Final thoughts on Malaysia

So what are my final thoughts on Malaysia:

Food: Malaysian food is a tough one for me.  I love some bits and hate others.  For the first time on this trip, I've actually not enjoyed all the food I ate.  This being said, I've found so dishes that I'd definitely eat again.

Culture: Although I only got to spend time in KL, I still experienced the culture.  I particularly enjoyed the Batu Caves.  

Kuala Lumpa:  I'm not going to lie, I hadn't heard great things about the capital but to my surprise, I loved it.  It's busy but not crazy, simple to navigate and easy to navigate.  Everything is on your doorstep!

Highlight: Other than seeing the beautiful Katie and meeting up with my new friends Danny and Dellyn, it would be the KL tower.  Spectacular building and a great view of the city.

Would I go again?  Most certainly.  I wish I had managed to get to the islands and explore other parts of the country but I plan to go back again, so that's for my next trip.

Next stop: Singapore

My week in Kuala Lumpa

13 September

I took the early morning flight to KL.  Having arrived and cleared customs safely, I took a cab into town.    It was quite a way from the airport so I inevitably fell asleep.  The hostel was clean and situated on one of the most famous streets for food in Malaysia, which resulted in food then bed!

14 September

I spent the morning wandering around the district of Bukit Bintang area of KL.  As with most cities, it's fairly built up but unlike Bangkok, it wasn't busily.  In the afternoon, I met up with Danny and Dellyn, a couple I'd met at the cookery school for drinks.  Dellyn and I then decided that we deserved a little bit of luxury and got our nails done.  It's the first time I've felt like a girl in a long time and nice it was too.

15 September

Today, we went up the Twin towers. They are two tall towers with a walking platform in between.  You not only have viewing access from there but also from floor 89.  I may have done this a few times now but I think its one of the best ways to see a city.

16 September

After the kind lady in Pai lost most of my clothes, it was time to go shopping.  Clothes may not be as cheap as they were in Cambodia and Thailand but they will still be a downsight less than in Singapore. In the the evening, I took a cab to meet Katie.  I know Katie via Alyn, a friend from home and we've grown increasingly closer as time has passed.  Katie is from KL so was the perfect guide to show me around.  She was on a flying visit from the UK, which just so happened to be the time I was in Malaysia too.  The original plan was to go to a Chinese/Malaysia wedding but sadly that didn't come off.  Katie had to deal with some urgent business in London and then we got lost!  We ended the evening having traditional Malaysian food in Bukit Bintang.

17 September

The only point that is worth mentioning about today is that I tried a fruit called 'Duran' and...it was vile!!!  It is green and not only smells but tastes of smelly feet.  Never ever again!

19 September

It's my last night in KL so Katie and I decided to head to the Batu Caves.  After a short detour we arrived just after sunset.  Upon approach, you are greeted by a large golden Buddha and 200 or so steep steps and they were steep!!  How Katie managed to do it in heels, I will never know.  Thankfully the view more than made up for it.  After wandering round the caves for 30 mins or so, it was time to head back into town.  I met up with Dellyn for a few quiet drinks and girly chat.  The perfect way to bid farewell to KL.

My last few days and final thoughts on Thailand

12 September

I took the boat from Phi Phi to Phuket.  It was a large almost cruise ship style boat.  The crossing was nice and simple and we made good time.  Upon arrival, I searched for a taxi and avoiding all the illegal toutts.  It turns out that they all worked for one company.  As with most things in Asia, I was told that I'd have to pay a single persons excess to travel alone.  Luckily for me, a lovely German couple offered to share a cab with me!

I spent the evening wandering around the city centre and eating Pad See Ew which is a type of Thai noodle dish.  Phuket wasn't the place for me, seedy and distasteful.  Certainly not a place I intend on returning to.

So this brings my Thai adventure to an end, so what are my final thoughts:

1. Bangkok- an enjoyable city to spend a reasonable amount of time in.  There are so many different areas, don't just stick to the tourist traps.  The skyline at night is something I will never forget!

2. Food- The food is better than I could've ever imagined, particularly the street food.  At first I was a little wary but in fact it's often cleaner and much nicer!  The cooking course was also a definite highlight.

3. Culture- There is so much more to thailand than just party, party!  One of my highlights was certainly elephant trekking near Kanchanaburi and the temples around Chiang Mai.

4. The islands- Easily the nicer islands were Railay and Maya.  2 places I would certainly visit again.  I hope that I can spend more time on the other islands next time I go back!

5. Unforgettable moments - my birthday in a sky bar, sitting with tigers, riding an elephant, cooking class and my trip to Maya.

Next stop: Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia 

Koh Phi Phi - island hopping, snorkelling and finally my trip to "The Beach"

9 September

It's time to move to my next island, Koh Phi Phi, an island thats been described as sun, sea, glorious beaches and lots of partying.  I took the ferry from Ao Nang which took approximately 45 mins.  As soon as I arrived, I knew partying was definitely on the agenda!  I'd decided not to book a hostel as I'd been told it was pretty easy to find one upon arrival and they were not wrong.  At the port there were stalls everywhere advertising places to stay.  I opted for the cheapest one on the island- Phi Phi Backpackers.  They even provided me with a taxi (a cart like you use on the pontoon at the Marina) so that I didn't have to carry my bag.  The accommodation was basic with bunk beds.  This being said I was one girl in a room full of guys.  Luckily for me, they are probably the nicest group of lads I've met - Angel from Spain, Cristian from Columbia and a guy from Germany.

Angel and I decided to make the most of our first night and walked up to the viewpoint to watch the sunset.  It was magical!  In the evening, we wandered down to the beach to watch the fire-throwing before heading off for an early night.

10 September

The day didn't start well, the lads woke up late meaning that we arrived on the boat...late!  The other passengers were pretty peeved to say the least.  Once we set sail, we motored to our first island- Bamboo island.  As this was a snorkelling trip, one would assume that the organisers would provide the necessary equipment, no such luck; this is Asia, nothing runs smoothly.  Between the group, we each managed to get a swim and see the coral reef.  The water was freezing and it wasn't the warmest of days.  Still we persevered on.  Our tour guide was extrovert to say the least.  As it approached lunch time, we moored on the island known as the National park, where we we told we needed to pay extra.  It was pouring it down with rain, so as a group we made the decision to eat our lunch and therefore not go on the island.  This made our guide furious as obviously he was not going to make any additional money.

The weather got progressively worse and at one point I almost asked him to take us back, particularly when we spotted an over-turned long-tail boat, no bigger than ours.  Thankfully the storm passed and we stopped in a beautiful cove, just shy of the famous Maya beach.  The guide suddenly cut the engine and refused to the us any further without his money. Most if not all of us had only done the trip to see Maya.  As a group we made the decision to pay him.  Obviously I disagreed with paying extra, but sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture; we were stranded on a boat in the middle of no where, what's an extra tenner!

We moored in a another cove just around the corner and were told we had to swim to the shore.  The water was still pretty rough so Hayley and I decided to opt for life-jackets.  I'm not sure if that made it easier or harder to swim.  We scrambled the rocks and walked the 5 or so mins to the opposite side of the island.  As we turned the corner, all I remember thinking is Wow!  This is paradise.  The water was crystal clear, the beach was covered in soft, golden sand and the view was just spectacular.  Some people had told me it was dirty and a waste of time.  I'm glad I opted to go and see it for myself.  

On the way home, we stopped at Monkey beach, which unsurprisingly was a beach full of monkeys.  Although, it wasn't as impressive as some of the other beaches I'd visited, it was a great opportunity to get up close to the monkeys, even if they were a little greedy!

Railay - My first taste of paradise

7 September

I woke up earlier than everyone else and decided to head into Ao Nang.  After finding the bus port and buying my ticket, I jumped aboard my first long-tail boat.  What an awesome experience!  It was still early so the sun wasn't too hot, perfect weather for me!  I took Raj's advice and wore my sandals as the skipper made us jump into the sea and walk to the shore.  First impressions of the island?  Wow wow wow!

I sat in a cafe on the beach and admired the view.  A German lady spotted that I was on my own and asked if she could join me for a coffee.  It was quite nice to have some female company.  After finishing the necessary introductory chit chat, we planned our afternoon.  Not long after, I spotted the guys and gals from my hostel and they joined us.  The water was perfect, the sun was out and I even played a few games of football with the lads.

In the afternoon, we took the kayaks out around the island.  This is definitely the best way to see it.  At about 5ish, we all agreed to head back.  What we didn't realise was that a storm was on its way.  Well, it was too late to come back, we were already on the boat.  The sea was rough, the rain was pelting it down and as a result, we were all drenched.  My only concern was my ipad which was in my liner, luckily.  One of the lads put all the electrics together in the liner and put the bag under his jumper.  Thankfully this worked and all was ok.  We arrived at the shore, freezing cold and soaked through.  The only thought on my mind now was a long hot shower.  

As evening approached, we headed down the road for some dinner before grabbing some beers.  We'd promised the manager of our hostel that we'd attend his gig that evening.  Good job we did too as we were the only ones there!  After a few rounding of drinking games (Thai ones that is) it was time to head back.  We made it as far as the next group of bars, where the boys played pool and the girls danced.  I even met a lad from Wrexham, very random! 

The photo above is the Thai drinking game.  You use a cigarette to make a hole in the cloth.  Whoever is the one to let the coin drop, drinks a shot or drink of the groups choice.

Nothing like a 19.5 hour train journey to set you right....

5 September

After spending a few days wandering around Chiang Rai, it was time to head back to Chiang Mai.  I hopped on the 10.30am bus which arrived at 2.30pm.  Unfortunately, I had to go back to my hostel to pick up my train ticket.  The owner, Kai, had just told me to "get a taxi".  What I don't think he realises is that it is almost impossible to get a taxi for one person.  Instead, I hopped into one which was vaguely going in my direction and walked the rest.  With a huge bag, it was extremely unpleasant.  

After a rest at the hostel, I took another cab to the train station, picked up some Pad Thai for dinner and  got on the train.  As this was my second journey, I considered myself a pro.  I knew the routine and where things were.  For the most part of the journey, I chatted to the Thai guy who would be sleeping in the bunk above me, until it was time for bed.  Unlike last time, I didn't fancy the 'boogie carriage', just simply my bed and my book.

6/7 September

The train was due to arrive into Bangkok at 6.50am.  I woke up about 6am expecting to be hurried along so that they could put the beds away.  Something was up.  From speaking to the other passengers around me, it was clear that there had been an incident in the middle of the night meaning that we were now severely delayed.  What had meant to be a 12 hour journey, turned into 19.5 hours!  The train pulled into Bangkok at 12.30pm.  I wandered over to the MRT and took the metro to the airport.  The only saving grace for this trip was the fact that I didn't have to sit in the airport for hours on end.  After picking up a sandwich (ok a subway!) and dropping off my bag (all 23kgs of it, which I'm still convinced is wrong), I headed for the departure lounge.  

The flight itself was good.  The food was horrid but I met a French guy sitting next to me, so that kept me entertained for most of the way.  He had been living in Perth for the last few months and couldn't speak more highly of it.  Once we'd landed and collected bags, I went in search of a cab.  As I approached the main doors, two well-dressed ladies approached me asking where I was going.  They then directed me to a bus stand and pointed to 3 mini buses which were taking travellers into Ao Nang - perfect!  The journey was short and the next thing I knew, the bus abruptly stopped and the driver shouted at me to get off.  Then I saw the sign for my hostel.  It was only 500m or so but with a heavy bag, this felt like miles.  Luckily, a lady from one of the nearby tour companies, took me to my hostel on the back of her bike.  

The hostel itself was really nice.  Very clean and very comfortable.  It could do with lockers but everyone seemed a friendly bunch.  I was sharing with 2 brothers from Perth and a guy from Singapore.  I popped my head into the communal area but everyone was engrossed in a drinking game, that I didn't want to disturb them.  Eventually, one of the Perth brothers, Luke, invited me to join in.  We hung out in the common area for hours, dancing to Bhangra.  It was a great night.  Tomorrow, it's time to head for the island of Railay.  I have high expectations for this place, so I hope it comes up to scratch...

Chiang Rai - a strange white temple and not much else!

1/2 September

We returned to Chaing Mai for 2 nights and normal service resumed.  On the Sunday, we headed to the night market and wow what a night market it was!  I assumed it would be one or 2 stalls but it was quite the contrary.  Streets were blocked off and the rows of stalls went on for miles around.  I ended up buying a painting of an elephant and yet more Christmas presents.  We also picked up some treats along the way including; miniature ice cream cones and a steamed sweet bun which looked like a dog...only in Asia!

3 September

Robat and I took the bus to Chiang Rai, although he wasn't feeling very well.  I think the travelling and trek he'd done the previous day had taken it out of him.  When we arrived in Chiang Rai, we were dropped off for lunch just outside the main town, next to the famous white temple.  It's a bit of an odd building and unlike most temples, it's decorated entirely in white.  You enter the temple over a bridge which has a sea of skulls and bones underneath.  Guarding each side of the bridge are two silver guards.  The temple inside is decorated in futuristic murals.  I even spotted superman!  Like I said, very odd...

The town itself is very quiet with not much going on!  In the evening, there is a night bazaar with lots of food stalls.  Mostly traditional Thai or Asian food.  Not a KFC in sight!  Other than that, there isn't much to do here, so I took the opportunity to do some writing...