Reader,

With an insatiable desire to explore new destinations and only half the world’s countries (91) under HoneyTrek’s belt, it’s not in our nature to go back to the same place twice. But our recent return to Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam after 13 years was a reminder of how much time can transform a place and how much better you understand it with a second visit. We no longer felt the need to rush around and see all the main attractions, and by slowing down, we made deeper connections with each place and its people. From a four-day Aboriginal-led hike in Tasmania to joining a Buddhist house blessing in rural Chiang Mai and experiencing awe-inspiring eco-resorts for the global edition of Comfortably Wild–we enjoyed these places to the fullest and know you will too (well, all but one of them, lol).

Australia's Under Down Under

Australia is a huge country, and we knew better than to tackle it all. After a quick stop in Sydney to see our TravMedia family (complete with epic sunset yacht trip around the harbor), we did a deep dive into Tasmania…or as they say, “The Under Down Under.” With a rich Aboriginal history, well-preserved colonial architecture, a huge foodie scene, and some of the world’s prettiest beaches, it’s a gem!

We came for the award-winning wukalina Walk, to follow in the footsteps of 2,000 generations of indigenous Palawa people and alongside their young leaders on this immersive cultural hike (see below). Next up was a week-long road trip from Launceston to Cradle Mountain National Park, through Tamar Valley wine country, along the stunning east coast (with a very unexpected stay at an old woodchip mill turned regenerative resort with our friend and founder of Travel Massive), and ending in Tasmania's charming capital of Hobart. See our full highlight reel here, and our top videos, below.

Walking Country with the Aboriginal Palawa

The Australian Aboriginals are the oldest continuous living culture on Earth. To absorb even a drop of their 40,000 years' worth of knowledge during our Tasmania trip, we joined the wukalina Walk…a Palawa-led four-day experience and one of Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places. 4 days, 35km, 2 camps, and 11 friends later, this trek gave us an infinite appreciation for the Palawa hospitality.

Mind-blowing MONA

They call Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art “A Subversive Adult Disneyland”… we call it the coolest museum experience EVER. The ferry trip to get there and the architecture alone are worth the visit, while the collection’s scale, range of eras, topics covered, and the provocative and playful nature that connected it all had us planning our return visit.

Cambodia's Comeback

In a rapidly developing world, have you ever been nervous to travel back to a place you loved, for fear it had changed for the worse? Well, we returned to Cambodia's capital after 13 years, and Phnom Penh was even better than we remembered! Without losing its gritty charms, the capital has blossomed with new green spaces, glittering monuments, cute cafes, and more urban delights. What was once little more than a sidewalk along the Tonle Sap River is now a glorious tree-lined promenade, hosting weekly festivals. Koh Pich, which was just a sandbar in 2013, is now an island gleaming with skyscrapers. And the timeworn French colonial market with grannies selling their fish, fruit, and stir-fried noodles? They were smart enough to leave that exactly as is.

Glamping the Cardamom Rainforest

As luck would have it, two of Asia’s most inspiring outdoor resorts (Shinta Mani Wild & Canvas and Orchids) are both in the Cardamom Mountains. This ultra-diverse rainforest spans eight Cambodian provinces and is home to mainland Southeast Asia’s largest coastal mangrove forest, so it definitely deserves 6 days across these 2 epic retreats.

Vietnam: Where NOT to Go

When trying to book a flight from Tasmania to Southeast Asia, we couldn’t stomach how steep the prices were. So when Phú Quôc, Vietnam, popped up at 50% less, and we saw its proximity to Cambodia (our intended destination), we gave it a closer look. An internet search on this island yields palm-fringed beaches, ladies in conical hats giving massages, a long cable car gliding over the sea, and an Italian-inspired village straight out of a movie set.

We knew something wasn’t adding up in the “visa-free” and heavily discounted Phú Quôc, and we should have trusted our gut. This place quickly proved to be one big construction site surrounded by trash-laden beaches and package tourism at its worst. See this train wreck of a vacation destination and how we still made the most of our time on “Pearl Island.”

Unexpected Thailand

We’ve always wanted to return to Thailand, and the Eco-Resort Network Summit in Chiang Mai was the perfect excuse, and the friends we made were the best reason to stay for an additional two weeks!

Travel with love,
Mike & Anne