At times, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, can feel a bit hectic and maybe a little intimidating.  I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and while there learned various survival tactics in order to make visiting Phnom Penh slightly easier and more manageable.    Some of these survival tactics might even teach you a few lessons on how to be native in Cambodia.  In any way, have an awesome time in Phnom Penh; a city that I consider to have a great mixture of entertainment, delicacies, humor, and great folks.
1.  Tune Out a Little
It is utterly unavoidable that all operators of all forms of motorized transportation will pursue you for a ride.  Motorcycles will pass, notice …

From spending 24 Hours at Angkor Wat to aimlessly walking around the capital of Phnom Penh, in order to fit in to the Cambodian lifestyle, you will need to follow a few or possibly all of these tips.
1.  Parkas and Gore-Tex
If you venture outside or somewhere onto the street, whatever you do, don’t forget the North Face down parkas.  Locals don’t appreciate the glorious sunshine.  I saw numerous people rocking the latest in mittens, leggings,  scarves, and long johns.
2.  100cc Family Vehicle
The Dodge Caravan is no longer the family of 5 vehicle …

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1.  Mo Chit Station- Bangkok
Start at Mo Chit Station- Bangkok’s Northern bus terminal.  Take a bus to Aranyaprathet that departs every 30 minutes starting at about 4 am for the price of around 200 baht (US $6).  Bus takes about 4 hours.Â
2.   Rongklua Market- Border
The bus will either take you all the way to the border or it will drop you in town and you will need to spend less than 100 baht (US $3) on a tuk tuk to the actual border at Rongklua Market.Â
CAUTION: If you take a tuk tuk, don’t let …

When 2009 rolled in, I had just returned to the the United States from Patagonia to attend my sisters wedding in Phoenix, Arizona.
It was in February 2009 under the influence of a carne asada burrito that I decided it was time to record my migrationology travels in the form of online documentation. I knew next to nothing about the web world, (twitter was literally just the sound of a bird to me).  Utilizing gallons of my parents coffee and my addiction to yerba mate from Argentina, along with free internet, I …

The culture of late night Hong Kong Dim Sum is a manifesting statement that appears to have developed throughout all of antiquity. It is through the lens of these ambrosial dumplings situated on bamboo steamers at uncommon hours where whole new worlds are cracked and observed from the depths of the concrete canyons of Hong Kong.
It was 3 am in Hong Kong and my metaphysical instinct drew me to naturally dwell upon one thing only; Dim Sum.  To my satisfaction there was an established restaurant on the bottom floor of …

It somehow seems hard to find concrete information on the web regarding how to make a Thailand visa run to Vientiane, Laos.  I have been on two visa runs to Vientiane recently and have taken notes to show the costs and how it really is not a very difficult process.  The first time I went, I obtained a 2 month tourist visa.  The second time I got a job teaching English in Bangkok and went to Vientiane to apply for a non-immigrant B visa so that my job could then apply for …

Over a week had passed since my arrival in Manila, the Philippines, and I had eaten countless plates of Bicol Express, pork and chicken adobo, and deep fried “1 day old chickens.”
There was however one notoriously weird, some call nasty, but nevertheless popular Filipino foods that I had not indulged in, and I needed to.  This “treat with feet,” or “eggs with legs,” was featured as an eating contest on Fear Factor where they called it gross.
It often makes the top list of strange or weird foods from around the …

Step 1- Flight from Manila to Busuanga

Board a Zest Air flight from the congested city of Manila, Luzon to Busuanga, Palawan in the Philippines for PHP 488 (Philippine Pesos).
Note: Cebu Pacific Airlines also offers affordable flights and some might say they are a bit safer.
Total- PHP 488 (US $10.13)
Step 2- Rent a Boat and Crew

Once you arrive in the town of Coron (a 30 minute comfortable mini-bus ride from the Busuanga airport), gather a group of friends and arrange to rent a boat for the day or next few days.
Should …

Though this might sound like I’m joking even sarcastic half the time, its actually quite realistic.  Don’t take my suggestions as fact but rather use them as guidelines, something to think about when you rent a vehicle.  Don’t let this stress you out, when you get on the road, you will understand and formulate your own ideas.  Renting a car in Indonesia was quite an enjoyable event for myself and can be for you as well.  However, don’t pretend it is going to be relaxing.
You will be presented with various …

This is the pictorial version of the “9 Mandatory Foods to Eat in Indonesia (click this for all the food descriptions).”  All dishes must be eaten with large amounts of sambal (ground chili sauce) to maximize flavors.
1. Hot Plate

2. Nasi Campur

3. Gado Gado
4. Lotek
5. Indonesian Sate

6. Ikan Bakar

7. Soto Ayam
8. Babi Guling

9. Cap cay