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Thailand, Nakhon Si Thammarat
It was that time again … a road trip beckoned, so I decided to find a province not too far that I had yet to explore. A friend of mine has a teaching job in Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST to the locals) so I ventured down there to have a…
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Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Air Asia had no direct flights from KK to Bangkok so instead of wasting a day at the hellish KLIA2 for the transfer we stayed in the city for a couple of nights. For anyone that hasn’t been to KL the airport is 70km away from the city so be…
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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo
The flight from Johor to KK was uneventful though the scenery as we descended on the northeastern coast of Borneo was quite spectacular. We’d booked a two bedroom apartment out of town via Booking.com for around 160 MYR per night, what we’d saved on not staying in town would be…
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Malaysia, Legoland
Our kids are growing up fast so we decided to take them to Legoland in Malaysia before they enter the dreaded teens phase and no longer want to do such things with their parents! Tickets for the park were booked online a couple of months in advance, not cheap at…
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Hong Kong
I’d always wanted to visit Hong Kong but never envisaged I’d be going there on a business trip. The airport is like a city in itself, complete with railways and all the amenities … very efficient, a taxi into town stings at $HK340 – I’ll take the train next time!…
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Thailand, fishing and camping
It was time we ventured out on a little camping and fishing expedition to seek out untouched waters in search of the elusive wild snakehead (Pla Chon). We spent two nights in the jungle in the Bangsaphan area at a lake formed in an old quarry. With permission to use…
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Thailand, A New Year secluded beach getaway
I know it sounds strange to be ‘getting away from it all’ when you live somewhere like Bangsaphan, but after ten years of going to the same parties and seeing the same faces during the festive season we fancied a change. Armed with a kayak, fishing rods, bbq, a couple…
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Cambodia, Kampot and Kep
I’d met up with some old friends based in Phnom Penh and since we were all heading in the same direction it made sense to hire a minivan for $70 to take us to Kampot for a break from the mayhem and nightlife. Once out of the gridlocked city we…
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Cambodia, Phnom Penh
The skyline of Phnom Penh had changed little in 15 years, and aside from a shiny new tower block and a patch of dusty land where the lake used to be, it appeared very similar from the air. Getting through the airport was a bit of a fiasco and far…
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Nyaungshwe, Inle Lake
Again the road beckons, I was heading across country to Inle Lake and not being a 25 year old backpacker any longer I opted for a 45 minute flight at 55 bucks as opposed to a ten hour bus ride. I know it is low season but being the only…
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Myanmar, Bagan
It was time to leave Mandalay and the ‘express’ ten hour ferry down river to Bagan pulls out at 7am sharp. One of the pluses of travelling in the off season is that you’re not swamped with bus tourists and Lonely Planet toting backpackers, the boat was at less than…
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Shan State, Pyin Oo Lwin
Today I’m riding into Shan State and the former British colonial hill station Pyin Oo Lwin at 3,500 feet, the town was established in 1896 as a place to escape the Mandalay heat. Escaping Mandalay is the first challenge as a traffic cop pulls me over for riding over the…
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Around Mandalay
Around Mandalay Not every day on the road is an adventure waiting to unfurl and offer wild new experiences. Today for example is the second time on this trip I’ve had a bad belly and need close proximity to a comfortable latrine (five feet away at the moment). Coupled with…
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The Rail to Mandalay
It was time to leave the eclectic streets of Yangon and head north so I decided that a better way to see Burmese life would be from the open window of a train rather than a night bus or flight. The ticket cost just under ten dollars for ‘upper class’…
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Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda
The weather looks favourable today so I’m taking a walk to Shwedagon Pagoda, one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive monuments to religion. It is around 3km from my digs, so I venture through the Indian quarter first to reach the approach road which belies the sheer size of the stupa,…
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