Japan and Vietnam, by someone who actually lives here.
First-hand guides and honest stories from 8 months backpacking Southeast Asia, living three years in Japan's Hokuriku region, and a current base in Da Nang. Written by a real person who's still figuring it out on the ground.
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Hey, I'm William
I'm a Florida man who ended up backpacking Europe and Asia for 8 months, then spending three years in Japan's Hokuriku region. Toyama as home base, with Kanazawa and Takayama a short train ride away, before trading the snow for a motorbike and a beach town in Da Nang, Vietnam. Barefoot Surfer is where I write the guides I wish I'd had: the ones written by someone who actually lived in the place, paid the rent, learned the language badly, and figured out the local market prices the hard way. No AI-generated top-10 lists, no places I've never been. Just honest, first-hand travel writing from Japan, Vietnam, and the rest of Asia.
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The Best Travel Backpack for Southeast Asia and Japan
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Da Nang to Hoi An: Which Transport Is Actually Worth it?
Da Nang to Hoi An, sorted by someone who lives here: which ride is worth your day, from Grab and…
Toyama Onsen: Which one is Worth a Day on Your Japan Trip?
You have maybe fourteen days for a trip you waited twenty-five years to take, and somewhere in a browser tab…
Is Backpacking Laos Worth it? What a Traveler Looks For
The country that surprised me most in eight months of travel is also the one almost nobody I met had…
Solo Japan Travel: What I Wish I'd Known Before Exploring
The scariest part of planning a solo trip to Japan isn't the language or the trains. It's the quiet fear…
Kanazawa vs Takayama: The Honest Verdict for Your Japan Trip
You have one day to give one of these two towns, and picking the wrong one is the kind of…
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