Thailand

How to Live Better (by playing the ukulele)

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Top Knotch Gear

A little over a month ago, I decided it was time for a new “challenge.” I was bored – bored with work, bored with what was on tv… bored with my life. I thought about training for a marathon but it was mid summer in Florida (way too hot.) I thought about buying a plane ticket to Bangkok to visit my old roommate (way too expensive). I needed something stimulating, something rich that wouldn’t break my [very small] bank….

…. I decided to teach myself how to play the ukulele.

YouTube is a great site for learning new things. There are more resources for how to play the ukulele than I know what to do with! So between books at the library, free websites/teaching tools and YouTube, I am slowly (and enthusiastically) navigating my way around the island sounds.

With tax, this new “challenge” only cost $32.00!

Learning to play a musical instrument on your own time is great because it’s just that – on your own time. I do my best to carve out an hour here and there to practice my cords and my Beach Boys songs but if we get busy at our shaved ice stand and I’m too tired to serenade September at midnight, then I can just practice some other time. There’s no pressure, no hurry… it’s a ukulele, after all, one of the most laid back instruments in the world.

I enjoy bringing my little uke to the beach and practicing on the sand. Thankfully, it’s pretty quiet. So my fellow beach-goers can’t get too annoyed by hearing Home on the Range over and over again.

–

If YOU’RE looking for ways to better your life, liven up the monotony or challenge yourself to a new hobby, click here - It’s 50 Life Secrets and Tips. There’s something for everyone! Enoy!

Categories: Adventure, Beach, Florida, Music, Outdoors, Photography, Stumble Upon, Summer, Thailand, Top Knotch Gear, Travel, Ukulele, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Biking from Bangkok to Singapore

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Top Knotch Gear

Nathaniel James Moody is an adventurous British expat who biked over 1,500 miles (about 2,500 km) from Bangkok, Thailand to Singapore. After Moody, a teacher stationed in Bangkok, bought a mountain bike from his friend, he was inspired to put it to good use as part of his healthy living lifestyle changes. From pedaling around the city to short day trips, Moody could not get enough of his bike. He then set out to plan a trip from Bangkok to Koh Lanta (over 500 miles) but when the Thai schools were shut down for an extended period of time due to the massive flooding, Moody re-routed his plans for an adventurous trip from Bangkok to Singapore via Malaysia.

Why do this? It’s all for the charity, “Life for Thailand” – a children’s home for disabled Thai children.

Moody’s trip took him 30 days total – 17 solid days of hardcore cycling through country sides, busy cities and villages averaging 90 miles (145 km) each day! Moody says that he’s not “that fit” and has never been a cyclist, he just enjoyed riding bikes as a kid. But he shows awesome motivation, perseverance and dedication to a good cause to ride across 3 countries! Read more about how he prepared for his trip and some of the challenges he faced along the way here. And be sure to check out his website!

Below are all pictures taken directly from CNN Go’s article on Moody. Click the pictures to be taken to the site.

Photo from CNN Go

Photo from CNN Go

Categories: Adventure, Asia, Biking, Charity, Cycling, Donation, Explore, Gear, Malaysia, Nature, Photography, Singapore, Thailand, Top Knotch Gear, Trails, Transportation, Travel, Trek, Trip planning | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Eat Vegetarian in Thailand

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Top Knotch Gear

Thailand, I am convinced, is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It is a frequent stop for backpackers traveling throughout southeast Asia because it is an inexpensive paradise that is absolute bliss. The weather is perfect (most of the time), the food is fantastic and the people are genuinely kind.

I have been a vegetarian for as long as September and I have been together – so, about 7 1/2 years. Visiting Thailand as a vegetarian can be difficult if you are strict about avoiding things like shrimp paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce or chicken broth. For me, I was willing to overlook these things in the name of green curry. Curry is my favorite food and there is no better place to eat authentic, spicy, coconutty curry than in Thailand. (India also has amazing curry I’ve been told but it’s not as coconutty as Thai curries). I just didn’t want to eat chunks of meat. If you’re a vegan (or even if you’re a stricter vegetarian than I am), Mark Wiens wrote a great article on The Vegetarian’s Guide to Thailand Travel that I recommend reading. He gives some key Thai phrases to help foreigners explain their vegetarian/vegan dietary needs. To see what my vegetarian adventures were like in Thailand, keep scrolling!

My favorite!!!

Green curry with tofu and veggies - AMAZING!!

Even the monkeys enjoy a healthy vegetarian snack (i.e.: bananas)!

Monkeys come right on your boat if you leave bananas out for them!

Luckily, the monkeys don’t have a knack for pina coladas in coconuts!

I’m not a fan of pina coladas usually but this was made with real coconut milk in a REAL COCONUT. Can’t pass that up!

Thailand has loads of fresh seafood available – just about anything you could ask for!

Fresh, GIANT lobsters in Koh Samui. They were the size of house cats - no joke!

And even whole pigs roasting over open fires!

I have to admit, this smelled pretty good.

But since I was eating only vegetarian food, this is what my dinners usually look liked:

An appetizer of veggie spring rolls (and chicken satay for my friend) before our green curry!

At our favorite beach-side restaurant. (Literally, on the beach. There was no floor – just sand!)

Beach Bar Phuket in Patong Beach

There are many choices for vegetarians in Thailand, it just depends on how picky you want to be. For me, it was more important to eat my favorite food and experience as much of the local tastes as possible (without actually eating meat chunks) but there’s no reason why you couldn’t do that on a vegan diet. Just make sure to learn some key phrases (if you don’t already speak Thai) – it’s hard to go wrong with Thai food!

Happy feasting!

Categories: Adventure, Asia, Backpacking, Explore, Food, Globetrotting, Nature, Thailand, Top Knotch Gear, Travel | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

GLOWING Paracord!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Top Knotch Gear

We call this bracelet the Full Moon Party. The epic Full Moon Party in Ko Pha Ngan takes place every month under the bright light of the full moon. We can’t wait to crash this party when we travel to Thailand on our trip around the world and this glow-in-the-dark paracord bracelet gets us excited for the ultimate party experience!

It’s tied with black paracord that’s flecked with white glow pieces that glow bright green in the dark! It’s the newest addition to our survival bracelet collection.

Categories: Accessories, Adventure, Asia, Backpacking, Beach, Beer, Bracelet, Bright colors, Circumnavigation, Drink, Etsy, Explore, Gear, Globetrotting, Hiking, Jewelry, Knots, Parachute Cord, Paracord, Photography, Rock Climbing, Survival gear, Thailand, Top Knotch Gear, Tourist Site, Travel | Leave a comment

Travel Tip Tuesdays are Back!

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel Tip for today: Sightseeing

If you’re like us, then you probably enjoy visiting tourist sites every now and again. Whether it’s for the pictures, the experience or the bragging rights to say, “I’ve been there!”, tourist traps can be lots of fun – if only they didn’t have so many…. tourists! Here’s a tip: Go during lunch. Most tour companies (you know, those ones with the large groups of loud people all wearing the matching hats) will take a break from their touring for lunch and it will give you the perfect chance to see the site(s) up close or to snag the coveted photo op without everyone else in your way.

Happy sightseeing!

Categories: Adventure, Africa, Asia, Backpacking, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Circumnavigation, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Easter Island, Europe, Explore, Family, Faroe Islands, Germany, Globetrotting, Great Wall of China, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latin America, Luxembourg, Moai Statues, Mountains, Myanmar, Nature, Nepal, Netherlands, Night Market, Norway, Outdoors, Panama, Parachute Cord, Paracord, Paracord Pet Gear, Paracord Pet Supplies, Paracord Watch, Photography, Planning vacation, Puerto Rico, Random, Rock Climbing, Russia, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Snorkeling, South America, Summer, Survival gear, Switzerland, Sydney, Taiwan, Thailand, Top Knotch Gear, Tourist Site, Trails, Transportation, Travel, Travel help, Travel Tips, Trip planning, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam | Leave a comment

Travel Tip Tuesday! – What kind of packer are you?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel tip #13:

Part 1: For this week’s travel tip (sorry, we missed last week), try taking this quiz provided by Independent Traveler to see what kind of packer you are! Once you answer the questions, some tips will be generated that will help you fit your packing style. It’s fun and easy!

Take the quiz here: http://www.independenttraveler.com/packing-quiz/

Part 2: Tell us which kind of packer you are on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TopKnotchGear) and you’ll be entered in a contest to win our newest paracord key chain with a bottle opener carabiner! It’s just perfect for those summer brews and you can customize the paracord colors! We’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner on Thursday, May 26th at 12:00PM EST.

WIN THIS! To enter, take the packing quiz and tell us what kind of packer you are - post your packing-type on our TKG Facebook wall!

I’m a last-second lightweight packer!

I always bring my pack as my luggage. If it doesn't fit in my pack, I don't bring it and I don't think twice about it. The quiz had me pegged!

Categories: Adventure, Africa, Airplanes, Asia, Australia, Backpacking, Beijing, Caves, Caving, China, Circumnavigation, Cuba, Explore, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Latin America, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Packing, Parachute Cord, Random, Rock Climbing, South America, Survival gear, Thailand, Trails, Travel, Travel Tips | Leave a comment

Our Travel Bucket List!

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear
  1. Visit the wonders of the world.
  2. Cross every longitudinal line and every major meridian.
  3. Step foot on all 7 continents.
  4. Hike some of the Annapurna circuit.
  5. See Mount Everest (bonus points for climbing to base camp).
  6. Hike some of Kilimanjaro.
  7. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.
  8. Kayak through the mangroves in Everglades National Park.
  9. Visit the Grand Canyon.
  10. Visit all National Parks in the United States.
  11. Become fluent in French and Spanish. (Bonus points for using it abroad).
  12. Become certified SCUBA divers.
  13. Teach English abroad.
  14. Volunteer with a children’s organization abroad.
  15. Install water filters in a 3rd world country.
  16. Experience a sunrise in the Serengheti.
  17. Party on top of a skyscraper in Hong Kong.
  18. Climb a mountain (the entire thing – height doesn’t matter).
  19. Star gaze in South America.
  20. Take a National Geographic Linblad tour.
  21. Spend an extended time at a Buddhist monastery.
  22. Take tango lessons in Argentina.
  23. Visit the Amazon rainforest.
  24. Hug a koala.
  25. See the fjords in Norway.
  26. Celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany.
  27. Learn wine appreciation – and become connoisseur.
  28. Visit a medicine man and/or a shaman.
  29. Get our fortunes read overseas.
  30. Sleep in a hammock on a beach.
  31. Take a roadtrip across the U.S.A.
  32. Hike the Appalachian Trail – the entire thing!
  33. Swim with dolphins.
  34. See a whale in the wild.
  35. Swim/slide off of a natural waterfall.
  36. Hike the trail to the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong.
  37. Go on a mediation retreat.
  38. Take a helicopter ride over a volcano.
  39. Hike a volcano.
  40. See the cherry blossoms in bloom in Japan.
  41. Visit the family castle in Scotland.
  42. Eat authentic Italian food – in Italy.
  43. See the Olympics in person.
  44. Have a romantic dinner in Paris.
  45. Visit the Holocost concentration camps & memorials.
  46. Celebrate New Years in different countries (specifically Sydney and Hong Kong)
  47. Visit Iceland.
  48. Experience the Iditarod in Alaska.
  49. Experience Holi Day (Festival of Colours) in India.
  50. See the dragon boat festival in China.
  51. Carnival in Rio.
  52. Visit the Mount Gay Rum distillery in Barbados.
  53. See the Tour de France.
  54. Smoke a real Cuban cigar – in Cuba. Whilst drinking Cuban daiquiris.
  55. See the Northern Lights. (Bonus points for getting crystal clear pictures of them.)
  56. Go on a bike tour of Vietnam.
  57. Take cooking classes in India and Thailand – learn to make authentic coconut curry!
  58. Eat fresh seafood (this is a big deal for us because we’re both long-term vegetarians)
  59. Rock climb at Joshua Tree and Red Rocks
  60. Photograph penguins in their natural habitats.
  61. Visit the Jane Goodall Sanctuary in South Africa.
  62. Witness a tea ceremony in Japan.
  63. Live out of a pack for an extended period of time (which we’re planning to do anyway!)
  64. Celebrate the Festival of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico
  65. Experience the Full Moon Party in Thailand.
Categories: Adventure, Africa, Airplanes, Alcohol, Animals, Asia, Asian Food, Australia, Backpacking, Beijing, Caves, Caving, China, Circumnavigation, Communication, Cuba, Disaster Relief, Donation, Drink, Explore, Family, Food, Fresh Food, Global Aid, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Latin America, Love, Mountains, National Geographic, Nature, Night Market, Outdoors, Parachute Cord, Paracord, Photography, Plants and Flowers, Random, Rock Climbing, Science, Seafood, Snorkeling, South America, Summer, Survival gear, Thailand, Tourist Site, Trails, Transportation, Travel, Uncategorized, Vietnam, Volunteer, Water | 2 Comments

Top Knotch Travels is up and running!

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Our new photography store, Top Knotch Travels, is officially up and running on Etsy! We offer lots of cool travel and adventure photos in various sizes, print styles and packages. New images will be added the rest of the week, so be sure to bookmark the store and check back again for the latest pictures!

The Spidermonkey - Thai boat in Phuket

Categories: Adventure, Asia, Backpacking, Circumnavigation, Globetrotting, Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Random, Snorkeling, Thailand, Transportation, Travel, Water | Leave a comment

NEW Travel Photography Store from TKG!

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Tomorrow, Top Knotch Gear’s new sister store, Top Knotch Travels, will make its debut online! As with TKG, sales from Top Knotch Travels will help fund our upcoming trip around the world. You’ll be able to find the store on Etsy at www.topknotchtravels.etsy.com. Bookmark the store today and start shopping tomorrow!

Top Knotch Travels - adventure photography store

Categories: Adventure, Africa, Animals, Asia, Australia, Backpacking, Circumnavigation, Family, Food, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Random, Rock Climbing, Snorkeling, Tahoe, Thailand, Trails, Transportation, Travel, Water | 2 Comments

Travel Tip Tuesday!

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel tip #11: One of the most important and most daunting parts of traveling is PACKING. What to pack, how much to pack, what not to pack… it can be overwhelming! Here are a few things to keep in mind that will help you make packing both easier and lighter:

  • Environment: What hemisphere are you visiting and what time of year is it? What are the average day/night temperatures for the time you’ll be there? Is it the rainy or dry season?
  • Culture: Are you a female and are you expected to dress modestly? If you’re planning on visiting temples or sacred sites, do your shoulders/arms need to be covered?
  • Activities: Are you attending a business conference or are you taking a beach getaway? Depending on what you’ll be doing on your trip will influence what you pack.
  • Space: Are you planning on staying in a hostel or on a train? Do you have your own villa or bungalow? If you don’t have a ton of space, pack less. When you’re sharing a small space with someone, you don’t want your belongings all over the place.
  • Weight: We always travel with our packs – that’s it. If it doesn’t fit in the pack, it doesn’t come on the trip. Obviously, the more stuff you pack, the more weight you’ll have to carry.
  • Buy it there: Don’t bother packing shampoo, soap, etc. because you’ll almost always be able to find that at your destination. Even sundresses can be purchased on the beaches in most places abroad – they’re inexpensive, too! So wait to get your sarong when you get to Thailand.
Best advice (particularly for backpackers or hostel-hoppers): Lay out everything you’d want to pack if you had all the space in the world. Then, take 1/3 of it. 
Second best piece of advice: LAYER. Whether you’re traveling on a plane, train, boat, yak, etc. if you dress in layers, you can always remove excess clothing if you get too hot without compromising space in your pack. Getting pants that can unzip to yield shorts is a great way to go because you basically get 2 pieces of clothing for the space of 1! A lightweight shirt can be used a beach coverup, a dress shirt for dinner, a modest shirt when visiting temples and a lightweight shirt for your sunburn.
Happy packing!
Categories: Adventure, Africa, Asia, Australia, Backpacking, Circumnavigation, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, India, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Packing, Random, Rock Climbing, Snorkeling, South America, Thailand, Trails, Travel, Water | 4 Comments

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