On the Road with IO: Asia Tour 2025 (Journal + Event Links) #IOAsiaTour

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On the Road with IO: Asia Tour 2025 (Journal + Event Links) #IOAsiaTour

GM Cardano Forum,

Over the next few weeks, the Input Output (IO) team will be visiting South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan as part of the 2025 Asia Tour.

I want to make sure we make the most of our time there, so I’m looking for introductions, suggestions and side missions, and I want to use this forum post as a bridge between people on the ground and those who can’t make it.

This will be a meaningful trip for me because it’s an opportunity to help close gaps between East and West — and I want to bring you with me, even if you can’t make it in person.

After six years on the community side, this trip is about reconnecting with communities across Asia — especially in Vietnam, Korea and Japan — listening, learning and building new relationships. I want to understand how we can increase participation in governance and strengthen connectivity between builders in the ecosystem.

Our success as an ecosystem depends on recognising that each role in Cardano is interdependent with the others. This tour is a chance to understand and better serve these communities — and, through this thread, to give people who can’t attend a way to follow along and feed in their perspectives.

I’ll be journaling the trip here so anyone who can’t make it can still see updates and share input. I’ll also report back on who I meet and speak with along the way and — where it makes sense for everyone involved — share their socials so you can connect online too.

If you have local tips, introductions, recommendations for side events or “missions” we should know about at any of these stops, please drop them in this thread or DM me. If you’re active in any of these spaces, I’d love to meet you and hear what you’re working on.

Where we’ll be (+ RSVP links) #IOAsiaTour

:link: Full IO newsroom post / tour details

(Links to Vietnamese and Japanese threads will be added here once they’re live.)

I’m always open to new connections, constructive feedback and suggestions. You’re welcome to reach out — my DMs are open here on the Forum or on X at @benohanlon, which is the best place to reach me while I’m on the road.

P.S. If you want to get updates on journal entries, photos and what’s happening on the ground, click the bell icon below and select Watching to be notified of every update, photo and meetup opportunity posted in this thread.

*P.P.S. Retweet to show your support if like the journaling idea!

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Looking forward to this and thank you Ben, was really bummed I was going to miss this and now it wont seem as though I am (outside of the Vietnamese coffees in Ho Chi Min city:)

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If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few leisure and cultural experiences to consider:

  • Explore Pham Ngu Lao to connect with backpackers and hear fascinating travel stories.
  • Immerse yourself in the local culture with a Karaoke night. Explore the context around the saying Không say không về!
  • Make friends over a game of pool.
  • Don’t miss trying the unique coffees—salted cream, avocado, and egg coffee are must-tries.

If you manage to get out of the city:

  • Da Nang is a vibrant coastal city with beautiful beaches and a lively food scene. It is often spoken of as an innovation hub.

  • For a more off-the-beaten-path experience, the protected area north of Phan Rang presents stunning landscapes and opportunities to retreat and explore untouched nature.

  • For playing golf consider Ho Tram. I was there in 2016 when the resort hosted an international golfing competiotion.

  • learn watersports in Mui Ne which is the area with the driest climate in the whole of the country. During the Winter season it turns into one of the biggest kiteboarding destinations in this part of the world. In Summer people from all over the country retreat here to hide from the rain and eat amazing seafood. Let’s plan an Ocean Sprint!

  • Northern Vietnam is beautiful. Exploring it, starting in Hanoi, could take forever. The Ha Giang Loop is a scenic 300-400 kilometer driving route in the northernmost province of Vietnam, near the border with China, renowned for its dramatic landscapes, including karst mountains, rice terraces on steep slopes, and remote ethnic villages.

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Thanks Ben, have a great time!

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