Bali - Indonesia (Kuta and Ubud)

The Journey to Bali...

Patience (or the ability to fall asleep while sitting upright on command) is definitely something that I’ve picked up along my journeys.  Take a look at any map and you would think making your way from Java to Bali would be a piece of cake. With two islands so close to each other, what could be the problem? Lol. How about a main “highway” the size of two bicycle paths stuck together for entire country’s means of transport… oversized buses, transport trucks, and interweaving motorbikes! You’re just bounded to get stuck in traffic!  Making our journey down the country, it also didn’t take long before we were desensitizing from seeing a family of four (with small children) zipping past us on a disheveled motorbike. Apparently there is no accurate translation from English to Indonesian for “local safety standards”? After a twelve hour bus ride from Probalingo to the port, a one hour ferry ride to Denpasar, Bali, and a three hour bus ride, we were finally in Kuta, Bali.

Oh Kuta, Bali… if I will ever remember anything from this place is that it was filled with persistent hawkers that didn’t seem to take no for an answer, too many narrow interconnecting streets congested with tourists “attempting” to drive their rented motorbikes, and local prostitutes stalking you down the street at night persisting on offering “nice” massages to you. I will never forget that night. As the young lady literally chased me down the street, I really just felt like telling her, perhaps if you invested in better teeth (as she was missing a few and had a gap in others) and got rid of your unibrow, just maybe you would be better advertised to others. However, fearing that her broken understanding of English may think that I was actually interested, I decided not to say anything and quickly walked away. I should say however, that there is some good to this part of the island. Apparently if you want to try surfing and learn how to for the first time, this is the place to be as the waves break consistently small offering any new beginner a good run for their money.

After two nights here, we decided to make our way to Ubud, Bali. Filled with apparent Balinese cultural/spiritual appeal, historical attractions, and beautiful architecture this place will be sure take your heart away and make you want to come back again.  Detail is something that this region takes great pride in and it clearly shows. From the intricate hibiscus wooden carved doors of your hotel room, to the stone gate statues protecting owners/tourists from bad spirits, to the quality of workmanship put forth in their in their wooden carvings and jewelry, no corner was missed at all. Aside from the occasional hawker pecking your ear for a “taxi” or “transport”, the people were genuinely friendly as well.

On one occasion, once I purchased a wooden carving from a local artist, he conveniently guided us by motorbike to our next destination. Saving a few Rupiahs, we then decided to rent our own motorbike and make our own path through the city instead of hiring a local driver. We must of saved at least 250K RP doing it this way. With roads filled with winding ways and brilliant rice fields, I was finally at my inner peace. Go straight to the artist for a buy instead of the local market and you save a considerable amount of money, we must have paid a tenth of the cost compared to what the local market was selling the same items for. For wooden carvings and sliver jewelry, head to Mas and Celuk. Don’t forget to go to Monkey Forrest as well. I’ve never had so much fun playing with “locals” here. Like a three year olds on methamphetamines or crack, I found myself extremely amused as I would get up super close and personal feeding the little guys with bananas! The only sad part would seem to be that the only food they ate (and became dependent upon) was from the tourists feeding them. Still – a great way to kill a hot afternoon. If your a coffee connoisseur, this should definitely be on your check list as well.

About a 30 minute drive out of town and you can visit a variety of coffee and spice plantations.  Fresh Chili’s, vanilla, cocoa, lemongrass, cinnamon, coffee beans, etc... You name it, they’ve got it. These “plantations” are a tad touristy as most of the setup has been made for the foreigner appeal, but still nonetheless quite entertaining. Most places will also offer free row of taster drinks as well (Lemongrass tea, hot chocolate, Bali coffee, ginsing tea, and the infamous Luwak coffee) to help advertise their products.  And for those of you who didn’t know, Luwak coffee is known to be the most expensive coffee in the world (at approx. $700/Kilo). What makes this coffee so expensive one might ask? Well for starters, it really is “shit” coffee. A cat like creature called the Asian Palm Civet eats the coffee cherries when they are still on the trees. Once in the digestive track of the animal creates some chemical reaction that makes the beans more aromatic and less bitter. After that, well...you know, they take a dump. Locals then have to sift through the grounds to find the droppings before they can process the beans. Don’t worry, before they serve it to you, the beans go through a thorough washing, sun drying and light roasting before it is served to you. If I had to describe the taste however... Nothing different than a bold roast back home but I question you to ask yourself this...how often you can say you've drank a cup that's come out of an animals ass!?!? lol.

Dolphin Watching in Lovina, Bali, Indonesia:

Indonesia - Bandung & Mt. Bromo

Indonesia -

Jaraka, Indonesia is place that is largely compared to that of the infamous Durian Fruit (google it if you don’t know). A shock at first sight…with an empowering foul odor. It’s no kidding either, especially when you cramp 10 million people in a sweltering urban sprawl. After researching about the pollution and poverty issues in advance, it wasn’t a hard decision to make like a banana and split as this would leave more room for the more delightful places of the country.

First stop – Bangdung! Quoted as the "Paris of Java" by the Dutch, they couldn’t have been more wrong than ever! Maybe if Paris were tossed in a trash can and spit back out would this be a fair statement. Make your way by foot around the city and you will soon realize that there are no sidewalks anywhere. Road shoulders are fully occupied by decaying sewers, parked motorbikes, and local food stalls (Stalls – to be compared to the same level of cleanliness as a public bathroom). The public transportation system is quite interesting to point out though. Converted 1970’s Volkswagen like vans painted vibrant green with side-benched installed seating rule the streets everywhere and in every direction. Wave a hand in the air a few times on the side of the street and rest assured you will be picked up by one of these "cabs"… A city wide ride shouldn’t cost you more than 6000 Rupiahs ($1CAD = 8900 RP). For some retail therapy relief, this place is also renowned as the manufacturing and export town of merchandised goods (Jln. Cihampelas). Manufacturers which exceed their quotas or fail to pass the QA testing have their excess thrown onto the local markets for "cheap" sales. Walking through the streets though, you will soon realize that many of the clothing stores conveniently have the term "outlet" made within their signage which can make it difficult to distinguish between a legitimate outlet and one that is just reaping the benefit of the name. After freshening up ourselves and recharging our batteries, it was time to make a move. Next stop…Surabaya (1hr flight East)! This city was used as a connecting hub to eventually get to the beautiful Mt. Bromo (The active volcano site). A 4hr private taxi ride to the base of the mountain costed 400,000RP. If you’re in this neck of the woods, make sure that you clearly communicate that you want a ride to go up to the mountain and not just the base. We got screwed and had to pay extra. If you don’t mind being with a crowd, you can get a much cheaper rate at 25,000RP using a public shuttle bus. Once arriving at the peak, be prepared to pay some monopoly prices for accommodation and food. The guesthouse owners will catch you (and your wallet) by the hook and there’s not much you can do. However, the view is worth it. The hotel I stayed at sat on the tip of the adjacent mountain facing Mt. Bromo, viewpoint 1 & 2, as well as other surrounding giant mountains (300,000RP/night for a standard room). Any amateur taking a picture over the fence will be sure to grab a timeless postcard shot here.

The word “panoramic” is put to a whole new definition here. Since the elevation above sea level is so high, you’re right up in the clouds. The mornings are quite foggy, but as the mid-day reaches, the vast white cape of clouds eventually dissipates. Look directly across from the hotel and you will see several mountains jetting up across the plain. Mt. Bromo, the active volcano, can be easily seen as it "passes gas" about every twenty minutes or so.

Time for some fun…trek to the top of Mt. Bromo’s Volcano. At 3am, be you will be awakened by local kids renting out jackets, winter hats and flashlights. Apparently it’s suppose to get as cold as zero degrees here...In reality, not so much. I wore shorts and a windbreaker jacket and was giving sweat a whole new meaning! A good LED headlamp or flashlight came in extremely handy though. From most hotels, you will have to climb down a mountain, before crossing a valley to climb back up another mountain (the actual volcano). The trail will be pitch black, so any light will definitely help. As your make your way crossing the middle valley, you will see a vague and gloomy image of the mountains. The ambiance is surreal but creepy at the same time. The only noise around will be your footsteps and surrounding night-life (insects?). So if you ate the spicy local food the night before, it’s safe enough to feel free that no one will hear you pass gas. As you make way to the base of the mountain, you will know you went the right direction when you see the upwards concrete steps…all two-hundred and fifty or so steps. After your glut’s are burning from the climb, you may also notice some burning in the lungs and the eyes. The smoke from the volcano gives away some toxic gases, so be sure to cover your face for the potent smell of sulphur! We lucked out on the weather and at 4:50AM, we saw enlightenment (literally…lol). The sun rose against the brilliant blue night’s sky before us! In my disillusionment of fatigue and hunger - if I had to describe the view with my appetite at the time…it was as though pink and blue cotton candy had been blended and mixed around a fresh orange creamsicle. I have never seen any sunrise as beautiful as this. On the way down, if your legs are still too tired to do the walk back to camp, know that there are many locals with donkeys for a brisk ride back.

Volcano climb check! On to Bali………


Video of Mt. Bromo:

Yes waiter... I'll have a Singapore Sling please!

Singapore -
 
At around 700 square kilometeres, Singapore is a microstate and quoted as the smallest country in South East Asia. Not only that, it’s also mentioned to be the 5th wealthiest nation in the world and the 10th most expensive. You can now understand why only 2 days were spent to visit this country! With a demographic quite similar to Malaysia, there are “singo-indi-asians” everywhere! AND with temperatures reaching in the high 30’s attached extra humidity as the norm, be prepared to be soaked with buckets of sweat and melted anti-pirspirant dripping down your shirt. Most blogs and guidebooks will tell you that there are many affordable accomodations to be found around Little India or China town (for the high-milage backpackers), however if you use a discount broker like agoda.com you may be lucky enough to find yourself a deal. Hotel 81 it was called - on 25 Lorang 16 Geylong! $38CAD/night! With average prices ranging around $100US/night, surely this sounded like a superb deal. It wasn’t until our customs officer at the immigration office kindly questioned our intentions within the country before explaining that the Geylong district is Singapore’s Red Light District equivalent. Opps. If you fall for the same mistake, know that the city has cleaned up a lot of it and it’s not too bad anymore. No happy endings here! If you wonder why the streets and sidewalks look brand new as well, take a deeper look within the convience stores and you will notice that they don’t sell chewing gum anywhere making it almost as clean as Japan! After two months of constant stop-n-go, I will be honest and say that the majority of my journey here was dismissed and substituted by catching up on sleep!  However, with high-end shopping malls (Orchard Road), Changi Village (the rural Singapore from back in the day...), and Marina Bay (some crazy theatre) there are defintely many things to do and see. But after checking my bank account again, it wasn’t a hard decision to fly to another location that is much cheaper (in purchasing power), more exotic, and actually relaxing!

Malaysia

Like salt complementing pepper, Malaysia is fused with even mix of Indian and Malaysian people living harmoniously together. Venturing through the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, don’t be surprised by to see many Chinese people either.  Petaling Street also known as China town is where the many backpackers migrate to. With cheap rooms, cheep food, and knock-off shopping you can be sure to make a temporary home base here. If you’ve been to Kohsan Road in Bangkok, Thailand…then you probably have seen it all already. The city does have a few sights and attractions that are must do’s while in the city. The Batu Caves – about a 13km city bus ride to the Gombak district (2.50RM one way – or $1CAD=3.22RM), will provide some cheap entertainment for an afternoon. The caves are from a limestone hill, which occupy a series of ridiculously large caves and temples. As you walk up the 272 concrete steps, you will soon realize that you should have brought a lighter backpack and a Gatorade for the ride up. On a hot sunny day, an umbrella to block the sun and defend you against the crazy surrounding monkeys is good thinking too. Not as cute as Curious George, watch out as they are quick buggers, some even with sharp teeth and huge balls! If you’re the more adventurous type, there are some neighboring rock-climbing walls against the limestone as well. Apparently it goes up about 150m, which would probably be a great view if you can muster up the strength to climb up all the way.

If you’ve seen the movie Entrapment with Shawn Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones, then you may recognize the Petronas Twin Towers incandescently lit up in the night’s sky. Costing about $1.6 Billion and hovering with 88 floors, it’s worth a quick trip to go see. As I ventured on the monorail towards, I wondered how tourists were allowed to visit for the Sky Bridge for free. I soon realized that the 15 minute “3D” viewing they showed beforehand is a publicity stunt and mass advertising for the company’s success in the marketplace. No free lunch here! Just a quick note that if you do plan on visiting the Sky Bridge… they only let about 1700 tourists on the Sky Bridge per day. Head early in the morning to grab a pass (free pass with set visiting hours), and you can guarantee your postcard shot without having to worry about waiting in long lines.

If you want a slower and more relaxed pace of “life” than KL, you can take a 3.5hr bus to the region of Mersing before taking a 1.5hr Ferry ride to an island called Tioman. Located on the East Coast of the country, this island is in all aspects an undiscovered gem. Self-medicating the travel bug I contracted while on my journeys last time, I recommend a prescribed amount of 4 to 5 days here and it should rejuvenate against the hustle and bustle of city life. With a population of approximately 3000 people and a narrow sidewalk serving as the main walkway (and highway)…you won’t have to worry about being hassled by locals for shopping, massages, or restaurant menus. The people are friendly, warm and quite kind to the tourists (so be sure to reciprocate). If you’re lucky and not too loud, as you walk down the sidewalk, you may even cross paths with a monkey, monitor lizard, or giant spider. Staying on the ABC side (Air Batang), there are several places to stay at fairly inexpensive prices. If I were to come here again, I would recommend staying at Nazri’s Place as their guesthouse has a beautiful beach great for snorkeling, a restaurant (with breakfast buffet included), and a bar with happy hour between 5 to 7pm. Rent a bike for about $2CAD a day and you can explore the other parts of the island as well. Just be sure to check the brakes and chain before you rent it. Both of mine did not work and it was only until I came across a large hill that I soon realized . For the more adventurous type – you can take a 2 hour hike to the other side of the island (to Juara). Hiking through the jungle, the locals have built up many concrete steps to make your life easy. Still, with the humidity and heat, it can be quite challenging.

As you come across trees that have been tapped like maple syrup, you will soon realize that the milky substance that comes out is actually rubber. Rubber trees are everywhere and have been known to produce some income for the local economy. Juara’s beach is like no other I’ve come across. There must have been no more than 3 people on the beach that day. With the tide out and little debris on the beach, the sand felt like silk on my flip-flop inflicted callused feet. The water is mix of vibrant royal and turquoise blue that is so clear you can see to the sand patterns on the very bottom. Throw a piece of bread in the water while standing on the pier and you will witness hundreds of swimming Nemos’ spear themselves against the food. It’s no wonder why there are so many dive shops around too. After visiting a few islands around the Caribbean and South-East Asia, this island is definitely an up and coming contender. Hopefully, the beauty is not overdriven with mass tourism as it continues to grow…

Halong should you stay in Vietnam - Vietnam (Hanoi & Halong Bay)

 Head to the bank machine upon landing in Hanoi (Vietnam) and you will finally have more DONG (the currency in Vietnam) in your pants then ever before! With bill denominations of 100,000’s and 200,000’s, I was a sudden millionaire as the ATM spit out four million dong into my ever so famished wallet.

Every year around mid-February, the city participates in what they call Tet…The Lunar New Year celebrated in Vietnam. Unlike the Western New Years, this celebration lasts for an entire week instead of our only one sad-drunken night. Expecting to be mesmerized by lanterns, fireworks and moon-cake as I’ve heard from others, I was sadly disappointed only to realize that this was a holiday that meant a stop on all business activity. Restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and even massage parlors (yes, only the legitimate ones) were all closed! What was even more depressing was that it was so damn cold! Underdressed in flip-flops and board shorts while walking through nine degree weather meant that I was back in a Toronto winter hanging around Spandina St. with abrupt whiffs of nasty creeping up my nose! Amongst some major attractions like the Hoan Kiem Lake, the Water Puppet Shows, and the Old Quarter District, there is a vague but shimmering glow to the city. Night time is best as the city lights and lanterns camouflage the over-congested scooter filled sidewalks and garbage filled streets. As you walk by the streets at night, you’ll notice the many entrepreneur chefs sandwiched between the parked vehicles. Locals both chill and swarm as they sit on kiddie plastic chairs and tables eating Pho (Raw beef soup) while sipping hot Vietnamese Tea. Sadly, as Asian as I claim to be (see definition of term CBC or loosely referred term to banana – Chinese Born Canadian that is white on the inside and yellow on the outside), I still haven’t been able to muster enough strength to eat at one of these stalls. Where these people claim to get their “clean” water to wash the used chop-sticks and bowls creeps my already sensitive bowels from the last encounter of my 3rd world country adventures…

One thing I will never forget is what our tour guide mentioned about the city that you should all know. As he coined it to be the newest “extreme sport” for tourists…I like to refer to it as, kamikaze cross-walking. This city is busy! Scooters and cars are everywhere and in every direction. With no room on sidewalks to walk on, this means you’re walking on the roads dodging vehicles of all shapes and sizes. On rare occasions, you may be lucky enough to come across a proper intersection with working traffic lights, however more usually tourists will find themselves waiting…and waiting…and waiting… for the “right” time to cross the ever so busy intersection without cross walk signs. The best strategy to handle a situation like this (as followed by the locals), is to walk steadily into oncoming traffic. That’s right - walk into the direction of oncoming transports, cars, and motorbikes. Much like the hesitation of a seat-belt and a drunk driver, any hesitation here will turn into fast regret and bad times. If it wasn’t for the 85 or so year old women to follow behind (and use as a human shield to soften the impact) as I crossed a busy chaos for the first time, I wouldn’t have believed it with my own eyes. Like river water flowing smoothly around a pebble, it actually worked amazingly and without a scratch on me!

Contemplating the continued travels of my snowbird vacation vs. an underdressed adventure through this cold and miserable country, an executive decision was made to speed up the travels through this country. Sappa, Hoi An, and Nha Trang, all places that have high recommendations by others were cut out to make room for more sunkist vitamin D weather. However, coming this far into the country, my friend Cailey and I still decided to partake in the Halong Bay experience. A 3.5hr bus ride east and you will encounter the most majestic and beautiful islands. Like scenes from the movie Avatar or Pirates of the Caribbean, jagged rocks with lightly decorated greens sporadically shot out of the water to form islands in every direction. Some more travel advice if you are in opting for this excursion…stick with the 2 nights and 3 day tours. It takes so long to get to the bay; you want to enjoy it as much as you can. Also, with so many tourist agents offering competitive packages in town, it’s hard to get a grasp on who’s actually offering the best packaged deal for the best value. Usually for this type of deal, you do get what you pay for. For around $100CAD, this will get you transportation there and back, all meals, cave fees, kayak rentals, and even “enthusiastic” tour guides (as the brochure highlights) for the entire trip. Anything materially cheaper or for much more and you should definitely question. Talking to fellow travelers about their experience should shed some meaningful light for the proper experience as well. Smaller boats (of 16 people or less) should be more sought out for vs. the congested “party” boats of crammed 36 people or more. For a more relaxing experience, you can probably bank on the fact that a more mature crowd (mid 20’s and up) will opt to pay more for better accommodations and company in avoidance of a college frat party. With great food, great people and awesome scenery this has been one of the most memorable experiences for sure!

Local Water Puppet Show in Hanoi:

Laos

Laos – A small country sandwiched and landlocked between Burma, China and Vietnam, I was surprised to see the amount of fellow backpackers and tourists in this country. Starting our journey in the Capital of Vientiane, I soon discovered through our guide books that this place was previously occupied by a French Colony. This made sense after a confused look at the many French bakeries around the city. A quick heads up…This city is dusty as hell! With construction of many hydroelectric dams by the Mekong, dust is everywhere and will get everywhere. Right now is dry season and even the locals have been known to complain about the dust and dirt. Luckily we only made a brief pit-stop here and headed to Vieng Vang which was about a 5hr bus ride commute. Make sure you have a solid stomach for the ride up. With roads intermingled and intertwined around the mountain, expect to be head-bobbing the whole way up.

Amongst the adventure trekking and outdoor activities like kayaking, rock climbing and mountain biking, the main reason tourists come to this city is for the “tubing”…drunken tubing! In a nutshell, inner tubes from large tracker trailers are rented to tourists to stay afloat by the river. The fee is about 55,000Kip which also includes the Tuk-Tuk ride to the top of the river (where the drop off point is). Word of mouth is a great indicator of this place as it is everything people say it is who have been there. As we were dropped off, I was mesmerized by the sights and sounds around me. With bamboo built bars alongside the river and bumping music pounding, locals are sure to convince you to go to “their” bar…as they throw you a rope and reel you in from your tube. Mixed with free shots, “specialty shakes n desserts” and copious amounts of Beerlao available, its no wonder that there are several injuries a year amongst the tourists.

Like a scene from the movie, Hook/Peter Pan, there are also giant swings and slides that launch you several hundred feet from the air into the water. It honestly felt like an adult playground. This time of the year is quite dry and the water quite slow though, so if you do decide to ever venture down the entire river from start to finish (3.5km), give yourself plenty of time to make it down before it gets dark. We had friends who had to paddle in the dark to find their way back. If you are in this area as well, do check out the lagoon about 6km outside the main city. Motorbikes and bicycles are available to rent, but the ride is pretty bumpy. Save the sweat and rent a motorbike in my opinion. There is cave which will take your breath away. A brief hike up the mountain before reaching the entrance, make sure you bring proper shoes and a great flashlight or headlamp. As I made it to the top and entered the cave, I was soon swallowed by the dark around me. Feeling like I was in the Bat-Cave, you will be amazed by how big, deep and dark it is….With so many directions to walk in, I was really disoriented and got lost at some points. It wasn’t until after I came back down the mountain that I read that the site offered tour guides (for a marginal price)…lol.

Probably the most memorable experience I have encountered so far has been from this city as well. The guesthouse we stayed at (Dokhova Guesthouse) tried to rip us off. Apparently, several others were scammed by the same guesthouse owner as well in the days were there too. Attracting tourists in, the guest house owner sold us by offering a “discount” price, and then attempted to charge us a different price upon checking out. As we explained to him and his wife that they were indeed wrong (as they claimed to show us the “discount rooms” the day prior but didn’t), we refused to pay the extra charge. Calling the wife’s bluff on her “attempt” to call the police, we told then told him we were displeased by the level of service and that he should expect to be receiving a bad review in the Lonely Plant travel reviews. Big Mistake! The Guesthouse Owner then snapped with head bursting rage and started yelling at us. He grabbed my friend Cailey by the wrist and stole not only her passport, but her baguette lunch and his business card. He then refused to reason with us until the police “got” there. We were so shocked by his actions; both of us were taken aback. As I tried to reason with him further, he said that he was allowed to keep our passport since we were staying at his place. Note to all – your passport is your property, and your property only. Anyone attempting to take it is acting illegally. After some brief words of distraction, Cailey then fought back and successfully snapped her rightful property (and baguette lunch which he stole as well…lol). As the owner attempted to grab her again, I gave him a hefty shove against the glass display case and told him not to assault her again. We then ran to the nearest tuk-tuk in attempt to make it in time for our bus ride to the next city. Thinking we were in the clear, the crazy wife started chasing us directly behind in her truck. As we got to the bus station and she brought over a police officer who looked who looked no more than 16 yr old in puke-green police uniform. Barely speaking fluent English he then asked for our version of the story. Luckily the other tourists in the tuk-tuk witnessed everything and vouched for us. We finally just settled and paid her the extra cash to shut her up and get her going. Looking back, fighting for the differential of 120,000KIP ($15USD), probably wasn’t worth the effort of being stuck in a 3rd world country…but hey that’s like 3 days of fine living in South East Asia! Learning our lesson for next time, we will always make sure to have our rates written in writing prior or equally pay in advance for our accommodations. Another piece of advice I have learnt is to always take a business card of the hotel you are staying at. If you ever get lost (which seems to happen a lot), you can just give the taxi driver the card and tell him to go there! This becomes handy if you don’t speak the local language as well!

Laos Tubing Video: (Can't take credit for this vid, found it on youtube, but it's a pretty good depiction of what you could expect in Vang Vieng, Laos...

Thailand

Thailand:

So far, Thailand is still the cheapest place I’ve traveled to thus far. Flying in from Hong Kong, we minimized our cost using one of the many discount Asian airlines. Canada is just crazy with the amount of taxes and fuel surcharges they charge in comparison to this part of the world. A flight from Phuket to Bangkok (3hrs flight) will run you about $50CAD give or take. Other airlines to checkout in this vicinity are Nok Airlines, Pacific Airlines, One-two-go Airlines, Air Asia, Korean Air, and Singapore Air. All these companies are much cheaper to fly indo-china vs. the more commercialized (and much more expensive) companies. Last time I came to this part of the world, I missed the island that I wanted to see the most, Koh Phi Phi. A small remote island where the movie “The Beach” was filmed, it has now been overruled by tourists and many dive shops around the island. Still, the island does possess a beauty like no other. The island is so small you can literally walk from one end to the other in about 5 to 10 mins. A steep hike up to the “viewpoint” or the Tsunami high ground as the locals call it and you will be able to see both sides of the island quite well. I wish I had a wide angle SLR camera as the view was quite surreal. This island is marginally more expensive than other islands like Koh Tao or Ko Samuai, however you can save some cash if you stay near the center of the island instead of the beach front. Between 500 to 1000 Bhat (1 CAD = 32BHAT) and you can get a decent double bed room. We stayed right beside the Rimley beach side and ended up paying around 2500Bhat a night (as justified by my own lifetime experience!). There are many tourist agents around the island offering longboat tours around many of the surrounding island.

For the most part, they are all the same tour so rest assured you can negotiate rates to try and get the best price available. We ended up booking through a company that had quite a considerably larger boat (with a Washroom and enough space to lie down) for the same price as a long-boat tour. I should advise that if you are on a boat all day (for the one day trip experience), go for the bigger boat! Having more space for you individually will make a difference vs. sharing a tight seat with some wet, soggy, and hairy European. Snorkeling through the ocean while on the tour was my highlight of Phi Phi for me! The visibility was excellent the day we all went on the tour. I could see so many foreign but intriguing creatures. At points, the water was so low (about 10 inches deep), that my face was whisking by live coral reef, schools of fish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers (black like slugs that are the size of the vegetable). Word of advice, apparently live coral is quite dirty and filled with bacteria, clean it well if you cut yourself as I did on my foot and it can get pretty nasty! We stayed around 5 days which is more than enough to see on this island, you can either take a ferry from Krabi or Phuket, so there is some flexibility dpending on how you look at it.

Be warned of all the dirty Caucasian men and their local and "hired" girlfriends from Phuket though... I've had friends who have been through this part of the world warn me, but until you see it, its something like no other... I tried keeping a running count in my head of all the Westerners and their "hired" girlfriends, but lost count after waiting in the airport for about an hour....lol.


Snorkling while feeding the local fish:



Local Fire Dancer:

Hong Kong

Hong Kong:

A quick 4 day dash and you can see a lot in this city. Hong Kong has one of the most high-tech and efficient subway systems ever! Once you mind the vague stint of pollution in the air, you become captivated by all the tall skyscrapers, high-end department stores, and very well spoken locals (fluent in English). Once your there, buy an “Octopus card”. Much like an ATM Card, this prepaid card also gives you access to the subway. Unlike Toronto as well, fares for the city is charged by distance and not a flat rate. This makes riding public transport much cheaper if your only doing shorter runs.

Accommodations can be vary and be quite expensive depending on your wiliness to pay as well. I’ve been told that the YMCA has cheap (not in quality but only in price) rooms right in the heart of the city, so you don’t have to “waste-time” getting around. Another good word of advice is that if you’re flexible in proximity to where you want to stay, you can checkout priceline.com. Much like eBay, but only for hotels, you set your bid on neighboring hotels. We were able to luck out and save half the cost of a regular rate at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Central. Since Hong Kong was under the British influence for so long, this is probably the best place to go to as “training wheels” for Asia. There are so many ex-pats (aka White people…lol) everywhere it’s ridiculous. As we ventured into Soho (which also has the longest and tallest escalator I’ve ever been on, I could have sworn that I forgot I was in Asia and was in New York City or downtown Toronto. If you want to check out the “Vegas” of Hong Kong, then you can take a quick ferry ride via TuboJet to Macau.

Don’t forget to bring your passport with you as there are immigration and customs officers you need to clear…despite being the same country?!? Anyways we went during the day and it wasn’t as exotic as I was hoping it would be. Don’t bother hiring a taxi from the port to get you into the city either, there are so many Casino Hotel buses hawking at tourists, that you can take one of the buses for free instead. For some great sight-seeing take the tram up to the peak and you’ll be sure to catch a great view, just be sure to sit on the right side of the streetcar and you can see both sides of the Island. Although I never made it, there is also the daily 8:15pm laser light show any tourist should check out. Apparently if you go by the water around this time, the buildings light up in unison and there’s suppose to be a great 15min light show…very picturesque.

Here are some words about the High Tea experience. Every afternoon around 3pm, locals/tourists participate in a tea-time (like brunch but in-between Lunch and Dinner instead). The Four Seasons Hotel as well as the Peninsula Hotel is supposed to be the more reputable places for the most authentic experience. Served on a 3 level tray of specialty sandwiches with a select variety of tea-blends and desserts, this surely will whisk your taste buds and pallet. Just be prepared to pay up… the average cost of this “mid-day” lunch was about $35 to $40USD. Many people rationalize that they will spend the extra dollar while traveling b/c it may (or may not be) a lifetime experience. Some advice if you do decide to partake on the high-tea experience would be to go on a weekend as their “lunch buffet” is included and is all you can eat. Lastly, while most of Asia is like this already… if you want the best price for something, barter for it. There are many night markets the area that sells a variety of touristy goods, clothing, and other paraphernalia (cell phones, stun-guns, throwing knives, etc). Locals are very well aware that tourists pay much more for the equivalent goods back home and will have no problem charging you a price that is somewhat marginally lower. The reality is, most of the stuff you think is real that your buying is probably not and was probably made around the corner from where you are buying it from. What ever they offer, offer half that cost and settle for somewhere in-between.