About Big Body & Pale Ale Travel
Hi All!
Big Body here. Thank you for stopping by Pale Ale Travel! I launched Pale Ale Travel to better chronicle my travels, along with beer and coffee consumption across the world. I also started it as an answer to all the travel blogs out there which are written by bloggers who have never actually been to the places they write about, eaten the foods they describe in detail, or gotten drunk off the beer they tout as a must-taste.
What Pale Ale Travel Is & Isn’t
Here’s my favorite picture I’ve taken within my first 3 hours of landing in Osaka.
This isn’t a typical travel blog where I write extensively about a city or country after having visited for a few days or a week. These are all places I’ve lived, breathed, and drank one too many beers at.
On Pale Ale Travel, I will never write about a restaurant I haven’t thoroughly devoured my fair share at, brewery I’ve never fallen off a stool at, or goat curry BBQ haunt where I haven’t accidentally burned my hand tossing more goat slices on the grill at. You get the point. I’m writing about people and places that became a part of my life while I lived there. These were all part of my daily (and nightly) routine.
A day trip out to Miyajima (from Hiroshima) to hike up Mt. Misen, drink a few craft beers, and fight off the aggressive deer was a highlight of my time in Japan.
I’m also staying away from writing negative reviews or less-than-stellar thoughts about places that I didn’t enjoy. Simply put, if I don’t like a place, I just won’t write about it. Pale Ale Travel is a celebration of my travels and all the great people and places I’ve encountered.
Where This Strange, Strange Journey Has Taken Me
Stumbled on an unexpected pig roast at Old German Beerhouse in Bangkok to celebrate a new location opening.
I’ve primarily been based in Asia on-and-off since 2009 and have lived in the following cities:
- Shanghai,
- Beijing,
- Hong Kong,
- Taipei,
- Saigon,
- Osaka,
- Vienna,
- Split, and
- Several other cities for shorter durations (including Bangkok, Budapest, and Bratislava).
This journey has taken me on a wild ride already, and I can’t wait to see where it goes – I’ve even been featured in a write-up by the China Daily on digital nomads in Hong Kong and on Bosnian television after speaking (virtually) at a coworking conference in Budva, Montenegro.
Hopefully this blog helps you learn about a new coffee shop, food or brewery, or even inspires you to check out a new city for yourself!
Where I’m Currently At: Poland
We took the train up to Gdańsk and spent several days exploring its maritime history and running along the water at a historic former medieval fortification and moat.
As of updating this post in July 2024 , I am currently in Kraków, Poland until September 2024.
I was fortunate to be able to meet my brother for a 10-day Poland trip after not having seen him in nearly 6 years. It was truly the best trip yet and I’m extremely thankful I was able to spend this time with him.
My Home
This view from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong will never get old.
Hong Kong is my home and my main base. My father is here. My company is here. My friends are here. And my life is here.
However, the beauty of life is that we don’t know where we’ll end up next.
Just a boy and his cat. Sometimes you don’t know it‘s one of the best days of your life until after it’s over. This is one of them.
If you have any cities, beers, coffees or other essentials you think I should check out and write about, or you’d like to work together on a paid project, I’d love to hear from you! I’d also love to get some feedback from you on the types of posts that you most like reading on the site and what you would like to see more of!
If you’re interested in exclusive content, such as travel tips and inspiration, eating guides and checklists, behind the scenes write-ups, and tips for creating and scaling a travel blog of your own, make sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter – 5-minute write-ups sent straight to your inbox.
Get in touch with me over at my Contact page, Instagram, or Twitter.
I hope our paths may cross along the way for a beer, bite (preferably curry goat BBQ with donkey milk), or coffee.
Best,
Big Body