Jake Needham is an American-born novelist and former screenwriter who has lived in Asia—mainly Thailand and Singapore—since the early 1980s. He has published 18 books and has been nominated for the Barry Award three times. His seventh book in the Inspector Tay series — Who the Hell Is Harry Black? — won the Barry Award for Best Paperback Mystery of 2024. Q. You are originally from Houston, Texas, but you have been living in Asia since the 80s. That is a long time in Asia. Tell us what first drew you […]

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This Cambodia trip was the most unexpected and unplanned trip I have ever been on. Although I had intended to travel there, I never anticipated it would happen so quickly because my 14-day visa-free had expired, and I had to leave Thailand urgently to avoid paying fines. This blog will follow my chaotic trip from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, along with some advice and tricks. I was informed that I could not extend my visa anymore, only a night before I would leave for Cambodia. So, I checked all possible […]

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Q. In 2006, you began a round-the-world bicycle trip called ‘Ride Earth,’ an epic challenge you had never attempted before. What is it about seeing the world with a bicycle that excites you, and can you describe what the first few weeks of your journey were like? It was the promise of freedom that first drew me to bicycle travel. I’m sure that’s a common motive among travelers but doing it under pedal power really elevated the sense of boundlessness: no bus schedules, no cramped hostels, no fuel stations, just […]

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Bangladesh is a beautiful small country in South Asia bordering India and Myanmar is yet to be developed in tourism. There are many beautiful places here to visit, it is one of the least tourist destinations in the world. The people of Bangladesh are very friendly and hospitable. They welcome tourists everywhere and try to help them. The country is full of cultural wonders such as the tea-covered highlands of Srimangal to the gorgeous golden sands of Cox’s Bazar, which is actually the third longest beach in the world. Here […]

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Bagan is located in approximately central Myanmar and is accessed via flight or bus – the closest airport is the Nyaung U Airport about 30 minutes from Old Bagan city and daily flights operate to and from Yangon as well as select other domestic cities. Visitors may also take a bus from Yangon to Bagan – allow 10 hours for this journey and dress warmly as the buses are often quite chilly inside. The Bagan Plains are situated along the banks of the great Irrawaddy River – over 10,000 pagodas […]

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Stumbling into an outdoor night market after strolling through the dimly lit streets of Nyaungshe we spotted a number of food vendors. One caught our eye – vividly so with the disco ball throwing orbs of bright light in all directions and the nearly blown out speaker playing everything from American folk songs to Myanmar pop songs. Oh and the smells coming from the BBQ including a number of intestinal products, locally caught fish and a variety of veggies. Spotting spy wine coolers in their tiny fridge – we clinked […]

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Bagan is the land of ancient temples – these stone spires dot the dusty landscape of what is called the Bagan Plains. We are visiting in the middle of winter, yet the temperatures are very warm during the day and pleasant at night; apparently rain has not fallen here for weeks. Coming from Inle Lake, some 6 hours away by bus we were startled by the dramatic difference in landscape. Inle Lake has plenty of water – in fact villages are built above water at the edges of the lake […]

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My formula for epic trips is something like this: travel with friends, seek out a diversity of unique and fun experiences, enjoy a bit of adventure, always imbibe in a bit of alcohol, find a balance between the natural and urban worlds, find good value for the money and meet other travelers. When Bohemian Vagabond suggested we visited Myanmar, I admit I wasn’t super excited – having only visited once before near the Thai border and never really digging deeper into the countryside. She said at the time that Inle […]

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Travel has changed so much in the past few years – during my latest trip abroad, this time to Myanmar, some of these changes were quite noticeable. Long gone are the days of Internet cafes where one would see travelers hunched over keypads staring at klutzy box like computer screens – often in the mornings or evenings after spending the day sightseeing. Today one is more likely to see one staring at a mobile phone – with travelers having figured out that purchasing sim cards abroad with a data plan […]

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After landing at the modern airport in Yangon we quickly purchased a sim card with a local phone number. We were told that in the last few years the price of Internet and cell phones have dropped dramatically. One tour guide told us that in the last 10 years mobile phones have gone from costing more then $1000 to now being relatively affordable. Our taxi driver informed us that traffic in Yangon can be intense – horrific at times – traffic that didn’t exist like this merely several years ago. […]

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When traveling abroad, I always seek out wineries whenever possible. To some, going wine tasting in Myanmar might be somewhat of a surprise – an anomaly and to an extent it is. However, there are two wineries in the country, (Aythaya Vineyard and Red Mountain Estate) both in the vicinity of Inle Lake. Red Mountain Estate Winery is located on the outskirts of the small town of Nyaungshe. As one arrives, one quickly sees vineyards lining the hillsides against a backdrop of scenic mountains. Based on the scenery, one could […]

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During a recent visit to Yangon, Myanmar a friend of a friend working in the city informed us about a North Korean restaurant within a 10 minute drive of where we were staying (the Merchant Art Boutique Hotel). My only other experience with North Korea was in Dandong, China. An old military bridge (today called the Friendship Bridge) extends half way across the Yalu River. I was there in the middle of winter and I remember it was extremely cold. I also remember walking out on this bridge by myself […]

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Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon in Myanmar is located at the top of Singuttara Hill and can be seen for miles around the city. From afar, the tallest golden stupa is the visual highlight of this temple. From close, Shwedagon is a gathering place for Burmese and foreigners – an impressive monument to spirituality and human creativity. The temple was built between the 6th and 10th centuries – over time the height of the main pagoda was increased to its current height today (nearly 100 meters tall). And yes that is real […]

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The Yunnan Province of China has become one of the most sought after travel destinations for those seeking to witness a truly unique cultural experience. Being engulfed by a  breathtaking countryside is nothing to sneer at either. This blossoming tourist destination has remained largely obscured and tucked away from outsiders for hundreds of years until modern infrastructure and transportation has allowed access. Located in the southwestern region of China, stowed away beneath rugged mountainous terrain, ethnic minorities migrated and settled largely in the lowlands of the Yunnan Province for peace, […]

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Author Adrienne Brady was born in Burma but grew up in the UK. She has lived a life of travel, among her travels she has enjoyed various ‘home’ bases around the world including Brunei, Dubai, Libya and Singapore. Her travels for the core of this book – detail her various trips throughout Sri Lanka, northern Thailand, Brunei, Libya, the Emirates through to the west coast of Ireland. Her time in Sri Lanka is during a particularly violent time because of the control of the Tamil Tigers – she finds herself […]

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