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South-East Asia Explorer

June - August 2018
A 68-day adventure by Mates on tour Read more
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  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 26

    Gunung Leser Nationalpark

    July 9, 2018 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    So, we took the bus again... It took us four days instead of the planned two days to cross the island of Sumatra 🙄 It was an experience but none of the kind that you need to necessarily repeat 😁 Our bus broke down once for around 16 hours, just to go to the repair shop again after 50km and a malfunction of the A/C.
    But then we finally made it to our last highlight of the Indonesia trip, a visit to the Orang Utans. Located about two hours from Medan, is Bukit Lawang. A small idyllic village nestled between jungle mountains and a river. We stayed right next to the river for one night and headed out for a three day jungle trek. So at 9 in the morning our guide led us deeper into the jungle while talking a bit about the flora and fauna. The first Orang Utans we saw were impressive and we couldn't stop watching them for more than two hours. Then we moved on and saw more of them but these ones were apparently aggressive towards humans. So the guides rushed us past them but at some point a teenage Orang-utan got close to Julia and touched her leg 😱 They showed clear signs of behavioural issues due to feeding and human interaction... This spoilt the experience a little bit for us. Also I got sick the next morning so we needed to quit our trip already on the second day. Despite that we still enjoyed our time we spent in the jungle :)    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 28

    Singapore

    July 11, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Two days before our Visa ran out we returned to Singapore. The time in Indonesia was interesting but also quite intense. Especially travelling around was sometimes strenuous because we took the bus instead of other more comfortable options... Lesson learned!!
    The arrival in Singapore was a great change because we were already used to the touts and overpricing in Indonesia. So it was relaxing to have a bus schedule with fixed prices attached where you knew how to get there ;) Our good friends Jens and Debo let us stay with them once more and for dinner we had the most amazing vesper (a cold German dinner platter with bread, cheese, sausage and some veggies) with cheeses and several other delicacies 😍😍😍
    The next day we spent time sorting our stuff, relaxing and chatting. In the evening Jens and me went to play Badminton...    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 29

    Kuala Lumpur

    July 12, 2018 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    From Singapore we took a bus in the morning to Kuala Lumpur. The border control was good organised and we arrived well rested about 5 hours later in the previous Malaysian capital. Our stay for the single night was in a convenient distance to the old city center, bus stop and the new city center with the Petronas Towers.
    First we went to the old city center with buildings from the colonial age, parks and Chinatown. It was easy to get around by foot, all the sights are within walking distance and the pathways are well maintained. The city has a really nice, friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We were a bit surprised by the overall standards and conditions of the country which is not too far behind Western countries at low prices... When we stopped at the Information Center there were loads of free food samples of local products and fruits. At the evening we admired the views of the illuminated Petronas Towers from a nearby park. It's really spectacular and different to other skylines. There was also a water/light show going on. Free buses connect all the stops in and around the city center conveniently and cheap.
    On the second (and already last) day we had breakfast from an Indian place and then headed out to see the Batu Caves. They are some limestone caves located just a bit outside the city and reachable by public transport. Unfortunately there were some works on the tracks and the next train was supposed to leave two hours later. Therefore we decided to go explore the Botanical Gardens and the National Museum.

    Overall we enjoyed our limited time in Malaysia and if we have time we might come back to see other parts of it...    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 32

    Angkor Wat

    July 15, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    We stayed at the airport in Kuala Lumpur for the night as our flight departed at 6:30 in the morning. The airport has a slogan 'The mall with an airport' and its really like this, we spent more than two hours exploring all the shops and food stalls... The flight was pleasant and short but on arrival we were surprised by the VISA process. We had assumed (regarding Visas it's better to know) that it would be similar to Indonesia but we needed a proper VISA on arrival for about 30$ each. And we also would've needed passport photos but at least they didn't really mind :)
    The hotel we had booked in advance included a pickup from the airport but as they didn't reply to any messages I had already assumed they wouldn't show up... It's not too far away and they have a fixed rate of 5$ to the city. After overcoming these obstacles we went to have breakfast and then plan our visit to Angkor Wat. The area that it covers is massive so we set aside two full days to explore it in its entirety. We just left out some smaller temples and the ones that were too far away (about 30 km North). It would have been possible to see most of it in one day by rushing but we wanted to take our time strolling through the temple complexes. And even then we grew a bit tired of so many temples at the end... And even though Angkor Wat is the most famous one, others were equally amazing.
    Another thing that amazed me was the restoration efforts that are a cooperation between many different countries (Germany for Angkor Wat, France for Bayun, also China, Japan, India, USA...). We enjoyed our time there in the timeless jungles of lost times very much ❤️    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 34

    Krong Battambang

    July 17, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia and a quick 3 hour bus ride from Siem Reap. We got there around midday and had plenty of time to relax in the hotel pool (much needed after a filthy hostel in Siem Reap) and plan the next days.
    First thing in the morning we went to the Bamboo Train, a combined effort from French colonialists and the local people. The French build the tracks and used it with occasional trains... The rest of the times the locals build their own "trains" powered by hand with a long stick like the venetian gondoliers. Nowadays they use small motors mainly for tourist entertainment but also goods transportation. And there's still the trains which forced us to quickly hop off and disassemble the train 😁 A fun experience...
    Next stop on the tour with our private Tuktuk driver brought us to the "Killing Fields" next to a Buddhist monastery. This was our first contact with the terror that brought the Khmer Rouge over the country. Thousands of people were killed just in this place with overall millions disregarding age, gender, beliefs. Even many within the ranks fell victim to the regime. A sad chapter in the history of this beautiful country... In the afternoon we went to a scenic temple complex nearby with "Killing caves" and bat caves.
    It didn't get really clear how it got the name "Killing caves" but the Khmer Rouge definitely killed a lot of people here as well documented by many bones spread around the cave bottom. The temple itself was beautifully located and especially interesting because of a large monkey population that roam the premises... Just before dawn we sat down with a beer and waited for the millions of bats that come out every evening in search for food. They sometimes all come out at once within 15 minutes which creates an impressive black stream. We weren't so lucky as they took their time and it took more than half an hour before we left and they were still coming out.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 36

    Phnom Penh

    July 19, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We took the night bus from Battambang to Pnomh Penh which sounded pretty appealing with beds to sleep... But the beds were pretty short and the ride rough so I'd have rather slept in a normal bus... Without much sleep we went to our hostel just to find it completely locked. Ringing and knocking didn't do the job so we just waited outside. I was on my phone when two teenager on a scooter drove past and tried to snatch my phone out of my hands!!! Luckily I've had a pretty good grip so they needed to let go and me and my phone were safe. After that reminder to watch my belongings we got into the hostel and catch up a bit of sleep before heading out again.
    First stop was at the Killing Fields, similar to the ones in Battambang, but even higher in the death toll :( Here is also the national remembrance shrine for the victims of the Khmer Rouge. These killing fields were all over the country and overall 1/3 of the population was killed within a four year span. From there we took a Tuktuk back into town to the lively Russian markets. All kinds of stuff is cramped in the market halls but nothing all to interesting caught our eyes and we were hungry. So we ended up in a small food stall at a corner and had a both surprisingly cheap and good lunch.
    Initially we wanted to go to the high security prison S21 but we decided to postpone it to the other day. For the night we went to the river front and enjoyed the view from a rooftop bar. Exhausted we went to bed and slept for a bit until we got waken by a rat!! It kept us awake for much of the time at night and as we managed to get it out, it got back in soon after :(
    Well, at least we didn't had to spend another night there!! So we went to the prison early to see a movie but it didn't screen because of a power outage... A little bit disappointing but the prison was well worth the visit! It showed once more the cruelties of the Khmer Rouge.

    Then it was time to get to the airport for the short hop over the border to Vietnam...    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 38

    Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

    July 21, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 30 °C

    After our arrival in Saigon we needed to get clearance from the immigration which was surprisingly easy, it just took a bit of time. On exiting the airport we were once again surprised by the organisation to get to the city. We checked in to our hostel and headed out directly again to grab some food. But as it was already after 11 there weren't too many choices left. We just went for a portion of Vietnamese spring rolls and beef noodles before going to bed in our super clean hostel.
    The next day we started early with an exploration tour into the city. First we went to the War Remnants Museum which offers exhibitions on the Vietnam War (obviously here named "American War"). Two floors are solely reserved for the war crimes committed by the US by distributing immense amounts of bombs and chemicals all over Vietnam. Other spots we visited included the Independence Palace (with the famous tank that ended the war), Opera House and Notre Dame Cathedral. Foodwise we tried the famous noodle soup Pho and some street food baguettes. In the evening we took a stroll along the riverfront and visited the Bitxeco Towers.
    For the next day we wanted to join a tour to the nearby Cu Chi Tunnels that were used during the war to hide from the US troops. They also served as living quarters, storage and shooting bunkers. Overall they stretched over three floors and a total of more than 130km. There are two areas accessible to the public, one is more for the tourists and were build just for the entertainment... As we didn't get a spot on the tour we did it by ourselves using public transportation. This also allowed us to go to Ben Duoc, the original and less touristy spot. Crawling through the tiny tunnels was very challenging. The tunnel systems led almost all the way to some US bases. This showed us pretty well how the Vietnamese were able to withstand for almost 10 years the US efforts to 'free' the country...

    From Saigon we took the night bus to Da lat.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 40

    Dalat

    July 23, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    At our hostel in Ho Chi Minh City we had booked an open bus ticket meaning that we can use it whenever we want to get to the next city. We skipped Mui Ne which is supposed to be a nice beach town but we had already decided to go another beach town named Nha Trang.
    The night bus arrived at 5:30 in the morning in Da lat but we had already noticed the hostel so we thought we could get in earlier. Unfortunately the gate was locked when we got there and ringing the bell didn't cause any reaction. So we stayed for two hours outside until our host, Mr. Happy, finally opened. He greeted us warmly and offered some hot tea. Just what we needed in the rainy, cold mountain climate of Dalat. As our room wasn't ready yet, we headed into the city to do some sightseeing. The town was bigger than expected and there was quite a lot to see:
    - Crazy House: Supposed to be a architectural piece of art but looked rather uninteresting
    - Chicken church: European style church in the center of town called like this because of the cock on top
    - Flower Gardens: A main destination for visitors but for us rather uninteresting
    - Central Lake with pedal boats

    What looks like a rather long list to do took us actually just about 4 hours. By the time we got back to the hostel the room was ready and we caught up on a bit of sleep that we on the night bus. Later in the afternoon we joined a cooking class making springrolls, Dalat style rice pizza and fried mashed potatoes with an egg core. The course was pretty cheap so we didn't cook that much but instead ate more 😁
    For the night I joined the free walking tour from the hostel but it wasn't too interesting and after a beer we headed back already...    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 41

    Nha Trang

    July 24, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    After the cold, harsh and rainy weather we were really ready to have a beach vacation 😊 Nha Trang is just a four hour bus ride from Dalat and lies within a secluded bay.
    We were greeted by full sun shine and 35 degrees, quite the shock for our bodies. We were also surprised by cheaper beer 🍻 So we decided our plan for the next 36 hours would be relaxing and day drinking. First we went to the beach and took a swim. Unfortunately the water is pretty trashed and you'll swim amongst plastic bottles and other rubbish. It's also a bit too warm for my taste, I prefer the water to be refreshing. We still enjoyed the sun and warmth... In the evening we took a stroll in the night markets looking for something edible but there wasn't too much choice for Vietnamese food. Instead you'll find a lot of Russian restaurants and menus, a leftover of the good relations between the Sowjet union and Vietnam.
    For the next day we put mud baths on our bucket list. The region is pretty famous and known for them so we had to choose between several. We decided for the Tháp Ba because it's the closest one to town that is outdoors. I would have thought that the mud was thicker but despite that it was a fun day in the spa and something different.

    The next leg of our journey was the longest one, so we were happy to get a reasonably good sleeping bus for the overnight trip.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth-East Asia Explorer
    Day 44

    Hoi an

    July 27, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Hoi an is a famous stop in Vietnam and on almost every backpacker itinerary. This spot is well deserved and accordingly the town is bustling with tourists. It's also famed for the handicraft, especially tailoring.
    Many people we met were praising this little UNESCO World Heritage town, so we directly booked for two nights. We arrived early in the morning so we reserved the whole day just to explore the old town and check for prices for a tailored jacket. I wanted a casual dark blue jacket after I had lost mine in Mexico City in a state of Tequila drunkenness :( It took us the whole day to explore the small alleys and beautiful old houses. A real little treasure ❤️ At night there was a full moon festival where all the lights are turned off so the light show with candles on the river is more impressive. But it didn't live up to the expectations and it was rather unfortunate that the beautiful lanterns were turned off... Anyways, we had another night to see them. It was also too cloudy to see the Red Super Moon Eclipse thingy.
    The next morning we went to a fitting session with the tailor. The jacket was already fitting perfectly, so we had time to bike to the Pottery Village. On arrival there was a ticket booth and we paid obviously. Especially because it said that there is a pottery class included. The ticket wasn't checked and the "pottery class" is just sitting next to the Potter(? 😂) and moving around with your hands. He doesn't really tell you anything and in the end they almost force you to buy something... Overall this pottery village seemed pretty ridiculous and a rip-off to me. We had planned to go to the beach afterwards but as it was raining we decided to head back to the hostel for a break. In the evening the rain eased and we could finally enjoy the colourful Hoi an in all its beauty 😍
    At our last day we went for the third time to the same restaurant which offered amazing meals at reasonable prices.    Read more

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