See trip index here, Cambodia index here, and more photos from Cambodia here

Our positive view of Cambodia and Phnom Penh continued after going out for a beer at 50p a glass and then to the local night market for tea.  You can’t get more authentic than joining pretty much all locals sitting on rugs in the centre of the food stalls.  Some of the stalls had English translations, and some had someone who spoke English to explain what everything was. Superb!  We both had Cambodian noodles, and I had one of those duck-chick-eggs – which is a duck egg which is just pre-hatch…  Tasted fine, but we did get into the “is it an Egg, or is it Meat” debate!  A fine meal for about £1 each.

The next day we went on a quad bike tour for the day, so we got picked up at 7:15 in a tuktuk (100cc moped with a 4+ seater trailer, though we’ve seen 8 in one!), and got to the company where 5 of us (3 quads) went out with 2 guides around the countryside outside of Phnom Penh.  Sadly it absolutely chucked it down first thing and we got covered in mud – all part of the fun. Just like quadding in England!  Mel did her share of driving, only hitting the guide once, and falling off the road once, but overall did pretty well.  The villages were so genuine, poor but not poverty, with loads of kids in school uniform which bodes well for Cambodias future.  So many kids coming out to wave and give high-5s, and all with genuine smiles – and only lookup upset if you didn’t wave at them!  No ulterior motive, just wanting a wave.  Hope it doesn’t turn into some places where Westerners are “kind” to kids, and the kids then associate Westerners with freebies. 

The tour took in Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary which had rescued tigers, bears, elephants and some other animals, and then a chilled lunch on Tonle Bati lake.  Finally after loads of riding (100km?), we headed to the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields near Phnom Penh.  The audio guide is necessary and it gives a very informative history of events that we were unaware of.  A moving place and very much worth a visit despite its sad past, though we would say its more informative and factual than emotional.

After an excellent meal we left Phnom Penh and headed by bus to Sihanoukville – a small coastal town 4 (make that 5.5!) hours away where there are supposed to be nice beaches and where we booked a better-than-normal hotel  for a romantic break.  The bus is weird – they have Kymer Karaoke on loud for the entire journey – and our seat was below a speaker.  Doh.   On arrival we found our hotel was a bit over sold and over priced, not the romantic place we hoped.  We then went to the beach and were almost horrified…  Serendipity beach is awful – litter everywhere, too many tuktuk/taxi sellers, beggers (including an American in a bar asking us to sub him a dollar or two!), child-gift-sellers, and bar/cafe hawkers that made any walk on the beach unbearable.

The beach itself is only 5-10m wide, full of chairs from the cafes, and not really worth a look.  Maybe we’ve been spoilt of recent, but this is a bit of a hole.  Only come here if you are 18-25 and like cheap parties, or you like the company of “friendly local girls” who were everywhere.  Otres beach is supposed to be better, but research showed no decent accommodation; most placed bulldozed last year; dodgy security to/from there, and as such we decided to carry on our journey and pick a better beach when we get back to Thailand.

A real shame that so quickly a clearly nice part of Cambodia can be turned into a dump just to satisfy a particular type of tourist.  With respect to the children in Cambodia, we are repeatedly reminded not to buy/give anything to them as it encourages them/their parents to avoid school as they can make a living by scrounging – not good.  And whilst there are many homeless children and orphanages, we keep seeing adverts saying “Orphanages are not tourist attractions – do not go”….  Many actually are fake ones set up to get tourist money….  So we’ll be avoiding kids here.

 Due to the lack of tarmac roads (as we found on the quads), the way to continue our journey is back to Phnom Penh and then on from there.  So another 5.5hrs back to our old guesthouse, where the owner said we were the second set of people to return back from Sihanoukville quickly – so its not just us who hated it.  The other people returned the same day!!!

Vietnam Costs and Review

See our general tip page here.  Note the costs here do not include external flights, vaccines and insurance etc – this will be detailed at the end of the trip.

Overall

Vietnam was a bit of a culture shock than Thailand or Malaysia, and getting to Hanoi first was jumping in the deep end!  Vietnam grew on us, and the Mekong area was beautiful.  We had no real issues though we didn’t take many cheap or public transport options as we did here some horror stories.  Whereas we spent a bit more, and cheated a bit, but had a chilled time.

We liked Vietnam – a lot – but not as much as Southern Thailand.  We think this is because Vietnam is harder than Thailand – buying food can be harder; transport can be harder; and you are always afraid of a scam.  That said, nothing was impossible and we made it through and enjoyed it unscathed. 

Budget

Our daily spend of £46 is surprisingly good – especially when we took 2 internal flights; always had pretty good (but budget) hotels; and went on a fair few organised trips.  On this amount it is possible to do things well and avoid the hassles. 

With trains/busses and DIY you could do it cheaper, and there is also much cheaper accommodation than we bought, but too much less than we paid and it gets dire quickly! 

Security

We were concerned about security in Vietnam and the internet is full of horror stories, scams, theft etc.  And to be fair, it is true – we’ve heard first hand stories about such problems.  We were also (almost) scammed in Hannoi by a street vendor but nothing serious and all was fine.

We would also suggest you sort out airport pickup via your hotel for stress free airport travel – we were picked up easily, even when flight late, and as pre-paid it was perfect. 

Keeping small change (notes) loose is a good idea so you don’t get you wallet out.  Be wary of having “stuff” on display, or things dangling, as there are so many mopeds snatch-crime would be easy to do and hard to catch.

For us, we’d say we had no security issues – though we stayed alert throughout.

Useful facts:-

• ATMS:  ATMs everywhere, but best to use something like ANZ bank as many banks restrict you to 2,00,000 VND at a time – ANZ allows up to 20,000,000 (pending your card). 
• Currency:  Most things priced in VND, but tourist things like hotels and trips in USD.  You can pay these in VND (21,000 per $) or USD.  Everything else is VND. No USD needed at all.
• Landry:  Harder to come by, but all hotels did it for around 15,000-30,000 per kg
• 7/11:  None – local shops only, but water etc similar price everywhere.
• Transport:  We heard horror stories about public busses:  Breakdowns; long delays waiting to fill; stopping before destination etc.  So we didn’t use them.  We didn’t use train either.  We used:  Sinhtourist bus; taxi; tuktuk; boat; ferry; rowing boat
• Chemists:  Few and far between – best to stock up on essentials before you get there.
• Food:  Street food more of a challenge – not much in English.  Cafes etc vary but in tourest areas all OK
• Language:  Knowing Yes, No helps – but English ok for normal stuff. 
• Power:  mains plugs everywhere so charging stuff is trivial (socket adapter may be needed, and of course make sure charger is 110/240v!). 
• Internet:  Wifi available in every guesthouse we used and in many bars/cafes.  Internet cafes and PCs to borrow also available free/cheap.
• Toilets:  Western style in all guest houses and in most “good” public places, there may only be one in a row so look.  Worth carrying toilet paper though seldom needed.

Stuff we took and didn’t use

(see our packing list here)

• Towels – they were provided by every guesthouse, even special beach towels
• Mozzie net – only needed in one place, and it was already provided.
• Loads of clothes – you only need 4-5 sets of undies – laundry is so trivial to do you do not need to carry as much as us.
• Spare batteries for stuff – power so available we kept things charged
• Main padlock – all guest houses had normal locks

Things we’d change

We’d possibly spend some time in Sapa which we skipped due to weather/season, and we should have gone to Dalat and Nha Trang.  We should have looked at Sinhtourist night bus from Hue/Hoi An rather than flying.   Possibly more time in Mekong area, but no regrets there.

Well we’ve made it to the half way point, 60 days out of 120.  Sadly this means we’re slowly heading back home I guess.

As this is our first ever backpacking trip we thought we’d summarise how things are so far.

Places

We love Southern Thailand and are really looking forward to seeing the northern parts.  We weren’t too fussed about Malaysia.  And we like Vietnam but not as much as Thailand.

What we have learned is that regardless how much time you have you can’t do everything. We have missed bits off we shouldn’t, and no doubt spent time in places that didn’t justify it, but that is the joys of being able to get around and see what you want.

Accommodation

So far, 9/10 places we’ve stayed have been good.  None have been horrific and all safe and clean.  We have always arranged a room before we arrive which may not be the traditional way, but for us its been stress free and due to being able to research on line (e.g. tripadvisor), probably accounts for the rooms being pretty good.  We may well be paying slightly more than we need as we don’t barter for a room rate, but if we’re happy with what we’ve agreed in advance then we’re happy.  For £10-14 a night for double en-suite then is it really worth barganinng any more?

It would be easy to spend 1/2 of what we have on accommodation – but the cost we are paying is okay.  We like clean private rooms, aircon and ensuite.  I know I know….  If you want shared bathroom or dodgy places, or fan-room sweat boxes you can save money.

Real Backpackers?

Before we left we didn’t know how many people were doing similar, but on our travels we’ve bumped into the same people numerous times in different places.  So pretty much there are loads of people of all ages and types all going to the same destinations – its a well trodden route.  “Real” backpackers would frown at this and say we should be getting off the backpack trail, but really we’re going where we want and its not our fault that everyone follows us!  There is also a reason why some places are on the trail, and why others are not.

Getting Around

For our travel, we’ve sometimes taken the easy options - like flights, tourist busses, or arranged trips from A to B.  Again, the “real” backpackers would argue we should make our own way on local transport otherwise you don’t get the real local experience.  We agree with this to a point, but sometimes we can’t be bothered to get a tuk-tuk from hotel to bus station; get bus from A to B.  Then wait an hour or 3 and get bus from B to C on a bus that may or may not turn up, then get to a hotel if you can find one.  Sometimes its easier to get a tourist bus that collects you from hotel, chilled journey, and dumps you where you want to go.  Authentic? No – but why make things difficult just so you can claim bragging rights?

Amazingly we’ve always got from A to B.  Now yesterday, booking a train ticket back from LONDON to SUFFOLK for when we get back in March, and we find the railway is closed and we need 3 busses and 3 trains and 5 hours for a normal journey of 1.5hrs!  And no easy bus or any other way.  Only in England eh?  (PS – Thanks M&D for the to-be-arranged London Pickup!) 

Health

We are generally healthy people, but we’ve both been ill with gut problems, and this is despite eating cautiously and using hand gels.  I was very ill for just over a week, and Mel has been ill 2-3 times but not as bad.  More an annoyance but I guess if we get ill being very careful, then its probably a dead cert.

Meeting People

We have been fortunate to meet some nice people so far, and some more than once.  But due to us being a “close” couple and happy in each others company, and the fact we stay in hotels/guesthouses rather than Hostels, means we’ve not really been in the full “scene”.  Thats fine for us, but if you are younger or single/travelling with friends, then you would need to consider more Hostel places just for socialising.

We have met the people the guidebook told us about:  The Doom and Gloom people who say how bad a place is that we’re heading to (never has been).  The Know it all who typically doesn’t.  And the Old Timer who tells you how much better it was 10 years ago when he had to buy his own donkey.  They all try and ruin your adventure, but don’t let them.  Fortuanltey they are the minority!

Finance

So far, we’re well under expectations.  At our current rate of spend we are forecast to spend under £7,000 for everything for us both for 120 days which considering we’re doing all we want and aren’t skimping, we think is quite impressive.

It would probably be possible for under £5k (£2.5k each) if you eat out less, don’t do too much, and have more budget rooms; and it could easily be 2-3x what we are paying if you like it a bit posher!

Safety/Security

Before we left, and when we’ve been here, we’ve heard stories about problems, theft, scams etc.  Enough to scare you about coming. 

So far, we have never felt threatened or “unsafe” with respect to ourselves.  (With the exception of crossing the road in Hanoi or HCMC!!).  We’ve not head any stories of actual violence or problems.

However, we have felt that it is possible to have stuff stolen or pick pocketed and indeed have heard stories about stuff being stolen.  To be fair, most “stolen” items had some blame to the owner, either leaving on a table; or next to them when they slept; or had things dangling in bags.  Being ultra cautious is necessary over here, and reduing temptation will reduce the chance of problems.

Scams and over charging are common, and even we got over charged/under changed though we did get our money back!  Bit of naivety on our behalf – and easily controllable if you aren’t as silly:  Know what something should cost; and if you need change (especially from a street vendor) – don’t let them take your money till you see/get the change.  Also – with taxi/tuk tuk/cyclo ensure you are 100% clear on the cost – we are aware of quite a few who have been scammed…

We have always got the hotel to arrange airport pickup for us – hassle free and avoids the very common airport scams.

We have seen 4 moped accidents, though none major.

Fun Factor

We’re having fun!  Really enjoying it, and we know the second half will be different than to the first half and in many ways more challenging.  But so far so good, and an excellent trip to take.

Things we’ve really enjoyed

• The adventure!  Yeah – its not unique; we’re not alone; and its not that difficult.  But for us, it is an adventure
• Seeing new things
• Meeting new people
• The challenge of getting around, eating, and finding somewhere to sleep
• Each others company
• Staying in great locations that wouldn’t look out of place in a top-end holiday brochure.
• New and different food

Things we’ve not liked

• The constant “hellos” from shop keepers, where any response puts you under pressue to get in.  And the lookng over your shoulder, so you can’t browse.  And no prices.  Grrr
• Many white men (mainly overweight/gray/old) with young asian women.  S’pose at least it is women.
• The fact 9/10 people who speak to you want something; or are trying to direct you to another place; or are trying to scam you.  This is a shame as you then don’t trust the 1/10 who is genuinely friendly.  This is really really sad and probably our biggest hate.  It is not in our nature to ignore people saying hello, but you really have to.  Anyone that says otherwise is still in their first town…

Thanks that have surprised us

• Prices of “cheap” clothes aren’t mega cheap.  Good brands are UK prices, and whilst cheap clothes can be bought, they aren’t much cheaper than UK market/Matalan/Peacock prices and probably same quality. 
• Wifi is available anywhere – much more open wifi than Europe
• Not had to use a squat loo yet, though that is sure to change in the second half!
• Not had any of our own horror stories to tell
• How pretty some ladyboys are
• Availability of GOOD clothes we like (e.g. branded quality walking clothes, e.g. Berghaus, Northface etc) are nowhere to be seen – except fake jackets.
• The age range and type of people travelling.  From typical gap years; to retired people, to families with teenagers and young families with babies!  In other words, everyone.
• And pretty much, how easy it has been overall so far.  OK its a lot tougher than a package holiday, but it is well within most peoples grasp.  Why don’t more do it?

Malaysia Costs and Review

See our general tip page here.  Note the costs here do not include international  flights, vaccines and insurance etc – this will be detailed at the end of the trip.

Overall

Malaysia only appeared on our trip as a convenient way to get from southern Thailand to Hanoi.  Because we have been on islands & beaches in Thailand, and expect to in Vietnam, we didn’t want to see Malay beaches and islands, and also Borneo just didn’t fit in to our main plan.  As such, our views are just based on Kuala Lumpur and Melaka.

Sadly, what we saw didn’t meet expectations.  The places were okay but nothing of a “wow factor” stood out.  Pleasant enough, but not special.  KL especially was filthy, rubbish and food waste everywhere (bar main tourist drags), so rats everywhere.  Street food stalls we so loved in Thailand didn’t appeal – they looked dirtier, dimly lit, and just weren’t exciting.  The ones we did try were okay but not outstanding.

The lack of photos we took were due to not being able to find much that impressed…  So KL as a couple of day stop over is okay, but don’t expect too much.  Of course, if you are after islands and Borneo – then you will see much more than we did and may well have a different view.

I guess we just weren’t very excited by anything in Malysia, felt more of a holiday destination than an adventure trip. 

Budget

We didn’t spend too much as there wasn’t much to buy.  Accommodation was cheap and food reasonable, beer very expensive. Hardly any trips or interesting things to spend money on – even the tourist info didn’t have any leaflets on typical excursions. Museums and cinema/bowling dirt cheap.

Shopping for “stuff” is UK standard and prices and thus we didn’t buy anything.

Our spend is probably the lower end of what is doable in Malaysia.  If you go out and about more or see islands then expect to pay a lot more

Security

Never once did we hear any dodgy stories about Malaysia, nor did we feel unsafe at any time.  We always got the correct change back.   So in our view, very safe indeed.

Useful facts:-

• ATMS:  Everywhere for VISA and Mastercard.  Easy to get cash at airport. Only Malaysian Ringgits are dispensed
• Currency:  Everything is priced and paid for in Ringgits (RM).
• Landary: Not that common but doable, 6RM/kg
• 7/11:  Some places, but so are local shops – convenient for water but 2.5RM a bottle of water – and most is non-mineral.
• Transport:  Easy to use and busses/trains very cheap.  Not great links though.  Didn’t see any tourist mini busses so public transport only.
• Chemists:  Everywhere
• Food:  Street food stalls not great, try food courts in big malls for interesting and cheap local choices
• Language:  English everywhre. 
• Power:  UK plug and 240v -no issue.
• Internet:  Wifi available in every guesthouse we used and in many bars/cafes.  Internet cafes and PCs to borrow also available free/cheap.
• Toilets:  Western style in all guest houses and in most “good” public places, there may only be one in a row so look.  Worth carrying toilet paper though seldom needed.

Stuff we took and didn’t use

(see our packing list here)

• Towels – they were provided by every guesthouse, even special beach towels
• Mozzie net – not needed.
• Loads of clothes – you only need 4-5 sets of undies – laundry is so trivial to do you do not need to carry as much as us.
• Spare batteries for stuff – power so available we kept things charged
• Main padlock – all guest houses had normal locks

Things we’d change

Less time in KL and Melaka.  Our timing was fixed due to getting Vietnam Visa and flights sorted.  Didn’t see anything else near that seemed worth visiting.  Using Malaysia as a stop off is fine but not great, but of couse if you are doing islands/beaches or Borneo then its a different kettle of fish.

Happy new year from us both.  Currently 1:23am and still about 30′C here!  Just been to see the fireworks and party at Petronas towers.

Sadly the DJ was dire, and the band awful, but the fireworks were ok with a good finale.  Not much booze here for obvious reasons….

Leaving KL in a couple of days to go to Melaka (Malacca) – then back to KL then off to Vietnam…. 

Hope all your dreams come true in 2012!

Ryan & Mel

See trip index here and Southern Thailand index here. Additional pictures here

Our first day in Patong beach was spent getting our bearings and exploring the beach.  Our hotel /guesthouse is superb and is just behind the spectacular Jungceylon shopping centre which could be plucked from any top flight city.  Slightly out of place here, and scary to see all shops and restaurants priced at UK prices, and even weirder is that it is busy with westerners!  The rest of Patong is, as expected, overly touristy and busy, and really not a special place – apart from the vibe it has as if everyone knows there is a big party going to start.  And pretty much, it does every night.  Now we’ve been to a few iffy places; we’re very open minded; and really quite chilled on most things.  Bangla road and the Soi Crocdile/Sea Dragon however pushes the boundaries a little bit.  At night, it is probably the, erm, “most interesting” mainstream street we’ve seen.  It does boast one hell of an atmosphere but you know just behind the front shows it is beyond most peoples imagination.

Lady boys galore, and many types of entertaining shows.  All the single “weird looking” western guys have rented girl (or ladyboy)friends even during the day, and if you sit anywhere for a drink a girl/ladyboy will come and say hi.  All “services” and “shows” available – even a game of “ping pong”.  The atmosphere is quite something and the amount of bars and “choice” astounding.  There are a few minger ladyboys, but one or two with stunning figures you just would…

Unless you are a clubber; like ladyboys; or like more bizarre things than us, then a few days in Patong is sufficient – especially as a gateway to the islands.  Even the food/street food isn’t great here.  We stayed in Patong due to its location to the islands between Phuket and Krabi, as well as Phang Nga bay.  We wanted to go to see “James Bond Island” and looked into a DIY trip as we like doing things ourselves, but after our hosts quoted us 1200 bhat (£25) for a day trip with other bits discounted from 2,900 bhat (£60) list price – it was a no brainer to go on the trip;.

So on cue, a minibus collected us and deposited us on a pier and got us the boat for the day. Our first two stops Naka Island and Nong island.  These are both limestone islands (like at Khao Sok) – but the sea has worn caves into them you can canoe through with a guide – through tight tunnels (having to lie flat in canoe..) which open up into spectacular lagoons.  The entire islands are like hollows.  Photos won’t show it, but it is a must see (though after a while they look the same )  Nong was the most impressive with 3 consecutive lagoons.

Then after lunch, on to James Bond island (Ko Tapu).  This has to be said is a tourist trap magnet.  You get 30 mins on the island which is plenty, as it is tiny and 50% of the beach is tourist-tat sellers (nothing Bond related).  But the views and the scenery are worth a look and make the trip worthwhile.

On our way back we stopped for a swim at a little beach in a “safe place” – but the current was too strong to swim against so a bit dangerous really.  The guys on the boat had to go and collect someone, and Mel needed help as her dodgy shoulder stops her swimming at full strength.

All in all – an excellent day at a bargain price, even if a bit touristy.

The following day we continued our Patang exploration and in a storm went to see the latest Mission Impossible film in the cinema – bargain £2 for a decent seat!

Our second tour was an overnight trip to Raya island by speedboat with some snorkelling.  Mel survived the speedboat there (just!), and due to the wind and rough seas the snorkelling was only okay rather than spectacular.  However Raya itself is a stunning place.  Quiet and unspoilt, and the two main beaches are soft white sand with warm clear sea.  It is quite something and the sort of place you’d not mind being stuck on.  Our accommodation was basic, but the place itself was fine and the food was good.  Our only real complaint about Raya is the price of icecream  – though this is to be expected sadly.

In the morning we had a quick morning dip and had the beach to ourselves before the boats came, and then quite simply had a chilled day on the beach reading.  We eventually left on a speedboat back to Phuket where we had a night in a different hotel

Next installment here

After the popularity of my 2009, 2010 and 2011 databases – I have now created a new 2012 version with the latest available data.

As always, I wish to reiterate I did not create any of the raw data.  I have simply obtained the data from multiple sources, maniplated into a standard format, done a bit of Excel fiddling, and got it into formats that I (and I know others) find most useful.

The formats are for MS Auto route 2010 and 2011.  Please download the correct version as MS AR 2011 does NOT upgrade the 2010 data to 2011 correctly.  I have also included TomTom and a RAW format that is .csv files that are all in a format suitable for Garmins (I believe).  Also there is a Google Earth version, both a single database and individual files if you want them.

The databases contain:-

• ACSI 2012 (including page numbers for books)
• Camping Cheques 2012 (including page numbers for books)
• Bordatlas 2012 (including page numbers for books)
• Motorhome Parking (daytime)
• Motorhome Parking (night permitted)
• Motorhome Parking (dedicated places)
• Campsites allowing MH Service
• Motorway aires
• Aires de service stop off only
• Aire de service service and stay

The later datasets are from “Camping Car Infos” – and if you have a laptop I strongly recommend you downloading or buying their offline database.  You can get these datasets directly of them, but not in a format suitable for simply getting into Garmins or Autoroute (hence my conversion)

Download the files from our single download page HERE

USING THE DATA

We use and recommned Autoroute 2010 (the cheaper version) for your laptop  If you want to have GPS tracking and navigation on your laptop, the Autoroute 2010 GPS comes with a GPS receiver.  (Or buy the cheaper one and a serparate USB/Bluetooth GPS receiver from eBay).  We also use an excellent TomTom XL with IQ routes and full maps for Europe and beyond.  We could not survive without Tommy!

See trip index here and Southern Thailand index here. Additional pictures here

After a bit of a rest and fresh air, followed by a lovely meal at our lodgings we felt a lot better – so we hoped our illness was just a blip…  Our accommodation at Khao Lak was pretty good having been rebuilt by a Dutch guy after the Tsunami.  The beach area was pretty nice but won’t appear on any top-beaches list, and the nearby town is surprisingly tatty and run down especially considering its total rebuild in the last 7 years.  It seems to exist solely for tourists and is the first place every (and I mean every) shop keeper tries to get you to look into their shop or buy a suit. 

However, only when we left did we see a bigger/better down about 4km further down the road that we did not explore.  To get about at Khao Lak and to see the “nearby” attractions you probably need to hire a bike.

You really get the feel of the boxing day Tsunami by looking at Police Boat 813 which is a fairly large boat and now resides 2km inland where the Tsunami left it.  And looking back to the sea you cannot imagine how it must’ve been at the time with everything between flattened.  Even more moving, someone is leaving soft drinks and fruit at the boat in memory of a lost one

We’d probably not have stayed too long in Khao Lak, but our health blip was more than a blip so now certain we’ve caught a bug of some sort.  On the bright side we’ll lose half a stone or so if past experiences are anything to go by…  On the downside it isn’t wise to leave our bungalow as trips to the bathroom were every 15 minutes – even overnight

As our next stop required pubic busses and a bit of waiting around, we decided to wait till we were both fit enough as public loos that you want to use aren’t that easy to come by.  This gave us time to plan Christmas though – and good job we did as it is peak season and a lot of places are fully booked.  We’re treating ourselves by splurging £30 a night for B&B in a rather nice guest house in Ao Nang – and we get a motorbike thrown in.  Annoying having to book, but everything over Christmas and New Year is tight.  Word of warning as well, from 15 December to 15 January accommodation prices are much higher (almost double).

When we felt brave enough we left to get to the infamous Patong beach on Phuket.  Our hosts dropped us on the main road when we instantly got a bus to Phuket (100 bhat each).  The bus wasn’t new by any stretch, but comfortable and had free water – and even free wifi!  At Phuket bus station, after running the gauntlet ignoring all the taxi/tour “helpers”, we wandered 1km west to the local market and caught a local bus to Patong.  I say bus, more of a lorry with bench seats but remarkably good fun.  25 bhats took us the 40 minute driver over the roller coaster of the hill road.

Our accommodation at Patong (loveli guesthouse) was a bit pricy at £25/night (peak season & tourist hotspot) – but its hotel feel made it worthwile.  The owners ran a travel agency and gave some incredible prices on trips that we wanted to do anyway, and some cheaper than we could DIY – so we planned the next week which should be a bit more fun than the last few days….

First impressions of Patong are a mix of old and posh thrown together, with most definitely the most compressed party feel we’ve seen – even compared to Bangkok.  Looking forward to it (if we can leave the hotel….! )

 Next installment here

See trip index here and Southern Thailand index here.  Additional pictures here

Our first ever backpacking trip started well – we made it from Suffolk, through London and to our Travel Lodge near heathrow. Always a good start!  And we were spoilt with a friend taking us out for our final fish n chips for a while.  Getting to the terminal was fine and the Jet Airways cheap airline via Mumbai was actually very good indeed – especially the first leg.  Loads of room, reasonable food and good movies.  At Mumbai 1960’s airport, our bags surprisingly made the connection, but Mel had to flash her boobs to the security guards to get though!  (honest!  Though admittedly not like it sounds)

Arriving at Bangkok was slightly sad as we saw what appeared to be flooding from the air, including what appeared to be another airport under water.  That said, the new airport was superb – very modern and made it trivial to get the train in to the city for 45 bharts (£1) each.  We opted to walk to the guest house rather than taxi as we wanted to explore.  Quite a walk, and Mel was very lucky when a bird “dumped” on her rucksack only just missing her head! Our one and only guest house booking turned out to be pretty good too – decent clean room, bed and clean bathroom – with aircon and breakfast for under £14 a night.

First impressions, so far, are good…

After a few hours nap we went back into town towards the infamous Khaosan road.  Expecting the worst we were pleasantly surprised.  No more sales hassle than any other tourist area but everyone who says hello and offers “help” seems to be trying to direct you somewhere else (aka Moroccan carpet shops!).  Our top tip is to either ignore or give a polite “no” then ignore, and if they say something is closed for whatever reason, its a lie.  Our guidebook underlines this tip and in our first 2 days we’ve been given (and ignored) advice of things being closed due to floods and religious holidays – finding both were lies – they wanted us to go elsewhere (tourist shop?).

The markets in the alleys were worth a good look around and again were reminiscent of Morocco souks.  We bought some essentials (water and fly spray) and had some beers (£1.20 a pint) and some Phai Thai (fried noodles, with egg and chicken for me) – for all of £1.60 for us both – plus a pineapple desert for about £1.

We didn’t see much sign of current flooding in the city, though loads of sandbags and DIY concrete defences up, and apart from a few places next to the river all seems okay now. 

With a bit of jet lag we awoke to a jungle-like dawn chorus and then went for our days outing.  Despite tuk-tuks and taxis being everywhere we decided to walk as we find it helps to get a feel of the real city and it is possible to just wander into some great places.  Bangkok is a place you need to feel and smell to help to understand.  However, our feet tell us Bangkok is massive!

Our first stop was a tour of the impressive Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew which is a rare “wow!” site and a must see attraction.  Expensive by Thai standards (400 bhats or £8 each) – plus the audio guide – but worth every bhat.  We would suggest skipping the audio guide as most of the information is in the leaflet they give you and it stops you speeding through to get the audio guide back on time.  Can’t really explain the place much, and the photos won’t do it justice.  But the colours, the gold and the craftsmanship everywhere and the story behind was superb.

Our next temple was Wat Pho – the temple of the reclining Buddha.  Our top tip is get there between 12 and 1 when the ticket office is closed but the gate open…  Again, a must see site – the giant Buddha is – well – giant – with superb workmanship and images around.  Amazing.

After there we had plans to head through China town to Silom Pat Pong area, but on our wanderings round Chinatown we found loads of hidden markets.  And by loads, we mean we walked for probably a couple of hours and at junctions took a random turn and yet we are sure we missed most off.  A hugely impressive area for just amps and speakers; an equally large for electronics with a range that makes Maplin look tiny, and guys outside fixing anything they got.  Then material shops, food, fruit and whatever else you wanted. We could’ve easily spent even more time there – and most of the time we were the only westerners in view which makes a change from old Bangkok.

Probably 15 miles walking later we gave up on our idea of going to Pat Pong and headed back via Khaosan Road for some more street food saving the fun area of Bangkok till our feet can cope!  En route back we stumbled on what appeared to be a local only night market, with individual sellers selling their items – mainly second hand bits – in a cross between a real market and a car boot sale.

With sore feet, we crashed back at our hostel and raided some of our emergency supply of chocolate…  We earned it!

See next installment HERE

Despite being absent from UK news, the flooding in Thailand has been getting worse, and the more we look, the bigger problem it is getting.  It is certainly going to hange our plans.

Interestingly, they seem to be trying to look after tourists, and indeed have their priorities right – free wifi and food!

Unless the flight is cancelled we’ll still be going, but think we’ll fly out of Bangkok as soon as we get there as the roads and rail seem to be damaged, and we’ll probably do our planned route backwards.  Glad we didn’t plan too much. 

Looking forward to going, but quite sad nevertheless due to the devistation caused – and we don’t want to enjoy others misery