Singapore

Singapore is an incredible city. Modern, clean, cosmopolitan. It is efficient, but also friendly – after all, how many other airports give out sweets at passport control?! Unfortunately, it is also an expensive city, particularly in terms of accommodation. Not an ideal destination for two travellers running low on funds! Although we paid more than double our usual room rate, our hostel was one of the worst we have encountered. Let’s just say its standards of hygiene and behaviour were not up to Singapore’s usually strict standards… Still, the staff were nice and at least it encouraged us to go out and explore the city. Our first stops were Little India and Chinatown, which are like cleaner versions of their counterparts in other cities. Later, we headed to downtown or central Singapore.

Temple in Little India

Dinner in Little India

New year decorations (2014 is year of the horse) in Chinatown

Singapore rules – some familiar, some uniquely Asian!

Downtown Singapore, by which I mean the civic district and bay area, is the state-of-the-art Singapore that one imagines. Large buildings dominate this area, where elegant colonial buildings are juxtaposed with the very different beauty of skyscrapers. Strangely, any smaller shops and houses are entirely absent; instead, buildings are interspersed with open space, making the area feel rather soulless. The most iconic skyscraper, Marina Bay Sands, is rather ugly – it resembles a boat marooned on 3 towers – but on closer inspection reveals a peculiar kind of majesty. Marina Bay Sands is also worth a visit for the neighbouring Gardens by the Bay, complete with two domes and a ‘supertree’ skywalk. Although Singapore’s colonial buildings are outwardly far less contemporay, inside they have been sympathetically modernised. My favourite example of this blend of old and new was Singapore’s National Museum, whose traditional facade hides a new extension that allows light to pour into the building. Its exhibitions are also cutting-edge. Visitor audio guides are tablets that sync with exhibits and surround-sound films; ironically, such a modern device really helps you learn about the history of Singapore.

Open spaces in downtown Singapore

Me in front of Marina Bay Sands

Supertree skywalk in Gardens by the Bay

The National Museum

Our next stop was Orchard Road, Singapore’s Regent Street/Fifth Avenue. Here, endless malls line the wide street, but one can avoid the pavement altogether by walking from mall to mall via underground subway systems. As these malls are full of shops and restaurants, they are the perfect destination for experiencing Singapore’s national sports: shopping and eating. Although the malls’ beautifully presented and (by Western standards) reasonably priced food courts allowed us to partake in the latter activity, our dwindling bank balances hindered our participation in the former. Mostly, we just gazed longingly at luxury brands, though we did manage to buy some Levi’s for a bargain price!

Orchard Road

Orchard Road

Enjoying lunch in our favourite food court!

Yes, this shopping mall had a river running through it!

Finally, we had a great day out at Singapore’s famous ‘cageless’ zoo. Half jungle and half landscaped garden, this zoo is one of the world’s finest. In places there really are no restrictions, with animals wandering across the path or leaping overhead, and in others you can enter enclosures. Where cages are necessary, they are cleverly designed to blend in with the path, ensuring close-up views of the animals. Although this was our most expensive outing, it was completely worth it to see such free and contented animals.

Singapore zoo

Baby orangutan swinging above the path

Ben in the zoo’s ‘Ethiopian village’

Beautiful butterflies!

Me inside one of the zoo’s enclosures

So, accommodation aside, Singapore has been an enjoyable end to our trip. Tonight we are going to a rooftop bar for sangria and tapas to toast our adventure. I find it difficult to comprehend that we have been away for five months and have mixed feelings about returning home. I’m sad the trip is over, longing for familiarity, nervous about the prospect of job applications. Most overwhelmingly, however, I feel excited about seeing my family and friends. Indeed, if there is one unifying aspect of every culture we have visited and one lesson that South East Asia has taught me, it is this: family is the most important aspect of our lives and our time with them is to be prioritised and prized. See you on Sunday morning England!

Bali

It’s not often that this blog adopts a negative tone, but I am sorry to say that Bali was something of a disappointment to us. The main towns have fallen victim to the travesties of tourism, which makes getting off the beaten track all the more important if one is to see the true beauty of this island. Our first destination, the Kuta region, was certainly not off the beaten track. A short walk around the area’s streets is made unpleasant by nose-to-tail traffic and unbearably persistent street sellers – much more abrasive that any we have encountered anywhere else in SE Asia. Even the beach, presumably one of Kuta’s main attractions, is good only for surfers and rather unattractive. Dangerous currents not only make swimming ill-advised, but also, during the rainy season, wash up tons of rubbish from elsewhere on the island. Although we were staying in Kuta’s more upmarket neighbour, Seminyak, in practice this meant only that the usual tacky souvenir shops are sandwiched between expensive Western-style boutiques. There was little sign of the beautiful locally-made goods that we would find elsewhere. Luckily for us, our little hotel had a lovely garden and plunge pool that provided a much-needed haven from the noise beyond its gates.

Our hotel’s peaceful little garden

Men defying the traffic to play chess on the road in Seminyak!

A live band plays on Seminyak beach as the sun sets. The dark hides the rubbish…

Enjoying a cocktail on Seminyak beach

Next up was Ubud, a town nestled near the island’s central mountains. This is the cultural capital of Bali, full of art galleries, hidden temples and traditional dance performances. On the main drag the traffic and hawkers once again reign supreme, but escaping down the little side streets reveals the town’s charms. Shops selling handicrafts from nearby villages jostle alongside quirky cafes selling delicious healthy food. Primarily, these cafes cater to the rather clichéd Eat, Pray, Love crowd, who spend their days practicing yoga, writing poetry on their Macbooks and sipping green, veggie-filled juices. We were not part of this clique, but we certainly enjoyed sampling the vegan and ‘raw’ food on offer, including the best and most inventive salads I’ve ever eaten. Luscious countryside surrounds Ubud, and a trip there wouldn’t be complete without a walk through the nearby paddy fields. However, it is advisable not to miss a turning, as we did, and have to walk several extra miles in soaring humidity! To make the most of our time here, we hired a wonderful local driver, Dewa, to show us more of the island. He took us to the vast, achingly-green rice terraces of Jatiluwih, a lakeside temple in the mountains and some wood-carving villages.

Quiet Ubud side street

Ubud’s Puri Saren Agung (Water Palace), set amidst the lily ponds.

Proof that healthy food tastes good! Incredible salad, complete with the best vegetarian satay ever 🙂

Jatiluwih rice terraces

Us at Jatiluwih, showing that we still get on after 5 months together!

Temple at Lake Bratan

Wood carving in a handicraft village

After Ubud, we journeyed north-east for the much needed peace of Amed. ‘Amed’ refers to a series of coastal villages that start with Amed in the North and run southeast to Aas. We picked the village of Jemeluk, situated in a lovely little black sand bay. The beach was full of fishing boats, debris and farm animals, for this is a place where local life continues alongside the emerging tourist trade. We stayed in a family-run guesthouse with only three rooms, and a great little café on the beach. It was simple, and it was heaven; in fact, Jemeluk became one of my favourite destinations of our entire 5 months travelling. We spent several relaxed days watching the world go by on the beach, or hiding from the rain on our sea-facing balcony. One of the highlights of our stay here was snorkelling. Just metres from the beach are a coral reef and hundreds of varieties of tropical fish! The only upsetting aspect of our stay was the children who sold souvenirs on the beach, evidently supplementing their families’ income rather than getting an education. Here, as with most places we have visited, life is terribly hard and the challenges to overcoming poverty seemingly insurmountable.

Jemeluk bay in the morning sun

Fisherman on Jemeluk beach

Boys playing high jump on Jemeluk beach

Ben enjoying a Bintang beer on our balcony

The beauty and poverty of local life seemed far off as we travelled south to Sanur and returned to Bali’s tourist trap. Although the restaurants and nightlife are inferior to those of the Kuta region, Sanur boasts one of Bali’s best beaches. Here, golden sand and calm blue water stretches for several miles. We hired bikes and cycled the length of the beaches’ well-maintained promenade, gazing enviously at the beachside resorts! Aside from sunbathing, there is little to do in Sanur, but we did make one great discovery: Massimo’s Italian restaurant. For the first time in our trip, we tasted authentic Italian food and, much to Ben’s delight, perfect gelato. Needless to say, we spent a couple of very enjoyable evenings there. Tomorrow we return to the airport and fly to Singapore, the last destination of our trip.

Sanur’s beautiful beach

Colourful fishing boats on Sanur beach

Malaysia: Adventures in Food, Part 2

We like Kuala Lumpur. It is a city of contrasts, particularly of old and new: state-of-the-art shopping malls and sky scrapers are as much a part of this city’s culture as temples and museums. There is a balance of local shops and big brands, though perhaps a bit too much of the latter. Excellent public transport, street cleaners and large green spaces – three things lacking in so many SE Asian cities – make this the most liveable place we have visited. Kuala Lumpur is also very diverse. Despite having heard about those in power exacerbating ethnic divides, the Chinese, Indian and Malay communities co-exist in harmony here and participate in each other’s celebrations. Each ethnicity preserves their unique culture and passes it down from generation to generation. There is also a large expat contingent and Malaysians are notably friendly to Westerners.

Kuala Lumpur skyscrapers

Traditional meets modern in KL

Shopping mall decorated for Chinese New Year

 

Traditional lion dance performed at Chinese New Year

Petronas towers at night

On our first day here, we participated in a food tour. Although this did not live up to expectations, largely because it did not actually include that much food, our informative guides took us to parts of the city we would not have otherwise visited and explained their history. Malaysian cooking is influenced by Indian and Chinese cuisines, and includes fried foods or ingredients like pork lard. Even the ice-cream here is fried! Malaysians also have a sweet tooth and like to pair condensed milk with all drinks, including tea. As a result, after the tour, I was feeling guilty about the unhealthy food we had recently consumed. We made a pact to have some healthy-eating days and sought out salads in the city’s trendy, health-conscious cafes. The best meal we discovered was a Japanese-inspired, vegan ‘bento box’, which included lots of brown rice, veggies, tofu and yummy sauces. Hopefully this will please Ben’s grandparents who, unsurprisingly given the food-focussed nature of this blog, have expressed concerns about our weight!

Ben stirring claypot noodles on the food tour

Exploring Little India on the food tour

Fresh jasmine bracelet, given to me by our tour guide

Healthy bento box!

Contrary to popular belief, we don’t spend all of our time here eating… In fact, we spent most of our time in Kuala Lumpur walking to the parks, visiting the central market and several museums. My favourite was the Islamic Arts Museum, which reminded me that religion is responsible for much of the world’s beautiful things. I was surprised to note that Islam also influences popular fashion, with the museum’s jewellery and textiles bearing a distinct resemblance to items found in today’s high street stores. We also took a worthwhile trip to the Batu Caves: 400 million year-old openings in the vast limestone hills that border Kuala Lumpur. The Caves are also one of the biggest Hindu shrines outside India. The site itself is free, and the return monorail and train tickets (45 minute journey) cost less than £1.50!

The Islamic Arts Museum

Outside the Batu Caves

Inside the Batu Caves

For the weekend, we headed down to Melaka. Melaka was world-renowned for its spice trade when Singapore was still a fishing village and, from 1511, was colonised in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. The Straits-Chinese or Peranakan traders also settled here, and their wealth is seen in Chinese Palladian architecture. Just as beautiful are the simple shop-houses that were built using techniques cleverly adapted to the environment. Many of these shop-houses have been demolished or renovated beyond repair, so the UN has funded a preservation project. The Chinese architecture is similar to Penang, yet the shop-houses are reminiscent of Vietnam’s pretty Hoi An. Melaka’s riverside setting makes a boat tour one of the best ways to view its architectural sites, though walking around its bustling streets is equally pleasant.

Baba-Nyonya museum, set in a traditional Peranakan townhouse

Traditional shop-house

Dutch Square, Melaka

Enjoying a boat ride

Painted houses on Melaka’s riverside

As in Penang, the Straits-Chinese or Baba-Nyonyas had an impact not only on architecture, but also on food. My favourite specialities include Laksa (a noodle soup whose Melakan version is distinguished by its coconut milk and lemongrass-infused broth), Popiah (a giant fresh spring roll stuffed with shredded vegetables, egg, palm sugar and much more) and Pineapple tarts (a unique blend of Nyonya and Portuguese cooking). Don’t worry weight watchers, we shared all of the above!

Laksa

Popiah

Pineapple tarts

Unfortunately, however, our healthy diet went on pause upon our return to Kuala Lumpur today. Ben treated me to afternoon tea at the Grand Hyatt’s Thirty8 restaurant, which has panoramic views over KL’s stunning skyline. For 2 sharing, and an extra pot of tea, it cost only £10 per person – quite a bargain given the endless refills of our tea! It was the perfect way to say goodbye to the country that I have loved so much. In the future, I hope to return to Malaysia and explore the east coast and Malaysian Borneo. It will be sad to leave, but I am excited to fly to Bali tomorrow!

An afternoon tea with the best view

Me with the tea

Ben pouring the tea

Afternoon tea or photoshoot?

Malaysia: Adventures in Food, Part 1

A short boat ride, and a painstakingly slow immigration process, took us from Thailand’s Ko Lipe to Malaysia’s Pulau Langkawi. Langkawi is the main island of a vast archipelago; it would be fantastic to sail between the smaller islands if you had time. Langkawi is fairly large, and we wished we’d had our driving licences so we could hire a car to explore remote areas. As it was, we were confined to the beaches of Pantai Cenang and Tengah. Although the beaches were lovely, they were spoilt by the constant hum of jet-skis and a particularly uninspiring strip of shops. Luckily, we stayed in a lovely hotel just off the main stretch, surrounded by beautiful farmland. We also discovered one of the main reasons for visiting Malaysia: food. Walking past a dingy restaurant, Ben commented, ‘that looks like our kind of place’. As we have learned, restaurants that are dark, barely-decorated and have questionable hygiene standards usually serve the best food. Here, we had our first taste of mee goreng (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice). Our true food adventure, however, would begin in Georgetown.

Our Langkawi hotel

Our Langkawi hotel

Our hotel room

Patai Tengah beach, Langkawi

Enjoying dinner at a beach cafe

We reached Georgetown late at night, after a frustratingly disorganised ferry journey which, like much public transport in SE Asia, brought to mind the words ‘piss-up’ and ‘brewery’. It felt good to be in a city again. Full of beautiful old shop-houses – some dilapidated, others with freshly painted shutters and newly tiled fronts – Georgetown is one of the most photogenic places we have visited. Unfortunately our visit coincided with Chinese New Year, so the majority of shops and restaurants we intended to visit, particularly in Chinatown, were closed. Over our three days, we still managed to visit the city’s main sites. There are many architectural remnants of Malaysia’s colonial past, but I particularly enjoyed visiting the houses and temples belonging to the Peranakans. The Peranakans, descendants of Chinese immigrants, settled in Peninsular Malaysia from the 16^th century. They were often wealthy traders, whose passion for architecture, furnishings, jewellery and fabric has left its mark in Penang.

The mansion of Cheong Fatt Tze, ‘the Rockefeller of the East’

Khoo Kongsi Temple

Pinang Peranakan Mansion

Inside the Peranakan Mansion

British architecture of Georgetown’s City Hall

Informative street signs

Tiled pavements

Traditional shophouse

Kapitan Keling Mosque

Yet one’s time in Malaysia’s hawker capital should never be measured in sites visited, but always in the number of meals consumed. Indeed, the Paranakans’ greatest legacy is their amazing fusion cooking. I became particularly obsessed with food, planning our days around eating and dragging Ben across Georgetown to find the best version of a particular dish. Both of us fell easily into the routine of a free hotel breakfast, followed by a second breakfast of roti and ‘tea tarik’, or dim sum and Malaysian coffee in Chinatown. Next, a ‘banana leaf’ lunch in little India, consisting of a variety of curries, sauces, dips and breads on a banana leaf. Finally, dinner crouched on little plastic chairs by a hawker stall. My favourite hawker fare? Wan Tan Mee (noodles in dark soy sauce or a soup, accompanied by lean pork, leafy  greens and a few wantan) and Cendol (garish green strands made from pea flour and layered with crushed ice, syrup, red beans and coconut milk). In our next stop, the Cameron Highlands, the food would have a much more familiar taste…

Me buying Cendol at a hawker stall

Cooking endless bowls of Wan Tan Mee

Street food-style dining!

Enjoying a lunch of Chinese dumpling soup!

Our hugeee paper dosai 🙂

Even the street art is food related!

After a hair-raising minibus journey, albeit on the best roads we have seen in SE Asia, we arrived in the Highland’s town Tanah Rata. The friendly owners of our homestay accommodation, Jessica and Jaycee, greeted us with plenty of local advice and a homemade Chinese meal. As the photo below testifies, the freshly cooked breakfasts were equally tasty! Best of all, they were eaten overlooking the nearby mountains. On our first day, we went on an enjoyable tour of a forest, tea plantation and strawberry farm. Most importantly, we got to sample some tea and strawberry ice-cream!  On our second day, we hiked the local trails. Despite the pretty plants and river, our focus was not solely scenery but, of course, food! Our walk took us to a mock-Tudor pub serving Malaysian tea and Devonshire scones. The weather, too, reminded us of home – daytime temperatures are similar to an English summer’s day and the nights were cold enough to need a duvet and blanket!

Chinese dinner, cooked by our lovely hosts

Just one of our beautiful Cameron Highland’s breakfasts – I could get used to this!

The view from our homestay

Enjoying a cup of tea while watching the sunset

Hiking through ‘Mossy Forest’

Overlooking the Boh tea plantation

Ben relaxing at ‘Ye Olde Smoke House’ before our cream tea. Hard to believe we’re in Asia!

Today, we travelled to our next destination, Kuala Lumpur, and returned to the sweltering lowland heat. In KL we are looking forward to, among other things, a food tour. The culinary adventure continues!

The Azure Andaman Coast

Having said a sad farewell to our fellow volunteers and lovely colleagues in Cambodia, and successfully navigated the ‘Bangkok shutdown’ protests, we arrived in Krabi. From here, we began 2 weeks travelling down the Andaman coast, renowned for its azure waters and some of the world’s best beaches. After Cambodia, I was excited to return to a slightly more developed country and, more importantly, the home of mango sticky rice desserts. Our first stop was Ao Nang, a small mainland town that is, in itself, nothing spectacular. With its main road lined with uninspiring tourist restaurants and shops, it more closely resembles the expat-inhabited Costa del Sol than the exotic paradise of Thailand. However, Ao Nang is an excellent base for exploring nearby Railay Bay, where giant cliffs surround little bays and towering limestone karsts rise out of crystal clear waters.

Ben on Ao Nang beach

Railay bay

Railay bay

From Ao Nang, we caught the ferry to our first island destination: Ko Phi Phi. Since featuring in the film The Beach, Phi Phi has witnessed a rush of visitors and a consequent acceleration of development, paused only by the tragic devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. Arriving on the island, we were stuck by the beauty of its gently curving bays and could immediately see why it is so popular. We were lucky enough to have a room at the front of our hotel, whose proclivity to the noisy nearby bars was more than mitigated by its spectacular views over the beach. From Phi Phi Don, we took a snorkelling trip to its small sister island Phi Phi Leh (set for The Beach), during which we had the opportunity to swim with sea turtles and to learn how waves can crash over a long-tail boat if caught in high winds! In the evenings, we experienced the alcohol buckets, beach bars and nightly fire shows for which Phi Phi is renowned, but this alcohol-fuelled entertainment only demonstrated how the trappings of the tourist industry have made this island a victim of its own beauty.

Ao Lo Dalam Bay, Ko Phi Phi

View from our Phi Phi guesthouse

The tree-lined streets of Phi Phi

Viewpoint in Phi Phi – quite a climb in the heat!

Ben and our snorkelling guide relax at the end of the trip.

One of Phi Phi’s nightly fire shows

Enjoying the nightlife on Phi Phi

Our next stop was Ko Lanta, a narrow island just south of Ko Phi Phi, whose long coastline is dotted with a series of simple towns. Despite being less than impressed with our hotel, we enjoyed four wonderfully relaxing days here. Our routine of sunbathing, swimming and eating in beach-side bars was punctuated only by the excitement of discovering a surprisingly authentic French restaurant, which served such a good museli, yogurt and fruit combo – we counted 16 different fruits – that Ben declared ‘breakfast will never be the same again’. Just in case we weren’t relaxed enough, we also had an oil massage (neither of us was brave enough to try the contortions of a true Thai massage) in a shack overlooking the sea, for the princely sum of £6.

Klong Nin beach, near our Ko Lanta hotel

Best breakfast ever!

Ben on Klong Nin beach

Our favourite lunch and dinner spot on Ko Lanta

Sunset on Ko Lanta

A five hour ferry journey (which, in Thailand, means seven hours) took us to our final destination, Ko Lipe, from where I am writing this blog. Here, we are staying in a rustic bamboo bungalow on the beach, complete with a bucket flush toilet and a variety of insects, including a cockroaches, an ant colony and even a large frog! It’s simple nature is part of its charm, however, and who am I to complain when I am seconds walk from the most spectacular beach I have ever seen? Indeed, neither Phi Phi nor Lanta hold a candle to little Lipe, whose powdery white sand is the consistency of icing sugar and waters are the most brilliant turquoise. Compared to Phi Phi, Lipe is (for now) relatively unspoilt, with local life and tourist amenities happily coinciding. We will miss this peaceful place when, tomorrow, we cross the border by boat to the Malaysian archipelago of Langkawi. 

Our bamboo bungalow

Inside our bamboo bungalow

Sunrise beach, Ko Lipe

Sunrise beach, Ko Lipe

Making the most of our last day in Thailand!

Khmerry Christmas!

Given that Cambodia is 95% Buddhist, it is unsurprising that Christmas here is a non-event. So non-existent is it in Cambodians’ cultural consciousness, that several colleagues asked me what date Christmas was and had to be repeatedly reminded why I wasn’t working on the 25^th.

However, all is not lost. Phnom Penh does offer a few chances to get in the festive spirit. The churches hold carol services, and we particularly enjoyed attending a carol concert (complete with overpriced mulled wine) hosted by the ICF church in the beautiful garden of a local restaurant. Select shops and market stalls stock Christmas decorations, whose tackiness provides conclusive proof that Cambodia is far from the most tasteful nation! Still, we chose some tinsel and a small Christmas tree to accompany the bunting and candles sent over by my lovely mother. Mum also sent out some Waitrose Mince Pies, which reminded us of Christmas even when they followed a dinner of noodles or rice! At our local market we set each other a $10 budget to buy each other some small presents to put under the tree. The weather, too, seemed to acknowledge the Christmas season, one day cooling to a positively freezing 23 degrees and prompting the locals to wrap up in gloves and winter coats. Even I shivered and donned my rather neglected hoody, despite knowing that at home these temperatures would have me getting out a deck chair and asking Dad to light the barbeque!

Al fresco carol concert, complete with mulled wine!

Our little shrine to Christmas

First mince pie of the year – thanks mum!

Christmas ‘cake’ – another item sent over by my wonderful mum!

On Christmas morning, we awoke early, prompted more by traffic noise than childish excitement, and opened our presents before heading to a Christmas church service. We ate our Christmas lunch at the upmarket Intercontinental Hotel. Although the roast potatoes weren’t up to mum’s standards, and there was a decided lack of Christmas staples like roasted parsnips, stuffing, pigs in blankets, brussel sprouts and Rollo’s famous brandy butter, it was a very good buffet. In addition to the turkey, there was an array of seafood, salads, Asian dishes, breads, deserts and, best of all, the good quality cheese that is impossible to find in SE Asia. We even managed to steal some biscuits and fruit to ensure we got value for money! After several hours spent bemoaning how much we had eaten, we finished the day by skyping our loved ones and watching a copy of Love Actually purchased for less than £1 at the market – safe to say copyright laws are not strictly enforced here!

Opening presents on Christmas morning

Chocolate for Christmas breakfast – some things never change!

The first Christmas that Ben has needed to wear sunglasses!

Finally, some good quality cheese!

Dessert(s)!

Enjoying my first taste of champagne in several months

Ending the day with Love Actually

Despite enjoying some nice activities, Christmas was somewhat overtaken by our sadness at not being with our families. As such, having to work the next day meant that Christmas was perhaps fortunate, with thoughts of Christmas being replaced by thoughts of annual reports and end of year reviews! This weekend, we are continuing to dispel any notion of a white Christmas by heading down to the coast (this time Sihanoukville, rather than Kep). When we return, we look forward to welcoming some new volunteers to our flat and to completing our last 2 weeks at work. Soon, we will be leaving Cambodia and travelling onwards to South Thailand to begin the last part of our journey.

Khmerry Christmas!

 

Kep-sur-Mer

This weekend we escaped the city and headed down to the peaceful seaside town of Kep. We stayed in a beautiful guesthouse with a pool, a restaurant and a collection of bungalows set in a beautiful garden. We spent our first day sunbathing by the pool, desperately trying to make up for weeks spent in the office. For me, however, this inevitably meant freckles and sunburn! That evening we headed down to Kep’s famous crab market. No trip is complete without a visit to this row of riverfront restaurants (or shacks!) to sample the delicious local crab in Kampot pepper. Kampot pepper was once a staple at every self-respecting French restaurant, but pepper plantations were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, who favoured rice production. Now Kampot pepper is steadily regaining its international status; indeed, we could see why this pepper is so highly regarded as we sampled crab with fresh green pepper and watched night fall over the Gulf of Thailand.

Our bungalow at Botanica Guesthouse

The pool

Ben enjoying dinner overlooking the sea

Kep is also the gateway to the beautiful Rabbit Island, which we hoped to visit on our second day. Unfortunately, we woke up to pouring rain and, after reviewing the weather forecast, decided to cancel our trip. Of course sod’s law ensured that the sun shone all afternoon, but by that time we’d missed the only ferry of the day. We were disappointed to miss out on visiting a place that Mr. Corbett-Winder has been rabbiting on about (pun intended) for several years, but had a lovely morning walking along Kep’s seafront. Interestingly, Kep town is peppered with (sorry, couldn’t resist) dilapidated, modernist villas that were built when Kep was a thriving colonial resort. During the Khmer Rouge, the colonialists fled and these villas fell into disrepair. Today, these eerie echoes of Cambodia’s violent past stand in stark contrast to the host of new hotels in this area and to this country’s fast-developing future.

Kep beach – not as nice as Rabbit Island, but still pretty

Kep town statue!

Abandoned colonial villa

After a second night sampling the delicious local fare, it was time to return to Phnom Penh. Today, relief from the stifling heat of the last few days has been provided by some surprisingly English rain: not Phnom Penh’s usual tropical downpour, but a sustained drizzle throughout the day. We miss Kep already, but it is time to get back to work and plan our Cambodian Christmas (details to follow).

Enjoying our last meal in Kep

From hostels to home: living in Phnom Penh

We’ve been in Cambodia for two weeks now, and it’s been the hardest time of our trip so far. Not quite tourist and not quite expat, and living in neither the tourist nor the expat area, it’s been difficult to find our feet. Away from all the tourist-orientated amenities, even simple tasks like getting to a supermarket are much more daunting. Both of us have been unwell, which hasn’t helped matters, and a flat with poor ventilation and no aircon has made it difficult to sleep in the heat. However, although basic, our flat is nice – television, hob, houseplants, and all the other makings of a little home. Even the lack of hot water seems a bonus in this heat! For those who have been to Phnom Penh, it’s near the Russian market and, as we explore the area, we have found some nice little restaurants and shops, and a cinema.

View from our flat

Street view from our flat

When we first arrived, my family friends Dick and Fran were visiting and it was lovely to see them. Dick volunteers for a company called Outreach International, and it was through him that we organised our work here. One of the biggest benefits Outreach has provided is Nimol: Outreach’s ‘co-ordinator’ and our guide to all things Cambodia, from hospitals to haggling. As well as working for Outreach and completing a masters, Nimol has six adopted kids! She lives in a complex provided by an orphanage, with a school, a huge grassy play-area, and beautiful wooden houses where adopted kids and their parents live. We were lucky enough to be invited over for lunch, and we had a lovely afternoon playing with Nimol’s children and eating her fantastic home-cooking. Her generosity meant that she didn’t let us leave empty handed either, and she forced upon me mangos, bananas, left-over dessert and even her spare pair of hair straighteners (a luxury for a traveller!).

Cooking with Nimol

Ben playing football with the children

Dick playing cards with Nimol’s youngest child

Us with Nimol’s children

Our daily life is very different to that of a traveller. Go to work, come home, cook or go out for dinner/drinks and go to bed – just the same as in the UK! We are working for an NGO called Equitable Cambodia, which aims to transform the national development model into one that respects, protects and progressively fulfills the human rights of the Cambodian people. Ben is helping with legal work, whilst I’m editing, so it’s useful work experience as well as providing an interesting perspective on real life in Cambodia. Most days we are in the office, but we were allowed to attend a protest and high-profile hearing at the Supreme Court and Ben has been to a conference. Whilst our colleagues may not always understand us ‘barangs’ (foreigners), they have made us feel very welcome. We also have a lovely flat-mate Paula, who has been volunteering here for over five months, and who has taken us out in the evenings, introduced us to her friends and provided much-needed advice! She leaves on Friday and we shall miss her.

Tuol Sleng (or S-21)

Choeung Ek, ‘the killing fields’

Our work schedule means that we haven’t had much opportunity to sight-see yet. On our first weekend, we made the obligatory yet heartbreaking visit to Tuol Sleng (the most famous prison used during Khmer Rouge regime) and the nearby Choeung Ek (one of Cambodia’s many ‘killing fields’). Unlike Tuol Sleng, which has been left largely as it was discovered after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Choeung Ek is a beautiful orchard and a peaceful place for remembrance. It is unnecessary for me to tell of the horrors that were endured in these places, suffice it to say that one comes away feeling humbled by how positive and forward-looking the Cambodian people are only thirty years later. We still have many, more positive, places to see in Phnom Penh!

Floating village near Siem Reap

Sunset over the Tonle Sap

This weekend we visited Siem Reap, which is the base for trips to the Angkor temples.  Angkor Wat, the largest religious building in the world, is only the start of the hundreds of temples that one can visit – not surprising, given that Angkor was a city of one million when London was still a small town of 50,000. Although these temples are only a shadow of the political, social and religious centre of the Khmer empire, they are still the greatest architectural sight in the world. We arrived at sunrise, and spent the day exploring and (inadequately) photographing the main temples, but we have only scratched the surface. We also spent an evening visiting a floating village and watching the sunset on the huge Tonle Sap lake. If we have time, we would like to return to explore Siem Reap and Angkor Wat further, but tomorrow it’s back to work!

Angkor Wat by night

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Outside Angkor Wat

Ta Prohm or ‘the tree temple’, of Tomb Raider fame

Bayon temple in Angkor Thom

Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City

We set off on the night train from Hanoi to Hue late on the 4^th of November. Although it certainly won’t be the best night’s sleep of your life, a journey on Vietnam’s notoriously slow “reunification express” is one every traveller should make. We had been anxious about who we would be sharing a berth with (there is a rumour that travellers can share 4-bed berths with a Vietnamese family of 8), we were accompanied by a friendly couple of Birmingham on their “megamoon” around SE Asia. Our anxiety about the train was surpassed by our anxieties about Typhoon Krosa, which was forecast to hit Hue on the morning of our arrival. Luckily, however, Krosa veered down south, leaving Hue with nothing more than torrential rain.

The Citadel in Hue

Entrance to the Citadel, Hue

Inside the Citadel, Hue

The first stop for any visitor to Hue is the magnificent Citadel, an imperial city on the northern bank of the Perfume river that, though badly damaged by US bombs, is being gradually reconstructed. Aside from the Citadel, though, Hue’s most interesting sights (pagodas and emperors’ tombs) lie in the surrounding countryside and are best accessed by motorbike. So we donned some floor-length ponchos, braved the rain and discovered that riding a moped is as interesting – and more exciting – than the sights we were to visit. Our second day in Hue was my birthday. Having been given some birthday money by my lovely mother and sister, we were able to stay in a posh hotel and use its gym, pool, sauna and spa. It was wonderful to be able to feel pampered after 5 weeks of travelling, but the next day it was back to dodgy buses and friendly hostels.

A very rainy motorbike tour!

My birthday cake

Enjoying a very un-Vietnamese birthday meal of spaghetti carbonara

Our next destination was Hoi An, 5 hours south of Hue by bus. For us, as for the majority of tourists in Vietnam, Hoi An was a highlight of our trip. Hoi An’s beguiling character is a combination of many factors: its relaxing riverside setting;  ancient elaborately-decorated Chinese pagodas and assembly halls; tottering wooden merchant houses in which front and back rooms are joined by beautiful courtyards;  an absence of traffic and pollution; and shop-fronts strung with candles and lanterns. Yet those who have seen Top Gear’s Vietnam episode will know that Hoi An is not only famous for its beauty, but also for its tailors. This very small town contains over 200 tailors, and after some careful research and local advice, Ben decided to get a suit made – a cashmere, silk-lined, tailor-made suit was created for him in just over 24 hours and for just over £100.

A typical street in Hoi An

Merchant’s house, Hoi An

Merchant’s house interior

Hoi An river by night

Hoi An by night

A Chinese Assembly Hall, Hoi An

The real star of Hoi An, however, was Neville. Neville is an Australian expat whose food tour of Hoi An must be placed on the ‘to do list’ of every visitor. He collected us from our hotel at 7:30 in the morning with the instruction “don’t eat breakfast”, and for the next 5 hours talked constantly as he introduced us to 40 dishes at local food stalls and restaurants. Many of the dishes had a history behind them, and through his food stories he explained how a local dumpling represents female equality, why one often sees a bride and groom being photographed at local landmarks, and the mystery of why some supermarkets keep Spam behind lock and key. Neville is evidently well-loved by the local community (particularly the children who run to him for a cuddle and for his overflowing wallet), his passion for Vietnam has stirred in Ben and I an obsession with Vietnamese food.

Some local dishes – wantons, white rose dumplings and fresh spring rolls

One of many ‘tasting plates’ on our food tour

Neville and the ‘Banh Mi Queen’

Neville and one of the local children

This 90-year-old woman loved having her photo taken with our tour group!

Unfortunately, the advance of Typhoon Haiyan directly towards central Vietnam cut our trip short and we had to fly down to Ho Chi Minh City to escape its path. (Luckily for Hoi An, Haiyan headed North at the last minute, and they were spared all but flooding and some landslides.) After easy-going Hoi An, HCMC was a return to the hustle-and-bustle we had experienced in Hanoi. One cannot walk down the street without being impeded by street sellers or the constant flow of motorbikes, the number of which is unsurprising given that you pay 200% VAT on cars here. Unlike Hanoi, this very Western (particularly French) influenced city is driven by capitalism, and is home to illuminated billboards, American fast-food chains and huge shopping malls.

Ho Chi Minh by day

… and Ho Chi Minh by night

Hotel-de-Ville, HCMC

Opera House, HCMC

Notre Dame cathedral, HCMC

Central post office, HCMC

Beyond its commercial veneer, however, HCMC Is home to ramshackle alleyways, local markets, a pagoda-studded Chinatown and plenty of museums. Most fascinating of these museums is the propagandist but powerful War Remnants museum, which houses displays of weapons and heartbreaking photographs of the victims of war. Also worth a visit is the Reunification Palace, which has been left just as it was on 30^th April 1975, when the conquering tanks of the communist troops crashed through its gates. Echoes of the war can also be found beyond Ho Chi Minh’s outskirts, particularly in the Cu Chi district, where visitors can access a part of the 300km tunnel network that the Viet Cong built to escape American bombs, transport supplies and trap enemies.

Re-unification Palace

War Remnants Museum

A trap for American soldiers, Cu Chi tunnels

An original entrance for the Cu Chi tunnels

Inside the Cu Chi tunnels (they have been widened for tourists!)

After a hectic few days in the city, we were ready for a break and headed up North to the small beach-town of Mui Ne. Now we are back in Ho Chi Minh and on Sunday will be crossing the border to Cambodia, where we will be working in Phnom Penh for 8 weeks. I will certainly miss many things about Vietnam, from its towel origami (see below) to its incredible Ca Phe Sua Da (iced coffee made with creamy, sweet condensed milk), but I am ready for the next part of our adventure.

The beach at Mui Ne (excuse the terrible short tan lines!)

Our hotel pool in Mui Ne

A big kid enjoying the rubber ring in the hotel pool!

Towel origami

We will miss Vietnamese food!

Hanoi and Halong Bay

Hanoi is defined by its traffic. Cars, taxis and more motorbikes than you can believe. 7 million people live in this city, all 7 million have motorbikes and all 7 million drive according to the following rules: do not stop for anything (just dodge round it), you can drive anywhere you like (including the pavement) and you must, absolutely MUST,  beep your horn at least once every ten seconds. Imagine if you took every person who travels on the underground, erased their knowledge of the highway code, put them on mopeds and let them simultaneously run riot on the streets of London. That is Hanoi.

Traffic in Hanoi

Getting a haircut alongside the motorbikes!

As a consequence, the first challenge any tourist must face is crossing the road. Having survived several days in this city without suffering a fatal accident, I feel qualified to share some advice on this matter. First, wait for a break in the traffic. No, nothing that would qualify as a break in England (you would be waiting forever), but a gap of one to two seconds that will allow you step off the pavement. Two, walk directly across the road at a steady pace and in one direction. Drivers will not stop, but they will skilfully avoid you. Three, never ever look directly at the traffic. It will scare you witless to see hundreds of vehicles bearing down on you. More importantly, if you look at a driver, he will regard this as a ‘surrender’ and, instead of moving out of your way, will expect you to move out of his.

Escape the traffic by Hoan Kiem lake

Enjoying a Bia Hoi!

Once we had mastered the technique of crossing the road, we were ready to explore Hanoi. It very soon became apparent that the magnitude of traffic reflects how vibrant and alive this city is. It is a city of polar opposites. Modern shops open all hours and traditional street-sellers carrying baskets. High-end restaurants and hundreds of street stalls with diners crammed into tiny, plastic blue chairs. Tourists and locals. It is a city that sells the cheapest beer in the world: Bia Hoi. Admittedly Bia Hoi isn’t regulated by any health agency, but this can be forgiven considering that a glass (roughly half a pint) costs 5000vnd or 15p. So that’s 3 pints for a £1. Luckily for travellers such as ourselves, it is also a city that is easy to find your way around – streets are often named after the produce they sell e.g. silk street, bamboo street, coffee street.

Ho Chi Minh mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh’s stilt-house

Ho Chi Minh museum

Hoa Lo prison

Memorial to Hoa Lo prisoners

Propoganda!

Hanoi is full of interesting sites to visit. First stop has to be the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Unfortunately the mausoleum is closed every October and doesn’t reopen until the day after we leave, but you can still visit Uncle Ho’s very frugal stilt house and the strange Ho Chi Minh museum. No clear, biographical information but rather absurd visual aids, such as the installation of giant fruit on a giant table that represents Ho’s teachings on the natural world. However, there are several excellent museums in the city, most notably the women’s museum and Ho Lao prison, built by French colonialists and later used by the Vietnamese in the Vietnam war. Before visiting any museum though, prepare yourself for a barrage of propaganda. In Hoa Lo prison in particular, visitors are repeatedly informed how terribly French colonialists treated the Vietnamese patriots imprisoned there. Yet in the short section about the Vietnam war, there are only staged photographs showing how well American pilots were treated at the hands of the Vietnamese – never mind that these pilots have since described suffering appalling conditions and horrific torture!

Our boat for the Halong Cruise

Our lovely cabin

Kayaking in Halong Bay

Kayaking in Halong Bay

Sunset over Bai Tu Long Bay

After a few days exploring the metropolis of Hanoi, with only a quick respite in the peaceful gardnes of the Temple of Literature, we were ready for a change and headed out on a 2 day tour of Halong Bay. This was the best part of our trip so far. We went with an excellent, eco-friendly tour company called Handspan. Not only did the cruise they offered look luxurious, it also visits Bai Tu Long Bay – Halong’s equally beautiful, unspoilt neighbour. Towering limestone kasts rise out of calm, blue waters and their majestic beauty ensure that this is one of the planet’s most spectacular sceneries. Over the two days, we enjoyed spending time with our fellow travellers, eating a 6-course lunch, a 6-course dinner and a huge brunch the following morning, kayaking and swimming. We were also given a chance to visit a fishing village, where people never leave their floating houses and children row to their floating school! After a wonderful and relaxing tour, we were sad about returning to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

The world’s most beautiful breakfast spot!

Floating house in the fishing village

‘Farming’ pearls in the fishing village

A new pearl!

After the peace and quiet of Halong Bay, we are very unprepared for the typhoon that is heading Vietnam’s way. Tonight we catch a night train to Hue, near the typhoon’s epicentre, so finger’s crossed that everything goes smoothly!