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Southeast Asia 2024
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  • Megan McCready

Southeast Asia 2024

5/6 months of travel around Southeast Asia - visiting Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Bali and maybe more Read more
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  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Hanoi

    Mar 27–29, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We arrived back to Hanoi on March 27th. Myself and Georgia had both booked separate accommodation as I decided to stay in Hanoi for 2 nights and she left on the 28th March.
    After all the socialising in the last few weeks I decided to book myself a hotel, and have some time to recharge .
    This was my second time in Hanoi so I just spent time walking around, eating (more banh mis) and shopping.
    I left Hanoi to go to Ninh Binh on March 29th.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Cat Ba

    March 27, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We arrived in Cat Ba at 8am on 27th March, fresh off a night bus from Ha Giang. We had around 45 minutes before our tour of Lan Ha/Halong bay began.
    It wasn't the best decision, going from a night bus onto an organised tour in the same of an hour - but needs must when you travel!!
    I was quite underwhelmed with the bays we did see, there was a lot of litter on the water :( and maybe after seeing the amazing views up north Vietnam, my expectations were too high! One part of the day trip included kayaking within a bay - which was actually good fun.
    We finished the tour at 1/2pm and went back to the town of Cat Ba, had some food and waited on our transfer to back to Hanoi.
    Georgias flight back was on March 28th, so it was a very rushed few days.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Ha giang loop day 3/4

    Mar 25–26, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Day 3 of the loop was probably the most breathtaking! We ventured to the most northern part of Vietnam, where we overlooked the Vietnam-China border and we went on a boat trip on an amazing river with mountains overlooking it. However, the road down to the boat was probably the dodgiest road of the entire loop!
    It was our last night staying as a group on the third night. The homestay on our last night had a swimming pool - so there was a bit of a pool party that evening, with music and more drinking! Luckily, the guides told us to go to bed at midnight - no hangovers on our last day woohoo.
    We woke on day 4, and had a bit of a later start - around 10am. Our first stop was a waterfall that was nearby, so we had a very chill morning.
    At this point of the trip, we began making our way back round to our start point - the town of Ha Giang, we saw many more sites and embraced our last day as a group!
    We arrived back to the homestay at around 5, where we ate dinner, showered and sorted out stuff before our night bus to Cat Ba that evening of the 26th March    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Ha Giang loop day 1/2

    Mar 22–25, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Ha Giang loop time!!!!
    Myself and Georgia arrived to Ha Giang from Sapa at around 6pm on the evening of the 22nd March
    We began the 4 day motorcycle tour on the morning of the 23rd March. It consisted of 4 days driving on the back of a motorbike, with an 'easyrider' going through the mountains of north Vietnam.
    The first day we took off from Mamas hometsay in Ha Giang town. We left at around 9am and arrived at our first homestay at around 4pm.
    Durinf the trip to our first homestay we stopped numerous times at different viewpoints and got used to being a passenger on the back of a bike!!
    When we got to our first homestay we had free time to chill etc before dinner. Myself and Georgia ended up sharing a dorm room with an Irish couple on the loop with us. The views from this homestay were amazing!
    We got introduced to 'happy water' and our guides taught us the Vietnamese chant of basically 'cheers' before you drink. This evening consisted of lovely food, some karaoke and card games.
    On day 2, we got up had some breakfast and got ready to leave out homestay onto the next part of the journey. During the day we visited some villages - where there were lots of local children insisting on doing all the girls hair. These places were very overcrowded with tourists! It was amazing driving through the mountains and embracing the spectacular views (pictures don't do it justice).
    By the end of day 2, our bodies were pretty sore from the bikes 😅
    We checked into our second homestay, chilled and had dinner. This might there was more groups staying together, so there was a bit of a party and a group of us went into the local town to witness a local festival that was going on, where they danced around a fire in the middle of a square!    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Sapa

    Mar 19–22, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Myself and Georgia got a 7am bus on 18th March to make the journey to Sapa. We arrived around 2pm, where we met the daughter of the lady we were staying with. We had booked one night in a homestay (Mama ShuShu) and we had two treks/walks included.
    Unfortunately that day was very wet and foggy so visibility was 0% but we still had a nice time getting to know about the culture in Sapa.
    We arrived at our homestay that evening and met some more of the family. There were 8 other people staying here and we all sat around for dinner (They had cooked so much food for us which was lovely).
    After dinner we sat around the fire, and had some popcorn (made by the husband) and had some happy water (rice wine shots 🤢)
    The next day we got up for breakfast and went out on a trek through the villages with mama Shu Shu and her daughter .It was so good learning about the different tribes and villages that make up the communities in Sapa. The weather was nicer today and we could see a bit more of the landscape.
    Before we left the homestay, mama Shu Shu gave us all bracelets that were made by her and her husband 🫶🏼
    We arrived back into Sapa Town at around 3/4pm.
    We booked two nights in a hotel so we could relax. On our 3rd day in Sapa the weather was hot and sunny. We explored the town and looked at different tourist sites ( Moana Sapa)
    Places we ate:
    - Thong Dong vegan kitchen and cafe
    - Sapa sky view bar and restaurant
    - Little Sapa restaurant
    We left on 22nd march on a 12pm bus to go to Ha Giang.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Hanoi

    Mar 16–19, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We arrived in Hanoi at around 8am on Saturday 16th after a fairly comfortable night bus (Georgia slept the whole way!).
    We stayed at the one hostel - really nice rooms, rooftop pool and restaurant.
    When we arrived we dropped our bags and went straight for breakfast -
    We spent Saturday not doing too much - had a walk to the lake (hoan Kiem) and went to Uniqlo (I can't help myself). As it was Paddy's day eve we found an Irish bar called the snug - it was full of Irish expats, and it was lovely to get a taste of home for the weekend.
    On Sunday 17th I went out for a solo breakfast and coffee whilst Georgia slept. Today we went to train street to watch the train go by. It was pretty cool and lives up to the hype!!
    We went out tonight again to celebrate Paddy's day - first to the mad monkey hostel and then to the snug.
    Monday was a very slow day and we didn't do too much. We booked our transfer to sapa for Tuesday 19th at 8am from the hostel.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Hoi An

    Mar 12–15, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After a very rocky 12.5 hour night bus, I arrived into Hoi An on 12 March with a Dutch girl from my hostel.
    Luckily we both had booked the same accommodation (Ihome hostel - not my favourite), so we got a taxi to drop our bags, showered and went for breakfast at Phin Coffee restaurant.
    After breakfast I arranged to meet Ana, a girl from Hungary who I had met in Thailand at the start of my trip.
    We all had a walk around town until we could check into our room at 2pm
    At around 3ish my friend Georgia arrived, she came over on a 2 week holiday to see me. It was so nice having a familiar face around for a while to break up my solo travel.
    Activities in Hoi An included: cooking class (so much fun, and our teacher was such a laugh), coconut boat, coffee class, shopping.
    We chose to get clothes tailored whilst here, I got a green top and trouser co ord and a dress. It was a lot of fun getting clothes tailor made.
    We explored Hoi an town which was very pretty and ate a lot of Banh Mis.
    My favourite banh mi was vegan and it was called Le Hoi Banh Mi chay - a cute little lady owned it and she only charged 15000!!
    We met up with a few friends I had met along the way - a danish guy, a Hungarian girl and a girl from south Africa.
    The food in Hoi an was pretty good we ate at: Ba Dam veggie restaurant (where i tried a Hoi An dish called Cao Lau), Rosie's buttercup restaurant.
    We left on Friday 15th on a night bus to Hanoi! 🚌    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Da lat

    Mar 8–11, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After my first sleeper bus (of many) in Vietnam (even though it was a day bus, they love a bed), I arrived in Da lat at around 9pm on Friday 8th March.
    For the first night I stayed at a homestay, called dalata note hostel, and then for the following two I moved to a hostel called Mookas home - one of the best hostels I had stayed at on my trip so far. The family who ran the hostel were super lovely, and very very accommodating to all the guests.
    The first day I visited the crazy house, walked around the lake and attended a family BBQ with the other guests in the hostel. I met some people here who all decided to go on a hike the next day.
    On Sunday 10th March, 5 of us got a taxi to Lang Biang mountain. We hiked to the top and saw some lovely views. The hike was quite hard at the start, it levelled out and then the last 15 minutes felt like torture 😅 we were all very chuffed once we reached the top!!
    That evening we all went out to a veggie restaurant for dinner - Chay corner in dalat.
    I booked a sleeper bus to leave Da Lat on Monday 11th at 5pm (12ish hour bus) to go to Hoi An.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Ho Chi Minh

    Mar 5–8, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    I arrived into Ho Chi Minh at around 4pm on March 5th after a 10 hour journey from Phnom Penh.
    I stayed at Saigon Chill Hostel in district 1 - with every other tourist!!
    I was excited to finally arrive in Vietnam, as I had heard such good things from other travellers on my trip.
    The first evening I tried to set up a SIM card - without any luck and I came back to the hostel where I met a few people (Canadian guy, and an English/Irish couple) who were super friendly.
    I ate in a restaurant called home Saigon restaurant, which was very veggie friendly.
    On the 6th March I decided to do some exploring - I went to the war museum, Saigon central post office, and explored the area where the cafe apartments are. It was crazy seeing how much traffic is in HCM - and learning how to navigate crossing the road!
    For dinner I decided to try my first Banh Mi - which was pretty good 🤤
    On Thursday 7th I signed up to go to the Cu Chi tunnels with the hostel. It was very fascinating seeing the techniques used during the Vietnam war. I met really nice people on this tour who I went for dinner with when we got back. One thing about HCM is how hot/humid the weather was 🥵
    On Friday 8th I booked a bus to start my journey from south to north - with my first stop being Da Lat.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Phnom Penh

    Mar 3–5, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    I left KRS on a 9.30 ferry (which was very rough and rocky, and I had to stand for the duration of it) and got to Phnom Penh at approx 6pm on March 3rd.
    I stayed at Onederz hostel
    I only planned to stay 2 nights here as all I wanted to visit was the historical sites - Tuol Sleng Genocide museum (S21) and the killing fields ( I joined a hostel tour, there was 4 of us in the tuk tuk - all solo travellers
    It was very interesting to learn about, however, incredibly sad as it all felt so recent.
    I didn't eat out much here as it wasn't very veggie friendly.
    I left first thing on the 5th March to make my way into Vietnam 💃🏼    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Koh Rong Samloem

    Feb 28–Mar 3, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I left Kampot at around 10.30/11 on the 28th February to get to Koh Rong Samleom. My journey included a 3ish hour bus and an hour long ferry.
    As per all my journeys in SEA - the 6 hour journey turned into 8 😅
    It was a very very bumpy ride in the minibus - driving on terrible roads.
    I arrived at the pier in Koh Rong Samleom at around 3.45pm.
    I hadn't done too much research - but I didn't realise there were no roads on this part of the island, so I had to get a taxi boat to my hostel.
    I stayed at Onederz. It was right on the beach and had a very relaxed vibe.
    I was only supposed to stay here 3 nights, however, an hour after arriving I decided to extend my stay another night.
    I spent the next few days eating, reading, chilling at the beach.
    A Canadian friend I met in Kampot arrived on my second day, we ended up signing up to some scuba diving on the Friday - it was a lot of fun!
    Another friend, Dorothee who I met in Don Det arrived on the Saturday and we spent the evening walking to the other side of the island to find the other beach. 🏝️
    Food:
    - I mainly ate at the hostel (really lazy of me)
    - but one of my favourite dishes on the island was a vegetable cashew curry which I had at Sweet Times restaurant!!
    I really enjoyed my time here - relaxing and saving energy for my time in Vietnam!!    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Kampot

    Feb 25–28, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    I arrived in Kampot at around 8am on the 25th of February, after a pretty successful night bus!!
    I spent my first night in Onederz hostel. I checked in and chilled by the pool for a few hours and then booked onto a sunrise tour.
    There ended up being 5 of us plus the guide - an English couple in their 50s (who took me under their wing) and a french couple.
    I moved to yellow sun hostel the following day. It was a hostel on the river, with a slide and decking where you could swim.
    I met lovely people here (Lisa, Kate,Lily and Amelia).
    We went kayaking around the river, which was beautiful and spent time cuddling the hostel puppies!!
    It was a nice place to chill and unwind.
    I did a second sunrise tour with the hostel, which was lovely!
    I ended up spending 2 nights here - I originally only thought I'd stay for one.
    The hostel was nice, very basic/camping vibes and I discovered a huge gecko in the dorm on my first day 😭
    I left on Wednesday 28th to make my way to Koh Rong Samloen.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Siem Reap

    Feb 21–24, 2024 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    After a very very long travel day (left my hostel in Don Det at around 8.30am and arrived in my hostel in Siem Reap at 8pm) I arrived at Onederz hostel in Siem Reap!
    I met Emily whose plans coincided with mine, and we overlapped in Siem Reap.
    I spent my birthday doing a sunrise tour at Angkor Wat (3.30 wake up call). It was so beautiful!! We got back to the hostel at around 1.30pm and we chilled by the pool for the day, and went out for dinner with another girl called Dorothee, from Germany.
    The rest of my time in Siem Reap was spent chilling by the pool, going to the Apoppo Rat museum (very interesting) and going to an artisan workshop.
    Mainly ate at the hostel/market or a place called Khmer Taste, which was super cheap.
    I really enjoyed Siem Reap, apart from pub street!!
    I spent 3 nights here and left Saturday 24th on a night bus to Kampot!!    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Don Det/4000 islands

    Feb 17–21, 2024 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    I left Pakse at 8.30am to make my way to Don Det/4000 islands. I got picked up by a minivan and we had an hour and a half drive to get to a boat which brought us across to don det island.
    I stayed in two places whilst here: Ta's dorm and EasyGo backpackers.
    When I arrived, I explored the tiny town and went for a coffee and met a few girls which I spent some time with over the next few days :)
    It was a lovely island, where you could rent bikes to get around.
    Activities:
    - Cycling, exploring a waterfall on the next island (Don Kon)
    - Swimming in the river/at the beach
    - Reading/eating/drinking
    It was a super chill time. Unfortunately I got sick on my last day, so I extended my stay for an extra day, as I didn't want to travel into Cambodia after a day of having a bug.
    Met some really nice people here :)    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Pakse

    Feb 16–17, 2024 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After much deliberation, I decided to travel down South Laos (despite the higher malaria risk 🦟).
    I had to get a night bus from Vientiane to Pakse (which took around 12 hours).
    On these interesting Laos sleeper buses you have to share a double bed with a stranger if you are solo travelling. I was lucky as I shared with a girl my age and we discovered we had a mutual friend!
    I stayed at Sanga hostel in Pakse.
    I only stayed one night to break up the journey down to Don Det.
    I didn't like Pakse - it was quite dirty, and there was nothing to do if you weren't brave enough to drive bikes (me).
    I used my one day there to chill/read/walk around/watch the sunset.
    I left the next day on an early bus + boat to get to Don Det/4000 islands.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Vientiane

    Feb 12–15, 2024 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    I got a bus from Vang Viang to Vientiane which took around 2 hours.
    I arrived on 12th Feb at around 7pm. I stayed at Barn1920s hostel - it was really nice, and had a 1950s Parisian style.
    I met Emily here for dinner one evening, before we went our seperate ways.
    My plan for the capital of Laos was to chill and take some days to catch up on travel admin!!
    I did go to the COPE museum which was about the devastation of unexploded bombs that still remain in the countryside in Laos. This has caused many amputees for the locals. The museum was based on this.
    I left on Thursday 15th on a night bus to Pakse.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Vang Viang

    Feb 8–12, 2024 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    After a long wait In the train station in Luang prabang (thanks to the hostel) we (myself, Emily and Will) got the Chinese bullet train down to Vang Viang, arriving at the hostel around 3pm.
    I stayed at Lily's backpackers with Emily - very basic, no security, bathrooms a bit meh.
    Activities in Vang Viang:
    - paramotorgliding
    - went to see some blue lagoons (1,2 and 3)
    - went to see some caves (not great)
    - done some kayaking along the Mekong river
    - we explored the town/river area.
    We stumbled across my first Irish bar of the trip, where I watched the Ireland Vs Italy rugby match with a few irish people I had met.
    I went to a yoga and meditation class which was very relaxing.
    On February 12th I caught a minibus down to Vientiane (capital of Laos)    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Luang prabang, Laos

    Feb 5–8, 2024 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    The night bus was a bumpy ride. We arrived at around 6am on Feb 5th, 20 minutes outside of the town!!! So we had to pay for a tuk tuk, who wouldn't even drop to hostels, so had a further 15 min walk!!
    I stayed at Funny riverside hostel.
    It had an amazing view of the river from the decking, such a lovely setting.
    Activities:
    - Kuang Si waterfalls (really beautiful) - the journey there consisted of a driver who took double the time as he kept stopping/slowing down to answer his phone!!!
    - Pub crawl that ended in an infamous bowling alley and very weird nightclub!!
    - Sunset river cruise
    - Walking around and exploring the town
    - Night markets
    Ate at:
    - Zurich cafe
    - Joma bakery
    - La silapa Italian and Lao restaurant
    - Night markets
    I left on Thursday 8th with Emily and a guy called Will, to go to Vang Viang on the Chinese bullet train!! - we ended up spending 4 hours at the train station due to the hostel booking us onto the incorrect train :(
    A very strict train station , which required us to go through security when entering, and getting rid of any aerosols!!    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Thailand - Laos crossing

    Feb 4–5, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    On Sunday 4th was the start of my overland crossing from Thailand into Laos 🇱🇦
    I got picked up at around 8.15am, where a minibus took us from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai where we stopped for lunch/to look at the white temple. As we only had 40 minutes I opted for my lunch and then just a quick look outside the temple!!
    We then left Chiang Rai and went to the Thai - Laos border crossing (Friendship bridge).
    The process was smooth - we had to fill out a visa form, attach a photo of ourselves and pay $40. I met two really nice Irish people during this process :)
    Once across the border (by foot), I then got into a very very crowded tuk tuk 🛺 which brought me to a bus station.
    I met my friend Emily (thank god), as the bus had very small double beds.. which we had to share! After the tourists got on, they then proceeded to pile a lot of locals on who had to sit in the aisles!! We also got handed plastic bags before getting on the bus (which confused us), but we then realised they were for our shoes!!
    We left around 6.30 pm - with many many stops along the way (searches by police along the way as well as stops to let locals off), we arrived in Luang Prabang Laos at around 6am on Monday 5th February.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Chiang Mai

    Feb 2–4, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Came back to Chiang Mai for a quick layover before heading onto my second country Laos!
    Myself and Jaya opted for the minibus back from Pai this time, which was very bumpy but managed the motion sickness!
    Stayed at J's cafe and Poshtel in a private room!
    I coincidentally ended up here for the Chiang Mai flower festival which was a nice experience - i went to some parades, i explored the park with the flower garden show, i watched a water fountain music show.
    On Sunday, I prepared for a long day of travel to Laos 🇱🇦    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Pai

    Jan 30–Feb 2, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    My second favourite place in Thailand - reminded me of Koh Tao
    Arrived in Pai on the 30th January with Emily and Jaya - we opted for a private taxi over the dreaded minibus ( lots of windy roads)
    Stayed at Common Grounds hostel
    Activities:
    - 2 group tours to include (waterfalls, pai canyon, i love coffee cafe, Nam Lod cave)
    - Nam lod cave was amazing, would recommend it to anyone!!
    - Met some Irish people who brought us to the hot springs on their scooters 🛵
    - Explored Pai town and the river running through it.
    Where I ate:
    - market food
    - OM cafe
    - Na's kitchen (amazing)
    - Pai Siam bar and bistro
    - Lemon and thyme cafe
    Nice bars along the street to explore at night with a good atmosphere    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Chiang Mai

    Jan 26–30, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Arrived at the hostel (Entaneer Poshtel) at around 2pm ready for check in.
    Luckily the airport was only 10 minute drive from the hostel!
    Super nice hostel, with huge comfy beds, free breakfast and a nice social space!
    Activities:
    - Explored some temples - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat
    - Went to numerous night markets - standard nightly ones, and the big ones on a Saturday and Sunday night.
    - Got a much needed massage
    - Explored the old town
    - Done a cooking class at Mama Nois - a lot of fun
    - played some uno
    Places I ate:
    - some market food
    - See you soon Cafe
    - Coconut shell thai food
    - Aum Vegertarian restaurant
    Met some new friends - Anna, jaya and Emily
    My friend Malu was also in Chiang Mai - so I hung out with her too.    Read more

  • Megan McCreadySoutheast Asia 2024Traveler

    Koh Tao

    Jan 17–25, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Koh Tao - one of my favourite places.
    January 17th - January 25th
    Met amazing people, and had amazing experiences.
    Stayed at Wonderland Jungle hostel, Savage hostel and save house hostel.
    Ate at lovely places - La carotte qui rit, bingos (amazing tofu dish), blue chair, the factory coffee, Sairee resort restaurant, blue water cafe and restaurant, Mama Tam, Mama Piyawans.
    Done some sunrise yoga at an amazing viewpoint
    Went on a snorkel tour, stopping at 5 different snorkel sites.
    Got my open water dive certificate at Sairee cottage dive resort - had the best time with the best people
    Played some beer pong, drank lots of Thai beer, and cocktails    Read more

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