Freaking out a bit, turning 30 in a couple of days!!!

So, how do I do this?

I'm just going to rant and please don't take anything personal in this post.

I love the 20s and on Thursday I won't be in my 20s anymore. I'm turning 30. To me, that's a lot to handle because I feel like I'm not completely satisfied with what I've accomplished during my 20s. Things I SHOULD have done while in my 20s and not in my 30s. But then again, who is 100% satisfied? Are you satisfied?

Even though I don't want to, I still feel the panic. I wouldn't call it a crisis, but a mild panic attack. On second thought, S***, maybe I'm going through a crisis.

Does this sound familiar?

Yeah, thought so.

To me it basically means; do what you love now and not later, because later might be too late.

I'm not implying that my 30s will be the death of my plans. But we do live in a society that indirectly requires some progress in our lives. School - graduation - maybe travel a little - get a steady job - buy your own place - meet Mr. or Mrs. Perfect- get married - kids.

The strength lies in doing what you want in the order you want, despite of what society is about. 

I still don't know what to do in life (even if I should know by now).

But one thing is for sure; I have to face my 30s.
I just need to decide that the 30s are going to be the best :-)

Fully booked rooms on Christmas and New Year?

... If you haven't already booked rooms for the holidays, you should do it now.

The islands in SE Asia are where most travelers want to spend Christmas and celebrate New Year. Koh Phi Phi, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Samui, Koh Chang - you name it, there's going to be a lot of action on these islands, which means fully booked rooms.

The popular bungalows and guesthouses will get booked first, then comes the less popular alternatives. If you're hoping for a beach-front bungalow, I think it's a little too late too book now... Beach-front bungalows are VERY popular and are booked several months ahead, whether we're talking about beach-front bungalows in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia or India.

Here are some personal reviews of guesthouses on Ko Phi Phi, along with other suggestions to where to sleep. And remember; rooms on Phi Phi and other islands in Thailand are more expensive than rooms on mainland. Rooms at say, 800 THB are cheap in 'Phi-Phi'-sense.


Amanda

Chaco, Chaco, Chaco!

What's your favorite sandals? Teva? Chacos? Birkenstock?

I've been contemplating on buying new sandals. I love my Teva's, but I'm also ready to try something new. My sister who's still researching for her trip to South America came over Chaco's. They're the prettier version of Teva's, but still very comfortable and you can count on strong durability. You can use Chaco's for almost any outdoor activity.

I want this pair! :-)

Amanda

Itinerary guide has been updated!

I've been doing a lot of research on Indonesia lately (maybe because I have a plan of visiting the country - who knows?)

Indonesia is so fascinating in many ways; it offers anything from beaches to volcano trekking. My dream is to explore the islands of Sulawesi and Flores, and hit the beaches on Lombok and Bali :-) Komodo island is definitely on my list and visiting Mt. Kelimutu. Tana Toraja should be on YOUR list if you're visiting Indonesia. Tana Toraja is infamous for its unique funeral ceremonies and traditions.

Anyways, our itinerary guide called Map Your Adventure has been updated with much more focus on Indonesia.

Visit Map Your Adventure - the best itinerary guide for SE Asia and India


Amanda

Ebooks have been updated!

I have three ebooks and two of them have been updated. For Ticket to Safe Backpacking I've added 'new' scams in Southeast Asia, travel safety regarding transportation and much more. This is part of the deal:

You get the free updates sent to your email. I update the ebooks annually, so the next update will be due in the summer of 2013.

Check out Ticket to Safe Backpacking EBOOK









The other one is Asia Planners FAQ which is basically a collection of answers and questions about itineraries and itinerary making. I've added 6-7 new posts to the ebook, can't remember exactly right now. My eyes are heavy.

See Asia Planners FAQ















Amanda :-)

...think I found my new favorite travel item!

My sister is researching and preparing for her all-time backpacking trip in South America next year. She was like: "Amanda, I have to show you something, you're gonna love it!"

She told me to google PacSafe.. It wasn't the first time I heard about Pacsafe but I didn't realize what it really was before I actually saw it. Saw the introduction video too, and it looks pretty good.

Do you have any experience with PacSafe bag protector? Is it really that good? I browsed through Pacsafe's selection, and this one caught my eye.

PacSafe has also some daypacks with anti-theft features. Found this: (32L)

Simple, low-key and fits my lap-top and notes - that's all I need. Ah, ok, I forgot to include my make-up ;-)

I probably gonna need some time to go through all the details of these daypack. I mean, come on look at this! ;-)

The thing is; I want a new backpack since I've worn out my two Bergans backpacks (Norwegian brand); one is 55L and the other is 40L. Both have been used for my travels in Asia. 40L in India for two months was ambitious, but it worked. 55L was perfect for several months in Asia - I could even shop a little without busting the seam. So, I would probably get a new 55L.

I've also been contemplating on purchasing an Osprey Ariel 50 liter - love the design. Hmm.... will see.

Visit PacSafe here

I've also written an article about backpacking backpacks.

Have a good day,
Amanda :-)))

Summer plan for Backpacking Tips Asia 2012

I haven't forgotten about you. I've been contemplating about writing new articles for the last month, but I just don't have the time. I've answered important emails from readers, but that's all I had time for. I got a new full-time job from May 1st, working with water resources and energy law, and I've been using the last month to read up on my exam, which was due on May 16th!

So, finally I can breathe with the exams finalized. I will start working on new articles this week. I haven't published any new Backpacking Tips Asia Newsletter since March, but hopefully I will send one out by the end of this month :)

The project for this summer will be the following:

•  Update all three ebooks (Map Your Adventure, Ticket to safe backpacking and Asia Planners FAQ).

If you have already purchased one of these ebooks, don't worry. I will send the updates to you for free when they're ready.

• My cousin just returned from Vietnam, and I have done some preliminary interviews. The first articles about Vietnam will be:

             - General information about Vietnam
             - Hoi An information and tips (accommodation, food, nightlife and transportation)

• New articles (what the articles will be about are not certain at this point)

Amanda