December 2010
2 posts
November Photo Contest Honorable Mentions PT 2
We’re having a monthly photo contest every month up until December 31st. You can win by having an awesome photo or just by a random draw…so everyone has a chance. These are some of the honorable mentions from November.
Check out the contest here.
Full Moon Party! by Shawna Irish
Petting Tigers by Shawna Irish
The Philippines by Sheena Perndorfer
Nemo by Tuesdays Cha Cha
...
November Photo Contest Honorable Mentions PT 1
We’re having a monthly photo contest every month up until December 31st. You can win by having an awesome photo or just by a random draw…so everyone has a chance. These are some of the honorable mentions from November.
Check out the contest here.
A novice monk hanging out in Nong Kai, Thailand. by Amy Giesbrecht
Snorkelling in Indonesia. by Basia Okoniewska
River rafting in...
November 2010
5 posts
The Lottery You Never Knew You Won
(by Madison Schwartz)
Whenever I meet people for the first time, the subject of travel seems to inevitably come up. Traveling is a major part of my life, I love it, and thus, I seem to always end up talking about it. People are sometimes unsure how to start planning, and saving for a trip, and a common response when I invite someone to travel with me, or to travel in general is “…Ya… when I win...
Best photos of the October photo contest Part 2
The amazing Had Yuan, Thailand by Kimber Parker Thailand’s seas are so perfect…. by Kimber Parker A woman from the Long Neck tribe in Northern Thailand. by Lisha Saliani Nothing like Railay at dusk. by Marie-Pierre Duquette
Sunrise at the Full Moon Party in Thailand by Shawna Irish
The lagoon at Railay, Thailand by Nadine Woudstra
Some “cute” Nicaraguan kids ;) by...
Best photos of the October photo contest Part 1
Here are some of the best photos (that didn’t have the most “likes”) in our Facebook Photo contest. Its easy to enter and there is also a “random draw” aspect….so just drop 5 pics into our contest and you might find yourself winning a trip to any of these amazing places below! Here’s the contest.
The surrounding area of Angkor Wat in Cambodia by...
Reading Week For Less - RevelSTOKED
Leaving on February 25th, Free & Easy will pack two buses departing from each of Edmonton andCalgary and one more from Vancouver and will head to the winter wonderland of Revelstoke for two full days of riding and 2 nights of good times. The price for this sick beauty is 315$*. Fill out an online registration and make a 100$ trip deposit before November 30th to get early bird prices of 300$
...
Reading Week For Less - 10 Days in Nicaragua
Forget the Mexico all-inclusive for Reading Week, and instead embark on a true travel adventure to the beautiful, exotic, friendly, inexpensive, and truly awesome Nicaragua! Imagine spending your Reading Week lying on a gorgeous beach, or surfing smooth waves, and having an easy-going group of friends to celebrate all the good living with! We’ll visit 3 destinations, and have surf days for...
October 2010
4 posts
Who said travel days had to be boring?
(by Jeff Emmett)
One would think that since the word ‘travel’ implies moving from place to place, then travellers would be accustomed to such a thing. Some more than others do enjoy the thrill of heading somewhere new and unknown, but I have seen more than a little dread cross someone’s face when they look at the endless kilometres that must be traversed to their next fun...
Best photos of the September photo contest
Here is a selection of some of the best entries into the September photo contest and random draw. They didn’t get the most likes but they are awesome nonetheless!
Each month 2 people get chosen to be in our final draw on Dec 31. One is chosen by the most “likes” on Facebook and the other by random draw. So get your travel pics in and you might win! Enter here.
September...
Survivor Nicaragua...on our Free & Easy Beach!!!
The first Survivor Nicaragua is already 2 episodes in!!! And to make things even more surreal, the recently purchased Free & Easy beach front property is being used as part of the set for this!!! Actually, if you have been watching, the ‘Young’ tribe is actually staying on our beach!!! After Survivor is done taping, this beach will be the site of The Free & Easy Surf Camp...
Need a break? Introducing the new, extended LTC...
Summer is over, school is in session and winter is just around the corner. If you want a quick getaway to break the monotony of classes and shoveling your sidewalk, the new LTC (Laos, Cambodia and Thailand) trip is your answer. We have changed the trip now to a 25 Day Adventure; adding 5 days into this action packed trip to allow for more Free & Easy time in each of the trip’s...
September 2010
3 posts
LTC - Lose yourself, Try something different and...
by Ben Copeland
One of the hardest decisions you have to make when traveling is where to go and how much time to spend there. Around the world every destination, every city, every village has a different experience to offer. Everyone is looking for that something that will leave an everlasting impression in their mind, if not their soul, the ultimate experience of a lifetime. The 20-day LTC...
August 2010
2 posts
Taking Southeast Asia one step further...VIETNAM!!
The Next Adventure… VIETNAM! The highly anticipated next trip offering from Free & Easy is finally ready to be revealed! We’re stoked to present 20 DAYS IN VIETNAM!! Stunning beaches, misty mountains, delicious food, fascinating culture, friendly people and cheap prices are all awaiting us in Vietnam! Not to forget adventures ranging from trekking in the northern mountains, house...
Local Night
(by Madison Schwartz)
One of the most rewarding and unique aspects of traveling is the opportunity to interact with the local population. While it might seem intimidating at first, spending a night hanging out with some of the locals rather than just within your “circle” often presents some incredibly interesting and unique opportunities. Because I know firsthand just how much fun a “local...
July 2010
2 posts
1 tag
Best of Both Worlds - Mayhem and Serenity in Koh...
(by Kevin Bernardin)
At 20 meters below the surface of the ocean, it really is a whole new world. When I dive I spend a lot of the time scouring the sand banks opposite the coral reefs in hopes that I might catch sight of a leopard or black tip reef shark as that’s where they’re typically found. The reefs themselves are spectacular and teeming with all kinds of marine life but most of it is...
2 tags
Free & Easy Times - Win a Free Trip!!!
Win one of TWO 20-day Trips! Free & Easy is trying to reach 10,000 Facebook fans, so we are giving away two 20-day trips to our fans! You can MULTIPLY your chances of winning by suggesting your friends to join our fanpage. If one of the friends that you invite to our page wins the trip on Jan. 1st, then you ALSO win a trip*! AND, we are also giving away discounts off a future trip for every...
June 2010
5 posts
1 tag
Night Train
(by Colin Ward and Jeff Emmett and their Group)
A prelude to this blog is most definitely necessary as you will notice while you read through this accumulated blog. On the night train to Bangkok coming back from the Islands to end our group’s May 40 day Thailand trip we were making the most of one of our last nights together. On this night everyone was in good spirits, so it turned out to be an...
3 tags
How we began...
The vision for Free & Easy Traveler came to be in the year 2000 on the beaches of the Greek Islands. At the time Curtis Smith, the founder of Free & Easy, was taking 4 months off from University to travel Europe. In contrast to the rigors and pressures of balancing work, school, sports, social life, and ALSO that massive decision of “figuring out” a career path, the...
1 tag
Living Free and Easy Style in Railay
(by Justin Wiechnik)
Exploring the Thailand coast in search of the coldest beer, untamed wildlife, and the perfect beach to toss a frisbee is a philosophy you couldn’t possibly understand until you’ve been to Railay. If you had only one choice on where to accomplish as much free and easy action as you could (dance parties, rock climbing, beach frisbee, cold beer and optimum hammock hanging spots...
1 tag
Surviving Nicaragua
Survivor Nicaragua CBS has announced that the next two seasons of their hit show, Survivor, will be filmed in Nicaragua! Click here to see a preview of the new show (and our beach!!) coming this September. And, to make things even more surreal, Free & Easy has purchased beach front property in Nicaragua that will become the future site of our Free & Easy Surf Camp and Bungalows coming in...
1 tag
Soaking Up Some Culture
(by Bertus van Zyl)
It is very hard to just walk past when some people invite you to sit down and have a drink with them. It’s hard to help finish their bottle and not order another one for your newly made friends. This is especially true when you are learning new words and phrases in their language, observing gestures made, hand signs used, or hearing songs in their mother tongue. Around...
May 2010
1 post
1 tag
Celebrate the Thai New Year (Songkran) with Free &...
(by Jeff Emmett)
Songkran…What is there to say about it? Perhaps one thing: if there is a time of year to be in Thailand, this is it. If there is a place, it is in Chiang Mai. It is in this very place that 16 Free & Easy travelers (and a score of others along for the ride) are lucky enough to celebrate the half week long Thai festival.
The holiday of Songkran coincides with the...
April 2010
1 post
1 tag
Live The Search in Indonesia with Free & Easy
This summer marks the beginning of a new adventure for Free & Easy Traveler; we will be heading out to explore Indonesia!!! Our 2010 trip dates are already sold out but we a full roster of dates has already been added for 2011. One thing that Indonesia is famous for is it’s amazing surf. Check out Rip Curls’ top pros rip up some epic waves in Indo at their ‘Live the...
March 2010
1 post
5 tags
The REAL Free & Easy - From Tropical Thailand to...
Summer Availability
It’s looking like some of our trips are already sold out and others aren’t too far behind. Notably, our brand new trip to Indonesia is overflowing with signups! It is always encouraging when we go out there and design a new adventure and then people agree to come! We love it!
Thailand May: mayyyybe 2 spots left on one of the 40 Day trips
Thailand June: 3-4...
December 2009
1 post
Happy New Year from Free & Easy Traveler
We would love to wish everyone a Happy New Year! We all hope that the upcoming year will bring you joy and happiness in all your endeavors. And we also hope that you get the chance to explore this amazing world around us. The upcoming year is looking to be another epic year of exploration with Free & Easy. We are debuting 2 new trip destinations along with continuing all our existing...
November 2009
1 post
3 tags
Exciting November Update
1) Indonesia - Starting May 2010
Everyone has heard of Bali as an epic destination but have you ever wondered what lies beyond there in Indonesia? Starting May 2010, we are starting to show travelers by offering an adventure filled 20 day trip where you will be able to hike volcanoes, surf some of the best breaks in the world and scuba dive some of the most untouched and diverse corals in the...
October 2009
1 post
1 tag
Filipino Fun
Seven short months ago, I was torn between either travelling through South America with two of my best friends, or venturing off on my own somewhere in Asia. Being a Canadian-born half-Filipino, I had always wanted to visit the Philippines and “get in touch with my roots”, (however cliché that sounds), and so when I came across Free and Easy’s Philippines trip, something just clicked. Telling my...
September 2009
2 posts
Free & Easy Autumn Update
The summer is coming to a close, and most of our leaders have returned from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos and Nicaragua! Now looking ahead to 2010, we are continuing to create new epic off-the-beaten path adventures. We have been very busy adding new trip destinations, new multi-country combo trips, and getting our website looking sweeter than ever! Here are the highlights of what...
1 tag
Free & Easy TV Episode 1 Available Now
Hey all,
The first episode of Free & Easy TV is available at Get Grounded TV (http://www.getgrounded.tv/gtv/GTV_MAIN_.html). Make sure to check it out and see a glimpse into our Free & Easy Adventures!
Much Love,
Free & Easy
August 2009
1 post
1 tag
Philippines In A Flash
(by Dennis Yan)
The Philippines, a tropical paradise of over 7000 islands, is home to one of the most diverse species of plants and animals in the world. What can you hope to experience in only 40 days? While the Philippines was one of the countries I most wanted to visit, I hadn’t looked into what to do or what to see. Having already been on a Thailand trip through Free & Easy, I knew...
July 2009
2 posts
3 tags
Reports from LTC (Part 3)
(by Jeff Emmett)
CAMBODIA The last stop of our journey lands us in Siem Reap, home of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. Arguably the cornerstone of the LTC trip, the almost 200 temples surrounding the city, combined with the tragic but fascinating Cambodian history fills our 4 days here to the brim with sightseeing and sombre lessons from the past.
Free & Easy was kind enough to treat us...
3 tags
Reports from LTC (Part 2)
(by Jeff Emmett)
Our first stop in Laos is beautiful Luang Prabang, a city considered a gem of French colonialism, although perhaps not the most accurate representation of Laos cities. Our first impulse in this UNESCO World Heritage site was to rent a bunch of bikes and explore the lazy town situated between two winding rivers, discovering to our delight many quaint restaurants and even a stand...
June 2009
4 posts
3 tags
Reports from LTC (Part 1)
(by Jeff Emmet)
All our bags are packed, we’re ready to go! The new group just flew into Bangkok from all directions: Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Canada, and the air is tingling with excitement for the trip through northern Thailand, Laos and Cambodia! Even the leaders are in for something new, this being the first of many LTC trips being run throughout 2009 and beyond. The trip...
1 tag
Vietnam
(Pictures and Text by Kevin Bernardin)
Any expectations I held that Vietnam would be similar to Thailand quickly evaporated by the time our cab left the airport to head into Hanoi. One of the two major cities in Vietnam, Hanoi definitely didn’t seem like much heading into it from the airport…definitely didn’t have the same super metropolis feel that Bangkok has when you first arrive....
Save and Win in 2010!!!!
WIN!!! Just by being our facebook fan.
Become a Free & Easy Traveler facebook fan and be entered to WIN!!
Starting July 15th free & easy will be holding monthly draws for great prizes including: free & easy swag, trip discounts, f&e ski trips and other cool travel gear & essentials that you can use on a 20 or 40 day trip with us. This will lead up to our Grand Prize draw on...
1 tag
Floating Bungalows and a Freshwater Lake
(by Curtis Smith) (photos by Chad Smith)
Thailand is well known for its tropical climate, secluded islands, and white sand beaches, but the interior of the country also has a plethora of experiences that exceed the hopes of any traveler to Thailand. Khao Sok National Park is part of an ancient rainforest that extends all the way down into Northern Malaysia, and is home to some of the world’s...
May 2009
3 posts
WatchCheck out Free & Easy’s newest destination coming in 2010…Nicaragua! For more information, check out freeandeasy.ca/
1 tag
Welcome to Laos
(by Chad Smith)
Here I am on the final journey “home” to Bangkok after a very fun yet challenging LTC (Laos/Thai/Cambodia trip) planning mission. I’m writing this on my laptop as we careen down this Thai freeway passing every other vehicle that dares to try and go faster than us (…just like how I like to drive!) Now it’s time to to blog and go back over what we’ve accomplished (my partner...
Travel alters perspective in an epic way
For more information on our trips to Thailand, Laos & Cambodia, Bali & Indo and Nicaragua, please visit us at: http://www.freeandeasy.ca/newsletter
In this latest edition of our newsletter you will find important information on what’s happening with us, including:
Our 20 day LTC trip through Northern Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
Our 20 day southern Thailand adventure
How to get...
April 2009
2 posts
1 tag
Nicaragua - The Roads of Ometepe
(by Curtis Smith) And the 20-day Free & Easy trip is all but complete as I have encountered another indispensible piece to an epic Nicaragua experience. This is my fifth and final night in Ometepe, but I have so completely fallen in love with this island that I know I will be back. My afternoons have been spent dreamily riding a bike through rocky dirt roads constantly amazed by my...
1 tag
Nicaragua Update - Hiking Volcano Cosiguina
(by Aaron Wentzell)
Waking up at 4:30 am is hard enough but thankfully, I had a little help from the neighborhood rooster. After shaking the cobwebs from my brain, I walked out to the kitchen to find that the cooks have already been up for a few hours and gratiously cooked me a plate of scrambled eggs and gallo pinto (rice and beans). It wasn’t too long before the sun started to peak up...
March 2009
7 posts
1 tag
1 tag
Adventures on the Corn Islands (Nicaragua)
(by Aaron Wentzell)
Who knew what to really expect from the Corn Islands? We have heard some rumors of deserted white sand beaches and a very chill Caribbean vibe but none of that prepared us for what was really there!!!
Taking off from Managua in a 10 seater place is where the adventure started. The first indication that I had of the adventure I was setting off on was when I was sitting right...
1 tag
Nicaragua Update - San Juan Del Sur
by Curtis Smith
This has been another amazing week in Nicaragua. Almost too good to possibly explain in this blog entry, but I will try. San Juan del Sur is the surf capital of Nicaragua and supposed to have the best nightlife for backpackers. I started off the week staying at a simple hotel in the back of ‘Elizabeth’s’ house for $7/night, and immediately liked the town. Using Thailand terms,...
1 tag
Nicaragua Update - The Corn Islands
by Curtis Smith
Nine days into my Nicaragua trip, and I’m about to spend my last of all 9 nights on the Corn Islands. I didn’t really have a set plan in the days before arriving in Nicaragua, but the day before I arrived, Aaron – another Free & Easy rep – and his girlfriend Jen had just arrived on Big Corn Island, and as he had put it – it was epic. I am drawn to that word….and the...