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Transportation Problems in India: Why Can’t I Leave Goa?

Jan 20, 2015 by Daniel McBane 4 Comments

sleeper car on Indian train

The Indian province of Goa has over 70 kilometers of beautiful beaches and excellent cheap food. That combination kept me in my beach hut two weeks longer than planned. India’s transportation network kept me there another two weeks. Flying in and out of Goa seems relatively simple, but leaving by land proved exceedingly difficult. When […]

Filed Under: India Tagged With: bus, train, transportation, India, Goa, scams

Survive New Delhi Station and the Rest of India is Easy

Sep 21, 2013 by Daniel McBane 14 Comments

walkway over trains at new delhi station

New Delhi railway station serves as a great introduction to India in that it combines much of what is annoying about the country into one location. Every visitor to India will have stories of annoying touts and scams and some people will have nothing but. In actuality, only a small part of the country provides […]

Filed Under: India Tagged With: India, annoying people, scams, Delhi, transportation

Bagan by Horse Cart: The Best of Three Bad Options

Aug 10, 2013 by Daniel McBane 4 Comments

Horse cart approaching a temple in Bagan

When most people think of Myanmar, they imagine a hazy, flat plain with hundreds of reddish-brown stupas poking up above the patchy tree cover. The area they are picturing is called Bagan. It lies in Myanmar’s dusty central plains on the banks of the Irrawaddy River and is characterized by not hundreds, but thousands—over 2200, […]

Filed Under: Myanmar Tagged With: Myanmar, transportation, annoying people, scams, Bagan

How to Enjoy, but Not Visit, the Taj Mahal in Agra

Jul 27, 2013 by Daniel McBane 18 Comments

Taj Mahal in Agra at sunset

The difference between the words ‘enjoy’ and ‘visit’ in that title is very important. This is not a guide on how to visit the Taj Mahal, but one on how to enjoy it despite not visiting at all. Why would anyone go all the way to Agra and not visit the Taj Mahal, you ask? […]

Filed Under: India Tagged With: Agra, Taj Mahal, India, scams, photography

Four Simple Ways to Go Broke In Beijing

Apr 20, 2013 by Daniel McBane 12 Comments

Tiananmen Square Beijing

While food, accommodation and transportation costs in China have been creeping upward and admission fees to popular attractions are reaching astronomical levels, it is still very possible to travel the country quite cheaply. That said, it is also possible to spend ridiculous amounts of money and get very little in return. I’ve written plenty on […]

Filed Under: Travel Tips, China Tagged With: Beijing, China, travel tips, scams, saving money, budget travel

Redefining Greek Salad on Goa’s Palolem Beach

Mar 23, 2013 by Daniel McBane 4 Comments

Palolem Beach Goa India

One of the greatest things about traveling in India is the abundance of cheap, yet tasty food. Even the lowest priced dishes from the filthiest street carts rarely taste bad and for a few more rupees, you can get some pretty amazing meals. Nevertheless, every western visitor will eventually crave some western food; and you […]

Filed Under: India Tagged With: food, India, Goa, beach, scams, bad food

Fake Cop “Helps” With ATM in Jaipur

Feb 23, 2013 by Daniel McBane 16 Comments

State Bank of India

Getting cash in India can be quite an adventure at times. Finding a functional ATM is not always easy, even in the big cities. Finding a functional ATM that also has cash is even more difficult. On top of that, most visitors seem to prefer a cash machine that actually accepts whatever card they may […]

Filed Under: India Tagged With: Jaipur, banking, scams, India, annoying people, money

Yangon’s Black Market Money Changers

Dec 29, 2012 by Daniel McBane 4 Comments

Bricks of Burmese kyat

When I went to Myanmar in 2011, the official government exchange rate was around 7 kyats per US dollar. A bottle of water went for 200 to 300 kyats and a cheap restaurant meal was around 1000 to 2000. That would make this the most expensive country on earth. Luckily, I read up on Myanmar […]

Filed Under: Myanmar Tagged With: Myanmar, Yangon, money, black market, scams

Poipet Rhymes with Toilet for a Reason

Oct 2, 2012 by Daniel McBane 13 Comments

Thailand Cambodia Border at Poipet

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Poipet before—you’re one of the lucky ones. A Cambodian town on the border with Thailand, Poipet has become a miniature exhibition of sorts, displaying everything that’s wrong with Southeast Asia in one convenient location. Many visitors to Cambodia avoid ‘the toilet’ altogether by flying into the country. […]

Filed Under: Cambodia Tagged With: transportation, Thailand, Cambodia, travel tips, Poipet, border crossing, scams

5 Easy Ways to Spot a Scam

Sep 22, 2012 by Daniel McBane 23 Comments

Vendor Jemaa-El-Fna Marrakech

If you travel, they will scam. It’s unavoidable. Wherever you go, you will encounter people doing their best to separate you from your money. And if you stay on the tourist loops, especially in countries like Thailand or India, you will be hard pressed to have an encounter with a local who doesn’t have an […]

Filed Under: Travel Tips Tagged With: travel tips, scams

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Welcome!

As the more astute among you may have guessed, my name is Daniel McBane. I've been traveling and working overseas for almost ten years now and have finally decided to document some of the strange, crazy or just plain funny encounters and observations from my travels. I've also added a travel guide section, figuring I should reward my four readers by providing at least something of use. Read more on my about page.

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Transportation Problems in India: Why Can't I Leave Goa?

Transportation Problems in India: Why Can't I Leave Goa?

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Trekking On Our Day Off From Trekking in Manang

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