Singapore

Thanks to a recommendation from my good friend Katie, I think we must have stayed in the best location in Singapore: Arab Street. With a view of the majestic Sultan Mosque, Chris and I found ourselves showering to the sounds of the call to prayer! Our street was filled with Asian restaurants and all kinds of foods, shisha bars and interesting little boutique shops. Though we paid around 25 British pounds per night for our two dorm beds (we paid a maximum of 5pounds for a double room in India!), we were pleased with the whole set up, including our breakfast of toast and kaya (a kind of jam made from coconut, brown sugar and we forget what else...).

We arrived in a city fully decorated for Christmas feeling extremely tired after our 6am flight from Phuket to Bangkok then our later flight to Singapore (WHICH, incidentally, we were upgraded for and I am now such a convert and won't travel anything other than business, darling!) and trooped over to the hostel with our heavy backpacks - Chris is now at 30kg - wondering how on earth we have ended up with so much stuff!

Family friends of the Zimmermans, Kaye and John, happened to be in Singapore on business/holiday and we must have had the best welcome to the city anyone could have asked for! They took us for a Singapore Sling at the famous Raffles hotel - what a treat! - before treating us to more drinks and an amazing dinner. Thanks so much for a wonderful evening Kaye and John! It really was the best introduction to Singapore ever!

Wax figures depicting the last moments before

Singapore was taken in 1944,The Battle Box Museum

Despite being an incredibly expensive city to visit, especially after travelling around the rest of SE Asia, Singapore has so much to do that we were spoilt for choice. We went to a handful of museums including the National Museum, The Battle Box (the site of the British command during WW2 when Singapore was finally taken by the Japanese in 1944), The Vintage Toy Museum and The Museum of Asian Civilisations which detailed the histories of all countries in Asia - we both found this especially interesting.

We went to heaps of electronic malls in search of accessories for Chris’ netbook - well this was the excuse though I know we both rather enjoy checking out all the geeky things on sale. I even managed to get my hair cut for Singapore $8 (about 3 pounds!) at the Tony and Guy Academy! (Thanks again for tip, Katie - my hair was in dire need!).

Sinagapore is really easy for tourists to navigate thanks to its excellent and inexpensive public transport systems. In addition, people speaking English really helps! Singapore is in fact supposed to be one of the easiest cities for expats to move to. People are very friendly here too and jolly like in China.

I know Chris is going to wax lyrical about the food here and the hawker centres but it can’t be missed out from my blog. The food was AMAZING! SO much choice from so many different Asian cultures and mixes that you wouldn’t find in the countries themselves. I’ll let Chris continue on this theme because I just can’t do it justice!

All in all, though expensive and rather clinical in terms of your oh-so-many rules, Singapore, we lurve you!

Reflections on Thailand

I had always worried that Thailand would be over-rated. In my mind it was going to be full of 18 year olds throwing daddy’s money away on booze and all kinds of sleazy nightlife entertainment. I wondered really whether it would be my scene anymore!

The country and people that greeted me however surpassed the expectations I had of this country. The immediate friendliness and helpful nature of the people captures tourists in a little web of safety and happiness. You can see why they call this the country of smiles.

Bangkok itself is a wonderful city with loads to do: visit temples, take a boat ride or two, explore the local markets, sip cocktails from fancy rooftops, take a walk around the huge Lamphini Park, sample all kinds of Thai cuisine at all kinds of prices, or get it on in the backpacker ghetto on Koh San Road. The backpackers we met here were all older than 18 and, as seems to be the case with the people Chris and I tend to meet, couples in their late 20s/early 30s. There were also quite a few French families with children.

My favourite Thai dish has to be the simple Thai green curry; a delicious spicy coconutty dish that you can pour over rice. You can definitely get this back home so it’s going to be the thing I order for a while every time I go to a Thai resto in the future.

What did get to me, I have to admit, was the large number of white men in their 40s/50s with a young Thai girl on their arm. I’d heard all kinds of jokes concerning Thai brides in the past, but when you see these couples in such quantities… really, I didn’t like it. Sometimes, we’d go into a bar and the men would be drunk and rowdy and flirtatious and - ugh. Not nice. But the Thai girls indulge them! Is it the thought of security and money? An exotic lifestyle? Thailand isn’t an impoverished, developing country like India…What’s really in it for them? I can see why these men come here - the girls really are beautiful and in true Thai style, they say all the right things - they really are incredibly flattering and this must be great for an aging, single man from England or America. Hmmm.

We do regret not having had time to explore the North of Thailand. This area was on both of our lists and we initially wanted to spend around two weeks travelling around, trekking and enjoying what we expect is a somewhat more relaxed Thailand than the South. However, this was not to be - we had so many places to visit and sacrifices had to be made.

We instead headed south, staying put at the incredible Sri Panwa before indulging in some island hopping - Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phi Phi - with Adam. The tourists we ran into down south did tend to fall into the under 20s backpacker clan, and I guess it’s the nightlife and institutions such as Full Moon Party which summons them. Phuket, on our one and only night out there (we didn’t want to leave our luxurious villa more than that!) was crawling with the younger backpackers, as well as the dirty old men type I mentioned earlier.

Thailand really is special - we couldn’t have experienced a bigger contrast from India when we stepped off our plane in Bangkok and were greeted with a thousand smiles and kind words. We didn’t know what had hit us! We’ll definitely be back here. In fact…

Chris and I have already planned our return visit to Thailand and parts of Indochine for the time in the far future when we can afford a three week holiday! We plan to fly into Bangkok, heading to the North of Thailand for a week, exploring Chiang Mai and going on a few treks before crossing the border into Northern Laos and exploring there for a week. Finally we will cross into Northern Vietnam, visiting Sapa and going shopping in Hoi An in the middle of the country (we figure we may need some more suits by then!) before flying home. If anyone’s up for joining us for three weeks of backpacking and night buses, you’re very welcome - but it could be a few years away yet!

Koh Phi Phi

After a tearful goodbye to our fellow backpacker Adam at Sri Panwa
(some people have to work), we only just caught the next ferry to the
island of koh phi phi, in a classic chris-steph mad dash to the pier.
Phi Phi would be the last stop of our island hopping tour of southern
thailand. Steph and i were on really good form from an unexpected
christmas miracle. My parents asked us to emergency skype them, you
see, as soon as we got off the next ferry for some exciting news -
they have decided to fly out on boxing day to meet us in Sydney on the
28th of December, just in time for new years! We were thrilled to be
looking forward to seeing family (how incredible!) and this was a
really good antitdote to christmas homesickniss.

Now phi phi don island is one of thailand's top tourist destinations,
with very unique and picturesque beaches on either side of very thin
stretches of land. The fragile town in between was also one of the
hardest hit by the tsunami. After about two years to the day, it's
very aparent that phi phi has been lucky to bounce back in a big way.
The island is filled again with restaurants, bars and backpacker
hotels that were all booked up, and triple in price! We were lucky to
find a remote set of bungalows up on a hill with distant views of the
sea from our balcony. Besides diving, eating, drinking and bech
bumming, there is one thing left to do on phi phi that almost every
tourist does - take a boat tour out to the even more remote islands in
the area. So we set off on a full day island hopping cruise of remote
islands with lots of sun an snorkling. We even visited koh phi phi ley
which is the island from Alex Garland's 'The Beach' (from the film of
Leonardo di Caprio fame).

Unfortunately there was a bit too much sun and I managed to get a
little burned on my shoulders, and the amphibious 'scuba steph' was
still getting used to life back above water. But all in all we were
enjoying our last days on the thai backpacker trail. So we decided to
celebrate and went out for one last night on the town.

We found a Maui Thai boxing ring and then went to a classic beach bar
party that always includes buckets and fire jumping. Here's to our
next stop - Singapore !

Kids Thai Boxing

Trademarks of Sri Panwa Resort (Paradise)

What makes Sri Panwa deservant of a reputation as one of the most
thoughtful and client-attentive hotels?

• The efficient fleet of free tuktuk transports guests all across the vertical slopes of villas.
• Guards saluting with a smile, instead of 'wan' or wave.
• Infinity pools are standard with each villa and the floorplan is blessed with plenty of open, outdoor living areas. Btw - It is possible to jump from your bed into your pool... [link]
• Your pool must compete for attention because the treehouse pool is great for isolated and quiet morning sun, while the 25 meter infinity pool at the pool club is a delightful place to enjoy a drink in the afternoon.

• There is an importance placed on setting the right tones through music - you'll find your playlists playing in each room when you arrive.
• Rooms are outfitted with iPods, Bose systems, and remote speakers in each room. Customized playlists for each of your relaxed moods. Your lounge music, your bossa nova, your sunset.
• Programable mood lighting under beds and from every nook and cranny.

• Your own Nespresso machine, as well as an instant coffee/tea kettle.
• A complimentary fridge has more beverages than you could consume before it is replenished by housekeeping the next day like magic.
• The rest of your kitchen is stocked with carefully selected items like 'mama cup' instant noodles and fish and chips flavored crisps.

• Thoughts on sleep are left in the way of famous qoutes on sleeping on your pillow each night, along with a seashell.
• An exotic fruit bowl with a small guide to what the four fruits of the day may be.
• There is also a homemade guide to who your aquatic neighbors are in the cape down below.
• Villa extras may include a sauna, hot tub or guest quarters.

• Privacy has been maintained very efficiently.

• If you are ready to venture from your villa, their are rewards without leaving the panwa grounds. Baba lounge glows in a seductive light beneath what might be a thousand individual bulbs.

• There is a library and DVD catologue room back at the reception lounge, should you need yet another reason to feel perfectly at home.
• A private beach with a long jetty where you can borrow snorkles to explore some deeper depths.
• The outer tables of the pool club terrace seem to float on the brink of a waterfall into the sea.

Signposts in Thailand - Same Same, but...

Scuba certified!

One of the activities Chris and I had decided to do at some stage during 'the big adventure' was diving; Chris had only ever done an adventure dive around 10 years ago while I have never even been scuba diving so we were both excited to do a professional course. We also knew that Thailand was one of the best and cheapest places on the planet to try diving and do an Open Water Course. Koh Tao, just above Koh Pha Ngan, was apparently one of the best and this is where we headed after the excitement of the Full Moon Party.

With our Christmas money from my Mum, Dad and Grandma we were able to sign up for a course that included accommodation and even food. A great deal for us bargain-hunting backpackers!

Adam, already certified to Advanced level, was also able to get in on the accommodation deal so it worked out well for the three of us.

While Adam went diving, Chris and I were put in a group of eight people from all over Europe and worked in groups of four underwater with our two instructors.

Chris and I LOVED DIVING! We truly loved it. Also, I must admit rather geekily, I enjoyed being back in the classroom learning again! I love learning. So even the theory work I enjoyed. Furthermore I can geekily report that we both scored 100% on the final exam. Not that it was easy or anything.

As for the actual underwater 'tests', we were a little more towards the bottom of the class! My absolute least favourite task was when we had to take the air regulator out of our mouths for a few seconds before putting it back in again. Very scary when the water goes in your mouth and you know you've to breathe in again soon! Chris on the other hand really felt anxious when we had to take our masks off - not only could we not see, but our noses were out in the water and we were both scared we would subconsciously try to breathe in through our noses while they were out in the sea! Chris used up nearly all his air during this test.

Despite these fears, we overcame the challenges and thoroughly enjoyed our four dives. We saw some very colourful and exciting fish and coral and it made me want to watch the film 'Finding Nemo' again (which, incidentally, Chris has never seen! A crime...).

If you're backpacking and want to try diving, definitely go to Koh Tao - it's the cheapest place we've found so far with lots of great dive sights and lots of choice between dive shops.

Thank you so much Mum, Dad and Grandma for this opportunity!

Full Moon Party

Described by many as the largest party in the world, Koh Pha Ngan’s famous monthly Full Moon Party isn’t exactly everybody’s cup of tea. Personally, I was sceptical. Did I really want to spend the night listening to trance music with a bunch of 18 year old Brits full of ‘Gap Year’ confidence, inebriated through either alcohol or drugs? Not particularly. I was expecting the worst, if I’m honest.

This party has a reputation for being the biggest booze up this side of the planet and backpackers are highly likely to be robbed here on this night. In preparation, Chris, Adam and I spent a day depositing all of our worldly possessions - bar a few pairs of undies and a change of clothes for the few days we‘d be spending on Ko Pha Ngan - with one of Adam’s friends on a whole different island, Koh Samui!

Haad Salad beach, Koh Pha Ngan

We managed to find some great huts on a somewhat secluded beach - we were pleased about this as we intended to stay as far away as possible from the festivities when the night finally came. The days leading up to Full Moon were spent reading in our hammocks and generally relaxing.

Island Hopping!

The night finally came and we joined the other party-goers in the back of a Songtail for the 40 minute drive to the party over the incredibly steep mountains. I am pleased to report that the night was incredible. We managed to steer clear of the drunken mess that undoubtedly occurred elsewhere on the beach and just danced the night away with our new friends (staying in the same huts as us) to cheesy dance music. We even bumped into the Canadian couple Jeff and Madeline who Chris and I had spent some time with in Vietnam! This was a great surprise and it was fab to meet up with them again randomly! We especially enjoyed the net which we climbed up to reach a fun slide back down to the beach!

The beach was packed and absolutely buzzing with atmosphere. Apparently it was one of the bigger turn-outs with around 30 000 people there! All the way down the beach people were dancing and drinking from buckets and dancing some more - what a great atmosphere. We finally left at 6am after a wonderful night of none stop dancing and lots of fun.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Menu

Butterball Turkey

(from Baba's kitchen)

Stove Top Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce with Thai Chili & Green Tangerine

Creamy Mash with Chives

Corn on the Cob

Garden Beans with Toasted Cashews & Green Tangerine Dressing

Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy American Gravy

Dark English Gravy

-

California Zinfandel

Thanks to our mini kitchen, the villa assistant Porn, the chefs at Baba for cooking the turkey, and our gracious host Wan for helping us pull off a Thanksgiving feast on the other side of the world.

We held an amazing 'Sri Panwa' family dinner for 10 people and two dogs - way more food than I ever thought possible.

It was one of Steph's and my favorite Thanksgiving and anniversary dinners.