The Moto Wanderer: Berry's SEAJ trip overview

SEA and Japan Trip

6/4/15 – 8/19/15

Key takeaways:

Vietnam – had cool sinks with spinning drains for easy plugging and unplugging, had countdown timers on their traffic lights for red and green lights so you knew when they were going to change which was great, traffic in the big cities is crazy, people who aren't trying to sell you stuff are great, those that are are relentless pricks, countryside is beautiful. Favorite place – Phong Nha for the amazing caves, being away from the cities, and for the people I met there.

Private island beach? You can do that here. Just take a couple days away from the hustle and enjoy yourself some sun and nature.

Cities have millennia of culture and traditions. Some are even known for lights at night :)

Prefer to be inland and still away from cities? National parks got you covered with days/weeks worth to explore and enjoy.

Once you are in the city, be careful of the traffic. They do not drive like anywhere you might be from (most likely :) ). Just remember slow and steady wins the race.

Middle of the city there are museums and flowers to enjoy that are just as good as museums in any other country.

You can even try and be viet cong for a day. Eye opening experiences left and right.

If the heat is too much, they have mountainous cities/regions that are nice and cool and surrounded by rice patties and straddled by clouds.

Cant forget the people met here either. Awesome tour guides, friends met while walking around, etc. Definitely made an otherwise cool time, amazing!

Laos – Beautiful country, would have loved to spend more time in LP and VV due to the laid back atmosphere, the incredibly friendly people (was night and day coming from nam). I think LP would have to be my favorite place as there was a decent amount to do compared to VV and there were numerous activities just outside the city I could have enjoyed if I stayed longer. The fruit stand street was also pretty awesome as I love fruit shakes and they are right there in the main town area.

Cities combining old tradition with new capitalism all while having incredibly friendly people. Awesome!

Temples have plenty of art/beauty to take in while you walk around and explore.

Natural beauty being a big deal to me, this place has plenty to take in. Just another day in paradise.

Cambodia – Siem reap was extremely touristy and the tuktuk drivers again were very pushy like in Nam. Which sucked to have to deal with that again. Wish I had more time to explore other parts of Cambodia as well as I have heard great things about the coast. Best part of this place was the people I met. The temples are great and should be explored/enjoyed/preserved, but the people I met here (and youll notice this is pretty much true everywhere I go) made the experience exponentially better. The local circus put on by the students was also pretty memorable/remarkable.

One of the many fascinating temples on the outskirts of the city. So intricate and beautiful. Also fascinating how such meticulous pieces of work were crafted so long ago.

Met a great group of people in this city. Definitely made this leg much more enjoyable.

Thailand - North Thailand is amazing. Great food, amazing people all around, CM has enough to keep one occupied in and around the city with Pai being a great, chill, romantic spot (full of hippies). I didnt care much for CR as it just didnt seem to have much going on. CM was my favorite stop for the abundance of food markets to eat at and the pretty city with ample opportunities to do things day and night. The whole driving on the left side of the road was actually easier than I expected (didnt have an issue after the first 10 seconds of thinking about it).

Perhaps the best known benefit of SE Asia, the food. Whether you just try different things or take a class, like above, the food is exquisite.

If you are looking for a break from the norm, you can always take a day or more of silence and work on your meditation. Just another way to experience the local culture.

The temples in Thailand are phenomenal just like the other countries I have visited on this trip. Still worth visiting as each one is a little different.

Chiang Mai has night life aside from the bars and clubs. Live music for the win.

Just outside the cities, there is plenty of natural beauty to explore and enjoy.

Got to spend some time with great people I met on the trip.

Singapore - Awesome city/country. Met some old and new friends which helped enjoy the city that much more. Clean, efficient public transit, diverse population, with exposure to different cultures in their hawker centers and areas of town. Favorite part here (other than the great people I got to spend my time with) was the botanical garden; i was impressed that such a small country/city would have a large park in the middle of it with beautiful flowers and monitor lizards everywhere and some good history/exhibits contained within the park.

Within this bustling city, a park full of beautiful flowers and space to relax.

Plenty of great architecture among this prospering city/state.

When future meets present

Hanging with good friends in a great city

Japan - Would have to be my favorite place of the trip for a few reasons 1) I got to spend time with some great friends and their families seeing the country through their eyes (best way to travel in my opinion), 2) Japan has so much quirkyness to it, and I like that, 3) I had people with me most the time who spoke the language which made a world of difference as English was not well known, and 4) the country is diversely beautiful in its scenery and they do a great job preserving their natural beauty in a country with that population density is impressive. Favorite part was the animal themed restaurants/cafes/parks that allow you to be among the animals. I didnt look into the treatment of the animials ahead of time to see if I was supporting a good or evil business but I surely hope they are doing good by the animals as it was amazing being able to hold one of my favorite animals and pet it and be that close to one (barn owl).