Posts Tagged ‘SE Asia’

Photo Friday: Floating Market in Indonesia
Friday, July 20th, 2012

Today’s Photo Friday captures the Floating Market in Banjarmasin, Kalimantan, Indonesia. It was taken by second time career breaker and former Meet, Plan, Go! host Lisa Niver Rajna, who writes:

Getting up early to see the floating market was well worth it. The colors, the food, the homes along the edge of the water. I loved the traffic of the boats and the community scene–very different than going to market in Los Angeles! During our year away in 2008-2009, we were in Indonesia twice each time for a month. We went from Malaysian Borneo (Sipadan) and traveled along the coast of Kalimantan to Banjarmasin. We had some great adventures. We left this month (July 2012) for career break TWO! See our latest news at www.wesaidgotravel.com or follow us on Twitter at @wesaidgotravel.

Photo Friday: Angkor Wat
Friday, May 18th, 2012

Today’s Photo Friday of Angkor Wat comes from Jannell Howell, a past Meet, Plan, Go! attendee, Basic Training member, and self-proclaimed “travel gearologist.”  Angkor Wat is just one of many items Jannell has been able to check off her bucket list while traveling around the world on her career break.

I’ve crossed off a couple of things on my bucket list: I’ve ridden an elephant in northern Thailand, I’ve marveled at the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, I’ve witnessed a beautiful sunrise over the Himalayan peaks in Nepal, and I’ve had my breath taken away at the Taj Mahal in India.”

Jannell writes about her travels on Traveljunkie’s World Tour.

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Photo Friday: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Friday, November 11th, 2011

Loy Krathong - Chiang Mai, Thailand

This stunning Photo Friday comes from the Yee Peng Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand and was submitted by fan Casey Engels. We agree with her statement that it is a surreal pairing of the calm floating lanterns and celebratory fireworks.

In April 2011 Casey and Eli left their home in Boston with a one-way ticket to Iceland. “We took the leap, quitting our jobs in this less than desirable economy and committed to fully exploring the unknown as best we could.”

You can follow their adventures on their site Wonder Wander.

What international festivals or celebrations have you experienced during your travels?

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Career Breaking With Intrepid Travel
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

So you’ve decided to take some time off and travel. Congrats! Taking this first leap was probably not easy. Or maybe you’ve had this idea for a while and were just waiting for the right moment to set it free. Either way, we hope your travels are eye-opening and inspiring and the team at Intrepid Travel is here to help with the logistics of planning a career break trip.

Intrepid Travel - Vietnam (During Michaela Potter's career break)

For 21 years, we’ve operated small group adventures, getting travelers like you off the beaten path to really experience a destination like a local. Maybe you have a dream destination or perhaps the world is your proverbial oyster. Either way, it is likely Intrepid has a trip for you, with over 1,000 trips in 100 countries.

Spend a month exploring temples and beaches in Southeast Asia, then jump across to India to experience the fiery flavors and enchanting history of this eclectic region. Or maybe start off in Europe, checking out the Mediterranean flavors of Italy and Spain before hopping across to Morocco for a bit of Middle Eastern culture and desert adventure. From there, the vastness of Africa opens up, with gorilla treks in Uganda, safaris in Kenya, and treks in Tanzania. If you’ve always had your heart set on Africa, consider our epic 4-month long Cairo to Capetown overland journey, venturing through no fewer than 12 countries and seeing some of the world’s most amazing landscapes.

Why consider a group trip with Intrepid?

Journaling in Angkor Wat

Intrepid Cambodia: Journaling in Angkor Wat

– Hassle-free:You have enough planning to do for your career break. Traveling with Intrepid takes the hassle out of planning local transportation, sight seeing, and accommodations.

– Free time to explore on your own: You’re free to do as you choose; pursue your own interests one day and take part in activities we’ve arranged for you the next.

– Local access: Traveling with Intrepid is like visiting a friend and having them show you around their city. Our group leaders are locals and know all of the best restaurants, shops, and nightlife spots not accessible to most tourists.

– Something for everyone: Intrepid travels to over 100 countries on all 7 continents and have trips to fit every budget.

– Safety: Traveling in a group tends to be safer than solo travel and our group leaders provide tips on how to explore your destination safely.

Responsible Travel

Intrepid is committed to traveling in a way that is respectful of local people, their culture, local economies and the environment. We recently became a carbon-neutral company, offsetting our carbon emissions on the majority of our trips. We are also members of the United Nations Global Compact, an initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.

Click here for more info on Intrepid or to book your small group adventure today!

Win An Intrepid Trip!

We are proud to have Intrepid Travel as an Exclusive National Sponsor for our 2011 Event. Intrepid will be giving away One (1) Grand Prize* consisting of a 10-day/9-night trip for 1 on their Classic Canada excursion. Register today for your chance to win.

Intrepid will also be offering all attendees of Meet, Plan, Go! events discounts of up to 20% off their tours. Well worth the ticket price alone!

* Click here for terms & conditions

Photo Friday: Angkor Wat
Friday, January 14th, 2011

Angkor Wat

This Photo Friday of Angkor Wat is from Adam Seper, who this week shared with us great advice on Preparing for Long-Term Travel with Your Partner.

Angkor Wat was one of the many beautiful sites that Adam visited with his wife, Megan. But for him, the opportunity to experience them with Megan was the highlight of their career break.

The pictures, blog posts, and memories of all the amazing places we went, people we met, and experiences we had are all fantastic. All are things I remember every day and will reminisce about forever. But more than anything, I am grateful that I created all these memories with the woman I love most in this world.

Want to see your photo here? Join our Facebook Fan Page and upload your career break photo onto our Wall. Add a brief description & we may choose to feature it here!

Vietnam: Saigon as an Expat
Friday, October 16th, 2009

[singlepic=1552,250,,,right]After her original 16-month career break, Sherry Ott decided not to go return to the “Briefcase” world and settled in Vietnam, teaching English for a year.

As an expat living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Sherry wanted to embrace life as a local, which included learning to navigate the hectic streets by motorbike. For many countries, motorbikes are the main source of travel – it’s not uncommon to see people transport livestock, refrigerators, and families of 5 or more on two wheels, even during a monsoon. And rather than just become another passenger, Sherry decided that she wanted to take control of the motorbike.

[singlepic=1554,250,,,left]Though her rented bike spent it’s first weeks parked in her living room, Sherry eventually got over her fear of taking it on the road, even obtaining a “license” in hopes of being a legal driver.

In her “Motorbike Diaries”, Sherry opens up about the ups and downs of this experience, with witty observations of the motorbike culture in Vietnam. And within time, she finds herself to be fitting right in – masks and rain ponchos included.

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Vietnam
Monday, February 16th, 2009

We’re in the process of writing more entries for Vietnam, after all, Sherry’s an expert on Vietnam because she lives there now! In the meantime, check out Sherry’s posts about her career break experiences from Otts World:

[singlepic=1326,200,,,right]8 Questions – Northern Vietnam
When I decided to go to Vietnam I realized that besides seeing a few Hollywood movies about the war, I knew very little about the country and the American history there. This was really the first country that I visited so far in my travels that was tightly intertwined with US History – all within my lifetime. I felt that I needed to educate myself if I was going to be traveling in such a hotbed of history.  Read More

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Indonesia
Monday, February 16th, 2009

We’re in the process of writing entries for Indonesia. In the meantime, check out Sherry’s posts from Otts World:

[singlepic=1284,200,,,right]Travel Slogans for Bali
Ahhh – Bali – peace, quiet, simplicity, cultural, relaxation, great food – and the home of the $8 massage….perfect. Bali was going to offer me some new culture again which I was really excited to see. It was also going to offer me some time with my favorite Belgian – no, not a waffle – my girlfriend Veronique! Veronique and I met a few years back through a mutual friend (Angie) while traveling through France (that was a mouthful) and we have remained travel buddies ever since! It’s always great to have a well traveled Belgian who can speak multiple languages to travel with! Read More

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Malaysia
Monday, February 16th, 2009

We’re in the process of writing entries for Malaysia. In the meantime, check out Sherry’s post from Otts World:

[singlepic=1290,200,,,right]Not So Sweet Dreams – Langkawi
I’m enjoying a perfectly relaxing serene week on a sunny beach in Langkawi Malaysia with my family. I’m taking a vacation from my traveling. I write, catch up on reading, work on my tan, brainstorm on ways to make a living, play games with my nieces – yet I awake in the middle of the night overcome with a feeling of despair. I’m having nightmares. Not the kind where someone is chasing me with a machete through a dark, deserted forest in the pelting rain. Nor am I dreaming my normal reoccurring anxiety nightmare where I am trying to drive up a steep hill in my old Ford Escort and I am still spinning my wheels as I loose ground in 1st gear and start rolling backwards down the hill. Instead, I dream of being back in NYC seeing my old friends. I look around at the familiar faces and places and have no idea where I fit in any longer. Read More

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Singapore
Monday, February 16th, 2009

We’re in the process of writing entries for Singapore. In the meantime, check out Sherry’s posts from Otts World:

[singlepic=1291,200,,,right]Family Ties – Singapore
I landed in Singapore ready to see something familiar – my family! I was ready to empty out and fumigate my suitcase, sleep in the same bed for multiple nights in a row and get in the Christmas spirit. However, after a few hours in Singapore getting the tour of my sister’s home, sitting down to a family dinner, helping nieces with their homework – I quickly realized – this is probably the most foreign place I’ve visited so far. Read More

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