Bangkok, part II

Accommodation for 4 nights 4380 Baht
Cocktail at the hotel 110 Baht
Lunch at the hotel 350 Baht
Dinner at Escapade Burgers and Shakes 300 Baht
Drink at Silk Bar 105 Baht

Bubble tea at Panda Tea 55 Baht
Cinema ticket 200 Baht
Dinner at Heiroku Sushi 400 Baht
Dessert at Swensens 150 Baht

Dinner at Popiang House 300 Baht 
Dessert at Full Moon Cafe 45 Baht

Lunch at Full Moon Cafe 114 Baht
Dinner at Ranee's 160 Baht

A leisurely breakfast/brunch/lunch at Chomp 500 Baht
Transfer to the airport 100 Baht

An additional 1010 Baht for gifts
An additional 300 Baht for snacks
An additional 470 Baht for tuk tuks, trains and taxis

Staying in Bangkok so long wasn't planned, but we got comfortable and started to relax. Once that happens, you don't want to pack again and move, especially not when its the last place you'll be. So we got settled in and I spent approximately 8000 Baht in my 4 days here, meaning I spent about £36 a day.

Again, my accommodation was very expensive but so bloody good. Chillax Resort was the place, with a spa bath in the room, rooftop pool and a million other things that makes it super-luxe.

Escapade Burgers and Shakes were reasonably priced burgers and shakes, as you would expect. Delicious burgers (don't go chicken as John found out) and shakes (the Oreo and ginger one, OMG) was exactly what I needed. The food at Chomp was fantastic too; I had the meatball pasta and for someone who doesn't go in for red meat all too much (save for burgers), it was really really good. I kept on about it all day.

Yet again, the cinema was awesome - if a little cold because of the monsoon rain we had been caught in just before, and the aircon being on full blast - but the best thing I had done whilst there was visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market. After nearly 3 months in Asia, I had had my fair share of markets and their haul - but this was different, everything was unique with really great products, not just your usual tat. The clothes were a much nicer quality and we got so many things between us.

For the last time, I'm at the airport going...HOME. Can't believe it.

Coping with the end of your trip

Coming to terms with the end of a long travelling experience can be hard. You know exactly what you'll be missing and the life you're going back to. Here's some tips to keep you as upbeat as possible:

Save some money for the end. Hopefully you'll be pleased you didn't spend all that you saved, so look forward to planning that big duty free shopping trip. It would be awful if your last few days were heavily budgeted or, worse, if you had to come back early because of it.

Remember that there are people counting on you getting that flight so they can see you again after so many months. That feeling of seeing your partner/best friend/dad again after so long will be awesome. 

Tell yourself you'll be back again soon - and if you care enough, make it a reality. Going home is a necessity for this, you have to earn and save to be able to spend, spend, spend for longer. 

I can't wait to board my plane later this evening and get home, back to my bed, a Chinese takeaway and Made in Chelsea. I think I'm coping pretty well, but what advice would you give?

x

Phuket

Ferry to Phuket 250 Baht

Taxi to Kamala from Port 300 Baht

Accommodation for 2 nights 2,200 Baht

Dinner at Taosha 370 Baht

Dinner and cocktail at Freedom 470 Baht

Dessert and cocktails at Kamala

Beach Resort Restaurant 414 Baht

Taxi to Airport from Kamala 800 Baht (by 2)

Burger King 275 Baht (by 2) 

An additional 50 Baht for snacks

I didn't get much time to do anything in Phuket (end of the holiday and being locked out of my room for half a day can do that). But I still managed to spend about 4500 Baht in 2 days, so roughly £40.50 a day. Which, is really expensive, but my accommodation (last minute villa booking) took up half that daily total.

While I enjoyed my time in Phuket, there is nothing for me to rave about or recommend, because I didn't get up to much. 

Next stop is my last stop, Bangkok!

Koh Phi Phi

Ferry, bus, ferry combo from Koh Phangan to Koh Phi Phi 800 Baht
Accommodation for 2 nights 1800 Baht
Shake at Pirates House Restaurant 80 Baht
Dinner and cocktail at Pirates House Restaurant 249 Baht
2 buckets at Ibiza Bar 500 Baht (by 2)

Lunch at Cosmic 300 Baht (by 2)
Buffet roast at Siam Inter 380 Baht
Daiquiri at Banana Bar 140 Baht

Accommodation for 2 nights 1440 Baht
Shake at Carlitos 100 Baht
Dinner at Papaya 245 Baht
Cocktail at Banana Bar 140 Baht

Entry to Viewpoint 20 Baht
Big lunch at Cosmic 390 Baht
Long tail boat for 3 hours 500 Baht (each)
Dinner at Calamero Resto 180 Baht
Ice cream at Ice Manias 79 Baht
2 cocktails at Relax Bar 240 Baht
Bucket at Ibiza Bar 250 Baht (by 2)

Shake and snack at Breakers 230 Baht

An additional 1400 Baht for gifts 
An additional 140 Baht for snacks

Ah, Koh Phi Phi, my piece of paradise. Spending 4 nights here was never enough, and in a state of absolute relaxation, I was quite happy to avoid counting the pennies for a few days. So, I was surprised when I had only spent 7679 Baht (£138), rounding off at £34.50 a day, which whilst expensive, wasn't too bad given my penchant for expensive accomodation and buckets. Don't expect to do much here, but you could easily spend a fair amount of time and money on this little island.

Ibiza Bar was our regular hangout, the fire shows on the beach are pretty standard - you'll find them anywhere and they don't differ too much, Slinky's end of the beach does a few more interactive acts because it's bigger and that's where the bigger, louder, drunker crowds are. Banana Bar was also great, an off-the-beach rooftop bar showing free movies every night.

We stayed at Bayview Resort for 2 nights which was a lovely room, but not great location and our room was half way up a massive hill, which really did mean you had to shower each time you got home. Then we moved (couldnt keep up with the prices) to Ibiza House, this was good for the price, it gave us everything we needed and was slightly less luxury but who cares?! It was very close to the beach and so it did stay somewhat loud til the early hours, but that never bothered me.

Papaya served up fantastic food - all of us loved our meals and they were definitely hearty portions. Cosmic was great too in the same sense too, even cheaper especially for Western/Italian food, just make sure you order the pizza calzone style, whatever you have. Watching (and eating) the 'fried' ice cream being made by Ice Manias is incredible, I was still in awe by the time we had ordered, watched and ate 5 times over.

With the Thai islands all complete, we head to Phuket...

Koh Phangan

Plane, bus, boat combo from Chiang Mai to Koh Phangan 1400 Baht

Accommodation for 3 nights £27 (approx)

Dinner at Pizza Chiara 280 Baht

Full day tour with Black Coral Tours 950 Baht

Drinks at Full Moon Party 280 Baht

Juice at Nira's Home Bakery 90 Baht

Dinner and cocktails at Crave 490 Baht

An additional 1250 Baht for taxis 

An additional 270 Baht for snacks

Koh Phangan was used purely to party, so I didn't do much else. So for 3 days and nights, I spent approximately £39 a day. A hefty price for a night out! While my accommodation was relatively inexpensive, the tour I did was costly, as well as getting to, and around, Koh Phangan. 

The Full Moon Party was to be expected; hilarious and drunken. Buckets galore, and lots of glow paint! Well worth going just for the experience, even if you just want to stare at everyone else going crazy.

I sought out Crave on purpose for their burgers, and they did not disappoint. Everyone was more than happy with their choice and their selection of marinated spirits was fantastic - the coconut and pineapple especially! - and I probably had one too many. 

Nira's Home Bakery did some great food too, it was a shame I wasn't very hungry when we went so settled for a juice.

A journey of ferry upon ferry lies in store to get me to Koh Phi Phi now. 

Travelling in a big group

Travelling in large numbers makes things more awkward in terms of agreeing on something, but also opens you up to the possibility of being able to rent villas/apartments cheaply. It's hard to navigate the best way to act in a large group, here's some hints:

Keep everyone on side. Try not to get too caught up in group politics; there are a lot of opinions (or at least a lot of people who are meant to be expressing opinions) and agendas. Express your opinion, and others might agree, it's much easier to come to a decision if you're all honest straight away.

Do what you want. Don't feel you need to follow the group, that's great for when you're all on the same page but the money and time to go to the Tiger Temple when you don't want to, isn't worth it - it's still your holiday.

Revel in the luxury of the perks. Cheaper accommodation when split by your group - whether being able to rent out a whole hostel dorm or your own 4 bed villa - is great. It keeps you all together and is private as well as convenient and cheap. The trick is relying on your vast number to get you deals on transport, accommodation etc. 

Most importantly, don't do it for too long. It will get too much having to make decisions on behalf of large numbers every day - from breakfast through to bedtimes. When every decision and activity is collaborative you will wish you had some time to yourself, or with your best friend/partner in the group, but it's equally hard splitting up.

Is travelling solo more your style?

x

Packing efficiently, before you go

Before you travel, knowing what to bring is a pretty tough thing. But once you've arrived, knowing what you shouldn't have brought becomes the most obvious of tasks. I declutter my bag at almost every stop, it's easy knowing that once I leave Chiang Mai, I won't need any more long sleeved tops/thick trousers/socks because I'm just island hopping until the end - so they're out. For a 3 month trip, my backpack weighs around 11kg, which I have been told is very light, but I assure you, I'm not without anything. Here's how I try to pack - optimistically - only what I'll need:

Think about whether you need 7 different pairs of shorts/skirts or whatever your obsession is with. You're likely to be wearing the same things over and over again so try to cut back and only pack things that will match together - unless you don't care about that.

Make sure your hand luggage contains all the essentials. As I learnt from experience (still not over that, Emirates) your hand luggage needs to be able to get you through the day, just in case. Pack a change of clothes and underwear, some basic toiletries, all your electrical/expensive goods, chargers, passport and money. Then you'll be good to go in the event of delayed baggage.

Buy toiletries out there. Unless you have very sensitive skin, you can get everything you need when you arrive. You do have to be careful in Asia with these sorts of products containing skin whitener - a lot do - but you can find a fair share that won't so long as you read the label.

Remember you can do laundry out here. Don't bring a pair of knickers per day, bring a dozen or so and wash them. When it comes to doing laundry, decide whether it's worth washing something that's a bit tatty already only to throw it out before you get a chance to wear it.

Most surprisingly, you don't have to bring a backpack. Whilst I've been out here I've seen a lot of people with suitcases and convertible backpacks. It's quite likely that the latter is the way forward; when it's less busy in the street you can wheel it along, and when it gets narrower and busier, you can put it on your back. Voila!

Do you have any packing tips?

x

Chiang Mai, part II

Taxi to Green Tiger 134 Baht

Accommodation for 3 nights £19.30

Dinner at Bann Lannsa 150 Baht

Shake at Green Tiger 65 Baht

Lunch at Green Tiger 100 Baht

Drink at 92 Rachadamnoen 49 Baht

Cooking course at Siam Rice 800 Baht

Lunch (and wine) at Prego 370 Baht 

Ice cream at Turtle 30 Baht

Khantoke Dinner at Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre 520 Baht

Cocktail at Khantoke dinner 180 Baht

Taxi from The Old City to Doi Suthep 125 Baht

Entry to Doi Suthep 50 Baht

Massage at Chiang Mai Women's Correctional Institution 180 Baht

Lunch at Green Tiger 90 Baht

An additional 80 Baht for snacks

An additional 379 Baht for gifts

An additional 145 Baht for taxis

My 3 days in Chiang Mai's Old Town cost me around about £74 with a heck of a lot of activities and eating out, working out as just under £25/day.

My accommodation at Green Tiger was a 8 bed dorm filled with my group of 6 - the staff were fantastic and the accommodation brand new so it was a lovely place to stay.

If you fancy some hands on food experiences, the cooking course at Siam Rice was great. But I'd skip the Khantoke dinner - the food was okay and the entertainment slightly bizarre, at times making me feel like it was a spectacle to stare at the hill tribes and their ways of life.

The massage was fantastic value for money and did not disappoint. It was a full hour of a proper massage and I was so looking forward to it that I'm glad it lived up to expectations. 

An epic journey to Koh Phangan awaits...

Packing efficiently, in theory

Packing can be tough. And you're gonna have to do it and redo it every couple of days. So you want to make sure you at least know how to do it right, even if you're not gonna follow it:

Really think about whether you want to be carrying around stuff that is sentimental to you. I took some of my boyfriend's clothes and preceded to not wear them that often because they're not very flattering (DUR). But I won't throw them away; they're not mine and they are a connection back home. Same applies to photos I carry around but can never seem to find. 

Try to compartmentalise. If you can, find a bag with plenty of compartments, then you'll know off hand that your toiletries are in the left pocket etc etc. This will mean that you will have to unpack your bag less to find your underwear and other bits that get easily lost.

Plan in advance what you might be wearing. For the next few days, if you can plan your outfits (according to location, activities and weather) then you pack them nearer the top.

Know the climate and season. If you're headed to India in their dry season, it's going to be hot, maybe you don't want to be carrying around your trekking gear for when you do your hill tribe tour of Vietnam. Be super nice to your friend/boyfriend who is joining you and see if they can take the heavier stuff you won't use until later.

All simple in theory but never gonna happen, right?

x

Chiang Mai, part I

Night train to Chiang Mai 531 Baht

Lunch at Rodsabiang 120 Baht

Accommodation for 2 nights £15.70

Taxi to Chai Lai 134 Baht

Rafting at Chai Lai 200 Baht

2 dinners, 1 lunch at Chai Lai 500 Baht

With the online payment for the accommodation and the money I spent whilst I was there, my two day stay at Chai Lai Orchid cost £42.90, so about £21.45 a day - with the night train being the most expensive part. 

Chai Lai was a lovely place to stay, we had the Lanna room and although it meant 4 of us slept on the floor (the boys), I got a lovely double bed! Being in the middle of the jungle, located on an elephant sanctuary was a constant source of amusement and enjoyment - especially over breakfast!

The rafting was fun and we spent a lot of our time just exploring the river, dodging elephants and rafters alike! The only downside was that we had to consistently eat at Chai Lai, which while nice, was expensive and could get repetitive.

Now it's down from the mountains, back to the city to spend the rest of our time in Chiang Mai's Old Town. 

Bangkok, part I

Taxi to Khao San Area 140 Baht

Accommodation for 2 nights 1700 Baht (by 2)

Dinner at Sawasdee Terrace 160 Baht

Entry to the Grand Palace 500 Baht

Lunch at Silk Bar 110 Baht

Dinner (and cocktail) 255 Baht

Cocktail at Rambuttri Terrace 140 Baht

Cocktail at Silk Bar 160 Baht

Breakfast at Coffee Blossom 55 Baht

Lunch at The Macaroni Club 120 Baht

Milkshake at Silk Bar 60 Baht

Bubble tea at Mr Shake 50 Baht

Cinema ticket 120 Baht

McDonalds 120 Baht

An additional 109 Baht for snacks

An additional 88 Baht for taxis

For 48 hours in Bangkok, I spent just over 3,000 Baht (£55) making my daily spend approximately £27.50, which, for a city, is pretty good. We stayed in a really nice hotel (Rambuttri Village Inn) and we did a fair bit of stuff, but where possible we walked, saving on extortionate taxis.

I had done the Grand Palace before, and while it comes with an expensive price tag, it was really great this time seeing everyone enjoy it for the first time. My highlight was the cinema, I had wanted to see a movie in Thailand because of the unique experience so I was very excited! Standing up for the montage of the King and their anthem was fantastic to see such pride in the locals. We saw the new X Men film and I liked it too, 7/10.

Didn't have very long and everyone was adjusting to the time zone etc so we didn't get through a lot but I really enjoyed it.

All tucked in my night train sleeper cabin, ready for Chiang Mai in the morning!

Noticing the differences, part I

Before you make a trip abroad (Asia specifically) you need to be aware of a fair few differences in cultures and customs. I'll keep this short and sweet, it took me 1 minute to come up with all these so I will make a second blog as more come to me:

Toilets: The obvious one - squat toilets and bidet showers. I'm told they think our way of going to the loo is as weird as we think theirs is. 

Seatbelts: Not common at all, though you might find them in some taxis. Accept it, say your prayers and hope for the best. 

Smoking: It's a big thing in Asia, especially indoors. Clubbing while you're surrounded by Malaysian's blowing smoke in your face, not nice. 

Queuing: Doesn't happen. In any form. Try not to let it annoy you, because (from experience) explaining it to them, won't help.

Driving: In Indonesia, cars and bikes alike drive like madmen. Not so bad in the other places I've been. 

Tipping: It's a real sign of great service here because a tip is less expected, they will be very grateful if you choose to. 

Anything obvious to you? 

x

Luang Prabang

Flight from Vientiane to Luang Prabang £28.47 (not included in total)

Taxi to city 50,000 Kip (by 2)

Accommodation for 4 nights 320,000 Kip (by 2)

Dinner (and cocktail) at Utopia 70,000 Kip

Lunch at Joma's Bakery 49,000 Kip

Entry to Mount Phousi 20,000 Kip

Dinner at Salt and Pepper 25,000 Kip

Cocktail at Lao Lao Garden 35,000 Kip

Yoga at Utopia 25,000 Kip

Tuk tuk to Kuang Si Waterfalls 50,000 Kip

Entry at Waterfalls 20,000 Kip

Dinner at The Coconut Restaurant 35,000 Kip

Dinner at Delilah's 40,000 Kip

Beer lao at L'Etranger Books and Tea 15,000 Kip

Cocktail at Hive Bar 40,000 Kip

Muffin at Joma Bakery 12,000 Kip

Meal at Hive Bar 39,000 Kip (by 2)

Tuk tuk to airport 70,000 Kip (by 2)

An additional 115,000 Kip for gifts

An additional 35,000 Kip for snacks

An additional 20,000 Kip for taxis

An additional 45,000 Kip for laundry

In four full days and nights I spent 730,000 Kip (£57.38), which is approximately £14.34 a day - bloody good value for money I think. 

We stayed at Sysomphone Guesthouse for £5.92 per person, per night with air con, hot shower, nice room etc. The family were lovely too, helpful in booking tours, looking after luggage and so on.

My favourite thing was either the yoga at Utopia (I loved it, despite sweating more than I ever thought possible), or the Waterfalls. Of course, for the unique experience the waterfalls wins: it was an amazing place to see and there were the 'dead skin eating' fish in the water so that was a great freebie too (if you could withstand it!).

My favourite meal was at Coconut Garden, I had the tofu curry and it was delicious. The Night Market was a great place to explore and though they had very few food options, it might have been nice to try something more authentic. 

My favourite evening was our last, the movie night at L'Etranger Books and Tea - each day of the week a different new release is shown, we saw Inside Llewyn Davies, and I really liked it as a film, very funny.

As great as Luang Prabang was, we lucked out a lot with things being open; maybe that's what you get when you go in off season! But be sure to check in advance.

At the moment, I'm waiting for my plane to Bangkok, to be reunited with 3 friends and my boyfriend, so we can take Thailand by storm!

Vientiane

Visa on arrival $35 (not included in total)
Taxi to city, flat rate 57,000 Kip (by 2)
Two nights accommodation £19.44
Beerlao 10,000 Kip
Dinner at Lao Kitchen 30,000 Kip

Dinner at Lao Kitchen 30,000 Kip

Tuk tuk to Buddha Park 200,000 Kip (by 2)
Entry to Buddha Park 5,000 Kip

An additional 33,000 Kip for snacks

Because Laos accepts USD as well as Kip, a lot of these payments are in different currencies. But still, over 2 full days and nights (as well as a bit of a day) I spent £36, making it £18 a day, which is very cheap (although I didn't do much).The vibe here is great, very chilled and not hassle-y at all. It was nice not to do much. The place I stayed, Auberge Sala Inpeng, was very nice with a really good breakfast. It was quite pricey for what it was but I didn't mind.

The Buddha Park is lovely, although a bit of a hassle to get to, it is total worth seeing it. And, in case it wasn't obvious, the food at Lao Kitchen is excellent - the duck laap is their specialty and very, very good.

Next a cheeky flight to Luang Prabang...

Travelling solo

Okay, okay, I promise, last blog about travelling solo on here for a long time! But I thought it was important to cover a few things that I haven't before. It's sometimes hard to keep yourself on track and upbeat. So, here are my final few tips on how best to be by yourself:

Try to keep yourself motivated. Your time is your own so if you want to have a day off in bed (nursing a hangover?) then do it. But still try to get out, do stuff and meet people. I spent 2 days holed up in a hotel eating Dairylea Triangles watching Monsters University on the telly because I could not be bothered to do anything. I realised I had to check out of that hotel (with wifi in the room, worst incentive to leave your hotel) and get into a hostel - when I did I had the best time.

Stave off homesickness. Whether you're alone for a week or your whole 6 month trip, remember you'll be home one day and wishing you were back out. Make time to talk to your friends and family but don't stop yourself from doing stuff just because of them. For me, homesickness didn't increase whilst I was on my own, instead when I was around something incredible/having a nice time I would think that "My parents/friends/boyfriend would love that..." and that was what made me sad, that they were missing out. 

Remember, the world is your oyster. You can do whatever you want; breakfast in bed, with crumbs everywhere? Sure! Eating in an expensive restaurant that your friend on a tight budget couldn't afford? Done! Everything runs to your schedule, even if you don't want to do anything. At least you don't have to visit anything you're not interested in, wasting time and money, so make the most of it!

Hardly an exhaustive list but it covers the most obvious points, what would you add?

PS: Lorna is with me now, so I'm no longer SOLO!

x

Vietnam

In Vietnam I only visited Sapa and Hanoi and my experiences of both were completely different. Sapa was warm and cool at the same time, a quiet little village with lots of scenery to take in. Hanoi on the other hand was sweaty-hot (more so than Indonesia, if felt), with bustling streets full of traffic and very little time to just sit - though of course I found that quite possible. After a few bumpy days in Hanoi because I was settling in, I loved them both a lot. 

Again, the language didn't seem too much of a barrier. I didn't say any Vietnamese the whole time and I don't think I could have got any of the pronunciation right anyway. 

My favourite part was being at the hostel, my day completely unplanned going around in a big group all trying to find our way. 

Please try to go to Sapa, but you don't need to do a tour, just book a night bus/train and your accommodation and find your own way around this beautiful town.

Like I said in my Hanoi post, I'll be back to Vietnam and Hanoi, just because I hardly did any of it! Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was closed when I attempted to go, and I slept through my friends visiting the Hoa Lo Prison. I want to visit the south of Vietnam too so another big old trip is due. Something that struck me was that a family from HCMC I met thought Hanoi was absurdly different. They said it was mostly just hotter and busier. So I'd be intrigued to see how this lives up to it, and what Ho Chi Minh City is like.

Be careful on the roads, as dangerous as it sounds this was my tactic: prepare to cross as normal so look out for the cars, ensuring you don't walk out right in front of one, but so long as you leave the bikes space, know they will (happily?) navigate around you. And don't ever look back into the oncoming traffic once you've started. 

Motorbikes are popular here, they'll be surprised you don't want to take one because walking is seen as the poor person's thing to do.

Hanoi

Flight from Langkawi to Hanoi 2,113,617 VDN (not included in total)

Transfer to hotel 317,100 VDN

Accommodation for 1 night 465,080 VDN

Drink at Helios 66,000 VDN

Lunch at Joma's Bakery 115,000 VDN

Second lunch at I Feel Up 170,000 VDN

Dinner at Minh Thuy's Family Restaurant 45,000 VDN

Entry to Vietnamese Women's Museum 30,000 VDN

Accommodation for 2 nights 930,000 VDN

Lunch at Joma's Bakery 120,000 VDN

Dinner at Joma's Bakery (I got lazy, okay?) 130,000 VDN 

Lunch at Gecko 135,000 VDN

Accommodation for 2 nights 320,000 VDN

Coffee at Joma's Bakery 65,000 VDN

Street food for lunch 105,000 VDN

Dinner at Pho 24 55,000 VDN

Assorted drinks on a night out 200,000 VDN

Lunch at the hostel 90,000 VDN

Drink at Joma's Bakery 60,000 VDN 

Drink at Helio's 66,000 VDN

Dinner at Mon Ngon 24 45,000 VDN

An additional 200,000 VDN on snacks

An additional 610,000 VDN on gifts

An additional 450,000 VDN on taxis

Approximately 4.2 million dong (£117) was spent over for five whole days and nights (albeit spilt up because of a trip to Sapa) coming out at around £23.40/day.

Hanoi was...different. A really busy place where I have to admit, I was a little scared to be by myself because of the roads. It's ironic it was so busy because it was such a fantastic place to just do nothing and watch others (which is mostly what I did).

Joma's Bakery (a small Asian coffee shop chain) was really nice - their Bagel Egger was on my plate more than once. But other than that, none of the meals were outstanding - though I did enjoy the street food when I had bun cha a lot, which surprised me. 

I stayed at Lucky II Hotel which was nice, if a little pricey for one person (the rooms sleep 3, so its cheap if there are 3 of you). Then I moved to The Original Hanoi Backpackers Hostel, which was a completely different scene despite being about 5 doors down the road. Free beer afternoons, rooftop parties, lots of cool people and obviously, hangovers. I loved it here, everyone was great and the hostel really made an effort to get everyone together. 

I'll be coming back to Hanoi because I didn't get to do most of the stuff I wanted to do because of tiredness/laziness/it being closed. For now, I'm off to Laos to finally be with Lorna!

Coping with being a single white female

As a 'single white female', being on your own isn't all that bad. Like I've said to the people I've met and friends back home, the only thing that bothers me is sleeping in a room on your own; I'd do it at home, but here it feels a little off. Being a young female traveller is always something to be wary of, more so if you go alone. So here's how I made sure I got through it in one piece:

Trust your instincts. You've made it this far and, media aside, I think SE Asia is a very safe place to travel. Would you get a lift with a stranger at home? Would you leave your drink unattended at home? Then don't do it here. Keep your wits about you as much as possible (you never know when you're going to have to make a decision) and be careful.

Don't put a price on safety and security. Cheap, rickety night bus and hostel rated 15% on security? No, thank you. If you have to, budget for those extra expenses that keep you a little safer - a hostel in a safer area, a bus with lockers for your 14 hour journey etc etc. Once you're on the other side, you won't regret paying a little more because you and all your stuff is fine.

Know you will get attention. Looks and personality aside, people will talk to you. Some nice and genuine, others lechurous. Deal with it politely (the phrase "I have a boyfriend" won't really cut it with the locals, because he's not there to stake his claim) and try not to get scared off by it, it's very common here.

Hardly the definitive guide to solo travelling as a woman, but a few tips. How can you make sure you're even safer?

x

Sapa

3 day Sapa tour inclusive of accommodation, tour, guide, meals and transport 5,537,390 VDN
Milkshake at VietEmotion 45,000 VDN
Martinis at The Hill Station 185,000 VDN
Dinner at The Nest 120,000 VDN

An additional 100,000 VDN for snacks

Just over 6 million VDN spent in 2 days in Sapa. So with a very expensive tour (booked through STA, operated by Diethelm Travel) I'm not surprise this worked out so much money. Even with everything included, I can't quite see where the cost mounts up so high.

Anyway, Sapa was an absolutely stunning place, if you can get there, go. But don't worry about doing a tour, everything was easily accessible and really not too strenuous. I would have preferred to spend more time in the town rather than doing anything with the official tour. It's an absolutely wonderful place to just wander through the streets.

Alas, sooner than I wanted, I'm boarding my night train back to Hanoi.

Langkawi

Flight from KL to Langkawi 141 MYR (not included in total)

Taxi to hostel 22 MYR

Accommodation for 2 nights 70 MYR

Lunch at Troppo Co 40 MYR

Visit to Inifinty Pool at La Villa (with drink) 48 MYR

Accommodation for 3 nights 444 MYR

Breakfast at Troppo Co 27 MYR

Drink at Cinamons 6 MYR

Dinner at Restoran Almaz 20 MYR

3 day yoga retreat including classes, Mangrove tour, massage, transport lunch and dinner 720 MYR

An additional 20 MYR for taxis

An additional 12 MYR for snacks

An additional 30 MYR for gifts

4 days and 6 nights in Langkawi set me back 1,459 MYR (£270) with half of that attributed to the yoga retreat which was costly but worth it, to me. With that in mind, I can't really give a daily total since the yoga ran from Friday afternoon-Sunday afternoon and I didn't do much elsewhere.

I originally opted for a private room at Zackry Guesthouse, which was nice enough for the cost but not a lot in the immediate area to do. Then I moved to Tubotel, a concept hotel where you slept in tiny little pod tubes of course! It was very expensive and whilst every effort was put into making the hotel nice (and it was) the location and surroundings were crap - an industrial site, 20 minutes walk from the main strip. 

I did the yoga retreat with Langkawi Yoga; I was the only one to sign up for the retreat that weekend so I got it all one-on-one which was really great because I had a bit of an arm injury from my bike fall in Ubud! This stopped me from putting too much pressure on it (no downward dog for me) but Dorothy, the instructor, was more than accommodating, adjusting the routine for me. I absolutely loved it, the location was great, most sessions were held high in amongst the jungle facing out to the sea, with others on the beachfront. As a relative beginner, I didn't find it too difficult. I would love to come back and do a longer retreat.

The Mangrove tour was good but not really for me - it was a lot of bird watching and nature. But the company (Dev's Adventure Tours) were great. 

The weather was fairly rubbish when I was there, with large spells of rain in the morning or afternoon, with greyness covering the rest of the day. Langkawi was lovely and I wish I had longer there, if the weather was better I could have spent another week there.

Now I'm at the airport for a mega day of travelling to get me to Hanoi; I need all your fingers crossed to make my connecting flight!

Meeting new people

I'm in the middle of a 2 week period of my travels, where I'm 'going it alone'. It wasn't my intention, but that's how things worked out - now to make the best of it and meet new people. Already in Indonesia, I met a fair few people, some of whom were solo travellers, so I'm optimistic for my chances.

Depending on how you know me - as a lifelong friend, one-time university acquaintance (not *that* kind) or long-lost school pal - you'll have a different opinion on how shy or confident I am. I'm much more confident on my own, I'll haggle more, I'll kick up a fuss more and I'll make more of an attempt to 'stick it to the man' if I'm being ripped off. Here's how I attempted to meet new people:

Realise that you're not confined by these people knowing too much about you - if you want, reinvent yourself. I'm not talking change your name and nationality, but these people don't know that you're usually too embarrassed to do karaoke, so give it a go this time around. You don't need to share everything with these people, so gloss over the tale of the time that overweight 10 year old you fell off stage into a lunch crate.*

Try to stay longer and chat more than you would usually. If you're feeling tired, stick it out a bit longer. It will be worth it in the long run, you don't want to miss the plans that are being made for tomorrow 5 minutes after you say goodnight. 

Remember a lot of these people are in a similar situation. You're not the only lone traveller. You'll want to make friends as much as them, one of you needs to make the first move. And in the end, neither of you will remember who did. 

Be happy. The best thing to do is be welcoming, and smile. I arrived in Kuala Lumpur a bit down having just left Emily, with my arm in quite a lot of pain. I could have sulked off to my dorm room but I made an attempt to socialise and it worked - I felt happy and so my troubles and worries were assuaged for a while. 

*Totally, 100%, honestly made up. As if that would ever happen to me...

Have you made any lifelong friends from travelling? What are your tips to meeting new people?

x

Kuala Lumpur

Flight from Lombok to Kuala Lumpur 719,000 IDR (not included in total)
Bubble tea at Chatime 7.90 MYR

Airport bus to KL Sentral 10 MYR

Monorail to Bukit Bintang 2.10 MYR

Accomodation for 2 nights 60 MYR

Lychee Rose cocktail at Sky Bar 42 MYR

Margarita at Ava Bistro 25 MYR

Drunken McDonalds 10 MYR

Lunch at Tarbush 51 MYR

Entry to Observation deck at KL Tower 49 MYR

Dinner on Jalan Alor strip 25 MYR

Massage at Thai Oddysssy at the airport 55

Lunch at BMS Organic at the airport 16

An additional 21 MYR for taxis

An additional 37 MYR for snacks
An additional 180 MYR for totally necessary purchases in Forever 21 and H&M...

In two days, I spent 410 MYR (excluding the shopping) rounding out to about £38 a day. Because I am now travelling alone I thought things would get more expensive, but I managed to still share meals with friends, stay in a hostel but I still probably spent more because I was with others, doing things (like drinking!).

I felt like I didn't have enough time in KL - which I wasn't expecting, it was a really nice city with lots of different things to do. My hostel (Sunshine Bedz KL) was fantastic, it was a great and very accommodating place to stay, with a great social aspect to it. I stayed in the 4 bed female dorm but all rooms looked very nice and no one complained!

Sky Bar was definitely my highlight, it was such a cool place with the view of the Petronas Towers that was totally unbeatable. The massage at Thai Odyssey was only because I ended up being super early to the airport, but I didn't rate it at all - the woman kept calling me Sir, and when I tried to explain that that wasn't correct, the language barrier got in the way. 

But I loved everything else I did here - KL I miss you already, boarding a plane for Langkawi now.

Indonesia

I loved my experience of Indonesia but I didn't much like the culture/most of the people I met - I know, what an obnoxious and privileged person I am. As a tourist/traveller, I know the deal I have to accept is to be hassled for money, but here it's more than that, it's to completely take advantage and be as rude as possible. I was grabbed in the streets of Kuta asking if I needed a taxi more than once; spun the lie that these trousers are higher quality than the cheaper ones down the road, only for it to tear within days; ripped off by taxi drivers who say they have no change. It's quite relentless, but fortunately not everywhere, from everyone.

I probably used "Terima Kasih" (thank you) about 5 times on my trip, and 3 of those times were on my last day because I was interacting with the locals at the food market. Other than that I can't think of any other Indonesian words I needed to know, it's quite shocking really.

My favourite part was Gili, I could have stayed there much longer. It was so chilled out and there was no pressure to make anything of your days - you could just relax. 

If I were to go to Indonesia again, I would visit a spa in Ubud, they're renowned for them and having spoken to some friends, they rated it highly and it was cheaper than I found elsewhere. As a general thing I've learnt, I know now not to book everything in advance too much - it worked out a couple of times but was more risky with the cheaper, basic accommodation.

My least favourite part was Jakarta, but that's an easy decision since we didn't do anything - let alone anything to have an opinion on!

Alcohol is really expensive here unless you want to go for the unbranded, local vodka (I wouldn't, there are plenty of stories about methanol poisoning etc if you just Google). We paid 400,000 IDR for either 70cl/1l (I can't remember but that's the point of alcohol right?) which at about £20 is more than I would want to spend at home.

Be aware that in Indonesia, the places are going to add tax and service charge, usually unknowingly - and this figure can range quite a lot!

Lamest tip ever: Budget for water. You can't order tap water here as it's not clean, and to keep yourself hydrated you need to drink a lot. It's absurd to think I will have probably spent at least £50 (probably more!) on water by the time I'm back home.

I found out that at most places, so long as you buy a drink/lunch you can use the pool. Which is a really great deal in some places where you save the money on your own hotel (minus pool) only to wander over to the nicer hotel, order a beer and spend the rest of the day there.

You should try to find the BlueBird taxis as they're the only ones that will use the meter. It won't be any cheaper than haggling but if you haven't got any idea of how long it might take to get to your destination, it's the most legitimate way, especially first time. Once you know how much a journey should cost, haggle with whoever you get. 

As an aside, always remember to have enough money to buy food on the plane/in the airport if you're likely to be hungry. I'm salivating at the time of writing...

Sleeping in a hostel

With the twenty-something traveller, hostels are the most obvious option. You might cringe at the thought, thinking it worse than camping for 4 days at Reading festival - but in reality, they're very cheap and convenient alternatives to hotels or villas. For the sake of it, a hostel is somewhere with X bed dorms and perhaps some private rooms - though you may come across them being called 'guesthouses' or 'homestays', the same applies. When debating the values of a hostel, remember this: 

It doesn't have to be a dorm room. Plenty of hostels have private rooms with en suite bathrooms - yes, it costs more than the 12 bed dorm, but you have to make a decision about cost vs being social. It's still probably cheaper than the same thing in a hotel. 

If you're in a big enough group, book out the whole dorm. Rather than go for private rooms, if you're in a group of 4+ book out the whole dorm, it will save you money, give you some extra security knowing everyone in the room and keep you all together. Then you know you and your friends always have your safe haven against anyone in the hostel who "doesn't get you".

Check reviews where safety is your number 1 concern. If you're staying in a hostel alone, safety should be top priority - you explore the city/island while your bags are left in a 6 bed dorm that is being ransacked. Check with the hostel beforehand whether they provide lockers and padlocks so you know if you need to bring anything.

Of course a hostel is not the best of places to be 100% of the time, but I'm an advocate of mixing it up - villa one week, hostel the next. It gives you a chance to experience it all. The most important thing to remember (besides the above) is that, if you're going to stay in a hostel - the cheaper alternative - make sure it's in a good location, if it's not you won't find any other travellers there and will spend what you saved on transport to the area you want to be visiting in the day.

Do you think you could hack hostel life? Please leave a comment to endorse that it's not so bad for any doubters out there!

x

Senggigi

Boat and bus ticket from Gili T to Senggigi 75,000 IDR 

Taxi to hotel 20,000 IDR (by 2)

Accomodation for 2 nights 900,000 IDR (by 2)

Lunch at hotel 74,000 IDR

Dinner at Yessy Cafe 70,000 IDR

Cooking class 250,000 IDR
Drinks and snacks during market trip etc 85,000 IDR

Taxi from Senggigi to Airport 200,000 IDR (by 2)

International departure tax from Lombok Airport 150,000 IDR

For two days in Senggigi, we spent just short of 1,300,000 IDR (£66 approx), averaging at £33/day. Considering we didn't do anything other than the cooking course, it's pretty expensive!

Senggigi was an okay place but I wouldn't go back. We stayed at Pacific Beach Cottages and it was really nice, great rooms and a good pool. We didn't get up to much because there wasn't a great deal on offer unless you travelled across the land for more nature based activities. 

Gili Trawangen

Coach and boat from Ubud to Gili T 225,000 IDR
Accomodation for 1 night, and cancellation charge on a 2nd night 306,000 IDR (by 2)

Lunch at Le Petit Gili 75,000 IDR

Assorted drinks on night out 200,000 IDR

Accomodation for 5 nights 1,050,000 IDR (by 2)

Buffet lunch at Green Cafe 35,000 IDR

Milkshake at Fitry Cafe 20,000 IDR

Dinner at Ocean 2 55,000 IDR

Ice tea at Warong Bonita 20,000 IDR

Sangria and Tapas at Karma Kayak 20,000 IDR on snacks

Dinner and cocktail at Flush Restaurant 90,000 IDR

Assorted pre-drinks and drinks on night out 350,000 IDR

Snorkelling inclusive of lunch 120,000 IDR

Sarong 40,000 IDR

Havianas 300,000 IDR

Dinner at Ocean 2 20,000 IDR

Lunch at Flush Restaurant 55,000 IDR

Chai tea and half a brownie and milkshake at Kayu Cafe 56,000 IDR

Dinner at Genius 100,000 IDR

Tapas at Karma Kayak 36,000 IDR

Juice at Kayu Cafe 39,000 IDR

Iced Cappucino and cake at Kayu Cafe 75,000

Buffet dinner at Green Cafe 50,000 IDR

Foot Scrub at Abdi Spa 110,000 IDR

Cocktail at Laughing Buddha 75,000 IDR

An additional 295,000 IDR for gifts

An additional 150,000 IDR for snacks

We spent 3 million IDR in 6 days, so 500,000 IDR a day (£26 approximately) excluding the money I spent on gifts. So about halfway between Ubud and Kuta in terms of expense, which isn't bad.

I wouldn't usually make a habit of eating at the same place twice in one holiday but we did, often. The buffet at Green Cafe/in the general area was amazing so don't be put off by the thought of street food. Karma Kayak had fantastic tapas and baba ganoush too, so we kept going back. And the crispy tamarind tuna at Flush was delicious (better first time around though).

The night life here was half as I had expected, half unexpected: it was on the beach (tick) it only had 3 bars/clubs of all those available busy at any one time which meant you had to know where the place to go was.

Up2You Hostel was our original accommodation but after one night the heat, ant infestations and a thousand other problems meant we called it quits. We moved to Warna Bungalows which were really great and only 50p/night/person more expensive than the awful hostel. However, they were right next to the mosque which went off at all hours of the day and night! I was fortunate enough to still find it funny at 4am.

Snorkelling trip was great, you get to visit all of the Gili Islands; one for coral, one for fish, one for sea turtles. Include lunch for an extra 20,000 IDR like I did and you'll save a lot of money - our meals were easily 45,000 IDR+. Other than that, we did almost nothing but chill out by the pool, followed by chill out by the beach. Or vice versa. 

Kayu Cafe was a really nice little place for all sorts of coffees, teas, juices and cakes so I'd definitely recommend it - it had the most reliable WiFi I used on the island too.

The last leg of Indonesia is Lombok...

Planning your travels, part II

Following on from part I there is lots more to think about before you jet off for a trip: 

Transport. How can you travel between countries? How can you travel through the country? Seriously, are you gonna be able to manage some rough night trains, 12 hour minibuses and worse? Know your limits, then pay more to be in your comfort zone. Or as close as you can get. There are some great cheap airlines but again, a 3am wake up call for a 6am flight isn't great. Decide how much you can suck it up; I got really grumpy on my Bromo/Ijen tour because the travelling was relentless, if I wanted to do it again, I'd definitely pay more to go private. 

Country specific medication and visas. Will you have to make a decision on what countries you're going to so you know what vaccinations to get? On our trip are you going to need to take medication like malaria tablets? Do you need a visa before entry? When I was planning my trip, it happened that I was constantly alternating between high risk malaria zones and low risk malaria zones. This meant that even in the LRZ I would be taking malaria tablets (you take them for 7 days after you have left HRZ if you take Malarone) and you foot the bill for it all. If you can clump all these malaria zones together then you'll find yourself paying less for tablets that cover you for the same amount of time. Similarly, you don't want to end up paying for the rabies/other vaccinations "just in case" because you haven't planned where you're going and it's better to be covered; work out what countries (and areas) first, then let the doctor do the maths. A similar theory applies to visas - pick the countries, go on the consulate website for each country to work out if you need one, some will be fine, some will be visa on arrival, and some you will need a visa before you leave your home country. There are various loopholes (for example, if you arrive into Thailand by air you get 30 days on arrival, more than you'd get for entering another way) so that can affect your transport route, so be aware, you don't want to overstay your welcome.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. All of the above (and the previous blog) require decisions to be made - how long, who goes with you and when? As well as whether that person is also decisive enough to help you out with planning location and duration. Think things through, sleep on it and stick to a decision as much as possible. Having a beginning and end flight (to each country) is useful in working out how long you have to split between the East and West Coasts of Australia for example. But remember, booking your hotel in advance for 3 nights then wanting to leave after 2 isn't the worst decision on the world, you'll just have to decide what you'd rather. 

With parts I and II in mind, what would you do now?

x

Ubud

Transfer from Kuta to Ubud 55,000 IDR

Accomodation for 3 nights 750,000 IDR (by 2)

Laundry of approximately 18 assorted items at ABC Laundry 30,000 IDR

Dinner at Dirty Duck 145,000 IDR

Entry to Monkey Forest 30,000 IDR

Juice at China Moon 25,000 IDR

Downhill bike tour 225,000 IDR

An additional 130,000 IDR for snacks
An additional 50,000 IDR for gifts

For 3 days in Ubud we spent just over 1 million IDR (approximately £52) working out at £17.30 a day. As everything is in walking distance, you won't need to use a taxi at all if you're staying in the centre which reduces costs dramatically. 

Our accomdation (Savira Bungalows) was lovely, it was like a hotel meets bungalow. At only 2 months old, everything was clean and in good condition (with amazing breakfast banana pancakes!). We've been told that for the price we paid, to get somewhere with a pool was a steal so I would highly recommend it. 

The meal at Dirty Duck wasn't very nice, not worth it for the price. But the juice at China Moon was the best juice I had in Indonesia - the rest were very pulpy! I went for the Carrot and Apple juice. 

Monkey Forest was ruined by the 'laddish' Aussie tourists who taunted the monkeys which then made them vicious, but you don't really need to pay the entry fee to see monkeys - you can stand at one of the stalls across the road and look in easily enough, the monkeys aren't well contained!

Now for some island living at Gili Trawangen!

Kuta

Accomodation for 5 nights 2,900,000 IDR (by 2)

4 cocktails at hotel 430,000 IDR (by 2)

Dinner at hotel 120,000 IDR (by 2)

Pre-drinks before Sky Garden (a quarter of a litre of vodka) 25,000 IDR

Entry to Sky Garden, inclusive of a Long Island Iced Tea 100,000 IDR

Triple Vodka drink in Sky Garden 95,000 IDR (by 2)

Private car and driver for 10 hours 600,000 IDR (by 4) 

Entry to Uluwatu Temple 20,000 IDR

Boat to Turtle Island 320,000 IDR (by 4)

Entry to Turtle Island 10,000 IDR

Lunch at Dreamworld Beach 55,000 IDR

Lunch at hotel 80,000 IDR (by 2)

Dinner at Motel Mexicola 210,000 IDR

Cocktail at Potato Head 155,000 IDR

Breakfast at Kedin's 47,500 IDR

Beer on the beach 25,000 IDR

Burger at Wacko Burger Cafe 145,000 IDR

Assorted drinks on Jalan Legian for night out 200,000 IDR 

An additional 260,000 IDR for taxis

An additional 250,000 IDR for gifts 

An additional 150,000 IDR for snacks 

We were in Kuta 5 nights and days, we absolutely loved it - we found a super fancy hotel with swim up bar (Grand Mega Resort and Spa Bali) and the beach was (almost) on our doorstep. We spent most of our time chilling, with only a few activities planned over those few days. Despite this, because of the luxury of our hotel, these were an expensive 5 days - 3.45 million IDR spent in total, roughly 689,000 IDR (£36) a day. 

A night out sets you back about 200,000 IDR (£10) and a cocktail with dinner about 100,000 IDR (£5). Which doesn't seem a lot, but when you can get a nights accommodation for the same price as a cocktail, it is. But I thought Sky Garden was a pretty awesome place for a night out.

Uluwatu temple was disappointingly closed (we think) so whilst the views were lovely we couldn't appreciate the temple inside. And Turtle Island was equal parts depressing and fun - seeing the animals was fantastic but the whole thing was just for money and you couldn't be sure of how they were treated.

The best meal I had was the burger at Wacko Burger Cafe (I'll be blogging that in detail over on my Burgers and Lipstick blog soon!) a close second was the fish tacos at Motel Mexicola, they were incredible.

Our final stop in Bali is Ubud, here we go...