South East Asian Persuasions

The following is a general list of the things we wish we had known while travelling through South East Asia…  T.A.T. (Tourism Authority of Thailand) Lots of tuk-tuk drivers around Bangkok may well start boasting to you about this oh-so grand organisation called the TAT. They will excitedly explain how the TAT is there to support you, the poor lost tourist. They may even claim it was put into operation by the King himself!… to promote tourism and put an end... Read More

Korea Welcomes Us!

FINALLY in KOREA & it’s hit, this is real, I am here for a year?! AHHH. good news, the people are fantastic, already had a night out with everyone from Orientation and even better news I got a cell phone today (which USA can call for free!), bank accountant, debit card, and the toilets here wipe for you. In Korea… the present meets the Jetsons and going to the bathroom is quite the experience. Firstly, you enter and go what the hell is that? Is there a TV in... Read More

Singapore Flashpacking

CaptionFlashpacking!CaptionClarke QuayCaptionClarke QuayCaptionChinese Lanterns lining the streetsCaptionChinatownCaptionYello JelloCaptionThe ClinicCaptionTV?! Complimentary dressing gowns?! Coffee pot?!PreviousNext After 96 days of backpacking on a tight budget we decided to let the purse strings go a little for our final 24 hours in Singapore. The freedom of backpacking was nearing its end before leaving for our more settled existence in Korea. We booked ourselves into... Read More

Fort Canning: The Battle Box

Our first stop-off in Singapore was Fort Canning, a smallish park in the centre of Singapore.  Fort Canning is a brief walk north of Clarke’s Quay, right in the heart of Singapore’s bustling business centre. It’s a welcome break from the city streets with a Spice Garden, Fort Gate & Wall, & the impressive Fort Canning Centre that use to be British Army barracks. The park’s name is owed to the British fort that was positioned here during... Read More

Hostel vs. 4 Stars!

Singapore brings along a swell of emotions. Our tour through South East Asia finishes here. I am packing up in 2 days and moving to some strange land of chopsticks and will be the most ‘settled’ I have ever been, & having a job longer then I’ve ever been in one before. This whole ‘teaching’ thing is actually happening, not something so far in future that it’s pointless to think about anymore. Oh, yea I’ve also lasted a year in my... Read More

Singapore: An atrocious arrival to civilization

We arrived at the Singapore border control by bus from Melaka with high hopes. We were finally to enter an advanced civilisation, an economic powerhouse, a multicultural metropolitan ranked with the best in the world… & most importantly, TOILET SEATS!! Singapore was by far the most developed & westernised port of call on our journey, a far cry from the majority of the places we had been before. We had left the poverty-stricken north & had descended into the... Read More

CIVILIZIED Singapore

After 3 months of breaking down buses, hole stricken mosquito nets, searching for a bottle of water so I can brush my teeth, and the constant bargaining and haggling of prices from shirts and jewelry to cab rides and tours and food- we have found civilization! I am a little bit surprised. 1. We can drink water out of the TAP! A restaurant today actually served me a glass of water upon being seated?! 2. Customer Service exists. We got our meal in less than 30 minutes! 3. NO strays... Read More

Melaka with Mr Tea

With KL sufficiently done & dusted we left on the relatively short bus journey south to Melaka. A mere two hours on the bus & we had arrived in Melaka with another 10 minute bus ride to the centre where we were supposed to meet our new Couchsurfing host Mr Tea… please note Mr TEA, not Mr T. Small Chinese Malaysian man, not 300 pound brick shit house with a darker complexion than an eclipse!    Dutch influence   Melaka is a cultural hotspot in... Read More

Taman Negara to Petronas Towers: From Flip Flops to Fighting

We left Kuala Tahan, the base village for Taman Negara we had been staying in, on the first local bus of the day at 6.30am. We had actually been roped into purchasing a return ticket from the untrustworthy travel company we used to get to Kuala Tahan from Kuala Tembling,… but after finding out the local bus was one tenth of the price we opted for the latter option accompanied by a refund… uh thank you very much! Kuala Tembling is the largest town... Read More

Kuala Lumpur – Couchsurfing the Capital

We had a relaxing final day on the Perhentians with little to write home about before setting sail for the mainland the next morning to get the earliest bus to Kuala Lumpur. We JUST made it in time for the morning bus to KL. The ‘highly intelligent’ boat companies had come to the inexplicable conclusion that the ONLY boats leaving in the morning should dock at Kuala Besut at the EXACT time the ONLY morning bus to KL was leaving…especially clever considering... Read More