All The Roads

Because some questions don't have any answer

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Backpacking the most expensive city in the World, Singapore lat1.3667 long103.8

When we got to Singapore we didn’t know anything about it apart from the fact that it was going to ruin our budget. We weren’t sure if we’d enjoy the city as we tend to have a hard time with big cities but Singapore just blew us away. It is easy to fall in love with the city; the diversity, the food, the parks and oh, there is so much to see!

Getting around the city is pretty easy as the MRT system is quick and covers all important places but a lot of things are actually in walking distance once you’re in the city centre. From Chinatown to Marina Bay for example, it only takes about an hour to walk. However, there are a few things of interest that are a bit more out of the way, for instance the Botanical Gardens. You can just buy a normal metro ticket (can be used up to 6 times) or you can purchase a EZ-link card which costs 12 SGD (including a 7 SGD credit) but gives you a good discount on fares.

We were surprised that Singapore was actually more affordable than we expected. Obviously, you can pay loads of money for drinks and food and expensive tours but if you stick to Hawkers (amazing food courts where you can get all kind of meals for just a couple of dollars), hostels and all the free stuff, you can definitely backpack Singapore.

“Free things to do” is a favourite with everyone and Singapore has got quite a lot of it to offer. Just by walking around the city you can learn a lot about the diverse culture as well as the different heritages. Little India, Chinatown and Arab Street are the three districts not to miss. The names all speak for themselves but here is a little impression of what to expect in each of them and a few ideas on what to do while you’re there :

Chinatown

Food and markets and food and markets. But more importantly, an amazing view of Victorian shophouses in contrast to the impressive skyline of Downtown and the Financial district. Chinatown has it all, there are temples, a Heritage centre, a huge market and, of course, the popular Food Street where you can indulge in the flavours of seafood and/or roasted duck.

Little India

40% of the residents of the State of Singapore are expatriates. But moreover, a large part of the “true” Singaporeans have their roots elsewhere. The majority is made up by Chinese, Malay and - you guessed it - Indians.  Although not free, the Indian Heritage Museum is worth every penny if you’re interested in how Indians first came to the city and slowly integrated into and evolved in society.

Kampong Glam (Arab Street)

Last but not least, the muslim district in Singapore is home to the beautiful Sultan Mosque, and a whole bunch of little alleys filled with boutiques, restaurants and bars. Tourists and locals mix in a continuous hustle and bustle creating a joyous atmosphere of selfies, mint tea and tapas. Don’t forget to snap a selfie in Haji Lane and marvel at the beautiful drawings that cover the walls.

If there lives a tiny spark of interest for the Singaporean history and culture in you, those three districts shouldn’t be missed. Each and every one represents a different ethnicity - and therefore a different way of living - all representative of a part of Singapore’s population.

Obviously, you shouldn’t miss Marina Bay with all it’s got to offer either! Take a stroll right through the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel and dream of a holiday you may never be able to afford, walk through the Gardens By The Bay and enjoy the amazing light show (every night at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm) at the Supertree Grove. The best part is, you can do all of that for free!

Not for free but worth the experience (in our humble opinion) is the Cloudforest - one of the two separate exhibitions that are located in the giant domes. Usually, you only find the combined ticket price online (Cloudforest + Flower Dome for 28 SGD) but when we got to the ticket counter we also had the option of buying a single ticket to either one for 16 SGD!

Once you’ve checked all those things off your list, you can start exploring the city. No kidding.

Walking around the financial district is a must! Get lost between giant skyscrapers, admire the palm trees on rooftop terraces (whaaat) and marvel at different pieces of art spread across the city.

From there it is only a short walk over to Merlion, a creature half lion and half fish that figures as the national personification of Singapore.

One of our favourite walks led across Singapore River and down the Queen Elizabeth Walk past the Raffles Statue, the National Gallery and, eventually, the Esplanade. If you take a left turn at the theatre, you’ll reach the Raffles Hotel and St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Another hotspot for happy hour drinks or afternoon walks is Clarke Quay. Strategically well placed, this used to be the trade center of Singapore accommodating boats that would then transport goods further upstream.

If you do have a couple of dollars to spare, go on a boat cruise (25 SGD) and enjoy a different perspective of the city.

If you’re lucky enough to be visiting while the sun is shining, don’t miss out on the Botanical Gardens! Wander around, have a picnic or visit the famous Orchid Garden (5 SGD or 1 SGD if you’re a student card holder).

One last thing we’d like to recommend, even though it is not free, is the National Museum of Singapore. Admission is quite reasonable at 15 SGD for adults and 10 SGD for students and it is one of the most interesting museums we’ve been to (and we typically don’t like museums very much). Singapore has an extremely impressive history - a short history as a country considering it only became independent in 1965 - and while the economic and financial developments in the country since its independence are one-of-a-kind, we also enjoyed learning about the cultural evolution throughout the early 20th century.

We absolutely loved Singapore and, as we said in the beginning of this post, it can totally be a backpacker destination. A bed in a dorm can go for as little as 15 SGD and if you avoid bars and restaurants (except for the amazing food stalls and hawker centres obviously) you can certainly get by without heaps of money.

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From Dieng to Jakarta, Indonesia lat-6.1744444 long106.8294444

Our time in Indonesia was soon to come to an end so with an outbound flight from Jakarta we had to slowly make our way over to the capital. On our way we stopped in the region of the Dieng Plateau, a volcanic plateau that is renown for its beautiful landscapes.

We decided not to stay in the tiny village of Dieng itself but in the next larger town, Wonosobo. We had the pleasure of running into some incredibly kind locals at the bus stop that helped us find the homestay of our dreams : Duta Homestay. 

The owner, Hely, invited us to a glass of Papaya wine with his biker friend and every night we’d have long conversations about Indonesia, religion, politics, education and agriculture.  

It takes a bit of courage to get on one of the so called busses that drive up the windy road to Dieng but once you get there you are rewarded with an innocent and pure place of Indonesia culture and hospitality.

Most tourists (and there aren’t many) stick to the famous crater and the colourful lakes but if you can, venture beyond and make friends with the locals in one of the tiny villages along the road. Even if communication was limited to gestures - we had a blast. 

We also spent a few days in Jakarta but it becomes clearer every day that we’re just not into big cities. Jakarta sure has impressive sights but for us, it was just a little too big, too crowded, too noisy. 

Stil, we did enjoy our time there and tried to see as much as possible. 

The National Monument.

The Istiqlal Mosque - the greatest mosque in Southeast Asia with a capacity of 120 000 people - is a constant reminder of the Indonesian independence.

Kota Tua - the Old Town where you can see a few colonial buildings. 

Indonesia stole our hearts. No matter where we went, we were greeted with smiles, curiosity and kindness. Between the stunning landscapes, the impressive temples, the rich history and - of course - the people, there is nothing not to love about this country. 

We’ll be back! 

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How to spend a week in Yogyakarta, Indonesia lat-7.7956 long110.3695

Yogyakarta, or Jogja as it is called by many Indonesians as well as travellers, has a never ending list of reasons to visit. There are relicts and monuments for each and every era and they all tell a different story. When we left Banyuwangi from where we mounted the volcano Ijen, we realised that we had quite a bit of time to get from Jogja to Jakarta (from where our outbound flight was going to leave) so we decided to take the time and spend a couple of days exploring one of the most important cultural centres of Indonesia.

Getting around the city is extremely easy thanks to the efficient TransJogja bus system. Journeys are super cheap and there are several lines covering all major points of interest. There is even a connecting bus to the airport so no need to haggle over a taxi if you arrive by plane.

We had already gotten a glimpse of the difference between Java and Bali in Banyuwangi but in Jogja we realised that the two islands were worlds apart. We expected the place to be crawling with tourists and indeed it was super busy .. with local tourists! Two or three days passed before we actually ran into other “western” tourists!

The local tourists were extremely curious about us and apart from taking loads of selfies with couples, teenagers, families and a baby (yes, Ann was asked to pose for a photo holding a baby), we were asked to practice English with school kids and answered a thousand and one questions about Europe and how we liked Indonesian food.

Long story short, we had a blast and were more than happy with our decision to spend almost a week in town. We should also add that we stayed in the most amazing home stay ever (Sabana Homestay) and that the family there was just adorable! There were kids running around all day and we got a local breakfast every morning - what a nice way to start the day.

There are so many things to see in and around Jogja that our days were packed with activities. Unfortunately, it started raining every day between 3 and 4 pm so that we had a very precise time by which we had to be back home (yes, we’re suckers, we don’t like getting soaked).

We did quite a bit of exploring in Jogja and visited Vredeburg, and old Dutch fort that served has a military basis and has a gallery about the long and bumpy road to independence on display. We kind of walked into it “by accident” as we didn’t have anything planned out but it ended up being one of our personal highlights. While travelling through Asia you will often visit monuments and see relicts from centuries ago without learning about the more recent history of the country you are in. At the museum we learned all kinds of interesting facts about, for instance, the Japanese occupation of Indonesia.

We weren’t especially blown away by neither the Keraton nor the Sultan palace but it is an important part of the city’s history (and it is also super cheap). This is probably also an ideal example of an experience that would be much enhanced by having a tour guide telling you different legends and fun facts.

The Water Castle is another popular sight. To be honest, we got lost about a hundred times before actually stumbling across the exit. Right, we didn’t even make it to the from entrance, that’s how lost we were. It is not a city palace like the one in Udaipur, India nor a water castle like Taman Ujung in Bali but it is a pretty little place to visit and it is not going to eat up too much of your time.

If you haven’t done it already, you can also get a taste of the famous Luwak coffee. The most expensive coffee in the world that is basically brewed out of shit. Google it, it’s true and it’s awesome!

Obviously, the big highlights of our trip to Jogja were Borobudur and Prambanam. You can get a joint ticket without being obliged to visit temples the same day. If you’re around, you might as well visit both and you’ll save a couple of dollars buying the joint ticket. Both temple complexes are reachable by public bus. They take their time, but they eventually get there and you’ll have a fun time being squeezed in between locals and whatever they carry with them.

We had the best time visiting Borobudur. We were constantly followed around by a group of at least 20 kids too shy to ask if they could take a photo with us, took about a million selfies and almost fell off the temple because everyone got so excited about group photos.

Oh, and the temple was nice, too!

However, we did find Prambanam more impressive. The main temple is enormous and the structures are absolutely beautiful. There are also quite a few other, smaller temples around that go almost unnoticed by a great majority of the local tourists. It’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon at.

Yogyakarta had everything we were looking for; beautiful places to explore, beautiful people and the best (and cheapest) Mie Rebus we’ve had (basically a simple noodle soup).

Due to heavy rainfalls in the afternoon on most days and a sheer lack of motivation we did not do any workshops but there are plenty! If we ever find ourselves back in Jogja we’ll definitely take part in one of the many batik, ceramic or silver craft workshops.

Apparently, you can also visit the surrounding villages and learn how to plant and harvest rice but hey, you’ve got to leave something for the next visit, right?

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Climbing Mount Ijen, Indonesia lat-8.0584 long114.2433

No other country in the world has more active volcanos than Indonesia. Located in the “Ring of Fire”, it is one of the most geologically active regions in the world suffering more volcanic eruptions and earthquakes than any other place. Of the approximately 400 volcanos, 130 to 150 are still active representing about one third of the world’s active volcanos.

Long story short, when you travel to Indonesia, you can’t get around climbing a volcano. But how do you chose the right volcano? Some of the most popular are Mt. Bromo (Java), Mt Rinjani (Lombok), Mt. Agung (Bali) and Mt. Batur (Bali). They are easily accessible, very popular and loads of tour operators offer day trips or sunrise tours.

When we started looking into hiking a volcano we - obviously - came across those names and pretty quickly decided that we needed an alternative. While they are certainly stunningly beautiful and surely offer amazing sunrise views, we were looking for something a little less crowded. Reading articles that spoke of several hundred people on Mt. Batur in the morning scared us off so we dug a little deeper (not too deep though) and found Mt. Ijen.

Mount Ijen, or Kawah Ijen as it is known to the locals, has the largest acidic volcanic lake in the world and attracts travellers for numerous reasons. The view from above is breathtaking; the turquoise sulphur lake in the crater and several other volcanos in the distance, but what makes Ijen even more special are the blue flames you can observe at night. Being the result of a chemical reaction (that we cannot explain), the blue coloured flames are a natural phenomenon that is absolutely worth seeing. At the break of dawn, they turn into a white, heavy smoke that shifts with the wind and gives the crater a mystic touch. 

The hike itself is an adventure, too. A great part of the way is very steep and can be very slippery (especially when wet). But once you’ve made it to the top, all the pain will be forgotten.

Unfortunately, as of March 2017, the fumes were so toxic that going down into the crater to get a closer look at the fire was not possible. Nevertheless, the local workers still have to go down there and mine as much sulphur as they can. In thongs and without gas masks or any kind of protection they are amidst all the fumes hammering all day for a couple of dollars. Two to three times a day they make the descent to the crater to fill up their pushcart and bring it down all the way to the “base camp”.

It was ironic to see so many people pay money to be able to witness something that is hell (and death) to others.

We started off our trip from Banyuwangi, a small town about an hour drive from Ijen. There are several hotels and guesthouses around and most offer a package deal to take you to the volcano. There is the (cheaper) option of renting scooters but think carefully before going for that. The road to the volcano is long and winding uphill and you’re in for a 90 minute hike up, two to three hours of watching the fire, sunrise and walking around the crater and a 90 minute hike down. We started our trip just after midnight and weren’t back until 8 am in the morning and we were so glad we didn’t have to drive!

When we came back, we were exhausted... But happy!

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Visiting Komodo National Park, Indonesia lat-8.5850 long119.4411

Visiting the Komodo National Park and seeing the famous Komodo dragons has been a dream of ours ever since watching a documentary on National Geographic. Upon our arrival in Bali we started researching possibilities, prices and tour agencies. We actually felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of contradictory information and quotes we found online although we later on talked to some other people that could absolutely not relate to that - maybe we should reconsider the way we’re googling.

Anyway, here is what we did and how and why we think it is a great way to do it!

In order to visit the national park you will need to settle in Labuan Bajo, a small town at the west end of Flores. There are a couple of hotels and hostels to chose from but we’d recommend Ciao Hostel! It’s a newly opened place up the hill with an amazing view over the city and the nearby islands.

Staying in the national park itself is impossible so the only other way of staying close by would be with a cruise ship (and those are expensive!).

The easiest way to get to Labuan Bajo is by catching a flight from Denpasar. Nam Air, Wings Air and Garuda all have direct flights that are quite cheap and can even be purchased as little as one or two days prior to departure. Apparently, there also is a daily flight from Jakarta but we don’t have any information on that.

Visiting the national park individually without a tour is next to impossible. You might be able to negotiate with a local captain to take you to the different islands but once on either Rinca or Komodo you’re obliged to hire a tour guide. We didn’t mind doing a tour as there were a few other cool things, such as snorkelling and hiking, included.

There is absolutely no need to book ANY tour in advance. There are tons of tour agencies and dive shops that all offer more or less the same thing for more or less the same price.

Most tours will be 2 days - 1 night or 3 days - 2 nights and will include everything except for the tour guides and your well deserved afternoon beer.

To be honest, we didn’t check out a lot of the shops as the tour desk at Ciao hostel offered a pretty good deal and we only had 3 days so we were pretty much in a rush to book something.

Due to our early return flight we booked a 2D1N tour and were super happy with it. If we had had more time, we would definitely have tried to find a tour that included diving instead of snorkelling but we only had 3 full days.

Obviously, the Komodo dragons were the highlight of our trip. We visited both islands, Rinca and Komodo, and enjoyed them very much with a slight preference for Rinca. Ironic that we actually saw fewer dragons on Komodo island, isn’t it?

If you are in a rush and can only visit one island, we’d choose Rinca every time. There were more dragons - even away from the ranger’s houses -, our visit lasted longer and the guides seemed more enthusiastic about their job.

On Komodo, we were given the choice between three walks of different lengths and chose the medium one which was supposed to last around 1h30 to 2h but ended up lasting only 45 minutes. Coincidence? We think not.

We also visited Pink Beach, one of the few beaches in the world where a microscopic organism called Foraminifera turns the white sand into a pink paradise. Or so we were told. Maybe it was the weather or maybe there are just too many photoshopped photos out there, in any case, the sand was only pink if you were standing at the beach. From our boat, it looked like a completely normal-coloured beach which caused a big wave of disappointment in the beginning. Once in the water and approaching the beach you could indeed see millions of pink or red(ish) particles in the sand and when we finally stumbled out of the water (have you ever walked on wet sand with fins on?) we could finally appreciate this rare natural phenomenon.

One of or favourite parts was the hike on Padar island. We were lucky enough to have a crew that knew exactly at what time the other boats would show up so that they woke us at the ungodly hour of 5 am in order to be the first to get there. At 7 am we arrived and, surprise, we were the first. And it was so worth it. The hike wasn’t as easy as it looked and when the sun started burning us up on our way back down, the realisation of why we had to wake up so early finally sunk in. The views were absolutely indescribable and it was a magical feeling having this place almost to ourselves but you probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy in the heat of midday.

The tour included three different snorkel stops as well and all three of them were great! Komodo National Park is not only known for the dragons but also for its flourishing and diverse marine life. There was an abundance of fish as well as coral to look at and even spotted a few giant manta rays at Manta Point.

Visiting Komodo National Park was not only a dream come true but exceeded all our expectations. It is one of our highlights so far and tops our “Favourites Landscapes”-list. It was worth every penny and more and we can only hope that, if you ever find your way to Indonesia, you will not give it a miss.

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#DIVEBALI, Indonesia lat-8.743596 long115.520014

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What to love (or hate) about Bali?, Indonesia lat-8.409518 long115.0920

Bali. White sand beaches, infinity pools, incredible sunrises on top of a volcano, fresh coconuts, surfers and magnificent temples - those are the images racing through your mind right now. Everyone seems to be travelling to Bali these days, and everyone seems to love it.

Tegallalang Rice Terrace

But what exactly is it about Bali that is so incredibly attractive? Is it really paradise on earth?

When we decided to spend a month in Indonesia, there was no doubt we had to stop by Bali. However, we wanted to see other places in Indonesia as well (and we’re neither talking about Lombok nor the Gilis) so our time on the island was quite limited. In about 8 days we visited Ubud, stopped over in Sanur to go diving and spent a few nights in Padangbai.

Taman Ujung Water Palace

So, did we fall in love with Bali?

This is not as simple a question as it looks. Most people do not realise that Bali isn’t one of those cute little islands but actually measures 145 x 80 km!

Therefore, in our opinion, you cannot just say that you love or hate Bali. You simply cannot. The island is to big to make general statements about it and the differences between north, south, east and west are striking!

While Ubud is the typical Instagrammer-destination with its smoothie bowls, rice fields and vegan cafés, Padangbai is a crappy little village whose only purpose is to ship tourists off to the Gilis. How bout dat?

Goa Gajah, also called Elephant Cave

Having said that, how much you’ll love or hate Bali also depends on what you’re looking for.

We enjoyed our time in Ubud, all the trendy cafés, the little markets and the food. But was it an authentic experience? Not in the least.

Places such as Kuta and Ubud offer anything a western tourist could ask for, which means you’ll have the luxuries of your home country combined with rice terraces and temples around the city. Lovely, isn’t it?

The entrance to Goa Gajah

This is one of the many reasons people love to travel to or live in Bali. You don’t have to give up any of your comforts. Food options range from Sushi, smoothie bowls and burger to Italian pizza, steaks and Indonesian food. There are organised tours for EVERYTHING so you don’t even have to worry about planning anything yourself - a luxury.

The gardens of Taman Ujung

However, there is a downside and you’ve probably guessed it already. Not only are the popular places (are there any non-popular places??) super crowded but with more and more tourists visiting and expats settling, Bali seems to have lost a bit of .. well, Bali.

Tegenungan Waterfall

We most certainly didn’t have the time to travel to “more remote” places to get a fair comparison but what we’ve seen seems to be there for in order to fulfil a single purpose : pleasing tourists. Sure, culture evolves and with the stream of foreigners, that continuously flows into all parts of the island, comes change. But when it gets to the point where you have to leave town in order to find a real Warung (a little street stall serving food) to have some real Indonesian food (not the tourist-versions you find in Ubud for instance), it has gotten a little too far, at least for our taste.

Nevertheless, we absolutely enjoyed our stay. There are probably few moments in the last couple of months when we felt as happy and carefree as in Bali, riding our scooter through the jungle, visiting tiny villages living of their handicrafts and, obviously, gazing at rice terraces. The scenery is indeed breathtaking; valleys full of palm trees and farmers tending their properties, monkeys sneakily stealing anything they can get their hands on and somehow there is always a volcano in the distance.

Tegallalang Rice Terraces

One thing that might have made our stay even more enjoyable, would have been planning ahead.

We underestimated how long distances between different places can be and how long it can take! So in order to fully enjoy your stay, do your research beforehand. Think about what you want to see and where it is and prepare an itinerary that makes sense.

Monkey Forest, Ubud

Temples, diving, monkey forests, Balinese dances and volcano hikes will keep you busy for weeks if you wish for it and if you only have your annual 2 weeks of summer vacation to spare, Bali is exactly what you’re looking for. On the contrary, if you are, like us, travelling long term, then we’d suggest not wasting too much time on the island. Bali has got it all, but for us it was too crowded and, most of time, only second best.

Monkey Forest, Ubud

Yes, the rice terraces were absolutely beautiful and unique, there is no doubt. But when it comes, for instance, to the beaches, we preferred the beaches in Cambodia, the scenery was beautiful but again Komodo National Park was even more idyllic, exploring temples was fun but far from the fun we had at, say Angkor Wat or Prambanam near Yogyakarta. 

View from Pura Peyogaan, a tiny cave temple on top of a hill near Padang Bai

Taman Ujung Water Palace

After reading many posts and reports about the sunrise on volcanos in Bali we decided to neither climb Mt. Bromo nor Mt. Agung but to go for Mt. Ijen instead, a volcano located on Java just 30 km away from the ferry to Bali, in order to avoid the crowds (and we did not regret it!).

Tegallalang Rice Terraces

It is not our intention to make Bali seem less of a dream destination than it is; all we are saying is that, provided you have the time, you should go beyond what’s on the island and explore some of the other amazing places in Indonesia. We spent an entire month in this incredible country and looking back now, our favourite memories are away from Bali (except for the diving which is absolutely great!).

As mentioned earlier, we did enjoy our time on Bali and if we ever were to settle somewhere in Southeast Asia, Bali would be high up the list but we do think that the hype around it is a little bit exaggerated.

If you’ve ever been to Bali or are planning on going, let us know what you think!

Taman Ujung Water Palace

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Thailand Travel Guide, Thailand lat7.624368 long99.079224

Transportation

Everything is so easy in Thailand. Tourism is a major income source for the country so that it may be easier to book a bus in Thailand than in Paris! We tried pretty much all means of transportation while in the country and here is what we found.

Busses are convenient and rather cheap but can take quite a while (we’re still in South East Asia so don’t expect too much). Also, about 96.85 % of the drivers are completely insane (no offence). Thailand is one of the countries with the most deaths per 1000 inhabitants in the world and there is a reason. You’ll find loads of different companies offering bus journeys and sometimes joint bus and ferry tickets to get to the islands. Do your research before booking a bus and you’ll be fine.

If you want to travel to the islands in the south, Lomprayah is a safe bet. Not only are their ferries much more comfortable (and free of sand flees) but their busses are safe and comfy as well.

Trains are a good option as well though they often take much longer than busses. They are pretty much delayed all the time but it is a fun experience to sit with the locals and drive through the country. Prices vary quite a bit depending on the type of train and compartment (AC, 3rd Class, Sleeper, etc.).

For instance, Bangkok - Ayutthaja costs about 20 THB while we paid 180 THB for Bangkok - Phetchaburi.

Flights are relatively cheap within the country (if you’re visiting outside of the high season). Companies such as ThaiLionAir, AirAsia and even ThaiAirways have pretty cheap flights serving major tourist destinations. One-way tickets to Chiang Mai, Surat Thani (gateway to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao) or Krabi go for as little as 20€! Unfortunately, many airlines don’t include baggage but it’s still worth looking into (especially if you can avoid a 15h train ride at the same cost.

At first glance, certain destinations can seem to be expensive to fly to but look out for other airports nearby, they may be cheaper! For instance, flying to Koh Samui from Bangkok costs around 200€ but flying to Surat Thani and taking the ferry will only cost around 30 to 40€.

Ferries are a real backpacker’s nightmare. You experience that paradisiacal islands in the south of Thailand you have no choice but to take a ferry and they are expensive. Like really, really expensive. We recommend not booking them in advance unless you are on a really tight schedule. Just book them on the spot, it will probably be cheaper.

As in most other countries in Southeast Asia, you don’t have to worry about booking transportation in advance. Booking on the spot for the next day or even later that same afternoon is completely fine unless you find yourself travelling during peak season. Obviously, this doesn’t count for flights. It might be useful to book those a little in advance.

Accommodation

Thailand certainly is the most touristic country in Asia. In terms of accommodation that means that you’ve got plenty to choose from. Depending on where you’re going you can find dorms between 3 and 20€ and private rooms from around 7€ to open end. The north is generally less expensive than the south and the islands are the most expensive you’ll find. Dorms are good value for money if you’re travelling alone but as a couple, it was often cheaper to get a private room.

Thailand is one of those countries where booking ahead can be quite useful as you might strike a good deal on agoda.com or booking.com. Once on Koh Tao we booked a room through a website for half the walk-in price! Most guesthouses and hostels have free tea and coffee and if you’re lucky you’ll find one that includes breakfast as well though it isn’t as common as we’d like.

Especially the south of the country is quite expensive and not as backpacker-friendly as everyone thinks in terms of budget (think about 14€ we paid for a crappy bungalow on Koh Lipe 20 minutes walk from the beach vs. 8€ we paid for a private room on Koh Rong in Cambodia 30m off the beach). As in many other countries in Asia, simple fan rooms are cheaper than those with AC but unless you are travelling throughout April or May (the hottest months in Thailand with temperatures of over 40°C), a fan is completely sufficient.

We were lucky enough to stay clear of any bad experiences. Our hosts were all adorable and the places we stayed at were all great. The advantage of mass tourism is that you can find hundreds of reviews and recommendations online - USE IT! Some of our favourite places were :

Mayom Hostel (Phetchaburi)

Ozone Beach Huts (Koh Lanta)

ZzHouse (Chiang Mai)

Food

Aaaaah, the food. Thai food is amazing. In variety, it probably beats even Indian food and the flavours range from coconut-sweet to shrimp-salted. Obviously, you’ve heard about the famous Pad Thai and the curries but that’s not all there is. Papaya salads, spicy mango salads or seafood salads are a must try, the savoury soups shouldn’t be missed and don’t get me started on the dessert (oh, mango sticky rice!).

As always, you’ll find the best food in the streets. Food stalls or tiny walk-in restaurants are just the best places to get authentic (meaning spicy) Thai food.

Snacks or meals at street stalls or little street restaurants usually start at 20 THB and go up to 70 THB depending on quantity and ingredients (remember, seafood is expensive). At sit-in restaurants you can expect to pay between 100 and 180 THB for a rice and curry, 60 to 120 THB for a Pad Thai or other noodle dishes and an incredibly exaggerated 80 to 100 THB for a mango sticky rice.

To fully enjoy the variety of Thai cuisine you should take a cooking class! Even kitchen grumps (like Ann) can have fun tasting all the different dishes and exploring the local market where you’ll get all the ingredients from.

The local beers are Chang, Leo and Singha which are all classic lagers. We were surprised to find that alcohol is actually quite expensive in Thailand compared to its neighbours (bye bye, 50ct beers on Pub Street! ;) ) but it’s still affordable and cheaper than in many places back home (meaning Paris cause Berlin’s awesome).

All in all, eating was one of our favourite activities in Thailand and now, maybe, you understand why. If we had to make a ranking about who’s got the best food, the Thais are definitely among the top 3. And we’ve had a lot of food. In quite a few different countries.

Cost of living

The cost of living in Thailand really depends on your location. The north is cheaper than the south, major touristic cities are more expensive than lesser known places. In Phetchaburi we easily lived of 20€ a day as we could get meals for under 50 THB at the local food court while on some of the islands we paid almost 30 THB just for a bottle of water!

There are always ways to keep the cost of living down so have coffee at your hostel or at 7-11 because they’re not only cheap but actually really good (especially the Thai Milk Tea!), get sandwiches from there (best cheap breakfast you’ll find) and if you can, just sleep there as well. Just kidding.

Food prices vary a lot but veggie dishes are always the cheapest. Fried rice / noddles with vegetables or a veggie Pad Thai will almost always be the cheapest choice. Chicken is also very affordable and sometimes at the same price but beef and especially sea food is often much more expensive.

A big beer will usually lighten your wallet by 80 to 120 THB if it’s not happy hours (then it’s more like 60 to 80 THB). Cocktails can be found for 80 to 200 THB depending on the establishment, size, etc. . Thank god, 7-11 (saved my life) has beer and wine at cheaper rates so for those who travel on a budget, this might just be the solution.

People

At times it seems as if there were more tourists and expats in Thailand than locals. While people in Myanmar or in Indonesia (outside of Bali and the Gilis) will look at you in awe and will somehow try to communicate while proudly talking about their country, a great majority of Thais will mainly talk to you in order to sell you something.

Mass tourism has taken over so many parts of the country that it can be difficult to have an “authentic” experience. The one time we managed to get off the beaten track we noticed a huge change in the way locals treated us. In Phetchaburi people came to say hello and to ask where we were from whereas in Chiang Mai they just wanted us to get a massage at their spa.

No matter where you go, people are extremely polite and helpful but they have grown accustomed to foreigners in most places and have simultaneously lost the interest of just talking to strangers in order to share insights on their life and culture. Obviously, this isn’t the case for all people and you will always find locals to chat to but compared to countries such as Vietnam or Indonesia, people in Thailand are less excited upon the sight of a foreigner (which is understandable as they must see millions of tourists every year).

Budget

As mentioned earlier, the cost of living and therefore the daily budget varies a lot between the north and the islands (let’s be honest, why else would you got to the south?). In over 7 weeks in Thailand we managed to stick to our budget of 40€ per day for two people but at times it was incredibly difficult and we had to pass on a lot of activities (and drinks).

In the north and places such as Phetchaburi, 40€ per day for two is totally doable and a realistic budget for budget travellers like us. On the islands or in peak season a realistic budget would be closer to 50 - 70€ depending on what you want to do and if you’re willing to do it independently. Day trips and organised tours will generally let your budget go through the roof so it is worth making an effort to do it by yourself.

On a side note, this “life budget” does not include the money we spent on diving (which is a lot). It just includes what we spent on accommodation, food, transports and visits.

Thanks to our budgeting app ExpenseTrack we always have an eye on our daily budget and it was quite easy to limit ourselves when needed. With so much street food available and 7-11s on every corner it is really easy to get by on a tight budget. Only a few euros left for the day? Just grab some street food and save some Baht!

What we thought about Thailand

We spent quite a lot of time in Thailand but still only managed to see a small part of the country. There are so many beautiful things to see and while, at times, the crowds can be annoying, it is definitely worth it. Between the temples, the beaches, the caves and the food, there is an excuse for everybody to visit Thailand.

But we’re not going to dwell on how beautiful the country is, otherwise it wouldn’t be such a popular holiday destination.

We were surprised that alcohol and accommodation can be so expensive and looking back considering that it is hyped for being so cheap.

Also, we do regret not having explored more destinations that are still off the tourist radar.

Anyway, we definitely enjoyed Thailand and made a ton of unforgettable memories!

[alltheroadsmusic]

Island Hopping, Thailand lat6.4886 long 99.3049

After a couple of days exploring caves and riding a bike through Phetchaburi, we returned to Koh Tao to pass our SSI Advanced Adventurer.

We had previously been to Koh Tao in December when we did our Open Water course so we already knew our way around the island.

The Advanced course only took two days and as we were eager to get some more diving experience, we didn’t stay much longer.

We wanted to check out some of the islands on Thailand’s west coast and researched the spots with the best diving.

Because the journey from Koh Tao to the west coast was quite long, we decided to stop in Krabi for a few days. At that point we weren’t actually aware of the fact that Krabi, just like Goa in India, is a state. Krabi Town does, in fact, exist but it is not at the beach and it is nothing like the paradise you imagine it to be.

We liked it anyway. And two days of doing nothing but diving we were quite exhausted. We walked along the river, visited the little, white temple and ate at the local market every single day. Apart from that we spent most of our time trying to figure out what we wanted to do next.

Our dive instructor had recommended Koh Phi Phi so that’s where we wanted to go but we soon figured that the party atmosphere and the prices for - what seemed to be pretty mediocre - accommodation did not fit into our plans at all. Instead, we decided to go to Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta is a much bigger island south of Krabi Town. The atmosphere is much more laid back and you generally find less party peeps and more families with kids at the beach. From Krabi, we took a mini van for 300 THB per person - so much cheaper than the ferry or speedboat!

Once on the island, you can choose between several beaches that are more or less popular. We decided to go to Long Beach, as it is supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the island and because we found a great place that rented out beach huts for 500 THB a night.

Ozone Beach Huts was the perfect choice for us! The huts are big, with comfortable beds, an attached bathroom and a mosquito net and you’re only 50 m from the beach! We spent our days swimming in the ocean and relaxing on our little terrace in our very own hammock.

There is a ton of dive centres to chose from and we initially wanted to check out a few before deciding but as soon as we walked into Kon-Tiki Diving, our mind was made up. The scheduled destination was Koh Haa and we were more than happy with that. Koh Haa, together with 15 other island, is part of the Marine National Park and thus belongs to a protected area.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a case for the GoPro so there is no under water footage but what was above the water was just as beautiful.

This was our first ever diving experience as certified divers outside of a course so we were a little nervous but it all turned out great. Koh Haa is an amazing spot not only for diving but for snorkelling as well. The visibility reached up to 25 or 30 meters and we found that there was a much greater variety in fish and coral than we had seen in Koh Tao.

All in all, we just loved it!

From Koh Lanta it is quite a ride to Koh Lipe, a tiny island in the far south of Thailand. There are several companies offering transfer between the two islands by speed boat but after a few over-adventurous rides on ferries and reading horror stories about the trip online (engines dying in the middle of nowhere and bags being lost at sea, WTF?), we were determined to find another solution. And so we did.

In the end, we booked a joint minivan-ferry ticket. Not only was it much cheaper than any of the boat rides but it was probably quicker, too. We were picked up at 8 am and crossed over to the mainland with the ferry. On the way, the owner of the travel agency explained, that there weren’t enough bookings to go by minivan so we’d be driven in a private car. That was a first.

We arrived well and on time at Pakbara from where we took a speedboat an hour later. The whole trip was about 6 hours so by the time we arrived on Koh Lipe, it was only early afternoon.

We had researched our options for accommodation before and knew that there was only one option that would fit our budget : Lipe Art Garden. This little art workshop has bungalows starting at 600 THB a night, which is crazy expensive for what it is but you don’t have a choice really.

The basic bungalows are just that - basic. They are not waterproof, which we experienced first hand, and apart from a mattress and a fan, you can’t fit anything in there. However, they have newer and nicer bungalows for 800 THB a night and those are really worth the money! They come with a real bed, a little terrace and a private bathroom.

We mainly travelled to Koh Lipe to go diving. We had heard about the amazing marine life around the island and wanted to get some more dives in before flying to Bali. The island itself had been described to us as paradisiacal and stunningly beautiful by every single person we had met and so our expectations were high.

Unfortunately, upon arrival, we were a little disappointed. Although the island is really pretty with its woods and tiny beaches and views on surrounding islands, you can see the marks that capitalism and mass tourism have left.

It is, by far, the most expensive island we’ve been to (a coffee at 7/eleven was twice as expensive as in the rest of the country!) but we couldn’t find any justification for it. There are a few nice beaches but they are not even close to those on Koh Rong or even Long Beach in Koh Lanta and Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach are filled with fishermen boats which makes swimming a little uncomfortable.

Considering the cost of living on the island, we were quite surprised to find so much garbage lying around. Our best guess is that the resorts and hotels with private beaches really offer an extraordinary experience but it is just not a backpacker destination. Koh Lipe is a charming little island but it certainly had lost some of its magic during the years due to the increasing number of visitors (and everything that comes along with it). 

The diving was, indeed, amazing. Although the visibility wasn’t as amazing as in Koh Haa, the water was pretty clear and we so some cool stuff like cuttle fish, a giant jelly fish and a turtle! There is tons and tons of corals in all colours, shapes and sizes and an abundance of fish.

All in all, we had a good time on Koh Lipe and it would probably have been even better if we hadn’t been told all kinds of fairytales by other people.

This was our final stop in Thailand (and we are NOT coming back this time) and although we had a great time there, we were excited to move on to our next destination : Indonesia (with a one day layover in Langkawi, Malaysia).

[alltheroadsmusic]

Off the beaten path - Phetchaburi, Thailand lat13.111160 long99.939133

After passing our Open Water Certification in Koh Tao, we quickly decided that we wanted to go back to pass our Advanced Adventure Certification as well. Dates were fixed, accommodation booked and a transfer from Bangkok to Koh Tao arranged. And then came Vietnam and we realised that we’d arrive 5 days earlier than planned in Thailand. Having already spent about a week in Bangkok we definitely didn’t want to stay there any longer but at the same time we didn’t want to lose too much time travelling to any other destinations. Having experienced Thailand at its peak season we looked for less popular destinations and came across Phetchaburi.

Phetchaburi, or Phetburi, is a rather small town in the Phetchaburi Province which is famous for its stunning caves. It lies about 120 km south of Bangkok and is reachable by minibus (from the Southern Bus Terminal) or train from Hua Lamphong station. We had read that there were also busses leaving from Mo Chit and our initial plan was to take a shuttle bus from the airport to figure out if this was true. That was, if we arrived at Don Meung Airport - which we didn’t.

Both of us had been so convinced that our flight from Hanoi was to Don Meung Airport that we never double checked until the plane landed - in Suvarnabhumi Airport. So we through the idea of taking the bus overboard and took the metro to Hua Lamphong station where we booked our tickets to Phetchaburi (184 THB per person). The train ride took forever (something between 4 and 5 hours) but eventually we made it.

Mayom Hostel was our choice of accommodation and we didn’t regret it. They offered free transport from and to the train or bus station, the rooms were clean and had AC, they had a little rooftop and a music room with pianos and guitars. They also provided us with bikes (for free!) and were just the most adorable people we met in Thailand.

For such a small town there is quite a lot to do and see.

There are two caves that can’t be missed : Khao Bandai It and Khao Luang. The latter is much more popular and therefore busier than the first.

Bandai It is a small hill located in the west of the city. There is an old monastery called Wat Khao Bandai which the cave belongs to. We spent a good hour visiting the cave and walking up the hill to the giant, Golden Buddha statue from where you had a beautiful view over Phetchaburi and the surroundings. 

What struck us was that we were the only people there - not counting the 3 monks that greeted us and kindly showed us the way to the cave entrance. “The cave” actually consists of a few smaller caves that are connected to one another. Pretty impressive.

The other cave is called Khao Luang and, as said before, attracts a larger crowd. It is considered one of - if not the - most important cave(s) in the Phetchaburi province which explains the amount of tourists in comparison to Bandai It. 

The cave is beautiful as well and the giant hole in the “ceiling” that lets the sunlight shine through creates a beautiful atmosphere inside. There are Buddha statues in all shapes and sizes and we were really happy to still discover something different from the “ordinary” temples we visit all the time.

At the bottom of Luang hill you’ll find a comparatively big temple complex called Wat Bun Tawee. This is only one of many, many temples you can find in Phetchaburi. While cycling through town we saw at least one hundred! Well, maybe not but it sure was a lot.

Obviously, the great, white Pagoda, Wat Mahathat Worawihan, was part of our little temple tour. The stupa can be seen from afar and the architecture, that includes stucco work resembling the Khmer style (Khmer as in the empire that ruled over much of South East Asia from Cambodia, remember?), is very different from most Thai temples. 

The highest of the 5 towers is more than 40 meters high and although much of the temple’s history remains unknown and much of the original structure has been lost or rebuilt, the very first structures might have been built as long as a thousand years ago.

Other temples that we thought were really beautiful were Wat Phet Plee and Wat Pom. There isn’t much history to tell as it is mostly unknown but the architecture was, as always, stunning and it was interesting to finally see temples where there were more locals praying than tourists taking selfies. People were so surprised and delighted to see us that they tried talking to us by all means even though they didn’t really speak English.

At Wat Phet Plee we met a man that earned his money being a chauffeur for monks and that also took care of the dogs living on the temple grounds.

There are many more temples - obviously - but let’s focus on something a little different : Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park or Khao Wang.

Phra Nakhon Khiri means Holy City Hill in Thai which is very creative considering the park consists of royal and religious monuments built on top of a hill in the middle of Phetchaburi but who are we to judge. Originally built on command of Rama IV, construction finished in 1860. The compound includes the palace, that today hosts a museum, a royal temple and a pagoda (at least those are the buildings you go to visit).

Phetchaburi was amazing. We absolutely loved our time there and were incredibly happy to find a destination in Thailand that wasn’t crawling with tourists. Everyday, we ate at a local food court where we turned out to be the attraction of the day because we were the only freaking foreigners there were. We ordered our food using more gestures than words and got a meal for less than a euro - everyone who’s been around in Thailand knows that that means something.

The people there were so friendly, open and welcoming, it almost felt as if we were in a different country. Everyone tried to talk to us, wanted to know where we came from and asked about our journey. Random people greeted us in the streets and whenever we looked a bit lost and confused someone pointed us in the right direction.

It is definitely one of our favourite places in Thailand; and we didn’t even plan on going there in the first place!

[alltheroadsmusic]

On our way to Hanoi, Vietnam lat15.87721 long108.32606

We arrived in Hoi An with the intention of taking a bus to Laos. Within 24 hours of arrival we figured that that wasn’t going to happen. The journey from Vietnam to Laos by bus isn’t easy and not cheap either but because of the New Year prices skyrocketed to up to three times the original price.

So we decided to stay in Vietnam until the end of our 15 day visa.

Hoi An is a beautiful little town near the beach about half an hour south of Da Nang. It’s main attraction is the Ancient Town of Hoi An, the part of the city that served as a trading port from the 15th to the 19th century and that has since become a UNESCO World Heritage site. What strikes is how remarkably well the architecture has been preserved. People from all over the world settled in Hoi An over the course of the centuries in order to benefit from this thriving trading centre - in fact, until the 18th century, Hoi An was considered one of the most important trade ports in South East Asia. Especially its connection to Europe and the successful trade with goods such as ceramics helped the city rise to prosperity and fame.

As a result, the buildings in proximity of the river reflect the origins of those who settled. Japanese, Chinese and European influences can be found and admired.

Apart from the Ancient Town, Hoi An is still known for handicrafts such as ceramics and textiles and many workshops offer a glance into the industries. Upon entering the Ancient Town you might be asked to buy a ticket. This is not compulsory! The ticket is only valid for some of the museums within the Ancient Town but not for the area itself.

If you cross the river onto the island, you will find a cute, little night market with souvenir and food stalls. There is a lot of street food in Hoi An and you should definitely give it a try! 

For those who prefer the more comfortable environment of a restaurant, there is heaps of them. A beautiful dinner spot for a special occasion is on one of the boats by the river. Most of them will just stay where they are but some of them actually take you on a little cruise along the river.

That’s what we did for our 3 year anniversary and although the weather wasn’t great, it was a perfect night that ended with a big surprise.

After a thousand drinks and phone calls, we woke up the next morning with a slight hangover, ready to go to Hue.

Hue is a small town approximately two and a half hours north of Hoi An. Most tourists venture to Hue in order to visit the citadel or better the Forbidden Purple City that lies within. The name is self-explanatory; only emperors, their families and a few chosen ones were granted access. Nowadays, you are free to walk around no matter who you are as long as you pay the entrance fee of 150 000 VND (about 6€).

Although an historic site and one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Imperial City is in no way ancient. Construction first started in the beginning of the 19th century and over the course of the years, more and more buildings were added according to the different emperor’s needs (and moods). At that time, Hue was a political and cultural centre and the proclaimed capital of the Nguyen dynasty, the last royal dynasty in Vietnam. Their reign lasted until 1945.

Unfortunately, during the Vietnam War a great part of the buildings was destroyed and although some parts have been reconstructed, a lot has been lost.

There are so many places to be discovered that you can easily spend the whole day there. Many buildings have been turned into exhibition halls where you can admire, for instance, traditional clothing etc.

For history lovers, there are little guide books being sold all over the city going into detail about the exact history of the different parts of the city.

Other than the Imperial City, there are a few tombs that lie on the south side of the Perfume River about 3 or 4 km west of the city. We didn’t have the time (or the motivation?) to go see as we needed to catch our flight in Hanoi but next time we’ll make sure to pay them a visit.

From Hue, it was a 12 hour ride on a night bus to get to Hanoi. There, we stayed in the Old Quarter, an area that is very popular with tourists. Tons of little cafés, restaurants and bars have settles in a maze of little streets that attracts all kinds of travellers. Furthermore, it is close to many major sights such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, the Citadel or the Vietnam Military History Museum.

We only had a day to explore the city as our visa expired the next day so it was convenient to be so close to some of tourist attractions. We walked a lot that day and managed to see quite a lot. Many of the sights we passed were actually closed which probably was due to Vietnamese New Year (again) but at least we got the feeling of not missing out on too much.

Hanoi is definitely a city we’d love to visit again - with more time to spare. We thought it to be much calmer than Ho Chi Minh City but not short of cultural experiences in any way.

15 days in Vietnam passed way too fast. After entering the country with so many mixed feelings as to what to expect, we left Hanoi wishing for more time to explore. The Vietnamese were some of the most lovely people we’ve encountered so far and between incredible natural sights and a captivating history, we quickly changed our attitude towards the country.

Thanks, Vietnam. Hopefully, we’ll be back one day!

[alltheroadsmusic]

Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam lat10.77179 long106.70556

It is really easy to cross the boarder from Cambodia to Vietnam. There are loads of companies that serve different routes between those two countries. We started out from Kampot and decided to go to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon); it seemed a logical choice as we wanted to go north and, eventually, take a bus to Laos (spoiler: that didn’t work out).

The ride in itself wasn’t that bad. We started off in a minivan that took us to the boarder (around 4h from Kampot). The boarder crossing was one of the easiest we experienced so far. Our driver took our passports, went away to get us stamped out of Cambodia. Then we walked over to Vietnam, filled in a medical form and got stamped into Vietnam. Most EU citizens get a free visa for 15 days, so no way you can ripped off. Easy peasy.

From there, it got a bit .. boring. We were dropped off in a small town near the border and had to wait for another mini van that took us to a bus station where we took a sleeper bus to Ho Chi Minh City (or HCMC). By the time we arrived there, night had already fallen and although we had spent all day napping in all kinds of busses, we were exhausted.

HCMC is overwhelming as a city. It is the biggest city in Vietnam and is currently inhabited by more than 10 million people (suburbs included). As the city has grown (and still grows) suburbs and the city merge together and become one giant metropolitan area.

Most tourists stay in or around District 1 as it is not only conveniently close to major sights but also hosts a great amount of hostels, guesthouses, bars and restaurants. Expect to pay $5 - $9 for a bed in a dorm and $12 + for a private room.

What to do in HCMC?

Obviously, if you tried to see or do everything there is, it would take you weeks. Not only is there an abundance of historical monuments, museums and markets in the city itself, but there are also quite a few day trips that are definitely worth looking into.

We spent 3 days visiting the city and here are some of our highlights.

The War Remnants Museum. An absolute must-do when you’re in HCMC. It is safe to say that a great majority of people knows next to nothing about the Vietnam War, unless you’re really into foreign history or have relatives who lived through it. The exhibitions displayed in the museum will leave you shocked and amazed at the same time. The Vietnam War is an infinitely important part of the country’s recent history so there is no way around visiting the museum and learning more about it.

At 15.000 VND (around 70 cts) for a ticket, this is the one of the cheapest and at the same time most compelling attractions we’ve been to!

One thing to keep in mind when you plan your visit, the museum closes between noon and 1:30 pm. There is a small café across the street where you can wait but if you’re pressed for time it’d be silly to waste an hour and a half just sitting around.

Having a drink above the city. The evening we spent at Eon51 (the highest Sky bar in HCMC) is one of our most amazing memories. Maybe it was more special to us because we had never been to a Sky bar outside of Paris but HCMC is a beautiful city to look at from above - especially just before Vietnamese New Year. There were lights everywhere and a huge flower exposition right below us.

There is a number of Sky Bars around Ho Chi Minh. Quite a few of them do Happy Hours until 7 or 8 pm (50% of drinks for instance); Eon51 does not have a Happy Hour anymore although you can still find websites saying so. Most of the bars upload their drink menu onto their website so it is worth doing your research if you’re on a budget.

Ben Thanh Market. The centrally located market is everything you are looking for in an Asian market. It is so big that you can easily get lost if you don’t keep track of where you’re going and so crowded that you can easily feel claustrophobic. Walking in there as a tourist, vendors will throw themselves at you constantly and offering you everything from dried food, clothes and local food over handbags and jewellery to fresh juices, souvenirs and other edible and non edible items. You can find pretty cheap food stalls and juices, anything else needs to be haggled for. It is a great place to improve your negotiation skills as especially souvenirs are incredibly overpriced. For one of the souvenirs we bought we negotiated the price down to 1/5th of what it originally was (and we probably still paid too much) so don’t hesitate to walk away and don’t give into their “quality and expensive material” crap.

Cu Chi Tunnels. In order to see the Cu Chi Tunnels we needed to book a day trip as they are a 2 hour drive from the city centre (it’s only about 40 km but that’s how driving in Vietnam works). Fortunately, our hostel offered a half day trip at 5$ per person (not including the entrance fee of 110.000 VND).

Cu Chi is the name of the district in which the tunnels are located. The network of tunnels that served as refuge and military base for the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong troops during Vietnam war expanded over 250 km at its peak.

Nowadays, a small part of the tunnel system is open to public and offers an insight into the life of a Viet Cong soldier and their families as well as their fighting techniques and their role in the war.

Walking around HCMC you will find many more places that are worth a visit such as the Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Hall or the Opera House. A walk along the river can be a nice afternoon activity and there is an abundance of museums to choose from. It sure didn’t get boring!

But all good things need to come to an end and so we booked a bus to Nha Trang on Vietnamese New Year’s Eve.

Nha Trang is a coastal city inhabited by a bit less than half a million people. We didn’t really know what to expect as our only criteria for choosing this destination was that Nha Trang lies more or less half way between HCMC and Hoi An.

We thought it quite difficult to grow fond of the city. In terms of cultural sights the city itself doesn’t have much to offer except for Po Nagar Cham and a Pagoda.

There also is a waterfall about 20 km outside of the city. The rest consists mainly of travel agencies, coffee shops, restaurants and hotels. What struck us was the amount of Russian tourists. There are so many of them that shop owners talked to us in Russian instead of English. It got to the point where restaurants didn’t have menus in English - but in Russian - and that people turned away from us when they noticed we weren’t Russian. Overall, not the greatest experience we had in Vietnam. The beach was quite nice but we found the prices to be quite inflated so probably better to stick to other destinations by the beach.

Our first week in Vietnam was better than we had hoped (especially because it was Vietnamese New Year). Upon arrival in Vietnam we were a little prejudiced against the country and its people as we had read some rather discouraging accounts but after the first day already we fell in love with the culture and the Vietnamese hospitality.

From a random stranger who bought us rain coats when we were stuck under the pouring rain to being invited to dinner at our guesthouse for New Year’s, the Vietnamese proved to be one of the kindest people we have met in just a couple of days.  

[alltheroadsmusic]

Exploring South Cambodia, Cambodia lat10.715897 long103.24878

After our magnificent stay in Siem Reap, visiting the wonders of Angkor, we ventured on to a few other destinations in Cambodia. Our first stop was Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. You can book journeys to all kinds of destinations in Siem Reap so finding and booking a bus was really easy. Phnom Penh is about 4 hours by mini van from Siem Reap and is a gateway to many other destinations in Cambodia - in north as well as in the south.

We stayed at 19 Happy House Backpackers and cannot recommend it. You can certainly find a better place to stay. But anyway, we did not want to let that influence our stay in anyway. Big cities are always a risk; most of the time you either love them or hate them. Especially in South East Asia cities tend to be very chaotic and can be dirty or just too crowded for one’s taste but we wanted to give it a try anyway.

It was one of those places you probably need some time to warm up to. Time we didn’t have, so we left the city 2 days later with quite mixed feelings. Staying at the river side seems to be the common thing to do. The quarter has a night market, loads of little bars and restaurants and doesn’t lie too far from tourist attractions such as the Royal Palace or the Independence Memorial.

Maybe after 5 months of travelling we just had it with big cities. We had spent quite a lot of time in Bangkok and were therefore not so stoked about being back to breathing heated fumes of too many motorbikes and tuk-tuks.

We really enjoyed the night market. It didn’t have much too shop for as they were mostly selling clothes but it had quite a few food stalls where you could eat barbecue or fried noodles for a dollar or two.

We walked around the city but just couldn’t get the motivation to visit the Palace or any of the museums (to our defence we had just visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok 2 weeks earlier). Long story short, we were just not feeling it. Sorry, Phnom Penh.

From Phnom Penh we took a bus that would get us to Sihanoukville where we hoped to find a ferry that could take us to Koh Rong, one of the southern islands. That didn’t quite work out like we planned so we found ourselves missing the last ferry and stuck in Sihanoukville. Thank god, we found Backpacker Heaven, a hostel that is just that - heaven for backpackers. At 5$ per dorm bed with a free beer, swimming pool, pool table and a bar, we spent a relaxing evening and even had the time to take a stroll at the beach.

Most people come to Sihanoukville to catch a boat to one of the beautiful islands that are just off the coast but you could easily spend a day or two exploring the city itself.

The return ticket to Koh Rong or the nearby Koh Rong Saloem costs 20$. The speed boats and catamarans leave from Serendipity pier in the south of town. It We arrived at Koh Toch Beach, the most popular beach among backpackers. The beachfront is packed with hostels, guesthouses, bars and restaurants where you lose track of time and spent most of your dollars.

Accommodation can be as cheap as 6 - 8$ for dorms or 10$ for a private room but there are also bungalows that charge up to 100$ a night. On other parts of the island you have more luxurious resorts but they were slightly above our budget.

We found a really nice guesthouse just off the beach owned by a Cambodian family and a fantastic stay there. No need for resorts.

Koh Rong is the perfect place to spend a few quiet days (or months) just relaxing on one of the paradise-like beaches with their white sand and turquoise water.

Getting to other beaches around Koh Rong is costly as you can only access them by hiring a boat (there is a 7km trail that leads to Long Beach on the west side of the island but that’s the big exception) so the majority of tourists stays at Koh Toch all day and night. The beach is quite nice but can get crowded which is why we looked for an alternative and found : 4K Beach!

About 3km north of Koh Toch lies our little hidden gem. There are only a few resorts on the far north end of the beach and one restaurant / beach bar at the south end; the rest of the beach is untouched. For us, seekers of the quiet, it was the perfect spot! There was hardly anyone else besides us and the beach is drop dead gorgeous. The water was crystal clear, the sand wonderfully white and a few trees provided exactly the shade you needed to last all day without getting a heat stroke.

There are restaurants and bars en masse but, as always when the there are more tourists than locals, most of the food offered is western food or overpriced (or both). We found a nice little local place just off the beach towards the south end of Koh Toch where you could eat for 1 - 4$. Drinks are way easier to come by as there are happy hours everywhere and alcohol, in general, isn’t expensive at all in Cambodia.

We stayed for 5 nights and had a wonderful time although we didn’t do much except for lying at the beach. For those who are more energetic than we were there are plenty of activities to participate in. Tours to see the glowing plankton, zip-lining or an excursion to some of the tiny, nearby islands are just some of the things you can do in order to prevent boredom.

As magical as it was, we had to leave at some point and as our plan was to cross the border to Vietnam, we decided to go to Kampot, a small town in the Southeast of Cambodia. Kampot itself is quite boring, to be honest. There isn’t much to see except for the local market and you mostly do day trips, for instance to nearby National Parks. We stayed at Bayan Tree and it was really cool although it is quite far to the city (around 3km).

There is an English Pub that does amazing spare ribs but that is pretty much the highlight of the city. Unfortunately, we weren’t feeling so well during the two days we spent there so that we had to pass on our day trip to Kep and other activities.

We only had a short two weeks in Cambodia and it wasn’t enough at all! We only got a glimpse of this country and it’s amazing history and culture but we absolutely loved what we saw. Cambodians are lovely people and we hope we’ll be back one day to explore more!

[alltheroadsmusic]

Wonders of Angkor, Cambodia lat13.345259 long103.85418

Backpackers and long term travellers all follow kind of the same route across South East Asia. From Thailand to Cambodia to Vietnam to Laos. With loads of options for cheap flights and over-night busses and visas on arrival hopping from country to country can be done easily.

After a month in Thailand, we hopped on a ‘direct’ bus to Siem Reap to explore Angkor Wat. Be careful when booking your bus ticket as most companies do not offer a direct bus (which basically means you need to carry all your stuff across the border and switch busses). There are busses operated by the Thai government that leave from Mo Chit Bus Terminal that take you all the way to Siem Reap which is very convenient as you only need to take your passport when getting off the bus to cross the border.

The trip takes around 10 hours, 2 of which you will spend at the border getting stamped out of Thailand and getting your Visa in Cambodia. The bus from Bangkok stops at the Poi Pet border crossing. On the Thai side everything is pretty well organised; you get off the bus and walk a few minutes to the border control where you will get stamped out of the country. Beware of locals waiting at the bus asking for your passport and offering to take you to the office -  this is a scam!

After leaving Thailand you walk across the border and have to get your Visa in Cambodia. It is supposed to cost 35$ (1200 Baht) but at the immigration office they will ask 40$ (1400 Baht) 9 out of 10 times. If you refuse to pay, they will just hand you back your passport and refuse to issue the visa so you do not have a choice but pay the bribe.

After getting your visa you will have to go to another border control office and after you get another stamp from there you can finally get back to the bus.

Once you’ve made it to Cambodia, it only takes another 4 hours to get to Siem Reap. We stayed at Tipsy Turtles and cannot recommend it enough. The staff is great, the dorms are clean and quite cheap and they’ve got a bar with good happy hour deals.

By the way, although Cambodia has a local currency called Riel (4 000 Riel = 1$), you mostly use dollars. Don’t even bother trying to withdraw Riel anywhere, even the locals use dollars.

It is safe to say, that the only reason one ventures to Siem Reap is to explore the Archaeological Park of Angkor Wat. Siem Reap is about 7 km from the park entrance and offers accommodation for all those who’d like to explore the infamous temples of Angkor Wat. There are different access passes depending on how many days you’d like to spend climbing ancient ruins. As of February 2017 the government has decided to increase prices so the new prices are as follows :

1 Day pass : 20$ (37$ as of Feb 2017)

3 Day pass (to be used in a period of 7 days) : 40$ (62$ as of Feb 2017)

7 Day pass (to be used in a period of 30 days) : 60$ (72$ as of Feb 2017)

Considering the size of the area in which the major temples are located, it is impossible to see everything in one day. 3 days seems to be the most popular option unless you’re really pressed for time or LOVE history beyond anything.

You cannot purchase your pass at the entrance to the park. You need to go to the ticket counter about 4 km east of Siem Reap. Getting in without a ticket is impossible as they check it at all of the major temples.

What makes the ticket prices even sweeter is the fact that they do NOT include transportation. That, you have to pay extra. There are several ways of getting around the Archeological Park; the most popular seems to be by Tuk-tuk. Depending on whether you are going for the grand or the small circuit rates for the day vary between 15 and 25$. When travelling with a group, hiring a tuktuk can be of advantage as you can split the fare but we found that too many drivers are unwilling to go beyond the typical “circuit tour”. There is more to Angkor Wat than just Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom so make sure you hire a tuk-tuk for the day and not only for one of the circuits (the difference being that he’ll take you to where you want to go instead of just doing his tour and stopping at the 4 biggest temples).

For fitness freaks or those with way too much self confidence, there is a possibility to rent bikes for 2-3$ a day. Every single person we saw on bikes seemed to regret it before they even got to the entrance of the park but that was just our impression. The distances between Siem Reap, the park entrance and the different temples should not be underestimated. Just the smaller circuit (without stopping here and there to explore smaller temples off the road) adds up to about 35 km! And then you still need to climb up those ruins to actually enjoy some views and the architecture. Last but not least, cycling 35 km is one thing, doing so in the heat of the always present Cambodian summer is another. We visited Angkor Wat in January, the middle of the “cool” period and had average temperatures of over 30°C a day. This is just a friendly suggestion, everyone’s free to do what they want. We’d be sad to spend 40$ only to NOT enjoy our visit because we cycled ourselves to death, but well…

Our recommended way of getting around Angkor Wat is .. *drum roll* by E-Bike! When randomly walking through Siem Reap we found a few shops that were renting E-Bikes and decided to give it a try. The going rate seems to be 7-10$ a day which is super affordable considering that two people can ride on one bike.

Tip : Do not use Green E-Bikes! They charge 10$ per bike (which can only be used by one person), they are incredibly slow and you need to recharge them a lot!

There is a ton of small shops near pub street that rent out E-Bikes (or motorbikes at 10-15$ a day for that matter). We used them for 3 days and didn’t have a problem once. Recharging was only necessary when driving the big circuit and even with two people on the bike we’d constantly drive at 45 km/h. When in Bagan, we fell in love with the concept of renting E-Bikes : you’re free to go wherever you want whenever you want and it’s ecological! Apparently, E-Bikes haven’t been around in Siem Reap for very long which is why we only saw a handful of other tourists using them but more and more rental shops are already popping up. We cannot recommend them enough! It was so nice to just stop wherever and take a turn here and there and explore some of the smaller temples that are generally untouched by the hordes of tuktuks driving around.

Once you’ve sorted out the how and when and where, you are finally ready to explore the immense complex of temples that is called the Angkor Archeological Park of which Angkor Wat is undoubtedly the absolute tourist favourite.

Angkor Wat, in fact, is one of the largest religious monuments in the world and has an amazing story to tell. Built in the 12th century under King Suryavarman II, it was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, the protecter and preserver of the universe. Later on, in the 14th century, it was converted to a Buddhist temple. Angkor was also the name of what used to be the capital of the Khmer empire, one of the greatest and most powerful empires of Southeast Asia. Findings suggest that Angkor, at one point in history, was the biggest city in the world and that it could have been home to more than one million people!

The empire fell in the 15th century but Angkor Wat remained a religious centre and people from all over Asia would make it the destination of their pilgrimage.  

The carvings in Angkor Wat were just mind-blowing!

Although Angkor Wat is definitely the most famous of all the monuments in the Archaeological Park, it is by far not the only one worth mentioning (and, in our opinion, not even the most impressive!).

One of the most famous views of Angkor Wat! (highly recommended for sunrise)

Angkor Thom, presumably the last capital of the Khmer empire, is a fortified city which has been well preserved. From the stunning Bayon Temple in the centre of the city, to Baphuon, the Royal Palace and the Elephant terrace you can freely wander around the ruins by foot. What many tourists seem to miss, in the northeast of Angkor Thom lies Preah Pithu, a small group of smaller but beautiful temples that goes completely unseen by visitors and is slowly conquered by nature.

The small circuit will usually lead you past Ta Keo, Ta Prohm (the infamous Lara Croft temple) and Banteay Kdei. There are a few smaller temples along the road that are worth a stop but can be seen in just a couple of minutes.

Huge trees are now part of the temple. Nature took back its land!

If you continue driving north from Angkor Thom, you will soon reach Praeh Khan, a monastic complex that, at its peak, was inhabited by over 15 000 monks, teachers and students. Since then, nature has steadily claimed back its ground adding to the mystic atmosphere that seems to be present at all times in the jungle around Angkor.

At the east end of the complex you can find this beautiful view.

Before reaching Neak Pean, you can make a quick stop at Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei, two tiny temples that aren’t important enough to be on most people’s radars.

Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup are the last stops on the grand circuit tour. Pre Rup was definitely one of our favourites and we spend about an hour on top of the temple eating cookies, gazing at the clouds and admiring the stone carvings.

Banteay Samre is located about 3 km to the east of the main complex. Not only can you see some more of the beautiful architecture that is so typical for monuments built during the rule of the Khmer, but you will also enjoy a short ride through some local villages and fields.

We did not see everything there is to see in Angkor but we sure did see quite a lot. Obviously, we could have squeezed in a temple more or two but we wanted to enjoy every last bit and not fall victim to temple fatigue (something that happens quite easily when you’ve spent a couple of months bouncing around Asia).

The sunrise at Angkor Wat is something highly debated amongst travellers. In order to get a good spot you need to be there before 5 am (although the left basin was already crowded, the right basin was quite empty until about 5:30 am). The problem is, not every sunrise is worth the effort. In Bagan, every sunrise was unbelievably beautiful but in Angkor that was not the case. We’ve seen beautiful photos online so we gave it a try and were quite disappointed. You are sharing the spot with 1000 - 1500 people (this is an official figure, no kidding) but at least you’re up early and if you leave before the sun is all the way up, you can get some pretty nice shots at the other temples before the rest of the masses arrive.  

Siem Reap itself has a few museums and markets but there is no point in visiting if you don’t want to see Angkor Wat. Pub Street is as amazing as it sounds though the many happy hour deals can quickly turn from your best friend into your worst nightmare (climbing those freaking ruins with a hangover is NOT fun).  Street food can be found for as little as 1$ and there are tiny cocktail bars and fried ice cream stands everywhere.

The Angkor What? Bar : probably the most famous bar in Siem Reap!

Cambodia was off to a great start!

[alltheroadsmusic]

Ayutthaya - A day trip from Bangkok, Thailand lat14.3304 long100.5296

From Chiang Mai we took an overnight bus back to Bangkok. We arrived around 5 am, drove to our guesthouse and made our way over to Hua Lamphong. 

From there, it was really easy to catch a train to Ayutthaya. 

Ayutthaya was the second capital of the Siamese empire, after Sukhotai, and remained its political centre for more than 400 years. In 1767, the city was attacked by the Burmese who destroyed it almost completely and forced the inhabitants to abandon their homes.

Today, Ayutthaya is a popular destination for history lovers, backpackers and other travellers who like to wander around the ruins of a former kingdom. 

A day trip from Bangkok is, in our opinion, the perfect way to explore the ancient capital. Obviously, there is plenty of accommodation in Ayutthaya itself but the city is rather small and you might not want to miss out on Bangkok’s nightlife. 

The easiest - and cheapest - way to get to Ayutthaya is to go by train. The local train leaves from Hua Lamphong station and takes anything between 1 and 3 hours. 3rd class seats go for as little as 20 Baht and it is a fun experience to share the compartment with locals. 

There are several trains per day, check out the timetable on seat61.com. Upon arrival in Ayutthaya, you will see a sign with all the trains going back to Bangkok. Make sure, to remember at what time the last train leaves or to take a photo of the timetable. 

From the train station you can easily walk across the river. To the Historical Park it will take around 40 minutes. However, there are tuk-tuks waiting in front of the train station and you can rent bikes once you’ve made it to the centre. 

Information on whether or not there is an entrance fee varies. In January 2017, admission was free as a way of honouring the late king. 

Some of the bigger temples demand an admission fee but it usually doesn’t exceed 50 Baht.

Upon entering the Park you will come across this gem. Wat Mahathat is an old monastery that dates back to the beginnings of the Ayutthaya period. Its location and incredible monuments make it the city’s favourite tourist spot. 

The Buddha face entangled in the roots of a tree attracts quite a crowd. Everyone has to kneel down in order to take photos with it as you are not allowed to stand above the Buddha. 

Seeing the ruins today it is hard to think of Ayutthaya as one of the largest and most thriving cities of its time. 

Ayutthaya is home to many Wats (temples) - active or not. At the entrance to the Historical Park near Wat Mahathat you can find city maps that will lead you to the biggest and some of the smaller sight. 

Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Thammiarat, the Royal Palace and obviously Wat Phra Si Sanphet are some of the highlights that shouldn’t be missed during a visit. 

Unless you want to explore some of the Wats that are located further outside the centre, one day is more than enough to explore the ancient city. 

Ayutthaya was our last stop in Thailand. We hung around Bangkok for a few more days before heading to our next adventure! 

[alltheroadsmusic]

Chiang Mai, Thailand lat18.796143 long98.979263

The capital of the Chiang Mai province is the greatest tourist magnet in Northern Thailand and considered one of the most important cultural centres of the country. Founded in 1296, the city has seen different kingdoms and empires come and go and has kept memories of each and every one in its magnificent temples.

Chiang Mai is one of those places that you cannot avoid. It is not only a historic city with an abundance of beautiful monuments and opportunities for fun activities, but also a gateway to all Northern Provinces of Thailand. If it’s Pai, Chiang Rai or Lampang, your way will almost always lead you through Chiang Mai.

Apart from the Old City that is home to many of the most popular temples, the city is known for the many elephant sanctuaries and national parks that have been established in the surrounding areas. Handicraft workshops, food markets and the amazing night bazaars are some of the other highlights of a visit to Chiang Mai.

To be able to enjoy the entire Chiang Mai experience, you would probably need to stay a couple of weeks. We only had 4 days and tried to make the best of it. We stayed at Zz House in the East side of the city (across the river) and had the best time. It is only a 15 minute walk away from the Old Town but lies in a quiet area.

If you’re into food, you will love Chiang Mai. Food markets, bars, restaurants, food stalls .. as far as the eye can reach. One of our personal favourites was a restaurant called Lemongrass near the night bazaar in the east of the city. They’ve got amazing Thai food at affordable prices and the staff was just amazing. They will take the time to answer all the questions you have, explain how the dishes are made or which spices are in them. If you plan on going there for dinner, you might want to call ahead or make a reservation during the day as they get packed and most nights there is a queue outside.

There are over 200 temples in and around Chiang Mai so it is impossible to see all of them. A little research on the Internet will show you a thousand websites ranking the “most popular” or “best” temples to see.  A few of them, such as Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Was Suan Dok, lie outside of the Old Town but you don’t have to go far to be amazed.

When going on our own little temple hunt, we didn’t stick to any maps or recommendations. We just walked around the Old Town and visited the temples we stumbled upon. Most of them are free of charge or really cheap (about 20 Baht per person) and quite often you will find little markets on the temple grounds.

Some of the places we visited are Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Pan Tao among others. They are all beautiful and impressive and have got their very own story (which we’re not going elaborate on here - let’s be real, we’re just getting it from wikipedia as well).

Some of the handicraft work of Chiang Mai.

As mentioned above, elephant sanctuaries, rescue centres or parks are very popular with tourists and there must be a hundred different go-to places to see, feed or ride elephants. We definitely did not want to miss out on the opportunity to see elephants up close but were very concerned with the well-being of the animals you find in those places. Unfortunately, animal mistreatment is a common side effect of the masses of tourists looking for a baby elephant to pet. Many of the so called sanctuaries chain up the elephants and do not treat them as well as they claim.

Luckily, when we were in Kalaw we ran into a Belgian guy who lived in Thailand and had worked with some elephant sanctuaries and he recommended a few places that, in his opinion, were decent places where the primary concern were the animals and not profits.

After some more research of our own we decided to go for Maerim’s Elephant Sanctuary. They only opened in April 2016 and keep a group of 4 elephants that have been bought or rescued from circuses or trekking companies.

A few minutes with this elephant and it already wanted to kiss us!

The sanctuary also had some new born puppies from their own dog. 

We spent the day feeding and bathing the elephants, we learned how to chop banana trees and how to cook noodle soup and were told about typical behaviours of elephants (like stepping on the trunk of a banana tree to get to the juicy inside). We bathed in mud and watched the elephants play with each other and enjoy themselves in cool water. It was a beautiful experience.

We also spent New Year’s Eve in Chiang Mai. Because of the recent death of King Bhumibol no festivities were to be held. Apparently, they normally do fireworks and throw a lot of parties but this year was supposed to be quiet as everything else would have been disrespectful.

The sky was filled with lanterns. Thousands of wishes in the sky!

We found a sweet little food market close to the night bazaar in the eastern part of town and spend most of the evening drinking Sangria and trying out different foods. It. Was. Legendary. So much good food in one place.

Just before midnight we made our way towards the Eastern Gate to see the lanterns rise to the sky at midnight. The sky was filled with lights and wishes (you have to write a wish onto every lantern). Just magical.

But just as every other night, this one had to end to. And after a few drinks (maybe a few too many) and some culinary adventures (we thought it’d be a great idea to try insects and dried worms on our way back home) we fell into bed and slept like little babies.

Romain’s parents enjoying New Year’s Eve in shorts (also Sangria)!

Something that is not particularly typical for Chiang Man but shouldn’t be missed on your trip to Thailand is a cooking class! Thai cuisine - in our opinion - one of the most diverse and interesting ones worldwide and learning how to make a proper curry or the famous Pad Thai was just too tempting.

There are loads of cooking classes all around but we decided to go with Siam Rice Cooking Class and didn’t regret it!

We started off the day with a market tour where we got to know the different vegetables and some of the spices we would use later on. Then we had some time to explore the market by ourselves.

Let’s buy and eat some fried worms!

From the market, it was just a short drive to the cooking school where the magic was going to happen. Part of the full day course were 7 dishes from appetisers over salads to curries, noodles and dessert. And we could eat it ALL!

It was not only fun but also an interesting lesson on how to spice up your cooking at home without much effort. And we had an excuse to literally eat all day.

Mango sticky rice is so simple to make but so delicious!

Chiang Mai is an explosion of activities, history, shopping and culinary experiences all together in one place. It is packed with tourists and we still wouldn’t miss it for the world. 

We had the best time and could have easily stayed a couple of days more.

[alltheroadsmusic]

Bangkok, Thailand lat13.736717 long100.523186

A few days after Christmas it was time to head back to Thailand’s capital to pick up Romain’s parents from the airport. We got up at 4 am to catch the first ferry from Koh Samui to Suratthani, got on a minivan that took us to the airport, flew to Bangkok, dropped off our bags at the guesthouse and went to the other airport. What. A. Day.

We hadn’t seen them since August so the first night was completely sacrificed towards catching up and sipping beers and other (un-)healthy drinks.

We spent about four days in Bangkok, two when Romain’s parents arrived, and two at the end of their stay. The typical backpacker destination in Bangkok is definitely Khao San Road about 1 km north of the Grand Palace. There are tons of hostels, guesthouses and hotels as well as bars, restaurants and shops that sell anything you might (not) need.

We stayed at Honey Place Guesthouse which was fine but a bit overpriced. You can find much cheaper.

Upon our return to Bangkok, we stayed near Lumphini Park. There are a couple of guesthouses and hostels that are great value for money, the metro is really close and if you like to walk you can easily reach the big shopping malls such as MBK or CentralWorld in about 45 minutes or an hour. If you look on the map you will, however, find that Lumphini is quite far from the touristic area around Khao San so it takes an extra hour to reach the centre.

There are so many things to do in Bangkok that it could fill up weeks but we stuck to some of the typical tourist activities and major sights.

On our first day, we did a tour through the khlongs, which are little canals that spread through the entire city. It felt like being in the Asian counterpart of Venice.

Vendors sell all kind of goods on the Khlongs, just like in the street! Here are Fried Bananas

All the houses are accessible from the canals, you can see little bridges, markets and orchid farms. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the floating market as it was closed on the day we did the tour but at least we got to visit one of the orchid farms. Discovering the khlongs compares to discovering a different Bangkok. It does not feel like the buzzing metropolis we know it usually is.

Khao San is the centre of the backpacker nightlife scene. There are bars and pubs as far as the eye can reach as well as massage stands, spas, souvenir shops and tailors. 

Although it is veeeery tempting to have a drink or two (or three or four) in that kind of environment, beware, Thailand is not as cheap as it seems and although “Happy Hour” always sounds great, a drink (beer or HH cocktail) will still cost about 2-4€. There is an adjacent street, next to Wat Chana Songkhram, where you can get some good deals at the VW bus bars and local food stalls.

Drink at small street stands rather than in bars, it’s much cheaper and most of the time more fun!

It is convenient to stay around Khao San as many major sights are reachable by foot.

If you have followed the news, you may have read that King Bhumibol died in October 2016. National hero is probably the most fitting description for the late king as he was not only very popular but also reigned the country for over seven decades. His death - although not entirely unexpected - came as a shock to the Thai people and they've been grieving ever since. 

Shortly after the king passed away, a one-year period of mourning was declared. We experienced first-hand what this national grief meant for the people. In the first three months after the late king's passing it was deemed disrespectful to wear any other color than black. The coffin is displayed in the Grand Palace and thousands of Thais came to pay their respects which is why the palace was even more crowded than normally when we visited.

There must be hundreds of temples in all shapes and sizes all over Bangkok. Around Khao San, many tuktuks will offer to take you on a Buddha or Temple tour. This can be a convenient way of visiting some of the most popular places without having to walk everywhere (Bangkok is biiiiig so walking is not always an option). Be careful though to not fall for a scam where they take you to shops and factories instead of sights!

As a precaution, always ask where exactly they will take you and be suspicious if the price is too low.

Thai architecture is incredibly beautiful and colourful!

One of our personal favourites was Wat Trimitr, also called the Golden Buddha Temple, a beautiful white temple located in the heart of Chinatown. It is as beautiful in the inside as it is on the outside and the walk through Chinatown makes the whole experience really memorable.

Welcome to Chinatown!

Another much visited temple is Wat Saket which, among tourists, is better known as the Golden Mount. A beautiful view of Bangkok is what you get for climbing up a small hill on top of which stands a beautiful golden Chedi (or pagoda). Watch out for “friendly” locals telling you that the temple is closed for whatever reason and that they know another place worth visiting. It is open every day from 9 am to 5 or  6 pm and does not close at noon.

The Grand Palace is an absolute must do - although it costs 500 Baht per person. The dress code at the palace is really strict (no shoulders or knees sowing, ripped jeans are forbidden and scarfs are not accepted as a cover) so make sure to be dressed appropriately. However, you can rent clothes near the entrance if you need to.

Wat Phrae Kaew is the name of the temple complex located on the grounds of the Grand Palace. This is considered the most sacred temple in all of Thailand and the Emerald Buddha attracts thousands of visitors every day.

The entrance fee for the Royal Palace is quite expensive but the complex is huge!

If you can, come early enough so the crowd is less crazy. The complex opens at 9 am.

The photos speak for themselves, this place is just outstanding!

You will see magnificent paintings in Wat Phrae Kaew. They are incredibly detailed and the colours are amazing!

Part of the Royal Palace was closed to public because of the King’s death. People from all over Thailand were queuing to see the King’s coffin, inside the Palace.

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha or Wat Pho (just behind the Grand Palace) is another tourist magnet that is definitely worth the 100 Bath you pay as an entry fee. While the 46m long golden Buddha statue is very impressive, we thought the rest of the temple was quite neglected by the masses of tourists that enter the complex. Was Pho, in fact, is home to the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand and there is some stunning architecture to be seen.

It is hard to photograph the whole Buddha, between the crowd and the immensity of the status!

There are some incredible carvings in the back of the Buddha.

First attempt at daylight long exposure photo with our new camera, still in Wat Pho!

If you’re on a roll, you can also stop by at the National Museum which is only a couple of hundred meters away from Wat Pho and the entrance to the Grand Palace. There are several large collections of statues, jewellery, weapons and other historical relics that tell the history of different empires and kingdoms. We were lucky to benefit from free entrance - a way to pay respect to the late king - but the normal fee is 200 Bath.

Rock’n’Roll was invented way before we thought it was... :)

Those are just a few of the most popular places we’ve visited but if you’ve got time to spend in Bangkok, just walk through the city without a plan and you’ll come across tons of small or medium sized temples that are hidden between skyscrapers and shopping malls and local schools. That way, we discovered quite a few places where not a single soul was to be found except for the guardian.