: Three Nights in Luang Prabang, Laos

Bangkok is consistently rated one of the world’s most popular cities for travelers and has long been a mainstay on the SE Asian travel circuit. Vibrant traditional old communities bump up against gleaming new skyscrapers, the street-food dazzles, Michelin-starred restaurants abound, and the infamous Red Bull tank-tops are for sale street-side. Bangkok’s got a lot to experience and then some. On this episode of Talk Travel Asia we’ll chat about how the City of Angels has changed over our nearly 20 years living here, sometimes for the better and others for the worse.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 94: Bangkok's Changing Face

Packing for a trip can be tough. We decided to crowdsource, asking our friends and fans on Facebook to help us brainstorm a topic, 'Packing Tips'. Packing is always a bit tricky: you never know exactly what the weather will be like, there are always items you’re never quite sure you’ll need, and it seems that no matter what, you’ll always either bring too much of something or not enough of another.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 64: Packing - Tips

Scott and Trevor have likely to have been on more interesting adventures than the average traveler due to the nature of their careers.  On Episode 13 of Talk Travel Asia, you can hear six of their tantalizing travel tales from Nepal, Cambodia, Australia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 13: Tantalizing Travel Tales

Episode 4: The Plight of Asia’s Elephants Both Trevor and Scott have had the pleasure of experiencing the mahout (elephant) program at the Anantara Golden Triangle in the far northern regions of Thailand along the Mekong River and welcome John Roberts to talk about an issue that is at the heart of many tourist experiences in Asia.  While elephants are certainly a top tourist attraction in Thailand, Nepal, and to a lesser degree in Cambodia and Laos, few tourists are aware of the threat to elephant populations in the region caused by human development and deforestation of elephant’s natural habitat.

Episode 4: The Plight of Asia’s Elephants Both Trevor and Scott have had the pleasure of experiencing the mahout (elephant) program at the Anantara Golden Triangle in the far northern regions of Thailand along the Mekong River and welcome John Roberts to talk about an issue that is at the heart of many tourist experiences in Asia. While elephants are certainly a top tourist attraction in Thailand, Nepal, and to a lesser degree in Cambodia and Laos, few tourists are aware of the threat to elephant populations in the region caused by human development and deforestation of elephant’s natural habitat.

Talk Travel Asia: Episode 4: The Plight of Asia’s Elephants

Some people that haven’t traveled much of Asia can be mistaken and think it’s very similar from country to country in the region. While some countries and their respective peoples have similarities, there are some nations that are completely unique. There’s Asia, SE Asia, then there’s Japan. No country in the continent is remotely like it. Steeped in history, rich traditions, deep culture, and turned slightly inward, few places in Asia dazzle like Japan does. A teeming population that’s preserved natural surroundings, are exceptionally civilized, maintain a safe society, embrace modernity, while celebrating tradition, Japan is a world unto itself and should be on every traveler’s bucket list. Today we’ll chat about our experiences in the Land of the Rising Sun and what it means to us.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 54: Impressions of Japan

We’ve been lucky to travel quite a bit, and continue to do so. Between Trevor and I we usually end up in 10-plus countries in a year. Last year was quite a bit more. And, just like you, we’re getting older, one day at a time. While reminiscing over a couple cold beer about trips we’ve enjoyed, we decided it was time to share a few of our noteworthy Asian trips that still resonate. So, buckle in, and get ready to travel with us on Our Favorite Asian Adventures.

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 78: Favorite Asian Adventures

Shannon Stowell

On this episode of Talk Travel Asia podcast we talk about traveling responsibly in Asia and how adventure travel can make it possible for travelers to be more responsible while on holiday in Asia. The reality is that international travel, once only accessible by society’s most upwardly-mobile, has opened up to hundreds of millions of travelers in recent decades. Growing economies, budget airlines and easing of visa restrictions are some of the main drivers. But with increased numbers comes an urgent need to educate travelers about how we travel to ensure we don’t permanently damage the very places we’re exploring to ensure there’s still a world to travel, in the coming decades. On this episode we chat with an expert, Adventure Travel Trade Association CEO Shannon Stowell, about the subject and focus on how we can travel responsibly.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 83 - Traveling Responsibly in Asia with Shannon Stowell

Greg Jorgensen

Episode 3: Talk Travel Technology with special guest Greg JorgensenTravel technology has had a massive impact on how we research, plan, book, experience, and share our travel adventures. Armed with only a smart phone, you can buy a plane ticket or get a hot hotel deal in real time.  There’s 3G and wifi hot-spots along the Mekong River in Laos and Cambodia; there are dozens of travel apps to help you along the way; and you can share your photos with friends and family back home with the press of a button. This week, Scott and Trevor discuss Travel Technology with longtime friend Greg Jorgensen, the founder and former co-host of Bangkok Podcast, a Thailand Twitter celebrity, and an all around nice guy.

Episode 3: Talk Travel Technology with special guest Greg Jorgensen Travel technology has had a massive impact on how we research, plan, book, experience, and share our travel adventures. Armed with only a smart phone, you can buy a plane ticket or get a hot hotel deal in real time. There’s 3G and wifi hot-spots along the Mekong River in Laos and Cambodia; there are dozens of travel apps to help you along the way; and you can share your photos with friends and family back home with the press of a button. This week, Scott and Trevor discuss Travel Technology with longtime friend Greg Jorgensen, the founder and former co-host of Bangkok Podcast, a Thailand Twitter celebrity, and an all around nice guy.

Talk Travel Asia: Episode 3: Talk Travel Technology with special guest Greg Jorgensen

Cambodia has emerged in the last decade as a popular travel destination for foreign travelers. Once viewed by many tourists as simply a quick extension trip from a neighboring country to see the incredible temples of Angkor, it’s now rightfully seen as a destination unto itself, worthy of an entire vacation. Its capital, Phnom Penh, is a fun, vibrant Asian city, the temples around Angkor stunning, and the hilltribe communities in the NE are intriguing, but the missing ingredient until recently has been the beach.Despite having many islands off the SW corner of the country, resorts have been few, access limited and integrating it in to an overall holiday a bit tough. But that’s all changing and Cambodia’s beach scene will be an entirely different world in another decade. For those wanting an unspoilt beach experience, you better get there soon. On this episode we’ll explore Cambodia’s emerging beach scene, where to go and how to get there.

Cambodia has emerged in the last decade as a popular travel destination for foreign travelers. Once viewed by many tourists as simply a quick extension trip from a neighboring country to see the incredible temples of Angkor, it’s now rightfully seen as a destination unto itself, worthy of an entire vacation. Its capital, Phnom Penh, is a fun, vibrant Asian city, the temples around Angkor stunning, and the hilltribe communities in the NE are intriguing, but the missing ingredient until recently has been the beach. Despite having many islands off the SW corner of the country, resorts have been few, access limited and integrating it in to an overall holiday a bit tough. But that’s all changing and Cambodia’s beach scene will be an entirely different world in another decade. For those wanting an unspoilt beach experience, you better get there soon. On this episode we’ll explore Cambodia’s emerging beach scene, where to go and how to get there.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 82: Cambodia Beaches And Islands

Craig Dodge

Most times when people travel, they know the key sites they’re going to seek out and experience but are often surprised by what else they discover along the way. In the case of visiting Siem Reap in Cambodia, most everyone’s there to see the temples of Angkor but some discover something entirely unexpected: Phare, The Cambodian Circus.Once in a while, ingenious people come up with something completely new, introduce it to an area, and that can become a new attraction. Think Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas – an entertainment show that’s nearly become as popular as gambling. Phare, The Cambodian Circus has put a new attraction on the map in an area that people are going typically only to see temples. We chat with Craig Dodge, Director of Sales &amp; Marketing at Phare about the circus, its development, and what visitors can expect.

Most times when people travel, they know the key sites they’re going to seek out and experience but are often surprised by what else they discover along the way. In the case of visiting Siem Reap in Cambodia, most everyone’s there to see the temples of Angkor but some discover something entirely unexpected: Phare, The Cambodian Circus. Once in a while, ingenious people come up with something completely new, introduce it to an area, and that can become a new attraction. Think Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas – an entertainment show that’s nearly become as popular as gambling. Phare, The Cambodian Circus has put a new attraction on the map in an area that people are going typically only to see temples. We chat with Craig Dodge, Director of Sales &amp; Marketing at Phare about the circus, its development, and what visitors can expect.

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 12: Phare, The Cambodian Circus with Craig Dodge

Ric Gazarian

Today we feature a real adventurer: someone pushing the envelope of creativity in travel and transportation, going above and beyond the beaten path. Many people take at least one trip per year, then spend the rest of the year dreaming about their next one. For some, this trip is a week or so in length, but there are a growing number individuals that are finding creative ways to make travel their full-time gig. These people roam the world experiencing places and activities, then blog about them, take photos, videos, and find creative ways to generate a full-time income. Today we’ll chat with Ric Gazarian, an American who’s been doing just that for a number of years.

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 45: Out There Asian Adventures with Ric Gazarian

Yangon, formerly Rangoon, the capital of Myanmar, formerly Burma, is an exotic sounding name. In the early 1900s, it was one of the most developed and sophisticated cities in Southeast Asia. The elite sent their children there for school, commerce was booming, British, Indians, Burmese, and people from around the world mixed and mingled. And then things changed. In 1948 Burma got independence from the British. Then in 1962 the military took power for almost 50 years, finally loosening their grip in 2011.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep.70: Impressions of Yangon, Myanmar

Culture shock is certainly something that occurs when traveling abroad. Here in Asia there are many curious customs and holidays that are so different what we experience at home. On this episode we talk about some wild and wacky experiences and attractions in Asia, some of which we have experienced and some of which we have not...yet.

Talk Travel Asia - Episode 68: Wild & Wacky Asian Experiences

Ed Knuth

Asian cultures are often very different from western ones and many foreigners make some horribly embarrassing mistakes as a result of these disparities. Even those who read up in their guidebook about the do’s and don’ts in a particular destination only grasp the general concept and not necessarily all of the nuances. Beyond the standard differences between east and west, such as greetings (the handshake vs a bow or wai) some are much more subtle and can lead to some awkward situations.Welcome to a special edition of Talk Travel Asia, Foreigner Faux Pas and Cultural Clumsiness in Asia. I'm Trevor Ranges and this is one of two episodes that TTA is doing as a crossover series with the hosts of Bangkok Podcast. My guest host today, I've known for as long as I have been living in Asia, having been neighbors when I first moved to Bangkok and then housemates for several years, and therefore both have experienced our share of foreigner faux pas, Ed Knuth.

Asian cultures are often very different from western ones and many foreigners make some horribly embarrassing mistakes as a result of these disparities. Even those who read up in their guidebook about the do’s and don’ts in a particular destination only grasp the general concept and not necessarily all of the nuances. Beyond the standard differences between east and west, such as greetings (the handshake vs a bow or wai) some are much more subtle and can lead to some awkward situations. Welcome to a special edition of Talk Travel Asia, Foreigner Faux Pas and Cultural Clumsiness in Asia. I'm Trevor Ranges and this is one of two episodes that TTA is doing as a crossover series with the hosts of Bangkok Podcast. My guest host today, I've known for as long as I have been living in Asia, having been neighbors when I first moved to Bangkok and then housemates for several years, and therefore both have experienced our share of foreigner faux pas, Ed Knuth.

Talk Travel Asia - Ep. 84: Foreigner Faux Pas and Cultural Clumsiness with Ed Knuth

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