Hey! I’m Jason Lee, a full time Australian traveler, writer and founder of this website. I’m also a co-author of the latest, upcoming editions of Lonely Planet’s Travel Guides to Indonesia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Let me start by saying…
Welcome to The Travel Author!
If you have questions about traveling, especially in South East Asia, then I’m here to help. I started this website over 5 years ago, when I first made plans to become a full time traveler. Since then, I’ve scoured South East Asia relentlessly, gathering all the information, tips and hints I could find to help make YOUR next trip hassle free.
Based in Bali and living, working, writing and exploring South East Asia full-time is the dream job for me, and perfect for you if you want to learn more about this stunning part of the world.
You’re in the right place if…
- You’re confused about how to travel on a limited budget.
- You’re not sure about your next destination.
- You want to be fully prepared and know everything there is to know before you leave home.
- You want to know how to plan, prepare and execute amazing holidays.
- You’re a mature traveler who has heard that South East Asia is only for backpackers! (Hint – it’s not!)
- You’re interested in Turkey or Bulgaria (my home away from my home away from home!)
- You want to make your friends completely jealous!
If you’re confused about where to travel and how to do it on limited funds, then I can help! If your friends are driving you crazy with their travel stories, and you find yourself desperate to have some of your own, then you’re in the right place! Because this is a place where you will learn how you too can travel and enjoy those incredible destinations that you probably thought were out of your reach.
At The Travel Author, I will show you how to find the cheap holidays. I’m not talking package deals either. You can travel a LOT cheaper by doing it yourself. Here, you will learn how to get there, get around, find places to stay and eat – all on a budget. Because that’s how I travel, and what this blog is all about.
I believe that traveling is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a plumber, waitress, firefighter, or CEO of Google, YOU can travel on a budget. YOU can see those incredible and amazing places that dominate your Instagram feed. YOU can visit that tropical island that all the celebrities go to. There isn’t a single reason that you can’t.
From shift worker to Lonely Planet writer
Before I packed up my life in Brisbane, and handed in formal notice to my employer, I made a remark to a fellow employee. It went something like this.
“One day, maybe I’ll write for Lonely Planet.”
This was followed by an embarrassed laugh and a bit of ribbing from the guys. All good natured of course.
Not one of us, least of all me, thought that it would come true.
I left Brisbane and headed to my first stop on what was to be a world trip to outdo all world trips. My ticket was to Bali. The date was – two days before the pandemic shut down the world…
Once I was in Bali, I had a decision to make. Quit before I started, or make the most of it. It didn’t take me 10 seconds to decide that there was no turning back. I stayed, and never once regretted it.
During the pandemic I mapped the entire island of Bali. I wrote nearly 100 articles on everything from waterfalls to remote islands. When I was done, I started on Jakarta, Yogyakarta and the rest of Java. At one stage, I’d done so much hiking in Indonesia that Lonely Planet called and asked if I could do an online article for them! So if there’s anything you need to know about Indonesia, especially Bali or Java, feel free to ask!
Once restrictions dropped I continued on my plan to see the world. I headed to Turkey and spent a month traveling the country. Another month in Bulgaria followed, along with month after month of touring through the rest of the continent. A return “home” to Indonesia beckoned, so 8 months after I arrived in Istanbul, I boarded a plane in Zurich, heading to Bali.
It was right then that Lonely Planet called again. They wanted me to help them out with a new guide on Bulgaria. This was perfect for me as I’d just left. I signed up right then and there.
Since then, I’ve worked on several projects for Lonely Planet. The most fun I had though, was doing 100 pages on the new Guide to Indonesia for them, covering all of Jakarta, Central and East Java. The time researching was amazing, and the places I discovered hidden on that island were incredible.
This also led me to the realization I want to narrow my focus to South East Asia. My fiancé is Indonesian, and together we put together the most complete online guides that you will find. We are in the unique position here to be able to fully research them, write them and keep them up to date.
What to expect at The Travel Author
On this website, expect to find…
- Up to date travel guides
- Tips and hints to destinations around South East Asia gleaned from real world experience
- Interaction, and someone that will actually answer your enquiries
- Advice that comes from years of travel in the region
- Experience based on local knowledge, not someone that came to South East Asia once, 5 years ago!
- Up to date and practical advice that you can actually use
- Honest opinions, not advice from someone trying to sell you something
What you WON’T find…
- Out of date information
- A thousand links from someone trying to get your money!
- Guides that I know I can’t keep up to date
- Information from a single visit (I’ve been to Malaysia 8 times now, and LIVE in Indonesia)
- Someone that thinks of his readers as just statistics
Have you been to other blogs that claim to have the latest information, which is so out of date it’s almost funny? I know I have!
If you are here, reading this, then you’re already a part of my community. Sign up to my newsletter, and you become part of my family. Because before I started this website, all of my travel experience, tips and advice was reserved for family members. Not anymore. I wanted to help more people.
To expand my family.
This isn’t limited to just my readers either. Are you after a trusty Tuk Tuk driver at Angkor Wat? I know one that I consider my brother, and he’s the best there is. After a nice, comfortable home away from home in the mountains of North Bali. I have “family” there too.
So if you are interested in learning more about travel. If you have questions about South East Asia – anything – and need some advice from someone with real life experience, then sign up to my newsletter below, and drop me a line.
I’m here to help YOU.
Hopefully, one day, I’ll meet you on the road.
J