About Matt Long
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I...
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Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
11 April 2013 11:55 PM | 15 Comments -
20 Things Every Smart Traveler Should Know
11 March 2013 11:55 PM | 33 Comments -
Five Foods You Must Eat in Europe
12 November 2012 8:10 PM | 23 Comments -
Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
16 April 2012 11:55 PM | 45 Comments -
So What’s Reykjavik Really Like?
28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 30 Comments
As Seen In:
Asia Archive
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Mixed Feelings Exploring the Khlongs of Bangkok
Posted on April 2, 2013 | 10 CommentsMy return to Bangkok last year was a dream come true. When I first visited the Thai capital five years ago I fell in love, madly in love with this huge, chaotic and disorienting city and the return visit was just as great as I... -
Bangkok in Five Photos – What Makes It So Damn Appealing?
Posted on January 16, 2013 | 16 CommentsIt’s hot, crowded and an assault on the senses, but millions of people descend on the capital of Thailand every year to spend some time in this legendary city. But why? What makes Bangkok so appealing that it not only draws newbies, but inspires thousands... -
Exploring the Night Markets of Luang Prabang, Laos
Posted on December 4, 2012 | 16 CommentsOne dollar all you can eat dinner. That’s the one piece of advice I remembered as we boarded the small plane leaving Bangkok for Luang Prabang, Laos. It was my first time in this sometimes overlooked, landlocked Southeast Asian nation and I had no idea... -
Travel in Tokyo – Three Personal Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Posted on November 7, 2012 | 13 CommentsI had no idea what I was looking at. The plastic food looked so pretty in the shop window, but I don’t speak Japanese and there wasn’t even an English comma hanging around. Add to that my notorious reputation as a picky eater and I... -
Five Years Later – How Bangkok and I Changed
Posted on September 26, 2012 | 5 CommentsFive years ago I was 31 years old, had just started what I thought was an exciting new job and my partner had just graduated from law school. His law school though was a three-hour drive away and even though we owned a townhome together... -
Laos in Four Words
Posted on August 19, 2012 | 15 CommentsLaos captivated me. After experiencing the impossibly chaotic streets of Bangkok, the sleepy streets of Luang Prabang in northern Laos took me by surprise. But this quiet lifestyle allowed me the opportunity to slow down and really take a look at the people and the... -
42 Things I Love About Tokyo
Posted on August 8, 2012 | 11 Comments1. Vibrant cherry blossoms in bloom 2. Delicious Chicken Tonkatsu for lunch 3. Riding the impossibly large and busy subway for the first time 4.Watching the sunset from the top floor of Ritz Carlton, the tallest hotel in town 5. Spying a sumo wrestler in... -
Five Quirky Things I Found in Japan
Posted on August 5, 2012 | 6 CommentsBefore my first visit to Japan I expected a lot of strange, quirky sights. I was overall pretty surprised to find not a wacky country, but one that is profoundly interesting and fun to explore. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fair share... -
Cruising Along the Mekong in Laos
Posted on July 11, 2012 | 2 CommentsOne of my favorite features at our hotel in Luang Prabang, La Residence Phou Vao (an Orient Express hotel), was their day tour service. Instead of just helping facilitate tours with local providers, they’re one of the few hotels I’ve seen that creates tailor made... -
Trashy Tourism: Why I Hate Khao San Road in Bangkok
Posted on June 19, 2012 | 46 CommentsOk, let me preface this by saying I don’t want this to sound elitist, not exactly. But this is something about which I’m genuinely confused. I started thinking about it when we were in Bangkok earlier this year, a city we know and love well.... -
Leaving Bangkok For the Day – Exploring the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Posted on May 31, 2012 | 3 CommentsMy first trip to Bangkok was in 2007, during which time I visited just about all of the top tourist sites, in spite of the sometimes oppressive heat and humidity. On our most recent trip to the Thai capital, we were able to be more... -
Bad Tourists and the Great Alms Controversy in Luang Prabang, Laos
Posted on May 27, 2012 | 17 CommentsBefore leaving for Laos I read an article about Luang Prabang by Lara Dunston on her site GranTourismo. In the blog post she detailed an experience heretofore unknown to me, but which apparently is fraught with controversy. Although I had never before heard of it, I... -
How to Buy a Suit in Bangkok
Posted on May 23, 2012 | 5 CommentsOur return trip to Bangkok was an anniversary present to ourselves. To celebrate ten years together as a couple we wanted to return to the site of a great past trip and a city we loved; Bangkok fit the bill. Since this was Scott’s third... -
Five Things That Surprised Me About Tokyo
Posted on May 20, 2012 | 17 CommentsOur first visit to Japan was brief, it was a stopover on a longer flight but we still managed to eek out three nights in Tokyo for a little taste of what the country is like. As do most people, I had certain expectations and... -
Laos – Why I Went and What I Thought
Posted on May 8, 2012 | 15 CommentsWhen I put together the itinerary for our vacation in Asia, I had some difficult decisions to make. We knew we wanted to return to Bangkok; it’s one of our favorite cities and a few days in the Thai capital sounded perfect. But we also... -
Dragons and Goblins: Exploring Mt. Fuji and Japan’s Countryside
Posted on May 6, 2012 | 4 CommentsTokyo was more of a whim than a planned stop on our trip to Asia. We had the chance to add a three-day stopover on our way to Thailand so we decided to jump at the opportunity to explore a new country, one I’ve wanted... -
42 Things I Love About Bangkok
Posted on May 2, 2012 | 29 CommentsMy first trip to Southeast Asia was five years ago when my partner and I visited the exotic capital of Thailand, Bangkok. He had been before but it was my first visit and I was entranced. I returned to this favorite city recently and I’m... -
Tokyo Recap and What I Thought About Japan
Posted on April 29, 2012 | 16 CommentsJapan had long been on my must-see travel list so when the chance for a brief three-day stopover on the way to Thailand arose, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. At the same time, I realized that a scant two and a half... -
Four Things Not To Do In Chiang Mai
Posted on April 17, 2012 | 24 CommentsToday I am pleased to feature a guest post by writer and tech expert Dave Dean. Dave has been traveling the world for fifteen years, amassing an incredible amount of expertise along the way. He writes about travel technology at Too Many Adapters and the highs and... -
Luxury Travel in Asia – The Travel Itinerary
Posted on April 12, 2012 | 7 CommentsMy partner and I recently celebrated our 10th anniversary and being travel fanatics, we of course are celebrating with a trip. I began planning this adventure last year when we had a difficult decision to make. We knew we wanted to use my frequent flier... -
Tell Me What To Do In Laos
Posted on April 5, 2012 | 11 CommentsPhoto courtesy of Stephanie Yoder, Twenty-Something Travel.com For a while on LandLopers I had a regular feature called the Interactive Travel Guide. The idea was to throw out a destination and get you all to share your best tips and advice on what to do,... -
Bangkok Postcard – Finding Travel Umami
Posted on November 29, 2011 | 3 CommentsIt’s hard to believe that more than three years have passed since I first visited Thailand. It was my first time in Asia and I had that strange sensation of being simultaneously excited and nervous – a great feeling for a traveler. The week in... -
Learning about Vibrant Korea with Rudy Maxa
Posted on October 27, 2011 | 4 CommentsThe other night, I was invited to a dinner in Northern Virginia hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization. I hadn’t worked with them before, and was excited to spend an evening learning more about travel in Korea. Until that point, the complete sum total of... -
River Boats and Temples – Bangkok in 24 Hours
Posted on July 11, 2011 | 5 CommentsThe capital of Thailand is a bustling city with a mix of the modern and the ancient. Bangkok has long captured the imaginations of people from around the world for its exotic design and intricate temples. There’s a lot to do in this amazing... -
Travel Spotlight – Clarke Quay, Singapore
Posted on May 17, 2011 | 1 CommentThis popular restaurant and shopping district in Singapore is one of the city’s iconic destinations. Although I love standing along the banks of the Singapore River and watching the old barge taxis putter along, my favorite spot in the area is the Raffles Landing Site.... -
Travel Spotlight – Wat Po, the Super Size Buddha of Bangkok
Posted on May 3, 2011 | 1 CommentWat Po was one of the first sites we visited in Bangkok and is still one of my favorites. Also called the Reclining Buddha, Wat Po (or Pho) is the oldest and without doubt the largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok, dating back to the 16th... -
Tribute to Perfection – Singapore History Museum
Posted on March 9, 2011 | 2 CommentsMany superlatives can be used to describe the city-state of Singapore: modern, eclectic, and diverse just to name a few. One that should never be applied though is shy. Everywhere you look in Singapore are the sometimes subtle, usually not, signs that this is a... -
Palm Tree, Happy Tree
Posted on March 3, 2011 | 6 CommentsWhen people are asked to name a dream travel destination, a majority usually select fantastic tropical locales featuring swaying palms. Work, family obligations and the general routine of normal life makes many of us dream about exotic travel; windy beaches, margaritas by the pool and... -
Singapore Food Fail
Posted on February 17, 2011 | 16 CommentsAfter spending more than a week exploring Bangkok and Koh Samui, Thailand, we concluded our trip to Southeast Asia with a stop in Singapore. It was my first trip to the small city-state and I was excited to explore and learn more about the tiny... -
Top Romantic Travel Moments – Valentine’s Day Travel Ideas
Posted on February 6, 2011 | 2 CommentsI have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. It has always seemed so contrived and artificial, why do we need a day to tell our significant others that we love them? On a personal level, throughout our nearly decade long relationship, my partner and I... -
Interactive Travel Guide – What to do in Bangkok
Posted on January 26, 2011 | 5 CommentsLast week I started a new series on LandLopers, the Interactive Travel Guide. The idea is to highlight one city or country every week and then get the best recommendations from you all. By the end of the week, we hopefully will have created the... -
Hotel Half Truths and the Case of the Disappearing Ocean
Posted on January 23, 2011 | 10 CommentsThe main goal of the travel industry is to sell a dream, a concept of the perfect trip. A vacation is a major expense for most people and while it is a large investment, it is often heavily influenced by pure, raw emotion. To get... -
Travel Traditions: Bookstores as Social Barometer
Posted on December 1, 2010 | 2 CommentsI have a lot of travel traditions; things I like to do in almost every place I visit. I like to go to the supermarket to see what lines the shelves, I stop by convenience stores to take a peek at local soft drinks and... -
Hidden Landmarks
Posted on November 30, 2010 | 1 CommentI was walking around Washington, DC the other day, en route to a meeting and jabbering on my phone while trying not to get run over, when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I have walked past this spot hundreds of... -
The Southernmost Point of Continental Asia – Or Is It?
Posted on November 9, 2010 | 5 CommentsLocated just off the southwestern coast of Sentosa Island in Singapore is a supposed geographic phenomenon – the Southermost Point of Continental Asia. The setting is located, logically enough, on the water and offers a gorgeous view of the port of Singapore. There is a... -
Weekend Getaway from Bangkok – Renaissance Koh Samui
Posted on August 26, 2010 | 1 CommentRenaissance Koh Samui Thailand is a great budget friendly destination, which is particularly well seen in its islands. Located off of both Thai coasts, there are hundreds of little mounds of paradise where you may find a calm respite from the hectic and sometimes... -
In Search of the Merlion
Posted on August 10, 2010 | 3 CommentsSingapore was an afterthought on our first journey to Southeast Asia. Scott had been there before, fell in love with the tiny city-state and wanted me to have the same experience. So after leaving Bangkok, we stopped in Singapore for a few days before the... -
To Zoo or Not to Zoo
Posted on August 4, 2010 | 16 CommentsI am a huge animal lover and consider myself to be well informed and even active when it comes to animal rights issues. I’m not an extremist by any stretch, I love steak too much for that, but I would certainly self-identify as a conservationist.... -
Bangkok Oasis – The Jim Thompson House
Posted on July 25, 2010 | 2 CommentsNot unlike every other day in Bangkok, it was oppressively hot and humid as we made our way to a place we knew little about, but which sounded oddly interesting. Even though it’s located in the heart of the city, as soon as we entered... -
Inspiring Design
Posted on June 20, 2010 | 7 CommentsWhenever I travel, I always pay particular attention to architectural and design detail. I have no background in either graphic arts or architecture and I usually don’t know what I’m looking at, but for some reason I am drawn by them. Whether it be using... -
Street Dogs of Bangkok
Posted on June 15, 2010 | 8 CommentsOn our last trip to Bangkok, we were at the Central pier everyday in order to catch the water taxi. While waiting for the next boat, we started to notice several adorable dogs either sleeping in the pier area or just hanging out. Being... -
How to Not Get Arrested in Bangkok
Posted on June 2, 2010 | 16 CommentsWe traveled to Bangkok a few years ago as part of a celebratory trip for my partner, who had just sat for the bar exam. It was a great experience and instilled in me a great love of Thailand. However I also learned a very... -
Wild Experiences at the Singapore Zoo
Posted on April 8, 2010 | 2 CommentsThe Singapore Zoo Visiting a zoo is one of those activities that appeals to all types of travelers, from families to the solo adventurer. The Singapore Zoo is not only a fine destination for just about anyone, but is also a truly unique zoo... -
Five Unforgettable Travel Experiences
Posted on April 1, 2010 | 11 CommentsThere are thousands of unique sites and scenes around the world, each wonderful in their own way. However, I am constantly amazed at how many people travel without truly experiencing them. It is important to think outside the box when traveling; to find ways to...
