Truffles in Asia

The first time Mike visited Asia, he quit his job to do it. This time, he’ll be soaring over the Angkor temples and visiting exclusive new hotels, and it’ll all be part of his current job description. No, we’re not currently taking applications.

Meet Mike Poppe. He’s our most recent addition to the Toronto farm, bringing with him plenty of trip planning expertise, and skills such as waterfall-rappelling, Vietnamese road-crossing (crazier than you think), and soup slurping etiquette.

Next week, Mike leaves for a power trip across Asia, to get himself up to speed on all the things we love, and find some new spots to share with all of you. It’ll be a lot of luxury, but at a less than luxurious pace—Mike will hit Hong Kong, Bangkok, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Saigon, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, and a few smaller spots in between all in just three weeks. He’ll be checking out the luxurious Amans (among other hotels), taking an incredible-looking ultralight flight over Angkor Wat, and reviewing a brand new private island property in Cambodia. All this is not to mention the overtime work his taste buds plan to put in for us—finding the very best pho at Ben Tranh Market is on their heads. Judging by the pulled pork Mike occasionally brings into the office, we’re sure they’ll do a fine job. Keep your eyes on the Sounder in May, when we’ll begin to reveal his favourite finds.

Amy Smithers is our Sounder Editor, and the ghost of research trips past, present and future.