Thanks so much for your support! You can make a donation to me and the channel by PayPal:PayPalFundly COVID Diaries Campaign-Visa/Mastercard/Amex/AliPay/WeChat-Crowdfunder(visa,mc,WeChat, AliPay)You can support me through Patreon:Pledge monthlyThanks again for following the series and subscribing to the channel. I hope this series helps people understand how other places like Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode I share my feelings on how safe I feel here as well as a story about a very compassionate Vietnamese entrepreneur and why I think places like Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan are having more success dealing with the pandemic than many Western countries, it's very much a cultural thing. In coming episodes I'll try to move around the city and share with you some different backdrops as well as more stories and personal thoughts. Thanks again, please stay safe, spend most of your time at home if it's possible, and try not to touch your face. Blessings to you from Vietnam....

Far East Travels Video Podcast

Vietnam COVID Diaries Vlog #3 I Feel Safe Here

Thanks so much for your support! You can make a donation to me and the channel by PayPal:PayPalFundly COVID Diaries Campaign-Visa/Mastercard/Amex/AliPay/WeChat-Crowdfunder(visa,mc,WeChat,AliPay)You can support me through Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/join/FarEastTravels? Things are changing daily as far as visas, which countries will be denied entry, and other requirements for Vietnam. It's amazing at the time of the publishing of this video that there are still less than 80 cases of COVID-19 in Vietnam with no fatalities. As I mentioned in the video there will probably be a spike in numbers this week as many Vietnamese return from Europe and other parts of Southeast Asia amidst fears of being stuck somewhere with no way of getting home. It appears the Vietnamese government is well prepared with additional health care workers and quarantine facilities. Keep watching for more videos as this series continues.

Vietnam COVID-19 Diaries Vlog #2

Thanks so much for your support! You can make a donation to me and the channel by PayPal:PayPalFundly COVID Diaries Campaign-Visa/Mastercard/Amex/AliPay/WeChat-Crowdfunder(visa, mc, WeChat, AliPay)You can support me through Patreon:Pledge monthlyI'm in Vietnam, (Ho Chi Minh/Saigon), until further notice so I thought it might be compelling to relate what the situation like is here during COVID-19 crisis. Vietnam made some pretty tough decisions early on and I believe it's helped them contain the virus to, at the time of this video being posted, 61 patients and with no fatalities. Of course like most everywhere else in the world that has a robust tourism sector it will be devastating to those in that industry. I truly feel for the restaurants, hotels, and services that primarily cater to tourists whether their foreigners or locals.

Vietnam COVID-19 Diaries Vlog#1

In this video Cambodia Know Before You Go Siem Reap Guide I take you on a walking tour of some of the busy and quiet areas of the town so you have an easy choice as to where you'd like to spend your time. Mostly used as a gateway to Angkor Wat and the Angkor Ruins Siem Reap can be almost anything you want it to be whether it's a place to party in between visits to Angkor or a quiet spot to reflect and process the amazing temples and structures you'll be exploring. Pub Street and Phsar Chas, the Old Market area are the most popular places to hangout. If you're looking for more of a quieter spot try the Wat Damnak area for everything from family style inexpensive humble restaurants to stylish multi-course dinner venues. The alleys amongst the heritage buildings south of Phsar Chas have some great little restaurants and cafes. The Old French Quarter has some very exclusive options including 3 choices at Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor along with some classy and low key places like FCC Angkor and the Siem Reap Brewpub. I personally like the quieter neighborhoods like Wat Damnak and the less touristy but interesting hipster like Kandal Village. You really are missing out if you don't get out into the smaller local restaurants away from the Pub Street area for a more authentic Khmer experience. Thanks again for watching! Don't forget to subscribe to The Far East Travels Podcast:Audio Podcast

Cambodia Know Before You Go Siem Reap Guide

In this video, Phnom Penh Russian Market, Exploring The Neighborhood I check inside the market and visit some places and people that have made the area their home. This is one of the city's most interesting neighborhoods. A mix of traditional Khmer stores and shops, and expat businesses, with the center of the neighborhood being the Russian Market, or Toul Tom Puong. It's still a busy area but I find it a little more relaxing to walk and explore it's many streets and lanes that are quieter than many parts of Phnom Penh. Only a 20 minute tuk-tuk ride from Riverside it definitely attracts a different crowd which mostly is made up of locals, expats, and some tourists that are interested in the market, shopping, and eating at some of the most diverse restaurants and cafes in the city. The Russian Market got it's name from the expat Russians who made this area their home in the 1980's, a time when most of the expats of Phnom Penh were from the former Soviet Union. Today the expat community is quite diverse, with people from many Western countries who are here either as English teachers, NGO workers, or entrepreneurs. There are also expats from other parts of Asia including India, Turkey, and the Philippines as well as China. This is a fantastic neighborhood to sample classic street food at either the night market outside Toul Tom Poung market that operates every evening or at many of the food carts that you'll find in the area. I enjoyed my dinner at Nesat Seafood House but there are also some traditional seafood bbq stands and restaurants around Toul Tom Puong. It was great meeting Tyler from Riel Brewing Distillery. They are usually open a couple of nights a week but they are primarily a brewery supplying their wonderful craft beers to restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Visit their website to find out more:Riel Brewing Distilling

Phnom Penh Russian Market - Exploring The Neighborhood

In this video I visit a China Fake Paris style development in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Koh Pich, or Diamond Island is a huge residential/commercial development located in an area of Phnom Penh that used to be a swamp until 2000 on the Mekong and Bassac Rivers. Elysee is the Paris inspired development that is similar in style to the fake Paris cities of China like Tianducheng, a suburb of Shanghai with it's own fake Eiffel Tower.Interestingly enough it appears that Elysee is being marketed to foreign, particularly Chinese investors, who can afford to fork over between $800,000 to over $1.1 million USD for the units that are available. The setting is nice enough but it still doesn't appear to be complete let alone occupied 4 years after ground breaking began. The new high rise buildings in the same area seem to fit in more with the modernization of Southeast Asia then the bizarre out of place Elysee. Elite Town another "old world" development doesn't seem like it fits in any better. Hopefully these won't be future "ghost cities" or towns. The setting itself is quite attractive with a lovely boardwalk along the Bassac and special events and celebrations have been held here in the past like the Water Festival.

China Fake Paris Town in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

*NOTE* The immigration office at the moment will accept your applications between 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday. You will receive a receipt with a copy of your passport that you can use as id while you’re waiting for your passport and visa extension. There was a time when it was difficult if not impossible to extend a tourist visa in Cambodia yourself but that seems to have changed. I recently completed my Cambodian Visa extension tourist, "T" class visa while staying in Phnom Penh and it was completely hassle-free. Everything you need to know to extend your visa is in my Cambodian Visa Extension DIY Tourist "T" Class video. I was charged the standard $30USD fee at the Cambodian Immigration Department office across from the Phnom Penh International Airport. Most travel agencies in Phnom Penh charge $49USD total for the visa and their services. In some cases they may not do it unless you give them your passport and the fee a week or longer before your visa expires. As I stated in the video, in order for this to be cost effective you'll need to take local bus #3 from Phnom Penh to the airport. Expect your total investment of time to be approximately 3 hours initially. When you pick up your passport after your visa extension has been completed, approximately a week later it shouldn't take longer than the travel time, about an hour each way, along with a 10 minute wait to pick up your passport. Although I haven't tried it myself it is also possible to extend an "E" class visa if you have been offered a job, are looking for a job, or are wanting to start a business. This will require more paperwork and letters and or appropriate proof of a business, retirement etc. depending on which extension you're applying for. You can visit an agency in Phnom Penh that specializes in these extensions and many travel agencies are also able to help you with this service as well. For tourists wanting to stay longer than 30 days in Cambodia, especially those on a budget, it's nice to know it appears easy and relatively simple to do this now in Phnom Penh. Just remember although you don't need a passport photo for a visa on arrival now, you will be asked for one when you request to extend your tourist visa. You'll just need to bring $30USD for the visa extension fee along with your passport. After the immigration officer checks your passport and visa they will give you a one page form to fill out. When you pay the fee and hand over your passport, photo, and application form the officer will give you a receipt. Keep this in a safe place and remember to bring this to the office when you're picking up your passport. That's it!Hope you find this helpful for your next visit to Cambodia!

Cambodian Visa Extension EASY DIY Tourist "T" Class

First off, these scams are not endemic to Phnom Penh or Cambodia for that matter. They can be found in other cities across Asia and beyond. In Phnom Penh Scams as far as the "buying milk for my baby" and fake monk scams go it's up to you whether you choose to give these people money. I'm just sharing this info so you know what's actually happening. The blackjack scam has been reported in Phnom Penh for years now but I've also seen reports of it taking place in Ho Chi Minh City as well. As I stated in the video there was a group arrested in the summer of 2019 but it's possible that other teams or groups are carrying on the scam here. I believe it's a little more sophisticated than "oh that's a nice shirt, where are you from" scenario that usually is the start of some petty scam. This one involving multiple players is definitely more complex but if you have your wits about you it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what's going on. I have pieced together a possible scenario or two based on many reports in forums and from news sources. It might not be precisely what occurs but it should be close enough for you to detect if you are experiencing the same kind of exchange. If someone really is genuinely interested in chatting with you or sharing travel stories they won't mind if you suggest a place to meet. If they have lots of excuses for not doing so and insist a location of their choice then you'll know they're up to no good. If you want to donate money to real local monks of course it's possible to do so but there is some etiquette you should know before you begin, otherwise you could make them feel awkward or uncomfortable. It's best just to observe how locals do it during the morning alms, when monks wander the streets for donations. There are more scams I will cover off in another video. Thanks for watching! Don't forget to check out my Far East Travels Podcast in the iTunes Store, Spotify, or whatever platform you download your podcasts from:Write A Review Support the podcast by becoming a patron:Support The Podcast

Phnom Penh Scams - Blackjack, "Milk Scam", Fake Monks

Phnom Penh in my opinion has one of the coolest looking markets in Southeast Asia, the art deco Central Market. The Khmer name of the market is ផ្សារធំថ្មី, "Phsar Thom Thmey", which technically translates to "New Grand Market" in English. When it opened in 1937 it was considered the largest market in Asia. Even today it's easy to see it dwarfs markets like Saigon's Ben Tanh Market. The ceiling of the dome area reaches 26 meters with four arched arms that house many stalls from tshirts, to pots and pans. Ever since I first saw it I was attracted to it's grand scale and the market itself is very interesting, almost a theme park for shoppers and food lovers. In the main dome you'll find gold, gems, watch, and jewelry sellers. The four arms are somewhat categorized with either clothing, electronics, or household items. This market is not solely focused on tourists as you'll see by the traditional Khmer clothing for sale along with everyday household items, hardware, and more. The perimeter area is my favorite place to wander as it's where you'll find the wet market and food area with all kinds of special Cambodian delicacies from dried fish to sweets. There's also a large dining area where you can sample local favorites including all kinds of noodle soups and bbq seafood. This is my 3rd visit to Phnom Penh in the last 4 years. During this current visit I spent almost every day wandering around the market for an hour or so to familiarize myself with the layout and to observe some of the little everyday things that some people might miss if they only visit it once, like the area where they slide the ice into the market for chipping. I hope you enjoy the video and subscribe to channel! I have a passion for exploring East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia and have made it the focus of my life for the past 6 years. I also have an audio podcast I would love you to check out! Feedback is always welcome:Audio Podcast

Phnom Penh Central Market Tour/Tips

Chinatown Ho Chi Minh City or Cholon(District 5,6,10) in my opinion is one of the most exciting districts in Saigon. I'm excited to share this busting neighborhood with you and it's historic Binh Tay Market. This is primarily a wholesale market for shop owners, cafes, and restaurants so it's not necessarily an ideal place to shop but it's an exciting place to visit. I love wandering through the market and the surrounding neighborhood with all of it's local ma and pa shops. The lack of international brands and chain shops is refreshing as well. It's a real personable place with locals greeting many visitors that make their way out to these districts. I really hope these videos encourage people to visit because you'll get such a different experience here than you will if you spend most of your time around Bui Vien or Pham Ngo Lao and the rest of District 1.Start out from Binh Tay Market and just wander. There are interesting shops everywhere and surprisingly still a record of the development of Saigon with architecture that spans the French colonial era, art deco, and 50's -70's. The Chinese style shophouses are still to be found in the are with traditional character signs. There are also some wonderful Buddhist/Taoist temples to visit that I didn't cover off in this video. Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoy these street videos.

Chinatown Ho Chi Minh City Travel Stories

Join me for a visit to the Tan My Market, one of the most interesting local markets in Ho Chi Minh City. Most people that visit Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon for the first time end up at the Ben Thanh Market. Nothing wrong with that, it's an interesting place too, one of the oldest markets in the country. But it left behind it's traditional roots along time ago and today is geared almost exclusively to tourists. If you want a true authentic market experience, I mean where they still kill chickens to order, sell live fish, frogs, and other seafood out of tanks or aluminum trays, then head for the Tan My Market in District 7 or one of several traditional markets that still do business everyday in and around the greater Ho Chi Minh area. Not only will you be able to observe daily life in a neighborhood like this one, but you won't be constantly asked if you want to buy a t-shirt, or coffee, or anything! In fact if you have any engagement at all with locals it will be the friendly warm welcoming that people in these neighborhoods exude, especially at the sign of a rare visit from a foreigner. If you do want to buy, most everyone will be happy to help you, and even though their English skills will be limited or non existent, they'll still find a way to communicate. I also find in these markets that everyone is fairly honest, in fact I would be shocked if you weren't given the local price everyone else gets. Thanks for watching! I would love to connect with you. Send me an email to john@fareasttravels.com. Please also follow me on any or all of the social media links on the front page. Also feel free to subscribe to my audio podcast:Far East Travels Podcast-(Audio)

Ho Chi Minh City Market - Let's Explore

I'm somewhat disappointed when I see visitors to Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City only having time to visit it's most famous market, Ben Thanh Market. Unfortunately as interesting a place it is, it's not the true reflection of a real traditional market in Saigon. To me it almost feels like a recreation of the real thing. It has the variety of stalls, even a wet market that operates in the morning, and lots of local dishes you can try but it lacks the soul of a real traditional market. Also because it's geared towards tourists it has very little of the authentic charm and warmth that you'll find in a non-tourist market. If you're in Saigon, walk over the charming little Rainbow Bridge into District 4 to visit the Xom Chieu Market. This is the real traditional style local market and it's here where you'll truly experience the warmth and charm of the Vietnamese. You'll also be free to roam, take pictures, and explore the market and surrounding area without being hassled by sellers,(I know, they're just trying to put food on the table). It's also a great place to do some shopping to fill up your fridge in your hotel with some local snacks, and fresh fruit. Don't worry about the language barrier. Most people that work in these markets do not speak English, but they'll understand "how much"? and either show you the bills or use a calculator to tell you the price. I also find that in these markets people are generally honest and do not try to cheat or overcharge foreigners. You'll notice the prices are cheaper compared with District 1 as well as a much more relaxed environment. One thing you do have to be careful of are the motorbikes that are constantly streaming through area. People, as you'll see, do not walk and shop in Saigon. Parking is sometimes a hassle and most are just accustomed to shopping on their motorbike. Xom Chieu Market-Le Van Linh (Lê Văn Linh) street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh (Hồ Chí Minh) City  Thanks so much for watching! Would love to get your feedback on the podcast or ideas for future podcasts. I'll be uploading more of these vlog style podcasts from Asia and would love to hear your thoughts. john@fareastravels.com Help support the podcasts by becoming a patron! $5/month gets you exclusive access to private episodes of the audio podcast. Visit my Patreon page to find out more:https://www.patreon.com/FarEastTravels

Saigon Vlogs-Exploring Xom Chieu Traditional Market

For Nepal 2015 will go down as one of the worst years on record, for disasters, politics, everything! On April 25 at 11:56am an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 shook the country from it's epicenter at Lamjung District at Barpak, Gorkha. In the weeks to follow hundreds of aftershocks would be felt. In the end over 9000 were killed at least 21,000 injured and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes either temporarily or permanently. I decided to follow up on the state of the country shortly after most of the international media had left. My intention was to document the effects of the earthquakes and aftershocks and assess the conditions for travellers. Nepal relies heavily on tourism to support the economy, in fact it is normally 10% of the GDP, gross domestic product. Many rely on tourism to support their families, in some cases the only alternative to working abroad, something that over 1 million Nepalis do. Having made friends in Nepal's tourism industry I had deep concerns for their welfare. Some international media were reporting that this would be the end of tourism for Nepal, devastating words almost as strong as an earthquake itself. I knew that some sites were completely destroyed including many temples in the Durbar Squares of the Kathmandu Valley. But I also knew that many had either suffered some minor damage or none at all. Was the industry really in ruins? So I set off for Nepal, with a scheduled arrival for 1pm at Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu. My adventure started just before we were about to land with an announcement from the pilot that another earthquake had struck the country. Our descent would be delayed so crews could check for any damage to the runways. Ninety minutes later we touched down to a country shaken into another level of fear with a 7.3 aftershock with an epicenter 18km southeast of Kodari near the border of China. The epicenter was on the border of Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk. More nights of sleeping outdoors, shops and businesses staying closed, and stories floating around of more, stronger earthquakes on the way. The first episode in a series on Far East Adventure Travel-the people, stories, and places effected by the Nepal earthquakes of 2015.

My Beloved Nepal Part-Earthquake Diaries-Part 1

One of the greatest adventure destinations on the planet-Everest Base Camp, Nepal! We were so blessed with having clear skies in the morning and afternoon each day above 4000 meters. The moments were precious as I mentioned in the video so working fast to capture these moments on video was crucial. I would usually jump out of bed between 5:30-6am, 90 minutes before our scheduled breakfasts on most mornings, to ensure I captured footage of these giants of the Himalayas. Fortunately most of the time the skies remained clear up until the early afternoon. Then like in Lobuche, the skies would clear up again just before sunset, enabling me to get some video of beautiful Nuptse. This was my second time on this trail, I previously completed the Gokyo Valley/Everest Base Camp trek 4 years ago and was still completely overjoyed to be in this setting again. I hope you enjoyed the video and perhaps it will inspire you to head to Nepal to trek to the highest mountain in the world!

Everest Base Camp, Nepal-Ultimate Trekking Adventure Part II

Experiencing different climates from sub tropical to literally touching the Tibetan Plateau, topping it off with an ascent of the highest point of the trek, the Thorung La Pass at 5416 meters. As well, seeing and interacting with the people of several different cultures and villages that dot the valleys. Our timing for the trek was perfect starting on the biggest day of the country’s most important festival of the year Dasai, usually falling sometime in October. The festival celebrates the God Durga with the theme of good conquering evil and culminating with almost every family sacrificing an animal, in most cases a goat, as part of the celebration. Rituals and prayers take place before the final sacrifice but we didn’t stick around to watch. Another tradition of the Hindu festival is constructing a swing in the village for children that’s used only during the celebration. Along the path we came across a small herd of lucky goats that appeared to have dashed the sacrifices for this year’s festival. Our first stop was lunch in Bhulbhule, a small village with a population of just over 3000 that sits below views of Mansalu, the 8th highest mountain in the world at 8163 meters. These days many trekkers take a bus all the way to Bhulbhule to make this town their starting point of the Annapurna Circuit. It’s still very warm during the day at 840 meters elevation so we could enjoy the scenery and lunch in short sleeves next to the Marshyangdi River. Shortly after leaving the village we were hit with a huge downpour of rain so we stopped over in a little hut to avoid a drenching. When we finally got moving again we came across a giant new dam funded by the Chinese government. A construction flag marking the spot as a Chinese project was visible from the trail. An investment of this size is very helpful to local residents with steady work for many but it is definitely changing the landscape of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Less and less of the original trail exists, replaced by roads that now take people and goods all the way to Manang, the last big village before crossing the Thorung La Pass. This region is considered subtropical and there’s lots of scenery to enjoy from beautiful terraced rice paddies to traditional villages. One highlight of trekking Annapurna are the frequency of villages allowing for plenty of comfortable stops for tea breaks and more opportunity to gaze at beautiful rice terraces and fruit trees. To get from one village to another most of the people of the area walk so it’s not uncommon to run into villagers especially along the old trail. One of the reasons why I insisted we stayed on this route as much as possible. On a good portion of the trail there’s plenty of company from the Marshyangdi River. And lots of village life to observe. Like some local villagers involved in a traditional Nepali gambling game. Hari my guide pronounces the name for me. We continued on our way to Chamche where we’d spend the night. Still more little villages along the way with dramatic waterfalls made the long day of trekking seem like a short hike. Finally we arrived in Chamche, where the village was preparing for their final night of celebrating Dashai, with dancing and singing performances. The next morning we were ready to go by 8am with a new plan of just a 2-3 hour trek to the village of Thal. I had come down with a cold so we decided it was best to try to rest while we were at a relatively low altitude before trekking into the higher villages of the region in Manang District. Still sticking with the old trail as much as possible to keep the trek as close to the original route. After walking for a couple of hours we reached the gate that marks the entrance to Manang District. Thal is a wonderful little village and we had the pleasure of staying in a perfect guesthouse, with super clean rooms, attached bathrooms and great food. I spoke with the owner Guru about the tragic trekking accident that happened on the Annapurna Circuit around the same time the previous year and how such disasters can be avoided. As well, Guru gave us some background on the village. After chatting with Guru we started back on the trail with a little stop to enjoy another waterfall just outside of the village. The next few moments were terrifying and proof that accidents happen quickly and without notice. Join me next time on Far East Adventure Travel for more of trekking Nepal's Annapurna Circuit.

Trekking The Great Annapurna Circuit, Nepal Part I

Far East Travels Video Podcast is inspired by Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Anthony Bourdain, and National Geographic. Travel advice and inspiration from the Himalaya to the remote jungles of Norther Laos. Travels through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Japan, Taiwan, India, Nepal, Korea and beyond.

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Far East Travels Video Podcast

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