I would like to hear more about the failed AirBnB and how you handled, how it was received, resolution. If you’re gonna do a video, it would be great to hear how you find and select AirBnBs. Thanks!
Hi! We will plan to have a video out in a few weeks about our experience handling this situation - as well as how we go about selecting airbnbs. Thank you so much for watching 😊
Definitely! It’s been so fun watching you guys and living vicariously thru you :) but it helps to show it’s not all wine and roses and how y’all handle it…I bet with grace and humor :)
Yes, It was difficult to find an new Airbnb that we were confident with for 30 days. Kuala Lumpur had more options so we had to change our plans and move on.
I loved Penang when I was there! Such a perfect and easy place to be. Everything there just works... Great prices, incredible multi cultured and the artwork.... So stunning. Also the beach up the coast... Such a beautiful place!
Brian and Carrie, so sorry about your Airbnb not working out. My wife and I would very much like to hear about what happened. We are full time travelers as well. It happened to us once in Montana so we’d love to hear your experience. By the way, we are in Zagreb Croatia right now…it’s about 2 thirsty..
Hi Randy! Thank you so much. We will be sharing a video of our experience in the next month - I guess they can't all go perfectly ☺ Cheers to you both in Zagreb - Enjoy 🍻
Looking forward to watching this! We are planning our southeast Asia for early 2024 and using your videos (as usual) as our main guide. By the way, in Tirana right now and enjoying your all’s recs for Albania
I’m sorry that you had issues with your Airbnb, and I’m sending you good vibes for the rest of your stay in Malaysia! It would be appreciated if you could share that experience, you are both very adaptable so it must have been a terrible place. Stay safe!
Thank you so much, we appreciate the good vibes. We are so typically so adaptable, but this one we knew we just couldn't make work. We are planning to do a video soon to share this experience as well as how the process was handled with Airbnb. Thanks so much for watching 😊
I went to Penang about 4 years ago and from the video it seems the town hasn't changed at all, it's still got that relaxing but somewhat vibrant vibe, and all these streets and arts and foods just bring back the happy memories to me. And of course it's still super hot in the daytime lol
Sorry to hear about the Airbnb fail. 🙁 Hope you got a full refund and it wasn't too painful of a process. I vote "yes" for doing a video about what happened along with some lessons learned. As always, thanks for the video and looking forward to the next one! Cheers! 🍻
Ok, I realize you only had a day there, but I swear by how great Penang is. I'm from San Francisco and I am aching to retire in Penang asap. Seriously.
And here we are a year later and Malaysia really made the retirement visa unpleasant, if not not doable for many. It was on our list of places in consideration.
Penang is such a great town to visit. As everyone said, its a shame your Airbnb had problems, but looks like you still had a nice trip overall! Much love ❤
Thanks you two! We ended up in Kuala Lumpur for the next month. We just arrived in Singapore and this city is amazing!! Expensive but amazing!! Thank you for watching, we will check out your channel and video on Kuala Lumpur as well. Cheers!!🍻
Brian I would definitely want for you guys to share your experiences with a failed Airbnb, my wife and I travel a lot like you and Carrie and have had our problems with accommodations and would like to see yours. Unfortunately we have not had that much success in Malaysia and would want you to convince us to return.
Hi Ken! We will be sharing a video in the next month about our experience and how we handled it with Airbnb. I guess it can't always go perfectly, but at least now we know how it all works when it doesn't. Thanks for watching!!
Have you tried vrbo? I use them when I travel and have great success and no failures with them. Better quality of places to stay and the hosts are amazing. We did it in Japan and had a great time. When I moved to Hawai'i, had a really bad experience with airbnb and will never ever use them again! That was 7 years ago lol.
We have not used VRBO but we have tried. There just aren't as many to choose from in most parts of the world. We have only had one bad experience and a couple of so-so experiences in over 30 stays. We are always open to other options, however. We have no allegiances to Airbnb. Thank you for watching and for the suggestion!! Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie You are welcome! I love your videos and am making my way through all of them to the chagrin of my husband who has to sit next to me in the office. You guys are inspirational and we hope to become somewhat like you guys some day! Aloha from the big island of Hawai'i!
That's Georgian and Victorian style architecture, not French colonial. Georgetown and Malaysia as a whole was part of the British Empire. Chinese, Indian, Malay, and English are the cultures that make up Malaysia and neighboring Singapore. LOTS of great food in Malaysia and Singapore. Enjoy
Thank you, Rich, for the correction. We were able to enjoy the food and have just arrived in Singapore. Thank you for watching and commenting! Cheers!!🍻
We are planning to share a video soon about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. We learned a bit about how it process works and hope it will help others if they ever find themselves in that situation. Cheers 🍻
Yes. Love to hear about the Airbnb. Also a great cinematic shot of Carrie with the monk walking down the street..... That was my favorite shot.... Demonstrated your eye for continued improvement and development of entertaining footage......
We are 2 Aussies about to start a similar type of travel so am very interested to see and hear about your experiences with AirBnB. Also love the channel and the videos, we watch them a lot on our TV..
I watched a couple who stayed at a AirBnB that had bed bugs, when they reported it to AirBnB the shut the place down but ALSO band them from staying in any AirBnB’s for a couple of weeks so they did not take the bed bugs to other AirBnBs
Hi! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
Another great video! So sad that Brian had to stay 2-thirsty the whole time. 😭😂🤣. Yes, I’d love to hear about the Airbnb situation. We’re getting so excited to start our adventures soon. July 1st we head to Mexico to start. Our house sold quickly and we’re closing at the end of May. I appreciate all the wonderful work you do in making these videos for us. They’re always informative and entertaining. ❤️❤️ Looking forward to seeing Kuala Lumpur through your eyes! 👀👀
It is so exciting, Lorrie! We had planned on Mexico starting in July but decided to head back to Europe. Beer is much cheaper there!! 😃 The Kuala Lumpur video will be out next week and we will have an Airbnb video soon after. Thank you for your support, it is very much appreciated! Cheers!!🍻
Nice vlog. It brings back good memories of Penang. Street art and the food were one of the reasons I visited Georgetown. I hope you had the chance to go to Little India for the food/desserts. Safe travels!
My wife and I did a pre wedding trip to Malaysia in 2000 but haven't made it back as yet. Loved Penang but unfortunately only spent 48 hours before heading to Langkawi, the first 24 hours I was recovering from food poisoning. My best memory is getting Satay sticks at Fort Cornwallis on the last night. If you get the chance try visiting Taman Negara National Park, this was the highlight of our trip. Yes, alcohol is extremely expensive and it's even worse that my wife doesn't drink beer, so she really struggled. Although I love Malaysian food it can be very oily, even my Malay friends will agree with this. Would like to hear about your Air B&B experience, always want to know what to try and avoid.
Hi we will be leaving Jakarta and going to KL for 2 week, sabah for 2 weeks, and then to Penang and KL for 1 month each a total of 3 months Would would live to meet you guys in Malaysia. Like you guys we left US on 3/27 with one way ticket for next 3 years. Hope to hear back from you
We would have loved to! We just arrived in Singapore a couple of days ago and leave today to start our long journey back to the US. We will be back in the region in January 2024!! Safe travels!! Cheers!!🍻
I love this vidéo especially the street art and food!!! Thank you for your time in making it. Next trip I’m going to KL and Penang (perhaps not during Ramadan). Lucky for me I’m allergic to beer! Lol. Such a shame your lodging situation failed. I guess I’ll watch the video.
Thank you so much, Elena! Fortunately, we were able to make a new plan and everything worked out well. We've learned we just have to roll with the punches and smile the best we can. Hope you're doing well!
Hi Felicia! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as what our process looks like when picking a place to stay. Thanks for watching!
Definitely do a vid on your Airbnb debacle! As someone who basically lives out of Airbnbs, I'm always up for new tips and what to watch out for. Seems like you've bounced back and haven't lost a step, so good on you) Have a nice remainder of your stay!
Certainly captured the hi-lites of Georgetown, we also stopped for Coffee where you did. Very cute spot. I think that you need speak to your Air BnB challenge, despite all the research stuff happens and perspective travelers need to hear about the good and bad. Once again excellent video enjoy Kuala Lumpur.
Hi, Stephen. We have a video coming out soon on Airbnb, about how we choose a place and what to do if you get yourself into a situation as we did. Hope you two are doing well. Safe travels! Cheers!!🍻
Hi Paul! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. We sure do learn from those highs and lows and hope others find the information helpful for their planning process. Thanks for watching!
Enjoyed the video, as always. I'd be interested in hearing more about the Airbnb fail. Sorry that it happened to you, but it could be instructive to the rest of us.
Hi David! We are going to plan on doing a video soon on this experience. We hope it may give a little insight to the process you go through when things go quite go as planned. Thanks so much for watching 😊
When you use the platform as much as you guys do it's probably going to happen sooner or later... would like to know what happened and more importantly if AirBnb resolved any issues promptly. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Cheers 🍻
Thanks for your informative videos, Brian and Carrie. I'm a new subscriber. Question: do you think there would be any entry problems if I bounced from 87 days in say Kuala Lumpur to then 87 days in Montpellier France to then 87 days in Istanbul and just repeated this ad infinitum between the 3 cities? I watched your Schengen rules video too and I was wondering what you think...thx.
Thank you for the sub and for watching our channel. You won't have any problems with that itinerary and giving yourself a few extra days is smart. Istanbul is on our list and hope to explore it soon. Thank you again for watching! Cheers!!🍻
Sorry to hear about your Airbnb situation. However, it's great to see how well you are able to pivot. Having the freedom to do so is one of the great things about the lifestyle. I guess I'm not too surprised about your Airbnb. During our time in Penang, we really had to pay up to find accommodations that were up to our standards. Even then there were issues. We spent two months in Penang and got to know it well. There were some things we really liked about it, such as the street art, architecture, food, and healthcare. We actually had quite a bit of our healthcare needs meet while there including comprehensive health screens, an Ortho consultation and MRI for my shoulder, and a colonoscopy. We were very happy with the quality and cost of the care we received. With all of that said, generally speaking, I think Georgetown is somewhat over hyped. It's an interesting place to visit, but I wouldn't consider it for retirement. Despite not really being big city people, we really enjoy Kuala Lumpur and have spent a considerable amount of time there. I really hope you enjoyed it there and look forward to your video on KL.
Our experience with Airbnb does not reflect our opinion of Georgetown. We also feel that it is over-hyped. We have been to many places since starting our travels that we would consider before returning to Penang. Others can't wait to get back, so I guess it is all that you are looking for. We have heard the health care is great, we had some testing done and a colonoscopy in Chang Mia and felt very well taken care of. Being from the US It is amazing to us that we can get quality, affordable health care in other parts of the world. Thank you for sharing your story and supporting our channel. Safe travels! Cheers!!🍻
Would love to hear how you dealt with airbnb, we have had a couple issues over the years and airbnb was horrible to deal with. Look forward to watching your videos each week!!
Hi George! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
We really enjoying Kuala Lumpur. We ended up staying there for a month and got a lot of work done! Great city! Thank you for all your continued support!! Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Love KL! We've been there many times. Was going to be our home but covid and politics got in the way - Portugal is home, and we're happy. Have you found 'your future home' yet - or still searching?
@@BrianandCarrie We've now lived in Portugal for 13 months. Have a look at Setubal - better for us than The Algarve. We love the place and close to Lisbon.
Thank you!! This was a difficult day. We only had one day and had to get it done despite the heat and the fact our plans for the month completely changed! Thank you again, we appreciate the support. Cheers!!🍻
Thanks again for the post guys. Great content. I definitely would like to hear about the failed AirBnb and what happened there. You two so thoroughly research your travels that this is a surprise. Research generally pays great dividends as you show regularly. Also noting Carrie for the win with the ice cold drink (1-0) AND for the win with the meal so make that 2-0! Well done. I really like the mini-contest of choosing something that you have never tried before. You never know what becomes a new favourite. I note your Instagram already has you in Kuala Lumpur, and the videos lag from your feed there. Continue to enjoy your travels! Cheers!
Hi, Robert. We will have the Airbnb video out in a couple of weeks to explain our process on how we choose a great Airbnb, and, how we failed! Carrie always wins our little contest; I think her strategy is to play it safe while I live on the edge! 😀 Our Instagram is within one or two days of where we are actually at. Our RUclips videos are a couple of weeks behind. Thank you for all the comments, we really appreciate the continued support. Cheers!!🍻
hey guys, I’m headed to Georgetown in a couple weeks and I was wondering if you could share as much information as possible about the Airbnb that was a fiasco in order to alert the rest of us to potential the following into the same trap. At least as much information as you feel comfortable sharing, thanks again and keep up the wonderful videos!
25th May after your visit, Penang Island City Council will ban all short-term rentals on the island including AirBNB. Commercial properties can still take guests, subject to strict regulations.
I loved all your videos, but this video of Penang seems strange to me :). I was expecting to see the usual tourist sights like Penang Hill and it’s furnicular, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Guerney Drive, etc -- all of which makes Penang a bit more interesting. It is also a short ferry ride to the beautiful island of Langkawi. I think your “failed AIRBNB”experience there may have unknowingly dampened your spirits and enthusiasm about touring Penang :) . But your video is a candid reflection of your experience there and then ….. Btw, I am not a Malaysian, but feels that Penang is more interesting than what is depicted in your video :). As an aside, your video of Singapore is simply top notch 😊. Do keep the videos coming !
Hi! You are absolutely correct, there is probably much more to see and do in Penang. But, after quickly leaving our Airbnb, shifting a one month stay to 2 nights all while having to make completely new arrangements for the next month, we didn't have much time. Add on top of that extremely high temps/humidity and we were pretty drained. We still knew we wanted to share our experience there, all the while knowing it wasn't going to be our best work. But one thing we really strive to do is keep it real. Full-time travel does come with bumps in the road and we have to move right along with them. Thank you so much for watching and your honest observation. Cheers 🍻
Typically, April is the hottest month in South East Asia, that’s why they have Water Festival in Thailand during that month to cool down :) Avoid the heat in April when you travel to SEA next time !
Hi Andrea! We will be sharing a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb in the next month. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
11:36 So frustrating to have an AirBnB disaster and 'expensive' beer....what a horrible introduction to Malaysia. Can't wait to hear the rental story in a future video.
Hi Guys, Sorry to hear that the Airbnb didn't work out. The hotel, however, looked quite lovely. It is a shame the beer is so expensive. Hopefully, it is more affordable in Kuala Lumpur. The street food looked excellent, and the price wasn't bad either. I was surprised by how quiet Georgetown was, and it also looked a little run down in places. I am looking forward to your next video from KL.
Can't win them all with Airbnb's that's for sure 😌. We were so thankful to find the hotel we did, it was great and in a perfect location. It wasvery quiet in Georgetown, it surprised us as well. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers 🍻
I enjoy all your travels. I plan on doing world travel like you guys, with out the youtube channel. Would love to hear about how to pick a AirB&B. Yes would like a video on the bad one. Sorry you had and bad one. All I need now is to find a travel partner.
Hi! Thank you so much for watching. Stay tuned, we are going to have a video on this experience and how we pick our Airbnbs very soon. Hopefully it will give some insight on how to handle things when they don't go as planned. Cheers 🍻
As an American who has been all over Asia, I can safely say Malaysian food is generally tastier than Thai and Vietnamese food. Also Pad Thai has its origins from the Malaysian Char Kuey Teow and not the other way round. Cheers!
Hi Joseph, Thanks so much for watching! We really enjoyed all the dishes we tried in Malaysia. The variety of different foods and many cultures was fun to explore and try. Cheers 🍻
As a malaysian, I can say most thai dishes focus on fish sauce, sourness, spiciness. Malaysian food has the variety because it is the only real multi racial country in South east asia. Others are more homogenous society. Singapore and Malaysia is quite similar, only the Chinese and malays are the majority by swapping places. However, the Chinese population is larger here by numbers compared to singapore and Hong Kong. Also Malaysia borneo has many tribes that have their own food culture. The late Anthony bourdain once said that the sarawak laksa is the breakfast of gods.
Hi Kathleen! Stay tuned, we will have a video out this next month sharing what happened and how we dealt with it with Airbnb. Thanks so much for watching!!
That they sure do, can't win them all, and it's all part of the learning curve. We will be sharing our experience in the next month in hopes it helps others. Thanks for watching! Cheers 🍻
I almost passed out from the heat in Penang...the only time in my life that happened. So I totally understand how oppressive that heat can be! It's too bad you guys didn't make it to Kek Lok Si temple. That was by far the highlight of Penang for me. I also would advise you to go to Langkawi if you have time. It's gorgeous and very laid back compared to Penang.
Great video. Were about to backpack retire and eagerly await your airbnb recap. Are you guys planning on returning to US eventually or are you finding this lifestyle is long term sustainable? Enjoy your beers 🍻. 😊
We will have an Airbnb video coming soon and explain what our process is, how we failed, and what Airbnb and the host did. We are loving our lifestyle and don't plan on settling down anytime soon. We are heading home for a month starting next week but then we will be heading back to Europe in July. Thank you for watching!! Cheers!!🍻
it's not french colonial the french never been to Tanah Melayu (former name of Malaysia) but it's Portuguese, Dutch ( 16th to 17th century altogether) and English mainly English from victorian era til Malaysia's independence in 1957.
Please let us know all the details about the Airbnb situation. We also live in Airbnb's fulltime and we "knock on wood" haven't had any that we just couldn't deal with, but we would love to know what hapens if and when we do.
Hi Kellie! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
Hey guys, I'm definitely very interested in the AirBnB fiasco video. How bad did it have to be for you to cancel after a single night? How painful was it to get out of, and what sort of refund were you able to get? Very much looking forward to hearing this story. Have a wonderful time in KL!
Sorry to hear about that Airbnb but I would like to hear about your experiences. We plan to slow travel/geo arbitrage soon but we want to know the problems that could arise too. Thanks for sharing
Thank you! Stay tuned, we will have a new video out in the next month about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb - as well as what our process looks like when picking a place. Thanks for watching!
Yes. Please do a vid on your Airbnb fail. I also had an epic fail in my 30 day booking Airbnb on day 1 when we arrived from US to Pattaya. Eventually moved to a new place, but man, oh man, the back and forth with Airbnb reps to get your remaining credit back took literally 24hrs going through 4 or 5 different reps explaining the same story over and over again. Something I would not want to go through again. The funny thing was, throughout the whole process, it seemed that Airbnb was taking the hosts side at the beginning even though they knew we checked into a condo with a non-working shower in Pattaya. Here is the kicker. When I notified the host, the host apologized and asked us to use the shower at the pool. lol
Us the shower at the pool!?!?😂 No way!! We will have a video out in the next couple of weeks where we explain our booking process and what we went through in this experience. Thank you for sharing your story! Cheers!!🍻
Pity about your accommodation not working out. But don't give up on Georgetown. Its a fabulous city as is the rest of Penang Island. You might be interested in visiting Melaka. A beautiful place with so much history. Whilst i think its best to stay awhile there, a day trip from KL is doable and will give you the main highlights
Yes I would definitely like to hear about the Airbnb experience. Carrie, I have a question for you. Out of all the countries you've visited, where would you feel the safest if you were a solo female traveler?
Hi! Stay tuned, we will have a video out next month covering our experience and how we dealt with it with Airbnb. Honestly, I would visit almost every country we've been to without question alone. The ones that top my list though would be - Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Romania, and Croatia. One thing I find makes me more comfortable are places with good transportation in place. Trains, buses, and apps like Grab or Uber. Thanks for watching!
I was hoping you would say Portugal. I plan on going there later this year. I'm also interested in Montenegro. I had never really considered it until after watching your video. The view from your balcony was amazing. Thank you
AirBnB details = definitely interesting in knowing the details. That’s a big deal, and big pivot, from 30 days planned there to moving on after a day or two. Was there not another option for staying in the same area where the failed AirBnB is, or just a change of heart on where you wanted to be after the AirBnB fail? Or just looking for a place with lower 🍺 prices? 😂 Bummer about the AirBnB & 🍺, though congrats on 25K! I’ve been on board since Alicante. 🙏🏼🍀✈️ 🌏
Thank you, John, for sticking with us all this time!! We very much appreciate the support!! It isn't easy to find a 30-day stay last minute so we moved on to Kuala Lumpur where there were more options. Unfortunately, the beer wasn't any cheaper there. To be honest we also couldn't see staying in Penang for a month as we originally planned. We had a great time in our new place and got a lot of work done so it was an intelligent choice. The Airbnb video will be out in a couple of weeks. Thank you again for watching and following our channel! Cheers!!🍻
Yes on the airbnb story - was it mold? And Carrie may I ask what you wear underneath your nice airy white top- I want to use same look to keep cool while traveling in hot places but a strapless bra unless it is a good one are usually uncomfortable.
Hi Esther! We will be sharing the video of what happened and how we handled it with Airbnb in the next month. Hopefully, others will find it useful if they ever find themselves in that situation. I now just use very light sports bras, they are so much more comfortable and typically lighter for the hot temps. Thanks so much for watching!
Definetly want to know the "why" of the Airbnb failure because we will be in Malaysia next year, God willing. Also, the reasons for one day instead of a full month, which I hope you will also address Roger and Jeanette
Hi, Roger and Jeanette, thank you for watching. Trying to find an Airbnb for a month-long stay last minute is difficult. The available places that fit what we are looking for were not available. Coming off our last experience we wanted to make sure we got this one right!! 😆 We found a great place in Kuala Lumpur to we jumped on a bus and headed out! Thank you again for watching! Cheers!!🍻
Really sorry about your AirBnB experience and that you didn't stay longer in Georgetown. But yes it would be very helpful on how to deal with these situations.
It's really unfortunate that you will spend such a short time in Penang and the area as it takes time to absorb it. It's personally my favorite place in Malaysia and I go there on each trip to Southeast Asia although I've also been in KL quite a bit, starting in the spring of 2001 and I think I was last in KL in Jan 2019, but last in Penang in Jan 2020. I've also been to Melaka (once) and other areas of Malaysia. It's really too bad that you ended up in a bad Airbnb situation, but it's part of the risks one takes when traveling. I've also been an Airbnb'er in places overseas for years, but have had excellent experiences. As for accommodations, I do hotels, serviced apartments, Airbnbs, and regular apartments depending on the destination and the circumstances and I mix a lot of accommodation types during the same stay in the same place. Due to traveling overseas regularly since the 1970s, I could write a book on mishaps dealing with travel. LOL! My outlook is that it's not about the bad/unexpected/mishap experiences that can happen while traveling and most likely will, but it's about how one deals with them. I'm female and have traveled overseas solo since a teen in the early/mid 70s. Not easy traveling as a solo female back in the day and even now in some places. Plenty of mishaps. And back in the day, we didn't have tech devices, or even ATMs, but we still carried on. We had to really guard both our AmEx traveler's checks and cash back then. When I would check into an accommodation, but possibly decide it wasn't the place for me to be as a solo, single, female traveler, I was then back out into the streets, on foot, searching for a different place to stay. I always went by my gut reaction to accommodations and there were plenty overseas ones, over the decades, that I walked away from. I'd rather lose money on a booked place than stay in a place that I had a gut feeling was off in some sort of way. Safety first. Keep your heads and chins up, and carry on. You'll be fine. Smiles. I really enjoy your vlogs and it's great to see folks who look tired, sweaty, hungry, and dehydrated as that's reality and not the glamorous travel life that some RUclipsrs portray. I have traveled at levels from rock-bottom one star to top-level 5 stars and everything in between depending on both where I was in my professional life and how long I planned to be away in a foreign country. But, whether one star or 5 star, I can still look tired, sweaty, hungry, and dehydrated. LOL!!! Greetings from Los Angeles
Hi! Wow, sounds like you have a lot of experience and I'm sure some wonderful stories. We totally agree that it's always best to go with your gut in these situations, no amount of money is worth a place where you don't feel safe. We do try to keep it as real as possible on our channel and in the high temps, high humidity and things not going at all as planned, it sure made for an interesting experience that we tried to make the best of - sweaty, worn-out look and all 😊. Thanks so much for watching!!
@@BrianandCarrie It looked like the heat was really affecting you. I'm glad that I have a very high heat tolerance level even while sweating. When my best friend joined me for a few days in Penang, after Bangkok, on one of my trips, the first day we stepped out of the hotel, her comment was, "Whoa....This is African heat!" We laughed our heads off as she's also been both in African heat and all over S.E. Asia. Thank goodness we both have a very high heat tolerance level. Have fun in KL. Looking forward to that vlog. Greetings from Los Angeles.
@@CSTam-vy7bp I was only in Malacca for half a day with a couple of Malaysian friends from KL. We drove there from KL. I've been to Penang a lot and my heart is still in Penang. Sometimes, my KL friends even drive up to me when I'm in Penang and stay a couple days and then drive home to KL. For me, it's about what vibe I get from a place. I felt that a half day in Malacca was sufficient and that it's a nice place to visit. Greetings from Los Angeles
Thank you, @@d.y.e3803. I will be going to Penang for the first time next month. It's just a short 2-night stay, but from what I've seen, I am feeling really excited about this trip!
Good to know, thank you! When we were told about it and then looked it up it gave us the three days that celebrations took place. We appreciate you letting us know, thanks so much for watching!
It was about 95 with very high humidity. When it does rain it does not cool down!! We have been in 100+ temps many times but it was so hummed. Thank you for watching!! Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Thanks for the quick response. I've been following you guys for half a year now. Your shows improve each and every week. I have lots of questions about the life style that you might work into your RUclips videos or elsewhere. Like, what do you do in your down time when you're not gathering or editing video, do you reach out to other nomad travelers and meet up, or meet with resident expats in the area.
We would have loved to Change, but we only had 2 days. We are currently at the airport getting ready to fly home for a few weeks. Thank you for the offer!!! Cheers 🍻
We explained what happened in our Airbnb video. Basically, the place hadn't been touched since before covid. Very dirty and smelled of mold. We did get a full refund but had to find new accommodations. Thanks for asking! Cheers!!🍻
It was much quieter than we anticipated it to be as well. Haha, he definitely did NOT enjoy that beverage, but did finish it all 😂. Thanks for watching!
@Brian and Carrie my advice for travellers(especially americans), do research more about places and food before commenting on vlogs. It makes vlog more informative. It is hot and humid because: 1. It is a tropical country near the equator. 2. It is dry season or "summer" here. Soon usa and canada and europe will get their chance. The earth rotates on its axis. 3. Monsoon season will rain a lot but tourists will complain as well as they could not leave their airbnb. 4. Drink more isotonic drink like 100 plus. Note: Cigarettes and liquor are relatively expensive here due to taxes. But there are places which are tax free. So tourists do have choices. If they like to drink, go to those islands. If they don't they can continue their journey. For locals, we drink less. We still can afford it.
I would like to hear more about the failed AirBnB and how you handled, how it was received, resolution. If you’re gonna do a video, it would be great to hear how you find and select AirBnBs. Thanks!
Hi! We will plan to have a video out in a few weeks about our experience handling this situation - as well as how we go about selecting airbnbs. Thank you so much for watching 😊
Yes... inquiring minds want to know.
Definitely! It’s been so fun watching you guys and living vicariously thru you :) but it helps to show it’s not all wine and roses and how y’all handle it…I bet with grace and humor :)
Can’t wait for that video!
You were going to be in Georgetown for a month but cut it short due to the Airbnb issue?
Yes, It was difficult to find an new Airbnb that we were confident with for 30 days. Kuala Lumpur had more options so we had to change our plans and move on.
Yes please share the Airbnb story. All part of the journey. I start in 2024. You’ve provided so much helpful info.
Hi, Scott! We plan to share our experience in an upcoming video!
Cheers!!🍻
I loved Penang when I was there! Such a perfect and easy place to be. Everything there just works... Great prices, incredible multi cultured and the artwork.... So stunning. Also the beach up the coast... Such a beautiful place!
Brian and Carrie, so sorry about your Airbnb not working out. My wife and I would very much like to hear about what happened. We are full time travelers as well. It happened to us once in Montana so we’d love to hear your experience. By the way, we are in Zagreb Croatia right now…it’s about 2 thirsty..
Hi Randy! Thank you so much. We will be sharing a video of our experience in the next month - I guess they can't all go perfectly ☺ Cheers to you both in Zagreb - Enjoy 🍻
I am sorry to hear that about Airbnb I would like to hear what happened we can learn from your experience, enjoy your time there .
Looking forward to watching this! We are planning our southeast Asia for early 2024 and using your videos (as usual) as our main guide. By the way, in Tirana right now and enjoying your all’s recs for Albania
Thank you for watching! We will be back in the region in early 2024 as well. Safe travels!
Cheers!!
I’m sorry that you had issues with your Airbnb, and I’m sending you good vibes for the rest of your stay in Malaysia! It would be appreciated if you could share that experience, you are both very adaptable so it must have been a terrible place. Stay safe!
Thank you so much, we appreciate the good vibes. We are so typically so adaptable, but this one we knew we just couldn't make work. We are planning to do a video soon to share this experience as well as how the process was handled with Airbnb. Thanks so much for watching 😊
I went to Penang about 4 years ago and from the video it seems the town hasn't changed at all, it's still got that relaxing but somewhat vibrant vibe, and all these streets and arts and foods just bring back the happy memories to me. And of course it's still super hot in the daytime lol
It was definitely hot! We did our very best under the circumstances to shoot this video. Thank you for watching! 🙂
Sorry to hear about the Airbnb fail. 🙁 Hope you got a full refund and it wasn't too painful of a process. I vote "yes" for doing a video about what happened along with some lessons learned. As always, thanks for the video and looking forward to the next one! Cheers! 🍻
We did survive the Airbnb fail and will have a video out on the experience soon. As always, thank you for watching and commenting!!
Cheers!!🍻
Ok, I realize you only had a day there, but I swear by how great Penang is. I'm from San Francisco and I am aching to retire in Penang asap. Seriously.
And here we are a year later and Malaysia really made the retirement visa unpleasant, if not not doable for many. It was on our list of places in consideration.
Penang is such a great town to visit. As everyone said, its a shame your Airbnb had problems, but looks like you still had a nice trip overall! Much love ❤
Thanks you two! We ended up in Kuala Lumpur for the next month. We just arrived in Singapore and this city is amazing!! Expensive but amazing!! Thank you for watching, we will check out your channel and video on Kuala Lumpur as well.
Cheers!!🍻
Brian I would definitely want for you guys to share your experiences with a failed Airbnb, my wife and I travel a lot like you and Carrie and have had our problems with accommodations and would like to see yours. Unfortunately we have not had that much success in Malaysia and would want you to convince us to return.
Hi Ken! We will be sharing a video in the next month about our experience and how we handled it with Airbnb. I guess it can't always go perfectly, but at least now we know how it all works when it doesn't. Thanks for watching!!
penang is really a very clean city....
As tourist please taste the nutmeg pickel sold in the penang road market. Nutmeg plant is found in Penang can be found ad pickled or sweeten one
Have you tried vrbo? I use them when I travel and have great success and no failures with them. Better quality of places to stay and the hosts are amazing. We did it in Japan and had a great time. When I moved to Hawai'i, had a really bad experience with airbnb and will never ever use them again! That was 7 years ago lol.
We have not used VRBO but we have tried. There just aren't as many to choose from in most parts of the world. We have only had one bad experience and a couple of so-so experiences in over 30 stays. We are always open to other options, however. We have no allegiances to Airbnb. Thank you for watching and for the suggestion!!
Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie You are welcome! I love your videos and am making my way through all of them to the chagrin of my husband who has to sit next to me in the office. You guys are inspirational and we hope to become somewhat like you guys some day! Aloha from the big island of Hawai'i!
Im looking forward to your Videos of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore so much, because we planned to travell there next year
You will really enjoy both cities. We have just arrived in Singapore and it is an amazing city! Thank you for watching and safe travels.
Cheers 🍻
Enjoy the video. I'm here in Penang now and just found out Airbnb is illegal here now.
There are a lot of hotels for all budgets.
Good to know, thanks so much for sharing 😊
That's Georgian and Victorian style architecture, not French colonial. Georgetown and Malaysia as a whole was part of the British Empire. Chinese, Indian, Malay, and English are the cultures that make up Malaysia and neighboring Singapore. LOTS of great food in Malaysia and Singapore. Enjoy
Thank you, Rich, for the correction. We were able to enjoy the food and have just arrived in Singapore. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Cheers!!🍻
Please share more about the air bnb situation - could really help us be more prepared to know how to handle the bad situations when they come up...
We are planning to share a video soon about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. We learned a bit about how it process works and hope it will help others if they ever find themselves in that situation. Cheers 🍻
Thanks for sharing and the info my wife and I are going in November for our 25th wedding anniversary
Happy anniversary and safe travels!!
Yes. Love to hear about the Airbnb. Also a great cinematic shot of Carrie with the monk walking down the street..... That was my favorite shot.... Demonstrated your eye for continued improvement and development of entertaining footage......
Thank you, Larry! We are always trying to improve. 😃
We are 2 Aussies about to start a similar type of travel so am very interested to see and hear about your experiences with AirBnB. Also love the channel and the videos, we watch them a lot on our TV..
Thank you, Simon, for watching and taking the time to comment. That Airbnb video will be out in a couple of weeks. 🍻
I watched a couple who stayed at a AirBnB that had bed bugs, when they reported it to AirBnB the shut the place down but ALSO band them from staying in any AirBnB’s for a couple of weeks so they did not take the bed bugs to other AirBnBs
That would be horrible!!!! 😳
Yes AirBnb issue video. Knowing how Airbnb helps with bad situation helps give confidence to book longer stays.
Hi! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
Another great video! So sad that Brian had to stay 2-thirsty the whole time. 😭😂🤣. Yes, I’d love to hear about the Airbnb situation.
We’re getting so excited to start our adventures soon. July 1st we head to Mexico to start. Our house sold quickly and we’re closing at the end of May.
I appreciate all the wonderful work you do in making these videos for us. They’re always informative and entertaining. ❤️❤️
Looking forward to seeing Kuala Lumpur through your eyes! 👀👀
It is so exciting, Lorrie! We had planned on Mexico starting in July but decided to head back to Europe. Beer is much cheaper there!! 😃 The Kuala Lumpur video will be out next week and we will have an Airbnb video soon after. Thank you for your support, it is very much appreciated!
Cheers!!🍻
Nice vlog. It brings back good memories of Penang. Street art and the food were one of the reasons I visited Georgetown. I hope you had the chance to go to Little India for the food/desserts. Safe travels!
My wife and I did a pre wedding trip to Malaysia in 2000 but haven't made it back as yet. Loved Penang but unfortunately only spent 48 hours before heading to Langkawi, the first 24 hours I was recovering from food poisoning. My best memory is getting Satay sticks at Fort Cornwallis on the last night. If you get the chance try visiting Taman Negara National Park, this was the highlight of our trip.
Yes, alcohol is extremely expensive and it's even worse that my wife doesn't drink beer, so she really struggled. Although I love Malaysian food it can be very oily, even my Malay friends will agree with this.
Would like to hear about your Air B&B experience, always want to know what to try and avoid.
Thank you for sharing your story Shaun. Food poisoning is the worst!! We will have the Airbnb video out in a couple of weeks.
Cheers!!🍻
I had beer in KL in Chinatown a large Asahi was reasonably priced. I was there during Ramadan too. I had came from Thailand as well.
Hi we will be leaving Jakarta and going to KL for 2 week, sabah for 2 weeks, and then to Penang and KL for 1 month each a total of 3 months
Would would live to meet you guys in Malaysia. Like you guys we left US on 3/27 with one way ticket for next 3 years. Hope to hear back from you
We would have loved to! We just arrived in Singapore a couple of days ago and leave today to start our long journey back to the US. We will be back in the region in January 2024!! Safe travels!!
Cheers!!🍻
Looks like you had Char Kway Teow which is one of my favourites!! 😊😊
Hey guys thanks for the quick GT vdo and sorry it didn’t work out.
I love this vidéo especially the street art and food!!! Thank you for your time in making it. Next trip I’m going to KL and Penang (perhaps not during Ramadan). Lucky for me I’m allergic to beer! Lol. Such a shame your lodging situation failed. I guess I’ll watch the video.
Thank you, Glenda. We very much appreciate your support. ❤
I’m sorry to hear that you guys had problems with your Airbnb, we send you prayers that the rest of your trip is much better 🙏🏻😇
Thank you so much, Elena! Fortunately, we were able to make a new plan and everything worked out well. We've learned we just have to roll with the punches and smile the best we can. Hope you're doing well!
Yes please share you AirBNB experience. I always learn so much in your videos!
Hi Felicia! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as what our process looks like when picking a place to stay. Thanks for watching!
Definitely do a vid on your Airbnb debacle! As someone who basically lives out of Airbnbs, I'm always up for new tips and what to watch out for. Seems like you've bounced back and haven't lost a step, so good on you) Have a nice remainder of your stay!
Thank you! We will have a video out in a couple of weeks. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
Cheers 🍻
Yes I would like to hear more about the Airbnb fiasco in order to learn more about potential circumstances upcoming for our travel
We will have a video out next Saturday!
@@BrianandCarrie another video from another channel I follow discussed Airbnb as well, very interesting info. Channel is Retirement Travelers.
Certainly captured the hi-lites of Georgetown, we also stopped for Coffee where you did. Very cute spot. I think that you need speak to your Air BnB challenge, despite all the research stuff happens and perspective travelers need to hear about the good and bad. Once again excellent video enjoy Kuala Lumpur.
Hi, Stephen. We have a video coming out soon on Airbnb, about how we choose a place and what to do if you get yourself into a situation as we did. Hope you two are doing well. Safe travels!
Cheers!!🍻
Another great video! Highs and lows of your adventures are really educational - please share info on the failed AirBnB. Cheers!
Hi Paul! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. We sure do learn from those highs and lows and hope others find the information helpful for their planning process. Thanks for watching!
Enjoyed the video, as always. I'd be interested in hearing more about the Airbnb fail. Sorry that it happened to you, but it could be instructive to the rest of us.
Hi David! We are going to plan on doing a video soon on this experience. We hope it may give a little insight to the process you go through when things go quite go as planned. Thanks so much for watching 😊
When you use the platform as much as you guys do it's probably going to happen sooner or later... would like to know what happened and more importantly if AirBnb resolved any issues promptly. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Cheers 🍻
Sometimes it is worth knowing where to avoid. Had one I felt stuck. Did not know you can cancel a month booking Airbnb
Proud to be a Malaysian
Great video about Malaysia
Thanks for your informative videos, Brian and Carrie. I'm a new subscriber. Question: do you think there would be any entry problems if I bounced from 87 days in say Kuala Lumpur to then 87 days in Montpellier France to then 87 days in Istanbul and just repeated this ad infinitum between the 3 cities? I watched your Schengen rules video too and I was wondering what you think...thx.
Thank you for the sub and for watching our channel. You won't have any problems with that itinerary and giving yourself a few extra days is smart. Istanbul is on our list and hope to explore it soon. Thank you again for watching!
Cheers!!🍻
Sorry to hear about your Airbnb situation. However, it's great to see how well you are able to pivot. Having the freedom to do so is one of the great things about the lifestyle. I guess I'm not too surprised about your Airbnb. During our time in Penang, we really had to pay up to find accommodations that were up to our standards. Even then there were issues. We spent two months in Penang and got to know it well. There were some things we really liked about it, such as the street art, architecture, food, and healthcare. We actually had quite a bit of our healthcare needs meet while there including comprehensive health screens, an Ortho consultation and MRI for my shoulder, and a colonoscopy. We were very happy with the quality and cost of the care we received. With all of that said, generally speaking, I think Georgetown is somewhat over hyped. It's an interesting place to visit, but I wouldn't consider it for retirement. Despite not really being big city people, we really enjoy Kuala Lumpur and have spent a considerable amount of time there. I really hope you enjoyed it there and look forward to your video on KL.
Our experience with Airbnb does not reflect our opinion of Georgetown. We also feel that it is over-hyped. We have been to many places since starting our travels that we would consider before returning to Penang. Others can't wait to get back, so I guess it is all that you are looking for. We have heard the health care is great, we had some testing done and a colonoscopy in Chang Mia and felt very well taken care of. Being from the US It is amazing to us that we can get quality, affordable health care in other parts of the world. Thank you for sharing your story and supporting our channel. Safe travels!
Cheers!!🍻
Carrie for the win! : ) Looking forward to Kuala Lumpur as Doug checks another country box on his virtual tour around the world.
Hi Doug! Yes, I win one, finally 😊. Next week is Kuala Lumpur - Thanks so much for following along. Cheers 🍻
Would love to hear how you dealt with airbnb, we have had a couple issues over the years and airbnb was horrible to deal with. Look forward to watching your videos each week!!
Thank you, Terri. We have done well with our Airbnb stays until now. We will have that video out in a couple of weeks. Thank you for watching! ❤
Please more about the AirBbB. I would love to hear about it!
Thank you, Eric and Tammy, for watching our channel!! We will have that video out in a couple of weeks!
Cheers!!🍻
Yes, please, more about the failed AirBnB. Picking a bad one is a constant concern of mine. I've been 50/50 on my pics so far.
Hi George! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
Love George town!! Also Batu Ferrenghi is good too. We're going to Malaysia in February for a month.
We really enjoying Kuala Lumpur. We ended up staying there for a month and got a lot of work done! Great city! Thank you for all your continued support!!
Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Love KL! We've been there many times. Was going to be our home but covid and politics got in the way - Portugal is home, and we're happy. Have you found 'your future home' yet - or still searching?
We are still searching but we can say that we prefer Portugal over KL. Nice city but we love Portugal.
@@BrianandCarrie We've now lived in Portugal for 13 months. Have a look at Setubal - better for us than The Algarve. We love the place and close to Lisbon.
can't believe how much you covered in only one day! love the architecture! great video! from southern louisiana-know about heat!
Thank you!! This was a difficult day. We only had one day and had to get it done despite the heat and the fact our plans for the month completely changed! Thank you again, we appreciate the support.
Cheers!!🍻
Thanks again for the post guys. Great content. I definitely would like to hear about the failed AirBnb and what happened there. You two so thoroughly research your travels that this is a surprise. Research generally pays great dividends as you show regularly. Also noting Carrie for the win with the ice cold drink (1-0) AND for the win with the meal so make that 2-0! Well done. I really like the mini-contest of choosing something that you have never tried before. You never know what becomes a new favourite. I note your Instagram already has you in Kuala Lumpur, and the videos lag from your feed there. Continue to enjoy your travels! Cheers!
Hi, Robert. We will have the Airbnb video out in a couple of weeks to explain our process on how we choose a great Airbnb, and, how we failed! Carrie always wins our little contest; I think her strategy is to play it safe while I live on the edge! 😀 Our Instagram is within one or two days of where we are actually at. Our RUclips videos are a couple of weeks behind. Thank you for all the comments, we really appreciate the continued support.
Cheers!!🍻
hey guys, I’m headed to Georgetown in a couple weeks and I was wondering if you could share as much information as possible about the Airbnb that was a fiasco in order to alert the rest of us to potential the following into the same trap. At least as much information as you feel comfortable sharing, thanks again and keep up the wonderful videos!
Thank you for watching, Greg. The Airbnb is 20 minutes outside of Georgetown, in Batu Feringgi. We did an Airbnb video and discussed it as well.
25th May after your visit, Penang Island City Council will ban all short-term rentals on the island including AirBNB.
Commercial properties can still take guests, subject to strict regulations.
Very good to know! Thank you so much for letting us know. Cheers!!
I loved all your videos, but this video of Penang seems strange to me :). I was expecting to see the usual tourist sights like Penang Hill and it’s furnicular, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Guerney Drive, etc -- all of which makes Penang a bit more interesting. It is also a short ferry ride to the beautiful island of Langkawi. I think your “failed AIRBNB”experience there may have unknowingly dampened your spirits and enthusiasm about touring Penang :) . But your video is a candid reflection of your experience there and then ….. Btw, I am not a Malaysian, but feels that Penang is more interesting than what is depicted in your video :). As an aside, your video of Singapore is simply top notch 😊. Do keep the videos coming !
Hi! You are absolutely correct, there is probably much more to see and do in Penang. But, after quickly leaving our Airbnb, shifting a one month stay to 2 nights all while having to make completely new arrangements for the next month, we didn't have much time. Add on top of that extremely high temps/humidity and we were pretty drained. We still knew we wanted to share our experience there, all the while knowing it wasn't going to be our best work. But one thing we really strive to do is keep it real. Full-time travel does come with bumps in the road and we have to move right along with them. Thank you so much for watching and your honest observation. Cheers 🍻
Typically, April is the hottest month in South East Asia, that’s why they have Water Festival in Thailand during that month to cool down :) Avoid the heat in April when you travel to SEA next time !
We would like to hear more about the Airbnb situation for sure.
Hi Andrea! We will be sharing a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb in the next month. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
11:36 So frustrating to have an AirBnB disaster and 'expensive' beer....what a horrible introduction to Malaysia. Can't wait to hear the rental story in a future video.
Hi Guys,
Sorry to hear that the Airbnb didn't work out. The hotel, however, looked quite lovely. It is a shame the beer is so expensive. Hopefully, it is more affordable in Kuala Lumpur. The street food looked excellent, and the price wasn't bad either. I was surprised by how quiet Georgetown was, and it also looked a little run down in places.
I am looking forward to your next video from KL.
Can't win them all with Airbnb's that's for sure 😌. We were so thankful to find the hotel we did, it was great and in a perfect location.
It wasvery quiet in Georgetown, it surprised us as well. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers 🍻
Hi guys .love following your travels . Sorry about your AirBnB. .
I enjoy all your travels. I plan on doing world travel like you guys, with out the youtube channel. Would love to hear about how to pick a AirB&B. Yes would like a video on the bad one. Sorry you had and bad one. All I need now is to find a travel partner.
Hi! Thank you so much for watching. Stay tuned, we are going to have a video on this experience and how we pick our Airbnbs very soon. Hopefully it will give some insight on how to handle things when they don't go as planned. Cheers 🍻
As an American who has been all over Asia, I can safely say Malaysian food is generally tastier than Thai and Vietnamese food.
Also Pad Thai has its origins from the Malaysian Char Kuey Teow and not the other way round. Cheers!
Hi Joseph, Thanks so much for watching! We really enjoyed all the dishes we tried in Malaysia. The variety of different foods and many cultures was fun to explore and try. Cheers 🍻
As a malaysian, I can say most thai dishes focus on fish sauce, sourness, spiciness. Malaysian food has the variety because it is the only real multi racial country in South east asia. Others are more homogenous society. Singapore and Malaysia is quite similar, only the Chinese and malays are the majority by swapping places. However, the Chinese population is larger here by numbers compared to singapore and Hong Kong. Also Malaysia borneo has many tribes that have their own food culture. The late Anthony bourdain once said that the sarawak laksa is the breakfast of gods.
Oh, you know we want all the details on the Airbnb. Can't wait.😂 Kathleen
Hi Kathleen! Stay tuned, we will have a video out this next month sharing what happened and how we dealt with it with Airbnb. Thanks so much for watching!!
Fails happen. I've had my share of them. Can't wait to hear about it.
That they sure do, can't win them all, and it's all part of the learning curve. We will be sharing our experience in the next month in hopes it helps others. Thanks for watching! Cheers 🍻
I almost passed out from the heat in Penang...the only time in my life that happened. So I totally understand how oppressive that heat can be! It's too bad you guys didn't make it to Kek Lok Si temple. That was by far the highlight of Penang for me. I also would advise you to go to Langkawi if you have time. It's gorgeous and very laid back compared to Penang.
Great suggestions but we ended up finding a place in Kuala Lumpur for a month and really enjoyed our time there. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
Great video. Were about to backpack retire and eagerly await your airbnb recap. Are you guys planning on returning to US eventually or are you finding this lifestyle is long term sustainable?
Enjoy your beers 🍻. 😊
We will have an Airbnb video coming soon and explain what our process is, how we failed, and what Airbnb and the host did. We are loving our lifestyle and don't plan on settling down anytime soon. We are heading home for a month starting next week but then we will be heading back to Europe in July. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
it's not french colonial the french never been to Tanah Melayu (former name of Malaysia) but it's Portuguese, Dutch ( 16th to 17th century altogether) and English mainly English from victorian era til Malaysia's independence in 1957.
Thank you for the correction!! Cheers 🍻
Please let us know all the details about the Airbnb situation. We also live in Airbnb's fulltime and we "knock on wood" haven't had any that we just couldn't deal with, but we would love to know what hapens if and when we do.
Hey guys!! We will have a video out on our Airbnb experience in a couple of weeks! Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
Great video! Curious, what was the issue with the beer?
The beer in Malaysia is expensive. They have a very high tax on alcohol.
I’d like to hear about the failed Air BandB situation and how you overcame that problem.
Hi Kellie! In the next month, we will share a video about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb. As well as our process when picking a place to stay. We knew they couldn't all go perfectly, but at least now we know how to deal with it and hope this info helps others in a similar situation. Thanks for watching!
Hey guys,
I'm definitely very interested in the AirBnB fiasco video. How bad did it have to be for you to cancel after a single night? How painful was it to get out of, and what sort of refund were you able to get? Very much looking forward to hearing this story.
Have a wonderful time in KL!
Thank you, Paul. We will have that video out within a couple of weeks!!
Cheers!!🍻
Sorry to hear about that Airbnb but I would like to hear about your experiences. We plan to slow travel/geo arbitrage soon but we want to know the problems that could arise too. Thanks for sharing
Once we had an Airbnb that we didn't know was a SHARED apartment and woke up the other person when we came in. Yikes.
Oh my - this would not be good at all 😳
Thank you! Stay tuned, we will have a new video out in the next month about this situation and how we handled it with Airbnb - as well as what our process looks like when picking a place. Thanks for watching!
Couple of soakers eh? Please do a video on the Airbnb abort. Cheers🍻
Great Video guys!
Thank you!!! 😃
Yes. Please do a vid on your Airbnb fail. I also had an epic fail in my 30 day booking Airbnb on day 1 when we arrived from US to Pattaya. Eventually moved to a new place, but man, oh man, the back and forth with Airbnb reps to get your remaining credit back took literally 24hrs going through 4 or 5 different reps explaining the same story over and over again. Something I would not want to go through again. The funny thing was, throughout the whole process, it seemed that Airbnb was taking the hosts side at the beginning even though they knew we checked into a condo with a non-working shower in Pattaya. Here is the kicker. When I notified the host, the host apologized and asked us to use the shower at the pool. lol
Us the shower at the pool!?!?😂 No way!! We will have a video out in the next couple of weeks where we explain our booking process and what we went through in this experience. Thank you for sharing your story!
Cheers!!🍻
Welcome to pwnang♥️from butterworth
Thank you ❤️
Pity about your accommodation not working out. But don't give up on Georgetown. Its a fabulous city as is the rest of Penang Island. You might be interested in visiting Melaka. A beautiful place with so much history. Whilst i think its best to stay awhile there, a day trip from KL is doable and will give you the main highlights
Thank you for the information! We moved onto Kuala Lumpur and really enjoyed our time. Great tips, thanks again for adding them.
Cheers 🍻
We have just re watched this video. Am curious to know what price the beer was??? Numbeo has it down as a reasonable price. Thanks
The beers we had while in Malaysia ran on average $7 to $8 each...a bit high for our taste.
@@BrianandCarrie ah that's not far off UK pub prices! Thanks for replying 😊
Its not too far off from the US either but Vietnam it was about $2.50-$3.00 😂
We hope. The rest of your trip goes better. Brian isn't smiling 😂
HAHA!! I'm Working it!! 😃
Lack of beer?
Welcome to Penang❤
Thank you so much! ❤
Ah, welcome to my home town
Thank you!! ❤
I would love to hear about the epic Airbnb fail. I have been using them for several years and I NOT a hater. But I would love to hear about it!!
We will have that video out in a couple of weeks! Happy that you found our channel. Thank you for watching!
Cheers 🍻
Yes I would definitely like to hear about the Airbnb experience. Carrie, I have a question for you. Out of all the countries you've visited, where would you feel the safest if you were a solo female traveler?
I meant to say city/country.
Hi! Stay tuned, we will have a video out next month covering our experience and how we dealt with it with Airbnb.
Honestly, I would visit almost every country we've been to without question alone. The ones that top my list though would be - Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Romania, and Croatia. One thing I find makes me more comfortable are places with good transportation in place. Trains, buses, and apps like Grab or Uber. Thanks for watching!
In all the countries i listed, any of the cities we visited i felt very comfortable.
I was hoping you would say Portugal. I plan on going there later this year. I'm also interested in Montenegro. I had never really considered it until after watching your video. The view from your balcony was amazing. Thank you
AirBnB details = definitely interesting in knowing the details. That’s a big deal, and big pivot, from 30 days planned there to moving on after a day or two. Was there not another option for staying in the same area where the failed AirBnB is, or just a change of heart on where you wanted to be after the AirBnB fail? Or just looking for a place with lower 🍺 prices? 😂
Bummer about the AirBnB & 🍺, though congrats on 25K! I’ve been on board since Alicante. 🙏🏼🍀✈️ 🌏
Thank you, John, for sticking with us all this time!! We very much appreciate the support!! It isn't easy to find a 30-day stay last minute so we moved on to Kuala Lumpur where there were more options. Unfortunately, the beer wasn't any cheaper there. To be honest we also couldn't see staying in Penang for a month as we originally planned. We had a great time in our new place and got a lot of work done so it was an intelligent choice. The Airbnb video will be out in a couple of weeks. Thank you again for watching and following our channel!
Cheers!!🍻
Yes on the airbnb story - was it mold? And Carrie may I ask what you wear underneath your nice airy white top- I want to use same look to keep cool while traveling in hot places but a strapless bra unless it is a good one are usually uncomfortable.
Hi Esther! We will be sharing the video of what happened and how we handled it with Airbnb in the next month. Hopefully, others will find it useful if they ever find themselves in that situation. I now just use very light sports bras, they are so much more comfortable and typically lighter for the hot temps. Thanks so much for watching!
Definetly want to know the "why" of the Airbnb failure because we will be in Malaysia next year, God willing.
Also, the reasons for one day instead of a full month, which I hope you will also address
Roger and Jeanette
Hi, Roger and Jeanette, thank you for watching. Trying to find an Airbnb for a month-long stay last minute is difficult. The available places that fit what we are looking for were not available. Coming off our last experience we wanted to make sure we got this one right!! 😆 We found a great place in Kuala Lumpur to we jumped on a bus and headed out! Thank you again for watching!
Cheers!!🍻
Really sorry about your AirBnB experience and that you didn't stay longer in Georgetown. But yes it would be very helpful on how to deal with these situations.
Thank you, Donna! We will have a video out in the next month sharing our experience and how we handled it with Airbnb. Thanks so much for watching ☺
It's really unfortunate that you will spend such a short time in Penang and the area as it takes time to absorb it. It's personally my favorite place in Malaysia and I go there on each trip to Southeast Asia although I've also been in KL quite a bit, starting in the spring of 2001 and I think I was last in KL in Jan 2019, but last in Penang in Jan 2020. I've also been to Melaka (once) and other areas of Malaysia.
It's really too bad that you ended up in a bad Airbnb situation, but it's part of the risks one takes when traveling. I've also been an Airbnb'er in places overseas for years, but have had excellent experiences. As for accommodations, I do hotels, serviced apartments, Airbnbs, and regular apartments depending on the destination and the circumstances and I mix a lot of accommodation types during the same stay in the same place.
Due to traveling overseas regularly since the 1970s, I could write a book on mishaps dealing with travel. LOL! My outlook is that it's not about the bad/unexpected/mishap experiences that can happen while traveling and most likely will, but it's about how one deals with them.
I'm female and have traveled overseas solo since a teen in the early/mid 70s. Not easy traveling as a solo female back in the day and even now in some places. Plenty of mishaps. And back in the day, we didn't have tech devices, or even ATMs, but we still carried on. We had to really guard both our AmEx traveler's checks and cash back then.
When I would check into an accommodation, but possibly decide it wasn't the place for me to be as a solo, single, female traveler, I was then back out into the streets, on foot, searching for a different place to stay. I always went by my gut reaction to accommodations and there were plenty overseas ones, over the decades, that I walked away from. I'd rather lose money on a booked place than stay in a place that I had a gut feeling was off in some sort of way. Safety first.
Keep your heads and chins up, and carry on. You'll be fine. Smiles. I really enjoy your vlogs and it's great to see folks who look tired, sweaty, hungry, and dehydrated as that's reality and not the glamorous travel life that some RUclipsrs portray. I have traveled at levels from rock-bottom one star to top-level 5 stars and everything in between depending on both where I was in my professional life and how long I planned to be away in a foreign country. But, whether one star or 5 star, I can still look tired, sweaty, hungry, and dehydrated. LOL!!!
Greetings from Los Angeles
Hi! Wow, sounds like you have a lot of experience and I'm sure some wonderful stories. We totally agree that it's always best to go with your gut in these situations, no amount of money is worth a place where you don't feel safe.
We do try to keep it as real as possible on our channel and in the high temps, high humidity and things not going at all as planned, it sure made for an interesting experience that we tried to make the best of - sweaty, worn-out look and all 😊. Thanks so much for watching!!
@@BrianandCarrie It looked like the heat was really affecting you. I'm glad that I have a very high heat tolerance level even while sweating. When my best friend joined me for a few days in Penang, after Bangkok, on one of my trips, the first day we stepped out of the hotel, her comment was, "Whoa....This is African heat!" We laughed our heads off as she's also been both in African heat and all over S.E. Asia. Thank goodness we both have a very high heat tolerance level. Have fun in KL. Looking forward to that vlog.
Greetings from Los Angeles.
@@d.y.e3803 Hi, how would you compare Malacca vs Penang? I was in Malacca around 30 years ago and have never been to Penang.
@@CSTam-vy7bp I was only in Malacca for half a day with a couple of Malaysian friends from KL. We drove there from KL. I've been to Penang a lot and my heart is still in Penang. Sometimes, my KL friends even drive up to me when I'm in Penang and stay a couple days and then drive home to KL. For me, it's about what vibe I get from a place. I felt that a half day in Malacca was sufficient and that it's a nice place to visit.
Greetings from Los Angeles
Thank you, @@d.y.e3803. I will be going to Penang for the first time next month. It's just a short 2-night stay, but from what I've seen, I am feeling really excited about this trip!
Air BnB video..yes please!
Will do - look for the video in the next month 😊
Ramadan was 29 days this year not 3 so I’m suspecting you meant that was our celebration after Ramadan? I’m confused :)
Good to know, thank you! When we were told about it and then looked it up it gave us the three days that celebrations took place. We appreciate you letting us know, thanks so much for watching!
I think they meant Eid. Not ramadhan.
No, we meant Ramadhan.
Everyone is sad about the airbnb but I feel bad for you not getting your beer. 🤣
So Brian, how hot is too hot for the two of you? What were the temps during your stay in Georgetown? Was there cooling rain at any point?
It was about 95 with very high humidity. When it does rain it does not cool down!! We have been in 100+ temps many times but it was so hummed. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Thanks for the quick response. I've been following you guys for half a year now. Your shows improve each and every week. I have lots of questions about the life style that you might work into your RUclips videos or elsewhere. Like, what do you do in your down time when you're not gathering or editing video, do you reach out to other nomad travelers and meet up, or meet with resident expats in the area.
I guess living in Florida prepares me for Asia!
@@Stpetecondo_Life I'm in GA and I was going to say the same thing. A humid 95-100 degree day is the norm in the Summer. 🌞
You two are correct. Being from the Seattle region does NOT prepare us for the humid conditions! 😃
The dish like pad thai is called char kway teow. You only stay 2 days in Penang? Should stay a little bit longer.
We didn't have a long-term place to stay so we had to leave for Kuala Lumpur. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
Welcome to Singapore! B & C! I'll buy you guys a beer if you're still in town!
We would have loved to Change, but we only had 2 days. We are currently at the airport getting ready to fly home for a few weeks. Thank you for the offer!!!
Cheers 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Anytime! Godspeed!
Please do let us know what happened to the airbnb, it is my understanding that those are not refundable if there is a problem🤥
👍👍👍
Tell us about the airbnb PLZ
We will have a video out in a couple of weeks!! Thank you for watching!
Cheers!!🍻
Did you ever do the Penang Airbnb fail video ?
We explained what happened in our Airbnb video. Basically, the place hadn't been touched since before covid. Very dirty and smelled of mold. We did get a full refund but had to find new accommodations. Thanks for asking!
Cheers!!🍻
that intro "yeah I know very clever name ok!" hahaha
Its the only one we could think of!!! 😂
Yes let’s hear about the Airbnb fail!
We've never seen the streets of Georgetown that quiet before. Hilarious seeing Brian NOT enjoy his BOOM. 😂
It was much quieter than we anticipated it to be as well. Haha, he definitely did NOT enjoy that beverage, but did finish it all 😂. Thanks for watching!
@@BrianandCarrie I have to say that the temperature of the can should have been felt when you took the can from the refrigerator. Just a thought ;)
😂
Differently want hear about the Airbnb, gotta show the bad with the good.
Welcome to penang. Airbnb is difficult to control sometimes. Apology for that.
Thank you, Keang. We appreciate all the comments and for watching our channel. 😀
@Brian and Carrie my advice for travellers(especially americans), do research more about places and food before commenting on vlogs. It makes vlog more informative. It is hot and humid because:
1. It is a tropical country near the equator.
2. It is dry season or "summer" here. Soon usa and canada and europe will get their chance. The earth rotates on its axis.
3. Monsoon season will rain a lot but tourists will complain as well as they could not leave their airbnb.
4. Drink more isotonic drink like 100 plus.
Note: Cigarettes and liquor are relatively expensive here due to taxes. But there are places which are tax free. So tourists do have choices. If they like to drink, go to those islands. If they don't they can continue their journey. For locals, we drink less. We still can afford it.