by Rick Green

Durian is the fruit of a tree belonging to the Durio genus in the Malvaceae family. Native to the island of Borneo, it is cultivated in tropical areas with a mean daily temperature above 22 °C. Its name comes from the Malay duri, meaning "thorn". Thailand is the leading producer, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia. Chantaburi hosts the annual World Durian Festival.

The 13th most populous country in the world, Vietnam consists of a thin strip along the eastern shore of the Indochina peninsula that is only 50km wide at its narrowest point. However, nearly 80% of the land consists of mountains and hills, which is why the flat lands of the Red River and Mekong deltas are the most developed and populated regions.

For such a small country, Vietnam is surprisingly diverse geographically, offering a variety of activities and attractions to the visitor. Trek amongst the hill tribes in the temperate highlands, kayak through the amazing karst islands of Halong Bay, or relax on brilliant white sand tropical beaches. You'll be sure to build up a hunger to explore Vietnam's fabulous cuisine.

by Jennifer Laidlaw

When I travel, I carry two passports – my blue Canadian passport and a little passport booklet of 20 On-The-Go Soap Sheets. This little booklet of cleanliness has come in handy more times than imaginable!

The thin soap sheets come in a plastic, water-proof container wrapped in a cardboard booklet titled PASSPORT and tied shut with a little yellow string. It is both cute and compact.

The lightly-scented soap sheets dissolve in water and can be used in a pinch to wash clothes in the sink, clean hands after a charming soap-less bathroom experience, or freshen up in a public washroom.

These sheets are perfect for carry-on luggage because you can avoid the hassle of airport liquid restrictions.

They dissolve best in hot water, but you can still get a mild soapy clean out of them in cold water. I have even borrowed a sheet from my travel stash to use in the washing machine at home when I have suddenly run out of proper laundry detergent.

by Rick Green

I came across a thought-provoking article on My Mélange that discusses six mistakes people make when planning/taking trips. These are common enough – and big enough to ruin your vacation – that they are worth repeating. I examine them here with an Asian context.

Excessive Itinerary: Hit & Run Travel

It's easy to get excited about your next trip and want to see as much as possible in the limited time you are in another country. But if you have only two weeks of vacation, especially when travelling in a large country like China, it would be foolish to cram as much in as possible. You will have no time to actually appreciate things, much less meet people beyond your fellow travellers and those you interact with on a commercial basis – tour guide, hotel & restaurant staff, souvenir sellers, touts, etc. You'll just be running around, taking a quick look at the most popular sights, shooting some snaps, then roaring off to the next stop to do the same thing. I call this hit and run travel. Is this really that much different than watching a television travel program edited with quick cuts? Is it worth the $4,000+ more dollars that you'll spend living a television experience? Realize that you won't have any time for serendipity, to take advantage of random opportunities to connect with locals that may never be available to you again.