Category Pages For: Destinations

Day-to-day blogs about the places already visited

Kampot - Riverfront - Sunset
MAY 2015: Click here to read our Retirement Review. VIVE LA FRANCE: Thank you France. Thank you for creating this little town in Cambodia with its French colonial heritage, beautiful riverside setting and cafe culture spilling out onto the streets. Oh… how different this feels from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Unlike many other places in Cambodia, Kampot has not been built on the sex tourism industry. It feels cleaner, safer, more decent, and much more inviting. GETTING THERE: I caught the 8am Giant Ibis Minibus from Phnom Penh directly to Kampot. I booked the Minibus at my Hotel and […]

Kampot – Cambodia – Information

MAY 2015: GETTING THERE: I caught the Giant Ibis Night Bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. It was the only night bus that was recommended by the locals (and the only one that has not yet had an accident). I booked the bus online and paid by credit card. The price was US$15 for the bed and US$1 for the credit card / on-line booking fee. I booked online so that I could make sure that I reserved a single bed (not a shared double). I found out afterwards that I could have bought it at my hotel for US$12. […]

Phnom Penh – Cambodia – Information

APRIL 2015: Click here to read our Retirement Review. ARRIVAL: I used CHEAPFLIGHTS.COM to book a flight from Bangkok directly to Siem Reap International airport. The flight took 1 hour and we landed at 2:30pm. Arrival cards were not given out in flight. Instead we were given 3 forms as we disembarked the aircraft. This meant that everyone was competing for the limited writing table space outside the customs hall. The 3 forms were (a) an arrival / departure card (b) a customs declaration and (c) a declaration about your general health. A lot of information needed to be triplicated across […]

Siem Reap – Cambodia – Information

APRIL 2015: OVERVIEW: Bangpli (or Bangplee) is a south eastern suburb of Bangkok. My trip to Bangpli was all about finding out what it would be like to be a GRANDPAcking couple in Bangkok’s suburbs. I have done a few postings on Thailand: go to SEARCH POSTS and enter Thailand. Bangpli is much the same so, in this POST, I will concentrate on the differences. TRAVEL MONEY: As you would expect, there are Banks and ATMs everywhere in Bangkok and its suburbs. Getting money is not a problem. I sought out an ATM that had the THB30,000 maximum and withdrew […]

Bangpli – Thailand – Information

MARCH 2015: Click here to read our Retirement Review. OVERVIEW: Penang is an island off the north west coast of mainland Malaysia. As it is a former British colony, most people can speak English. The locals are friendly and it is the country’s number one tourist destination. Its capital ‘George Town’ is walk-able and is also a UNESCO-listed historic site. Today, Penang is one of the most colourful and multi-ethnic communities in Asia nestled within one of the most modern and liberal Muslim countries in the world. PRICES: Prices are negotiable but, since prices generally start at a fairly reasonable level […]

Penang – Malaysia – Information

MARCH 2015: OVERVIEW: This charming city is a UNESCO world heritage site, with a rich trading history and multicultural heritage. The good part about Melaka is that almost 70% of the major attractions are within a 1km radius… you can walk to them and, more or less, do them all in 1 day. TRAVEL MONEY: At KL airport, I went to a CIMB ATM and inserted my card. It was immediately rejected as an ‘invalid card’. I went to an RHB ATM and inserted my card. An attempt to withdraw MYR1350 (just under NZ$500) failed. MYR1300 also failed. So did MYR1200 […]

Melaka – Malaysia – Information

FEBRUARY 2015: INTRODUCTION: Khao Lak is one of the more expensive places in Thailand — expect, for most things, to pay double what you would pay 30-50 km away to the south in Phang Nga Town or to the north in Takua Pa. The largest number of resorts, restaurants, convenience stores and travel companies are found both on Phet Kasem at the centre of town and along Nang Thong beach itself. Nang Thong is the true centre of the Khao Lak area. The region hosts many resorts, scattered chiefly among three main urban areas, all containing businesses identifying themselves as “Khao Lak”. […]

Khao Lak – Thailand – Information

FEBRUARY 2015: OVERVIEW: To read about Arriving in Koh Phayam click here. In contrast to Malaysia, when you land in Thailand you land back into a more dis-organised, less- structured world where things just some-how happen. People drive using ’the force’ and don’t necessarily obey the rules of the road. On the islands, English is spoken widely and you can generally get understood – by both the locals as well as the tourists.   KNOW THIS FIRST: The minimum wage in Thailand isn’t much different from that in Indonesia (see my write up on Gili Air for more details). Having said that, islands like […]

Koh Phayam – Thailand – Information

JANUARY 2015: ACCOMMODATION: You can use online booking applications to find and book accommodation if you want but you will be paying a premium for the convenience. A premium of up to 100% (even for heavily discounted hotels). Avoid Indah Hotel – it is terrible. The standard rooms are grotty, rumour is that dogs wash in the pool at night, and it is all very run down; which makes it overpriced for what you get. You can get a Homestay ‘off the street’ for about 100k-150k per night depending on the quality of theI booked in at a Homestay down […]

Kuta Lombok – Indonesia – Information

FEBRUARY 2015: ARRIVAL: I used TIKET.COM to book a flight from Langkawi to Krabi. The Immigration process was a bit slow because only 3 or 4 counters were open and the process now requires everyone to be photographed. People from most countries are photographed digitally in front of the immigration counter. People from some countries need to provide actual photos for their visa. There are desks before Immigration where you can get these photos done for a price. People from Europe, the USA, Australia, NZ, etc are fine and get the digital scan. As you exit into the arrival hall it […]

Krabi – Thailand – Information

JANUARY 2015: Click here to read our Retirement Review. Click here to read about Arriving in Langkawi. WHERE TO STAY: Cenang Beach is the main strip on Langkawi for budget and midrange accommodation, restaurants, bars and shopping. It’s naturally the liveliest place on the island. Most backpacker / budget guesthouses are on the street that runs away from the beach, opposite Orkid Ria restaurant (near the north end of the main drag). Budget rooms can be had for RM50 (NZ$20): for this you get one room with a double bed, a fan, bed sheets, clean towels, toilet paper, and attached ensuite […]

Langkawi – Malaysia – Information

DECEMBER 2014: Click here to read our Retirement Review. CROSS REFERENCES: Click here to read about my arrival in Gili Air and to get more information. TRANSPORT: There are no motorised vehicles allowed on the island. You have 3 basic options: walk, bicycle, or catch a horse-drawn taxicab. There are lots of bicycles and rentals are easy to find and fairly reasonably priced at about 35k per day. The island chiefs and ‘entrepreneurs’ are comparatively well off now and you are starting to see electric scooters on the island. These can be ridden by kids as young as 8 and can […]

Gili Air – Indonesia – Information