Southeast Asia 2022

A backpacking adventure by Dan & Jess Read more

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Trip start
June 20, 2022
Southeast Asia 2022
The Adventure Begins
June 20, 2022 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
After months and months of planning, our adventure is about to begin! It still feels pretty surreal that this is actually happening. The 40L Osprey backpacks are all packed and ready to go for 3 months of travelling around Southeast Asia. No idea how but we've successfully packed all 7kg of our gear into each backpack, a miracle in itself. Our flight with Thai Airways is due to leave at 9.25pm and 12 hours later we will be stepping into Phuket, South Thailand. We're not expecting a good night sleep but a few hours would be welcome. Saying we're both super excited for what the next few months will hold, is an understatement.Read more
TravelerAnd so our adventure begins thanks to you both!!! Love you very much xxxx
2/23/23Reply
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Southeast Asia 2022
First Stop... Phuket
June 21, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
An extremely long day…. 21 hours after leaving home in the UK, we finally made it to our first hotel in Southern Phuket, Saturday’s Residence. The 12 hour flight felt very long although we were able to get a little bit of sleep on the plane overnight, but as you can imagine it was not very comfortable at all. Finally we arrived, got through customs and were out of the airport relatively quickly. What struck us first wasn’t the heat but the humidity and within minutes we got a sweat on. The first job was to find a SIM card so we could get online to sort out transfers to our hotel. After reading up prior to leaving, the best place to buy a SIM card was at the airport itself on arrival which was exactly what we did. We were also aware that airport taxis rip off tourists as you can imagine. To somewhat avoid this we'd agreed to keep our heads down and walk a little way out of the airport to find a local taxi. Unfortunately the airport ground didn’t lend itself very well to that so we decided to book a transfer on Grab, Asia’s Uber equivalent. We were really surprised at the cost so proceeded to book the taxi. What turned up was some interesting looking mini bus with a gold interior and an equally interesting but very friendly driver.

Some time later we arrived at our first hotel. Being the first, we'd booked this sometime in advance and what a hotel it was. More like an apartment with an open plan living space, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and ground floor balcony leading to the outdoor pool. We were very pleasantly surprised although we wanted to ease ourselves gently into the travelling experience but knew this wouldn't be the norm.

After settling in we left for dinner at a local restaurant and enjoyed a starter, mini shrimp pad Thai and fresh pineapple juice all for £3. Later on we walked back and decided to take a late dip in the pool before calling it a night. The grounds were so quiet but absolutely beautiful as the pool shone in the dark. Just before going to bed, we had our first mosquito encounter. Not spotting it for a little while, it was eventually splattered by Dan’s hand leaving a little red splodge on his leg. A well needed sleep is in order ready for our first full day in Southeast Asia!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Beaches, Buddha’s & Bangla Road, Phuket
June 22, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Today was our first day exploring Phuket. We woke up to a bit of a downpour which did throw us a little, but it passed after half an hour or so. We decided to hire a scooter from our hotel and ride to our first stop, Karon viewpoint looking over a small area of Phuket. After taking in the lovely views, we rode to Kata Noi beach to soak up a bit of sun, then Kata beach and finally Freedom beach. Getting to Freedom beach was interesting as the final part of the route was off-road, like really off-road and with Jess screaming on the back, it wasn’t the easiest ride on a scooter! After trekking down to the beach passing a huge spider, we finally got to relax and enjoy the sun on the quiet, sandy bay. It really was a little paradise cove with crystal clear warm water, white sand all backed by vibrant green vegetation set on a mountainous landscape with mostly coconut trees in the forefront. After some time to relax we packed up and began the steep trek back up again to our scooter. We then rode to see Big Buddha, a huge white statue built on a hill that could be seen from miles away. It was stunning and yet again we could take in the beautiful views overlooking the coastline and surrounding landscape. We also encountered our first wild monkey (Dan’s favourite animal) then eventually called it an afternoon and rode back.

On the way back we were unfortunate enough to be stopped at a police checkpoint looking to catch out tourists who didn’t have the correct documents such as their international drivers license. They were only stopping tourists and seemed more than happy to let locals pass by, often with a family of four, none of whom were wearing helmets. We did have the correct documentation with us so were let through without any problems. As we understand it, there is no official fine to be paid for incorrect or missing documents. Instead it's a small bribe/ fee to the police who will then allow you to pass. The fee is about £10 and will cover you for another 3 days. It was certainly a busy day but we both loved nipping around on the scooter.

Later on, we’d planned to ride out to Bangla road, a famous and popular night strip on Phuket Island. Bangla road is full of bars, clubs, loud music and questionable late night shows. Not really our scene but we were keen to have a look given it's a famous strip although we couldn’t walk more than a few steps without being pestered for happy hour drinks or shows. We quite quickly realised that the only way to say no was to ignore them. We did both pick up pair of very comfy elephant pants however. Along the road, pick-up trucks were also driving by advertising their Muay Thai shows with two men ‘fighting’ as a speaker played out ‘Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Muay Thai!’Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Old Town & Monkey Hill, Phuket
June 23, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 29 °C
Our second and final day on Phuket island before we head to Koh Phi Phi tomorrow. We had a few rain showers, but most were extremely short and the weather brightened again shortly after. In the morning we explored Old Phuket Town where we enjoyed wandering around the streets and checking out local shops before riding to Monkey hill. They were not kidding when they said hill and the ongoing climb to get to the top was made even more challenging in the extreme humidity. Half way up, we got caught in a torrential rainstorm, and with the humidity, we definitely weren’t going to dry off any time. Riding past on a motorbike, a local gave us some bananas but they didn’t last long at all. Monkeys rushed over at the sight to which Jess decided to launch the bananas pretty quickly and hastily give a whole bundle to one monkey. Once at the top of the hill, we enjoyed the hilltop views and watched the monkeys in their groups. Whilst observing from afar, one curious monkey walked along a fence and then hopped onto Dan's back. It was a great experience with amazing views and yet again more huge spiders!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Temples & Markets, Phuket
June 23, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 28 °C
Shoes off with covered legs and shoulders before you can wonder inside the beautiful Wot Chalong temples. The temples were just stunning and so intricately detailed, both inside and out - the pictures speak for themselves. There were a number of temples set over a small but beautiful complex.

After exploring the temples and taking in the culture we rode to a local authentic Thai market spotted on the way to the temples. The market was filled with local ingredients and fresh produce including all sorts of Asian fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood. We then saw what looked like a bag of roast potatoes in a stall. They looked good but the lady on the stall couldn’t speak English so we took our chances and bought a bag. They turned out to be a kind of fried dough ball although were still tasty. Afterwards, we left for the more popular Chillva night market. There we tried so much delicious food but passed on the fried insects this time. Instead we had vegetable gyozas, sushi, beef and chicken skewers, cheese balls followed by coconut pancakes for dessert!

Finally the heavens opened towards the end of the evening and we watched the stalls and locals cover up within seconds. Once it stopped we decided to ride back, however as soon as we got back on the bike it started again. We finally got back only to go straight back out (in the downpour) to a local pharmacy to get some steroid cream for Jess’ mosquito bitten butt.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Little Phi Phi
June 24, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
We left Phuket for a two hour ferry ride to Koh Phi Phi (‘Koh’ meaning island in Thai). The boat took us past Maya Bay, a bay made famous by Leonardo Dicaprio’s ‘The Beach’ movie. Unfortunately we arrived to cloud and a bit of rain so we walked through the beaten semi-paved tracks into the heart of the island and checked into our hotel. The weather remained cloudy and raining on and off all day, but we tried to make the most of it.

We mooched around the island exploring the local shops and markets before heading to Phi Phi viewpoint. Little did we know, we took the difficult and extra long route so ended up walking uphill for 2 miles. Apparently there was a far shorter route with stairs taking you straight up to the viewpoint in 20 minutes, but of course we missed this. During our walk away from the main area we wandered past dirt tracks for streets, shacks for family homes and endless piles of rubbish. It was really eye opening to see the run down areas that people lived in, but despite this, you still heard the shrieks of laughter and giggling as kids chased eachother around. Once reaching the top after our unnecessarily long walk, we were pleased to say the views were absolutely worth it!

Koh Phi Phi is a tiny island with very few local people and very little infrastructure. There are only a few roads as you head out of the centre but no cars, only scooters. The only real way to get around is by foot. Due to its size, there's little waste management but a short walk from the centre and it's clear to see where the rubbish ends up. Despite this, it's a pretty island with plenty of character. Tonight we're heading out for dinner and to try the local cocktails and nightlife.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Snorkelling Koh Phi Phi
June 25, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We had a bit of an unexpected heavy night out last night with some amazing fire shows and parties. Jess even tried jumping a rope on fire. The night eventually ended at 3am, and let’s just say we had a little to drink. The cocktail buckets in Phi Phi are nothing like those in the UK which are mainly just fruit juices and mixers. These cocktail buckets were strong! In total we consumed 27 cocktails between the two of us that night. After getting separated early into the morning and Jess making a few mistake phone calls, Jess was eventually found some way down the beach kindly being looked after by someone.

Following a lazy morning to recover from the previous night, we hired a private longtail boat to take us on a three hour tour around the island to explore more of the coastline and to snorkel, including a stop at shark point although we didn’t spot any. Nonetheless, it was great fun and we saw lots of reef fish and all kinds of colourful coral. Upon returning to the island and not wanting to call it a day just yet, we hired a kayak straightaway to explore Monkey beach on the north side of the island as the sun began to set. After a 25 minute kayak to the beach we were met with beautiful white sandy beaches facing towards the sunset. Despite its name, we didn’t see a single monkey, but we did enjoy a swim in the warm sea.

We finished our stay on Koh Phi Phi with a nice dinner and a mooch around the battered streets one last time. We've really enjoyed our stay but it's hard to explain what the island's really like without seeing it; intertwining, battered streets lined with cafes, market stalls enclosed by beaches on either side, overlooking a turquoise blue sea. We've been less fortunate with the weather, however its natural beauty is still incredible. At night time the island transforms into a party and the streets are filled with people eating and drinking. The atmosphere is pretty buzzing. To just experience this in itself is worth a visit. An early night ready for a speedboat in the morning. Next stop Koh Lanta!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Koh Lanta
June 26, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 29 °C
We departed Koh Phi Phi for Koh Lanta this morning on a short 30 minute ride by speedboat. On arrival we were pestered at the dock by a man on an interesting scooter tuk tuk contraption. As a motorcycle engineer, Dan mentioned this handmade welded contraption sent shivers down his spine, however for 50 THB (£1.20) we couldn’t resist a laugh so hopped on and rode to our hotel.

After checking into our bungalow, we hired a scooter to explore the island making our way to Old Town Lanta and Long Beach before returning back ready for a late afternoon Thai cooking class. We booked this very last minute, however upon arrival, we were surprised to find we were the only people in the class. A private cooking class it was then! We chose four dishes (chicken and prawn golden bags, steamed fish, seafood and tamarind sauce and massaman curry with rice) and learnt to cook them all from scratch. A great experience and by far the best food we've ever cooked. We shall definitely be trying these back home!

On the second day we'd booked a four island boat tour, however upon booking, we discovered it was only a two island tour in low season due to weather conditions and islands being shut. Nevertheless we booked on, but unfortunately it was cancelled on the morning due to a lack of bookings. A shame but instead we extended our scooter hire and explored more of the island, treated ourselves to a relaxing massage and had takeaway dinner and drinks in a quiet bar overlooking the sunset. We stumbled upon this place by chance after arriving at numerous bars which all turned out to be closed. After riding up to a restaurant that was actually closed, a guy walked out, greeted us and invited us into his bar for drinks. He was so keen to welcome us in and after chatting more it was a real shame to hear how most businesses had closed due to the halt on tourism over the last two years. The many beach front bars that were usually busy were now derelict and we were the only ones around. We were two of three individuals at the bar all night. We sat looking out over the beach which was filled with millions of tiny sand balls arranged in circular rings. It turns out these were made by sand bubbler crabs and were quite mesmerising to watch. A very quiet night listening to local music although really nice to see a bit more of the real Thailand. We knew our presence would have meant a lot to the owner and it was a lovely end to our stay on Koh Lanta, topped off by the most beautiful, deep orange sunset.

Spending a couple of days in Koh Lanta has been rather interesting and is certainly a real contrast to the lively Koh Phi Phi. We've only seen a few tourists, with only 4 other people staying at our hotel resort. For Thailand this is their low season and they haven't had a tourist season since pre-Covid. The impact of this is definitely seen on Koh Lanta.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Krabi & Ao Nang Beach
June 27, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
We left Koh Lanta for Krabi town this morning. This involved a minibus and boat crossing. After being dropped off in Krabi centre, we didn't spend too long there but walked along the river and looked around Wat Kaew temple overlooking Krabi. A short taxi ride to Ao Nang beach where we're staying for a few days.

Despite the cloud, today was hot so we spent some time on the beach although the sea was super warm so didn’t exactly help to cool off! A two course Thai dinner and drinks, dessert, cocktails and a half hour Thai massage all for £12 this evening. Not going to complain however areas along the beach front are a little bit pricier.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Ao Nang Boat Tour & Unplanned Events
June 29, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
We booked to go on a four island boat tour but unfortunately the day did not go as planned. Instead, we managed a two island tour and a tour of the local hospital ward.

Our first stop on the tour was Railay beach. It was very pretty with some amazing rock formations but completely overcrowded with tourists which was a real shame. It was one of those places where you had to fight for a people-free shot, although this was made easier by our rather energetic photographer, bless her.

We then took a boat to another island with crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Unfortunately, Jess started experiencing sharp, stabbing chest pains with pain in her shoulder blade and shortness of breath. Any movement was extremely uncomfortable. Only getting worse over the afternoon, we needed to get back to the mainland hospital for an urgent check over. Unfortunately we had to wait an hour and a half for a return boat before we could even think about getting to the hospital.

Luckily all tests and examinations came back clear so we're unsure what the actual cause was. Jess was treated immediately and sorted within an hour and a half, however we couldn’t be discharged until our insurance company had sent the guarantee of medical payment. This took four hours so we had a rather long wait in the waiting room - such a joke! The nurse who was dealing with our case had never experienced such a delay from an insurance company before and we were far from impressed at the long wait time. Interestingly but not surprisingly, the staff were medically attentive to Jess yet very financially attentive to myself ensuring we could pay the fee before they progress any significant treatment. There was a transport robot which kept whizzing past to keep us amused. Apparently the robot transports blood test samples to and from labs on different floors. Pretty cool although a big surprise to see this level of technology in a Thai hospital.

Fingers crossed that after a good night sleep Jess should feel better. Late night update: still some slight pain but a huge improvement compared to earlier! What a day, although really disappointed that our boat trip was cut short, but just one of those things to look back on.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi
June 30, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Following the events of yesterday, we had a lazy morning. Waking up feeling much better, we rented another scooter and rode to Tiger Cave Temple with a plan to take today easy. With the excitement of travelling, taking it easy never seems to happen and after 1260 steps, ascending 309m, we reached the top of the temple viewpoint. With the humidity as high as it was, the climb was challenging enough. At times the stairs were incredibly steep, with each concrete step requiring an increasing effort as we got higher, sometimes needing to use the handrail to pull ourselves up. By the time we reached the top we were hot, sweaty messes although the views were so worth it. Not only could we see for miles but we could also see local areas of heavy downpour in the distance and clear sky elsewhere. This is very typical of a Thailand climate. Fortunately Jess was feeling much better today!

Later on we enjoyed dinner and Jess bought a personalised passport case from a little market stall for a bargain price of 100 THB (£2.30).

Tomorrow we’re being picked up by mini bus at 7am to ride across mainland Thailand to catch a speedboat to Koh Samui. An early night is definitely in order!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Chasing Waterfalls, Koh Samui
July 1, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
We departed Krabi at 7am, caught a double decker bus then a speedboat to Koh Samui. In total the journey took around 5 and a half hours. We arrived at 1pm and as usual picked up a scooter to explore the two popular Na Mueng waterfalls. Na Mueng waterfall I was lovely but having read about the less well known Na Mueng II, we decided to take a visit. Unlike the first, Na Mueng II didn't have a top as such but after a 20 minute walk up we arrived at this quiet pool overlooking Koh Samui with some absolutely stunning views over the jungle. We tried to trek up a little further to see what else was higher up, however the route became too tricky so we reluctantly returned back to the pool halfway up. We then enjoyed some time to take in the amazing views as well as a dip in the pool although this was pretty chilly!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Ang Thong Marine Park, Koh Samui
July 2, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
From Koh Samui, we booked a boat tour to Ang Thong National Marine Park which is a 102 square kilometre area consisting of 42 islands. Its national park status ensures that development has remained minimal with all but one of the islands being uninhabited.

We were picked up at 7am to be taken to the pier for the boat tour. Looking at the docked boats rocking, the sea was rough. Onboard it was a bit rocky to begin with but we soon became used to it without and sickness thank goodness. Our tour guide was super friendly and had brilliant English. Even far more impressive was the fact she could speak another 6 languages, switching between languages whilst speaking to different groups of people with ease.

After just over an hour and a half on the boat, we arrived at the National Marine Park where we had the opportunity to kayak around for 40 minutes and visit the stunning Emerald Lagoon. After lunch, we then stopped in a different area and trekked up to the National Park’s famous viewpoint. Yet again another uphill trek in the humidity. We seem to like picking the more challenging activities although both agreed this was certainly not quite as intense as Tiger Cave temple. The trek was worth it for more beautiful views and as a geographer Jess was in her element! Looking out over the horizon, the natural beauty of the green and rocky islands emerging from the blue ocean was like something straight from a poster. After a far easier hike back down, we enjoyed a quick swim in the sea before getting ready to return to Koh Samui. A relaxing trip on the boat's deck back to mainland, then it was time for a street food curry dinner and cocktails on the beach front to end the day.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Time to Dive, Koh Tao
July 3, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Another early start by speedboat from Koh Samui to Koh Tao which is most famous for snorkelling and dive sites with its huge range of marine life including; whale sharks, turtles, sting rays, bull sharks, trigger fish and many more colourful reef fish. Koh Tao is one of, if not the most densely populated areas of dive schools in the world due to being one of the cheapest places on earth to qualify.

Waiting for our 8am catamaran departure, we couldn’t say no to a nearby hammock overlooking the ocean. After arrival we settled into our new hotel which was part of the dive school called Sairee Cottage. We decided to have a chill day by the pool and beach, although the weather was quite cloudy and windy today. From what we've seen so far, Koh Tao looks to be one of the more developed islands with more upmarket restaurants and bars. Whilst walking along, we spotted and particularly appreciated the signs about littering. Perhaps they should have these in England?

This evening we tried Thai curry pizza at a restaurant called Chu Chus following a recommendation. It didn’t disappoint and the Massaman curry pizza was delicious!

We're in Koh Tao for four days as we begin our 3 day open water PADI scuba diving course tomorrow. Once successfully completed we’ll be qualified to dive to a depth of 18m as a pair. Exciting!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
PADI Qualified Open Water Divers
July 6, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Before our travels, we booked onto a PADI open water diving course in Koh Tao. Over the past three days we've been completing the course and are happy to have successfully passed both theory tests and practical dives so are now qualified to dive to a depth of 18m.

On the course we learnt about the equipment, understanding of air pressure, skills under water, safety measures, emergency procedures and how to minimise other risks such as decompression illness. Our instructors, Jaryd and Paul, have been absolutely amazing and what made it even nicer was the whole group (6 divers and 2 instructors) got on so well! It's crazy to think how much we've learnt over the past three days having successfully completed four dives, growing in confidence with each dive. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we've decided to change our plans to stay longer in Koh Tao to complete the advanced diving course. This meant delaying our departure to Northern Thailand and flying to Chiang Mai two days later than planned. Over the next two days we shall (hopefully) complete our Advanced Open Water course which will then allow us to dive to a depth of 30m.

Now off out to dinner with the diving team to celebrate!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
PADI Qualified Advanced Divers
July 8, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Delaying our flight by a couple of days was the best decision we could've made. This allowed us to complete and successfully pass the PADI Advanced Open Water Divers qualification allowing us to dive to a depth of 30m which now opens up 98% of all dive sites across the world!

On the two day advanced course we learnt more theory, in particular about the risks of deep diving, decompression, buoyancy control, air management as well as completing another 5 dives. Each dive had a different focus: deep dive, wreck dive, night dive, peak performance buoyancy skills dive and underwater navigation.

On the first day we completed 3 dives, one of those being the night dive. On the evening of the dive conditions were very rough and windy. The instructors admitted to having never seen waves like it, but receiving the 'okay' from the captain, we ventured out into the rough sea, the boat literally see-sawing over the large waves. As soon as Dan got into the water he was sick due to motion sickness, not ideal on the rough sea and pretty scary to watch feeling so helpless. After a few tough minutes on the surface we submerged under the water and completed the night dive. Slowly, one by one the torches died until only a few were left on, with all remaining torches being extra dim because the previous group forgot to put them on charge before hand - as if the night dive wasn’t spooky enough. As Dan's battery went out, we linked arms to complete the rest of the dive. The feeling was surreal, very eery but an amazing experience seeing two blue-dotted sting rays shining in the dim light and lots of bioluminescent plankton glowing right in front of your eyes as you have your hands. The wreck dive was also great where we saw some rather large fish through window and door openings.

On day two, we completed another two dives focusing on skills. One dive had an underwater playground, where we focused on buoyancy, controlled by breathing, to manoeuvre through all kinds of obstacles such as hoops and frames. Our final dive focusing on underwater navigation led to us seeing two giant pufferfish and a sea turtle. Heading back to the boat and spotting the large sea turtle under a huge undercut of a rock, we were so excited by this our group hung around to observe. This meant Jess’ air was getting low and after signalling this, both Jess and I had to air-share. Jess seems to guzzle air like no one and even our instructors had never come across a female consuming more air than their male partner. As part of the open water course, we were taught the skill of 'air sharing' in an emergency and because of this, we perfomed the airshare manoeuvre perfectly for real this time. Because we’d just learnt these techniques, it felt very natural and comfortable almost forgetting this was a real life situation on this occasion.

We didn’t manage to get many photos, just a few towards the end of the course, although we saw a huge range of marine life throughout the week. We just missed out swimming with a giant whale shark that was spotted swimming underneath our boat but unfortunately we weren’t quite geared up in time to jump in and see it.

The last five days of diving have been incredible and we're so pleased we managed to stay an additional couple of days to do the advanced course. One of the best things was the diving community. In a situation where we could've been perceived as newcomers or outsiders, we were welcomed with open arms, having drinks and food to celebrate our achievements with the instructors and other diving members.

We cannot wait to do more diving in the future and it's absolutely now on the cards for Indonesia!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Farewell South Thailand
July 9, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We took an early ferry from Koh Tao back to Koh Samui ready for an early flight to Northern Thailand the following morning. We enjoyed a relaxed day exploring the island by scooter (albeit a little drizzly) visiting Old Town Koh Samui, Fishermans village and then stumbling across what is best described as a western shopping mall with shops, bars and restaurants. The shopping mall was by far the most modern infrastructure we've seen during our stay in Southern Thailand. Outside the mall, there was also a night market with a band playing on stage for what looked to be a Thai charity motorbike event.

We’re currently sat in the outdoor Koh Samui airport. It's really pretty but dead quiet and we've never gone through security (consisting of 2 small table stations) so quickly. At the gate, even free drinking water, juice and some little snacks were provided free of charge!

We’re really looking forward to Chiang Mai and seeing what Northern Thailand has to offer.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Temple Run, Chiang Mai
July 10, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
We arrived in Chiang Mai this morning, Thailand’s largest northern city. A beautiful change of scenery from the southern islands we've been used to over the past couple of weeks. This morning we checked into our hotel and then went exploring (by scooter of course) doing a temple run in Old Town Chiang Mai. The pictures speak for themselves as these temples were absolutely stunning and so well made. Dan particularly appreciated the metal temple commenting on its intricacy and detail, yet this temple was for ‘man only’ inside.

After feeling templed out, we visited the Sunday Night Walking Market and wow, this was awesome. We didn't realise the size of the market and were wandering for over three hours. We must've walked miles and still didn’t see it all. There was a huge range of food stalls, all sorts of handmade items and clothing being sold. We bought two more pairs of elephant pants and a crochet crop top which came to £8. We enjoyed the amazing street food and live music in the centre.Read more
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Into the Mountains, Chiang Mai
July 11, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
We decided to take a ride into the Chiang Mai mountains on our trusty little scooter, visiting Doi Sethup viewpoint and Doi Sethup Temple (1073m above sea level). After riding up the mountains we spotted the roads beginning to get wet, although not due to rain but instead due to driving through cloud. The road was full of twists and tight bends and good fun to ride even on a scooter.

Doi Sethup Temple involved a walk up a very grand set of stairs. The main part of the temple was covered in gold surrounded by Buddhas and other intricate detailing. As we wandered about the temple, we watched many tourists praying and placing offerings nearby.

It was then time to make the journey back to Chiang Mai. Enjoying the ride up so much, Jess decided to have a go on the way down. We then finished the evening at a night bazaar sampling more street food and wandering more market stalls.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai
July 12, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
It was an early start as we were picked up at 6.45am to visit Into The Wild Elephant Sanctuary. We've both been looking forward to this trip, however with Jess' love for elephants, she was rather excited. We spent the morning feeding, walking alongside, playing in the mud and bathing a family of elephants. Having heard and seen first hand the poor treatment of some elephants in Thailand in places which claim to be ‘sanctuaries,’ we spent a lot of time researching an ethical excursion. Thankfully, we were not disappointed by our trip as the sanctuary evidently cared for these amazing animals who had been rescued from working places. It was really nice to finally see elephants free roaming around a huge rescue sanctuary instead of being tied up inside a cage, something which we've unfortunately seen a lot of. At the sanctuary, there were 4 elephants including a baby elephant. Usually there would be 5, however one was in the hospital due to an infected eye. The guide was incredibly enthusiastic, telling us stories about each elephant whilst showing us how to feed them. Then it was our turn to feed the elephants and of course Jess being an elephant lover couldn't wait to get stuck in. Elephants approached the feeding area and as people grabbed bundles of bananas, their trunks would suddenly appear sourcing out the food. As we placed bananas in their trunks, the elephants would patiently wait until they had a few before eating them. We then went on a walk through the jungle led by the elephants, watching them climb the slippery, steep hills with ease, stopping to eat along the way. Afterwards, we bathed them in a mud bath followed by a dip in the water to wash them. As the elephants went under the water you would suddenly see their trunks appear like a snorkel to which we found rather amusing. Yes the pictures do show this to be a lovely experience, which it was, but what they don’t show is that these large animals don’t half poo without any regard for people nearby. That included in their bath where we ‘washed’ them. Let’s just say Dan was not a fan of walking barefoot in the mud pools.

This really was an amazing day and will be an experience we'll never forget!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Route 1095, Chiang Mai to Pai
July 13, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
After hearing such good things about Pai and the opportunity to get there via a well renowned bike route (route 1095), we couldn’t resist a trip despite being a little short on time. Taking approximately 3 hours (in the dry), route 1095 has 762 turns, hairpins and corners weaving through the beautiful northern Thailand mountain range.

We collected our bikes the night before, both deciding to rent a slightly bigger and much more comfortable 150cc scooter, with the intention to set off nice and early, however the heavens opened. Hoping the rain would pass we held on, but without such luck we eventually poncho’d up and set off. Unfortunately the rain decided to follow us so we now had a real challenge on our hands. On the plus side, the roads were pretty empty. It rained almost the whole way there and we've never been so grateful for the ‘rain coat,' perhaps better described as a large plastic bag. Nevertheless this did prove to be extremely effective keeping us nearly completely dry. It certainly wasn’t the journey we envisaged, however we made it after about 4 hours in the wet.

Despite the wet ride, we were so glad we didn’t let the rain put us off as Pai was just lovely! As soon as we arrived we checked into our hotel and then visited the crystal clear waters of the natural Sai Noam Hot Spring. Later that evening we walked to the local, quirky night market with stalls that lined the main street of the town. Not bypassing the opportunity to try more delicious food, we sampled the traditional Northern Thai dish Khao Soi before having another Thai massage. Pai is only a small town but has a really young vibe with lots of stalls and quirky bars and cafes.

This was only a flying visit to Pai as the following morning we checked out Pai canyon before riding back to Chiang Mai. Fortunately the rain held off for the return journey making for a great ride with stunning views we could now enjoy. It was certainly far easier and more enjoyable riding in the dry! A fantastic trip and that is one ride that won’t be forgotten.

This evening we are heading by coach to Chiang Rai!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
White, Blue & Black Temples, Chiang Rai
July 15, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
After a 3 hour bus journey from Chiang Mai we arrived in Thailand’s most northern city of Chiang Rai, just in time to look around the night markets once again. We ordered a hotpot sharer for dinner, although weren't quite sure what to do after being given a load of fresh ingredients and raw meats/seafood on a platter, nor how long the ingredients needed to be cooked for. It was a bit of faff which involved some guessing, however like most new things we were glad we tried it although would pass next time.

The following morning we hopped on the scooter to explore some of the infamous temples - the White Temple, Blue Temple and Black Houses, each stunning in their own way. The White temple was so unbelievably detailed, covered with white decorations and a mosaic of mirrors on the exterior, yet modern fictional characters were painted all over the inside. Dan wrote a message for good luck on a steel leaf to be hung among the millions of other messages lining the ceilings of covered walkways around the temple. The 40 black houses were spread across a complex and were filled with various strange and disturbing artefacts, typically animal bones. Nowadays this ground is more reminiscent of a museum although does of course have a history. Afterwards we rode out to explore Big Buddha of Chiang Rai standing 90m tall. This was by far the biggest Buddha we've seen yet and the views from the top looking over Chiang Rai and surrounding mountains were awesome. To top it all off, the weather was very hot today with lots of sunshine. Unlike the majority of bikers who were covered head to toe, we scootered around in shorts and a t-shirt but were still melting!

After a long day, we fancied a change in cuisine opting for Italian pizza and pasta and although still really good, it didn't compare to local, flavorsome Thai food we've grown to love. Chiang Rai bars and pubs were quiet compared to other places visited so far, however we did meet another couple in a reggae bar who we spent the night chatting to and exchanging stories. Although only a short stay, Chiang Rai had some of the most amazing temples we've ever seen and perhaps even the best we will see on our travels, they really were beautiful.

We're flying to Bangkok in the morning. This will be a very different and far more intense experience than the places we've travelled so far but we’re really looking forward to it!Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
First Few Days in Bangkok
July 16, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C
What a city! We weren't sure what to expect but of the few days we’ve been in Bangkok so far, we’ve seen such diversity from high-end designer outlets to unfortunate sightings of families living under shacks along what looked to be a sewage. The city is crazy with scooters and tuk tuks everywhere. Scooters carry more than most cars can and on a regular basis - families of five or a fridge stacked 10 feet tall. Their traffic light system is interesting as both green and red apparently mean go and zebra crossings… well no idea what they’re for. Despite this, it’s a great city with so much to offer.

We visited the Grand Palace on our first day. As expected this was exceptionally grand however the photographs simply did not do it justice. We also visited the Wat Pho temples to see the absolutely massive reclining Buddha all covered in gold leaf. In the evening we went to Chatuchak market and took a stroll down Khaosan road, an extremely busy, westernised road full of bars and clubs.

On our second day in Bangkok we went to Baiyoke Sky Hotel to take in the skyline views over the city. At the top, they had a 360 revolving floor overlooking the entire floor. The views were incredible and allowed us to appreciate the scale of the city. Afterwards, we mooched around the area taking in the atmosphere of the buzzing, chaotic city followed by a quick trip to Lumphini park. This evening we went to Octave rooftop bar for some cocktails. Despite a sunset initially looking promising, unfortunately a dark storm cloud began to form pretty quickly. The rain held off but after 3 hours of enjoying the music and atmosphere, our night was eventually cut short as the heavens opened causing everyone to evacuate the rooftop. Nevertheless, for the time we were there we enjoyed the views over the city, watching Bangkok transform into a beautiful, colourful mass of bright lights as the night fell.

We've been whizzing from place to place via taxi, which if you request on the meter, is incredibly cheap - 100 Baht or about £2.30 for a half hour journey. As expected, the roads are pretty manic with some interesting driving to say the least, but we're absolutely loving the atmosphere of Bangkok. A packed couple of days but an amazing city to explore. We still have another few days left in Bangkok before we call an end to our Thailand travels and move on to Laos.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Triumph Thailand
July 18, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
We took some time out to visit the three Thailand Triumph factories about an hour and a half outside of Bangkok. It was amazing to see where the majority of Triumph motorbikes are built along with manufacturing of key motorcycle components, little of which unfortunately now remains in the UK.

The three factories are split by manufacture (injection moulding, casting, pressing, bending etc.), fabrication (main chassis) and assembly lines. Not only are the factories huge but the scale of some of the machinery is too. Crankcases and cylinder heads are cast in steel tools weighing 8 tonnes costing over £1,000,000 each. Each tool is loaded into machines the size of a small office block all to produce a component that can be held with two hands.

Just before flying out Dan finished a small project that should have started manufacture about now. Dan explained this to an old colleague he used to work with who was kind enough to walk us around and funnily enough soon into the tour we actually saw the part in question being made (which is great as all must be going to plan, Dan mentioned). It was really nice seeing a part Dan was directly involved with (a set of stainless steel fuel tank protection crash bars) actually being manufactured by a small team of workers in a small production run. Also great to see the part on a checking fixture so Dan thought he'd go and have a look. He spotted the part wasn’t quite manufactured correctly to the engineering drawing requirement in one area but then spotted NG (no-good) stamped into the side. This confirms the part wasn't quite right and that it had been rejected correctly - good to see high standards of quality control first hand. Dan had to resist the urge to chat to the production staff, explaining he designed the part they were actually making so instead we walked past like any other individual of which they never knew. Dan could talk all day about the experience but will save that for another time. In short it was amazing to see and we're both so glad we had the opportunity for a private tour. Bonus that Jess enjoyed it too.Read more
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Southeast Asia 2022
Final Few Days in Bangkok
July 19, 2022 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 28 °C
Another fantastic few days in the vibrant city of Bangkok. After visiting the Triumph factory, we took a walk around Siam Paragon and Centralworld shopping mall, the 7th largest mall in the world. It's fair to say the mall was absolutely massive so we only managed to get around two of the eight floors in total. In addition, its food court was not dissimilar to a small town centre. After the shopping mall we made our way to Chinatown, also one of the worlds largest and the most prominent for street food. Sure enough we ate there after watching a TV commercial being filmed down a back street.

The following day and in desperate need of some relaxation we booked an infinity pool overlooking Bangkok for the day. If only this was our hotel as this one really was 5* luxury! It was really nice to lay out under a bit of sun 25 floors up subtly hearing the sound of the busy streets below. Early evening with street food on our mind… again… we caught a taxi to Jodd Fairs night street market and enjoyed a variety of dishes, although again we weren't able to face the fried insects, maybe another time. This was definitely our favourite street market so far with a buzzing atmosphere and endless food stalls with different cuisine to try, all surrounded by the views of skyscrapers lighting up the night sky.

Our last day took us to Wat Arun, an amazing temple complex. On the way in we saw a giant monitor lizard resting in a stream. These are commonly found in Bangkok’s Lumpini park, although when briefly walking through the park days before we didn’t see any. Reading about this a bit more, these lizards are apparently out of control in the park and regularly need removing by local authorities. The lizard we saw was at least 3m long. We then enjoyed wandering around Wat Arun temple, admiring the exquisite, colourful mosaic detailing covering the entire temple.

We’ve both been keen to have a go at Muay Thai since being in Thailand so we booked onto a 1.5 hour group introduction session at a highly rated gym. This actually turned out to be a 1:1 session with us having an instructor each. Unfortunately the gym did not have air con, however, despite sweating litres it was a great experience and very different to martial arts Dan had done in the past. The sport is extremely technical and in the session we certainly learnt a lot, but knew we were only scratching the surface.

On the way to the Muay Thai class we walked through what looked like a very deprived area along a canal. Houses were built from corrugated sheet metal, bamboo and tarp with front doors no more than a garden gate. Mattresses laid on the concrete floor inside a living room, kitchen and bedroom all in one, without lighting in some cases. In some single roomed homes, a ‘bed’ was simply be a roll mat on the floor. Chairs were always the children's coloured plastic kind and they were for those not sitting on the floor often seen listening to the radio. If such buildings were seen in the UK today there was no way we'd expect them to be occupied. Children were seen sitting around piles of rubbish most likely ridden with insects being by the canal, yet despite all this, both children and adults would watch us walk past, smile and say hello to which we’d greet them back in Thai. It was clear that tourists very rarely came into this area and despite the kind greetings, you could tell some locals seemed slightly perplexed to see us walking through. This was a real eye opener and extremely saddening to see these sights, especially as not far away is one of the world's largest shopping malls with an entire floor dedicated to luxury designer jewellery, watches and handbags. Hours before this we'd seen a crowd of individuals sprinting towards a car that had just pulled up right in front of us on our walk back to the hotel. Not knowing what was going on we watched as a couple got out, set up a table and began to hand out free pre-packed meals. Realising what was happening, along the same road we saw possibly hundreds of what could only be assumed homeless individuals and families. It's apparent that Bangkok really is a city of contrasts with significant luxury and wealth yet poverty in many areas too. Seeing these extremely deprived areas really puts into perspective what we often consider to be problems. Despite the hardships and challenges many seem to face in the city, people would always have a smile.

It's been a packed five days and an experience we won’t forget. This concludes our time in Thailand where we've had the best month travelling, seeing its beauty and culture and would absolutely recommend anyone to visit this incredible country. Next stop … Laos!Read more
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