Category: Baktrax Tales

Let’s face it—no one likes paperwork. But getting your visas sorted is part of the adventure! If you’re joining a Baktrax small group tour, you’ll breeze through borders with ease. Here’s your updated, fuss-free guide to Southeast Asia visa requirements for 2025, covering Thailand, Vietnam, …

Cambodia Beyond Angkor Wat: Soft Adventure with Baktrax Of course, Angkor Wat is a must-see—but Cambodia is so much more! On Baktrax’s Cambodia soft adventure tours, you’ll go beyond the temple crowds to discover friendly locals, bustling markets, and quiet riverside towns where daily life …

Getting Off the Tourist Trail in Laos If you think Laos is all about Luang Prabang and a quick river cruise, think again! With Baktrax, our off-the-beaten-path Laos tours are about diving into real local life—villages, markets, bus rides, and slow journeys that reveal the …

Why Malaysia Is Asia’s Most Underrated Food Destination Let’s talk food! If you think Thailand is the king of Southeast Asian cuisine, let Malaysia change your mind. Baktrax Malaysia food tours are a feast for the senses, mixing Malay, Chinese, and Indian flavours in every …

Essential Packing Tips for Slow Travel in Southeast Asia Packing for Southeast Asia can feel like playing suitcase Tetris. Will you need a rain jacket, or just more space for souvenirs? What about shoes for temples versus flip-flops for the beach? If you’re joining Baktrax …

Bangkok for Beginners: A Perfect Stopover or Start to Southeast Asia Feeling a bit daunted by the idea of arriving in Thailand’s capital for the first time? Trust us, you’re not alone! With its neon lights, endless food stalls, tuk-tuks zipping past golden temples, and …

Real Thailand: Exploring Isan—The Region Tourists Miss Ever heard of Isan? If you haven’t, you’re not alone! Most travelers rush past this fascinating region on their way to Thailand’s beaches or big cities. But if you want to discover the real Thailand, Isan tours are …

Thinking of exploring Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, or Malaysia? Let’s be honest: planning a trip to Southeast Asia can feel overwhelming. So many places to see, street foods to try, and train schedules to decipher! That’s where small group tours in Southeast Asia shine. If …

1: The first best day of my life had nothing to do with travel apart from a short train trip to the MCG and was to eventually pale into total insignifigence. Go back to September 1975. I got off the train at Windsor station to walk …

From around 1990 I continued long hours and big wages delivering air freight around Armadale, Malvern, Prahran, Windsor and East Malvern doing around 120 deliveries or pick ups daily. This meant running for almost 12 hours a day followed by a five K run around …

Let the real travel begin. In 19993 my workmate Vince who had been to all the main continents apart from Africa was thinking about it for his next trip. So as i hadn’t been to any of them and after seeing a kids show one …

Now 1992 and all i thought about apart from work and the punt was travelling. So in mid 92 i booked a 10 day bus tour of New Zealand. My well travelled friends scoffed as they suggested it would be like going to Adelaide. Yes, the …

Hi, my name is Alan C. Foster and this the incredible story of how travel can turn your life  in unknown directions through totally unpredictable and spontaneous events. No one could have possibly foretold that when i left Melbourne bus station with Europe in mind …

Hi, my name is Alan C. Foster and I am currently the owner of Baktrax;  Budget small group tours in S. E. Asia. www.baktrax.com. I am an ex-pat Aussie who has spent most of the last fifteen years in S.E. Asia. During my travels over that …