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!