Month: November 2021

Siem Reap

Sieam Reap

Siem Reap lies in northwestern Cambodia and is a popular resort town and a gateway to the Angkor region. Siem Reap today - being a popular tourist destination - has a large number of hotels, resorts, restaurants and businesses closely related to tourism. This is much owed to its proximity to the Angkor temples, the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia.

Pub Street - the central entertainment area in Siem Riep.

Having a delicious lunch at a local restaurant outdoors.

View of the Pub Street.

Getting to Cambodia

After coming back from Chiang Mai, I stayed one night at a friend’s place in Bangkok before going on a journey to Cambodia to visit the famous Angkor temples. I’ve known about the temples for a long time and also heard stories about Cambodia from a friend who’s already been there, so for me this would be a dream come true. My imagination was fired. The ruins of the temples lie close to the modern city of Siem Reap in the north-western part of Cambodia. The easiest way to get there is by plane, e.g. via the Air Asia airline. I decided to stay on land and take the train from Bangkok, something that retrospectively turned out to be an adventurous, but also more strenuous experience. I don’t regret doing it, but if I was to do it again, I would definitely take the flight.

The train from Bangkok goes to Aranya Prathet station which lies only 3.8 miles (6.1 kilometers) before the Cambodia-Thai border. It’s the end station on the Thai side and the rest of the journey needs to continue on the Cambodian roads. But the first challenge was to get to the border and cross it. Already while getting off the train on the tracks you are confronted by folks trying to get you on their (probably overpriced) tuk tuks, as the border is still a few miles away. With my big backpack I felt very exposed as a tourist, but I sticked to my rule of not accepting any services until I get out of the station and find the ‘legitimate’ tuk tuk spots from where to go. So that’s what I did. I passed the station in front of which many tuk tuk drivers were waiting for the passengers to take them to the border. I got on one very quickly and for 80 baht (which seemed a reasonable price to me) I was taken down the long main road to the checkpoints.

Once I got off, I still needed to pass a few hundred meters on foot through what seemed to be a huge market place. The only way was straight to the checkpoint, but the sides were lined up by many sale stalls and there was traffic everywhere. It was a crowded and noisy place and walking on your own as a westerner with a backpack felt a bit intimidating, especially because people might fight for your attention trying to sell you stuff or offer some visa services which you don’t need. You just move on and ignore the rest. Thank goodness I used Google Maps and researched the trip before, so I knew where to go.

Everything nearby the border looked like regular sale stalls, even the official buildings, so it was very easy to miss the actual visa office which was the place where I needed to obtain my visa before proceeding to the checkpoint. Once I got there, I got my visa for $30 and then carried on to the crossing. Even there it was confusing as the international tourists needed to walk up the stairs and inside the building to meet the officials. I didn’t realize that fist, so I stayed on the street and tried to go straight through until someone started to shout at me. First I ignored him, as I thought it’s just one of those misleading fraudsters. But as he was very persistent, I realised he was just trying to show me the right way. So I gladly followed, went up and inside the building to queue at the right spot where I could finally check out from Thailand and into Cambodia. Then, outside and after another few meters I stopped at a Cambodian desk (it just looked so provisional) and entered into the Cambodian territory. Another few meters and I passed under an archway made in the style of Angkor temples. Now I knew I really made it through. I was in Cambodia!

But my journey wasn’t over yet. I still needed to find the transport to get me another 3 hours to Siem Reap. As I researched the trip, I knew that after another few meters (yes, it was a lot of walking) there would be a roundel from which a bus was supposed to take passengers further on their journey. I was approached by a guy who kept talking to me, and I thought it was a fraudster, so I was ignoring him. Yet, once I reached the roundel and wondered whether there was a coach to take me further, the guy approached me again and pointed out the way. So again, it was a case of someone trying to help me, and in my distrust of fraudsters I needed a while to realise that is was legitimate. But hey... you need to stay alert and vigilant in such situations - better safe than sorry.

Two Polish girls went inside the coach, and as I speak Polish too, I felt more encouraged and relieved that I might have finally found the means of transport to take me directly to Siem Reap. I exchanged some words with the girls and felt much more safe. My loneliness was over for a time. The bus took us not far away to another local bus station where we waited again for a smaller shuttle bus which then took us on the Cambodian roads to our destination. With a small break in between at a local store where we could use the toilet in exchange for buying something (yes, they try to make money with you whenever they can), we continued through the flat landscape of Cambodian fields until we arrived in Siem Reap in late afternoon.

 

Pub Street in the centre of Siem Reap

Pub Street in the centre of Siem Reap.

From a common point where we arrived they offered us a taxi ride to our hotels for extra money, which made sense to me, but some people wanted to be taken directly and not pay anything extra. So there were some initial discussions and haggling about how much to pay, as the drivers wanted more dollars than what we were willing to pay. I joined the Polish girls and the driver wanted, as far as I remember, 5 or 6 dollars from each of us which was totally expensive compared to what we read about the legitimate rates. We talked the price down a bit, and once we all agreed, we were taken to our places one by one. Finally, I arrived at my hotel in the center of Siem Reap and was absolutely relieved and happy that I made it. Retrospectively, it all became a fun and exciting memory, but if you just wanted to get from A to B, the whole trip on land was too much hassle to go through. On my way back to Bangkok I definitely took the flight, as the thought of going through all those different stages again was too overwhelming.

Riding the streets of Siem Reap.

Bats in Royal Independence Gardes in Siem Reap.

On the streets in Siem Reap towards Angkor Wat.

View of the

View of the swimming pool at my hotel. It was mostly empty of people.

Hubi's feet at De Sonyn Boutique hotel in Cambodia

Hanging out with my feet out. It was hot!

The Phare circus is slowly filling with viewers.

A relaxed hangout after the performance.

During the circus performance.

The end of the show.

Exploring Siem Reap

Siem Reap had a small town feeling, just like Chiang Mai in Thailand. In fact, I found those two cities very similar. I spent in Siem Reap 5 nights and was renting a bike on a regular basis to explore the city in a relaxed way. There was a traffic of motorbikes everywhere on the streets. Very quickly I noticed that everything was incredibly cheap. For dinner I usually spent around 3-4 dollars. Everywhere there were cool bars and restaurants and awesome places to hang out in the evenings or at night. I was on my own, but I imagine being with a group of friends could have made the experience in this town so much more fun.

I remember dining at the first small bar opposite my hotel. I stayed very central at De Sonyn Boutique hotel at Taphul Road. From there it took me only three streets further south to Pub street, the center of Siem Reap and the ultimate party mile of the town. Also not far away by the small Siem Reap river there was the Royal Independence Gardens, a bit of greenery in a city full of traffic. There I spotted vast numbers of bats hanging from the trees during the day. It was a weird, but very compelling and mesmerizing sight.

 

De Sonyn Boutique hotel on Taphul Road

The back yard with the swimming pool at De Sonyn Boutique hotel.

Coming out of the park I crossed the river, turned straight left and rode for a while along the River Road north, and eventually arrived at The 1961 Coworking Space and Art Space. I wanted to do some work during my travels, so I regularly researched coworking spaces whenever I went. I found one such spot in Siem Reap and it was The 1961 Coworking Space. In a calm area away from the noise and business of the town I entered the place and was greeted by a lovely girl. The complex actually consisted of two buildings: the actual coworking space in form of a long room with desks, and a two-floor art space building right next to it. The space was empty for a reason I don’t remember any more, but for 5 dollars I could use the desks in the coworking space for the entire day. So I did. The girl also showed me around in the adjacent art space. We exchanged contact details and I left with a good feeling of having done something constructive and having made great new traveling acquaintance.

I took it easy on my very first day. The whole purpose was to visit the Angkor Wat ruins, but I didn’t want to rush there straight on the next day. So I took some time to settle down, eat and drink, explore the surroundings and gain some overall impression of the city life. Later during my stay I visited Phare, the Cambodian Circus which was located west of the city centre. It’s a locally famous youth circus show staged by young acrobats who train for many years to be able to perform. It’s a good thing as the circus allows many young people to escape poverty or have some new perspectives in life at such a young age in a country which is still only slowly developing and recovering from the horrors of its own past. I enjoyed the show a lot and had a really nice chat with a local man sitting next to me who gave me some background information about the performance, the youth and the country in general. I definitely recommend Phare, the Cambodian Circus.

On the third day I finally decided to visit the Angkor Wat ruins. The Big Day has arrived!

Some impressions of the 1961 Coworking Space in Siem Reap.

A gallery shop next to the co-working space.

The view from my desk at the co-working space.

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Angkor Temples

Angkor Temples

Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer Empire. It houses the magnificent Angkor Wat, one of Cambodia's popular tourist attractions. The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland near modern-day Siem Reap city. The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument.

Visiting the site of angkor

Although I rented a bicycle in Siem Reap quite often, for the temples I decided to rent a tuk tuk driver who would drive me around. As this was organised from my hotel, I trusted the service. From the center of Siem Reap to the famous Angkor Wat temple it’s roughly 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) and I knew it would be very tiresome to ride that distance on a bicycle on such a hot day. Using a service that drives you around was a tempting option. Besides, I hardly saw any cyclists in Siem Reap, to be honest, and the traffic didn’t seem to encourage that. So I booked a tuk tuk tour.

There were 2 types of tours: the small circuit for 15 dollars and the big circuit for 18 dollars. I chose the small circuit, as I would visit the main temples I wanted to see which I considered enough for the day.

I was picked up from my hotel in the morning and we drove through the city north. First, I needed to buy a ticket that gave me access to all the temples for a period of 3 days, so we drove to the Angkor pass ticket counters in the east of Siem Reap. Once I bought the ticket, we continued back and northwards on the Charles de Gaulle avenue through the rainforest towards the first station of my tour: the Angkor Wat temple.

 

Angkor Wat temple

Approaching the famous Angkor Wat temple complex.

Hubi in Tuk Tuk in CambodiaChilling inside the tuk tuk.

angkor wat

Angkor Wat lies on a small square island, surrounded by a water reservoir. The main bridge and gateway lies on the western side of the island. My tuk tuk stopped just before the bridge, a place which is surrounded by many sale stalls and restaurants. There were many crowds and lots of traffic around the main gates to Angkor Wat which gave you a clue about how famous the temple has become. I was free to move around and come back whenever I wanted. The tuk tuk driver would be waiting for me at a designated area and I had the whole day ahead of me. So I jumped straight onto the bridge and made my way slowly towards the temple complex.

I was very excited. That’s one of those rare moments in life when you are at a special place that you might visit probably just once in your whole life. I crossed the gateway and was still halfway on the main road towards the temple entrance. You quickly realize the sheer size of the whole plateau. It was May and the heat was merciless. I took out my SLR camera, but my lens got steamed up due to heat and humidity. The photos looked pale and foggy, so for a while I had to use my iphone camera only.

At some point I entered the temple and passed through the corridor until I arrived in the inner yard. The whole temple complex is huge. You need good 2 hours to experience the place properly. I proceeded around the inner square clockwise. On the eastern side of the inner yard I climbed on a higher level and moved into the inner temple - the central place of Angkor Wat from which you had a great view of the surrounding and especially of the main road and gates that lead to the temple from the west. The view is amazing, and so is the temple itself. One forgets easily that it’s basically ruins. I can only imagine how impressive the entire place must have been when it was used for its actual purpose by the state and priests hundreds of years ago.

There’s ornate images of various figures and patterns in many places on the walls within the temple and on its outside walls in various galleries and corridors - who knows what kind of stories these pictures are telling.


On the go by Tuk Tuk.

angkor thom

I slowly made my way back through the temple and onto the main avenue back to my tuk tuk driver. It was time to visit another amazing place. We drove straight northwards into the rainforest and towards the Angkor Thom temple. It’s a complex with lots of towers in the shape of faces and already from afar the structure looked highly elaborate. We stopped at the eastern entrance. I entered passing a small statue of the Buddha. The temple is well structured, but from inside it feels very labyrinthine.

To be honest, while walking around the complex appeared much bigger than from outside. You can walk around towers and the inner yard of the central Bayon temple and also step down on a lower level on the edges of the square plateau which has chambers and spaces hidden in shadows. You can have some peaceful breaks and find shelter from the heat. There’s something mysterious surrounding the temple and it can definitely hold up in comparison to Angkor Wat.


Approaching Angkor Thom.


On the way to Ta Keo.

TA KEO

After finishing the second temple tour around Angkor Thom I felt already tired, although I considered myself quite fit. And there were still three more temples for me to see! This was supposed to be the small circuit, but the hot southeast asian sun started to show its impact. But never mind, a bit of tiredness shouldn’t discourage me from experiencing those amazing places, the reason why I actually came here. We continued to Ta Keo, a much less famous Hindu temple ruin in pyramid shape located a 10-minute drive east of Angkor Thom.

I passed through the walls of the square plateau and from there you could go up the stairs which lead from 4 directions to the top of the temple. Climbing up would be a better description, as the stone stairs were very steep. I saw a guy running up very quickly and was amazed that he didn’t trip. I took my time to enjoy the scenery of the thick forest surrounding the structure and sat down on the stones once I got to the top level. I needed a break to enjoy the halftime of this entire temple tour.

Inside the central tower at the top platform of Ta Keo there was a chamber with a very high ceiling and a square hole in it through which light was coming in from outside. It looked very majestic and I took a nice panorama photo of the interior. Then I climbed down and returned to my driver to continue a few minutes further south towards Ta Phrom temple. And this temple turned out to be another big highlight of the day.

TA phrom

The driver left me in front of a wall with an entrance in the form of a face, looking just like one of those from the temple of Angkor Thom. I showed my ticket to the guard and passed the gateway into a forest alley. It was a short 5-minute walk through the thick forest to reach the entrance to the temple, but it was an exciting walk. You really feel like an explorer in the jungle who is going to uncover some mystery lying depp in the woods. While walking on the path, there was a musician playing some local music somewhere halfway on the path, so I could hear the sounds coming from a distance which greatly contributed to the mood of exploration and mystery.

The temple itself appears much bigger from inside than when looking at it from above on Google Maps. I could easily tell that the whole complex is basically ruins. The stones lie separately on the ground, there’s a lot of rubble and stone debris around the impressive buildings which also look old and crumbly. There were crowds of tourists everywhere, so although the place is very reclusive, it doesn’t really feel like that because of the people. I followed the tourist tracks inside the temple through inner courtyards, niches and rooms, and it all appeared very messy and labyrinthine.

As the buildings are reclaimed by the forest and overgrown with trees, the whole surroundings look a bit otherworldly. There was one very picturesque spot inside the temple walls with a huge tree growing out of the roof of a building where many tourists were taking pictures. It gave you a good impression of the whole place in one shot - an ancient, run-down sanctuary lost in the jungle, hidden from the world, forgotten by the people and only rediscovered in our modern times.

Ta Prom temple 1

I spent quite some time at Ta Phrom as the whole complex is gorgeous and you can lose yourself in the multitude of spaces, galleries, corridors and courtyards. I wandered in a circle so that eventually I returned the same way I arrived which is through the beautiful forest alley with the music playing in the background. I left this magical place enriched with new experience that I will never forget. I hope it wasn’t just a one time visit and that I’ll be back one day to refresh my memory of this absolutely mind-boggling place.

Ta Prom temple 2

BANTEAY KDEI

Now it was time to explore the last temple of the tour. The Banteay Kdei temple lies very close to Ta Phrom. We drove southeast on the road and arrived opposite a big rectangular water reservoir called Srah Srang. On the other side of the road to the west was a wall with the entrance just like the one leading to Ta Phrom. Once I passed it, there was a forest path leading to the temple. The whole experience was very similar to that from Ta Phrom. I walked on the path and there were sale stalls lining up on the left side of the road. They shouted at me trying to catch my attention as they wanted me to pop by. I actually bought a coconut juice there as I was thirsty and craved for some sweet refreshment.

When I arrived at the first temple building, which looked very crumbly, I took a photo of my backpack and the coconut with the temple in the background. I just found this place so picturesque. The rest of the sightseeing was similar to Ta Phrom - an old and complex temple area with lots of rubble, niches, rooms, corridors and galleries to walk around.

Banteay Kdei

I took many photos, filmed some videos and returned to my driver passing the sale stalls on the forest path. I felt my experience for the day was complete and I was ready to return to Siem Reap and back to my hotel. I needed some well-deserved rest. In front of the hotel I paid the driver 18 instead of 15 dollars, so actually the price for the big circuit tour. I wanted to give him a tip and felt that giving that bit extra for the whole day service would be a good thing to do. After some retreat into my room I relaxed on the veranda in front of the hotel and let my memory review the amazing experience of the day. I realized the objective for my stay in Cambodia, so I could take it easy and relax for the remaining days ahead before my return to Bangkok.

On the 5th day I took a tuk tuk to the airport and flew away leaving behind this fascinating town with its magical temple ruins that have now become a part of me. It was time for a very short break in Bangkok before proceeding to a new adventure in southern Thailand!


Testing Snapchat in the ruins.

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Hanoi

Hanoi

Hanoi is Vietnam's capital and second largest city by population. It is sometimes dubbed the "Paris of the East" for its French influences. With its tree-fringed boulevards, more than two dozen lakes and thousands of French colonial-era buildings, Hanoi is a popular tourist destination.

First impressions of Hanoi.

Further impressions of Hanoi.

Approaching the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

Old Quarter

I stayed in Old Quarter, the heart and historical epicentre of action around the lake of Ho Hoan Kiem. This area is bustling with shops, bars, entertainment and lots of traffic. You can lose yourself walking around in the crowded streets which is the first thing I did after settling down in the hostel.

Remarkable building at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

There’s lots of picturesque landmarks you can find in the Old Quarter. Drink a coffee at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square. You’ll find there the legend beer in a curiously looking building with a nice view over the square and the neighbouring lake.

From there you can walk along the lake towards the Ngoc Son temple, a complex of buildings on a little island on the lake. To get there cross the red bridge and enjoy the temple with its lovely pagoda, a place to relax at. From a distance and any direction you’ll see the turtle tower on a little patch of land arising from the water on the opposite site.

From the western part of the lake it’s not far away to St. Joseph’s cathedral, the city's oldest church that looks similar to Notre Dame in Paris. It’s a great place for tourists with a small square right in front of the cathedral. On the side of the square I found the Chien hostel with a rooftop bar. I asked at the reception and could go up and from the very top capture the view of the cathedral and the nearby surroundings. I really recommend that area to stay at if you come to visit Hanoi.

A 10 minute walk away to the north from the lake you can visit the Quan Chuong City Gate, an 18th century city gate and watch tower. To be honest, I thought this to be bigger and more exciting than it was. Perhaps I expected a big palace ruin or something. But it was basically just a section of some old walls. Nice to see if you stroll around, but I wouldn’t plan my day around it to see it at all costs. But still, a nice bonus place to visit. Btw. I lost a control button from my camera rig while walking around that area. That’s why I remember the place more clearly than I perhaps normally would.

Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

Enjoying the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

On the streets of Hanoi (commentary 1).

On the streets of Hanoi (commentary 2).

Egg coffee at the cafe A99.

Train Street

A major attraction in Hanoi is the railway that goes through the city centre between very narrow and small streets. Residents have literally trains running past their door steps a few times during the day. And it has become a sort of an attraction for tourists as the residents in some spots can offer food and refreshment on rails during the hours before a train passes. I’ve been at least to two such spots. One was the cafe A99 on the western edge of the Old Quarter, a very lovely spot with an upper floor overlooking the rails right opposite a gorgeous and colourful mural. I’d say it’s a little secret place where to sit, relax and have a delicious egg coffee.

Another one was south of the central station Ga Ha Noi. It took a while to get there on foot, but it was worth it. I sat there with some fellow backpackers and we enjoyed the great local street scenery sitting comfortably on rails, just hanging out and enjoying being lost in this very special city.

You can find a few other spots throughout the city where you can walk on rails, but some of them are already closed to trespassers. I can easily imagine many reasons for doing that, so that’s okay. Safety and peace for the residents should have priority.

Enjoying the relaxed, urban vibes of the Train Street.

Mausoleum & City Park

What you shouldn’t miss while visiting Hanoi is the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the last resting place of the key figure of the modern republic of Vietnam which politically and ideologically is a communist country. The mausoleum is surrounded by a big park in which you could spend some time relaxing. You cannot take pictures inside the mausoleum itself. It’s heavily guarded by soldiers in white uniforms. But you can definitely catch a glimpse of Ho Chi Minh solemnly lying in state. The mental picture will stay with you forever.

After getting outside again you can spend the rest of your time walking in the park nearby and see the One Pillar Pagoda, a reconstructed, iconic small buddhist temple that was originally erected in 1049. Very long ago. It’s designed to resemble a lotus blossom.

Photobombing a couple in a traditional outfit.

The Temple Of Literature

What I surprisingly enjoyed was the temple of literature just south of the mausoleum. It’s a Confucian temple dedicated to Confucius himself, sages and scholars, and consists of landscaped courtyards, altars and shrines, and an imposing front gate. It was a pleasure walking around there with my two backpacker friends and getting lost within the walls of this very long, spacious complex of ancient buildings that were originally built in 1070. Very old indeed.

At the entrance to the temple.

Inside the citadel complex.

Imperial Citadel

Between the governmental district with the mausoleum and the Old Quarter you can make your way to the Thăng Long Imperial citadel complex with 11th-century buildings and sculptures and from there to Kinh Thien, a historic fort and former royal residence.

The royal enclosure was first built in 1010 and subsequently expanded by the subsequent 2 royal dynasties. It remained the seat of the Vietnamese court until 1810, when the Nguyễn dynasty chose to move the capital to Huế. The ruins roughly coincide with the Hanoi Citadel today and it was fun to walk around there and take some pictures with the two friends I met there.

Posing in front of a citadel tower.

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Ko Tao

Ko Tao

Ko Tao is an island in Thailand on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It's one of Thailand's most popular tourist spots. The island is well known for scuba diving and snorkelling, as well as hiking, rock climbing, and bouldering.

Departure dock for Ko Tao.

Nang Yuan at Ko Tao.

ARRIVAL on the island

After coming back from Cambodia and a one-day stop in Bangkok I was joined by my local friend Jeff and we went together to southern Thailand visiting two islands of the Chumphon Archipelago. We decided to take the sleeper train in the evening from the central station Hua Lamphong in Bangkok.

The sleeper train went south and arrived in the city of Chumphon in southern Thailand before dawn. We were notified by the conductor upon arrival, left the train and waited at the station for the coach to pick us up. While waiting, the station staff set up provisional tables and unfolded chairs so that passengers could order and eat some food at really cheap prices. It felt great to be awake so early in the morning lost somewhere in Thailand with a good friend on a journey to another exciting destination. Chumphon is a transit hub for visitors travelling to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, mainly Ko Tao, Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Samui. We were heading for Ko Tao, the smallest of the three main islands.

We got into the coach and drove for over an hour towards the ferry pier. I remember looking through the window and enjoying the sight of palm tree forests and rural landscapes passing by in front of my eyes. It was a very relaxed drive and by the time we arrived at the pier it was already bright. After queuing for a while we walked calmly upon the wooden floor of the long pier and boarded the ferry. I will never forget the long moments on sea on the way to Koh Tao. I was so happy. We listened to some inspirational music while all around us there was only water and the distant shadows of scattered islands in the background all over the sea. That’s what I call adventure. The breeze was fresh, but not cold. I felt very blissful.

Ko Tao is a very small island and has only one main pier where tourists board the ferrys. While approaching the main island we first stopped at the deck of Koh Nang Yuan. That’s a set of two very picturesque small islands just a few hundred meters off the coast of Ko Tao connected with each other by a thin stripe of sandy land. The sky was blue, the waters were clear, and the surroundings looked like a paradise. I was in awe.

We finally disembarked at our new destination and made our way slowly to the Koh Tao Royal Resort, a camp of bungalows along a hill hidden among trees. The reception area was by the beach a 5-10 minute walk south of the main pier. There was an open dining area from where you could jump straight onto the beach right in front of the resort. We checked in and walked the path up to our bungalow.

On the pier in Chumphon - taking the ferry to Ko Tao.

A view from a ferry on the way to Ko Tao.

Arriving at the Nang Yuan island off the coast of Ko Tao.

Hanging out in the bungalows.

First Impressions

The bungalow itself was fine, but a bit dark inside. It wasn’t luxurious, but it had all the basics and a hammock outside on the porch. It also had mosquito nets above the two beds and I used mine during the stay. I felt like a prince sleeping below a baldachin. I was very happy to have finally arrived at this beautiful place on this gorgeous island.

 

Having fun on a swing on a beach in Ko Tao.

Koh Tao is a perfect place for snorkelling and scuba-diving. I wasn’t into scuba-diving, but we definitely did snorkelling. On the first day Jeff got a cut on his foot from something sharp while walking into the water, so he needed to take some rest. I used the time to explore the shallow waters in front of our resort. We also explored the central area around the main pier, with its bustling shops and bars where we dined frequently.

Beach nearby our bungalow.

The views from the boat.

BOAT TOUR AROUND THE ISLAND

We spent 4 days in Ko Tao and the main highlight was the boat tour around the island which we booked from our resort one day in advance. The next morning we showed up at a designated area from where we boarded a tourist ferry. The ferry had an upper deck from where you could observe the surroundings. We were a part of a bigger group, and many young people were with us on board the boat. We even made some friends during our one-day trip with whom we hanged out at a later time. We all sat together on the upper floor when the boat left the pier and went southwards. I remember enjoying the beautiful sight of the coastline passing by just a few hundred meters away from us. It was again a very blissful experience.

There would be a couple of stops during which we could do some snorkelling in the water. The first stop was at the southern end of the island in Shark Bay. The boat stopped in deep waters away from the coastline and we followed our young instructor swimming towards the beach. At some point while swimming I regretted I didn’t take the swim vest with me. It turned out the swim was more tiring than anticipated, even though the distance between the boat and the beach appeared so short. Anyway, the goal was to find a shark, as the bay was renowned for the appearance of sharks. Regular sharks are not dangerous to humans and that’s the type of sharks we wanted to see. I remember seeing a scuba diver on the sea floor while swimming towards the coast. The water was good 5-10 meters deep.

Once we reached the beach we were told by the instructor there was a young, small shark somewhere around. It took me a while to find him as he seemed to be swimming all over the place. I saw him briefly for just a few seconds, and it was a very small shark of approximately 30-40 centimetres in length - a very small exemplar indeed. But we reached our objective. The next challenge was to swim back to the boat, but weirdly enough this turned out to be less tiring than the previous swim towards the coast.

We continued on our journey around the island and we made at least two more stops in the water to do even more snorkelling around our boat and nearby the coasts. I did a few jumps from the upper deck of the boat and even messed around with our instructor for a while. I also remember the sight of many fishes within my reach when we did snorkelling in deeper waters at another stop. I felt very close to nature and overall it was a great experience. There was also a dinner break and we had a chance to exchange contact details with a few people whom we could meet at another time.

Snorkelling fun around the coast of Ko Tao.

Majestic view from the hill top.

The feeling of freedom.

The resort of Nang Yuan.

Ko Nang Yuan

The last highlight of the boat tour on our way back was the 2-hour stop at Koh Nang Yuan, the small islands just off the coast off Ko Tao that we saw upon our arrival. We disembarked on the pier and together with another couple we joined forces to explore the long beach connecting the two islands. We also climbed the small mountain to get to the main view point from which you could have a breath-taking view of the whole area of Koh Nang Yuan. It was very hot at the top and we spent a few minutes taking photos of ourselves and the amazing landscape.

 

A gorgeous view from a boat tour around the island of Ko Tao.

Once we climbed down and reached the beach, I did a butterfly kick and ran around the sandy beach out of joy for the beautiful moments we were all having at this unique and gorgeous place. I will never forget that. The tour ended and we were taken back to the pier on the main island. However, the day wasn’t over yet and we decided to go out in the evening with the couple we met on the boat tour.

 

Having some fun on the beach of the Nang Yuan Island.

Fun with friends.

The beach of Ko Nang Yuan.

View of the street in central town.

Sunset vibes nearby the arrival pier in Ko Tao.

ONE FINAL PARTY

After the sunset we walked half an hour north from the main pier where we visited Queen’s Cabaret, a drag queen cabaret show with lots of lip syncing and dance. The performers sang popular songs and it was really interesting and fun to watch their performances. The entry was free, but you needed to buy a drink which wasn’t cheap. After the show we went to the Fishbowl Beach Bar nearby the Sairee Beach a bit further south. We had great fun dancing on the tables. There was already a proper party situation going on. After so many impressions I felt like my experience of Ko Tao was now complete.

Slowly, it was time to say farewell to this splendid island, but the adventure wasn’t over yet. Toni, a German friend of mine from Dubai, was spending his vacation in Koh Pha Ngan, the island just next to Ko Tao. Jeff and I decided to visit that island and meet up with my friend. After some cancellations and new bookings we were ready to leave Ko Tao. On the day of departure we boarded the ferry and left from the main pier, making our way south towards the island of Ko Pha Ngan.

Ladyboy performance in a bar in Ko Tao.

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Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand. It has over 300 Buddhist temples. These include Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the city's most famous temple that stands on Doi Suthep, a mountain to the north-west of the city.

ARRIVAL

After a week in Bangkok it was time to travel north and visit the beautiful city of Chiang Mai. I took a sleeper train to get there and the journey took indeed the entire night. It was freezing inside the carriage due to the air conditioning, but apart from that the journey went smoothly and the train itself was very comfortable. After the sunrise while still on the go I looked through the window at the rural surroundings of hills and palm tree forests and the change of scenery got me very excited.

Finally, I arrived in Chiang Mai on a sunny morning in May. The station lies a bit further away east of Old City, so I needed to get a taxi to get me to the hostel. I ordered an Uber and it took me without any problems to my destination. From the air the center of Chiang Mai has a square shape and is surrounded by busy main roads. Inside that square the centre offers lots of temples, bars, restaurants and other interesting places to lose yourself in smaller alleys.

I stayed in a small, but nice hostel at the northern end of Ratchapakhinai Road. An unbelievably polite and lovely lady checked me in. I saw her every day during my stay down at the reception and she really made my days with her lovely way of being. I even had a photo taken with her and her cousin on my last day. Maybe the photo still hangs on their wall to this very day. Wouldn’t that be awesome!? Maybe one day I’ll be able to find out.

Temple in Chiang Mai

A typical temple in Chiang Mai.

Taking selfies in the hostel I stayed at.

Lost Hut in Chiang Mai

At Lost Hut in Chiang Mai.

Exploring old  city

From then on I took lots of bike tours to explore the city centre. Chiang Mai has a small town feeling and is definitely very relaxing to get around. A huge number of temples adds to the variety of the experience. It’s a very picturesque town with no visible skyline - a complete opposite to Bangkok, in a good way. It’s such a great feeling of freedom if you don’t have to face the horrific traffic of a big city and just dive into the small streets on a bike in search of inspiring places. You never know what wonder awaits you around the next corner. In this way I discovered many small temples and nice bars.

After a few days I was joined by a friend with whom we visited Lost Hut at Moon Muang Rd Lane, a recommendation from another friend of mine from Germany who’d also been there before. Lost Hut is a really small bar at the crossroads of two side streets in the southeastern part of the town. We had some great fun there. Especially the girl at the bar was really fun to hang out with. We all had some shots together and we visited the place one more time during our stay in Chiang Mai. At some point into the night it started to rain hard, so we had to run back through the intense but refreshing storm - that was definitely fun too!

On another day I remember we went to Clay Studio Coffee in the Garden, a really awesome restaurant with a big outdoor seating area in the very southern part of Old City. My friend brought me there, so I was surprised to face the entrance into this hidden realm of fantasy. There were many terracotta statues of mythological characters around the inner court and the whole area conveyed a mysterious feeling. We had some initial problems with mosquitos at our table as we were sitting by the plants. But that didn’t spoil our awesome meal and the overall experience. I definitely recommend the place.

The ultimate highlights of my stay in Chiang Mai was the visit to the Elephant Sanctuary and to the Doi Suthep temple at the top of hills west of Old Town. Let me start with the Elephant Sanctuary

At The FACES Gallery & Gastro Bar.

Elephant sanctuary

There’s many tours around the Old City that offer trips to places where you can hang out with elephants in so called sanctuaries outside of Chiang Mai. We booked one such tour and on the next morning we were taken by the guide into a van together with a group of French tourists. After a bumpy 1.5-hour drive we reached our destination south of Chiang Mai. It was a huge outdoor camp somewhere by a river where elephants were moving freely, sunbathing or taking a dip in the water. After a short briefing and changing of clothes we could feed bananas to the elephants. It was cute to feel how their trunk grasped the fruits and moved them into their mouths. Such lovely animals they were. We had some fun interacting with them and taking pictures.

Next we could climb the elephants and ride them around a nearby forest and back to the camp. It was a great experience to sit on them and to get lost with them somewhere in the woods for a brief period of time. However, here’s some words of caution: it’s not a secret that in many places elephants are not treated well and are forced to engage in unnatural behaviours. Often they are not even offered enough freedom of movement or are simply chained to poles like some dogs. That’s why it’s important to only visit and support the elephant sanctuaries where they are offered a habitat in which they feel best.

Although we visited such a sanctuary, I’m still not sure whether elephants should be ridden in any case. I had these doubts in my mind for a while but only after visiting such a place myself I pay more attention to those things now. The point I’d like to make is this: please go only to elephant sanctuaries if you want to experience those amazing animals and only to those sanctuaries where elephants do not engage in unnatural activities, e.g. don’t need to perform tricks and are not restricted in their freedom of movement. In best case don’t try to ride them either. Just enjoy the interactions and the wonderful baths with them in a river - which takes me to the next highlight on our elephant sanctuary visit...

After we came back from the woods the elephants went for a bath to the nearby river. And we went with them. We were given sponges so that we could pretend to wash them - cause there’s no way those small sponges and the lack of our skills would have any impact on their thick skin and the amount of dirt they carry with them. The elephants just dip into the water and the whole body gets clean while we can move around them, stroke them and play with water. It was an amazing and refreshing experience.

 

Bath with an elephant

Bath with an elephant.

After we were done with the elephants we were taken to the next stage of our tour which included a visit to a small local village, a waterfall lake and bamboo riding on a river. For that reason we needed to drive in the van to another location. First, we were taken to a local village and experience how locals live in the countryside. An old lady was sewing clothes and other fabrics with a traditional, wooden sewing machine. We could buy some items there, but I was just happy to experience the local, but poor life of its inhabitants.

Next, we walked through a forest to a small waterfall lake where we could rest, take a bath and enjoy the splendour of the beautiful waterfall. It was an amazing experience of natural environment and time seemed to pass very quickly. I wished I could have stayed longer.

At another river we needed to get on very simple bamboo boats - though the word 'boat' is probably too much here - and each boat had space for 3 guests plus the rider. The bamboo boats made their way very slowly along the beautiful, small, shallow river. We encountered some elephants being washed in the water, and many young people hanging out and listening to music at the various stations and docks. One of the boys even shouted to us “Welcome to Thailand”, and it was kind of a really awesome thing to hear, given that I was just into my second week in Thailand out of many more to come.

The whole river trips felt so primal and natural - retrospectively, I realise that’s what I’ve been missing in my life while working every day 9-5 in London. It was the connection with nature and the simplicity of being which I only got a glimpse of in the calm moments out there while exploring Thailand’s beautiful landscapes.

Once the bamboo riding was over, we had a lunch at the place where we disembarked and that was the end of our amazing trip to the rural areas near Chiang Mai. What a great memory! It took another 1.5 hours to return to our guesthouse in Old City. Our rider picked up another English-speaking tourist and his Thai friends who were coming from Chiang Rai, so we could have a nice chat and exchange ideas.

 

Enjoying the bamboo riding.

Arrival dock after the bamboo riding.

View of Chiang Mai from Doi Suthep

View of Chiang Mai from Doi Suthep.

Chiang Mai city centre

Chiang Mai city centre.

Buddhist monks at Doi Suthep

Buddhist monks at Doi Suthep.

Doi Suthep temple

The last highlight of Chiang Mai was our motorbike trip to Doi Suthep, a temple in the mountain west of the city. For that purpose we hired a motorbike and rode to the hill. My friend was driving as he didn’t trust my driving skills. But I think he was exaggerating - my driving skills would have been just fine.

Anyway, not even entirely out of the city we were stopped by the Thai police and asked for the driving license. The silly thing was the my friend was driving and didn’t have a license with him, and I was sitting behind him as a passenger and I did have a driving license - what a silly situation! Anyway, after paying a penalty fee we could continue with our trip. At the end of the day, the police didn’t really care. I presume they just wanted to make easy money with tourists, as we were not the only ones who were stopped. In fact, many people around us were being halted all the time, because that was the main and most convenient road towards the hill temple.

Anyway, out of the city we started to make our way up the hill and the road had lots of curves. It was a bit challenging, but the feeling of being out there driving up a hill on a bike, surrounded by tropical fauna on every side with the wind blowing against my face (though I wore a helmet) - what a feeling of freedom that was! I will never forget that. I actually enjoyed the drive experience as much as reaching the actual destination.

Once we got there, the area was full of people and seller stalls. We parked our bike, went up the stairs and reached the entrance to the temple. The temple itself was an open area with a golden stupa in the middle, with lots of statues and other typical props you would expect to find inside a temple.

We walked around the little temple platform, surrounded by tourists and worshippers, took some photos and moved further to lower levels around the temple from where we could overlook all of Chiang Mai. It was a stunning view, though the city doesn’t have a distinct skyline. The whole area is flat, so you wouldn’t be able to tell what is where straightaway. However, it was still very impressive and worth getting so far up.

I will never forget that view and the joy of experiencing that place. It is my ultimate recommendation for your own Chiang Mai journey at some point in the future.

 

Hubi enjoying a hidden forest walk 1

Hubi enjoying a hidden forest walk 2

Me enjoying a little forest walk.

Motorbike at Doi Suthep.

Our motorbike which took us to Doi Suthep.

Taking a break by a waterfall at Doi Suthep

Taking a break by a waterfall.

Stairs leading up to Doi Suthep

Stairs leading up to Doi Suthep.

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Bangkok

BANGKOK

Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. It is one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Read More

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