Stu has always carried with him a passion for exploring the world through work and travel experiences.
After a year-long adventure working at a school in London and travelling throughout Europe, Stu began his tertiary studies at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in Social Dynamics.
He also holds a 120-Hour internationally accredited TEFL/TESOL certificate and understands what it takes to teach and travel responsibly. As TravelBud CEO he understands that truly exciting and life-changing adventures only happen when you step outside your comfort zone; and not a day goes by when he doesn’t challenge the team to do the same!
I remember procrastinating over studying for one of my final exams at university when my best friend, Liam, called me up about an idea he was keen to get off the ground. He wanted to help people from all over the world explore exciting countries like Thailand while...
Lindsay Biffen contacted TravelBud at the end of 2014 about the dream of teaching English in Thailand. By the end of February, she had packed up her bags and was boarding a flight to Bangkok to begin her TESOL training and become an English teacher in Thailand. Right...
Amanda Mathies, a 23-year old from Southern California, USA, taught in Thailand for a year and sat down with us to explain what it’s really like teaching English in Thailand. There are many aspects of traveling and working abroad that can seem quite daunting to...
One of the major benefits of teaching English in South Korea as an employment path or a gap-year option is the free accommodation provided to all teachers by the school that employs them, and with accommodation typically costing around 700 USD per month in first world...
Everyone wants to just wake up one day, throw a few essentials in a backpack, jump on board that aeroplane and fly away to an exotic paradise free of stress and responsibilities. Many people, especially students, often talk about completing their studies and heading...
Meet Magda Kapuscik, an English teacher in South Korea. Magda is a biology graduate from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario in Canada. She decided to embark on the Teach English in South Korea experience to travel and explore the eastern world as well as to get...
Lauren, Hillary and Sara, 3 young and adventurous women in their mid-20’s, go into detail explaining why exactly they have loved their time teaching English in Thailand so far. They had no clue whatsoever what to expect when packing their bags and departing from...
We had the privilege of catching up with 5 expats, all from different regions of the Western world and all currently Teaching English in Thailand. Be it South Africa, the USA, or Canada, male or female, all of these teachers have been fortunate enough to embark on the...
Meet Marek Krawczyk, a young and adventurous guy from Ludlow, Massachusetts in the USA. He has been living and teaching English in Daejon, South Korea for 3 weeks now and in the words of Marek, “I have found Daejon to be pretty awesome so far”....
We caught up with Elizabeth Douros who introduced us to the private school (Hagwon) where she teaches English to South Koreans. She kindly shares with us her teaching experience in South Korea thus far. Elizabeth teaches English in Gongju which is situated in the...
In case you didn’t know, the living conditions of rural Thailand are somewhat different to what you might find back home in the Western world. Most people who come over to teach English in Thailand do not know this and expect to be placed at schools in luxury...
South Korea is one of the most rapidly emerging 1st world countries of the Eastern world. With a highly developed economy, the world’s fastest internet connection, an incredible transport system, and an urban playground like no other, South Korea offers an...
Jon Harman shares with us his incredible story about how he overcame culture shock and became a member of the local community where he lived and worked while teaching English in Thailand. Jon came across a box of stray puppies one day on the way to work which he...
We recently caught up with Jaco Kleinloog who was kind enough to share with us his first time teaching English in Thailand. Jaco is currently the head TESOL instructor in Hua Hin who is raved about by all his current and past TESOL students. He also was one of the...
Loren Swailies, currently teaching English in Thailand to kindergarten children, sat down to talk to us about her most memorable Thai teaching experience. Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, Loren has been teaching English in Thailand since May 2014. She has...
Thailand has many different modes of transport which tend to come in all different shapes and sizes. These shapes and sizes are often quite different in the smaller towns and cities compared to that of Bangkok. Bangkok in actual fact has everything when it comes to...
I had no idea what to expect when I was teaching English in Thailand and joined a bunch of like-minded adventurous Westerners that had invited me to tag along to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park early one Sunday morning. In fact, nobody seemed to have any clue of where...
The TESOL course which TravelBud provides for those seeking the adventure of teaching English in Thailand has one fundamental component that no other TESOL school in Thailand has. It is the practical teaching experience and practice gained for teaching at a 2-day...
Thailand is home to some of the most picturesque sunsets imaginable. There are so many different islands and beaches scattered throughout Thailand’s coastline, all with their unique attractions. We set out to find the top 5 sunset beaches present in the tropical...
The first week of the TESOL course in Hua Hin is a Cultural Orientation program designed to help the TESOL students adjust to their new surroundings, cope with the culture shock that may affect them, and learn more about Thailand. Included in this week are interactive...
It is no secret that Thailand is a host to some of the best party islands in the world. Every year thousands of young travellers make their way to Thailand in search of full moon parties, beach bars and clubs, and the non-stop party atmosphere that flows through many...
Thailand is blessed with thousands of beautiful islands both along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Some of these islands have seen rapid development over the last 10 to 20 years and are now packed with crowds of tourists, restaurants, bars and night clubs....
Thailand has arguably the best diving spots in the world with exceptional underwater visibility and a vast variety of marine and coral life. The Thai coastline is divided into two areas which experience different diving conditions over different times of the year. The...
Teaching English in Thailand is an amazing experience and many South Africans embark on this South-east Asian adventure. We went in search of what exactly draws so many South Africans to teach English in Thailand. Interested in Teaching English in Thailand?...
