Met a lot of people along the way and somehow it has transformed my life – not that I had ever imagined it to be this way… I guess the path that I am walking through now is just as perfect as it gets. Yes, I am still residing in Bangkok, Thailand. Life has been sweet, laid back, hot weathers all year round. Not to mention the cheap foods, beverages, rent paid for staying at top notch hotels, getaways as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Many had asked how I can live like this for the past 2 years; where did the funds come from?

I had worked for several offices in Thailand, even had the opportunity to introduce and sell Samsung toner cartridges online. It was a virtual job at first; contacting new leads and following through with sales. All was done through the internet. Even had the chance to explore further into Samsung toner cartridges and recommend it to my nomadic friends and ordinary friends back at home. Great product they really are, the end result is much better compared to that of the normal ink cartridges.

That job quickly faded away into working for several companies in Bangkok and Pattaya. 1 year onwards, I am now running my own business. No, I will not divulge further in what I do but it gets me by every day, that I can travel to a different country once every 3 months.

Life has been a series of ups and downs, mostly ups. I’ve succumbed to the fact that the future is in Asia and this is where I intend to be… at least for the next few years.

Living in the heart of Asia (Bangkok) is really convenient in the sense that a flight ticket to a neighbouring country could be had for less than $50 USD. Whilst most people are working the office jobs and doing the template 9-5 lifestyle, I consider myself lucky to be able to have earnt this opportunity to travel and make money at the same time.

So, what say you? Do you too want to live a nomadic lifestyle or would you prefer the template business lifestyle working 9-5 Monday to Friday?

Budget is always a concern when travelling, and especially when backpacking. Luckily, travellers
can get cheap Thailand flights JetAbroad, and Thailand itself has accommodation options to
fit any budget. True adventure seekers will want to stretch their wings and travel beyond the
cosmopolitan capital of Bangkok.

For a true taste of the exotic, true and would-be nomads head to Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai
is the largest city in the region and makes for a perfect base camp. Filled with expats attracted
to its cooler climate, it’s a mix of trendy coffee shops and stunning jungle scenery. While there
are a number of luxury hotels in the city, backpackers and budget travellers will also find a wide
array of hostels and bed and breakfasts, starting from as little as $10 USD per night (~£6.50). Just
outside Chiang Mai are hundreds of kilometres of stunning hiking trails where you’ll run into small
native villages, waterfalls, and even elephants. Hikes can be arranged through one of many tour
companies, or you can simply pick up a trail map and head out on your own.

Thailand’s border area near Myanmar (Burma) is another popular location for backpackers, and is
less developed and more rural than Chiang Mai. The area contains several national wildlife parks
with excellent hiking opportunities. Moreover, backpackers in this area have the opportunity of
staying with locals for just a few dollars a night. This helps supplement their income while at the
same time provides you with an unforgettable experience. This is the perfect place to try home-
cooked Thai meals, immerse yourself in Thai culture, and even learn a few Thai words.

If all the hiking sounds a bit wearing or you’re simply looking for a place to relax, then Thailand’s
beach towns are a great place to visit. The country has many well-known beaches which tend to
be more commercial and less backpacker-friendly. Thankfully, there are a few spots that have not
yet been taken over by tourists and are perfect for a nomadic getaway.

Hua Hin sits just 1.5 hours outside of Bangkok and is popular with locals, but not foreign tourists.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and backpackers are greeted with open arms. Enjoy beachside
horseback riding, shopping from local vendors or simply sit by the beach and enjoy the scenery.

1.5 years later, life has been a mix of ups and downs. In summary, I have probably stayed in over 50 different hotels, 20 different hostels and 3 different apartments. As there are an abundant amount of hotels in South east Asia, it is extremely difficult in nailing down a list of the top 5 hotels in an area.

Most of these hotels I have had to revert to Hostelworld, a website specialising in showcasing a list of hotels/hostels in a particular area. It was recommended to me by a friend, whom I met whilst I was travelling to Koh Samui the first time I had arrived to Thailand. He was searching for a decent hostel in London – post Thailand destination and had navigated to http://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/London to find his selected hostel.

Although the whole purpose of this website was made to showcase my travel stories and adventures, I hadn’t really travelled outside of Thailand except for Malaysia and Hong Kong. From the past year, Thailand has a lot to offer in terms of travel destinations. There is a hidden gem in each destination and this is what makes Thailand so unique and special.

The costs of living is significantly low compared to the likes of a Western country. Food is readily available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There is certainly a lot of positive factors which has led me down this vine path however, all is for the better.

I apologise for not been able to post frequently like I used to, I have been extremely busy with life in general. This short post is rather just to keep my readers updated.

In summary, I am fine and I do enjoy my life in South east Asia.

By Alexandra Jacobs

Taking a vacation in the spring can be beautiful and enjoyable when travelers make their way to the sophisticated and historic Charleston, South Carolina.  This southern city is known for its charm, amazing cuisine, historical landmarks, unique shopping opportunities, and slow paced lifestyle.  Visiting Charleston during the next spring break may be just the perfect opportunity for families to get away from their hometown and explore the beauties and wonders of this idyllic Southern city.

Photo by flickr user wensday01

Ten Memorable Things to Do in Charleston, South Carolina

1.         Renting a beachside house in Charleston can provide a warm and relaxing atmosphere for a week vacation for families during the spring.  Hampton houses are artfully designed and strategically located to provide beautiful views are reminiscent of some of the South Carolina’s most charming architecture and structures.

2.         Historic forts are abundant in Charleston and families can enjoy an educational tour through many of the famous Civil war fortresses that are standing and prominent as a thoughtful and reflective reminder of the city’s history.

3.         Kids and adults alike will be thrilled with the South Carolina Aquarium.  Featuring amazing and beautiful aquatic life in a vast variety of forms, this aquarium is something that many people visit over and over.

4.         Boone Hall Plantation is a beautiful and historic plantation that offers carriage tours of the grounds which are fully operational and consistently maintained to preserve the authenticity of historical Southern plantations.  This is a must-visit during a spring vacation to Charleston when all the flowers and wild plants are in full bloom!

5.         Gibbes Museum of Art is an ideal place for families to tour to take in masterpieces completed by both local legends and internationally-acclaimed artists.  Sculptures, oil paintings, watercolors, sketching, and more are uniquely and beautifully-displayed in this intriguing art museum in the heart of Charleston.

6.         Charleston offers a variety of beach resorts that provide relaxing accommodations and sophisticated entertainment.  From state-of-the-art spa services to fine dining and entertainment provided by professional bands, beach resort stays in Charleston can be the perfect way to complete a week’s vacation to the city.

 Photo by flickr user donwest48

7.         Taking a restaurant tour in Charleston will give foodies a wonderful opportunity to sample baked delicacies, premium seafood samplers, juicy steaks, and classic entrees that have a Southern twist.  Mediterranean restaurants offer a flair for people who crave something out of the ordinary.

8.         Sailing over the scenic coast of South Carolina or along one of the pristine lakes that is barely a stone’s throw from the city provides vacationers with a relaxing and fun-filled way to enjoy the area during the spring.

9.         Charleston offers water parks that have waterfalls, water slides, and separate pools for children and adults.  Families with people of all ages will enjoy the thrill of these waterparks.

WWW.Charleston.com is a helpful website that is filled with a wealth of information about tourist attraction, city data, and things to do and see in Charleston.

Rainy season in Thailand

*Snapshot taken at Head office of Smart Traffic, in Bangkok Thailand.*

It reminds me of the movie Independance Day, where the gigantic spaceship flies across the sky – not a spec of light to be seen. This is exactly what happened on this Friday afternoon. The air outside became more compressed, building walls made a creaking noise as a result; it felt almost as if the sky was to turn upside down any minute soon.

Unfortunately the picture does not capture the outside environment well enough due to the glare, but it does depict exactly what I am talking about when it comes to rainy season in South East Asia.

It all started with a 11 hour car journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. As fun as it can be, we finally arrived at the Star Hotel (1400 Baht for 1 night stay) where we gladly put down our travel bags, and laid to rest.

During my 3 day stay up in Chiang Mai, I had the chance to visit the temples where thousands of local Thai’s pray in celebration of the Thai New year. Photo above was taken at the temple.

Photos do not do this picture justice. It’s a simple understanding really – you just have to be there to understand what you are seeing. I had the chance to get amongst the locals who prayed to Buddha during this Thai new year.

We even got to venture the hills and nearby mountains for some picturesque photo-shoots.

In Chiangmai - picturesque view of the waterfall

Overlooking the temples of Chiang Mai

A postcard shot

The next couple of days was spent playing water on the streets of Chiang Mai. Locals, from young to old can be seen bucketing water on each other, as a notion of peace and remembrance of the New Year. I honestly couldn’t imagine the last time I was involved in a water fight – I think I was only 8 at the time.

There was no where near to be safe and dry other than by staying at home/hotel (but that was quick boring), so with this in mind, I put all my valuables in a water proof bag and went out to spray some water.

Holding a water gun during Songkran, Thailand

Water fight! Water fight!

This is why I decide to become a traveller. I couldn’t get this inner feeling of happiness if I had remained at home. I like to experience culture, and Songkran definitely has it all, from praying to … water fight. Living a nomadic lifestyle has taught me to forget about the western world we live in today, but focus on what is most important to us as a human being. And that is happiness.

Songkran festival is the traditional Thai New Year celebration which starts on April 13th and runs through to the 15th. It comes at a time where I needed to get out of Bangkok and see what life in Chiang Mai was about. Travellers and expats which I have met during my time here in Thailand have all marvelled at the freedom offered up at the northern side of the country and in a rough comparison between the people of Bangkok and the people of Chiang Mai.

Regardless to say, I am hoping to seek out the spiritual relevance as families and friends gather together to celebrate the New year by visiting temples and sprinkling water on Buddha images in reverance, and also sprinkling water on each other’s hands as a sign of luck for the future years to come.

Songkran, the Thai New year

And of course, it comes without saying that there will be endless water fights throughout the 13th to the 15th of April. I have prepared a waterproof bag which will store all my valuable electronic items and wallets, as I have heard that it is “common” for people to be strolling down a busy street only to be soaked wet in water.

This event is special for me and it is definitely something that can be crossed out from my Bucket list listed here: http://nomadicarthur.com/?page_id=29.

A nomadic journey into our world provides me with the ability to enjoy life at every second possible, a privilege that everyone should be entitled to in this world we live in. I certainly am living the deluxe life – a true nomadic lifestyle.

1. Food

The capital city of Thailand, Bangkok offers over 1 million street stalls, all easily accessible and open 24/7 most of the time. Each street stall offers a wide comprehensive listing of dishes; dishes which are not normally found in restaurant menu’s. From 30 baht to 60 baht a dish, what more can one ask for when it comes to choosing something cheap to feed on? My personal favourite is either Tom-kha kai or Khao phad gai (fried rice with chicken). Quick to cook and very delicious at the same time.

2. Transport

Although it is possible to haggle down the price of a taxi, transport is cheap regardless of how low you haggle the taxi driver. Depending on the distance you travel, you should not normally pay more than 150 baht. Insist on using the taxi meter instead as that will give you a fairer rate (Most taxi drivers turn off their taxi meter at night-time to make more money off foreigners).

Aside from taxi’s, if you live near the BTS or MRT train station then you are in real luck. 1 single journey from one side of town to the other should not normally cost more than 40 baht. The bonus here is that all skytrains and underground trains are air conditioned with seats to sit on. Trains arrive in an orderly and timed fashion (the later the time… the slower the trains arrive).

3.Accommodation

Over the last decade, renting an apartment in the Western countries have soared so much that the money you make from work; 50% of it or more will go towards paying that rent off. Rentals here in Thailand are reasonable and affordable. Not to mention the cleanliness side of things…

4. Entertainment

Bangkok is a city which never sleeps at night. There is simply too much to do to keep a person entertained for hours. From shopping malls to eatery all the way down to nightlife, you will be amazed at how fast time goes by. Forget Melbourne or Canberra where there are dress codes to abide by, it is perfectly acceptable to party in shorts and a pair of thongs (although not recommended in places like RCA or Ekkamai).

5. Freedom

Thailand is a relatively free country in it’s own right, in the sense that noone gets judged based on their appearance. Everyone simply gets a chance in life, from dating women to getting accepted into Thai society. Just this element alone is really uplifting having come from a Western society where freedom can be limited. The rules are much more relaxed here in every regard and at the end of the day, Thailand is a mai ben rai (no need to worry) orientated society. It all works out at the end.

- If you are already living in Thailand, then good work. For those who are not, I hope this post inspires you to do something about your life and to get travelling. Live this nomadic lifestyle. -

* A note of warning however: These pictures are not 56k friendly*

It all started off quite simple. One simple suggestion lead to the other… a weekend get-away was needed from Bangkok. You see, living in Bangkok ain’t so easy sometimes – life goes by at a relatively fast pace. Not to mention, the smog and the pollution really does do your head in at the end of the day.

So… a proposal was put forward by a friend of mine… “Let’s go to Koh larn and forget about the stress”.

Enjoy the pictures

Update 15/1/2011: There seems to be some difficulty in uploading the video.. please bear with me while I figure this out

It is true.

Dancing in a foreign country takes some balls of steel to perform. Whereas the crowd back at home was minimal, the crowd here in Bangkok certainly was a size to gasp about.

Putting aside all insecurities and shyness, I took the chance to engage in what we call it internationally – bboying or breakdancing. As bboying makes it mark globally, the concept of rolling around and spinning on 1 hand is fairly new here in Bangkok, Thailand but I have a feeling that one day, this dance will go viral throughout the nation.

A picture is worth a 1000 words, so I will let the pictures and videos do the explaining.

Enjoy for now

As a nomadic traveller, I find myself engaged in all sorts of activities made possible, all the while having fun. Life is what you make of it.