Backpacking | Etched In Adventure

Living Abroad in Taiwan

September 16, 2018 by Shaun Li Stoffer

Tainan: I came to Tainan, Taiwan to work at an international American high school. I had grown tried of living in Vietnam despite having a high quality of life but things like pollution, communism, and the treatment of people, the environment, and animals pushed me to leave and find a new adventure. Random Facts About Living in Taiwan: 1. Every receipt is a lottery ticket with 8 digits printed on the top. The lottery is every two months countrywide. 2. […]

Categories: Asia, Blogger, Getaway, Journey, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, Taiwan, Travel, Travel Writing • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Getaway, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, Taiwan, Traveling

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Exiting Japan: Tokyo

August 4, 2018 by Shaun Li Stoffer

Tokyo was my last stop for my Japan trip and I had some reservations about going. I was growing tired of big cities, debating an over-packed itinerary, and was worried about being overwhelmed by a city even bigger than my old home of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. So, I just stuck with my instincts: check out a neighborhood a day at a time, relax at night, and just ride the wave. It was also the first time I decided to […]

Categories: Asia, Backpacking, Itineraries, Itinerary, Japan, Museum, Museums, Tokyo, Travel, Travel Writing • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Ginza, Japan, Taiwan, Tokyo, Travel Writing

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My Kyoto Bucket List

July 21, 2018 by Shaun Li Stoffer

Visited Japan for the first time in June where my second and third stop was Kyoto and Uji and I have to admit I loved them dearly because of the perfect blend of nature with city life. Here are some of my favorite photography spots for the photogenic souls. Maruyama Park:Kiyomizu-dera: Okochi Sanso: Mount Arashi and the Oi River: Fushimi Inari-taisha:Iwatayama Monkey Park: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: Kyoto Station: Day Trip to Uji: I stopped in a barbecue place and the […]

Categories: Asia, Japan, Kyoto, Travel • Tags: Arashiyama, Asia, Backpacking, Japan, Kyoto, Traveling, Uji

Entering Japan: Osaka

July 8, 2018 by Shaun Li Stoffer

I left the school I worked at in Vietnam to start a new journey backpacking Japan, visiting my family in Singapore, and to live and teach in Taiwan. I didn’t dislike Vietnam but couldn’t get past some of the cons that made me not want to extend my stay past my fifteen months of living in Ho Chi Minh City. Some of the things I do and don’t miss about living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: The corruption: My […]

Categories: Alcohol, Asia, Backpacking, Creative Writing, Ho Chi Minh City, Japan, Osaka, Singapore, Tips, Travel • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Japan, Osaka, Survival Japanese, Travel, World Travel

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The Best of Da Lat

May 14, 2018 by Shaun Li Stoffer

With three days off from work thanks to Vietnam’s Kings’ Commemoration Day I booked a ticket from my home in Ho Chi Minh City, better know as Saigon, to explore the small, mountain town of Da Lat, Vietnam. A glance into my daily life in Saigon consisting of traffic jams, Vietnamese food, rudimentary construction sights, and teaching. Join in on the live music, despite the horrendous bar service, at V Sky Bar: Buy a round of Vietnamese rice wine […]

Categories: Asia, Backpacking, Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam

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Phu Quoc Island: Off the Beaten Path

January 3, 2018 by Shaun Li Stoffer

My Christmas consisted of enduring a typhoon, bartending at a Vietnamese beach bar, and exploring paradise!

Categories: Asia, Phu Quoc, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Beaches, Islands, Phu Quoc, Solo Travel, Southeast Asia, Travel, Travel inspiration, Travel Tips, Vietnam, World Travel

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My Kuala Lumpur Bucket List

October 9, 2017 by Shaun Li Stoffer

Kuala Lumpur was a destination I had mixed feelings about visiting, a lot of my fellow expats in Vietnam told me it was “pretty boring” and not worth visiting for more than a day or two tops. So I made a rough itinerary with Kuala Lumpur as a long layover on my way to visit my family in Singapore and using local budget airlines VietjetAir and AirAsia I found a ticket from Ho Chi Minh to KL for merely $65 […]

Categories: Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Travel • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Batu Caves, Central Market, KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, MRT, Petaling Flea Market, Petronas Towers, PS150, Southeast Asia, Speakeasy, Twin Towers

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Living Abroad in Vietnam

October 6, 2017 by Shaun Li Stoffer

The most common thing I get asked about living in Vietnam is if it’s safe. My answer is always, “if you go looking for trouble, you’ll find it.” To be frank, I think that I am fortunate for two reasons: I look like trouble and I don’t go looking for trouble. Being a muscular guy covered in tattoos, with cauliflower ears, a shaved head, and the fact that I can speak Vietnamese to an extent – I make an impression […]

Categories: Asia, Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Bitexco Financial Tower, Expats, Foreigners, Ho Chi Minh City, Life Abroad, Living Abroad, Saigon, Southeast Asia, Teaching Abroad, Vietnam, War Remnants Museum, Working Abroad

My Thailand Bucket List

August 23, 2017 by Shaun Li Stoffer

I went to Thailand for a few simple reasons: to ride elephants, play with tigers, and see glorious temples. I was accompanied by my buddy from Miami, Florida who shared the travel bug. We spent two days in Bangkok and three days in Chiang Mai. Here is our bucket list of the best things we saw and did! Visit an Elephant Sanctuary: We visited Ran Tong Elephant Rescue for a cheap 1,600 baht or $50 each for a half day […]

Categories: Backpacking, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Travel • Tags: Asia, Backpacking, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Elephant Rescue, Elephants Rescue, Grand Palace, Khan San Road, Long Necks, Muay Thai, Ram Bar, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thailand, Tiger Kingdom, Travel, Tuk Tuk, Wat Arun

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Etched In Adventure

“At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished, it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better, it’s about what you’ve given back.”

Tag: Backpacking

Living Abroad in Taiwan

Exiting Japan: Tokyo

My Kyoto Bucket List

Entering Japan: Osaka

The Best of Da Lat

Phu Quoc Island: Off the Beaten Path

My Kuala Lumpur Bucket List

Living Abroad in Vietnam

My Thailand Bucket List