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Notes From
the Road

Longer writing that does not fit in a video — essays, budgets, kitchen experiments and the etiquette of filming in someone else’s market.

Essays

What Years of Travel Taught Me About Ordering Food

The single question that gets you the good dish, and why pointing at another table beats reading a menu. Also: the four words worth learning in any language before you land.

Kayiwa Kayiwa · · 7 min read Read the post
Vendor turning skewers over a charcoal grill at night

Golden temple spires in Chiang Mai against a clear skyDestinations15 Mistakes First-Time Visitors to Thailand Make (US and Europe)

The 15 mistakes first-time visitors to Thailand make: visa days, the arrival card, taxis, ATMs, tap water, scams, tipping and manners. What to do instead.

4 min readPuy Roti Lady at Sala Daeng: The Banana Roti I Keep Going Back ForFoodBangkok Street Food: The Stalls and Night Markets I Have Filmed, With Prices and What to Order

Every Bangkok street food stall and night market I have filmed, with prices in dollars, euros and pounds, how to get there and what to order.

6 min readRolex street stall in Kampala with chapati on a hot plateDestinationsUganda for First-Timers: E-Visa, Yellow Fever, Money and Food

Planning a first trip to Uganda from the US or Europe? The e-visa cost and steps, the yellow fever rule, money, getting around and the food to try first.

5 min readNarrow Japanese alley at night lined with izakaya, paper lanterns and noren curtains, wet pavement reflecting the lightDestinations7 Trending Countries to Visit in 2026–2027: The Ultimate Travel and Food Guide to Japan, Greece, Vietnam, Brazil, Italy, Canada & Guatemala

Seven trending destinations for 2026–2027 (Japan, Greece, Vietnam, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Guatemala) with food, costs, entry rules and itineraries.

38 min readMisty limestone hills along the Nam Song river near Vang ViengDestinationsBangkok to Vientiane by Train: Tickets, Border and Visa (2026)

The direct night train from Bangkok to Vientiane: times, fares in baht, dollars and euros, how to book, the Nong Khai border and the Laos visa.

5 min readThree Thai Street Snacks I Didn’t See ComingDestinationsHow Much Does a Day in Bangkok Cost? Prices in $, € and £ (2026)

What a day in Bangkok really costs: rooms, food, transport and SIM in dollars, euros and pounds, from a 30-day trip, plus how to cut the bill.

4 min readSahachai in Sai Mai: The Noodle Wok Behind My Most-Watched VideoFoodIs Bangkok Street Food Safe? How to Eat It and What to Order First

Is Bangkok street food safe? Mostly yes. Five habits that do most of the work, plus what to order first, with prices in dollars, euros and pounds.

6 min readView over an aircraft wing above clouds at golden hourDestinationsThailand’s Visa-Free Stay Is Now 30 Days: US, UK and EU Rules (2026)

Thailand’s visa-free stay for US, UK and EU passports is now 30 days, not 60. What changed on 15 September 2026 and what to do before you fly.

5 min readKayiwa paddling a kayak on Nong Bon Lake in a yellow life jacket and cap, with a red cable-stayed bridge behind himDestinationsKayaking in Bangkok at Nong Bon Lake: Hours, Fees and How to Book (2026)

Kayaking in Bangkok at Nong Bon Lake: park and water-sports hours, the 300 baht foreigner membership, how to book on BKK Active, what to wear and the rules.

7 min readDubai skyline at sunset reflecting on the water, with the Burj Khalifa lit up at the centreDestinationsUAE Visa Guide for Ugandans: Requirements, Types and Travel Tips (2026)

Do Ugandans need a visa for Dubai? The latest UAE visa status after the Ebola restrictions, every visa type, fees, documents, and what to book for your trip.

11 min readA Moroccan spice market stall with tall cones of ground spices in reds, ochres and yellows, preserved lemons and olives in bowlsFoodNorth African Food: Couscous, Tagines and the Preserved Lemon

Morocco to Egypt: why couscous is rolled by hand, what a tagine is actually solving, harissa and preserved lemon, and koshari as a city in a bowl.

4 min readBunches of green matooke bananas stacked at a roadside market, a vendor lifting one bunch, banana leaves and baskets aroundFoodEast African Food: Matooke, Ugali and the Swahili Coast

The highland staples, the coconut-and-spice cooking of the Swahili coast, and why a chapati rolled around an egg is a national dish.

8 min read Rolex being rolled at a Kampala street stall Home Cooking The Rolex Is Not a Watch: A Kampala Breakfast

Chapati, eggs and cabbage rolled in thirty seconds on a street corner, and how to make it badly at home.

5 min read Kayiwa holding a ten-dollar note over a night-market table of som tam, grilled skewers, sticky rice and khanom bueang Travel Tips How I Budget a Month in South-East Asia

A line-by-line breakdown of what thirty days actually costs when you eat where the drivers eat.

9 min read Produce stacked at a busy market stall Behind the Scenes Filming in Markets Without Being That Guy

Ask first, buy something, keep the rig small. The etiquette that keeps vendors talking to me.

6 min read Long Turkish breakfast table covered in small plates Food Istanbul Breakfast Is a Two-Hour Sport

Twelve small plates, unlimited tea, and a table that nobody expects you to leave quickly.

6 min read Quiet Kyoto street in early morning Essays Why I Stopped Chasing New Countries

Going back to the same three cities made the channel better than any first visit ever did.

8 min read

You’ve reached the end of what’s published so far. New posts land most weeks.

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