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2024 Adventure
  • James Graham
  • Kyri Vassilas
feb. – sept. 2024

2024 Adventure

A seven month trip around Asia and Europe. Full blog at twobackpacks.co.uk Leer más
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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our flight from Polkhara
    The storm over DelhiDominos pizza at Delhi airport at midnight1Very fed up and tired in departures at Delhi airportOn our flight to Hong KongFinally made it to Hong KongLook how neatly these bags were placed, and with handles facing towards you and all! 😍Getting the bus into the cityView from the busOur dungeon room. Putting my brave face onOur deliciously expensive ramen4Seeing the view for the first time1View from Victoria PeakThe historic tram down

    Traveling to Hong Kong

    23–24 abr. 2024, Hong Kong ⋅ 🌩️ 25 °C

    Our journey to Hong Kong was probably the longest and most exhausting experience I've ever had. It started at 9 am in Pokhara (ace lasted more than 24 hours), where we took a very small domestic flight to Kathmandu, which was SO bumpy I was actually quite scared (the person behind me was also sick. James and I were both pretty nauseous too btw). We then waited in Kathmandu airport for ages as the King of Qatar's visit meant the whole airport was on lockdown until he left. We also went through a ridiculous number of checks and security, which became extremely aggravating. On our flight to Delhi, just as we were beginning our descent, when the captain announced that due to a thunderstorm (and extremely bumpy conditions) we weren't going to be landing in Delhi but in Lucknow, which was back half the distance we'd just travelled. Once landed there, we waited for 20 mins on the plane before being told we'd refuel here and take off again to Delhi. Our 2 hour flight became a 5 hour flight. We arrived so late in Delhi that there was no point going to our hotel, so we got a Domino's pizza and checked into our next flight to Hong Kong, departing at 4 am. Checking in was slow as the airline's systems were down and after no sleep and being exhausted, it was very hard to stay standing. After making it through security and into the departures area, we found no seats that did not have hard metal armrests, so it was near impossible to get any sleep, plus there were loads of mosquitoes there which I could feel and see biting me as I sat there.

    As soon as we boarded our flight, James and I fell right to sleep and woke after several hours hungry, but soon realised they didn't serve free food on this 5-hour flight.

    When we arrived in Hong Kong, it was like stepping into the future. After being in some chaotic and rundown airports, it felt weird walking through a pristinely clear space that had automatic flushing toilets with paper, tap water we could drink, and even showers all before immigration. Immigration was a breeze, and we collected our bags and found the bus stop that took us straight to our centrally located room. We got front seats on the double-decker bus and ogled the smooth roads and obedient cars. The hills surrounding Hong Kong are lush and beautiful, and springing up from below them are tall high-rise buildings which make it so interesting to just stare at.

    Our Airbnb room was located in Chungking Mansions, which I would recommend Googling as it's a bit of a notorious place that used to be considered a ghetto (though we didn't know this at the time). The room was... um...a room. We knew it wasn't going to be that nice as it was one of three places that was within our budget in the whole city that wasn't just a mattress on the floor, but we still hadn't quite expected what we got. The entrance was through rough currency exchange and Indian food stalls, to the lifts in the centre. Our landing was then extremely humid and smelled of fried food, and it smelt of BO and more food in the apartment hallway. The apartment had obviously been roughly divided into 6+ rooms. Ours was only just a bit bigger than our bathroom at home and consisted of a bed, toilet and shower room, and a wardrobe. It was tiny, and the AC unit was old and loud and had one setting; cold, and no window (well, a window to a shaft that we were too scared to look into). We both played it cool and tried to pretend it wasn't the worst place we'd ever stayed in.

    We quickly freshened up and headed out for some dinner at a ramen restaurant which cost us £45, more than we'd spent on a single meal for the whole trip.

    We then took the bus to Victoria Peak where you get a stunning view of the city skyline from atop a hill and then took the old (but now refurbished) super steep tram down.

    By now very tired, we then went back and slept to get rested for our trip to Disneyland the next day.

    P.S. we did not sleep well as the AC was freezing when on and humid and stuffy when off, plus I'd all but cocooned myself in my silk liner for fear of bed bugs or other creepy crawlies getting on me. Plus when we woke up it was as dark as when we fell asleep, so we had no idea what time it was all night when we stirred awake.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our faces during space mountain. I felt like I was holding on for dear lifeThe monsoon rains hit us for only an hour or soStill traumatised by the space mountain ride. But this was actually my favouriteIt reminded me of plane turbulentsI could not go on this ride. I watched from the sidelinesHere and in lots of Asia they have models of the food they're offering. I love it!4It's a small worldAww the tower of London. It made me miss LondonMy crazy hair after our second time on the miners rideThe little princess scenes in the mazeThe teacups12

    Hong Kong Disneyland

    25 de abril de 2024, Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We'd played with the idea of visiting Disneyland in Florida some years ago but decided against it for cost reasons. However, as we were already nearby, we decided to spend the day at the Hong Kong version to see what it was like. We arrived early for the 10 a.m. opening, and as we walked up the drive to the entrance, we both felt the excitement building.

    After getting through, we started with a train ride around the park to figure out the layout. We then decided to go clockwise and began with the Space Mountain ride. James had assured me this first ride was gentle and not too intense; however, we quickly realized how wrong he was. It was a very fast, very twisty indoor dark thrill ride, which I was not prepared for. I finished feeling a bit shaky in my legs and needed to sit quietly for a few minutes. James loved it. I then felt a bit traumatized by that first ride and was cautious about the rest of the rides.

    We did a few more mellow rides, including an Ant-Man and The Wasp ride in the Marvel area and then a boat trip in a lagoon that included a waterfall that was on fire. We then went to the mining village, where we got on another thrilling ride, which was incredible, long, and really loopy and mad. It ended up being our favorite ride, and we had a second go on it before finishing our time in Disneyland.

    We did some more rides and saw a Lion King show, which was a bit cheesy but fun, before heading to Toy Story Land, which was one of James's favorites. We went on the Toy Soldiers ride, which was a drop-type ride that I hated and screamed the whole way through (see video), and the toy car ride, which I point-blank refused to go on, as I hate swinging rides after a bad experience on one in the past. James enjoyed it thoroughly.

    The new Frozen Land was gorgeous, and we arrived just at sunset, which made everything seem even prettier. The rollercoaster ride was a bit disappointing, though, as it was extremely short, and we'd waited in line longer than the ride lasted. We then did the classic It's A Small World boat ride, which was actually really pleasant, and then we went back to the mining ride for a second turn. It was then dark, and the park was looking twinkly and beautiful as we got some tasty dinner and decided to wander around before the evening firework display. There was a beautiful maze with little miniature princess scenes, which was lovely, and then we rode the teacups before taking up our spot for the display and fireworks. They went on for ages and were very pretty. It was a lovely ending to a really fun day.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The outside of the building we were staying in
    The longest escalator ever!The egg tartsLoved the mix of old and new in the cityThe Chinese templeWon Ton noodlesThe view right down our streetEnjoying an ice cream after posting our stuff offChecking out some art at the national galleryTeeny beautiful snuff bottlesGiving me Southbank vibesThe view from the galleryI'm so happy and excited to be in this amazing roomThe view from our window in the morningThe pool!

    The rest of Hong Kong

    26–28 abr. 2024, Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    With Hong Kong being one of the most expensive places in the world, let alone on our trip, we struggled a bit to figure out what we could do for cheap or free while staying out of our dungeon accommodation as much as possible.

    We started each day with breakfast at a nearby fast food joint, for £6 each which had an odd medley of things to eat. On our first day, we booked a free walking tour, which was really good and helped ground us in the location and understand it better. Highlights included going on the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system, the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator, and the Chinese temple, where we were instructed on how to pray and ask the gods questions. We also tried a local egg tart dessert that tasted mostly like egg.

    We then did some much-needed shopping for shorts, as we were now going to be in less modestly dressed countries. For dinner that evening, we went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered the local specialty, Won Ton noodle soup. We then went off for an evening walk and realized we were right by the shore facing the city lights. We walked along the huge boardwalk until we got tired and went to bed.

    Every night that we slept there, our sleep was worse and worse. That night night, I woke up feeling like something was crawling on me; the night before, something from the roof dripped on my head. I woke up that night literally saying to myself, "One more night, it's only one more night." As we were in a bed just a tiny bit bigger than a single, when I awoke, James woke up too and turned to me and said, "That was a shit night's sleep, but it's okay because that was our last night." I was like, "Wait, no, we have one more night." Turns out James couldn't sleep that night either and was so fed up he booked a hotel near the airport that had a pool and breakfast included. I literally could have cried with happiness.

    Our only urgent task for that day was to post some of our warm clothing and souvenirs back home, so we quickly did that, packed, and then, as our check-in wasn't until 2 pm, we got a celebratory ice cream and went to the art gallery on the waterfront. We then went off to the hotel and checked in. It was expensive, but after suffering through the past few nights, it felt very well deserved. The room was pretty incredible by normal standards, with a floor-to-ceiling wall overlooking the green hills. We donned our swimsuits and, even though it was on the verge of raining, we went to the pool and hung out there until closing at 5 pm. We then wandered around the shopping mall that the building was attached to and got some dinner, then returned to our room just to soak it all up.

    Breakfast the next morning was delicious, and we then packed and headed to the airport to catch our flight. Hong Kong, you were beautiful and fun but in a different way than we've experienced so far. Maybe we'll return one day when our budget is bigger.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The train going to Taipei
    Day 2, tour started in this parkLots of these "foot massage" paths. More painful than relaxing I foundOld shoe selling districtYay we have juice with jellyStatue representing the old and newFinal end location of our tourLunch timeParade stopped to pet the dogMonument squareResting on the stepsOutside of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallInside Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallShilin Night MarketTaiwanese sausages in rice bunsFried crab legChipsIce-cream sandwichShaved snow with fresh mango

    Taiwan!

    28–29 abr. 2024, Taiwán ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Sun 28 April

    Upon arrival at Taipei Airport, the first thing we noticed was how busy it was. Lots of people seemed to be arriving from other flights. Before reaching border control, we had to go through meat and veggie screenings to ensure we weren't bringing anything in. We then walked past a dengue fever and illness screening desk. Although I had researched that we didn't need a visa to enter Taiwan, waiting at the border made me nervous that I'd missed something or that we needed to fill in some form in advance. Thankfully, we didn't, and they just gave my passport a pretty cool stamp, and off we went.

    After retrieving our bags, we picked up a pay-as-you-go card for transportation and a phone SIM card. We were super surprised by the fast data speeds we were getting.

    After taking a beautiful train ride into the city, which carried us high above the lush hills, we decided to grab some food before checking in. James found us a highly-rated but fairly traditional restaurant where we ordered a traditional Taiwanese beef noodle soup. It had the softest beef I'd had in ages and jelly bone marrow as well, which I personally wasn't as big a fan of. Then we checked into our private room at the hostel, which was wonderful for the price. Even without a window at £37, it had a private bathroom, towels, shower gel, a tea/coffee kettle, and it was very clean and well-maintained, which is a lot more than I can say for some places we've stayed.

    We then spent a wild night doing ALL our laundry and basically washing everything because it all now had a whiff of the Hong Kong dungeon on it. Like an answer to my prayers, the hostel had washing machines and dryers. I forgot how long dryers take though, even at low heat, and even though we started at 7 pm, it didn't finish until 10 pm. I was so tired I fell straight to sleep.

    DAY 2

    I awoke with a headache and didn't sleep as well as I thought I would, considering how tired I was, but I took a painkiller and it went away. Our free breakfast was the strangest medley of things I've ever seen on offer. I think it was all more traditional Taiwanese breakfast stuff, but it was all savory, such as chili chicken pasta in a white sauce, veg and sausage in gravy, what I thought were hash browns but were actually a creamy cron thing, and more. It was all pretty delicious though, and I tried everything. James was boring and just ate the toast and jam, boo. The tea here is super milky and sweet too, so I'm in paradise.

    We then headed off to a free walking tour of the old city. It was a pretty big group of mostly 27- to 40-somethings who all seemed neat and were traveling around East Asia. As we were listening to the guide, something tickled my foot. I looked down thinking it might be a fly or something, but to my horror, it was a centipede! I flipped, shaking my foot and jumping around and throwing off my sandal too. It went off pretty quickly, but I got the fear of it now and had to put James between myself and it. Of all the people's feet it could have crawled on, it had to be mine, who has the biggest fear of them, FFS.

    The rest of the tour was lovely. The guide was really good at simplifying the complicated past of Taiwan's many invaders and people, and I definitely came away knowing so much more than I did upon arrival.

    It was about 33°C out, and even in the shade, quite hot. In the middle of the tour, we stopped at a local stall and had a mixed fruit water drink that also comprised of a jelly, which was delicious! After that, James and I lost our concentration a bit, but we did chat to a guy from the UK who grew up in Catford (where we live) and now lives in Singapore. We ended the tour in the younger neighborhood, where the LGBTQ community also gathers. We then headed to a nearby cafe and got some lunch, and as we were tucking in, what seemed like a practice procession of floats went by banging drums and in a dragon costume.

    After our lunch break, we headed to Monument Square, before going back for a nap in our room. After crossing the roads, which take five minutes because they're so big, and picking a bus to take (they only come every 20 mins), we arrived at the square and were immediately struck by how HUGE the buildings were. We walked around admiring them for ages, craning our necks to see the beautiful decoration of the roof and sat on the steps of the National Opera to admire the whole scene while nibbling on some traditional biscuits we picked up on the way. We then headed to the furthest monument of Chiang Kai-shek, sitting on a chair, very similar to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The scale of everything was pretty stunning. We read the style had been brought over by Chiang Kai-Shek in 1949 when he came over from China. After wandering around the building, we headed back to our room where I napped for two hours.

    At 7 pm, we headed out to Shilin Night Market to get dinner. The area is famous for its many food stalls and night shopping, and it did not disappoint. We got out roughly £35 cash but only spent half of it and managed to eat about six different things plus a drink. We started with a Taiwanese sausage in a rice wrap, which set us up with unique flavors for dinner. We then had fried crab leg, which was delicious. I didn't realize the texture of crab meat was so soft. We then had the longest, straightest potato chips (aka French fries) ever, with mayo and seaweed, so crispy and delicious. I got a very tasty cranberry drink. Then we had a bun with pork filling, which was so good, but the bun was more bready than I was expecting. We then moved on to dessert, starting with an ice cream sandwich and then shaved snow (frozen condensed cream) with fresh mango on it. It was huge and a real showstopper. It was a delicious evening, and as we left, we were discussing coming back to try all the other things we missed. Overall, a fantastic first day in Taiwan, which is making us fall in love with this country a lot.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The cats at the cat villageThe mining museumSheltering from the rainThe lanterns at Jiufen villageA very odd looking pork bunView from the townA rice bun Mo burgerCycling on the city bikesA jade room divider at the national palace museumAt the entrance they had these amazing umbrella locking stations.Also this disposable flat pack water cups for the fountains, such geniusAn intricately carved ivory thingThe zoo!Koala 🐨The manderine ducks! They mate for life so always come in pairsThe sloths! 🦥Got so close to these king fishers in the aviary!

    Taiwan part 2

    30 abr.–2 may. 2024, Taiwán ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Today, we planned a day trip out of Taipei to go hiking and visit some scenic towns. So, we donned our hiking boots and took the train to Hutong Cat Village. It was previously a booming mining town, but when the mines shut down, visitors began feeding the cats, causing the cat population to boom. Now, they have shops selling cat food to tourists and cat cafes.

    When we arrived in Hutong, we first picked up some small cat pellets and then tried to feed them to the cats, as a pretext to letting us pet them. It worked fairly well, but as they get fed so much, a few of them were a bit snooty about our dry food. The cats were cool, just lounging around in the middle of the street or asleep by walls, but the sound of a bag shaking quickly stirred them.

    In the village, they also have a huge free mining museum, which used to be the processing factory for the coal. It still has a lot of the old rusted machinery in it, and the exhibition is built up around it.

    As we wandered around outside in search of friendly cats, it began to rain heavily, so we took shelter inside a nearby cat cafe where we had lunch while watching the rain. It felt super cozy.

    Given the amount of rain, we gave up on our plans for a hike and decided to go straight to Jiufen, which has amazing street food and lanterns decorating the town. It's said to have been the inspiration for the town in Spirited Away.

    It was beautiful, and the narrow winding streets had food and tea stalls and trinkets, which was a feast for the senses. We walked up and down and then realized how tired we were, so we decided to head back to Taipei for the evening. We stopped off at a local fast food chain called Mo Burgers where I got a shrimp burger and James got a rice bun fish burger.

    On our 4th day in Taiwan, we decided to rent city bikes and see the town. The bikes cost about 20 cents for 2 hours, and the cycle lanes through the city and the parks were perfect, making it irresistible not to keep riding for hours. We cycled up to the National Palace Museum where we ended our cycle and bought tickets and looked around at some of the precious artifacts held there. After lots of days of walking, our little legs were too tired to do anything else, so we spent another quiet evening resting and doing any last bits of laundry ahead of our flight the next day.

    On our 5th and final day in Taiwan, we spent the morning apart in search of different things. We were catching our flight at 9 pm that evening but still had a whole day to fill. So we left our bags at the hotel, and I headed off to a bookshop in search of a guidebook for SE Asia, and James went to an Electronics plaza. After a couple of hours and success on both ends, we met up on the metro and headed out of town to the city zoo. It was £2.50 (!) for both of us to get into the zoo, which is insane and such good value. The zoo was huge and hosted a vast array of animals, some of which were more local to Asia than what we usually get in Western zoos. The enclosures were pretty big and well-stocked with structures and vegetation for the animals. The highlights were the aviary, where we finally managed to see the national bird of Taiwan, the mandarin duck, and another colorful pheasant that is the closest relative to the dodo. My highlight was achieving my trip objective of seeing a sloth! As they're only native to South America, a zoo version was the best I was going to get, but it was still pretty amazing seeing them in person and so close up. After we'd seen as much as we could at the zoo, we headed back to collect our bags and get to the airport. The airport was very quick and easy to get through and very empty. It only had one food outlet which played the same track on loop which basically only consisted of a chorus, that went '...I'll be happy tomorrow, so let's be happy...' 😵‍💫 The flight was thankfully smooth and pleasant and was a great way to start our time in Thailand.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Afternoon cocktails
    First Pad Thai of the tripThe King!View of the palace buildingsThe military? Some soldiers taking down the flagThe building that houses the The Reclining BuddhaA distant templeThe commuter river speed boat

    Arriving in Bangkok

    3 de mayo de 2024, Tailandia ⋅ 🌩️ 38 °C

    When we arrived, the first thing that hit us was the heat! Standing and waiting for our taxi, I thought I might melt. The region was currently experiencing record-breaking temperatures of 40°+, but we arrived just at the tail end, with most days reaching 39-42° and getting down to 36° at night. So basically, it was still boiling.

    We made it to our rooms in a recently renovated building that was still undergoing some cosmetic work on the ground floor. The room was very nice but strangely laid out with two king beds at the back wall of the room, end to end. They were also really high up, sitting about waist height, so you had to jump up a bit to get on them. The AC worked excellently though, so we were going to be alright.

    Having arrived at about midnight, we slept in late and awoke starving and in need of breakfast. We emerged from our room to more heat and humidity that instantly clung to our skin. We found a hotel buffet that let us eat next to a pool, which we were very jealous of, and then wandered around getting our bearings. We then headed back to do some admin and figure out what we were going to do for the next four days in Bangkok.

    In the late afternoon, we ventured out, hoping it would be a bit cooler. We first stopped off to get some midday cocktails, (why not we're on holiday). As we were super central, we wandered down to the royal palaces, but before we could hit the main road, a man with a walkie-talkie told us we couldn't walk down there and had to go another route or stand back. We eventually figured out it was because the king was leaving the palace and driving down that road. After five minutes of waiting, literally 50 red cars drove past very quickly, and among them was a fancy cream car where we could just make out the profile of a man. The King! Less than 24 hours in the city, and we'd already seen the king. We learned later that the three pillars of the country are the nation, religion, and king, which one could argue are the same thing. They're pretty strict, and you can't even step on a banknote because it has the king's face on it.

    We wandered down past the palace to the pier, where we got a cheap speed boat to another port near our hotel, then stopped off for a tasty dinner and bed.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The cool road levels and systems looking super futuristic
    The art centreThe semi covered walk way to the shopping mallGetting a little tired of the shopsA great view of our food being madeOur food court street food. Very tastyA mango and rice stall, a very typical dessertA crazy loud club on Khoa San roadLook how busy this street is, packedThe weekend marketAt the Siam museumThe many variations of ThainessA copy of the royal throneAll these alfits are related to Thailness, we had to rank which ones were most to leastAn example classroom telling us how children are taught what is Thai at different time periodsSome traditional Thai dishesOur delicious lunch!

    Bangkok Continued

    4–6 may. 2024, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    On our second full day, we decided to head to an art center to look at art and get breakfast. The taxis here can be ordered through Bolt, the same way you would order an Uber, so it was really simple to get around. We arrived at the art center and got a simple croissant breakfast, and I tried Thai tea, which is more orange-colored than milk tea and tastes lovely. We stayed so long that we ended up ordering a second round of cold drinks, then decided to skip the art (there didn't seem to be much anyway) and headed to the HUGE shopping malls next door. It was more like three malls in one and just went on and on. I was searching for a phone shop to get a SIM card, and James was browsing the tech since it was cheaper here. After browsing the shops and marveling at the consumerism, we went to the food court, which was epic and had so many restaurants and street food stalls that it was hard to choose. The food we settled on was delicious, and we decided to get a local type of iced bun for dessert, one of which was pandan-flavored, which was a new taste.

    We then headed back and rested before going out for an evening of drinks. We began at a place around the corner from us and ordered a delicious clear fruit wine drink that was 13% alcohol and came in flavors such as peach, yogurt, and grape. After sharing three bottles, which were small, but we were only given shot glasses to drink from, we definitely felt tipsy. We then wandered down to Khao San Road, the famous party and backpacker road, which immediately hit us with super loud bass music and touts outside every bar and club offering us one free drink, discounts, or laughing gas. Not to mention the street food vendors selling grilled scorpions, centipedes, and spiders to eat. It was pretty overwhelming, but we eventually settled in a quieter bar where we ordered one last drink before wandering back home to bed.

    For our third day in Bangkok, we decided to see a huge street market and then visit the museums in the afternoon. We got a taxi to Chatuchak Weekend Market and picked up some breakfast and Thai tea/coffee before wandering around, taking in all the many stalls and their wares. They sold everything, from clothes and paintings to kitchen equipment and even plastic food and flowers. The alleys were all covered, and most had fans blasting air around, but it was still hot. You could spend hours there going around the warren of shops, but we had museums to see, so we picked up a crushed ice orange drink, which was delicious, and headed to the metro to the Siam Museum. The museum is all about what is Thainess and was a very interesting exploration of what makes something Thai and how the old meets the modern. It was really fascinating and also very fun and interactive. I definitely recommend it to anyone visiting. My highlight was the different traditional outfits you could try on at the end and take pictures in. We then went to the attached cafe for lunch, which was a bit fancy but very delicious. We then headed back for a nap and rest before that evening's dinner, which we ate at the pop-up street vendor opposite our rooms. It was cheap, delicious, and such good value.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The first pool
    The second level poolThe fourth level pool with me floating in itThe sign at the top seventh level poolThe best one by far1Our street food market dinnerBreakfast the next dayThe palacesThe jade Budda withinBy the fully golden templeMini Ankor WatSome very imposing guardsThe palace itselfOur lunch! Yum!

    Bangkok days 4 & 5

    6–8 may. 2024, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C

    As it was so hot and we had no pool, we thought it might be cooler and more refreshing to head out of the city and visit a national park with some amazing waterfall plunge pools called Erawan Falls (yes, the same ones they go to in Race Across the World, episode 5). We began early by getting a microbus to the nearest big town and then a local bus to the national park. The microbus driver was a bit of a maniac and spent the whole two-hour journey swerving in and out of cars and putting his foot down so hard the bus began making warning beeps that he was going way over the speed limit. After that ride, James and I felt a bit motion sick, so it was quite nice getting on the local bus, which went at a slow cruising speed with little to no swerving, even without AC, for the rest of the hour-and-a-half drive.

    The national park was very much like most American national parks, with a paved walkway to the pools and even optional golf buggies to and from the start. There are seven levels of pools, and the first one was very busy, as were the next two pools. We decided to stop in the fourth pool for a swim. It was very hard to get into them as the roots and rocks were slippery, and the tiny baby fish kept nipping at you as you tried to enter. The water was so lovely and refreshing, and with the mandatory life jackets, it was nice just floating around. The fish were quite distracting, though, as if you stayed still for even a second, you'd get nipped, which I didn't like.

    We then hiked to pools 5, 6, and 7 to swim in each. Seven was definitely the best and the clearest but full of more photo seekers. It was so nice though; I could have stayed there for ages, but sadly the next bus was soon, and the 1.5-hour gap between them meant we had to get this one.

    We arrived just in time and began our long journey back the way we'd come. When we arrived in Bangkok, the bus dropped us off right by a street food market, and as it was 7 PM at this point, we were starving, so I suggested we get dinner there. It had so many local food options, with no foreigners in sight, a proper local hot spot. I bought a variety of meat on sticks, some noodles, and huge prawns that we had to de-shell ourselves. It was pretty delicious. Then for dessert, we shared a coconut slushy drink that was also delicious. We headed back to our room tired and ready for bed.

    On our final full day in the city, we visited the royal palace. We got up early and ate breakfast at a local cafe (it's very hard to find anywhere open before 11 AM here) and then caught the speedboat to the palace entrance. That night the heat had broken and the rains had begun, so it was raining quite a bit upon entering the palace grounds. The palace buildings were beautiful. The architecture is so different from anything Western you see, and the detail in the decoration is so amazing it's a lot to take in. I have to say it wasn't very good at telling us anything about the royal family, but it was all pretty interesting to look at and explore. We went inside a temple where we had to take off our shoes and saw a super precious jade Buddha (no photos inside allowed) and also saw a miniature version of Angkor Wat.

    After about two hours, we got tired and headed to a highly-rated cafe where we had a beautiful lunch. Then we headed into the city to Decathlon to buy some beach stuff. We bought snorkels and masks and water shoes so we don't get any sea urchin stings. I also managed to find some purple shampoo for my blonde hair (to get rid of the brassy tones that creep in) in the shop opposite. We then decided to go off the beaten track and take a local bus. I sat next to an old gentleman who immediately wanted to know where we were from and how long we were staying. I don't think they get many foreigners on the local buses. It dropped us just by our rooms, and we rested and ate dinner later on by our rooms.

    Considering we felt a little uncertain about what we were going to do in Bangkok when we first arrived, it felt like we'd done a lot by the time we left. I'm sure we'll be back as well, as it might be where we fly home from too. Till next time, Bangkok.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The sunset on our beach
    PerfectionThe scratch I got from the rocksOur Italian pizzaOur fish dinner2Every morning the windows would be so steamy from the outsideOur granola breakfastOur little bungalowThe boardwalk to the beachAnother delicious dinnerReady for snorkelingOn the most perfect beach everThe best spot ever for snorkelingThe final spot we wentHe's a naturalSaw a barracuda during our snorkeling so we ate one that evening

    Koh Chang

    8–15 may. 2024, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    For the next few days, we did not get up to much. Our days consisted of sleeping in, going to the beach, getting fruit smoothies and cocktails, napping in the afternoon, and then going back out for dinner.

    We were staying in a little bungalow which was simple but had everything you'd need: a kettle, big fridge, fast internet, TV with Netflix and Prime, a little table and chairs, and a communal kitchen. Trying to keep it cheap, we bought granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit for breakfast and some snacks for the middle of the day when we got peckish.

    The walk to the beach was over a boardwalk and pontoon, which went over an estuary that filled up from the sea at high tide. The beach was beautiful, with trees overhanging it and relaxing beach bars and restaurants that allowed you to sit on their deck chairs as long as you ordered a drink. The water was SO warm, like bathwater, and fairly murky, sadly. The tides also made it SO shallow for ages, and there were quite a few sharp rocks. Good thing we brought our swim shoes! I did scratch my thigh on the first day trying to swim when it was still too shallow.

    Highlights of our stay included the authentic Italian pizza restaurant, run by an actual Italian owner, eating freshly caught fish on the grill two evenings, and binging Fallout on Prime.

    One evening we went to Lonely Beach, which was the party spot on the island. After a few pre-drinks, we caught an island taxi, which was just a converted pickup truck with seats in it. They just go back and forth along the only main road, and you hail it down and pay at the end. When we got there, it was DEAD. We passed a couple of huge clubs pumping loud dance tunes and strobe lights with no one in them. After a walk back and forth, we decided "fuck it" and went into one with the best music and got drinks. After 20 minutes of being there, two other groups of locals came in as well. We found a pool table and played two games. I won the first one; James won the second, and we had a great time. Lesson learned: sometimes you need to make your own fun.

    One of the other major highlights was a day trip of snorkeling we did. We booked it not expecting to see much, just a few fish, but it was actually so amazing. We went to three spots for snorkeling, the best being the first two. They were off some teeny tiny islands that had some rocks around them. We actually saw coral, fluorescent, purple, and yellow coral! And sea anemones with clownfish rubbing themselves on them and swimming away to hide. I can't express how amazing it was. It wasn't the Great Barrier Reef, but it was still so amazing. After the big buffet lunch they served, they dropped us off at an uninhabited island with a paradise beach. The water was crystal clear and the sand silky smooth. It was the best beach I've ever been to in my life, and I'm from Greece! The last spot we went to was a bit too murky to see much of the coral, but we had fun splashing about before heading back to our origin. Even though I wore suncream and reapplied, we both still burned our back legs and bum, but not too badly.

    One of the things I most enjoyed was all the unique wildlife I'd never seen before. In the morning, the cacophony of birds was like a recording you'd get on your wake-up alarm, and the beach was full of crabs scuttling about. Overall, it was pretty perfect and so nice we definitely struggled to leave.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The pick up trucks who's seats collapsedThe main dinning areaOur room 😍The pool with sea viewThe resort even had a resident catOww the monsoon storm is comingSnuggled up in the room dressing gowns watching the storm roll inJames went for a morning runWe later explored the coral around these rocksHere is the reminisce of the insects that were flying around last night.Our path down to breakfastGoing kayaking and snorkelingWe ventured out of the resortA super tasty meal at a local placeJust wanted to show off this ceiling. It was peaked and I actually love this texture. So relaxingFinal picture of the view before we depart 🥲

    Koh Mak island

    15–18 may. 2024, Tailandia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    If we thought Koh Chang was idyllic, Koh Mak was heaven. We'd heard from Cecil, who we did our Manaslu trek with, that Koh Kood, the island just south of us, was her favorite and absolutely perfect. We looked into it but found it kind of expensive and out of our budget. However, looking at the island three times smaller just north of it, we found a resort right on the beach for £32 a night! Bargain! So we booked three nights before heading back onto the backpacker trail. We got a speedboat there and were picked up by the hotel at the other end. In the taxi we took in Koh Chang to the ferry port, while going up a steep hill, the makeshift seats on the pickup truck collapsed, along with the roof they were attached to. Thankfully, I think it just slipped off its perch and didn't hurt anyone, but it was scary for a second there. (See picture).

    Arriving at the hotel was lovely. The staff were friendly, we got nice scented water on arrival, and we were taken up to our room, up a small hill on a golf buggy. We had a 1st-floor room, which gave us a fantastic view of the resort and the beach, and we were level with the treetops, making it perfect for bird watching. These were the cheaper rooms too. There were more expensive beachfront bungalows for £15 more, but in the end, the privacy and view you got in these cheaper rooms were more preferable to us anyway.

    For the next three days, we lounged about in bed, looked at the view, read, decided our next moves, and hung by the pool. They also offered free snorkel and kayak rentals. So on two different days, we went out and explored the coral right on our beach. The water here was perfectly clear too, and it was not as shallow as Koh Chang, so pretty much perfection all around.

    On one of our evenings, we got dinner at the resort dining hall, where all the meals are served, and the monsoon rains had been pretty intense. After it stopped and we were heading back, we were overrun by these largish winged bugs that flapped chaotically around every single light along the path and anywhere with a bulb. There were so many it was apocalyptic, and we had to use umbrellas to try and keep them off us. The geckos were having a feast, but it felt kind of icky and scary to us.

    Another day we wandered out of the resort to a grocery store to get snacks. We stopped next to it and had lunch. The place looked like nothing, but the food was delicious. Appearances aren't everything out here.

    Overall, it was actual heaven. It was so hard prying ourselves away from the place. We're seriously tempted to just return at the end of our trip and spend our last bit of time (and money) there. If anyone is considering it, do it. It's on the island of Koh Mak, at the Mira Montra resort. 😍🥲    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Leaving Koh Mak
    On our micro bus on to the Cambodian borderEnjoying our complimentary meal after getting past the border. We're in Cambodia!The streets of Koh KongUs in the park, right before getting offered ocean scrapsAmazing art in the parkShoes anyone?Our first meal in Cambodia. It was fine.

    Arriving into Cambodia

    18 de mayo de 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We awoke slowly, wanting to savor every last second in our amazing rooms at Mira Montbra. We eventually pulled ourselves out of our comfy bed and went to the main building for breakfast, where we loaded up on all our favorites: bacon, eggs, pancakes, and fruit. Then we returned to our room to pack. We're now pretty streamlined at packing. We still can't do it in five minutes (not the way we spread out), but in a pinch, we could probably do everything in ten minutes. We said our goodbyes to the room and the view and got the hotel taxi to the port. When we arrived, 10 minutes early, the travel agents quickly checked our info and stuck location stickers on our chests, like children, and then told us to get aboard as they were waiting for us. The boat only had two other couples aboard, and it took off as soon as we got on, 7 minutes early.

    I enjoyed the passage outside on the upper deck, where I had to wear a life jacket (they're really big on their life jackets here), and watched the distant clouds depositing their rain while the sun shone over us. We were picked up by a comfy minivan at the mainland port, which we had all to ourselves. Just after the port, however, we had to get out for the agents to check our info again and fill out a border information card for us. While there, they said we could pay for our Cambodia visa there, but it was $20 more than the $32 we'd read it would be. We had also read that Cambodian officers were quite corrupt and would try to charge you more, but we didn't think it was going to be $20 more, so we declined the offer and decided to risk it.

    We got back into our van and were joined by a Mancunian couple and three British lads who were trying to pretend they weren't posh. After 2 hours of driving, we were transferred to a taxi pickup truck which took us right to the border, where we were passed to another agent. At the border, we started by getting a stamp for leaving Thailand and then we had to walk through no man's land, which was full of freight lorries, to the Cambodian border guards. There, another agent took our passports and charged us $40 for our visa (still a $10 saving) and gave them to the guards to process. Ten minutes later, we had our visas and were ushered into Cambodia, where we sat and ate the stir-fried rice they gave us and tried not to melt while waiting for the other travelers to join us.

    The other people were all heading on to Koh Rong island, but we were just heading to Koh Kong, the next city from the border. They'd been informed there were no ATMs on the island and most of the country still operates in cash, so they spent 15 minutes trying to convince the travel agent to take them to an ATM so they could get cash, which the agent refused to do and was getting quite annoyed at them. Cambodia operates on its local currency, the riel, but many places accept US dollars, and if an ATM detects you have a foreign card, it will only dispense dollars. It's quite confusing. In the end, one of the lads got taken on a motorbike to a distant ATM and then the bus met him there.

    We were dropped off 30 minutes later and checked into our room for the night. I'd read a blog about the city and concluded there wasn't much to do or see in Koh Kong but thought we'd stay one night, with a later bus so we'd have enough time to see the sights.

    We first got ourselves sorted, me with a SIM card and then to the ATM for cash, dollars only. Then we went for a wander down to the waterfront. From the smell, it's a town centered around fishing and there were lots of women on the side of the road selling big bowls of fish, while children ran around waving and staring at us as we walked past.

    We made it a few blocks before stopping to have a cold drink before walking on to a park. This park had been mentioned as a great scenic spot in the blog; however, I'm not sure it's something I would have bothered mentioning. After sitting there for a while and being hassled to buy a bag of indistinguishable ocean items from a homeless man, we decided to head back to our rooms. They're attached to a restaurant where we decided to have dinner too. There was a drunk metalhead guy with tattoos trying to keep a small bird he'd found alive and kept asking for salad and sugar water. He tried to negotiate taking the tissue box away as a birdhouse. The owner was having none of it.

    So far, my impression of Cambodia is that it reminds me of Nepal but Southeast Asia style, with its decent but not quite accurate city planning and infrastructure. It is fairly littered and the sewers are kind of open, but it's not anywhere as much so as in India. We were also getting a lot more stares but in a much more friendly, curious way, like in the corner shop where a young lady wanted to know where we were from, how long we were staying, and what our favorite dish was. I'm very curious to explore more and see the rest of the sights of the country.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Waiting for our bus
    James' strange breakfastOn the busIt's like being back in NepalThe incomplete roadHello Phnom PenhWe're back in tuk tuks 😁1Love a good towel swan

    On to Phnom Penh

    19 de mayo de 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    From what we'd seen of Koh Kong yesterday, we didn't feel like we needed to see much more. So, we headed out to a place around the corner for breakfast. We weren't 100% sure what we were ordering, as it was just from blurry pictures. My French toast was alright, but James ended up getting toast with an egg yolk, corn and cheese on it. Really strange. We ended up staying there for hours, chatting about what we would serve and how we'd operate a café back home—a business idea for the future.

    We then headed back to our room to chill and pack. We were kicked out of our rooms at 12 and then sat in their café updating this blog until 1:30 PM. Our coach was departing at 2:00 PM just around the corner. It arrived late anyway, and we didn't leave until 2:30 PM, but we got to sit in an air-conditioned room, so I had no complaints.

    The drive was like being back in Nepal. All the roads for the next four hours were under construction, with only one side partly complete, meaning cars would constantly switch sides depending on the road quality. There were fewer potholes, but other than that, I spent most of the drive watching out the front, feeling every hazard that came our way.

    We stopped off twice, both at really bootleg places with barely the basic facilities. The second time, I tried to get some food. Out of some random pots, an old lady gave me some rice and a bowl of soup. The soup was all boiled meat, something I can't stand, so I just ate the rice. The owners must have been paying the driver really well because we constantly passed much nicer stops along the way.

    For the final 1.5 hours, there was a perfectly complete highway with all the modern conveniences, so it's not like they can't build the roads.

    Arriving in Phnom Penh, I was struck by how modern it was. The skyline was full of lit-up buildings and fancy food shops. But then, right next door, was a very old, dilapidated building selling food on the side with multiple generations spilling out onto the street. Some of the side roads didn't seem to have street lights. It seems like an interesting mix of old and new.

    Our hotel is lovely—a little place called Pride Resort, with a decent pool that we'll use to cool off. We got a top-floor room with a nice clear view of the sky. Getting in late, we went straight to bed, ready to hit the city the next day.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The royal palace at night
    The Killing Fields. The remains of bones and clothesJust some of the many bones that were hereThe largest amount of stuff we've seen on a motorcycleDrinks over the city scapeAfter a fewStreet side coffeesPlaying in the arcade2The eating area in the night marketOn the river farryAmazing display of the flag!Walking back along the river

    Penm Phen - part 1

    20–22 may. 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 37 °C

    We've noticed a habit when we visit cities: at the time, we feel like we're not doing much, but then when we look back, we realize how much we actually did see and do.

    On our first day, we decided to head just outside town to the Killing Fields, an important historical landmark. But before we got there, our tuk-tuk driver went down a blocked, unfinished road, which ended in him trying to drive through deep sand. James and I then had to get out and push the tuk-tuk while he maneuvered from the driver's seat. After 5-10 minutes of us pushing in the hot sun, we finally got it out and turned the vehicle around to go the longer paved route.

    For those who aren't aware, from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, ruled Cambodia and implemented radical policies aimed at transforming the country into a communist agrarian utopia. This regime resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2 million people due to forced labor, starvation, disease, and mass executions. The Killing Fields were one of many sites across the country where people were executed and buried in mass graves. We wandered around the area with the audio guide, getting an in-depth understanding of the horror that hundreds of thousands of people experienced here and seeing the scars it left on the land. Even though they've excavated the graves, there are still lots of bones and bits of clothing scattered around, pointing to the sheer volume of people buried here. It was intense and very moving but incredibly important to hear. We left feeling emotionally spent and returned to our hotel to decompress and enjoy the pool. In the evening, we went for drinks on a fancy hotel rooftop, which had a lovely view over the palace opposite it, and then went for some authentic Italian pizza.

    On our second day, we ended up doing very little. We woke up feeling very lazy and decided to embrace it and take a day off. We lazed by the pool, wandered the streets getting coffee and iced tea, and wandered to a shopping mall, in search of nothing in particular. We played air hockey in the arcade and then headed back for more chilling. We went out to the city's night market, which had every fake designer clothing you could imagine, and were wowed into taking a ferry ride along the river, which was beautifully lit up. We then wandered along the banks, taking in the lights and bustle of the city, and headed back to our accommodation.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our Cambodian meal
    Shaved ice dessert with kidney beans at the bottomSome of the faces of the people who suffered at this prisonBarbed wire over the holding cells. The site used to be a secondary schoolThe cells they built in the old classroomsThe city by nightEnjoying our first brewThe many steps to the topArrived very hot and sweatyWas worth the view aloneTreading carefully, as your not allowed to wear shoes in/around the templeThe more ancient templeWatched a family group of monkeys on our way downThe mother and baby sessionThe main building in the monetaryAmazing statue of a goddessAnother version of the reclining BuddaResting by the pool after a hot day

    Penm Phen - part 2

    22–24 may. 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Still feeling a little lethargic, we started the day slowly by going to a very high-end coffee shop to catch up on blogging and research our next moves. While wandering to our lunch spot, we were cajoled by a tuk-tuk driver who said he'd take us to Oudong, where we wanted to go tomorrow. So, we agreed on $50 with him and exchanged details. For lunch, we went to a fantastic café/restaurant that serves traditional Khmer food with a modern twist. It was amazing. We got what the waitress recommended and felt like we got a great flavor profile of the cuisine. We had Amok, a curried fish dish, and a soup (all Cambodian meals should be accompanied by soup), which had small fish and fish eggs in it and was definitely an acquired taste. The beef slices on the grill were our favorite. For dessert, we got some shaved ice with floral flavors and, weirdly, some actual kidney/black beans at the bottom. It was an interesting addition but not terrible.

    We then headed to S21, the former security prison where the Khmer Rouge imprisoned and tortured people. It was also pretty harrowing and quite graphic, with images of the dead bodies found in the very room you were standing in when it was liberated. For me, the most harrowing thing was seeing the tiny spaces people were kept in and the row upon row of faces of prisoners who were tortured in the prison, especially the children. As we were leaving, it rained heavily, and we got soaking wet.

    That evening, we went out and did a cocktail/beer crawl through some locally produced breweries and on to Bassac Street where the real clubs and bars are. As it was a weekday, it was quite quiet, but we made our own fun and had a great time.

    We woke up early, regretting our agreed 8 AM pick-up time with our tuk-tuk driver. Oudong is a town about an hour outside Phnom Penh and used to be the old capital of the country. Our driver first took us to a shop where they made silver jewelry, which was interesting to see. The mother and owner of the business passed us to her son, who was in his late teens and spoke such impeccable English, he could have been schooled in Oxford. Although they had some nice stuff, we didn't find anything we liked, and after asking a few questions about their process, we said goodbye and went on to the sites.

    Our first stop was Phreah Reach Throap Mountain, which was a long hot walk up lots of steps to get to the top. There were few to no tourists, so we got a lot of stares and hellos from local children. The temple at the top was beautifully and intricately decorated and overlooked a fantastic view of the surrounding landscape. We wandered about trying to get cool and also looked at the old temples just next to it before heading back down. We then went to the Cambodia Buddhist Vipassana Center, which from what we understood was a monastery where monks and nuns were taught. It was stunning and completely deserted.

    After wandering around, our tuk-tuk driver had arranged for us to eat at a local lady’s stall. However, when we got there, she wanted to charge us $20 for an unspecified chicken meal. Given this extortionate price and the basic kitchen facilities, we declined. She then offered us half a chicken for $10 and showed us the pieces which were chicken feet, a head, and some wings, which didn't do much to convince us. We politely declined and headed back into town and to our hotel. Our driver seemed disappointed as he'd offered to take home any leftovers. After the heat and exhaustion of the day, we relaxed by the pool and didn’t venture out until evening when we sat in the main square and watched a lot of people jogging and children playing. We enjoyed our new favorite drink, a watermelon shake, and then got a second round of coconut water before heading to bed for our early start tomorrow.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    2A nice welcome to our room
    All the food stalls with their tiny child chairsThe local watering holeGot our tickets!The museumThe room of a thousand BuddhasLovely little fountain in the middle of the museumA lot of phallic and yonic iconography in Ankor Wat1What do you think, resemblance? One guy in India said I looked Indian but white.A lovely ride back after the museumPhare circus!A mermaid appeared out of a lotus flower

    Siem Reap

    24–26 may. 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    We headed back to the bus station we'd arrived at early in the morning to catch our bus to Siem Reap, the home of the famous Angkor Wat temples. The journey was pretty smooth, and the rest stops were a lot better than the ones on our first journey.

    Our hotel was pretty good, with lots of foliage and ponds with loud croaking frogs in them, and, unfortunately, mosquitos. The hotel also had a pool, so as soon as we'd settled in, we went straight into the water. It also had a swim-up bar, which we made good use of. While at the bar, an American lady, who was on her third drink during happy hour, was speaking to anyone who was near her. She was very lovely, and we found out she had climbed Manaslu as well, but like 15 years ago, when there were no roads or tea houses—she camped most of the trek. She recommended a bar/restaurant down our road that sold 15-cent beer, so we headed there and enjoyed some decent food and the cheap beer. We then wandered around the town and checked out the very busy area with lots of loud bars, restaurants, and shops. Before heading to bed, we had a quick night swim in the pool; it was so pretty we couldn't resist.

    The next day, we woke up slowly and ate our breakfast, with the mosquitos biting me to pieces. They definitely really like me, and I vowed to wear DEET to breakfast from now on. We then went off to the very modern, fancy ticket office to get our three-day tickets for Angkor Wat and then went to the Angkor Wat Museum in town to learn about the site and its history before seeing it the next day.

    The museum was well worth it and gave us a great introduction to the site and its history. It was Buddhist for most of its rulers but also Hindu for one of them, so a lot of it is a medley of the two. This is also where they house a lot of the statues and monuments to keep them safe and away from looters (there had been a lot of looting of the site over its old and modern history). After wandering around, listening to the audio guide, and trying to understand the nuances of the Buddhist religion, we got hungry, so we finished up and went to get some food and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. That evening, we booked tickets to the Phare Cambodian Circus, which has a performance every single night and was truly excellent. It wasn't as big-budget and extravagant as Cirque du Soleil, but what they didn't have in stagecraft, they made up for in acrobatic skills and slapstick entertainment. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the show and didn't even notice the time passing. An excellent show, well worth a visit for anyone in Siem Reap.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Tuk-tuk with a fluffy roofEvidence of how sweat soaked we were2The amazing solar ring!Trying to use our umbrella to stay shaded and cool, to little effecctOur favourite watermelon shake to keep us coolOur child driver and the amazing viewBBQ that tasty food up!

    Siem Reap/Ankor Wat - Day 2

    26 de mayo de 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    We had planned to wake up at 6 am and go to Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise come up over the monuments. However, after our alarm went off, we turned it off, rolled over, and slept some more, so we didn't get out until 9:30 am. We took a tuk-tuk, which had a nice fluffy roof, to one of the many temples in the Angkor Wat site and explored the paths and complexes on foot. For those who don't know, the area is HUGE and is basically a city with buildings spread out across many miles. The iconic site is just one of many, located in the center.

    When we arrived at one of the temples, we were initially stopped because I was wearing shorts (supposedly too short, even though they're quite long). However, after saying we had no way of changing my clothes, they let us through begrudgingly. We wandered around the maze of rooms, admiring the details still obvious in the stones and the steepness of the steps.

    We wandered around another temple that allowed us to climb to the top. A side note: it was INCREDIBLY hot and humid, so much so that very quickly our shirts were soaked through. When we got to the top of the structure, we noticed the sun had a rainbow encircling it, which we found out later was a rare sun halo, caused by the extreme amount of moisture in the air.

    After 1.5 hours of looking around, we stopped off to have a cold drink by the side of the road and sat with the food and drink stall ladies while we cooled off. We then did a bit more sightseeing, exploring a 'guest house' and 'guard houses' before letting the heat win and deciding to head back to our AC room. In the guard house, we were joined by a local family whose children stared and stared at us. One girl seemed to take a liking to James, kept performing for us, and saying "hello" to get our attention, and tried to follow us when we left.

    We ordered a tuk-tuk with the Grab app and were picked up by a 12-14 year-old boy. We checked our driver's profile and concluded that it was probably his dad's profile and he couldn't be bothered, so sent his son out instead. It was very weird to have someone so young drive us on such chaotic roads. However, he drove very cautiously and smoothly, better than some adult drivers we've had, and overall did an excellent job.

    We spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool and in the evening went out to a grill restaurant, where you grill your own food. We ordered slices of beef, chicken, shrimp, and veggies and cooked up a tasty dinner. After not having cooked for ourselves since we left London, it was nice to be cooking again but still not having to do the washing up.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Entering for sunrise1View from the top tierLove the signageBudda still being worshipped3Leaving Ankor Wat

    Ankor Wat Sunrise

    27 de mayo de 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 36 °C

    This morning we finally managed to drag ourselves out of bed in time to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We arrived at the site as soon as it opened at 5:30 am and walked in the dark over the moat and into the site, trying not to trip on the uneven stones. We stood just to the side of the three peaks to avoid the trees ruining the silhouette and waited for what felt like two hours for the sun to appear. Once it finally did, we made our way into the central temple and explored the amazing murals and climbed the steps to the third-highest tier, which gave a fantastic view over the site. As Angkor Wat was still an active temple, there were a couple of people praying and monks wandering about, which added to the otherworldliness of the place.

    By about 9 am, we were pooped and hot, so we headed back to our rooms to get breakfast and nap. After a long rest, we went for lunch at a place around the corner where we'd had good food the previous day and then spent the rest of the day by the pool, planning our next steps. I have to admit, the combo of the heat, humidity, and travel exhaustion meant we were not attempting too much each day anymore as we were struggling to muster the enthusiasm.

    In the evening, we went out for a bit of dessert at this fantastic gelato place and went to bed early after our early start that day.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    2Cycling!
    The dance school/temple of danceWalk way to the water templeGetting into mountain bikingThe location of one of the movie scenes2They decided to let this temple stay overgrown, to show what it was like when discovered

    Siem Reap/Ankor Wat - Final Day

    28 de mayo de 2024, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 36 °C

    On our last day of our ticket and in Siem Reap, we decided to explore the remaining temples on the short circuit by bike. It was an excellent way to see the sites, stay somewhat cool, and cover the large distances between them. The first temple we stopped at housed and taught dancers in the kingdom. It was very large and beautiful, with even more images of dancing deities.

    We then cycled on to the water temple, which is in the middle of a huge lake, and during the monsoon season is flooded and mostly underwater, which the temple was designed to accommodate. It wasn't very big, but with the lilies surrounding it and the pools of water, it was quite a unique temple to see. We then got beckoned into a food stall for lunch and almost got ripped off on the food, until James managed to haggle them down to a slightly more reasonable price.

    On the way to our next temple, we went off-road along a shortcut dirt track, which ended up being so much fun. We saw tucked-away ruins that weren't on the map and, through the forest, saw more cool lizards and birds than on the main path. We slowly rode past a couple of temples on our route but decided to only stop at the temple where Lara Croft was filmed, as our butts were getting sore. We couldn't actually remember what the scene filmed here looked like, so we spent much of the time looking around saying, "Was that where it was filmed?" However, we did come across an area where lots of people were taking photos, so we assumed it was there and got our cursory photo.

    We headed back just in time, as when we stopped cycling, we realized we might have gotten heat exhaustion if we'd been out any longer. After a rest in our rooms and lots of water and salts, we felt better and only left briefly to grab snacks for our travels later that night. At 9 pm, we packed our bags and checked out of the hotel to get to our overnight bus to Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City. After such an exhausting day, we hoped we'd go straight to sleep on the bus.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Onboard our night bus
    The busy food market at 4 amThe busy morning food marketOn our way to VietnamEnjoying the pool

    Arriving into Hon Chi Minh city

    28–29 may. 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We checked out of our hotel at 11pm and got a tuk-tuk to a travel agent's shop, who then took us in a minivan to the bus stop. We had read some really awful reviews of this bus service, including that the driver played loud music the whole journey, was drunk, and rude, so we were quite apprehensive about the ride. However, after finding our double bunk, below some French tourists, we got into our liners and dozed for the rest of the journey and didn't experience any major negatives. We didn't really sleep, however, and it was hard to get used to rolling around with the twists and turns of the road, but I felt like I got some light sleep.

    We arrived in Phnom Penh at around 5 am for our next bus that left at 6 am. We got dropped off at a very basic terminal with a few locals sitting and waiting, and lots of deliveries being moved on and off the buses. The streets surrounding it were busy with the morning food market, which was incredibly busy for that time of the morning. We sat around until 30 minutes before our bus and decided to ask at the desk which bus it was, as no one and nothing gave us any indication of where we should be. They ushered us into a tuk-tuk that took us to a tiny kiosk with a boy asleep behind the desk. Another man appeared and directed us to, one by one, get on the motorbike with the boy and our bags to head to where the bus was departing from. I went first and was bricking it on that motorbike, feeling like I might slide off the back. We both made it intact though and after a quick passport check, got onto the coach.

    The drive was fine and after a few hours, we got to the Vietnam border. It was a lot bigger and more imposing than the Cambodian border and with our travel operators taking our passports and doing everything for us, we were authorized to enter and remain for 14 days visa-free. There is always a noticeable shift when you cross the land border; the shops and houses change and in this case, we began seeing a lot more classic conical Vietnamese hats. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh and ordered a Grab taxi to our accommodation.

    In the end, it took us 12 hours to get here on 8 different vehicles 😄 not sure I'll ever experience that many transfers again.

    We decided to rent an Airbnb apartment this time, as we felt we wanted a bit more independence to cook and pretend we lived there for a bit. It was a perfect place, a little studio apartment in a big high-rise of flats, with a shared swimming pool and loads of shops and amenities right on the ground floor. We didn't do much else that day except visit the pool and buy some food for breakfast. That evening, we found a tasty pho restaurant down the road and discovered that most Vietnamese don't speak English.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The Independence palace. The most 60's palace I've ever seenI really liked this Egg Coffee drink, because it was pretty sweetThe beginning of the fancy districtView down the boulevardHum, not quite sure they understand the point of communism1A very interesting building...Look at that view!Before (above) and after (below)

    Ho Chi Minh City - Day 1

    30 de mayo de 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We woke feeling very independent in our little apartment. The day before, I'd spotted a nice-looking beauty salon in the apartment complex and arranged to get my lashes curled. For anyone interested, I've been using growth serum on my lashes to make them longer and they're now very long, and I've been desperate to curl them so they'd look extra voluminous. The end result was perfect AND it cost me £7! In the UK, this treatment costs £60, so the price alone made it incredibly worth it! And now I look like I'm wearing mascara without having to actually wear it.

    After my morning appointment, we headed to the War Remnants Museum, which was pretty harrowing. Outside, it had a load of US Army vehicles from the Vietnam War, and inside, they showed very graphic images of the effects of the war and of the napalm damage to people and generations after. It was very interesting to see the Vietnam War from the other side's view and although the museum was a little hard to follow, the images of destruction, death, and suffering definitely spoke volumes.

    We then went across the road and enjoyed our first Banh Mi sandwich, which is a small baguette stuffed with noodles and fried vegetables. It was super delicious.

    We then took a humid stroll past an old royal palace called Independence Palace, which is where the final battle was won by North Vietnam when a tank broke through the gates and unified the country. We then went to an excellent coffee shop, Tonkin Specialty Coffee, hidden down a thin alley and up on the second floor. They served an excellent egg coffee, a specialty of the city, with a fantastic vibe too. As we were discovering, the French colonial past definitely left an influence on the food culture of the city. As one tour guide said, "we took the French stuff and made it better." We then walked slowly back to our apartment, walking through the high-end shopping district which seemed so juxtaposed with the communist flag flying right next to a Cartier shop. Through a long square and up to the river, which we followed over a cute bridge and back to ours.

    We then chilled out and went for another swim before going out in the evening to a nearby rooftop bar with an exceptional view for some drinks, which we had to access by going through a rough looking car park.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    On our way to breakfast
    The neat rows of motorbikes. Would rather have the sidewalk back though tbhSelling goldfish by the side of the roadBarber anyone? The guy thought James really needed it to be fairThe artifacts from Ankor WatWaiting for the rain to subside, trying to not to get bit anymore and not itch themThe fireworks we kinda sawMy nails, while we waitedThis dog was in the salon. Must be the fashion as I saw a few more dogs like thisAt the train stationOur trainJames getting into his bunkLaughing at how small this is

    Ho Chi Minh city Day 2 & 3

    31 may.–1 jun. 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Today, I was in charge of the budget and activities. We started off by walking a little way to an American-style restaurant, which was tasty enough. It was entertaining watching the older boys, high school kids from across the way, wander in and out of school, crossing to our side of the street to sit in groups and eat freshly prepared pot noodles served by one old lady to about 30 kids.

    We then walked slowly through town to get to the Vietnamese Historical Museum, stopping off along the way to get me a SIM card. We passed some pretty interesting things, including a man on the side of a four-lane road selling goldfish in bags and a row of barbers giving trims under nothing more than tarps.

    When we arrived at the museum, we lazily began reading the history, which started with prehistoric man and continued to modern day. While looking at a mummified noblewoman, recently uncovered in the city, a young man who worked there began speaking to us and encouraged us to take photos of the mummy. He then followed us around the exhibit, trying enthusiastically to point out interesting things in broken English. James quickly abandoned me with him, leaving me to make awkward small talk and feign interest in what I was reading and looking at, while hoping he would leave me alone. He was very nice and told me he loves history and is trying to be a kickboxer, but I was just tired and not really invested in the museum, especially as I was also being badly bitten by mosquitoes that gave me 11 bites. It all kicked off when suddenly a huge downpour of rain started flooding the courtyard and streets outside and dripping from the ceiling. I quickly found James and took a moment to observe the probably looted artifacts from Angkor Wat, where we'd just been. We quickly saw the rest of the museum and then waited impatiently for the rain to subside so we could grab a taxi back to our apartment.

    We chilled until that evening, when there was a fireworks display planned for a festival the city was hosting. As I was chatting to my mum on a video call by the window, I heard a bang and saw a huge ball of fire billow up from a raft on the river. A few stray fireworks shot out of the fire, but quickly another boom and more fire and smoke followed. Oops, I don't think that's what they'd planned to happen. This was on another side of the river, so I assumed our display was still going ahead. We headed to the waterfront but quickly realized we weren't in a spot to see them. We moved with lots of other people to another position, but it was then blocked by a tree. Overall, it was probably good, but we saw very little of it.

    The next day we were leaving via an overnight train, but that wasn't until the evening. However, we had to check out of our accommodation by 11, so we packed up and then headed to the handy cafes below the building to chill for the next five hours. As there was little else to do, I decided to get my nails done at the salon where I did my lashes. After much deliberation, I settled on a turquoise blue, as I figured it would look good when I'm tanned at the beach. These would end up lasting six weeks without a single chip or lifting, amazing (and again, so cheap!).

    An hour and a half before our train, we got a Grab to the station and ate a quick McDonald's knockoff, which was quite tasty, and then tried to figure out which platform was ours. We found our cabin, which we were sharing with two mothers and their combined total of four children. James and I had the very top, third bunk, which was more cramped than we'd expected. As we were trying to get into them, one mother laughed at us, as it was probably very silly seeing a tall, fully grown western man trying to squeeze himself into a cramped top bunk. A few hours in, I went to the loo, which was pretty clean compared to the Indian train toilets, and came back to find all the little girls asking me questions and vying for my attention. Questions included: where was I from, what was my favorite food, what was my favorite color, was James my brother, and more. They also said I was pretty, which was sweet. I know it was probably because I was just western, but it still played to my vanity. I eventually extricated myself from their questions and crawled back into my bunk to lots of giggles. We managed to fall asleep eventually and passed a weird night sleeping in our bunks.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The view, we noticed people only swimming in the shade
    Train sleeper cabinTrying to eat breakfast with no spaceThe beach of Quy NhonDipping his toes into the South China seaThe view from our roomLunch on little stoolsDrinks on the roofIn search of dinnerBeing shown how to eat the grilled fishAs James is demonstrating you yet the rice paper, pu the fish, leaves and mango slices, dip and eatOur pool for the dayI was craving cakeOur amazing dinner at the Chinese restaurantThe custard boi buns 🥹🤤

    Quy Nhon

    2–4 jun. 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    We woke up on the sleeper train quite stiff and a little cold, but fairly well rested. One of the families had gotten off in the night at their destination, so we spread out a little more, enjoying the view from the window of the countryside we couldn't see before.

    We arrived in Quy Nhon mid-morning and decided to walk to our accommodation as it wasn't very far. We're always so optimistic and then remember, once we start, how hot it is and regret our decision. It was 9 am and already in the 30s°C. We got a lot of stares from people as we went by and quickly realized not many Westerners visit here. We were staying in an apartment in the tallest building in the whole city, which meant it had a stunning view. Half the building was a hotel, and the other half were apartments that seemed to be let out to Vietnamese holidaymakers. We settled into our room and then went for a walk along the long, sandy beach. The whole place gave me massive Bournemouth vibes, but Vietnamese and communist, with its semi-developed beachfront and long boardwalk next to the road.

    After a few drinks at the beach bar and James dipping his feet into the South China Sea, we headed back, freshened up, and then tried to get some late lunch. Sadly for us, they keep to French times and close around midday for a few hours until evening, so everywhere to eat within walking distance was closed. We eventually found a small street restaurant where a young lady made us some food we'd never tried before from her little vending stall. The stools/chairs we sat on were so small that she encouraged us to use one for each butt cheek. The food was delicious, and then we wandered around more until it got too hot and we headed back. We went out again in search of alcohol, which we found on the top floor of our building inside the hotel bar. The view was insanely high and scary.

    We then walked along the promenade which, empty earlier, was now heaving and busy, with every restaurant bursting with groups and families enjoying their dinner. We didn't really know what we were doing but ended up going into a very local place and ordering a grilled fish, some unrecognizable veggies, and spring rolls, all of which were delicious. From our first-floor dining spot, we watched people enjoy themselves and even saw a huge crowd of teenagers on neon rollerblades going into oncoming traffic. The mood was infectious, and we had a lovely time feeling welcomed and part of the frivolity.

    The next day we ate breakfast in a local cafe, where we almost interrupted a silent study session of students, which served great coffee. We then paid to use the adjoining hotel's pool, which was pretty magnificent, and lounged there for most of the day. We ventured out briefly to have some lunch, including cake, at a French patisserie and then went back to the pool. That evening, we went out to the Chinese restaurant, which was one of the most delicious places I've eaten during the whole trip. Our top item was the custard-filled bao buns, and I'm not even that much of a fan of bao buns.

    The next day we took the train again, but in standard seats, as it was just a day ride to Hoi An.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Hoi An all lit up
    Fish at the stationEnjoying a coffee on the main river front walkThe view from our hotel roomIt was REALLY raining when we first went outThe beautiful view of the river at nightOur beautiful drinking spotA day at the beachBeach bar babyThe hotel poolCycling the streets of Hoi AnA lot of people are getting ferried around in these cycle things2Selling every kind of spiceMore drinks!

    Hoi An

    4–7 jun. 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    Our train was slightly delayed arriving at the station, but it was okay because we had the entertainment of two big fish in a half-filled tank to look at (poor things). We found our seats and had to wiggle our way into them as everyone had their seats reclined and their feet up on anything they could. I mean everyone: old, young, fancy, and not fancy. But overall, it was okay, nice to have a good window and some head space.

    We arrived at a station 40 minutes outside Hoi An, and the hotel arranged for a taxi to pick us up. Our hotel was a lovely little converted house that had been modernized to include a tiny lift and a swimming pool. We booked a nice balcony room overlooking the river, and it was a very peaceful place to watch the scenery go by. We walked around the corner to the main streets of Hoi An and had some tasty lunch from a lady's stall at the side of the road. I had fried wonton, which was delicious. We stayed out a little longer to get a coffee each and then headed back for a little pool swim. That evening, we went out for drinks and soaked up the beauty of the town with its illuminated buildings, bridges, and lanterns all along the river. It was beautiful. The old style that survived in the architecture probably made it the most beautiful place we'd stayed in so far. After multiple drinks in some gorgeous places, we went back to sleep it off.

    The next day, we decided to get a taxi to the nearby beach. It was a pretty good beach that stretched as far as the eye could see, and the beach bars nearby were very good. We spent a lovely relaxing day swimming and then chilling and chatting in the beach bar, leaving only in the late afternoon before the band started playing. We only ventured out again that evening to get some food from the street vendors, which was delicious as usual.

    The next day, we decided to spend the morning by the pool and in the afternoon we rented the hotel's bikes and cycled through the winding streets and the multitude of restaurants and shops, all beautiful and in the same style. We stopped briefly for dinner and some beers/cider before finishing at night, trying not to run over tourists and street vendors. The town has been so beautiful it's been hard to leave.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The train sceneryJames enjoying his seatTrying to stay cool in the dining carEnjoying the view from our hotel roomGiving me a bit of acrophobia thereWatching the rain and thunder roll in from our roomEnjoying the pool in the thunder stormRooftop beersThe next day waiting for our bus, wondering if we've been left behindHum, did he really give his sign off on this average ice creamOur sleeper bus bunksBeautiful sunset

    One night in Hue

    7–8 jun. 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    Quite annoyingly, our taxi driver spent the entire 45-minute drive texting and calling people while driving. He wasn't the first person to do this, but every time it happens, I get closer to asking them to stop for the sake of our safety. However, they helpfully assist with our bags, and I forget all my anger.

    The train journey felt like it picked up exactly where the last one left off. James was thoroughly enjoying the smallest amount of seat space he'd ever had, due to the seat in front being all the way back and, of course, feet up on the window. The view was actually quite magnificent. The train tracks snaked around the jungle-covered cliffs with the sea right below us, making us feel like we were in a Bond film. We moved to the food car to get a better view, and I stayed transfixed until a baby cockroach wandered past my window. We arrived in Hue and checked into our five-star hotel, which wasn't too expensive. We exalted in the stunning view of the river, the ancient palace, and the road traffic below. We eventually left in search of food, which, due to the time, was hard to find. We returned just in time to watch a huge rain cloud sweep over the city and sat and watched the lightning with awe from our viewpoint. We then headed to the pool, which had some of its large windows open, allowing us to watch and feel the thunderstorm as we swam around in the luxurious pool. It was amazing. In the evening, we popped up to the rooftop bar for some beers. After getting our fill of the view, we headed to the streets for a couple more beers on the main drinking strip. We heard a drinking chant reverberate around the tables around us but failed to comprehend it. We then wandered around the city a little bit and headed back to bed.

    After a glorious breakfast with anything you could ever want, we checked out and got a taxi to a random shop, where we'd be getting a sleeper bus to Hanoi. The bus was supposed to leave at three, but we ended up waiting in that spot for at least another hour. There was one other Vietnamese lady also waiting, so we were fairly confident they hadn't just forgotten about us. Eventually, the minibus arrived and transferred us to the start point of the sleeper bus. This time, we had our own individual bunks opposite each other. I was pretty comfy except I couldn't get high enough to see out the window while reclining. We made one comfort break at a local place where we were the only Westerners. We had bought enough snacks to sustain us, so we didn't end up getting anything except for some strange coconut toffee candies, which I couldn't decide if I liked.

    We arrived in Hanoi in the rain in the wee hours of the morning and eventually managed to get a taxi to our Airbnb apartment, which we had to go through a flower shop to access. We managed to fall asleep straight away.    Leer más

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Leaving our flat
    Bye bye LondonAt Liverpool street stationEnjoying some breakfast on the ferryWe're ready to start cycling!Welcome to the Netherlands!Found the routeArrived at our first campsiteOur camping set upEnjoying a snack on the very hot dayOur first old monumentOur delicious dinner at our second campsiteGetting rained onThe beautiful dune scenery2My sharp tan line alreadyVery much flat and farmyThe best camping. Doing some yoga to try and avoid being as soreGetting the shuttle busBack on the routeBeautiful wild flowers

    Cycling in the Netherlands

    18–23 jul. 2024, Países Bajos ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We've now begun the second part of our adventure, which is to cycle as far as we can, with the occasional train, through Northern and Eastern Europe.

    Our first day began with our departure from our London flat, cycling to Liverpool Street station. We had a great start, though James almost got hit head-on by a motorbike on Deptford High Street. The motorcycle pulled out into the wrong side of the road, screeching to a halt and almost doing a forward wheelie to avoid hitting James. We arrived at Liverpool Street intact and got snacks while we waited for our train. After a picturesque but chilly connection at Manningtree, we arrived at the port of Harwich International and then got very lost trying to figure out where to check in as bikes and get on board. It was an 8-hour overnight ferry, and we got a windowless cabin, which was extremely comfortable and hard to comprehend after all the shared cramped cabins and bunks we traveled in South East Asia. After a quick wander around the boat and marveling at the facilities, we headed to bed. We were awoken to the tunes of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin and the announcement that breakfast was now being served at the restaurant.

    We disembarked around 8:30 am and cycled for 20 minutes before realizing we were going in the opposite direction. Once we were on the right path, we quickly saw the signs for the EuroVelo route 12, which we’d follow along the coast and that reaches all the way to northernmost Norway.

    We hugged the beaches on excellent, perfectly maintained cycle paths, which took us through beautiful wildflower sand dunes and the occasional coastal town. Each day, we typically stopped once at a café for tea, coffee, and to rest our butts before carrying on until we found a large supermarket to get dinner supplies. We arrived at our first campsite exhausted and hungry. Our pitch had no shade, and it was one of the two hottest days in the Netherlands. That first afternoon, we had not found the rhythm of camping, arguing over how to put up the tent and who should wash the day's clothes, etc., but by the second day camping, we were in the groove, quickly doing all our chores so we could maximize rest and sleep.

    The second day was the hardest as it was 31°C, and there was little to no shade on our path. But constant sunscreen application and lots of water got us through it, and we were rewarded with a lovely shady campsite.

    By the third day, we could already see our tan lines establishing razor-sharp lines, and after a few hours of cycling, we encountered our first rain. Our waterproof layers held up well, and after a quick bit of shelter, we cycled through. It was our longest day of cycling yet, and 45 minutes out from our campsite, our butts were sore, and our arms ached. Our campsite was idyllic, with a wild feel, excellent sustainability facilities, all with a high standard of luxury, and super friendly owners to boot.

    By now, our bodies hurt pretty quickly after starting to ride, but the Afsluitdijk causeway, which stretched over 32 km, was closed to cyclists, so we had to get a free bus ride across, which was a welcome relief. The terrain after that was very samey, with lots of farm fields and sheep grazing the coastal dikes. We chanced upon a close campsite to our route and welcomed the tiny, quiet pitch with some hearty dinner.

    Day 1 - London
    Day 2 - 51 km
    Day 3 - 48 km
    Day 4 - 79 km
    Day 5 - 56 km    Leer más

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