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  • Matt and Amy's Adventure

South East Asia

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  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaPengembara

    Ban Nai Inn, Phuket, Day 1

    13 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    So we say bye to the wet and rainy Krabi, and get on the move again in the direction of Phuket. We have heard it has a reputation as a party island, but at the moment we are both struck down with cold and neither of us are in much of a party mood, so we decide to stay in a quieter section.
    The bus from Krabi is due to arrive at 11, and there isn't much surprise when it is an hour late. It is rather annoying as it is eating into an afternoon in Phuket, of which we only have two, but it happens so frequently out here we are kind of used to it. Luckily we manage to wrangle our way into the front two seats of the minibus, which means we aren't cramped in the back. Unluckily, the seat seems to be right above something very hot, which isn't ideal in this heat. The drive to Phuket takes a lot longer then expected, and it is already mid afternoon by the time we make it to the island (if you can call it that, it is a very big bit of land connected to the mainland).
    It takes another few hours to work our way to the south of the island, and to our destination. This would be annoying, but it actually turns out we pass by most of the landmarks and through most of the towns, which turns a boring bus journey into a sightseeing tour. We go through Patong (the party area) and are soon glad we opted to stay in town. It doesn't look the nicest of places, but the beaches look as good as expected round these parts.
    As we arrive in Phuket town we grab a taxi from a friendly driver to our hotel. We are greeted by a very unfriendly man at reception who shows us to a much better then expected room. Amy befriends the local cat, who soon becomes rather attached judging by the ringing of his collar as he waits outside our door for a slither to squeeze through.
    We are worried about the town as it doesn't look to great, but as we head out to see some sights, we soon see we were wrong to be. The old city is amazing! The architecture and design of the buildings, all painted in different bright colours, makes wandering through the streets a joy. It is lovely and quiet, and just the kind of place that we needed after a rainy few days in Krabi town. We stop for a hot drink and too admire the amazing graffiti that is littered all over the small streets. What a place! Tea is also great, even though Amy's curry is a lot spicier then expected (this, along with late transport, is also often the case).
    We retire back to the room happy with the choice we have made, and very excited to see more of it all tomorrow!    Baca lagi

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    Baan To Guesthouse, Krabi, Day 2

    12 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Not much to report today as we intended on not doing much but planning, and that planning took a lot longer then we expected. It turns out it is a long way from the Eastern islands of Thailand to Bangkok, and even further of a way to the Laos border. Add that to the troubles of trying to work out how to spend our last few weeks in this amazing country, and it equals a very frustrating morning!
    After eating some breakfast in the hotel, we finally get it sorted (plane to the Laos border) and are ready to relax. My cold is still dragging me down, so there isn't much planned apart from eating. It is raining slightly until we get sat down in the restaurant, when a true Thai style downpour hits. Luckily we are under shelter, and it is there we stay until the rain has calmed down a bit. We eat a lovely pizza and a weird fish stick stuffed with cheese (never again) on the way home before hiding from the rain in the room.
    Cabin fever is a real problem while travelling, when your home is never usually more then a room and an en-suite and it is certainly hitting us today. Inactivity for more then a day makes your feet very itchy, and we are both ready to get back on the trail tomorrow and so we get our bus to Phuket booked after much consideration. We have heard it is like a South East Asian Magaluf, but we shall see.
    As night sets in, along with more rain, we aim to eat in the hotel. Unfortunately the chef has gone home sick, so we venture to a nearby restaurant where a very friendly host serves us some delicious food. Despite forgetting the rice, the sweet and sour cashew nut salad is great!
    And so ends a stressful day, but one we feel a lot better for having. Everything is finally sorted until we get to Laos, and we get a good sleep, ready for a very busy 2 weeks ahead!    Baca lagi

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    Baan To Guesthouse, Krabi, Day 1

    11 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Back to Krabi we go, and sadly this means we are back to ten pound a night hotels. It has been amazing to spend a fortnight in nice hotels that are all paid for already. Nothing against the new hotel, which is nicer then most and run by a lovely woman, but we will miss the standards of this fortnight.
    Helen has a flight this afternoon, and is dreading the prospect of what she initially believes is around 50 hours of travelling. It is a shame to only have one night in this hotel as it is lovely. So lovely they give us a very nice free breakfast and a free lift onto Ao Nang beachfront where we catch a Songthaew (long bus style tuk tuk) into Krabi town. Mine and Amy's bug bags are worryingly thrown on the top, and we set off preying that no sharp curves throw them off. On the way we work out that Helen's flight arrives a day earlier then she thought, which is great as she won't be undertaking the massive travel she first thought, but bad as Matt ia meeting her at Manchester on the wrong date. We are dropped off walking distance from our hotel which is nice, and are soon settled in to what will be me and Amy's home for the next few days, and Helen's for the next few hours.
    Our second time in Krabi starts with a walk into town to finish buying the presents that somehow have to fit into Helen's already packed suitcase. It doesn't take long to find what we are looking for, and again it is stuff we looked at in Phi Phi but for a fraction of the price.
    After we get the shopping done we head back to the hotel and have a final buffet style dinner before Helen leaves. We manage (just) to get her case zipped shut, and before we know it, 5pm has rolled around and her taxi is here to take her to the airport. Me and a very emotional Amy wave her goodbye.
    I am sent to buy chocolate and coffee to cheer Amy up, and we watch some shows on my laptop before heading out for tea. Unfortunately it is raining, and we are late to eat, so most places are closed. We end up finding a restaurant after a while and I eat a lovely traditional Thai dish of cheeseburger and chips, before we head back to the room, ready to sort out the rest of our Thailand trip tomorrow!    Baca lagi

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    Ancora Blu, Ao Nang, Day 1

    10 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Sadly it is time for Helen's stay on the islands to end. We are very sad to leave Phi Phi, it is an amazing place and we all feel we could stay for weeks! We arrive to the ferry at 10 as told, and end up sitting for around 40 minutes waiting to set sail. Finally we leave and get some breeze to cool us down. As we drift away, it is nice to have one last look at this beautiful place. But leave we must, and on the front of the ferry in the glaring sun, it is going to be a long couple of hours.
    As we arrive at the Krabi pier we are bustled into the back of a van by a rather annoyingly loud man. The short trip to Ao Nang doesn't take long, but the driver gets even more annoying as he drops us at the beach and not at our hotel as promised when we bought the ticket. He tries to make us pay for him to take us here but we say no, as Amy uses some colourful language to describe him. His rudeness is a lot more annoying then being left here! Anyway, we are only about a couple of miles away from our hotel, so after a subway we jump into a tuk tuk and go straigt there.
    The cold that Helen has been suffering with has been transferred to me (one of the problems wih sharing food), and I am feeling the full force of it today. Luckily, the hotel room is lovely, and I don't feel guilty about not doing much for the rest of the day.
    As we didn't do present shopping in Phi Phi, we do have to leave the room though. We find the perfect place mere minutes away from our hotel, which is lucky as the heavens open as we are inside. Most of the clothes that we needed are bought for about half of what we would have paid on Phi Phi. We get something to eat before Amy and Helen decide to buy more clothes.
    We make it back to the room and managed to stay slightly dry,l. It is agreed that it is a good idea to keep it that way and not head out again. Instead we have a nutritious supper of pot noodles and bread while watching paddington bear. A nice way to spend Helen's final night!    Baca lagi

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    PP Tonsai Place, Phi Phi, Day 4

    9 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Luckily, the hangovers from today aren't too severe, which is surprising considering the amount of booze we got through. We decide that we need a bit of exercise, and to sweat some of the the alcohol, so we head back up to the first viewpoint with Helen. It is a long way, and is mostly uphill, so Helen, who is struck down with cold, is struggling as reach the top. To be honest, we all are very sweaty and rather exhausted as we reach the top. The views are just as amazing as we remember, and the feeling when we reach the top and know we only have to go down now is very nice.
    As Helen and Amy get Helen's nail gel/varnish removed, I aim to go back to the room. After around five minutes I realise i am heading to the other side of the island, so after checking a roadside map, turn back past the salon and finally reach the room, fifteen minutes later then I should have. When they return we all go out for something to eat, before Amy and Helen go gt a massage, and I again go back to the room. They tried to tempt me into a massage, but right now I am far too tired to think of that.
    When they return we all chill out for a bit, and Amy pretty convincingly wins a game of monopoly. Helen's cold is bad, and mine is just starting to hit, so adding that to the booze yesterday, and we are all pretty tired, so we don't plan on doing anything else very energetic today. We go out for a gorgeous meal in a very nice restaurant, before wandering the streets of Phi Phi hoping to do a bit of present shopping. Unfortunately, the prices here are about double as they are on land, so we decide to wait until we are back in Krabi tomorrow. It is an early night, as we get ready for a ferry trip back inland tomorrow, for Helen's last full day in Thailand.    Baca lagi

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    PP Tonsai Place, Phi Phi, Day 3

    8 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    It's Amy's birthday today and she is awoken with a latte and lots of presents, including essentials such as chocolate and alcohol. We manage to find a birthday cake that is in the form of a doughnut with unlit candles. I'm sure a lie in would have been a wonderful present in Amy's eyes, but we don't hang around long as we plan to get a longboat and head to some of the neighbouring sites.
    We get a breakfast (not that we needed one after all the chocolate) and head to the beach, before climbing onto the boat and starting our trip. Phi Phi is a beautiful place full of many surprises, one of which is the small beach that we first land on. Much like the temple in Lopburi, it is overloaded with very mischievous monkeys. As Amy is a monkey lover, this is the perfect start to her birthday. It is an odd place, as it would be a gorgeous beach if it wasn't for the monkeys who have claimed it for themselves. We see people getting very close to some of them, and very nearly paying the price for it. Some rather daft people also walked on with a bag of fruit, that was soon ripped from their hands as monkeys surrounded them. It is an amazing, if not nervy place. After having a few dive on me at Lopburi, I am very wary of the same happening, plus I have no bag to protect me this time. We survive unscathed though, and head off to our next stop.
    We depart from Phi Phi and head to a much smaller island that seems to have places to stay or live. I believe it may be called Ko Phi Phi Le but I'm not sure. We pull into an amazing bay, with steep rocks on most sides of us and water that is so clear you can see the rocks and fish on the bottom. It is beautiful, and so idyllic that you can't help be amazed by it. Maya beach is at the end of it, an amazing place made famous by a scene from the film 'the beach', which says it all really. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXpLVlJLHp8 if you want to see it for yourself. Unfortunately, the film has meant that you have to pay around £10 to step foot on the white sand, and even then it looked hard to find a spot for yourself as it was jam packed full of tourists. We instead opt for a spot of snorkelling and a short stop on a beach on the other side of the bay, which was free and empty apart from one couple who seemed to be getting very close in the sea. To put it bluntly, if they named their child after where it was conceived, it would be called something like 'the shallow water just off the beach near Maya bay'. A my decides she wants to take some photos, so swims back to the boat to get her phone, before realising swimming with one hand in the air isn't very easy. After heading in many different directions, she makes it, but it has exhaust her! Apart from that rather odd scene, the beach is very nice. We do some hermit crab racing and take a breather after the snorkelling. The views underwater aren't as great as some we have seen, but the views above water really make up for it.
    We get back on, and after a short wait (which isn't a bad thing at all) while the driver finishes his dinner, we head to another bay which lacks the beaches this one has but is just as great. Me and Amy have another snorkel but don't see much so soon get back on the boat. What a place these spots are. It is amazing to just sit on a boat or float in the sea and just take it all in. It must be one of the best things we have done on this whole trip.
    The boat trip is coming to an end though, and we head back past viking cave which looks very cool but would be a lot cooler if we could go in and get a closer look. On the way back, staring at the scenery with the boiling sun beating down on us, we pass a group of tourists whose boat has broken down. We feel bad leaving them there in the middle of the sea waiting for help, but there are worse spots to be stranded.
    When we get back on dry land, we go for a drink and some food, before heading back to the room and getting some well earned rest before we head out tonight. After a while though, we are ready to go and watch the sunset. We have already sank a few drinks each, and we have a few more sat on the beach watching the night draw in. We go to get some food, passing by a man passed out in the street who Helen checks is still alive, and a rather rude restaurant owner who we annoy after Amy goes to the toilet while we check the menu. We eat a lovely meal of very spicy burritos and fish and chips, before we go get a cocktail an play a very well fought game of jenga. After all this, we go see a fire show.
    I wasn't sure what to expect, but I didn't expect it to be as great as it was. We are sat so close you can feel the heat on your face as the performers spin and throw burning sticks and balls in all directions. One man ends up with fire down his trousers, as some tourists have their cigarettes lit by a giant ball of fire. It is fascinating and dangerously exciting. After the show me and Amy head out for a bucket of rum and coke, while Helen retires to the room full of cold. We find a very cool bar that has a live band on and a lot of drunk tourists. what more could you want?!
    After we drink a bucket each, we find we are out of money, so head back rather drunk and ready for sleep. It's been a long day, but a very good one, and it is certainly a birthday Amy won't forget for while (despite the alcohol).    Baca lagi

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    PP Tonsai Place, Phi Phi, Day 2

    7 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    It's day 2 on Phi Phi and me and Amy are ready and raring to go nice and early as we plan to make our way to the several view points dotted around the hills. With a toastie in our bellies and a few bottles of water ready, we head off around half past eight, hoping to avoid the crowds and heat that is sure to ramp up as the day progresses.
    Viewpoint 1 and 2 are only 100 metres apart, and that is a relief after the pretty horrible steps that lead to it. Despite the morning coolness still lingering in the air, we are covered in sweat and ready to take a seat as we get to the top. It is a boiling hot day, and climbing up roughly 100 steps is a pretty unforgiving task. As we reach the first viewpoint and find a spot of shade, it all feels worth it though. The views are beautiful. He sky is blue, the sea is turquoise, and the Sun is shining onto the hills beautifully. It is times like this when it hits you what a beautiful and amazing place this is. The small town wedged inbetween the two hills and the sea surrounding it is an amazing sight. We don't hang around long at viewpoint 1, as the view from the next stop is better. We find a rock that offers some breeze and take it all in. What a start to the day.
    The next few stops are a harder walk. It is mercifully shaded as we trek along a small shaded path to a small restaurant that offers another great view from a different angle, before heading to a rock that we sit on for a while staring out at the ocean and the small bay underneath is. The walk is very tiring and rather scary. Small snakes and very brightly coloured spiders put us on edge slightly, and we are very pleased when we leave the thick trees behind and walk out onto a beach. Apart from slipping on a wet rock and ending up with a wet bum, we make it back safely. Our legs ache and we have lost most of the water in our body through sweat, but it is a great start to the day, and it's only just past 11.
    After showering and giving our legs some rest, we all get some food, before sending Amy back to the room so me and Helen can do some birthday shopping for tomorrow. It starts to rain slightly which is lovely as we wander around the stalls and shops in search of gifts. A very keen bookshop owner tries to get me to buy a Tommy Cooper biography, which I have to politely decline as I am not sure Amy would appreciate it, but we get most of what we need bought and hidden away before Amy sees.
    The rest of the afternoon is spent playing a very competitive game of monopoly, which Helen wins, before we decide to take off my hair. Long hair isn't good with the heat out here, and after my experience in Cambodia, I decide to opt for the razor again. Amy starts first, but my hair is so long it is sticking a lot. It is a painful hour and a half of shaving until my hair is almost gone. Next to go is the beard, and I suddenly look a lot like my Dad. It feels a lot cooler, even though it may not look it!
    After the ordeal, we go out for some tea. There is no alcohol tonight as we save ourselves for the morning, but the food is great yet again. It is very hard to find a meal that isn't great our here (apart from mango sticky rice YUK! (And tarantula)). It has been a long but very good day, and we all feel tired pretty early so go to sleep, knowing tomorrow will be another jam packed day as we celebrate Amy turning 25!    Baca lagi

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    PP Tonsai Place, Phi Phi, Day 1

    6 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    So our stay in Koh Lanta has come to an end. We sadly say bye to My Place Boutique and sit on the stairs outside waiting for our pickup. In true South East Asia style it is 15 minutes late, resulting in us being cramped into the front of a very busy tuk tuk and driven to the pier with five minutes before the ferry left. We make it, after being told to rush by our driver ironically, and sit on the side of the ferry, enjoying the sea breeze.
    It's just over an hour until we touch down on Phi Phi, after we watch half the boat swapping onto another in the middle of the sea. What a place this is! It seems like paradise as we walk through the old streets, with no cars or bikes. Two halves of the island are covered in hills that are all jungle, leaving nothing but a small slither of land in the middle for the main town. Bays are littered among the coastline and they are all as beautiful as the next.
    We leave our bags at the hotel and grab a sandwich, befofe sitting on the beach near the pier and taking in all the amazing scenery. The wooden boats and lack of buildings on the scenery to either side give it a real rustic feel that makes you feel like you have been transported back in time. It is amazing!
    After sitting for a while we take a small wander around the bay and see lots of lovely restaurants that face out to the sea. After checking in and relaxing for a short while, we head back out and eat at one of these restaurants. The food is great, and the view is even better. We have a few cocktails while having a well contested game of scrabble. There is a lovely and relaxed way of life around here, and it is nice to slowly wander around the many stalls and shops before going back to the room and getting some well earned sleep after a busy day.    Baca lagi

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    My Place Boutique, Koh Lanta, Day 3

    5 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today we decide to have a short walk around the island, hoping to find another bay. After a lovely pad thai we buy a ginormous bag of lychees that are a lot nicer then there shell makes them look. Wih fruit in hand we head for the next beach along. It is a short walk and soon we are sat on a different bay, that is just as gorgeous as the first.
    The sea is a lot nicer, with less pointy shells to stand on as you wade out, and is inctedibly clear and shallow. After a while relaxing we decide we all want some shade, so head to a beachside bar. I have a beer while Helen and Amy enjoy a fruit shake. Despite my beer being a block of ice inside a bottle when it is handed to me, they go down incredibly well. Who knew lychees and garlic bread went well together?
    After the bar I head back while Helen and Amy take another dip in the sea, before going for a wander around the rocks on the bay collecting hermit crabs. They get a tuk tuk back and it isn't long until we are all back in the room enjoying the air con.
    As the sun starts to descend we grab some beers and sit on the beach. Despite the annoyingly placed clouds, it is lovely to sit on a beach when it is cool and the Sun isn't burning you. We all have a couple of drinks and enjoy the night drawing in on our final night on this wonderful island.
    We get some very tasty pizzas and have another beer before going back to the room and preparing for an early get up for our ferry to Phi Phi tomorrow. Koh Lanta has been lovely, and we will be sad to go, but we are very excited for the next step on what feels like a holiday for all three of us!    Baca lagi

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    My Place Boutique, Koh Lanta, Day 2

    4 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We get up pretty late today, but don't feel too bad about it as the plan is to lay on the beach anyway. All of us are feeling pretty sore after the Sun went to work on us yesterday. Like true brits abroad though we soldier on, baring our red skin to the elements. We find a lovely spot on the beach and spend most of the day dipping and reading again. The beach is really amazing, and spots of cloud do their best to give us a respite from the immense heat. It said the weather would be awfuk for Helen's visit, but it has been incredible. The weather and the beach math perfectly to make the days here very nice indeed. It doesn't make them very exciting for the blog I'm afraid, but very nice to be here.
    Mid afternoon slowlys comes round and after a lovely burger I head back to the room, desparate for some proper time out of the Sun. Amy and Helen go to get a massage and manicure, and come back looking very relaxed and refreshed.
    As night draws by we go out for some food, but we are all feeling rather tired and burnt, so we head back to the room and relax, ready for a day exploring the island a bit more tomorrow! A very short blog post but not much to comment on when we're spending a lot of time laying on a beach.    Baca lagi

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    My Place Boutique, Koh Lanta, Day 1

    3 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    It is time to introduce Helen to Asian transport. It is a 10am pickup and we are bundled into the back of a minibus that is soon filled with bags and people until we are all pretty cramped in and unable to move. It isn't the most pleasant journey, so luckily it isn't a log one. After sitting in the bus for the short ferry ride to Koh Lanta, we find ourselves at our delightful hotel. It is big and clean and everything we could ask for!
    After getting settled we go to check out the island. After eating a noodle soup in the restaurant next door but one, we head to the gorgeous beach. The sea is clear and the sand is white and there is so much room to relax and chill out that we don't want to move. My tolerance for beaches isn't quite as high as the other two though, so I head back after a while, followed by the rest. The island is great to wander around, and after relaxing in the room for a bit we head back out for a great tea. It is very nice to have three people as we can order 4 meals and share without looking as greedy as when we have only 2.
    After eating we head for a walk on the beach. For me the best time of day to wander on a beach is now, when all you can hear is the lapping of the waves and all you can see out at sea are the distant boat lights and the reflection of the moon. We sit on a large bed/chair and drink beer. It is delightful and very peaceful. After four big beers, we are ready for bed, and we walk back. Koh Lanta has already been lovely and we have only been here one afternoon and night. What a place!    Baca lagi

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    Krabi Home Town Boutique, Krabi, Day 2

    2 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We had planned on getting an early morning today, but that soon went out the window, so it isn't until around half 10 when we jump into a taxi heading towards Ao Nang beach.
    It takes around half an hour but we soon pull up at a gorgeous stretch of beach. After eating a lovely seafood Pad Thai, we head for a different beach though. A short but very fun longboat ride (with some wonderful views along the way) takes us to the amazing Railay beach. Sandstone cliffs line each side of the bay, and the water is as clear as it can be. Despite it being very busy, we find some space for our towels and get settled in for an afternoon of lying down reading and dipping in the sea. It is one of the most beautiful beaches we have come across on this trip, and well deserves it's wonderful reputation. The hours soon fly by, and we take a short walk to see some sights of the island, but after seeing a few of the sculptures formed by the rocks, we head back on the longboat and back to Ao Nang. The Sun is just starting it's descent as we arrive back and it makes for a lovely view.
    We head back to town on another tuk tuk, before eating and heading back to the hotel to end a strangely exhausting but very good day!    Baca lagi

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    Krabi Home Town Boutique, Krabi, Day 1

    1 Januari 2018, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    It is 2018 and everyone is feeling surprisingly fresh. This is very welcome news as we have to get up and get to the airport for our flight to Krabi. It doesn't take long to pack, despite having all the extra baggage Helen brought us, and we are soon in a taxi heading out of Bangkok.
    Check in goes well and we all get a subway while we wait an hour for the plane. We were lucky enough to get given the seats near the fire exit, which means we have plenty of leg room. When booking our seats on the plane we were asked to order food. As the plane sets off and we alone are asked about our choices, we wonder if we are the only ones getting something. It is a 70 minute flight afterall. We get served before everyone, and my odd choice of a 'bland meal' is unsurprisingly very bland. For some reason, everyone else then gets the same meal, which looks very nice. I don't know what we did, but I bet they don't get many people special requesting bland meals!
    We arrive in Krabi and jump in the tuk tuk that is waiting outside for us. The hotel is lovely, with a swimming pool, but is quite far away from the town. We chill in the room for a while, making the most of the space and taking a dip in the pool, before we take advantage of the free taxi service and head into town for tea. Krabi town is very nice and quiet, which means we struggle to find a cheap taxin back to the hotel. We manage in the end though, and soon arrive back, ready for a good sleep to make up for the lack of it last night!    Baca lagi

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    Tara Place, Bangkok, Day 3

    31 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    It would be cruel to wake Helen up early today, so we have a slow morning before getting some dinner and taking advantage of the free tuk tuk that the hotel offers to the Grand Palace. We get dropped off outside a museum and temple complex that we spend some time wandering around. He museum is good, with some very cool samurai gear, and the temple is as amazing as all the temple seem to be.
    As we head toward the Grand Palace we begin to feel the heat as the crowd begins to thicken. We are pointed a long way round so after quite a walk we find ourselves stuck in a huge crowd getting very sweaty as we shuffle towards the tiny gates of the palace. Helen goes in first and me Amy push our way through the crowd behind, only to be told Amy's 3 quarter trousers aren't long enough for admittance. I am already through and seek Helen out in the crowd before we turn to head out. We have to wait for the changing of the guard which is actually pretty cool to see, before we find Amy sat outside in the shade. The grand palace looks very cool, but the crowds would have made it unbearable, so we settled for looking at the top of the temples from behind the walls.
    Next up we decided to go see the reclining buddha temple, also known as Wat Pho. Our journey required us to cross over a park, but on passing through the gate we realised we had walked into what looked like a huge public ceremony. Rows of chairs were laid out in lines as we walked in and were handed number cards to clip on and leaflets about the cremation service of the former King. We weren't sure what was about to happen, and didn't want to be disrespectful by leaving. After around ten minutes of sittig though, everyone got up, and we realised the chairs were simply a waiting area to walk around an exhibition in honour of the former King. The temple that was part of this was stunning, with it's bright Gold structures gleaming in the afternoon Sun.
    We leave the exhibition and sit in a spot of shade for a while, before heading to Wat Pho. It is a lovely complex with lots of great strucutes and Buddha statues that never cease to amaze. It has been a great day, but the crowds and the heat are very tiring, so we take a walk back, stopping off for a lovely chicken baguette and coke on the way.
    Its New Years Eve! That means it's time for a celebration. After getting ready and drinking a few beers in the room we head off for a delicious curry. Tom Yam is especially tasty and I will definitely try and replicate it (poorly) when I get home.
    We then head to the road parallel to Khao San Road, which seems to be cheaper and less busy. Or so we thought. There seems to be a queue just to walk down the street, and somehow we manage to push our way onto an empty table for a few beers. We are treated to some dodgy magic tricks and manage to force Helen into some drinking games. Midnight rolls round and there are a suprisingly good number of celebrations. The music even ended for a countdown!
    To celebrate the new year we head to a reggae bar for a few more drinks. Before we know it it is past 2am and time to go home. We walk back before all losing each other in a 7/11. I end up back in the room as Amy leaves Helen stood holdig a toastie for ten minutes. All's well that ends well though, and we all convene back in the room, very ready for bed. A flight tomorrow doesn't sound great at the moment, but it will be New Years Day, and would be rude to not have a hangover for it. Bangkok on New Years Eve certainly didn't dissapoint, and we sleep well as everyone back home does their countdown.    Baca lagi

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    Tara Place, Bangkok, Day 2

    30 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    We wake up still elated from the fay before, and treat ourselves to a bit of a lie in. After the ten hour bus ride and the drama of yesterday we feel pretty drained. Our only job for the day is to get to the airport and get Helen.
    We head off to the travel shops that advertise cheap minibuses but unfortunately they are all booked up for the day. Local bus it is! As we ask a few locals the way and get some rather confusing answers, we soon find ourselves stood with a big crowd somewhere that we think is right. After yesterday, our luck definitely seems to be in, as the bus rolls up a few minutes after we arrive. We jump on for 60 baht each (£1.50), whij was half what we were going to pay for the minibus, and end up making it in good time.
    After grabbing some dinner in the airport, it is about time for Helen to arrive. We stand at arrivals for probably around 45 minutes until we see her making her way across from the other gate to where we were waiting. Our two has become a three, and after seeig the taxi queue and deciding against it, we are back on the local bus heading to the city. As introductions to Bangkok go, it is a pretty good one, as we sit in the crazy traffic for an hour and a half before jumping off and making the walk back to the hotel.
    Helen has come baring gifts, and it is incredible how much you appreciate clean clothes and nice toileteries when you have been travelling for a few months. We all head out feeling clean and fresh (maybe the fresh part doesn't apply to Helen who is determined to stay up). After the bus ride, we feel another good introduction to Bangkok life is he hustle and bustle of Khao San Road. After eating we head there for a few beers and a walk around the madness. It must be a lot to take in!
    We head back around half 10 and get some sleep, ready for an explore tomorrow, and of course, some New Years Eve celebrations!    Baca lagi

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    Tara Place, Bangkok, Day 1

    29 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    It isn't the nicest hotel in the World to wake up in, so we don't hang around for long. After leaving our bags in the room because he reception was empty, we head to the passport place, hoping we can pick it up and sort the visa out there and then. It seems to be goig well as the passport is handed over with no faults, but then we are told they can't do visas here, and we have to go to the immigration building. Of course, after checking on the map, the immigration building is a long way away.
    Back to the hotel we go. Still no-one on reception. The thought of lumping around our backpacks all day is not nice, so we leave our bags in a luggage cupboard and hope they will be safe there. Fingers crossed!
    A taxi would be very expensive, so we decide to take the skytrain. After managing to grab ourselves a ticket, we push our way onto the packed carriage. Luckily, it empties out after a few more stops, and we have a bit of room to try and work out our stop. We pull in and jump off, before grabbing a local bus that we hope is the right one. The ticket officer is very nice and tells us when to get off, and we jump into a taxi for the final leg of our journey.
    We are finally at the immigration building, and what a building it is. A main foyer that could fit a football pitch in seems rather wasted as it is completely empty. We work our way to immiration with the hope that we won't be too long. We do have a lovely hotel waiting for us in Bangkok.
    This immigration centre is a lot more formal (and scary) then Chiang Mai. Amy fills in her forms and we wait around 45 minutes for her number. When it rings she walks in and I sit in the waiting room, feeling bad about not going in but apparently shorts flip flops aren't correct attire to wear to an immigration interview.
    After a few minutes Amy returns and immediately I know it hasn't gone well. She utters the words 'we need to go back to the border' with tears in her eyes, and leads me to the inteview room. The incredibly unhelpful woman tells us that the computer was down as we passed through immigration, so withour her passport with the visa stamp and any record of her passing through the border on the 2nd of december, we can't extend her visa. At this point I am preparing myself for a lovely week with Helen on a beach in Thailand as Amy goes on a visa run. We are offered (or we forced) one last vestige of hope as we ask them to ring the border. It seems like the logical thing considering the border is a 5 hour and 50 quid bus journey journey each way!
    It's dinner break and we are requested to leave, as 'I'm hungry' is yelled at us from behind a desk. Over some burgers Amy contemplates whether she will go to prison as an illegal immigrant, and how to get he border. It is a long dinner, but the burgers were delicious.
    1 o clock rolls round and we are back in the office, this time speaking to a very helpful and nice lady who tells us she will make some calls to the Cambodian border, but still says we will have to go to the border. As Helen arrives tomorrow, we say we can't. She makes some calls and tells us to wait, and so a couple of hours that are more suspenseful then the Jeremy Kyle lie detector tests plays out. We discuss tactics, and wait for the dreaded ring of the phone.
    A coffee and half an afternoon down and we get the call. 'I regret to inform you that you have to go to the border'. Just what we didn't want to hear. We trudge back upstaira very dejectedly to pick up Amy's passport. The phone rings again, but we ignore it as we already at the office door. The woman looks happy, which is confusing, until she tells us that just after she called us someone called (who this wonderful person was is a mystery to us) and they have found Amy's information. We are chuffed! They keep Amy's passport and around half an hour later she has her visa extension stamped in. What a relief! We have gone from feeling awful to being very happy, and the cramped combination of local bus and skytrain on the way back seems fine, even enjoyable.
    Back at the first hotel, we collect our bags (still no-one on reception) and get in a tuk tuk to our next place. It is very busy and the driver is getting increasingly annoyed as a 10 minute journey turns into 45.
    We arrive at Tara's place, a hotel booked and paid for a long time ago in anticipation of Helen's visit, and it is amazing. Just what we need after today!
    Apart from going out for something to eat, we don't go out again, instead opting for a few relaxing beers in the room. A lovely ending to what has been a rollercoaster day!    Baca lagi

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  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaPengembara

    Mad cow hostel, Bangkok, Day 1

    28 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    And so it begins. We have spent a total of about 27 days working our way slowly North, and now in one bus journey we are making the journey back. We say bye to Heuan Pak De and grab an uber to the station pretty early, still in the mindset of Vietnam where buses leave and arrive at any time they want, and wait about for around 45 minutes until our bus turns up. It is not a bad bus, even if we end up on the front seats which I am certain have the least leg room. At least there is a toilet on board.
    When we get on we are given a free blanket and neck pillow thing, plus a bottle of water and two buns. As the rain comes down again, we set off. The hours soon pass as we work our way through the series downloaded on our phones and read a bit, and before we know it we are getting another free meal in a small cafe by the side of the motorway. After that we set off again, for the final leg of our journey.
    When we arrive in Bangkok we are dropped off at a bus stop well out of town, so we grab a taxi, and thoroughly annoy our driver by making him go on the meter. It takes about 30 minutes to get the hotel, and we prey for something comfortable to rest in after a very long day. What we get is a tiny room with the loudest air con mahine we have encountered yet. Add that to a bathroom shared between about 6 rooms and it isn't great. We only booked it as it is near the passport pick up tomorrow, so we don't expect much from the surrounding area, but it is actually surprisingly nice. We grab a few sandwiches for yea before heading back to the room, exhausted and ready for a much easier day tomorrow (hopefully).    Baca lagi

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    Heuan Pak Da, Chiang Mai, Day 5

    27 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    The final day has arrived and we spend it doing what we have done most of the time we have been here. Unfortunately, as we did plan on doing a bit more today, he first rain we have had in months seems to pour down all day. The first time we do go out we spend all our time running from restaurant to restaurant trying to find somewhere to eat that offers a bit of shelter. We finally settle on a small place where Amy asks for a non-spicy papaya salad and ends up getting a very spicy one.
    With the prospect of a ten hour bus journey tomorrow looming ominously in our minds, we pack our bags, and prepare ourselves for the ordeal. Luckily the bus isn't until 10am so we don't have an early wake up call to worry about as well.
    As night draws in we take advantage of a gap in the rain and head to a small but nice restaurant. It is freezing outside so we choose a table inside. It is a lovely place, which is a big contrast to the woman who owns it, who is as steely faced and unwelcoming as they come. The food is great, and we leave very full amd very quickly, hoping to avoid the wrath of the scary lady.
    We are sad our time in Chiang Mai has come to an end, but after a total of almost ten days here overall, it is time to move on for sure. It is a great place though, and we really feel at home here now. We couldn't have picked anywhere better for our Christmas in Thailand!    Baca lagi

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    Huean Pak De, Chiang Mai, Day 4

    26 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    So boxing day has already come around, and as always Christmas has seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
    We are both very much still in the stay in bed and watch movies state of mind that usually accompanies Christmas at home, and this leads to another slow morning. After grabbing some dinner, again at the great cafe near us that does a fruit shake and a big meal for 65 baht (£1.50ish), we decide to do what we initially planned to do on Christmas Eve and go and see Star Wars.
    Obviously we are very excited for the film (well, I am) but it is also very interesting to see a Thai cinema. It does not dissapoint, with some of the comfoest cinema seats I have ever sat in. We face a slight rush to make it there, and arrive a few minutes before start time, unsure if you are bombarded with adverts like England or if start time means start time.
    If anything, there are more adverts, and it is around half an hour until we stand for the national anthem and the film starts. The patriotism on show and the love for the King is incredible, and it really shows everywhere you go.
    The film is great on a huge screen with sound effects that rattle your ear drums, and is truly an experience. Even Amy, who before this had seen one Star Wars film which she hated, enjoyed it, which is really saying something.
    We get a taxi back and get dropped off at the same restaurant we ate at on Christmas Eve. We again have the pizza as it is so good and there is only so much Pad Thai a man can eat!
    After that we walk home, before relaxing for the night, sad that tomorrow is the final day of our Christmas break, and the final night in this lovely hotel.    Baca lagi

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    Huean Pak De, Chiang Mai, Day 3

    25 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    It's Christmas!
    I didn't believe in Christmas miracles, until I saw Amy awake and very hyper at 6am. Amy, who I have been told on many occasions to not bother until at least 10, wakes me up and is very excited for the day ahead. It takes me a few more hours to finally wake up and again the beer from last night is making me feel rather ill.
    Most of the day is spent doing what we did yesterday. We spend time ringing the family and listening to Christmas songs and again it is lovely to spend time relaxing and chilling out. Apart from a walk in the afternoon to get some food, we only leave the room to get our Christmas dinner.
    The UnIrish pub is a delightful little place, and after a drink and a chat with a very talkative Australian who we met a few days ago, we head outside to our seats. Christmas hats are on, and everyone on our ten man table is as jovial and friendly as people should be on Christmas day (not telling people off for talking). The starter is soup, and it is one of the best I have ever tasted. The main is also lovely, with turkey, ham, roast potatoes, veg, and gravy (which is the best Christmas present we could ask for). Unfortunately there were no pigs and blankets or Yorkshire puddings (so don't worry Mum, your's is still better). Amy gets a vegetarian roll which would have probably fed everyone on our table it was so big, and as dessert rolls by we are both too full to get any. It is a lovely night and we are sat next to an Australian couple who are great to talk to. the conversation flows as well as the beer, and overall it is a great Christmas night.
    After we leave, we stop off for a few mojitos in a bar, before going back to the room an watching a Christmas movie in bed. It has been an odd day, and one that we have been excited for and kind of dreading at the same time. As we go to sleep though, with bellies so full of food and alcohol that we can barely move, it doesn't feel too diīfferent after all!    Baca lagi

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    Huean Pak De, Chiang Mai, Day 2

    24 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    It's Christmas Eve, and we spend most of the day doing exactly what people should on this day. That is eating food and watching Christmas films in bed. After going for a walk in which we booked our Christmas dinner for tomorrow, we head back and do more of the same.
    Before we know it we, the night has drawn in, and we head out for pizza and beer. We then decide to have more beers. It is an exciting night, and the Santa hats are out in force in Chiang Mai. It gets to around 10 o clock, and we decide to head home for the night, but on the way out from the reggae bar which we visited a few days ago, we bump into some friends from home we met yesterday. A quick drink with them turns into a few more drinks, and soon enough the bars are shutting and it is Christmas day.
    It is about 1am when we arrive back to the hotel and Amy rings her Mum to wish her a happy Christmas. The phone call is abruptly ended when an American woman from next door scolds us for being too loud. We say sorry after being told we are very rude (for talking to someone on Christmas day) and go to sleep, ready for a Thailand Christmas tomorrow!    Baca lagi

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  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaPengembara

    Huean Pak De, Chiang Mai, Day 1

    23 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Christmas is now officially starting. As we move into our fancy new hostel it begins to feel rather festive. The hangover from the previous day has diminished and we are ready to do our Christmas shopping.
    After checking out from the incredibly understanding and lovely hotel, we drop our bags off at the new and go out for dinner. We then get 50 pound each out of the bank and head off to spend it. This would be relatively easy in England, but out here where t-shirts are £2.50 it is rather hard. After walking around a few shops we can finally check in to our hotel. It is lovely. The room is very big, very clean and has a kettle with tea and coffees which is a special luxury out here!
    We chill out for a bit before heading out again to try and spend a bit more. Our target is the Saturday market, and we plan to get there at 5pm when it begins to avoid the queues. As we go, it isn't too busy, and we manage to do a bit more shopping done. It is a lot less crazy then the usual markets around here (yet) and some of the stalls are lovely. We manage to buy a few more presents which takes us to about 25 pound each, and then give up spending anymore as it is too hard.
    We decide it is time to leave as the place keeps getting busier and busier, and soon enough we realise we made the right choice as on the final stretch of the exit journey is spent bustling our way through a completely packed street. After a very stressful ten minutes we finally make it into the fresh air and can breathe once again. The walk back into the old town is lovely as we pass through the walls. Amy then has a fantastic plan to spend some of the money that was meant to be allocated to presents on food and drink that we can keep in the fridge over Christmas. We get back to the hotel with bags full of booze and chocolate and stock the fridge. After going out to grab something to eat we head back and have a quiet night, making the most of the five days off from exerting travelling that we have afforded ourselves for the festive season.    Baca lagi

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    Panda House, Chiang Mai, Day 2

    22 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Ouch! The realisation of what happened last night soon hits on me when I notice the bed sheet on the bathroom floor. After telling the incredibly understanding maids we are moved rooms, and the pain from my hangover is the only thing stronger then the embarrassment I feel. Safe to say we are out of the swing of heavy drinking after being out here.
    Amy, who is usually the one with her head in the toilet, is surprisingly spritely. I, on the other hand, only leave bed for more trips to the toilet.
    Amy gets fed up of me after a while and heads out alone for some dinner, leaving me to wallow in self pity watching alien vs predator. It isn't until 5 o clock when I surface. We get something to eat, a burger king that tastes like heaven in a bun, and go back to the room. Not the best day, but we move to our nice hotel tomorrow for five days over Christmas. Hopefully my hangover will be gone by then.    Baca lagi

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  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaPengembara

    Panda House, Chiang Mai, Day 1

    21 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After our short trip to Chiang Rai, we are ready to get back to Chiang Mai and start our Christmas celebrations properly. After a long day yesterday, we get up slowly, before heading to the bus station and grabbing some food. We eat at the same place we have every time we have been at the station, mostly for the lovely woman who gives us free fruit and soup. After eating we go to the bus stop and wait. Before long, we are sat down, heading back to Chiang Mai.
    The bus doesn't take long and is pretty uneventful, and we are soon in our new hotel. It is nicer then we thought for £8 a night, and really cold for some reason.
    After relaxing in the room for a bit, we head out for some festive drinks. It is starting to feel very Christmassy, and after eating a lovely fish curry dish in a very busy restaurant, we head out to some bars. The first stop is a small rock bar in which we are the only customers. After a game of pool we leave and end up in a small restaurant taking advantage of some cheap beer. We soon feel we fancy somewhere with a larger crowd and head to a square of bars near where we used to say. Some of the bars are packed, some more empty. We start in another rock bar, and Amy samples the Thai rum which is very nice. Next up we go to Zoe in yellow, a large bar which is packed full. After nearly being charged double for drinks (luckily Amy was on the ball), we head off to a great reggae bar where a really good band are playing. Here we drink more, and more, and more.
    The rest of the night is a bit hazy. After eating some burritos from a street vendor, we head back to the room. After laying down and turning the lights off, unfortunately my burrito resurfaces. It's not going to be a nice day tomorrow.    Baca lagi

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  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaPengembara

    Baan Nipa, Chiang Rai, Day 2

    20 Disember 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    We are up pretty early today ready to see what has become colloquially known as the heaven and hell of Chiang Rai.
    After getting up and having some pad Thai for breakfast, we head to he bus station. Local buses are always interesting, and we manage to find one heading to the White Temple. It soon gets very busy and cramped, but luckily we have the back seat so have some leg room. After around twenty minutes we reach our stop, which is very helpfully pointed out by the ticket collector.
    As you walk up to the White Temple it isn't an exaggeration to say it looks like something out of a Disney movie. The temple is impossibly white as the Sun glares off it, forces many sunglasses to be put on just to stare at it. It is an amazing, wondrous thing. Before heading into the temple, we walk through an art gallery containing the work of the architect/artist who designed the temple. The painting range from beautiful to weird as you head through. The colours achieved with acrylic on canvas image stunning, and most of the stuff is great. There is a large penis sculpture and a picture of George Bush and Osama Bin Laden hugging on a rocket which seems out of place, but apart from that it is amazing.
    After that we head inside the temple. It is as impressive inside as it is outside. Again it is painted beautifully, with odd little drawings of cultural figures such as Harry Potter and Pikachu. We spend around an hour simply walking around the temple grounds staring at the many sculptures and decorations that adorn it. Some trees are built entirely of metal sculptures, some trees have skulls and pirate heads hanging from them, which kind of sums up this amazing, magical place. It is Disneyland comes to Northern Thailand, and alone justifies a visit to Chiang Rai.
    We leave the White Temple and manage to grab a hail down a tuk tuk that takes us back to Chiang Rai for the same price of a bus (20 baht). After dinner we head to the black house. We manage to make it there on a local bus again with minimal fuss. After a short walk we head into the complex, and the first thing that catches our eye is the huge wooden building the looks rather ominous. This is the hell of Chiang Rai, compared to the heavenly white temple, and it is easy to see why. Dead animal skulls and skins are everywhere. It is an odd, rather disturbing place that seems to just be rather sinister. After a while we get fed up of seeing buffalo skulls, and walk round a lot more quickly than we did the White Temple. To think this place was suggested to us by a vegetarian is very odd, as it is certainly not a place for animal lovers. To see people taking selfies with the bones and skins is also a rather strange thing, and we aren't exactly sad when it is time to leave.
    So we grab a bus back (just) and grab a very tasty curry and beer before heading back to the room. It has been a very long day and we are ready to head back to Chiang Mai and begin our Christmas week there!    Baca lagi

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