Daily life in Asia - Penguins special

We've been asked about daily life in Asia, how we travel, where we eat and stay. To be honest much of it is a bit humdrum but here we go! It's a bit long winded but if it can be of assistance to someone then great. Unlike 13 years ago when we first travelled through Asia, it's a bit more organised and hi-tech these days. It is hard to arrive in a town and wander the streets looking for a place to stay, most are now listed on hotel booking sites (even the smallest ones) which has the advantage of information on the property, photos and traveller feedback. As many of the popular locations can be very busy at this time of the year it makes sense to book ahead and certainly saves time and legwork. Years ago it was a case of looking in a guidebook (or bible as it is known!) and just turning up. However in places where it is busy, these are the first to fill up and quite often more expensive than they should be due to their 'guidebook listed' status. Usually book 1 night then arrange extra directly with the hotel. It's often cheaper this way - you can negotiate price or leave after one night if not right. It also gives you a base to look for other accom in the area.
Food intake has varied greatly from roadside food stands to restaurants of all grades including convenience stores for cereal, milk and yoghurt (plus the odd trip to Mcdonalds!). We've certainly eaten a lot more fruit of all sorys from street sellers. A few beers and gin has also been consumed...... The inevitable question of hygiene comes up; yes we are a wee bit selective where we eat, however the street food has been great, cheap and very tasty. So far we have escaped dicky stomachs in 4.5 months and hopefully this will continue to be the case. More often than not it's a case of personal hygiene (clean hands) or just plain bad luck. We were very conscious of avoiding using bottled water for a year due to the amount of plastic bottles used. On the whole we've used a Steripen which is a UV pen about the size of a small coke bottle. Simply stir the 'torch' part of the pen in 1 litre of water and 90 seconds later safe water. It's been used on water from taps and sources from dubious to mountain stream. It has been really useful and again so far hasn't let us down.
With the exception of the two week Sri Lanka and the Nepal trek, the majority of travel has been by public transport. Either train, bus, boat, jeep or tuktuk with a couple of cheap internal flights, mostly cheap and cheerful options as it's the way locals travel and is very cost effective (Thai train journey of two hours, around £0.35). On the whole it's been fine and a great way to meet people, however packed with people it is! It does however take time, which is great if you have that luxury.
For money we've used a Revolut currency card. It's a MasterCard based card, used as a standard debit and atm card. This converts £ to the local currency at Bank of England rates and no commission. Can heartily recommend this card after using several others. We also have another two currency cards and a credit card for security and in case one stops working. Also carry a quantity of £ and US$ for emergencies and just in case.
Despite going travelling to get some relaxation and down time, it's been a pretty busy time on the whole. We are generally out after breakfast, touring all day before grabbing a quick shower and out for dinner or evening sightseeing, mostly by walking or cycling. It doesn't actually give a lot of down time as we imagined, but that's our choice! Music and Podcasts have been a bit of a saviour on the long journeys and a way to wind down at the end of the day. Mostly BBC comedy, travel and cycling podcasts but we do however follow the Archers religiously!
People we've encountered have mostly been genuinely helpful and have been great when we have needed help. Whilst keeping your wits about you, you also have to trust people or you'd always keep a distance between you.
Well there we go, a bit dull but that's our lot!!Read more