Life in immigration

Last Updated: 01/05/19 | January 5th, 2019 Traveling Thailand can cost as little or as much as you want it to be. This is a country that covers all budgets! This is a country where you can stay in $3 USD rooms or $1,000 USD resorts. Street food for pennies or gourmet dinners for hundreds. Free beaches and inexpensive attractions or expensive tours where your every need is catered to. There’s something for every budget here in Thailand. Thailand is a cheap country to live in and travel around. I usually spend very little money here. But that changed when my friends came, and why that changed is important for anyone planning to come to Thailand. How much does it cost to travel around Thailand? Your Thailand costs will vary greatly depending on the kind of traveler you want to be. I’ve been visiting the country for over a decade and I’ve seen it change a lot. Here’s how much you can expect to spend and how to save money in the country. How Much Does it Cost to Visit...

Posted: 5/30/2020 | May 30th, 2020 Taipei, the capital of Taiwan and its most populous city, is the epicenter of tourism for the country (though most people just come for a short layover as it’s a major air hub for Asia). And while there is plenty to do elsewhere in Taiwan, even if you don’t leave Taipei, you can still find lots of things to see and do in the area to fill close to a week! I love Taipei. I lived here in 2010 while I taught English and built this website. It was a wonderful experience that helped me grow as a person. A decade later, I finally made it back to the city I loved so much and it was remarkable to see that so much of what I loved was still there: the endless gigantic food markets serving some of the best food in the world, a wild nightlife, spacious parks, interesting and quirky museums, and nearby mountains that call to you with easy and accessible hikes. Taipei (like Taiwan as a whole) is a hugely underrated destination and I can’t urge you enough to visit....

Posted: 2/15/2020 / February 15th, 2020 Thailand is an English teacher’s dream. With a low cost of living, incredible food, rich culture, plenty of partying, and a mai pen rai (no worries) attitude, the Land of Smiles is a very popular country for English teachers. For Thais, English is considered a necessity to work in the global market, so there is always a need for teachers. With language schools, primary schools, universities, and other locations offering English classes, there are numerous avenues for employment. So, how do you get a job teaching English in Thailand? In order to do so, you need to be a native speaker from an English-speaking country (defined as the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) or prove your fluency, and have a bachelor’s degree. Because of the popularity of teaching English in Thailand, I’d recommend also having a 120-hour TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate to make you more competitive. With all teaching opportunities in Thailand, salari...

Updated: 12/27/18 | Originally Posted: 06/02/2015 *This update consisted of added links and resources. This was my third visit to Ko Phi Phi. As I was there, I was reminded of how much I dislike it. In fact, I hate Ko Phi Phi. Despise it. I think it is one of the most overrated islands in all of Thailand. I spent the last four days here with some friends of mine from Bangkok. We were here on a vacation from work. Originally, we were going to go to nearby Krabi, but when it was too quiet for them, we moved to Ko Phi Phi. Ko Phi Phi is one of the most well-known islands in Thailand, and during the high season, it’s swarming with people. It was made famous first by Lonely Planet and by the movie The Beach, who used the nearby Maya Bay as a film set. Over the decades, this small island (it’s only 12 square kilometers!) became home to hundreds of high-end resorts. The island was a tragic victim of the 2005 tsunami and more than 2,000 people were killed here alone. After the event, many...

Last Updated: 02/10/20 | February 10th, 2020 I’ve always wanted to travel on the Trans-Siberian railway. It seems like an amazing adventure that literally spans the width of an entire continent. Until I make the journey myself, Katie Aune is here to share her experiences on the Trans-Siberian Railway. In this guest post, Katie shares everything you need to know for the journey. She is a frequent traveler to Russia and knows this journey well. She’s here to share her wisdom with you to help you make the most out of your trip across Russia! The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the most famous train journeys in the world. For me, it was the highlight of the three months I spent in Russia. I traveled in reverse, going from Vladivostok to Moscow (most people start in Moscow) and went slowly, taking nearly a month to complete the journey and stopping in five cities along the way. In this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know to plan your trip. Let’s get starte...

Last Updated: 03/03/2020 | March 3rd, 2020 Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But there are still amazing and affordable hostels in Tokyo where you can stay and lower your costs! Like Tokyo itself, the hostels here are clean, arty, and have lots of charm. A lot of them are super trendy with beautiful décor. Wi-Fi is standard, and many will have cooking facilities too. Beds generally cost between 2,000 and 5,000 JPY ($18-45 USD) per night. They host events, serve a ton of tea, and have little cubbies you can sleep in. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing stay or to party the night away, the city has something for everyone! Tokyo does hostels right. I’ve been visiting Tokyo for years now and have stayed in dozens upon dozens of places. There are a lot of things to consider when selecting a hostel. The top four when picking the best hostel in Tokyo are: Location – Tokyo is huge and, while the metro does go everywhere, it can take some time to get around. Pick a ...

Last Updated: 03/17/20 | March 17th, 2020 (Original Post: 1/11/2016) NOTE: This pool no longer accessible and you shouldn’t go there. “Do you want to join us to see the waterfall tomorrow?” the girls across the table asked. “Sure!” I replied. And, just like that, I was heading off to Luang Prabang’s famous Kuang Si waterfalls with three strangers I met at dinner. Walk around Luang Prabang for more than two seconds and dozens of tuk-tuk drivers will ask if you want to go to the waterfall. And they mean only one: Kuang Si. The waterfall was listed in my guidebook as a “must-do,” and every traveler I spoke to before visiting the city told me I would be crazy not to see falls. Normally, when so many people talk so enthusiastically about a place, I become skeptical. This is going to be a tourist trap, I think. It’s going to be one of those beautiful places so overwhelmed by crowds jostling for the perfect selfie, I won’t be able to escape for a moment of serenity. Waking up early the n...

Updated: 8/2/20 | August 2nd, 2020 I didn’t know much about Sri Lanka before my visit. Most of what I knew was picked up via the news and a few blog posts written by friends. Sri Lanka was a blank slate I was eager to fill in. I found Sri Lanka to be a nation of luscious jungles, epic waterfalls, stunning hikes, Tomb Raider-esque archeological ruins, unattractive cities, and delicious food. But the one thing that really stood out was the people. I know, I know. What a cliché, right?! It’s the most generic thing to say in travel. “The people in this destination were lovely and totally made the place.” Everyone always says that. Sure, you’ll find that some cultures really are more outgoing and friendlier to strangers than others. But Sri Lankans stood out in a way I’ve never experienced before. They are the first, second, third, and fourth things that come to mind when I remember my time in their country. I was amazed at how friendly, curious, and hospitable people were. As a traveler, a...

Updated: 02/04/19 | February 4th, 2019 It’s 6pm in Bangkok, and all over, street vendors are busy selling food. Thais do almost all of their grocery shopping on the street. Locals walk around with little bags full of rice, curry, noodles, or soup. With food so cheap and kitchens so few and far between, very few Thais in Bangkok cook their own meals. Sidewalk chairs are filled with coworkers sharing meals before they go home. Eating here is a social activity where hunger pangs, not the time of day, tell you when to eat. Bangkok is a gastronomical dream, and wandering its streets is heaven. Stalls line the streets, selling everything from snacks to sit-down meals. Sections often specialize in certain products, and the time of day dictates which stalls will be where with the precision of a Swiss watch. Waking up for breakfast, I strolled down the street. All around me Thais were buying breakfast (usually fruit or soup). Workers were buying their lunches, loading up on rice and curry, nood...