We arrived in Hong Kong late in the evening. I was exhausted and ready for a hot shower and a cold beer. My travel partners, my friend Mason and his cousin McKenzie, were equally beat, nodding off a little during our taxi ride from the airport. We rolled the red Toyota cab windows down and let the late-night bustle wash over us; the city was muggy …

The overwhelm of Hong Kong was nothing compared to the rush of our first cab ride in Vietnam. I didn’t realize the level of motorbike traffic until we were right in the thick of it — there seemed to be no rules, no braking, just a steady stream of people weaving in and out and around each other, hitting roundabouts and entering the …

After our two days in Hoi An, we caught another flight from Da Nang north to Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. I was excited but not quite prepared for the next level of sensory overload; nearly everything I knew of Hanoi was gleaned from TV, mostly food documentaries like Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown series. It all seemed condensed into …

Hanoi was followed by a luxurious overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay aboard the Peony. We were greeted at the boat by friendly staff and a hearty buffet lunch as we cruised across the bay. After our humble experience of Hanoi and the hustle and bustle of the big city, kicking back on our cabin’s balcony watching the limestone karst formations …

When our group arrived to Siem Reap, Cambodia, we were greeted with one of the most beautiful airports I had ever seen — it looked like it had been recently built, with shiny spotless floors, lots of glass, and uniquely Cambodian touches inside. Staff from the hostel we had booked were waiting outside the airport for us with tuk-tuks; we …