Travel Tips

“I’m Too Shy” & 25 Other Bullshit Excuses Not to Travel

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As somebody who has given up quite a bit to travel and lead the life I do, there’s only one phrase I hate to hear more than “You’re so lucky”, and it generally starts with “I’d love to travel, but…”

There’s always going to be an excuse as to why you can’t or shouldn’t travel. Maybe you’ve got debts. Maybe you’ve got kids. Maybe you’ve got a medical condition that would make it hard.

Whatever the excuse, it is precisely that – an excuse.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing not to travel, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with choosing not to travel long term like some of the below (and myself) do.

But if that’s your choice – own it. I’m sure I’m not alone in being sick of hearing people rattle off excuses why they can’t lead a more enjoyable and exciting life.

“I’m Too Shy” & 25 Other Bullshit Excuses Not to Travel

For this month’s Traveller’s Tell All, I reached out to as many seasoned travellers as I could and I got not only their ‘favourite’ excuse, but also a valid counter-argument to that excuse.

I got so many responses that I’ll have to spread them over a few pages, so don’t forget to click through to the next page.

“I wish I could do what you do” – The Traveling Waitress (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram)

The biggest excuse for not traveling I hear is not so much an excuse but a statement.

This is said to me by every different walk of life from wealthy high end businessmen, to my doctor, to fellow servers and even my family. YOU CAN! I didn’t inherit millions, I don’t travel for free. I work hard and orchestrate my life to be able to travel as much as possible. It is about how much you want something and I don’t want anything more then travel.

Can’t afford it? When friends invite you out for a drink after work say no, think about having a drink on the beach or patio of the destination instead.

Can’t take the time off work? Work one Saturday a month and bank the time, before you know it you will be able to take a paid week off. In an industry where you don’t get paid time off ~ like a waitress? Work your butt off to save for your trip, put up photos of where you want to go to remind yourself of why you are doing this. Put all of your change in a jar EVERYDAY. You won’t notice the missed change but it will soon add up to a plane ticket.

Have a parent, pet, loved one to take care of? There are a number of options available to you. When leaving my Grandmother who I looked after I had seniors for seniors come in a take her out for groceries and I had my friends call her everyday so she wouldn’t feel lonely. When leaving my beloved dog who had a heart condition and needed medication twice a day, I took her to a very dear and loving friends house who I trusted. There are always options. You can travel, it just depends on how badly you want to.

Looks like the sacrifices and planning were worth it!
Looks like the sacrifices and planning were worth it!

“I can’t travel. I need to go to college” – One Travels Far (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram)

The biggest excuse I’ve heard is “I should go to college”, and often these people don’t even want to study, or don’t know what they want to study.

I took a gap year and did Camp America when all of my friends went to university, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve now been traveling and living in different countries abroad since I was 21, and all of my friends who went to college have now graduated.

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The problem with going to college at 18 is you often have no idea what you want to do with your life. Many of my friends have huge student debt and are in jobs which have no relation to their degrees since they studied because they felt they should, or took courses they were interested in with no thought to the job market in their fields.

I’m now considering studying in a couple of years, and I think my life experience and age will make it far easier and more rewarding. I’m glad I took my early twenties to explore the world and didn’t go along with the crowd since university will always be available, and people are now studying later than ever.

Just because you choose to defer college for a year or two doesn’t mean you’re harming your career prospects- in fact, travel, volunteering and working abroad often help you stand out to potential employers and look great on your CV. Plus you might just find your passion while you’re learning about the world.

Editor’s Note: I won’t ever say I regret going straight to university after high school, as I had a great time studying theatre with my friends and learning more about myself.

I recently made the decision to go back to school and study tourism management, and I wish I’d had this foresight when I’d been choosing a degree as a naive 18 year old. I chose theatre because it was what I was good at and I had no better ideas, but I really wish I’d chosen something more applicable all of those years ago. Travel really does open up your eyes.

 

“I don’t know where to go” – One Weird Globe (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram)

It’s a big world out there, A couple hundred countries, thousands of cities, and an entire shelf of Lonely Planets at the bookstore. Where does one even start?

Start with dreams and fantasies. Yup – anytime you’ve said ‘I wish I could go to the Eiffel Tower’ or ‘I’d love to visit my friend in South Africa’, that counts. Search your Facebook or Twitter, replay conversations you’ve had with friends, or take a look at a world map to jog those memories. Think food you’ve wanted to try and an experience you’ve wanted to have as well.

Get real for a second. Before you get lost in la-la land, let’s pause to consider reality. Some countries are more expensive than others. In others, it’s frikkin’ cold (or hot or rainy) this time of year. When’s the right time to go, and will you have the coin once you arrive? You can make it on $20 US a day in a place like Bangkok, but you’d have to really work to spend less than $100 US a day in Switzerland (here’s how to save money in Switzerland).

When in doubt, roll a dice. Hopefully getting real has narrowed it down a bit. How close are they? Hitting up Germany after a few days in France is easy. but getting to Argentina from Japan takes some more time and thought. Factor in how long you have, and budget an extra day every couple of weeks for traveling or to take a break. Traveling’s hard work!

 

“How can I pack my life into one bag? – Nomadic Boys (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram)

We set off in June 2014 for our 17 months adventure in Asia. After many many years of talking, planning and saving for it, we were finally ready.

Nomadic Boys Stefan and Sebastien set off for Asia in June 2014
The Nomadic Boys might just be the coolest cats I’ve met on the road. Love these guys.

But the main anxiety for us, how on earth do you fit in your entire life in just a 70 litres backpack? What about all those outfits, shoes, toiletries etc etc.?

After plenty of research (and dummy test trips with the backpack) we quickly realised you don’t actually need that much with you. You can buy most things you could possibly need in most places you visit and shoes, you only need one trekking based one (we do a lot of it), which you wear and a spare pair of trainers, which goes in the backpack.

Now the aim is to try to get this to an even smaller size for our next big trip!

 

“I can’t speak the local language! They won’t understand me!” – Travel Dave (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram)

Back in high school, I was given the option to choose either French or Cookery, I hated learning languages so much that I opted to improve my omelette cooking skills rather than wooing the French population with my newly adopted language, Did this pay off?

My first solo adventure took me to Finland, I did worry that communication would be difficult, but I quickly learned that the Finnish population from birth learn how to speak English through popular US sitcoms and intensive language lessons throughout their education system (Take that UK!).

travel dave street food

This quickly helped me to overcome my fear of learning languages, I still learn the basic 5 words in every country I visit:

  • Hello
  • Thank you
  • Please
  • How Are you?
  • Cheers
  • Good morning
  • Welcome
  • My carnival monkey ran away from the circus.

These words are the basics, the locals appreciate you taking time to learn their mother tongue, but never get upset that you can’t hold a conversation.

The above words are a sign of politeness, you’ve taken the time to at least try and this has worked for me over the years visiting countless amounts of places.
Don’t let language put you off travel, try to learn a handful and don’t worry if you fluff it up, no one is judging you, they just appreciate the effort of trying.

Editor’s Note: I remember being more than a little apprehensive about moving to South Korea in 2007 for this reason. I left both Korea and China with a smattering of words that more than did the trick on most occasions. I’d sorely like to become fluent in a second language someday, but not being fluent shouldn’t put you off of traveling somewhere. You’d be amazed how happy locals are when you bust out a word or three.

Looking to learn more about how to set and achieve your travel goals? Read Dave’s guide on how to set, plan, and book.

 

Read on to learn about why lack of finances, fear, or a ‘weak’ passport shouldn’t put you off travelling. 

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Destinations, Las Vegas

The Great American Road Trip: Three Days in Vegas

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Update: A Vegas Return

It’s hard to believe it’s already November and that my ambitious, five week exploration of the United States is fast approaching. The Great US Road Trip continues to take shape with Site 61 in New Orleans and Old City House in Philadelphia coming on board as accommodation partners for the trip from Los Angeles to New York.

We’re also achingly close to being able to announce a partner for our three days in Las Vegas, and that’s got me excited for all of the craziness we’ll get up to in Sin City.

You see, although I’ve been to Vegas before, my previous trip to Vegas was with my then girlfriend and her family – so it wasn’t exactly all strippers, booze, and high stakes gambling.

I think I blew about $10 on the slots and the rest of my spend went on Lion King tickets and deep fried twinkies at 3am…

While this trip will be done on a tight budget, I thought I’d let myself daydream a little about the kind of mad weekend I’d like to have if money weren’t an object. In that way, you can consider this a travel daydream piece.

But enough preamble – let’s see what madness we can get up to with three days in Las Vegas.

Night #1 – Martinis, Babes, and Entertainment (February 10th)

This is a day dream, right? So money isn’t an option!

While I can’t yet announce where we’ll be staying for our time in Vegas, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be in the mood for a meal when we finish the long drive from Lake Tahoe in northern California.

Me? I’m a dyed in the woold carnivore, so 35 Steaks + Martinis seems like the perfect place to start. After all, what could be more manly than a 35 oz steak washed down with James Bond’s signature martini?

But my traveling companion is one of those damned dirty vegetarians, so I dare say he won’t be over the moon with devouring one of God’s precious creatures.

No worries, there are plenty of vegetarian restaurants in Las Vegas for him to get his kale and quinoa fix at.

Showgirls on Fremont Street
Letting a few Vegas locals get acquainted with the beard in 2009.

With stomachs lined and heads already a little fuzzy, it’s time to party!

What do a pair of red blooded Commonwealth lads do in a place named ‘Sin City’? Look for pretty girls, of course!

We could get an eyeful of the bodacious babes at Hooters or at the Playboy Club portion of the Palms, relive the glory days of disco at the remade Studio 54 in the MGM Grand, head to the top of Stratosphere to ride the likes of SkyJump, X-Scream, or Insanity, or kick things off in a more mellow way with a live Vegas show.

The artsy stylings of Cirque du Soleil and the big band musicals might not be what the boys are after, so why not go down a slightly more adult path and take in an… ahem… show such as Crazy Girls, Peep Show, or Fantasy?

vegas showgirls jubilee
The girls of Jubilee. In the words of Liz Lemon: “I want to go to there”

I can’t say sporting an erection while sitting beside one of my best friends is an idea that fills me with excitement though, so perhaps one of the many headliners gracing Vegas will be worth a look.

A quick glance at the February schedule shows that Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez are in town – pass. But Absinthe looks like it could be fun.

That dinner buzz has probably worn off my now, so drinks must be had! Any number of bars along the Strip would act as a fine launching pad for a night we probably won’t remember – but some Googleing shows the likes of Diablo’s Cantina, Coyote Ugly, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar for a little country & western, Ellis Island for karaoke, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for some greasy food and silliness, Nine Fine Irishmen for a live gig, the Crown & Anchor for a few quiet pints, or a dizzying array of beers at Freakin’ Frog are amongst the most popular boozing venues in Vegas.

Or, y’know, just roam the Strip and see where the hottest/drunkest girls end up.

Given we’re on a bit of a budget, I daresay we’ll end up on Fremont Street at some point. With a fantastic old Vegas feel, $2 drinks, cheap food, and plenty of seedy charm – I’ve got a soft spot for Vegas’ other strip.

Day #2 – Adrenaline or Relaxation? (February 11th)

There’ll doubtless be a hangover to deal with come Saturday, so let’s just assume the morning isn’t something we experience. It’s safe to assume we’ll be out until late and sleeping until the early afternoon, right?

But when we do drag our sorry asses out of bed, we might just need a little help sobering up. A few thousand feet ought to do it. So let’s jump a plane with Skydive Las Vegas and ensure our heads are well and truly cleared for the day to come. If that doesn’t wake us up and have us feeling damned glad to be alive, I’m not sure anything will.

skydiving vegas
Nothing sobers you up quite as quick…

The sun shining and our feet on blessed, blessed solid ground – it’s time to get right back into things. Hard Rock’s Beachlife would be suitably decadent, but we’ve already spent a few hours sleeping at the hotel! It’d be a waste to spend more time there when the entire city is just begging to be explored.

I daresay we’d turn our attention to Thrillist’s very in depth analysis of the best pool parties in Vegas to make our decision, although I can’t imagine we could go far wrong when bikinis and ice cold beers are involved.

tao beach party
The beach party at the adults only Tao is said to be Vegas’ best

An afternoon of drunken stupidity will doubtless lead us to the gambling floor at some point. Whether our poison is poker, craps, slots, blackjack, or simply tipping the pretty waitress in the hopes that she’ll leave with us – we’re bound to have another night to (not) remember.

I’m not a huge gambler myself, but like most Aussies I do fancy a flutter on occasion.

I’ve written about how to gamble responsibly before, and I’ll be certain to exercise that level of caution on night #2 in Vegas. There’s still three weeks of travel to come, after all!

Deep fried twinkie
Deep fried Twinkies. So good you’ll need a cigarette.

Day #3: Seeing the Real Vegas (February 12th)

Two nights of heavy drinking will probably have taken their toll by now, so let’s assume that I’m going to be in the mood to see a side of Vegas other than the city with all of its makeup and pretty lights on.

We could head out to Hoover Dam after breakast or even pay a visit to the Mob Museum or the Neon Museum. There’s also a Zombie Apocalypse Store in Vegas where we can stock up for what would be the most eventful US road trip in history.

My travel buddy will doubtless be excited to pay a visit to Speed Vegas to try his hand at driving a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, but I’m quite partial to the idea of heading into the southern Nevada desert and camping out near Area 51. I’m in the middle of marathoning The X-Files right now, and with the itinerary also including a drive through Roswell, I’m quite excited about the possibility of being close to the world’s worst kept secret.

Whatever we do, I’m sure it will end up with some beers being consumed at day’s end.

Day #4: Goodbye Vegas! (February 13th)

After a day and a half of sky diving, drinking, ogling, gambling, stumbling, slurring, and dancing – I reckon we’ll be in dire need of some rest.

And somehow I forgot to include a single meal in my Saturday planning. Sweet Lord!

We’d best make amends for that. The Bellagio’s buffet is widely considered to be the best in town, so we’d be remiss to leave that off the rocket docket. Of course, sin city is resplendent with places to indulge your inner glutton. I’ve got fond memories of a buffet had pre-flight when I was last in Vegas.

We’ll skip out of Vegas after lunch, headed onwards to the Grand Canyon and idyllic Flagstaff as we continue our journey east.

Your Say

What would you recommend we do when we pay a visit to Las Vegas? What are your favourite bars, cafes, and tourist attractions in the city?

Activity Review, Cooking, Destinations, Sydney
A delicious seafood paella

Embracing Food Culture at the Sydney Seafood School

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I’m of the belief that food offers an invaluable window into a culture, and that the cooking of it is as instructive as the tasting of it.

Korean BBQ makes use of fatty cuts of pork and beef because the extra fat was a vital part of the diet during the country’s poor, post-war days.

Paella was most often cooked by men over an outdoor fire, which gave rise to the dish’s smoky flavours.

The popular Australian Anzac Biscuit came into prominence because its ingredients were cheap and it kept well for long amounts of time, making it a great ration for soldiers abroad during World War I.

Every food tells a story, and we learn this story through not only the tasting of the food, but also experiencing the process of creating it.

I’d previously taken a Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai, so when I was offered the chance to take a cooking class in Australia, I leapt at the opportunity.

Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai, Thailand
My last foray into a cooking class was in Chiang Mai, all the way back in February 2013.

There was just one problem…

I’ve never been particularly confident in the kitchen. Oh, I can make a mean peanut butter French toast or cook up an order of scrumptious Snickerdoodles, but put a new recipe in front of me and I go to pieces.

So when the Sydney Seafood School invited me to take a seafood cooking class at their studio in the Sydney Fish Markets, I’ll admit to being just a bit daunted.

Strike that: I actually considered cancelling just because the idea of having to cook a strange new dish with a bunch of strangers was making me anxious to the point that I didn’t even eat breakfast or lunch on the day of my class.

But I’m a journalist, dammit! There was a story to be told and by God, I was going to tell it.

Demonstration

Upon arriving at the iconic Sydney Fish Markets, it might be a bit hard to find the Sydney Seafood School. It’s located inside the complex on the car park side, with its entrance opposite Doyle’s Restaurant.

After making my way upstairs, I was immediately struck by the fact I was something of an oddity in the class. In a group of maybe 20-25 people, I was the only one who wasn’t either a couple or a group of friends.

Still, none of that mattered once we’d made our way into our classroom where we’d learn how to make seafood paella.

I fell in love with paella at an adorable little Spanish restaurant in Nanjing, so I was pretty excited to try my hand at making it – even if prawns, crabs, and squid are vaguely terrifying in their uncooked form.

The demonstration takes place in an amphitheatre style setting with big screens overhead to illustrate what the head chef is doing, and it’s all done at a pace that is easy to follow. I won’t say that I remembered everything when it came time to move into the kitchen, but I learned a thing or ten.

Sydney Seafood School classroom
A top of the line lecture theatre is a great introduction to the meal you’re about to prepare.

Preparation

Once we’d seen how it was done, we were assigned into groups and given the opportunity to get our hands dirty.

Paired up with a pair of older nurses from the northern beaches, I found myself with the ruggedly manly task of shelling prawns, cracking open crabs, and dissecting squid while the ladies shelled peas, stirred the ingredients, and de-bearded the mussels.

Cooked crab and shrimp
My handiwork after its stint in the firing line. Not too shabby!

I won’t lie and say we were flawless in our execution. I’m pretty sure our group asked more questions than the rest.

What I did appreciate was that the two chefs on hand were never condescending or displeased with our questions, nor did they rush through things in a way that left us none the wiser.

And, to my surprise, this nervous cook-in-training found himself feeling quite confident around the kitchen. I won’t say I was our fearless leader, but I definitely felt confident enough to take the lead when it was necessary.

Stirring seafood paella
The paella slowly starts to come together.

Degustation

Rookies though we may be, I think you’ll agree the finished product looked pretty special.

A delicious seafood paella
The finished product – a scrumptious seafood paella with mussels, pippies, prawns, crab, and squid.

With our work in the kitchen done, we were asked to take our finished product through to the dining room which we’d laid out earlier.

Not only were we able to sample the paella we’d slaved over in the kitchen, but our meal was also accompanied by a complimentary bottle of wine and a selection of delicious Lindt chocolates.

Our cooking class had become a rather sophisticated dining experience, and it was a great way to sample the fruits of our labour and share in the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done.

With a full belly and a sizeable container of leftovers to take home with me, I left feeling very glad that I hadn’t given into my anxieties and stayed home.

Summation

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Sydney Seafood School. Not being somebody who does a lot of cooking and being quite nervous about doing it with a bunch of strangers, I was pleasantly surprised just how much fun I had and just how not awful I was at it.

The class sizes are large, but with multiple chefs on hand and small groups assigned to each cooking station, it feels like a really warm and personal environment.

I’ve not done other cooking classes in the west, but my team-mates assured me that it was not common to get to actually cook the food. Often the demonstration moves straight into the dining.
For me, the hands on portion was the most fun element. I was a bit dubious about pulling a squid’s peak out or removing the ‘mustard’ from a freshly shelled crab, but it meant the steps stuck with me far more than they’d have done if I’d just attended a lecture demonstration.

What I took away from the class is that it was really suited to anybody with an interest in cooking. Some of my classmates were people who cooked regularly, while others were like me – those with survival cooking skills but no real gourmet experience.

Want to Take a Cooking Class at the Sydney Seafood School?

The Sydney Seafood School offers a range of different cooking classes including Moroccan cuisine, BBQ, Mediterranean, Thai,Italian, sushi, Spanish, and much more.

Celebrity chefs make periodic appearances and offer classes as well, and you can check their calendar to see what cooking classes they’re offering each week.

Prices range between $90 and $165.

You can find out more by visiting the Sydney Seafood School website.

Your Say

Have you ever taken a cooking class? Where was it, what did you make, and how was the experience?

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Disclaimer: My cooking class was provided courtesy of the Sydney Seafood School. All opinions are my own. If I hate something, you’ll be the first to know!

Life and Love on the Road
The sun sets over an idyllic country road.

The Best and Worst of Coming Home After a Long Trip

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It’s a confusing mixture of feelings that you have when you’re coming home after a long trip. You’re filled with a mixture of nostalgic, rose-coloured sadness and wide-eyed optimism.

Excited to see your friends and family even as your eyes continue to prickle at the mere thought of the friends and lovers you had to leave behind.

Anticipating the delicious home-cooked meals you’ll be eating while at the same time bemoaning the fact you can’t get a Pad Thai and a beer for $4 like you could in Thailand.

Coming home is at once both the best and worst thing about long term travel – a frustrating mish-mash of dizzying highs and often depression inducing lows.

After my own five month, nine country tour came to an end two weeks ago, I’ve been wrestling with the warring feelings of comfort and wanderlust, and I thought I’d highlight the elements that I think are the best and the worst about coming home after a lengthy trip.

The Best (And Worst) of Coming Home After a Long Trip

The sun sets over an idyllic country road.
A stunning Ben Lomond sunset welcomes me home.

The Best: Catching Up With Friends

I treasure very few friends like I do those who have known me since my awkward youth.

I’m blessed to be able to call several people friends who I have known since we were twelve or thirteen years old. While our hang-outs have become fewer and farther between over time and we’ve all gone in wildly different directions in life, there are few things I look forward to more than seeing these familiar faces, swapping tales, and having a few beers.

My first week back in Sydney was a real treat, as I was able to stay in the lavish Cambridge Hotel and be at the very heart of Sydney. Its convenient location made it easy to arrange meet-ups with old drinking buddies, college friends, and high school besties. Just 800 metres walk from Central Station, the hotel is also within walking distance of King’s Cross and the CBD.

I certainly availed myself of that convenient walking distance when I had a few too many beers with Jade from OurOyster on my first night back.

The attached Spanish restaurant did a really decadent breakfast buffet (with included barista made coffee) for a reasonable $17. The super comfortable bed, stunning city view, and complimentary welcome chocolates were certainly a treat after hours of travel too!

Special mention to the awesome staff as well. Not only did we have a great chat about how ridiculously convenient things like Menulog and Uber are, but they were even kind enough to bring my sushi up to my room for me when it arrived. I couldn’t have asked for a better base of operations for my renewed assault on Sydney.

Handmade chocolates.
Handmade chocolates to welcome me to the Cambridge Hotel? Don’t mind if I do!

Not only were countless beers had and delicious meals shared, but my first day back saw my nearest and dearest (sans one selfish fool who moved to England for love) gathered at my best friend’s Sutherland home for an old-fashioned BBQ.

Australian BBQ of sausages, chicken, and steak.
A dinky di Aussie BBQ was my welcome home gift from my oldest friend. Delicious snags, steaks, and chicken with a few cheeky beers too.

While the friendships that have lasted the longest do tend to slip by the wayside at times when you’re off in a shiny new country sharing shiny new experiences with shiny new friends, it’s these loyal and loving few who act as a kind of intangible link that joins our wandering selves to the vague notion of ‘home’ that we’re finding harder and harder to define.

The Worst: Not Being Able to Relate to People

And that leads into one of the worst parts of coming home after a long trip – the fact that your friends have changed and (gasp) so have you!

Travel changes people profoundly. It broadens our minds at the same time that it hones our best characteristics and helps us to shake off our worst.

At the same time, the people who have remained behind to focus on their careers and/or families aren’t just sitting still twiddling their thumbs. Their careers, loves, children, and social lives are shaping and reshaping them just as profoundly, and that can make it harder and harder to relate the longer you’re apart.

While they proudly tell you of their new car or the cute thing their cat did last week, you’re itching to tell an anecdote that doubtless starts with “When I was in…”. On occasion, your eyes might roll involuntarily when they tell their latest story of domestic bliss, and I know my friends tire of hearing me tell another story about my time teaching in China or travelling around East Africa.

You may have been bound by common interests or simple geography in your formative years, but it becomes harder and harder to relate to some people. These friends tend to drift – first fading from your Facebook news feed and eventually fading from your life entirely.

And I’m not talking about the true friends who still make the effort to call you on your birthday or invite you around for dinner whenever you’re in town, but those peripheral friends who gradually, inevitably fade into the background. They’re sad sacrifices, sure, but they do allow you to better appreciate those who have stuck with you while you go through your quarter/mid-life crisis.

Next: The delicious and the disappointing

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Destinations, Sydney, Thailand
Four successful detectives defeat the Sydney escape room

Murder and Mystery – Escaping the Escape Rooms of Bangkok & Sydney

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Four successful detectives defeat the Sydney escape room
My motley crew of super sleuths celebrate having defeated the Sydney Escape Hunt.

The door locks behind you and the timer overhead begins to count down in ominous, angry red numbers.

You’ve stepped into your first Escape Room and you’re immediately overwhelmed with the enormity of the task before you. Which props are clues and which are just set dressing? Is the question you being asked a riddle or a legitimate query?

Scattered about you is the evidence – a bloody pile of limbs, a hazardous material bin crammed with discarded gloves, or a stack of shipping crates littered with faded postcards.

You and your motley crew of friends are now racing against the clock to solve a series of riddles and earn your freedom.

The penalty for failure? The ignominy of being bested by the riddles.

The reward for success? Bragging rights!

What is an Escape Room?

An escape room is a themed puzzle that can be played by teams of 2-5 over the course of one hour.

Each escape room is typically divided into three or more small rooms united by a common theme. Each of these smaller rooms has a number of riddles that must be solved to find combinations or keys with which to eventually gain access to the next room.

Themes tend to be about solving mysteries, whether it’s the identity of Jack the Ripper or the way in which to restart the earth’s atmosphere after an experiment gone wrong.

Over the course of an hour you’re challenged to solve riddles, puzzles, simple mathematical problems, and more in your search for the truth and, most importantly, escape.

Daunted? Here are some escape room tips to get you in the right frame of mind.

Grab your Ticket to Mystery in Bangkok

I arrived in Bangkok as unaware of Escape Rooms as I was of the wonder of 7-11 cheese toasties, but I was intrigued from the moment my friend Alice from Teacake Travels suggested we give the Bangkok Escape Room a whirl.

Accompanied by Alice, Brendon from Nerd Travels, Cherie and Terrill from Flight of the Travel Bee, and Rutavi from Photo Katha, we ventured to Bangkok’s Gateway Ekkamai Mall to participate in not one but two escape room riddles.

Dressing up after finishing the Bangkok escape room at Ticket to Mystery
Myself, Flight of the Travel Bee, Nerd Travels, Teacake Travels, and Photo Katha ham it up post escape room.

Stepping through a cunningly concealed secret door, we were immediately split into groups of three and ushered into our various rooms.

Myself and the Flight of the Travel Bee crew would be solving the mystery of Jack the Ripper, while the others would take on a dystopian future.

There’s a kind of frantic adrenaline that surges through your veins as the adventure starts, and that’s especially true when you’re fishing through a bucket of severed limbs in a dark ‘alley’. The ticking clock overhead imparts a real sense of immediacy to your situation and even though you know it’s just a game, you’re desperate to solve the escape room and return to sanity.

After successfully solving the riddle of Jack the Ripper, we’d switch places with the other group to tackle the substantially harder ‘Ghost Tower’ with its blaring klaxons and post-apocalyptic setting. We went in buoyed by our initial success, but soon found that not all escape rooms are created equal.

Most Escape Room locations will have multiple themed rooms with differing levels of difficulty, and the Ghost Tower proved too much for both of our groups.

Everything You Need to Know About Ticket to Mystery, Bangkok

Ticket to Mystery is located on the 3rd floor of the Gateway Ekkamai Mall on the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 42. It is accessible via BTS (the Ekkamai stop) as well as taxi and Uber.

A game costs 800 baht (roughly $25 AUD) per person and lasts for one hour.

Solving Mysteries in Sydney Escape Hunt

Less than a fortnight after I’d survived the Bangkok Escape Room, I had the opportunity to take on its Sydney cousin with some of my oldest friends in tow.

With all three rooms at the Sydney Escape Room boasting a colonial theme, you’re given the option of a mystery in a pub, a worker’s cottage, or a shipyard. Very 1800s Aussie.

We were placed into the Shipyard, which we were told is the medium difficulty option that the Sydney Escape Room offers. After a quick explanation of the rules to my naïve allies, we’re digging through shipping crates, checking lengths of rope for riddles, and wishing one of us hadn’t eaten jalapeno poppers for lunch.

Hint: It was me. Sorry guys!

Our time in the escape room proved to be especially thrilling, as we managed to defeat the room with just over a minute to spare!

Sydney Escape Hunt costumes
Going old school with a little Sherlock posing after finishing the Sydney escape room.

Everything You Need to Know About Sydney Escape Hunt

Sydney Escape Hunt is located at number 393 George Street, and you’ll find it on the 4th floor of the Jenny Craig building opposite Dymocks.

Games are $42 AUD per person and last for one hour.

Why I Love Escape Rooms

What I love about escape rooms (more than the opportunity to show off my riddle solving skills) is that it is about teamwork. While I was able to solve the riddle of the blue light number puzzle, it required my best friend to figure out the number riddle.

When Rob was able to sniff out the clues for one puzzle, it was Randy’s persistence that got us through the next one.

And if you get really stuck, the staff are watching on CCTV and are just a buzzer press away if you really want a hint.

Your Say

Have you ever tried an Escape Room? Where was it and how did you like it?

Interested in trying your hand at an escape room? Check out the Escape Hunt website to see where your nearest escape room experience can be found!