Tokyo. London. Paris. New York City. Rio de Janeiro. All of these locations exhibit the bustling, thriving, congested characteristics that fulfil our expectations of major cities. When people begin to travel abroad, they typically travel to popular locations such as capitals and other major destinations because these places are well established for tourists with comfortable accommodations and people have established a knack for multiple languages...

Brazil is a country that is almost as big as a continent, which means that there is a lot of diversity throughout the different areas. Language, culture and cuisine all vary depending on the region, but Brazilian cuisine as a whole takes its major influences from Europe and Africa, but there are such a plethora of immigrant influences on the culture that the cuisine has evolved into its own national flavour.     Two of the mos...

The internet is overflowing with articles about Thailand, one of the hottest destinations in the world for traveling, working, and teaching English abroad. Millions of foreigners flock to the country every year for the infamous beach parties, tropical island get-a-ways, elephant rides, and Bangkok nightlife. Just last year, Bangkok was rated the most visited city, and over 26.5 million people visited the country overall. For anyone looking t...

If you are planning a trip abroad to the Philippines and relish culturally rich experiences, you might think about scheduling your adventure during Holy Week, which usually occurs in the months of March and April. For Filipinos, this is a very special occasion known in Tagalog as Mahal na Araw, where devotees reflect on their own religious values and understanding of the acts they believe Jesus did in order to save them for the sins the...

Originating from the Cantonese in Southern China, dim sum is a communal cuisine distinguished by small dishes of dumplings, buns and many other varieties of tasty morsels usually served in three or fours. Back in ancient times, traders and travellers along the Silk Road would practice the tradition of tea tasting while they rested along their journeys, a ritual known as yum cha. Though it was initially believed that people would gain weight ...

If you've ever met a Filipino family, chances are you were immediately asked whether or not you were hungry and despite your polite ‘no’ they still brought out a large selection of edibles. Filipino culture prizes hospitality and community and what better way to bring people together than delicious cuisine? Filipinos even have an extra meal called merienda, which is a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, a tradition also practiced in Southern...

After I graduated from university and taught English in Hong Kong for a year, I backpacked around Western China, and boy, did I learn some hard truths. These truths were recently reinforced by another three-week trip around the region and I am here to share my hard-won gems of knowledge. I came, I saw, I survived, and with my help you will too. This is a remarkably beautiful area with plenty of tasty food to nom (including true Sichuan peppercorn...

Tokyo is chic, modern, and vibrant. It is also one of the most expensive cities in the world. This is a city with one of the (if not the most) expensive meals in the world as well as the most pricey hotel rooms. While you can live in the lap of luxury and splurge on 35,000 Yen Kobe beef meals, not everyone has the means to spend on an extravagant lifestyle. If you are interested in touring around Tokyo on a budget, then this is the article f...

Leaving the comfort and safety of a place we call home can be intimidating with the prospects of unknown cultures, foreign food and strangers, but it’s not long before we adapt to our new lifestyle and flourish. What many travellers fail to credit is the culture shock of coming home. The sparkle of seeing friends, visiting your old hangout spots and eating at your favourite restaurant is enough to distract you at first but you’ll soon realiz...

Maybe you’ve been living in Southeast Asia as a digital nomad, or perhaps you’re teaching there, studying, or have been traveling there for months or years on end. Whatever your reason for visiting this warm, delicious, beautiful part of the world, you’re sure to identify with the following signs that you’re now a Southeast Asia local:    1) Your day is kind of ruined because your favorite fruit shake stand is closed   2) You ...