John Saboe's Far East Travels

Excluding the Kinh or ethnic Vietnamese people there are a total of 8 ethnic hill tribes that are found in the Sapa area of Northern Vietnam. Hmong, Dzao, Tay, Giay, Muong, Thai, Hoa(ethnic Chinese), and Xa Pho. The last 4 tribes compromise less than 500 people. The largest groups are the Hmong(52%), Dzao(25%), and Kinh(15%).Many older women of the two tribes you'll see most often in Sapa, Hmong and Dzao, make blankets and other textiles to sell. Many will also sell produce as well as bamboo that they harvest in the hills. You'll also often see young children selling trinkets in the village to help support their family. Some places discourage this but in my opinion I'd rather see people buying trinkets from kids rather than handing out candy. Their dental hygiene is not good to begin with and signs around town discourage this practise. Donate now and help support the Far East Adventure Travel Podcast. A gift of $5, $10, $20, or $30 goes along way to help with production and travel costs. Whenever possible I s

Sapa, Vietnam is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Vietnam. At the time of this original live broadcast guesthouses and hotels were being constructed in a frenzy to accommodate the demand, especially from Vietnamese for lodgings. Sapa, with an elevation of 1500 meters has been a cool retreat from the heat and humidity of Hanoi and the surrounding area since the early 1900's.Military and missionaries arrived in the late 1800's then the first French civilian took permanent residence in 1909.Inhabitants of the Sapa region date back hundreds of years with little known of the first civilization other than hundreds of petroglyphs they left behind. Then came the hill tribes, Hmong, ZDao, and others.Today those hill tribes are still seen everywhere around Sapa dressed in their traditional clothing. Donate now and help support the Far East Adventure Travel Podcast. A gift of $5, $10, $20, or $30 goes along way to help with production and travel costs. Whenever possible I stay in guesthouses, employ lo

One of the most interesting sites I’ve ever come across in Southeast Asia let alone Vietnam is Ho Quyen, or the Tiger/Elephant fight arena in the former Imperial capital of Hue.It’s not on the same grand scale as Rome’s Coliseum but it’s an unusual and rare peak into a time in Southeast Asia when fights staged between tigers and elephants took place.Only 3 kilometers outside of Hue it was built in 1830 by the emperor at the time, Minh Manh, Research of this site revealed it was crumbling and falling apart but I was surprised that it was in better  shape than I thought considering there has been little to no upkeep of the arena since the last fight took place here in 1904.There’s still enough structure including stairs to reach the top of the arena that you can imagine what it must have been like for the royal emperor and his entourage to be present during these brutal fights.Tigers were the symbol of rebellion, beasts that killed helpless villagers.  Elephants were noble and represented monarchy, so it’s no w

The Temple of Literature or Van Meiu, Quoc Tu Giam was Vietnam’s first university. This temple is dedicated to Confucius as well as past scholars and sages, so significant it’s even featured on the back of the 100,000 dong note.Confucius was a Chinese teacher, philosopher, and politician among other things. In the early part of his life in 500 B.C. China had broken into rival states battling for supremacy. To bring more peace and harmony into society Confucius, created a code of ethics for people. He traveled the country to explain his principles. At the time his philosophy was radically different from the belief of acquiring status by power and heroic actions rather than selflessness, non-violent behaviour, and respect for others.  It was Founded in 1070 by emperor Ly Thanh Tong. Dedicated to Confucius or Khong Tu, when it first opened in 1076 entrance was only granted to those of noble birth.  It wasn’t until 1442 that the university opened it’s doors to gifted students from across Vietnam who came to study

For some Christmas in Taiwan might not feel quiet like the time of year they grew up with if they’re from the West.  For one thing, Christmas is not recognized as a holiday on the island. If Christmas falls during the week it's a regular work day for everyone. It also doesn't help that more than 95% of the island is not of Christian faith, so the religious importance of the day and time of year has no significance. Still many Taiwanese enjoy the Christmas season, going out to shopping malls seeking out selfies in front of the many decorated trees, holiday inspired mascots, like sumo wrestler elves, and Sanrio style characters.It's a fun time of year with office parties and gift exchanges, and some households adding some seasonal decor, although there are no live trees sold anywhere, that I've seen. A family gathering, is not necessarily important and there are no big holiday meals to shop for and prepare.As a Westerner what you will notice the most missing is the overall energy, spirit, and anticipation of Ch

Hue, Vietnam was the seat of the Nguyen emperors and was the imperial capital from 1802-1945.The Perfume River divides the North and South sections of Hue. In the north, the Citadel, a walled fortress and the remains of The Forbidden Purple City, home to the Nguyen emperors. The South contains modern Hue, much of which had to be rebuilt after the Vietnam War.As I passed by the Citadel and the remains of The Forbidden Purple City of the Ngyuen emperors I chatted about the recent intense weather.Pedal boats in the shape of swans are popular at rivers and lakes throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. Someone asked about a man I met working at a restaurant that made me a bottle opener with a bolt and scrape piece of wood.The Truong Tien Bridge was designed by Gustav Eiffel, who was responsible for many bridges and buildings during the French Colonial Period. This is a wonderful setting at night viewing the multi-colored spotlights on the bridge from the Walking Street market. The current population of Hue is app

On my recent trip to The Philippines I flew from Taipei, Taiwan direct to Cebu City, the second largest urban center in the country next to Manila with a population of approximately 1 million. The total surrounding metro Cebu City population is around 3 million.After arriving I immediately headed for the Fort San Pedro and waterfront area hoping to catch the sunset and some of the early evening activity.Looking at the flag of The Philippines at The Port Authority Building I felt excited but a little confused as I wandered through Plaza Independencia.Some followers expressed their concerns about crime in The Philippines.After watching some of the daily activity of the locals in the harbour including boaters and swimmers I walked back to Fort San Pedro. The original fort was built from wood. In the early 17 century a stone fort was constructed by the Spanish to repel Muslim raiders. The current structure dates back to 1738. It is one of the most visited sites in the city.The Philippines at 90 percent of the pop

 I was checking out Pham Ngu Lao and Bo Vien known as the backpacker center.  I normally like exploring and photographing less touristy areas of a city but it never hurts to be familiar with places where you’re more likely to meet up with fellow travelers and exchange stories, suggestions and tips. I was on my way to Ben Thanh Market, another lively and well-known part of the city. Actually most of Ho Chi Minh City is lively, in fact pretty much all of it is. The constant buzz from the hundreds of thousands of motorbikes that race the streets fuels what looks like to the uninitiated, pure chaos. But for the most part, it seems to work.There’s lots of ways of getting around Ho Chi Minh City, or as many of the locals still call it, Saigon.It’s not for everyone, but when it wasn’t raining I found myself hopping on the back of a motorbike taxi ordered using an app. Safe, convenient,  and courteous drivers  only interested in getting you safely to your destination with fair pricing. The original Ben Thanh market a

Kagbeni is one of the most interesting villages in all of Nepal with it’s  ancient Bon Animist beliefs, statues and a picturesque location in the Kala Gandaki gorge. The Kag in Kagbeni was once Ghag, meaning center and it is, with the important Buddhist/Hindu pilgrimmage site Muktinath to the east and the town of Jomson to the south. The beni in Kagbeni means confluence of two rivers where the Kala Gandaki and Jhong Rivers meet is where the village sits.Before Tibetan Buddhism became the fabric of the culture of this region people followed Bon, another Tibetan religion.  Bon is an ancient shamanist religion with rituals, exorcisms, and talismans.Kagbeni still integrates the beliefs of Bon in village life with these ghost eaters or Kennis that protect the town. I asked my friend Dara, the proprietor of YakDonald’s Hotel and Restaurant to explain what the statues do to protect Kagbeni and some of the other beliefs that Bon followers hold.I asked Dara who runs the famous restaurant and hotel of Kagbeni, why the

We arrived at Thorung Phedi just before dark. An 8 hour day with an elevation gain of over 1000 meters. Long, tiring, and risky before a summit of the Thorung La Pass. But I was fine other then feeling the long day on the trail.I’m not a huge fan of trekking in the dark. I feel more tired, frustrated, and generally uncomfortable, so sometimes these summit days don’t start out pleasant, but when the first light comes up in the sky my spirits are all of sudden lifted. I feel light, full of energy, and excited to reach our goal, in most cases, the hardest day of the journey. Yes there is a horse on the trek, some choose a horseback ride up to the top of the pass. For most it’s usually a 4-5 hour walk from Thorung Phedi. Some stay at Thorung high camp, just over 300 meters higher, which will slice an hour off your morning summit.Whenever you reach the summit of a pass, which inevitably is part of many treks in Nepal, the feeling of accomplishment, relief, elation, is mutual with all of your fellow trekkers. The T

There are two routes to Manang from Pisang. A lower trail that’s a little easier with less climbing and the upper route, slightly more challenging but also helpful for acclimating with bonus mountain views. We chose the route north of the Marsyangdi and headed for Upper Pisang.Annapurna 11 is part of the Annapurna chain but is an independent peak. It was first summited by a team made up of British/Indian/and Nepalese nationals in 1960. It is the second highest peak of the range at 7937 meters,  the highest, Annapurna 1, is 8091 meters making it the 10th highest mountain in the world.Fantastic views of Lower Pisang  from Upper Pisang, a much more traditional village of the region. Look for lots of opportunity to spread good kharma with the  many prayer wheels at the village’s entrance.We saw a few signs of earthquake damage. These traditional village buildings saw the worst devastation in Nepal but this area was not as affected by quake damage as other regions.Our trekking for the day would include one stop fo

It’s a shame that many drive through this part of the circuit for upper Annapurna trekking and stays missing the epic river and waterfall views in this portion of the trail. The suspension bridge crossings that put you right in the middle of the energy path of the mighty Marshyangdi are breathtaking.This is now the third day of trekking and the mornings are feeling a little colder and crisper, so it’s important to get out right after the sun has risen so there’s plenty of time to walk in the warmer temps. In keeping with the original trail, which does take a little longer to walk, we have the opportunity to trek through more little villages for leisurely breaks. Across the valley what looks like a thin ledge carved out of the mountainside is the road that transports people and goods.From a distance the jeeps traveling the road almost appear to be literally on the edge of the cliff as they meander along.Another epic suspension bridge crossing with sweeping views of the Marshyangdi and surrounding valley. If yo

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the greatest hikes in the world with amazing views of the Himalaya’s Annapurna Massif, the opportunity to trek in two different river valleys of Nepal, the Marshyangdi and Kali Gandaki. 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 constru

Da Lat is located in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam. It was established by the French during their occupation as a hill town resort in 1907. It’s temperate climate at an elevation of 1500 meters provided French settlers with a cool retreat from the hot tropical climate below. The railway was established to provide daily transport for passengers from Saigon and the coastal town of Nha Trang, which would further connect travellers to the north.The Da Lat Railway Station was designed in 1932 and opened in 1938. It is a unique building in that it incorporates an art deco style with traditional native Cao Nguyen highland communal house elements. Considering the railway shut down during the Vietnam war years due to military activity it’s surprisingly in pretty good shape.The railway and the Da Lat station laid dormant for many years until it was finally resurrected as a tourist attraction in 1991. The 7km ride takes passengers to Trai Mat with a 40 minute stop before heading back to the station.There’s an o

I was truly looking forward to live streaming much of my recent trek of the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. This of course is one of the most popular hiking trails in the world with stunning views of the Annapurna range of the Himalaya. An opportunity to walk through a subtropical region, forest, and the outer edges of the Tibetan Plateau. One of the most varied landscapes to trek in the world topped off with authentic true villages, not merely trekking enclaves, with a chance to experience Nepal's rich culture of Hinduism and Buddhism.Unfortunately due to lack of infrastructure and technology it may be still awhile before live streaming in most of the regions becomes a reality. Armed with two sim cards and knowledge of which areas would have the best opportunity to broadcast live from I was disappointed when I arrived to find out there was just not enough bandwidth needed to stream via cellular data in almost all of these villages. The opportunity to show others a place that makes my heart sing, like Nepal's Him

I finally decided last year that the Annapurna Circuit would be the next big trek I would attempt. It's the busiest trail in the world, even busier than the popular route to Everest Base Camp. It's also probably the most convenient trek as well with the highest concentration of guesthouses and facilities. Even flush toilets are found in most guesthouses throughout the region-with the exception of just before the Thorong La Pass, at 5416 meters the highest point on the trek.  One of the reasons why the Annapurna Circuit has been at the top of trekker's favorite trails is it's varied landscape and climate. You begin in Besisahar, a subtropical region filled with rice terraces, citrus and papaya trees. Gradually your lead into the high Himalaya and the far reaches of the Tibetan Plateau. In recent years due to the development of a road system in the region, some have even opted for a jeep drive through the lower valley skipping the first few days of foot travel to spend more time in the higher altitude and manag

2015 will go down as one of the most challenging if not the most disastrous year ever for Nepal. From the worst earthquakes in over 80 years to a fuel crisis that literally turned the country upside down with line-ups at the pump that lasted for days to a lack of basic cooking and heating fuel for the majority of the population.I visited the country twice in 2015. My second visit was in October and November when I returned to trek the Annapurna Circuit and check up on the conditions of recovery from the earthquakes.As I had heard reports before I arrived that virtually no reconstruction had begun I was not shocked to see things, especially in the Kathmandu Valley, had not changed other then some rubble had been cleared away.The fuel crisis had created food shortages and delayed plans for rebuilding. From a tourist’s point of view this could be easily seen by shortened menus in popular restaurants to some establishments even closing their doors frustrated by the lack of ingredients available and the extreme co

 2015 will go down as one of the most challenging if not the most disastrous year ever for Nepal. From the worst earthquakes in over 80 years to a fuel crisis that literally turned the country upside down with line-ups at the pump that lasted for days to a lack of basic cooking and heating fuel for the majority of the population.I visited the country twice in 2015. The first time was just after the devastating earthquakes and tremors that started April 25th. My flight was actually denied clearance for landing for over 90 minutes on May 12 while crews checked the runway for safety after the second biggest earthquake struck the country that day.My second visit was in October and November when I returned to trek the Annapurna Circuit and check up on the conditions of recovery from the earthquakes.As I had heard reports before I arrived that virtually no reconstruction had begun I was not shocked to see things, especially in the Kathmandu Valley, had not changed other then some rubble had been cleared away.The fu

OK, I don’t want to mislead you, this is not the busiest street in Chiang Rai and there is lots of traffic in the city  but it’s easy to feel like it’s not busy in this town and surrounding area with a population of around 200,000. To start your exploration of the town there are at least half a dozen temples  worth visiting in Chiang Rai including Wat Jed Yod built in 1844. Jed Yod means 7 peaks represented by 7 chedis on the site. In keeping pace with the town the gatekeeper is pretty laid back and once you get past him you are greeted by an impressive giant Buddha in the main hall.Wat Jed Yod is probably the least visited of Chiang Rai’s most significant temples so you usually have lots of space to yourself. The temple is a copy of one by the same name in Chiang Mai which is a copy of an Indian temple, Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, the very same spot where the Buddha found enlightenment. You will find some of the traditional features of Thai temples including the typical red and gold colors and naga serpen

Robert Kelly is a Lonely Planet author and freelance writer who for the past 20 years has been living in Taiwan and most recently Malaysia. Robert has written for the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Taiwan Review, The South China Morning Post as well as several other travel publications.He has extensive knowledge of the culture, customs and diversity of East and Southeast Asia. His most recent project is the audio podcast Travel Tape, a documentary style travel guide that dives deep into the cultures, history and stories of some of the most fascinating places around the world available-in the iTunes Store. In part 2 of our conversation Robert gives us background on the making of the Travel Tape Podcast series including the editing of the amazing sounds captured in Stuart Butler’s audio diary from his exploration on foot of  the Masaii country of Southern Kenya in 2015. And his interview with journalist author David Eimer on the little known Korean enclave within the border of China. Robert joined me for part 2