The long reads
Southeast Asia guides for 2026
Twenty years of doing this trip, written down properly. Start with the first-timer’s guide, then read how the bar scenes work before your first night — it will save you money and embarrassment.
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Jump to
Land with three dates already lined up.
The smart guys chat for a fortnight before the flight. Free to join, video-verified women across Asia.
4 guides
Plan the trip
Before you book: which city, how long, when, and what it costs.
planning
Solo travel over 50: pace, health, hotels and the age gap, handled properly
A practical guide for single men of 50 to 70 traveling alone in Asia: pace and energy, health and medication, which cities suit, the right hotel, and the age gap.
11 min read · updated 2026-08-21
planning
Five itineraries that work: a week in Pattaya, a week in Angeles, and three two-city trips
Day-by-day itineraries for a single man: 7 days Pattaya, 7 days Angeles City, 10 days Bangkok and Pattaya, 14 days Thailand plus the Philippines, 14 days Indochina — flights, transfers and costs.
9 min read · updated 2026-08-21
planning
How to choose where to go: thirteen cities, nine scores, one decision
How to pick the right city for your trip: the questions to ask yourself first, all thirteen destinations scored on nine measures, and the two-city pairings that work.
9 min read · updated 2026-08-21
planning
The first-timer's guide: Pattaya, Angeles City and how the whole thing works
Everything a single Western man needs for a first trip to Southeast Asia: which city, how long, what it costs, flights, visas, guest-friendly hotels, the first night, and the mistakes to avoid.
14 min read · updated 2026-08-21
1 guide
Nightlife 101
How the bars actually work in each country, so nobody has to explain it to you at the bar.
3 guides
Meeting women
Inside the bars, outside them, online before you fly — and what happens after.
dating
Online dating before you fly: how the smart guys land with a date already booked
Why repeat visitors start chatting 2–6 weeks before they fly, how to write a profile that works in Asia, video-calling to weed out catfish, and how to plan a first date that isn't your hotel.
12 min read · updated 2026-08-21
dating
Meeting women outside the bars: malls, cafés, gyms, meetups and the rest of the town
Where single men actually meet women away from the bar streets in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia: malls, cafés, gyms, language exchanges, expat meetups, church — and online.
11 min read · updated 2026-08-21
dating
Long-distance after the trip: video habits, the money conversation, visits, family, and when it's real
What happens after you fly home: keeping a Southeast Asian relationship alive across twelve time zones — the money conversation, visits, her family, and moving there versus bringing her home.
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
1 guide
Money
What things cost, what to budget, and where the money quietly goes.
1 guide
Visas & travel
Paperwork, flights, getting around.
1 guide
Safety
Scams, health, the law, and staying out of trouble.
2 guides
Living there
For the ones who came for two weeks and are still here.
living
Retiring in Southeast Asia: the visas, the money and the reality
Retirement and long-stay visas across Southeast Asia in 2026 — Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia — plus costs, healthcare and dating as a resident.
12 min read · updated 2026-08-21
living
What a month really costs: Pattaya, Angeles, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Saigon, Cebu and Manila
What it really costs to live in Pattaya, Angeles City, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Saigon, Cebu and Manila in 2026 — rent, food, utilities, transport, insurance and a social life.
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
5 guides
X vs Y
Honest comparisons between the places you’re considering.
comparisons
Thailand vs the Philippines: which one is your trip?
An honest head-to-head on the two best countries in Asia for a single man: nightlife, English, cost, flights, visas, hotels, beaches, safety and relationship odds.
13 min read · updated 2026-08-21
comparisons
Pattaya vs Angeles City: which one first?
An honest side-by-side of the two best cities in Asia for a single man: scene, cost, English, hotels, flights from the US, daytime, safety and relationships.
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
comparisons
Manila vs Cebu: which one, and how do they compare with Angeles City?
Manila or Cebu for a single man in 2026: nightlife, English, safety, beaches, costs, flights and relationship prospects — and how both stack up against Angeles City.
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
comparisons
Cambodia vs Vietnam: Phnom Penh or Saigon?
Phnom Penh or Saigon? A straight comparison of Cambodia and Vietnam for a single man: the scene, costs, visas, hotel guest rules, safety, English and who each city suits.
11 min read · updated 2026-08-21
comparisons
Bangkok vs Pattaya: the city or the beach town?
Two hours apart and nothing alike. Scene density, prices, meeting women outside the bars, closing times, logistics — and how to fit both into one trip.
11 min read · updated 2026-08-21
1 guide
When to go
Weather, high season, festivals and the rainy months.
3 guides
Culture & respect
The things that make the trip better — and the things that get men thrown out of bars.
culture
Thirty words that change the trip: Thai, Tagalog, Khmer and Vietnamese for men who are dating
The phrases that actually matter on a date in Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia or Vietnam — greetings, politeness, compliments, food, numbers and the check — with pronunciation.
17 min read · updated 2026-08-21
culture
Dating culture by country: sin sod, utang na loob, face, family and the law
How dating actually works in Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia: family, face, money, religion, sex, marriage and the rules you did not know existed.
11 min read · updated 2026-08-21
culture
Culture and respect: the small things that make a trip to Southeast Asia go well
The wai, face, the monarchy in Thailand, Filipino Catholicism, Khmer reserve, Islam in Indonesia and Malaysia — plus tipping, dress, and what gets men thrown out of bars or arrested.
14 min read · updated 2026-08-21
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The practical pages
Short, factual, and the ones you’ll actually open on your phone: visas, flights, money, SIMs, safety, scams, health, etiquette, packing.
culture
Etiquette: how to behave in the bars, the hotel, the temple and the street
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
visas and travel
Flights from the US to Southeast Asia: routes, airlines and what they cost
9 min read · updated 2026-08-21
safety
Health and insurance: what to arrange before you fly, and where to go if it goes wrong
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
safety
Safety in Southeast Asia: what actually goes wrong, and what to do about it
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
money
Money, ATMs and cards in Southeast Asia: the practical page
8 min read · updated 2026-08-21
safety
Scams: the ones that are still running, and how to handle each
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
visas and travel
SIM cards, eSIMs and wifi: getting connected in Southeast Asia
9 min read · updated 2026-08-21
visas and travel
Packing list: two weeks in Southeast Asia
8 min read · updated 2026-08-21
visas and travel
Visas for US passport holders: country by country (2026)
10 min read · updated 2026-08-21
