230305 North Point 4
MARCH 2023 OVERVIEW We are island hopping south from Khao Lak, Thailand through the Andaman Sea to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. Our first stop was Ko Lanta. Our second stop was Koh Mook: … our final stop is Ko Lipe … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 34.24 36.66 41.40 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 34.00 36.40 41.11 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 33.21 35.56 40.16 Actual […]

Ko Lipe – Thailand – Information

FEBRUARY 2023 OVERVIEW We are island hopping south from Khao Lak, Thailand through the Andaman Sea to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. We have just visited Ko Lanta. … our next stop is Koh Mook (aka Ko Muk) … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 34.24 36.66 41.40 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 34.00 36.40 41.11 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 33.21 35.56 40.16 Actual Exchange Rate (ATM) […]

Koh Mook – Thailand – Information

FEBRUARY 2023 OVERVIEW My main reason for coming to Thailand was to do a SCUBA Liveaboard in the Andaman Sea out of Khao Lak. I am, now, island hopping south to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. … our first stop is Koh Lanta … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 34.24 36.66 41.40 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 34.00 36.40 41.11 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 33.21 35.56 […]

Ko Lanta – Thailand – Information

FEBRUARY 2023 OVERVIEW Back in 2015, I did exactly the same SCUBA Liveaboard trip on the Manta Queen 7 (MQ7). You can read about it in my previous posts Andaman Sea – Thailand – SCUBA Dive Liveaboard. Andaman Sea – Thailand – SCUBA Dive Gallery: Andaman Coast – Thailand – GRANDPAcking Costs: Now, let’s look at how much things have changed … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate […]

Andaman Sea – Thailand – SCUBA Liveaboard ...

GENERIC Photo by Orimi Protograph on Unsplash OVERVIEW The sun-soaked archipelago of Malta has been welcoming visitors to its sandy shores for decades, with this diverse European hotspot offering a little something for everyone. Families, couples and solo travellers can all enjoy the sights and sounds of this little holiday hotspot. Whilst the summer months remain the most popular time to visit, Malta’s temperate climate lends itself to year-round travel. And for many travelers who favour more mild temperatures, spring will be the best time to jet off. Whether you want to relax on its pristine beaches or explore its […]

Why Spring is the Perfect Time to ...

DECEMBER 2022- JANUARY 2023 OVERVIEW In my previous post (Boracay Island – Philippines – Getting There) I talked about how to get to Boracay Island and how to find long-term accommodation. Check out 12Go to have a look at ‘getting there’ options: It is assumed that you plan to be here for 2 months … arriving with a standard 30 day Visa On Arrival (VOA), then extending your VOA by another 29 days. This gives you up to 59 days for your Boracay Island ‘experience’. … now let’s talk about what it is like to ‘live’ here … EXCHANGE RATE […]

Boracay – Philippines – Information (2023)

DECEMBER 2022 - JANUARY 2023 OVERVIEW In August 2022, I emerged out of COVID-19 restrictions and left Roatan Island, Honduras. I spent October and November in Gili Trawangan Island, Indonesia. … next is Boracay Island, The Philippines … PLEASE NOTE The currency in The Philippines is the Peso (or the ‘PHP’). I will refer to them as PHPs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 57.01 58.61 68.34 Effective (Actual) Exchange Rate 56.06 57.64 67.21 You will NOT get this Wholesale Rate … you will get the Effective (Actual) Exchange Rate; expect […]

Boracay Island – Philippines – Getting There

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2022: OVERVIEW: In my post (Gili Trawangan – Indonesia – Getting There), I talked about how to get to and find accommodation in Gili Trawangan (GiliT). I my previous post, I provided some General Information about GiliT. … now let’s talk about what it is like to ‘live’ here … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah (or the ‘IDR’). I will refer to them as IDRs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 15,319 15,063 17,204 Effective (Actual) Exchange Rate 15,037 14,786 16,888 You will […]

Gili Trawangan – Indonesia – Living on ...

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2022: OVERVIEW: In my previous post (Gili Trawangan – Indonesia – Getting There) I talked about how to get to and find accommodation in Gili Trawangan (GiliT). You can check out 12Go to have a look at ‘getting there’ options: It is assumed that you plan to be here for 60 days … arriving with a standard 30 day Visa On Arrival (VOA), then extending your VOA by another 30 days. This gives you upto 60 days for your GiliT ‘experience’. … now let’s talk about what it is like to ‘live’ here … PLEASE NOTE: The […]

Gili Trawangan – Indonesia – Information

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2022: OVERVIEW: Due to COVID-19, I have spent the last 2 years in either ‘lockdown’ or ‘hiding from restrictions’. From March to July 2020, I was in ‘lockdown’ on Phuket Island, Thailand: Patong Posts From July to September 2020, I was ‘keeping my head down’ on the Red Sea in Egypt: Hurghada Posts. From September 2020 to January 2021, I did the same in Dalyan, Turkey: Dalyan Posts. I made 3 attempts to leave Turkey for Central America: The first 2 attempts via the USA failed through COVID related ‘Acts of God’ … I got no refund […]

Gili Trawangan – Indonesia – Getting There

JUNE 2021 - NOVEMBER 2021: OVERVIEW: In June 2021, I returned to West End, Roatan Island, Honduras for the 3rd time. This time, I planned to stay for several months. … GRANDPAckers may be interested in what ‘long term furnished rentals’ you can find … ABOUT ROATAN: Roatan Island (Isla de Roatan) is the largest of the Honduras’ major Bay Islands in a region that marks the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (the second-largest in the world). It is about 65 kms (40 miles) north of the Honduran coast. It is approximately 77 kms (48 miles) long, and less […]

West End, Roatan Island – Honduras – ...

MAY 2021: OVERVIEW: I stayed in San Pedro La Laguna (SPLL), Lake Atitlan, Guatemala for 4 months during COVID-19. Generally speaking, SPLL is pretty safe with bars and restaurants closing at 9pm. Alas, only about 50% of people there wear masks… and we had a COVID outbreak that came out of one of the young, party bars near the main Boat Dock. This resulted in the town being closed down for 2 weeks followed by bars closing at 6pm for a further 2 weeks. It was time to move on to Roatan Island, Honduras. I decided to take on the […]

Lake Atitlan (Guatemala) to Bay Islands (Honduras) ...