• Diane Guitry
  • Diane Guitry

Asia 2025

A 30-day adventure by Diane Read more
  • Trip start
    July 9, 2024

    Start

    July 9, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Early start to Auckland. Arrived Bali 4pm. Took ages to get bags then 30min taxi ride to hotel at Sanur. Light dinner and early to bed.

  • Day 2

    July 10, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Breakfast then walked streets. Not much open but got some snacks at a minimart then Starbucks iced coffee. New mall Icon Bali just opened so had a look. Swim in pool. Lunch ice cream then walked further. Beers then free afternoon tea. Dinner and cocktails up town.Read more

  • Day 3

    July 11, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Early start as 7am pick up to take us to harbour. Rush hour. Caught quick boat to Nusa Penida where met by driver as they had our photo. Drive on narrow rough roads to Angels Billabong first. Heaps of people there and looked over heaps of boats with snorkelers. Then to Ketclingking Beach . Picture postcard but putting in a glass lift to save the 45min steep walk down. Lots of monkeys around Opposition to this. Lunch at small restaurant then back to harbour to wait for snorkelling. Went to 4 spots. First one we saw manta ray several times but pink jellyfish biting. Rob got sick as rough and I only did one more spot but bitten too much. Left harbour 5.20 and back 35mins later. Driver waiting to take us back for beers before dinner at hotel.Read more

  • Day 4

    July 12, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After breakfast got some bikes and headed along waterfront to end where mangroves. Turned around when my jandal broke and went back almost to harbour. Lots shops hotels restaurants and 2 turtle growing places. Lunch ice cream then to shop where won some free shopping and a holiday. Got taken to presentation by Karma Group. Signed up for holiday deals. Back to near hotel and dinner.Read more

  • Day 6

    July 14, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Lazy day reading by the pool and swimming. Went shopping after lunch to spend vouchers won + some more! Walk around town. Got collected by taxi to meet James for dinner in Jimbayan near the Karma office. Dinner in a food hall type place. Balinese meal and 2 cocktails and chocolates. Back to room about 10.Read more

  • Day 7

    July 15, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Another lazy day by pool. Didn't go anywhere. 4.30 pick up by Bali hai for sunset cruise. Got given frangipani leis. Not a very good sunset but clear. Lots of planes flying overhead. Dinner good then a dance show with Balinese dancing first then hip-hop. Really good. Rob got lap dance and another dance with women/man.Read more

  • Day 8

    July 16, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Robs birthday. Lazed by pool after packed our bags. Went for iced coffee then checked out. 12 midday. Early to airport then had snack. Flight in older plane. 4hrs. Waited for ages for our bags in Bangkok then realized sent to Chiangmai. Shuttle to hotel next door. Coffee shower and bed.Read more

  • Day 9

    July 17, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Woke up early. 5.30 shuttle to airport. Didn't have to check in so straight through. Breakfast at subway. Flight only 1hr 20. Pastry as snack. Bags ready for us at Chiangmai. Joe waiting for us and got us taxi to hotel. Rob went back to airport with Joe on scooter to get sim card. Walk around neighbourhood with Karel and others then swim. Later walked to get smoothie and some other stuff before going to night markets. Rained in afternoon.Read more

  • Day 10

    July 18, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    After breakfast hired 2 bikes for about $5NZ for day . Biked Up to moat and back past fruit markets. Bought mangosteens and smoothie. Visited lots of temples on the way . Lunch at hotel then swim. I had massage $13 NZ . Got our bike for trip and packed topbox. Beers then 4pm briefing followed by nibbles then dinner and stuck rice mango pudding.Read more

  • Day 11

    July 19, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    9am on bikes to Doi Suthep .Lots of traffic heading out of town then climbed amongst clouds to get to top. 220 steps to peak or fernunculator. Rob did the steps. Another temple and other sights. Bought elephant bell and earrings.. Back down to Maia big shopping centre where had donuts iced coffee and ice cream for lunch. Back for swim and rest. Dinner at Anniversary. Nice place over several levels with fish ponds. Thai food nice. Home 9pm.Read more

  • Day 12

    July 20, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    8am start. Got out of town then started climbing up Doi Inthanon. Highest mountain in Thailand of 2500m. In fog up top. Stopped at waterfall on way and walked in bush with pungas banana palms and pretty flowers. Lots of people at top of lookouts near top. Holiday weekend. Back down through vege and rice growing area. Lots of utes and trucks laden with produce. Ice cream at small stop then fuelled up. Staying at Riverside resort. Muddy river. Swim and beers in pool before dinner. Early nightRead more

  • Day 13

    July 21, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Left 8am to start on Mae Hong Son route with lots of to try tight corners. Lots of vege growing. Stopped at Khun Yuam at WW 2 museum. Lunch at Nae Hong Son for pizza and salad. Very nice. More twisties to lookouts in 2 places. Lots of switchbacks. Staying at Pai the city of love. Swim in pool then a beer before Chang time which I got for not recognizing lady boys! Early night again.Read more

  • Day 14

    July 22, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Lay day. After breakfast did washing then went with Lowey in ute to feed 2 female elephants. Eat 50kg a day. Then dropped into town. Coffee with Dave then bought sandals 190 baht and Rob got shirt. Also bought singlet top and trou. Got bells to put in Chang. Rainy day. Lunch in cake shop. Got lift back. Lazy afternoon.. Dinner in town. Rob got Chang for having elephant slobber staining his shirt.Read more

  • Day 15

    July 23, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    About 1000 corners before we stopped at a coffee shop. Lots of riding amongst trees and foggy higher up. Stopped at Golden Bhudda which was Loweys temple that he was monk at for 4 years. Next on to Chiang Dao caves. Didn't go in but walked around temple grounds and saw fish. Lunch there. Motorway riding before resort at Buraphat resort. 151km today and early to pool and beersRead more

  • Day 16

    July 24, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Left hotel and nice corners before fuelling in Fang. coffee stop at quaint place. Motorway stuff to White Temple turnoff. Drive through lots of tall straight rubber trees. White Temple magnificent with lots of mirrored glass in it. Lots of people here. Lots of great things including a limestone cave with lots of weird stuff on walls. Had lunch there. Highway again until heading into hills bypassing Chiang Rai. Ran into rain which got temperature from 35 down to 28 so nice. Past tree growing until got to hotel with extensive manicured gardens on hillside at top of the hill.1400m Doi Mae Salong Flower Resort. Pool nice and cool and great view. Spotted deer in edge of hotel. 254kmRead more

  • Day 17

    July 25, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Left hotel and rode through town with Chinese influence. Went to tea place where sampled 4 different teas. Rode up into hills. Parked at concrete area with exercise equipment for council staff. Lowey brought morning tea. Next stop Mae Sai for fuel then ride through covered markets. Parked there for shopping and lunch. Bought t-shirt and choc. Patch if rain before Golden Triangle. Siam Triangle Hotel right on riverbank. Swim the trip to catch a boat on river. Went to new part of Laos with lots high rises and casino. Also Mynmar just further along hence triangle of countries. Photos around triangle statues then dinner and nice red wine at Mekong Pizza. Yummy pizza . Finished wine by pool.Read more

  • Day 18

    July 26, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Break day. Trip to Opium museum in morning so went to smaller one in town then shopping and coffee. Got Lowey to bring us back for swim then got bikes with Dave to shopping street. Lots of street food and phone shops. Had snack and coffee and ice cream. Back for another swim. Got Chang again for dangerous cycling as nearly got hit by Ute door. Dinner at hotel niceRead more

  • Day 19

    July 27, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Followed Mekong river to coffee place on riverbank. Fuel stop and stopped at some local markets. Then ride famous HW1148 with lots of corners up and down. Slower as rainy. Staying at Nantrungiai Boutique hotel. Swim before dinner.Read more

  • Day 20

    July 28, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Fuel coffee then intrepid road with potholes cow shit low branches road works and windy stuff. Got to old police stop at top of hill and no Craig and Karel some went back and found he had a puncture so bike got loaded onto Ute. 1hr later on to lunch then more fuel. 1hr from hotel got heavy rain so soaked when we got there. No swim.Read more

  • Day 21

    July 29, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Road to where bike getting fixed to offload from Ute then carried on to Amazon coffee shop . Next stop cave of lights in Phrae.Walked from end in a bit. Lunch in Mae Yom national park. Chicken hamburgers and chips. Bought some sticky rice liqueur. Fuel then hotel at M2 Waterside Phayao. Pool empty! 339 km.Read more

  • Day 22

    July 30, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Hill climb to Chom View but none as cloudy. Lots of windy narrow roads with low branches. We had an off but Ok. On to Rock and River for lunch then to Chiangmai on motorway. Final dinner at hotel and we were awarded supreme Chang!Read more

  • Day 22

    July 30, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Hill climb to Chom View for own coffees. More windy narrow roads with low branches and we came off on a corner. All ok. Lunch at Rock and River by stream with waterfalls bridges. Nice place. Then on to motorway back to Chiangmai and bike shop. song Tau to hotel. Swim..Read more

  • Day 23

    July 31, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Massage in morning. 2pm pickup to Maerim elephant sanctuary 40mins away. 8 of us. Changed into mahout clothes then fed 6 elephants pumpkin. Next went with them into the mud bath only 3 if us did. Then to pool to wash off. We then hosed off before swim in proper pool. Taught how to make Thai chicken soup for our dinner. Bought official photos. 380baht. Back by 8pm. Rained lightly most of the day.Read more

  • Day 24

    August 1, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Took Song Tau to Maia centre with Dave and Dave. Bought watch strap Rob and luggage strap and icecream. Back to get nails done 350baht . Drinks in foyer before dinner at Anniveria again.

  • Day 25

    August 2, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Left hotel 8.40 for airport. Ticket said premium economy so jumped the queues but no such seats. Spent last 80baht on snacks at airport. Got to Taiwan 4pm. Needed exact hotel on entry form so had to contact Sara for that. Sara and Wendy waiting and got us on train to terminal 2 to store our bags then train to Taichung 3pmins then taxi to Evergreen Laurel hotel. Sara and Wendy bought us noodle for dinner in room and beer but too much. Bed 9.30.Read more