Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sunset over the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Overland from Koh Tao to Phuket

The ferry portion of the journey went smoothly. We paid 820THB at Lotus Travel for the entire journey. Songserm was the ferry provider and the boat left pretty much on time for Koh Phangan. At Phangan we switched boats for one heading to Koh Samui and the Don Sak Ferry Terminal. At Don Sak, there were buses waiting to take us onward. All going smoothly so far...till we got to Surat Thani. We were taken to a transfer station outside of town with almost no stores or restaurants around and told we'd have to wait an hour there. The staff at this place was incredibly rude and unhelpful despite their fake nice demeanor. I asked a guy if I could see a map of Phuket which they had shown us earlier and he tried to ignore me even though I asked 4 times after which I just picked it up off the table that he was sitting at and he flipped out. Wanker! The one hour wait turned into a 1.5 hour wait and when I asked what the holdup was they produced some more bullshit about there not being a bus available yet and that we'd have to wait another hour. Others ended up paying an additional 300THB to hire a minibus to their destinations because they got tired of waiting. I reported this news back to everyone and sensing the mood changing the staff rounded us up into a songthaew and took us to a random petrol station where a government bus eventually showed up to refuel and we got on. While we were waiting for this bus they were "joking" that we'd have to spend the night in Surat Thani. Not funny. We finally reached Phuket Town at about 11pm and walked down to the main road to get a tuktuk since the ones at the bus park were trying to rip us off. 14 hours total travel time. Unpleasant.

Koh Phangan, Thailand

All I've been doing on Koh Phangan is partying, playing beach volleyball, jumping into the sea and seeing incredible sunsets. Tonight is the Full Moon Party, hopefully will be partying till the sun comes up!

Sunset on Leela Beach

The Temples of Angkor - Days 2 and 3

Based on my good friend Gary's recommendation , on the second day we decided to do sunrise at Angkor Wat then go to Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre via tuk tuk. We arranged the tuk tuk through our guesthouse (Millennium Guesthouse, a chill family run place that has double rooms for 6USD/night) for 20USD for 4 people. The driver was ready before we were; when we came outside at 04:50 he was already ready to go. We picked up our friends at their guesthouse and then off we went to Angkor Wat. We arrived before sunrise and there was already a crowd of people at the sunrise point. We staked out a good spot where we could see the five towers of the temple reflecting off the water and waited for the sun to ascend over the temple. It wasn't the most spectacular sunrise I've ever seen from an aesthetic point of view but the temples made it special nonetheless.

Banteay Srei

After the sun had fully risen we had breakfast at the stalls nearby who more than prepared to discount their inflated prices when I looked at the menu then said "too expensive". They gave us a 25% discount on everything on the menu which was quite nice. The drive out to Banteay Srei took about one hour but it was totally worth it. The temple is located about 37km from Angkor Wat and has been lovingly restored. While not spectacular in size, the things that set it apart are the type of stone used (sandstone) to build it and the intricate carvings and statues found throughout the temple. The carvings are exquisite. Next up was Banteay Samre. It's made out of the same sandstone as Banteay Samre and follows typical Khmer temple architectural style.

Elephant Terrace, Angkor Thom

On the last day of my 3 day pass I hired a mountain bike and cycled the entire grand tour, a return trip of approximately 38km from the Old Market in Siem Reap. Unfortunately for me it was REALLY hot and sunny that day so it was slow going once I got into the Angkor complex since there's not much shade to be had along the road. I stopped off at Angkor Thom's Elephant Terrace, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, and Terrace of the Leper King. Of all these the Elephant Terrace interested me the most. Judging from the name and the way it's structured it's safe to assume they used to mount and dismount elephants. The carvings along the walls of the terrace are really detailed, numerous, and absolutely stunning to behold.

East Gate, Preah Khan

Neak Pean

After cycling through the north gate of Angkor Thom, I wound my way around the northern part of the loop to Preah Khan. This temple is still in the process of being restored; there are piles of temple rubble everywhere which lends it an eerie ghostlike feeling as you walk through from west to east. At the eastern entrance there's a massive tree growing over and into the temple wall. Trees like this are a big part of why this particular temple is in ruin. Over the centuries nature flexed its muscle and reclaimed the land from man and as a result toppled much of the temple in the slow onslaught. I weaved my way around Chinese tourists and returned to the western gate to retrieve my bicycle and headed east to Neak  Pean and Ta Som. Neak Pean consists of five bathing pools with a stupa-like structure in the middle. Ta Som is another fine temple to visit but at this point I was templed-out so I took a quick poke around then headed back to town in the sweltering heat. The cold shower that awaited me at the guesthouse was a glad respite from the tropical weather outside.

Overland from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Bangkok, Thailand

This journey was much worse just 2 years ago when the road on the Cambodian side wasn't paved. Nowadays, there's a paved and sealed road on both sides of the border which allows for quick land transport to and from. Now here's the hitch: Thai buses aren't allowed in Cambodia and Cambodian buses aren't allowed in Thailand. Despite all the promises of there being a toilet, no people sitting in the aisle, etc etc there isn't going to be a toilet and there will be people sitting in plastic chairs in the aisle on the bus from Siem Reap to the border at Poipet.

Now back to the hitch...Since the Cambodian bus isn't allowed to cross into Thailand you would think it would be as simple as having a bus waiting to pick you up on the Thai side. But as with all things in this part of the world, it's not so simple. We stopped at the bus company's office about 2km from the border to exchange our tickets for red stickers. Every bus company has their own color to distinguish themselves. The fact that there's no overlap in color leads me to believe that they're all working together in some sort of price fixing scheme. Now back to the stickers...we were stopped at their office for nearly an hour waiting for the guy to come up with the stickers. A better way of doing this would have been to give out the stickers when we boarded the bus instead of wasting an hour handing out stickers. Idiots! 

Like all border towns, Poipet is really seedy and not a nice place to stay for longer than you have to. The only thing you can do here is gamble at one of the many casinos that have popped up in recent years. Crossing through Cambodian immigration took a while because they're not equipped to handle large amounts of people but immigration on the Thai side went very smoothly. After crossing over we then waited for over an hour while the idiot bus staff arranged minibuses to take us to either Bangkok or Koh Chang. Why it took so long to get people into minibuses is beyond me. It's not difficult to put 12-13 people and their luggage into a bus. It certainly doesn't require an hour to get it sorted. And in the end after all the fuss the bus company staff put us through to fill up the vehicle there was an empty seat on our minibus. It never ceases to surprise me how dumb people can be. Thankfully the rest of the ride went smoothly despite our driver thinking he was on a formula 1 racetrack.

For those of you planning on taking this trip, the current going rate is 8USD for the full ride from Siem Reap to Bangkok. There are 2 toilet breaks along the way but no food stops so be sure to bring food and water with you before departing Siem Reap. We stopped for petrol around 16:00 and luckily there was a noodle stand there but before this point the only thing available was a semi-ripe mango for 20THB at the Thai border. Departure time is around 08:00 and arrival time is around 18:00 near Khao San Road.

The Temples of Angkor - Day 1

A Cambodian batmobile / tuktuk

The Temples of Angkor in Cambodia are SE Asia's largest temple complex and is the largest pre-industrial temple complex in the world. As a result, the airport in Siem Reap is busier than that of the capital, Phnom Penh, and receives about 2 million international visitors annually. Visits to Angkor can be arranged upon arrival in Siem Reap; there's no need to book ahead. The main temples, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are about 6km from the center of Siem Reap so walking is not really an option. Options for going to Angkor range from bicycles to helicopters and just about everything in between. Unfortunately, motorbike hire is not available in Siem Reap, probably to keep the tuk tuk drivers in business since there is an overabundance of them.

Given the sheer size and distance of the entire complex I bought a 3 day admission ticket for 40 USD (1 day tickets are 20, 7 days are 60) which allows me to go on 3 separate days within a 7 day span. Dasha and I hired bicycles on the day I arrived for 1.5 USD each (which in hindsight was a ripoff, we could have gotten a bike for 1 USD elsewhere) and cycled ourselves to Angkor Wat, Bayon in Angkor Thom, Ta Keo, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Pre Rup all in one very long day. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of the complex and while there was some scaffolding up due to renovation, the temple was no less impressive to behold. The intricacy and volume of the carvings on the outer walls of the temple are astounding.

Bayon, Angkor Thom

The Bayon is the centrepiece of Angkor Thom. It features several spires on the main temple platform each with stone faces carved into them. The faces are near identical and if you're standing on the main platform they are everywhere you look. We weaved our way around the crowds of Chinese and Korean package tourists and managed to get some good photos with no people in them. Trust me, it can be a challenge to find a spot in the Bayon and in Angkor Wat with no people around.

The other temples we visited on Day 1 were not as large but were impressive in their own way. Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei, and Pre Rup offered up some find examples of Khmer architecture and nice views of the jungle from the top. I'm not sure if the ancient Khmers had tiny feet and long legs but given the way the steps are constructed I think the people were shaped that way. Some scenes from Tomb Raider were shot at Ta Prohm, which is overgrown with massive trees that literally have crushed or grown into the temple walls. The trees are as tall as buildings so it's no wonder that they'd be able to knock out or at least weaken the structural integrity of the walls. We tried to watch the sunset from the top of Pre Rup but it was too cloudy and we also realized that it would merely be a sunset over the jungle (no other temples were in sight) so we started cycling back before it became really dark.

Sunrise Over Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh quickly reminded me of the Royal Grand Palace in Bangkok. The comparisons are easy to see. The architecture of the buildings and the layout of the site are quite similar. One striking difference is the ubiquitous use of the serpent statue, a common element in ancient Khmer temples. The best part of the Royal Palace is in its symbolism - devotion to the King and to the prosperity of the nation. It stands as a strong testament that the country has recovered from the devastating reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Like the Palace in Bangkok, moderate dress is enforced. No exposed knees or shoulders on both men and women. I made the mistake of wearing a tank top and had to go back to my guesthouse to get a shirt, although there are tshirts for sale right next to the ticket booth. The admission fee is 6.25 USD and it's closed for lunch daily.

The Finest Beach in Cambodia

Sokha Beach

Sihanoukville is Cambodia's beach holiday destination. And while the beaches here aren't as famous as those in Thailand or Vietnam, they are still worth going to. There are several beaches in Sihanoukville but Sokha beach is easily the most beautiful. The sand is soft and makes a pleasant sound when you walk on it. The water is very still and is practically a swimming pool since it remains shallow for a quite a ways. And best of all, it's a very short walk from the Golden Lion traffic circle!

Sunset Over Mui Ne, Vietnam

Hanoi's Old Quarter

Hanoi's old quarter is a maze of streets where you can buy just about anything. There's bags street, sunglasses street, clothing street...you get the idea. It's also the main tourist area and is home to many guesthouses, hostels, and hotels. It can be a challenge crossing the street but the most important thing is to not stop! Walk at a steady pace and don't make any sudden moves, the motorbikes will go around you. The rail station is about 1.5 km away from the old quarter and is quite easy to find if you have a map; don't be fooled into getting a tuk tuk for the 20 min walk.

It's worth wandering around the old quarter for an hour or 2, walking down the narrow streets and experiencing the energy of the city. Things are full speed ahead in Vietnam and there's not better place to witness than in Vietnam's two biggest cities, Hanoi and Saigon.

A Quick Glimpse of Saigon

Chinatown, Saigon

Thien Hau Pagoda, Chinatown, Saigon

Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon

Traffic in Saigon

Uncle Ho and Mao at the War Remnants Museum

The Mekong Delta Tour

This menu appears less than ecological to me.

The 1 day Mekong Delta tour isn't worth your time. Trust me. It's a 1.5 hr drive from Saigon to the Mekong Delta, followed by riding a boat across the delta to a couple of islands set up for tourists where they try to sell you honey, pollen, coconut candy, traditional music cd's, handicrafts, traditional alcohol, and all sorts of exotic meat. The only time we weren't being sold something was when we were in transport on the bus, on the boat, and when we went for a short 20 minute cycling ride on the last island. The included lunch was white rice, a few pickled vegetables, bland vegetable soup, and a small (~25gram) piece of lightly fried and salted pork. It was the second worst meal I had in all of Vietnam. I only had one other horrible meal and that was at a highway rest stop where I got a really dodgy pork sandwich which left a bad taste in my mouth for hours. Seriously, save your 8USD (we paid 7.5USD at Eraviet Travel because we were a group of 5) and find something else to do.

Mui Ne - Beaches and Sand Dunes!

The traditional fishing village of Mui Ne

Since we survived the Sapa motorbike ride we rolled the dice and hired another motorbike to drive out to the sand dunes around Mui Ne. This time however, I donned a bandanna over my face and sunglasses in addition to the helmet so that I looked like a local, which some people thought I was till I took off my helmet and unleashed the hawk. The roads around Mui Ne are mostly flat and in good condition so I felt pretty comfortable on the road. The weather was surprisingly nice today and there were actually some people out on the beach; this time of year is not the best time to come to the beaches of Vietnam. It normally rains everyday and the sea is quite rough this time of year.

The traditional fishing village of Mui Ne

We drove east a few km and came upon the traditional fishing village of Mui Ne. There were loads of boats docked in the harbor so we stopped off and took some photos from the road and along the beach before moving on towards the sand dunes.

Red Sand Dunes, Mui Ne

As we drove further east the road ran along the coastline and culminated in beautiful pristine beaches and the sounds of waves breaking upon them. I was driving at nearly 75kph so I only took a few glances so as to not kill myself. The red sand dunes are about 5km east of the main drag in Mui Ne Beach and make for a lovely place to picnic, walk around, or slide down the dunes. At sunset and sunrise they make for great photos but considering the overcast rainy weather I don't think there'll be any good sunrises or sunsets. We tried to hire a sand sled but the local boys renting them wouldn't budge on price (40000VND) so we skipped on it.

Noodle soup with fresh squid. Unbelievably good!

After taking lunch at a restaurant across the street we drove onward to the white sand dunes. We both ordered noodle soup with squid which was really fresh and delicious. It was quite possibly the best noodle soup I've had in all of Vietnam so far. And the daughter of the family running the place was adorable and loved being photographed.

Adorable!

White Sand Dunes, Mui Ne

The white sand dunes weren't exactly white but they were really cool nonetheless. There's a big lake fronting the dunes as you drive up along the dangerous dirt road. We nearly had a few accidents as we drove along the road due to the mud and large rocks on the road. I was definitely of the tourists who ponied up for a jeep to take them to the dunes. The road eventually got the best of us as we got stuck in some sand and crashed. Well, it was more like we came to a complete stop and tipped over. But it still counts as a crash. Thankfully we fell into a very soft patch of sand and we both came away unscathed.

w00t!

We walked up to the top of the sand dunes, took a bunch of photos, and took in the lovely views. It was a really peaceful place and we enjoyed spending some time there. But soon the rain started coming down again so we started to head back. I did a better job of navigating the sand dune road this time resulting in zero crashes. We got pretty lucky earlier to have fallen into a soft patch of sand. It was pissing down rain the entire time as we drove back to town but we made it back safely and in one piece!

Hoi An, Vietnam - Beaches, Tailors, and a UNESCO World Heritage site too

Hoi An is located along the central coast of Vietnam. It boasts 2 beaches, the "local" beach and the "tourist" beach. Despite the poor weather we hired bicycles and went to the local beach which is located about 3km from the center of town. The local beach is the more beautiful one and it lived up to the hype despite the overcast sky and rough sea. Since it had been raining everyday none of us brought our cameras in case of a downpour. The beach is lined with restaurants and small thatch roof huts for chilling out when the sun is out and the water is calm.

My custom tailored suit. Haven't worn
one for over 4 months, feels nice!

Hoi An is probably best known for its high quality tailors who can make just about any piece of clothing you desire at a very reasonable price. I couldn't resist and got myself a custom tailored suit for a 120USD. I put in the order in the late afternoon and my first fitting was the following morning. I've never worn any custom clothing before so it took a bit getting used to but I have to admit, it feels real nice! I ordered my suit and an accompanying dress shirt (20USD) from Kimmy Custom Tailor. While some people had complaints about the staff being rude I didn't experience any rudeness from them. My only worry is that I put on a lot of weight and the clothes won't fit anymore. The shirt and jacket were tight around the back and I had to go through a couple of more fittings before it felt right.

Old Town, Hoi An

Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An

The old town of Hoi An is lovingly preserved thanks to strict laws and governance. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 10 years ago. Although at street level it's lined with tourist shops, if you take a look at the buildings you'll begin to appreciate where you are and why it's a special place.

Mỹ Sơn Ruins

Another UNESCO site are the Mỹ Sơn Ruins of the Cham dynasty, about 1 hour away from Hoi An by bus. We did a half day tour of the ruins (that's really all the time you need to explore them) right before we left. While not impressive compared to the likes of Angkor Wat, they're an important cultural site and were probably far more impressive before they were bombed out during the war. The Americans bombed the site because the Viet Cong were hiding out there; there's even a large bomb crater at the site. 

Mỹ Sơn Ruins

The Red Cross Scam

A really common scam in Vietnam is someone coming up to you saying that they are a student or a teacher and presenting you with a little laminated card saying that they work for the Red Cross and are collecting donations. Or they might be selling exorbitantly expensive toothpicks for the Red Cross to raise money. Whatever they say, don't give them any money, it's a scam! In Hanoi, a girl claiming to be a student tried it on us. She had handwritten cards in multiple languages talking about raising money for the deaf and disabled. We refused to give her money and she kept saying "Why? Why?" and took on a very nasty demeanor. Earlier today in Hoi An a guy saying he was a teacher had me fill out a survey for tourism research and then tried the Red Cross laminated card thing on me. When I told him I wasn't going to give him any money he just waved me away in an irritated manner. Red Cross is a highly professional organization and they send people around with handwritten cards asking for money so I was almost insulted when these people tried to scam me with this crap. If anyone in Vietnam says they work for the Red Cross and asks you for money, maybe you should ask them "Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall for your scam?"

Uncle Ho's House

It must be a communist thing. We walked over to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum the other day to hopefully get a glimpse of the great man himself but unfortunately his body is being re-embalmed in Russia. The grounds surrounding the mausoleum feels very much like Tienanmen Square in Beijing but smaller and greener. And unsurprisingly, there were loads of Chinese tourists being herded like sheep around the complex. In addition to the mausoleum, there are the manicured grounds and traditional stilt house where Uncle Ho worked and lived. We toured the area for a couple of hours while weaving through the throngs of Chinese tourists before heading over to Lenin Park, which features a huge statue of Lenin and some well-maintained gardens. It's also a very popular place for the local kids to play football.

Uncle Ho's Mausoleum

Uncle Ho's Mausoleum

Lenin Park

Scariest motorbike ride of my life

Our last day in Sapa we decided to hire a motorbike to visit some nearby villages. I learned how to drive a manual transmission motorbike a couple of weeks ago in Chiang Mai and did quite a bit of driving there. The roads in and around Chiang Mai are flat and straight whereas the roads in and around Sapa are hilly and in poor condition.

The ride started well as we coasted downhill out of Sapa along the windy road into the valley below. Within a few km however the road progressively got worse and worse. About 8km out we came across several areas where the mountain streams partially flooded the road but thankfully it wasn't hard to cross. Then we came across areas where the road was in poor condition and flooded. Had to go slow over these parts but again, it was no problem. But less than 1 km later, we ran into a small problem. There was a small pond covering the entire road. It was as if someone scooped out the road and filled it in with water. I drove through slowly but soon my flipflop broke and we nearly got stuck but I managed to drive through barefoot. Thankfully there were no sharp rocks. Then less than 1 km later the road was split into 2 parts. On the mountain side there was a deep mud track and on the cliff side there was an even deeper pool of water. The mud side was the safer option but once again my flipflop broke and the bike nearly fell over when this happened but thankfully (yes, I've used the word thankfully several times but there's no better way to describe it) we kept it upright. At this point my heart was pounding so hard I thought I'd have cardiac arrest. We stopped at a roadside restaurant about 1km down the road but while executing a u-turn I almost lost control of the bike for some reason and we almost ended up in a ditch on the mountain side of the road. I think my nerves were already frayed at this point which probably resulted in the poor u-turn execution. 

Yep, that's a road. And yes, my right foot is bare. 

We took lunch then walked down to the Cau May village in the valley; the track was right next to the restaurant. The drive back was slightly less stressful since I now knew what to expect. Even so, my heart was still pounding wildly and it wasn't till we dropped off the bike and got a beer that I started to calm down. My flipflops unfortunately didn't survive the ride but luckily my feet got away with no injuries. 

Scenic Sapa

When you arrive in Sapa you can’t help but wonder if you’re still in Vietnam. The first thing you notice is the cooler temperature. Sapa is at an elevation of 1650m and boasts a much more temperate climate when compared to the rest of Vietnam. The next thing you notice is the architecture of the town; it feels like you’re in the a ski town in the Alps. To add to that effect, there’s a plethora of Italian and French restaurants offering affordable fine dining at approximately 5USD per dish.

The main attractions in Sapa are the treks to nearby hill tribe villages and to the summit of Vietnam’s tallest mountain, Fansipan (3143m). Given my prior trekking experience I wanted to give Fansipan a shot so Dasha and I signed up for a 2day/1night trek. We were joined by an Austrian couple on a rock-climbing holiday through SE Asia. After I spent a few hours ridding myself of the nasty computer virus I got off someone’s memory card the previous day we then spent the first day in Sapa exploring the town and sleeping since we arrived at 05:30 via the overnight train.

The Fansipan trek started with an 08:00 pickup from our hotel followed by a 30 minute drive to the starting point (1900m). We were accompanied by an English speaking guide and 2 porters. I quickly realized that my fitness level had fallen off sharply in the last 3 months since completing the Annapurna Circuit. It was impossible for me to keep up with the Austrian couple and our guide. It wasn’t the difficult terrain or the altitude that slowed me down; it was my poor level of cardio fitness that held me back. I kept thinking to myself how I was able to trek for 2 weeks straight. The walk from the starting point to the camp site (2800m) took about 4.5 hours. We took lunch there and then headed for the summit. Once again, I quickly fell behind the Austrian couple and our guide (Dasha wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the camp). Thoughts of giving up floated through my mind but I took frequent breathers and kept going. The terrain on this stretch was very steep and involved quite a bit of rock scrambling. After nearly 2 hours I finally reached the summit and was ecstatic that I could finally rest and take in the view. The trek back down to camp took about 1.5 hrs and was by far much easier than the way up but still required quite a bit of care since the track was very muddy and steep.

Back at camp we all huddled by the fire as the sun fell and the temperature dropped. Dinner was surprisingly really good and even more surprising the portions were so massive that the 4 of us couldn’t finish it all. A glass of the local rice wine was included as well. After dinner we chatted for a bit then the entire camp went to sleep. Sleeping bags were provided however they were rectangular summer bags and were totally inadequate for the 5C weather. Everyone was freezing and in the morning no one said they got a good night’s sleep. Other groups of trekkers were also provided summer sleeping bags and shivered throughout the night as well. I think I maybe slept about 1 hour all night and feared that I might lose a toe to the cold. I also had to pee but held it all night since it was pitch black outside, freezing cold, and I would have to change back into my dirty trekking clothes and could possibly fall into the mud.

The following morning we had breakfast then made our way down the mountain, stopping for lunch at the 2200m campsite. From here it was another 2 hours to the end where our ride was waiting for us thanks to our guide who phoned ahead. Back in town we decided to stay another night to rest, shower, and launder our dirty trekking clothes. Then I treated myself to a fancy dinner at an Italian restaurant for 7USD J