For my time in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, I not only researched using the individual country guides but was delighted to find that they publish a complete guide to the area called Southeast Asia on a Budget. This guide includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, plus Hong Kong and Macau.

A comprehensive guide like this has 2 huge benefits. The bennie of most value to me is that if I’m visiting more than one of the included destinations, I don’t have to carry around more than one guide. But, the other great bennie is that the budget traveler won’t have to pay for multiple guides. Backpacker heaven!

In addition to the great ideas for budget travel, the SE Asia guide also includes highlighted boxes for treating yourself to a night out. A nice little perk if you find yourself with a little extra cash.

The country guides, such as the Rough Guide to Vietnam, are less about budget travel but provide a great overview of the area including a wide range of restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars. There’s also loads of information on culture and history.

The Rough Guides are all available on Amazon.

Travel Well!

Beth

Related links:
Ahoy Hoi An (Vietnam)
Trekking in Mau Chau
Vietnam: Same Same but Different
Photo of the Day: North Vietnam
Preparing for 5 Weeks of Travel

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I leave in about 48 hours for Hanoi. (Aaaaaah!) But Vietnam isn’t the only country I’ll be visiting in the next 5 weeks. I’ll also be in Cambodia, Thailand and Bhutan. It appears that temps will range from the 90s in Bangkok and Saigon to the 30s (at night) in Thimphu, Bhutan.

As the queen of packing light, I’ve spent an unusual amount of time over the last 2 weeks sorting through clothes that will work well as layers, pack well and enable me to wash them out at night so that they’ll dry quickly.

Fortunately, travel clothes have come a long way in the last 20 years and there are a lot more fashionable options today than ever before. I think I’ve narrowed down what I’ll be bringing with me in my one carry-on (that’s right, I’m not checking any bags!). Thought I’d share at least a partial list of my clothes:

• 1 pair of ExOfficio convertible pants
• 1 pair of Columbia capris
• 2 Columbia base layers
• 1 ExOfficio DryFlyLite
• 3 pairs of ExOfficio underwear (I’ve gotten away with 2 in the past but it’s always nice to have a spare so I’m not rinsing them out every single night)

I’ve got a couple of items on order from Royal Robbins – if they arrive on time, I might swap out an item or two.

I’ve also been using the Rough Guide books for research and will be carrying the Vietnam book with me on this trip and then my very trusty Lonely Planet guide to Bhutan.

As for electronics, this is where I usually get weighted down. Here’s what’s going in my bag:

• Kindle - I got a deal on one just before the holidays and have decided to carry this instead of paperback books. I’m excited to have found a book for free that I’ve always wanted to read, Autobiography of a Yogi.
• Digital Foci PhotoSafe – to back up my digital images from my SD card (hard lesson learned when I lost – but later recovered – about 300 images from India).
• iPhone - I’ll only use this for text messaging home and tapping into free wireless networks.
• Asus netbook – my latest purchase, which will allow me to keep up with my email and writing while I’m away.

This list is by no means complete. There’s my small bag of toiletries, snacks, paperwork, decaf tea bags and more. But it at least gives you an idea what I’ll be lugging around until April.

I’m hoping that since I’ll have the netbook, I’ll be able to blog from the road, sharing images of food, the locals, landscape and my groups!

Travel Well!

Beth

Related links:
Creature Comforts
Washing and Drying Travel Options
Tom Bihn Gear – win $200 in your name for Haiti!
Gear from XShot
Otterbox and Vemayca Cosmetic Bag

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PNG is a country that I’ve wanted to visit for something like 20 years. I’ve seen the exotic photos of the local tribesman. I’ve read about their propensity toward (until recently) cannibalism. And I’ve heard that PNG is one of the most difficult places to travel to and, at least in the city of Port Moresby, one of the most dangerous in the world. I’ve also heard that the singsings (festivals) are the most magnificent one can ever experience and that the wildlife is some of the most diverse on the planet.

But for me, it’s mostly about the people. I’ve always had a fascination with indigenous cultures and it seems that other than the tribes of the Brazilian rainforest (which has also been on my list for something like 20 years), you can’t get any more indigenous than those in PNG.

So it was last week that I snuggled up with my guidebook and started highlighting some important facts concerning PNG, a destination that I will likely visit this summer in preparation for a tour that I’ll lead in 2011. The feeling that I got while reading this brought me back to my early 20s when I was planning for a circle-the-Pacific trip. I knew little about Asia at the time and I can so vividly remember cracking open all of my guidebooks to learn about Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia (countries that I’ve now visited and revisited countless times).

I’m glad to say that my budget is a bit bigger than in my early days of travel but, unfortunately, my time is more squeezed.

So, I’m planning the short time that I have in-country carefully and taking note of some of the more unique facts about PNG. These are some of my favorites:

• pigs are considered family members and it’s not unheard of for a lactating woman to suckle piglets
• more than 800 languages are spoken in PNG – 12% of the world’s indigenous languages
• Pidgin is most commonly spoken and words can often be easily recognized by English speakers. For example, “What’s your name?” is “”Wanem nem bilong yu?” Not too hard – huh?
• cannibalism was practiced for ritualistic reasons until the 60s.

There are plenty of destinations I have yet to explore, like Eastern Europe and Antarctica. But I don’t think any of these will hold the same amount of awe for me when I first crack open that guidebook to learn more about them. PNG seems to so far off the charts of what I know that I’m giddy with delight just reading about it!

Travel Well!

Beth

Related links:
The Google Factor – Ethical Travel
Wanderlust and Lipstick Tours

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All photos – MAG – Michael Gonnen

It’s really not that hard.

First, you have to realize that if you can pack a bag for a one-week trip, you can pack one bag for a one-year trip. I’m talking vacation travel here. Not a business trip where you might be required to wear a variety of clothes over a couple of weeks (though I’d argue that people will care far less than you realize if you wear the same outfit twice) or an adventure trip where special gear, such as a tent, is required. We’re talking 3 weeks in Southeast Asia. Or  8 weeks in South America. Or 6 months in Europe.

The key is that you have to have the right bag. Choose one that’s 22 inches or smaller as this is the maximum that MOST airlines will allow as a carry-on. I wrote about a variety of bags not too long ago and shared my faves. Whether it’s a backpack, a roll-aboard or a combination, this will be large enough for you to carry all you need.

Next, you have to get over the mindset that you have to carry your closet of clothes with you. Dress simply and utilize accessories (simple jewelry, a scarf, a hat) and you’ll feel like you’re wearing a variety of outfits. I taught a workshop once where a gal told me she brought 14 pairs of jeans on a two-week trip to Paris when she was visiting her daughter. Perhaps she didn’t think they had Laundromats there. Sure, 14 pairs of pants is an extreme example but do you really need more than 2? One to wear and one to pack, that’s what I say.

Contrary to popular belief, toiletries ARE available around the world. Though a local pharmacy may not stock my favorite shampoo, conditioner or lotion, I can make do without my favorite toiletries while I travel. I carry 3-ounce bottles of shampoo and conditioner and, because I don’t wash my hair ever day (what?), I can make this stretch for a month. Believe me, I’ve done it – even in India where my hair can get thick with dust in just a day. If I do happen to run out, I buy a small bottle of whatever I need to replace and either leave it behind in my hotel on the last day of travel or pack it in a checked bag of souvenirs for that return flight.

I often get asked about what shoes to pack and I find that both women and men find these the hardest items to figure out for a trip. Depending on the weather at your destination and the type of activities you’ll be involved in, this can be a conundrum. Because I often travel to warm places, I tend to pack a pair of sandals and then wear a pair of walking shoes on the flight.  On my most recent trip to Bhutan, one of the gals on my tour brought only one pair – a pair of Keen sandals. On cool days, she wore socks but otherwise just enjoyed wearing these comfy sandals and loved not having to deal with an additional pair of shoes.

Here’s a little slideshow of some packing pics I took for a recent 3 week trip to Bangkok and Bhutan. Not ALL of my clothes are shown here (for some reason I forgot to include my pants and shorts   but I DID wear some!). This will at least give you a good idea as to how I’ve managed to pack light.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

(By the way, this is the first time I’m using Smilebox – bear with me… not sure I like it but wanted to test it out.)

In these slides, I show my PJ’s, a couple of tops, Teva sandals, my electronics which I keep in a padded Eagle Creek padded bag and my toiletry bag. Toss in a couple of pairs of underwear (yes, I bring only 2 quick drying pairs from ExOfficio that I alternate washing nightly), some pants, a book (or my Sony eReader), gifts for my host and I’m pretty much ready to go.

Would love to hear your tips and experiences.

By the way, YES, those are marshmallows in my bag. I carried them to Bhutan and on the last night of our trip, we cooked S’mores. I’m certain it was a first for the Bhutanese and everyone loved this little treat at the end of a wonderful journey.

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Peanut Butter is Spreadable
How Not to be a Trashy Tourist
Tips for Reverse Culture Shock
Using Your Cell Phone Abroad: A Primer
Booking Advice in Today’s Climate
Understanding Travel Insurance

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Me in the Sierra Nevadas taking a break from hiking

I was thinking about a camping trip now that summer has finally arrived. (For anyone living outside of the Pacific Northwest, you can’t imagine the miserably cold start to summer we had – record low temps in June meant the heat was still kicking in at our house.)

But alas, I’ve complained enough about this so I’ll move on…

Camping.

I got to thinking about camping and then remembered this totally fun guide I received from a publisher last year. It’s Let’s Get Primitive: The Urban Girl’s Guide to Camping by Heather Menicucci. I sat down and started reading through it yesterday and realized just how much fun this little companion guide is.

From suggestions on how to make your own backpack out of a pair of pants (really!) to recipes for some fabulously yummy camping food, this book has it all. It’s written in a completely fun and accessible style – which makes any city-dwelling woman feel like she can do it, too.

I cringed a bit at the advice to carry plastic bags to use for numerous things since Seattle is currently doing all but banning the use of plastic bags. However, I can forgive this one un-PC item for all the other great advice and tips that are offered.

A guide that would be a great companion to this OR as a gift for a young traveler in your life is The Girlo Travel Survival Kit from the folks at Girlosophy and written by Anthea Paul.

I’m a big fan of the Girlosophy books. I have a Little Sister (through Big Brothers Big Sisters) who is nearly 17 now (we’ve been “matched” since she was 9). I’ve picked up these books for her over the years and she LOVES them. She finds inspiration and a can-do spirit throughout these books and often says that she picks one up when she isn’t feeling so confident and needs a little boost.

I love travel. I love to inspire others to travel. And more than anything I love to inspire young people to travel since they are indeed the next generation of globetrotters who can change the world. (Hey – why didn’t I think of writing this book?) I didn’t and that’s OK. This book is awesome and indeed inspiring for young women.

There are tons of tips for responsible travel, how to pack, how to navigate the airport, working overseas and more. If you owe that new grad a gift, here it is. Or, if you simply want to inspire a young woman to fulfill her Wanderlust, this is a great book (oh, as is my SOLO book!).

Kick summer into high gear and pick up either one of these and…

Travel Well!

Read my travel blog on at the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

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