We have compiled some of our experiences backpacking Asia, the Middle East and Europe into a 4 minute video. We hope you enjoy it.

With flights to Bangkok from all major Asian cities, Bangkok is an easy to access vibrant, sprawling city with an infectious energy that is constantly threatening to bubble over. Combined with the heat and humidity, the city can sometimes be draining and more than a little overwhelming. When it all gets too much, don’t simply retreat to your Bangkok hotel– explore a different side to the city, away from the teeming populous, deafening noise and insistent pace.

Bike Tour To A Hidden Jungle

This might sound like a death trap, given the craziness of Bangkok’s roads (or, more accurately, its drivers!), but this bike tour led by Spice Roads Cycle Tours takes you away from the main roads to a part of the city that most tourists never get to see. After a short cycle to the Chao Phraya River, a longtail boat transports you and your bike across to the other side of the city which, despite its close proximity to it, could not be further away in terms of development and atmosphere. Here you will find a maze of waterways, tiny villages, golden temples, lush jungle, all devoid of tourists. Unless you look back and see Bangkok’s skyline, you could easily be mistaken for thinking that you were in the middle of the countryside.

Visit A Peaceful Teak House

Tucked away down a quiet soi (narrow lane), Jim Thompson’s House is a museum-quality preservation of a traditional Thai teak house. Thompson (who mysteriously disappeared during a trip to the Cameron Highlands in Malyasia) founded a successful silk business and is largely responsible for bringing Thai silk to the West. He was also a huge fan and promoter of traditional Thai arts, culture and architecture and bought pieces of derelict rural houses which he then reassembled to form a large teak house of his own. Set in small but pretty gardens, this is a great escape from the crowds and a way to appreciate Thailand’s art and architecture within a quickly modernising city.

Chill Out in Lumphini Park

Sometimes the best things in life really are free and there are times when all you want to do is stretch out under the shade of a tree and contemplate all you’ve seen and done. With its green lawns, huge artificial lake and leafy paths, Lumphini Park provides a wonderful way to escape the teeming life of the city without actually leaving it. If you can drag yourself out of bed, first thing in the morning is the best time to take a stroll around the park, both because it is cooler and so you can watch the Thai-Chinese perform their t’ai chi exercises – a tranquil way to start the day in an otherwise frenetic city.

Indulge in a Thai Massage

Whether you really splash out and go to the spa in your Bangkok hotel, or spend 100 baht in a small massage centre on the street, you cannot leave Thailand without experiencing a Thai massage and they are a great way to unwind after a hectic day’s sightseeing. Be warned though, that tiny little Thai lady who looks so harmless has the strength of an ox and fingers of steel so let her know if you want a gentle massage!

The sheer amount of temples, mosques,pagoda’s and shrines throughout the continent is mind blowing but this post highlights the top 10 that we wont soon forget.

10) The Enigmatic Bayon Temple of Cambodia

9) The Rat Temple of Bikaner

8) Big Dagobas in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

7) Jokhang Temple Lhasa

6) The All Mighty Angkor

5) The Dalai Lama's Previous Residence

4) The Holiest of Holy Rivers - The Ganges

3) Qomolangma or Mother Saint to the Tibetans, Mount Everest to you and me.

2)Beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda of Myanmar

1) Sikhism's Masterpiece, The Golden Temple

I am brave enough to generalize and say the majority of Canadian tourists fall into two categories; the Western Europe traveler and the all inclusive beach destination traveler.While I may be slightly prejudiced towards the all inclusive experience I understand that it may be just what some people are looking for. On the other hand I have met many people who seem to envy the freedom an independent trip can offer and for those people I have written my recommendations based on ease of travel and the rewards which come with venturing away from the typical all inclusive resort.

3. East Coast, Australia

Difficulty – Extremely Easy

While the flight may be a deterrent for many of my country men, what awaits on the far side of the pacific is a friendly nation with some of the cleanest and pristine beaches on the planet. For those who fear living without their creature comforts of home, East Coast Australia is a great destination as everything from restaurants to hotels are exactly what one would expect in a developed nation and for those who speak fluent English communicating with locals is not an issue. Australia is surprisingly easy to travel with efficient public transport options or even better, amazing roads which make a self drive the optimal choice for beach hopping. There are next to no cultural obstacles to overcome with Aussies being extremely hospitable although for those looking for a budget trip, Australia is just about on par with Canada in terms of costs. Our recommendations include Byron Bay and Fraser Island although depending on the season can be overcrowded with Australian domestic tourists seeking a little sand and sun of their own.

2. Boracay, Philippines

Difficulty – Easy

Ever close your eyes and imagine sand so white it looks like its been bleached, surrounded by the calmest, warmest, turquoise water imaginable? If that sounds too good to be true its not. Boracay is like something out of a dream and is certainly a place both Lianna and I still continually fantasize about on a cold day. Sure its getting a little over developed but for someone used to an all inclusive resort the ridiculous selection of international food will certainly keep them in their comfort zone.

With shockingly friendly locals and a host of activities from SCUBA diving, sailing, kite surfing or just kicking back on the beach no one could ever describe the place as boring.

The beach itself is MASSIVE and accommodation choices range from top end to bungalows set back a bit from the beach for less than 15USD a night. A short flight from Manilla and a quick ferry make getting to the island not as simple as an airport pickup from an all inclusive but still very hassel free if a little time consuming.

1. Corn Islands – Nicaragua

Difficulty – Moderate ( need a little sense of adventure)

For anyone who may have wondered what the Caribean might have looked like had the massive resort companies like Sandals and Club Mead had just stayed away. Big Corn and Little Corn lie just off the coast of Nicaragua and may require just a little effort to reach but the rewards are so breath taking it may just be the most inspiring place you ever reach in your life. Big Corn has more development but still retains that laid back island vibe but the jewel is really Little Corn. A small village of tin houses is located in one corner of the island while a handful of cheap accommodation options and restaurants serving up plates of rice,beans, plantations and fresh lobster are located near the jetty.

The rest of the the island is a tangled network of foot trails leading to a few truly isolated beach side bungalows inlcuding Derek’s Place, a seriously chilled out place with family style meals and bungalows made of coconut palms. The island feels completely untouched and the days or even weeks can pass with wandering to a new beach each day or undertaking something a little more active such as inshore fishing and some really great SCUBA diving.

Of course if gorging yourself on cheap lobster, fresh fish, cheap rum or spending your days self driving from breath taking beach to breakt taking beach doesn’t sound like that something that may interest you, by all means book that resort and head off on another all inclusive holiday but for those looking for something with a little more independence, try it, I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Komodo National Park is made up of hundreds of dry barren islands but the main two are Rinca and Komodo and both offer a chance to see dragons. Rinca is much closer to Labuanbajo and is the best choice for a day trip. Rinca’s Savannah-like landscape makes it much easier to find dragons than the thick bush on Komodo island but also makes the experience all the more sweaty.

We started out with a short introduction to our Ranger armed with a forked stick to keep any curious dragons at bay and set off walking towards the kitchen. We immediately saw about 8 large dragons sitting out front lured by the smell of the rangers cooking lunch. Most seemed pretty docile and comatose in the mid day heat but we were instructed not to get too close for a single bite from one of these animals could kill an animal as big as a buffalo due to the neuro toxins in the creatures mouth.

When our hike actually started, we were told it was sometimes very difficult to see the dragons away from the bait of the kitchen as they were often laying low in the grass but not more than 10 minutes it we caught a glimpse of our first dragon scampering away down a riverbed.

The remainder of the 2 hour hike we came across some buffalo wallowing in their water holes as well as a few dragon dens which are used when the mother is laying eggs. The landscape can only be described as prehistoric and had a Tyrannosaurus Rex came down the path I would not have acted surprised. Sweaty and dehydrated we arrived back at the ranger station and said farewell to our guide.

Not wanting to simply fly back to Bali I had signed up for a boat trip with Perama tours which is a common way to get across the islands from Lombok to Flores. I still had a day to kill on the tiny beaches around Labuanbajo which was a relaxing and pleasent day to spend although the beaches are a little on the dirty side. I showed up for the boat trip that night just in time for the welcoming party and was surprised to find many people who had arrived on the boat that night were also doing the return trip back to Lombok. The boat wasn’t full for there were about 18 travelers aboard which made sleeping on the deck a comfortable experience instead of being crammed in beside one another. We were lucky for both nights were clear without rain and those of us with sleeping bags could lay out on the roof and stare out at the stars before falling asleep.

Our boat trip was not simply a direct route to Lombok and there were many scheduled stops along the way for snorkeling and swimming as well as my second time around trekking on Rinca Island. This time we started hiking at 7am and were rewarded with the dragons being much livelier and on our hike we came across 7 dragons moving around the grasslands including a few encounters which were probably a little too close.

The wildlife spotting didn’t stop there for the 2 days on the boat we saw literally too many dolphins too count, often throwing themselves completely out of the water. It came to the point when someone would call out “dolphins” and no one cared to even get up and look. We arrived late at night two days later in Lombok and I must say that although Perama has had some bad reviews on the conditions of the boat being basic, I found the trip from Labuanbajo to Lombok great and the food as well as the staff of the boat really made the experience. I would highly recommend it although it is surely no luxury cruise.

I spent a night in Sengiggi, Lombok before spending my final few days on Gili Trawangan. A lot of people I had talked to seemed disappointed with Gili T as it is affectionately named. How this could be I just couldn’t come to grips with. It may not be the perfect idyllic island with perfect beaches but a more laid back and slow paced place I had not come across. Aside from the large parties every third night there is next to nothing to do here which may have been many peoples reasoning for complaining. It was the perfect place to end my 9 months in Asia and I certainly did nothing more than drink more cocktails than I had in the past months and try as hard as I could to put back all the weight I had lost. The days flew by and the end was near but when I left Gili T that morning as I headed to the airport for my flight back to Canada, I had no regrets for I got to see some of the most incredible sites this world has to offer with the girl I love most over the 6 months we spent together and even got to challenge myself on some wild adventures to some truly remote places in the 3 months I spent traveling alone. I certainly enjoyed writing these blogs and hope everyone enjoyed reading them but I really don’t think this is the end of anything, in fact I really believe its really just the beginning.