Bangkok Tourist Scam: How NOT to Play Ping-Pong!

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/tripologyAny Ping-Pong players in the house? We hear from a Backpacker who was lured into a Bangkok night club and extorted for money! Learn how saying 'Yes' can be a very expensive mistake.Hostel Common Room returns with a heartfelt question that will resonate with all you travellers out there: What's the best way to deal with the travel blues? How do we remain patient and disciplined whilst gearing up for our next adventure?Adam announces he's in the process of purchasing a campervan. Has he been misguided by his romantic dreams of travelling New Zealand? Two things we do know: he knows nothing about camping or vans.Send your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastDiscord: https://discord.gg/SMkK2gvh ⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comX.com: https://x.com/TripologypodThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/tripologyDark sky at night, Adam's delight! Adam celebrates his birthday at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest Dark Sky Reserve in the Southern Hemisphere. With stars in his eyes, the stargazing is cut short, when he flies down a rabbit hole!Rice for Breakfast takes on a British theme this week, with the iconic Fish & Chips taking centre stage. Tune in to find out the true origins of Britain's most famous dish. Something smells fishy!Tales of a Trip welcomes a romantic story of love and commitment. Navigating countries, continents, and a few naked strangers, nothing was going to stop this couple from travelling the world in the name of love!Send your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastCheck out our Discord: https://discord.gg/5j3ya9SSFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Take a look at out our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comJoin us on X: https://x.com/tripologypodSubscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/tripologyTravel emergency! Alun's travel horror story sees him heading to hospital, after contracting an infection in his foot that Google diagnoses as Lymphangitis! Dangerous travel infections are Alun's vocation, and knowing that sepsis was a possibility, he didn't take any chances! Brace yourself for backpacking health tips, helping you avoid your own travel illness nightmare!Tripping Point returns for a transport special. What's the longest train journey on earth? And just how many motorbikes are there in Vietnam? We discuss all this and more in everyone's favourite travel quiz!Continuing the Vietnamese theme, Tales of Trip welcomes a listener who's previously taught in Vietnam. This teacher's lesson planning needs more planning! Don't make the same mistake he did and listen all the way to the end!This week's Lost & Found is giving off... "alternative vibes", as Adam's asked a question he's heard a thousand times. Support us on Patreon to access this bonus content and much more! https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastSend your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/5j3ya9SSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comX: https://x.com/tripologypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/tripologyAre you a Slow Travel supporter or a Fast Tourism fan? This week’s hot topic is the ongoing travel debate between Slow Travel and Fast Tourism. But which style of travel is right for you? Receiving the question from a listener into the Hostel Common Room, we share our thoughts and experiences on both travel styles. Will Adam & Alun finally agree on something?Alun’s still surfing in Siargao but a brief lapse in concentration results in him being locked out of his apartment. With no answer from the Landlord, the only answer is to break in… Is it still a crime to break into your own apartment? Perhaps not if you remove an entire window?Tales of a Trip returns with a creepy-crawly story from a remote cattle station in Queensland, Australia. Travel gives you the opportunity to experience new things, including spiders bigger than your hand! The fairytale ending is out there… somewhere.Join our Patreon community to access BONUS content: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastSend your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Check out our Discord: https://discord.gg/PJXupmqTFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Take a look at out our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comJoin us on X: https://x.com/tripologypodSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/tripologyPuffer fish, take cover! Alun's attempting the freediving world record in Siargao, Philippines, after learning freediving breathing techniques. Eagerly signing up for a Spearfishing for Beginners course run by a handsome Spanish instructor, he quickly realises spearfishing is not only difficult, but also humiliating. "Any fish" doesn't always mean any fish!Vagabot 3000 is off on another backpacking adventure, this time to Guatemala City. Will it be Adam or Alun who's crowned Hostel Wars champion? The search continues for the worst... I mean 'most authentic' hostel.Tales of a Trip returns with an inspiring travel story. This time, a young Frenchman who's proactivity and patience has lead him all the way to Bolivia by motorbike!Prepare for Filipino fun, spearfishing fails, and perhaps a little travel envy.Support us on Patreon and gain access to the Lost & Found section, as well as more BONUS content: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastSend your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/SsrRYnmq ⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comJoin us on X: https://x.com/tripologypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Love is in the air! This week a listener shares her romantic travel story of kissing a stranger on a plane! Making the most of the in-flight entertainment, a travel romance blossoms at 35,000 feet, putting the 'lust' in wanderlust! Has the Mile High Club gained two new members?Following in Anthony Bourdain's footsteps, Alun dives head first into Filipino food culture, attending a traditional Fiesta in Siargao. The Philippines is world-famous for it's Lechon; does Alun agree that it's the "best pig on planet earth"?In this week's Tripological Reasoning, Adam recounts his hostel horror story of a backpacking UFC fan shadowboxing at 6am, waking up the entire hostel in the process. The gloves are off!Send your crazy travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastDiscord: https://discord.gg/4hHRHtZC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastX.com: https://x.com/TripologypodThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Pad Thai is Thailand's National dish but is it authentic Thai food? Is the Pad Thai an overrated tourist trap that has its roots elsewhere? We find out the real story behind Thailand's most iconic dish in this week's rather spicy episode! What's a white guy got to do to find some 'authentic' Asian food around here?We continue the Thailand theme in Tales of a Trip, as we hear from a listener who's been backpacking Southeast Asia. On their trip through Thailand, they had a travel epiphany whilst wrestling with a scooter. This one's not for beginners!Adam also shares the story of his nail-biting flight into Queenstown. Adam's a nervous flyer at the best of times... This amount of turbulence will have you out of your seat, literally!Tune in for Thai food culture, backpacking tips and travel stories!What's your favourite Thai food? Submit your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcastJoin our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastCheck out our Discord: https://discord.gg/4hHRHtZCFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Take a look at out our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

In this episode of Tripology: Travel Podcast, the stakes are higher than ever before, as Alun puts it all on the line in the most nerve-wracking edition of Tripping Point yet. If he fails, he'll quit travelling! Will Alun be crowned travel quiz champion or will he be on the next flight home?We discuss how to stay fit whilst backpacking, and share how we build exercise into our travel plans. We also hear a heartfelt message from a listener in this week's Tales of a Trip, proving that travel gives you the time and space to gain new perspectives.Tune in for travel trivia, backpacking tips, and stories from the road... This episode is not to be missed!How many Tripping Point questions did you answer correctly? Submit your travel stories to: https://www.tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastCheck out our Discord: https://discord.gg/e8AqJgbn⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Take a look at out our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@tripologypodcastThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

Is social media ruining travel? We explore whether overexposure to travel destinations is setting us up for disappointment, ensuring our travel expectations cannot be met.In this episode of Tripology Podcast, we unpack how social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and even travel blogs, impact how we experience travel —and how it might be making us less happy on the road.We discuss the psychology behind the Instagram vs Reality meme and ask: is travel content killing spontaneity?Hostel Common Room returns with a fantastic email from a listener, one which will resonate with many: does overplanning dull the experience?Stay tuned for Tales of a Trip, as we hear a story from a listener who stayed with a Monastic community, only to discover she would be cooking mash potato for 500 people in one of France's largest commercial kitchens!The topics we cover in this episode include:- "The Golden Age of travel": Pre-2020 vs Backpacking in 2025- How hostels & backpackers have changed - The rise of the Digital Nomad and how digital nomads have impacted hostel culture- Backpacker diets & hostel kitchens- How expectations govern happiness, sharing some of our biggest backpacking let-downs.We'd love to hear from you! Submit your own travel story to: ⁠https://tripologypodcast.com/talesofatrip⁠Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador⁠Require an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/tripologypodcastCheck out our Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/DnNZTVFn⁠Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastFollow us on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠Take a look at out our website: ⁠https://www.tripologypodcast.com⁠Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

This week we introduce a new segment: Hostel Wars - We present AI Travel Bot 'Vagabot 3000' (definitely not ChatGPT) with two accommodation options in Kotor, Montenegro. In the hope of backpacking Europe, Vagabot 3000 must pick the worst hostel based on genuine hostel reviews, continuing the search for the most 'authentic' experience.Tales of a Trip takes a romantic but embarrassing turn, as we hear from a Brazilian backpacker who unknowingly let himself go in Indonesia. No amount of diarrhoea would stop this traveler finding true love.We'd love to hear from you! Submit your own travel story to: https://tripologypodcast.com/talesofatripBefore Hostel Wars and Tales of a Trip, we discuss:- Competitive backpacking and travel one-upmanship- Adam's 7-Eleven friend in Hong KongNeed travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=AmbassadorRequire an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Join our Patreon community: patreon.com/tripologypodcastCheck out our Discord: https://discord.gg/e8AqJgbnSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcastFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Take a look at out our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.comThank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.