By James

At the end of the last post you left Jess, David, Chloe and myself on our way to Siem Reap’s tiny airport. We boarded an old school 100 seater plane, complete with propellers and travelled South to the small seaside town of Sihanoukville. Upon arrival we headed into the city and decamped at the simple, affordable hotel we had booked.

It was only when the hotel owner returned from a shop-run with wet talcum powder plastered on his bald head, grumbling about ‘drunks and hookers’, did we realise we had chosen to stay in the city’s Red Light district on the last night of Cambodian New Year! So it was with some trepidation that we headed into the district in search of dinner.

Luckily for us, the local working girls and their late-middle aged clientele had finally tired after three days and nights of drinking, water fights and talcum powder bombings, so that all that remained of the long weekend’s festivities were white streaks on the pavement, glazed eyes and a sense of an area laying low to recover.

The following morning we boarded our chartered boat and headed to Palm Beach resort on the island of Koh Rong, our private paradise for the next few days. We were welcomed by the Dutch couple who ran the place with a delicious home-concocted brew similar to Baileys. We had sprung for an upgrade and we all stayed in our own secluded hill side bamboo bungalow.

The following days were filled with very little – and it was glorious! The beautiful blue, 29 degrees (bath temperature) water surrounding the bay was so sheltered that sand had built up to the point where we could walk out for at least 200 meters and have the water only lap at our knees. Apart from a brief solo kayaking trip, we drank cocktails, ate food, read books and precious little else. …bliss!

A highlight, however, was the snorkelling trip made with our very chilled out guide, Craig. Twenty of us set off in a two small boats at 4.30pm on Wednesday (or was it Thursday? Days of the week are so meaningless on a tropical island!) After some rather disappointing reef snorkelling, in which we saw only one Parrot Fish and lots of very spiky anemones, we sat and fished somewhat despondently over the sides using coke cans and a line. Neither Chloe or I caught anything and I was beginning to wonder whether the amazing experience we had on Tioman Island (see previous blog post) had rather spoilt us. Both Jessica and David managed to catch a fish, but were pretty saddened by the fact that the fish couldn’t be thrown back : /

However, once the sun went down we cruised to the darkest patch of sea I had ever seen. I saw more stars there than I had anywhere else in my life and it was beautiful. When we stopped Craig told us to put on our masks and snorkels, and jump off the boat into the pitch black sea, promising bioluminescent plankton. We couldn’t see anything at all, let alone the promised plankton, but trusting as we are, jumped over the side anyway into pitch blackness. It was very daunting and a quite unpleasant situation to be in that tapped into a very primal fear- bobbing around in the dark there we all felt very exposed and more than a little foolish. Then Craig told us to dip our heads under water and move our hands in front of our face.

Bioluminescent plankton, as a defense mechanism, excretes a bright turquoise chemical trail when they move to confuse predators. I only realised I was surrounded by these little things when I opened my hand and out came a burst of swirling light! It is difficult to express how amazing it looked under the water and totally impossible to get any footage on our GoPro. The only thing I can say is that I felt like a wizard! With a flick of the wrist I could send out magical sparks in all directions. It was utterly wonderful and a real highlight of our time on the island.

 

After three days of rest and recuperation, we headed back to the mainland and then onwards to Phnom Penh, where we said our goodbyes to Jessica and David, after having shared two weeks of Cambodian delight.

Early the following morning, we headed back to Siem Reap in preparation for our flight to Hanoi. In the morning before our flight left we were joined by a French couple for a market tour and cooking class with ‘Ben’. The market visit was fascinating! Ben really knew his stuff and showed us things we never would have noticed or known, had we gone alone.

For example, he showed us a small family processing a coconut. We learned that the most valuable part is the cream, then the husk (ropes) and finally the desiccated coconut. This part is considered so worthless that it is only kept to feed the pigs. Bear that in mind the next time you shell out for a bag at your local supermarket for £1 per 100 grams!

 

 

 

 

After the market visit, we were driven out to the covered hut that served as our cooking school and, as we later found out, the sleeping quarters for 40 local boys. The course funded the clothing, food, accommodation and schooling for these boys and as many girls, who were either orphans or from local families who could no longer afford to keep them. The food itself was delicious, nutritious and was doing some social good- what more can you ask for?

That evening we went back to Siem Reap airport for our flight to Hanoi.

Until next time, all our love- The Backpack Duo

By Chloe.

Visiting the utterly magnificent religious complex of Angkor Wat is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, and although we had a three-day pass, I could easily have spent weeks exploring the quieter and further flung temples of the site.

The 12th century Angkor Wat temple sits at the center of the site and is the largest religious structure in the world. The whole Angkor complex covers a staggering 1,000 square kilometers and is considered the largest pre-industrial city in the world.

The sheer scale, the beauty and intricacy of the carvings, and the amazing state of preservation of many of the temples make Angkor one of the most outstanding historical sites I’ve ever visited.

Rather than rant on about how wonderful it is, I’ll let the photos do the talking…

Angkor Wat
We visited Angkor Wat on two separate occasions, once for the famous sunrise shot (which must accompany any respectable tourist visiting the temples), and another mid-afternoon. It truly is an astounding site.

 

Angkor Thom Bayon is another of the most well-known temples  – the amazing carved faces make it easy to see why!

 

Angkor Ta Prohm may have been made famous by Tomb Raider, but it’s hard to describe the beauty of such a place reclaimed by nature.

Lady Temple was a much quieter temple with some truly stunning intricate carvings slightly off the beaten tourist track.

The final temple we visited was just described as a Farmer’s temple, so we don’t actually know the name, but it was the most magical of all the ruins we visited. We rocked up 40 minutes before it closed, and we were completely alone on the site, not a single other tourist – it was magical!

All our love, the Backbackduo x

 

By Chloe
Goodbye Thailand… Hello Cambodia! After ten long hours on the night train (thank you Diazepam), an eight-hour wait at Bangkok airport, and a two-hour flight over mountains and jungle, we finally arrived in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Now, if you’ve been following our blog, then you’ll know that we were brave enough (read foolish enough) to hire motorbikes and tour some of Northern Thailand, but decided to end it early as the roads are just too stressful to drive, and Thai drivers are just too reckless for us to feel comfortable. Cambodian roads are Whole. Other. Level! In the 40 minutes it took for our taxi driver to take us from the airport to our hotel, I saw more traffic violations than I’d seen in my entire life.

I mean, who needs to drive on the right side of the road? Surely, if you want to turn, just make your way 100 meters before your turn into a steady stream of oncoming traffic… It’ll be fine! Pavements are totally meant for motorbikes, right; who wants to walk on them? Lanes, who needs lanes? Just drive on the part of the road you want to drive on and wait for people to honk and squeeze past you.

It was utterly terrifying!

Roads aside, we arrived at our hotel and were greeted by my parents, Jessica and David without a hitch, who were enjoying an ice cold beer on the roof terrace and taking a dip into the rooftop jacuzzi… It was a pretty special way to start this leg of the adventure.

Now, of all the places we visited in Cambodia, Phnom Penh was our least favourite. It’s chaotic, built up, and its past means it feels like it doesn’t really know what it’s about. During the Khmer Rouge period (1975-1979), Phnom Penh was completely emptied of people and a quarter of the countries entire population were murdered or starved… We’re only talking around 40 years ago here. There’s a good reason Cambodia is South-East Asia’s poorest country; it has had to reinvent and rebuild itself many times over.

The main thing ‘to do’ in Phnom Penh is to visit the Killing Fields and S-21 prison (the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide). After visiting S-21, and spending two hours walking through a school turned prison which saw 20,000 people incarcerated, tortured (sometimes for months on end) to gain a false confession, and unceremoniously killed, we found that none of us had the stomach’s to endure the Killing Fields as well. Of those 20,000 people imprisoned at S-21, only seven survived. It was utterly harrowing, but such an important part of Cambodia’s recent history.

Editor’s note: If the last passage left you feeling slightly despondent, then take a moment, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and imagine cuddling a cute little kitten…maybe three cute little kittens. If possible, go out onto the street and find a kitten and bring it home with you. Feeling better? Good.

On to the lighter part of our trip! We left Phnom Penh the following day and journeyed up to Siem Reap, the town made famous by the legendary Angkor Wat temple complex (and Tomb Raider). There’s so much to say about the temples…check out our next blog post here to read about them.

We were lucky enough to arrive in Siem Reap in time for Sangkrana, their annual three-day New Year’s celebration. (Think Thailand’s Songkran festival and you’ve pretty much got it!) The streets of Siem Reap were filled with excited people, water gun fights, talcum powder bombings to the face, and the most speakers I have EVER seen. Every street vendor or shop had their own set of amps, blaring out slightly different Cambodian songs, or even worse, the same song at slightly different times. It was intense, but amazing to be a part of!

We loved Siem Reap; it was full of life, and the old center was beautiful (if a little touristy). The streets were lined with juice stalls, old markets and a steady stream of massage bars all offering you a foot massage by ‘Dr. Fish… He can give you massage!’ We tried it, and it was hilarious! James and David couldn’t stand how ticklish the little fish made them, but I loved it.

Our hotel was beautiful, and we spent most afternoons taking a dip in the pool, and ordering a cocktail from the poolside bar = bliss!

Now, since Phnom Penh, I’d been experiencing a slight soreness in my bottom left-hand gum, which I was treating (rather ineffectually) with Bongela. By the time a week had passed, we’d all agreed that it was probably best for me to find a dentist to get it checked out (seeing as how we weren’t planning on heading back to the UK anytime soon). So, without further ado, I cancelled the cooking course we were supposed to go on that afternoon and headed over to the local dentist. He spent a whole 30 seconds peering into my mouth before announcing that my wisdom tooth would have to come out 😦

We had earlier joked with my mum that the dentist was only allowed to take out three of my teeth…ha ha ha…so when James messaged her to say they were taking out my third molar (as in third along), she thought he was having a rather cheap laugh. It wasn’t until we sent a photo of my swollen face and rather massive tooth in a small bag that she realised we hadn’t been joking! The dentist was fabulous, as was the codeine!! What a way to spend your afternoon on holiday. Check out our explorations of some of the temples at Angkor Wat here.

All our love, the Backbackduo x

Hello and welcome to Northern Thailand part two!

At the end of the last post, you left us driving through the picturesque mountain passes on our way to Chiang Mai. We arrived, very hot and sweaty into Chiang Mai and collapsed at our hotel. Only after wobbling around and talking nonsense for a while did we realise we had heatstroke…silly us! 2.5 litres of water each later and we were starting to feel a little more human.

The following morning we had a delicious breakfast at a cutesy bakery called Angel’s Secret (never found out what she was keeping secret, but the food was a good).

We had been considering massage courses and wanted to check out the different types (what strenuous research I hear you say- yes, we know, but someone has to do it!). We went for a one-hour foot massage that Chloe loved but I found too painful due to a rare condition I suffer from called Totalwussitus. (which is very serious ailment and totally not made up to make me feel better about being a wimp about a massage).

In the evening we set out to the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, hoping it would have the charm of Chiang Rai’s Night Bazaar. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Aside from a few nice little stalls, it was a complete tourist trap and not worth the 45 minute round trip to get there. However, on the way home the heavens opened and we were treated to our first tropical thunderstorm! It was an utter deluge, so we sought shelter under a shop’s awning, then ran for it.

The evening was salvaged by a very tasty meal at Cooking Love. James had a pineapple green curry and Chloe had Huang Lui pork curry, her favourite northern Thai dish (in fact, she bought 12 packets of special Thai masala curry powder just so she can make it at home!)

The following day we had our first of two massage courses at Namo Massage and Yoga– head and neck. Our teacher, who also doubles as this small studio’s receptionist was sweet, patient and good humoured. We really enjoyed learning something we can do to help one another relax when we rotate back to the ‘real world’.

In the afternoon we hung out of our lovely roof terrace and as the sun went down the gin came out. We went off for a lovely Indian meal close-by and crawled into bed for late night giggling and drawing silly cartoons (anyone who knows me, knows that I may be blessed with many gifts, but artist ability is not one one them…)

The next day we returned to Namo for our second course, foot massage and reflexology. This was much more challenging for James, as the movements required were more precise and the target areas smaller. We used some lovely smelling oil and had a lovely time relaxing one another.

After lunch (brilliant noodle soup at our favourite little place), we drove out on our one remaining scooter to the Chiang Mai Zoo. This has to be the most challenging zoo to navigate on foot. At first, we pooh-poohed those visitors who hopped on and off a mini-van, taking in only the ‘headliners’. After walking up and down hills in humid 36 degree heat for several hours, we could see their thinking…

On our way home we stopped off at a small night market outside a shopping centre and had the best gyoza we’ve ever had and far too much chocolate milk.

On Friday it was ‘Cooking Class and Temple Day’! We were picked up by a songthaw (like a van turned into a minibus, with seats facing each other) at 8.15am and went out to a market on the outskirts of town. Our teacher, the lovely Mae, was very knowledgeable about the local produce and how to pick the best ingredients. Then we hopped back into the songthaw and drove out to her rural home for our cooking lesson.

The food was amazing and she was astonishing! She span around the room like a diminutive Thai whirlwind guiding us in creating the best dishes we could- a little more water there, a quick stir there. The results were delicious and we were presented with recipe books that had been personalised with photos of our group on the cover.

 

 

On our return to the city we toured the local temples, including one made from ‘silver’ (it was mostly aluminium and only finished in 2016!) The last one we visited was a beautiful old ruin of what must have been the centre of the city, back in the day. At the site we found the old City Pillar of Chiang Mai, which it is said was first erected by King Mangrai at the founding of the city in 1296 AD. All we knew was that Chloe wasn’t allowed to go into it as her ovaries could destabilise the city and cause untold destruction to the social, and economic stability of the region. (I’ve always had my suspicions).

Saturday we hung out at a cafe until it was time for us to get our first night train to the airport for Cambodia!

Until next time!

Love the Backpack Duo x

By Chloe

With a heavy heart, we left the beautiful beaches and crystal clear seas of Tioman Island, ready to move on to the next leg of our trip! A two-hour ferry ride, six-hour sleeper bus, one-hour taxi ride, two-hour flight later and another 45-minute taxi…. (pheww!) and we were finally in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand.

We’d been told that March/ April is pretty much one of the worst times to visit Northern Thailand because it’s a) just before the wet season and so very dry and hot, b) It’s not as green and lush as it can be in January and February, and c) It can be very hazy as the farmers burn their rice fields ready for re-planting. However, we loved it! The scenery was still stunning, even if it was a little less green than it would have been, and although it was hot, it wasn’t as humid as we were expecting, which was a bonus!

Chiang Mai

We spent the first few days in Chiang Mai getting acclimatized and sorting ourselves out with new helmets, protective gloves and hiring scooters for the first leg of our tour! Chiang Mai is beautiful – we stayed in the old center, which is surrounded by a crumbling, old red earth brick wall and a moat. The small streets inside are filled with cafes and shops that perfectly cater to the laid back and slightly hippy travelers that find their way this far north.

Before we started on our motorbike tour, I just want to say…Thai food is just outstanding! We’re both massive foodies, and Thai food has without a doubt been the tastiest, cheapest, yummiest food we’ve eaten on this trip so far, and the 18 days we spent in Thailand were some of the best (gastronomically) ever!

Chiang Dao
Our first stop on our northern Thailand tour was to the sleepy town of Chiang Dao, in the shadow of a beautiful mountain, filled with amazing caves! We stayed in a beautiful little bamboo hut looking out over the mountain and were serenaded each night with the buzz of cicadas, croak of geckos, and mechanical sawing sounds of mating frogs (noisy bastards!)

We had a guided tour of some of the outstanding Chiang Dao caves – with just a little gas lamp and a petite Thai lady as a guide (who must have been half mountain goat), we were led through nooks and crannies, through tiny holes and across massive caverns filled with bats. It was amazing!

Chiang Dao is also home to the most bizarre temple we have ever come across….the torture temple. The grotesque and distended statues of torture were covered in blood, situated right by a cafe, and were used as a climbing frame for small children – I mean, what else would they be used for!

 

 

We did, however, happen to stumble across an amazing procession and religious celebration whilst at the temple complex. Everyone was wearing their finest, carrying colourful twigs filled with string and fabric, and carrying poles of pots and pans (we think to maybe be blessed, or just for the amazing noise they made).

Fang
We packed up our bikes and off we went to Fang- a few hours drive north of Chiang Dao. Fang has a beautiful national park called the Doi Fah Hom Pok National Park, with the park’s visitor centre surrounded by a natural spring, a geyser, sauna and mineral baths. We spent a beautiful day relaxing in the shade of manicured grounds, chilling out in the mineral baths and sauna, and having a go at boiling some eggs in the hot springs!

We finished off our time in Fang with a visit to an All-You-Can eat BBQ restaurant. Each table was given their own charcoal pit and metal grill, and you could cook your own food and drink as much as you’d like for a staggering £2.70 per person. Perfect!

Chiang Rai
After Fang, we got on our bikes again and made the three hour trip to Chiang Rai for a brief stop-over. It happened to coincide with James’ birthday, so we went all out! ‘All Out’ obviously means that we had to visit a cat cafe for breakfast, the most over the top white Hellscape temple, and then head to the most stunning 4-star hotel nestled in the mountains bordering Myanmar, just in time for dinner!

 

Phu Chaisai Mountain resort and spa was just another world – the view from our bamboo suite was stunning, the infinity pool was beautiful, and the food (ohhh the food)! We massively splurged for dinner as a treat for James’ birthday and blew a day and a half’s budget just on dinner…but what a dinner it was. It has to be one of the best meals either of us had ever eaten in our life! The staff at the hotel were welcoming, helpful and charming. As we’d splurged so much the previous night we decided we should have a packed dinner of cuppa noodles and biscuits for the following dinner (oh how the mighty fall), and the manager, having heard of our plight, sent us down a complimentary chocolate fondant….just because! We would visit here again in a shot; it was beautiful and so chilled.

Phayao
Feeling rested, we set off on a rather over-ambitious five-hour drive down to Phayao. Now, so far, we’ve resisted commenting on Thai driving and roads…but it was tough going. You needed to have all your wits about you, and drivers generally don’t check before pulling out, and people would undertake and overtake on very unsafe stretches of roads. We were incredibly glad that we’d taken our CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) for mopeds before we arrived in Thailand. Otherwise, I’m sure neither of us would have felt up to the challenge of staying upright (and alive) on our bikes whilst exploring Thailand by scooter.

Anyway! It was this five hour drive which convinced us that our road-trip time had come to an end – driving took to much mental energy, and being in constant fear that you’re going to die in a horrible road accident (we came across the aftermath of at least three whilst driving about), convinced us we should cut our road trip short and head back to explore Chiang Mai in more detail.

Phayo was beautiful, situated right by the side of a lake- not many tourists stop off here for longer than to see said lake- and it was a great place to chill our for a day, and explore the lively markets and food stalls at the weekly market.

The following day we got back on our scooters for the final leg and scooted back to Chiang Mai along some stunning mountain roads, with views across the lake and into the jungle-strewn mountains. Our road trip had been an amazing assault on the senses, but it definitely wasn’t a chilled out affair, and now it was time to relax and spend some down time in Chiang Mai before heading off to Cambodia to meet up with Chloe’s parents!

With love, The Backpack Duo x

After the pleasures of Juara beach, we were almost at Salang. (see previous post!)

We came round the headland and made our way into Salang Bay and, wow, what a difference from Juara!

Set into the side of a great climb of raw forest, this sleepy, scuba village enchanted us immediately. Wooden chalets snake either side of a single path that was just wide enough for the motorbike and sidecar that took our bags to Ella’s Place. There are no cars in Salang.

We unpacked our bags and made our way to the DiveAsia dive school. The lovely, twenty-year-old Niki, a young woman from the Netherlands who has been a committed scuba diver for half her life, was our instructor, but not before we had watched the required six hours of instructional PADI video required to pass the first day. Fortunately, Chloe and I worked together to get it done quickly and managed to get our first ‘confined’ swim in before the sun disappeared. I say ‘confined’…these first dives are usually in a swimming pool, but there being a decided lack of swimming pools on Tioman, and a beautiful big ocean on our doorstep, all of our dives were directly in the sea! It was bizarre to be sitting on the sand, under the waves, breathing.

The following day we did more confined dives; we completed exercises in breathing underwater, practised the emergency procedures again and again. Just after lunch we were able to go out into the reef just inside the bay. It was amazing to be so close to land, and yet see so many beautiful tropical fish and coral. On the second, deeper dive my sinuses started to hurt in a rather ominous way; I started to worry about the following day’s even deeper, full Open-Water dives off islands further out to sea in the marine park.

On Monday, the day of the Big Dives, we awoke excited and eager to get going, but my sinuses were throbbing and I feared I would not be able to go descend to the required 18 metres with the group. Sure enough, as I was all wet-suited and flipper-booted, I descended with Niki for the second of three final tests before I was allowed to dive proper, and at just three meters down, my head felt like it would explode. This meant I it wasn’t safe for me to complete the required practice dives and I had to return to the boat. I was very disappointed and Chloe went off with Niki alone. However, as I sat despondent on the boat, I’m glad to say that Chloe had a wonderful time.

She had a few extra skills to practice of her own, all easily done. Apart from, when at 16 meters under the sea, she had to remove her mask and put it back on. This was something we had practised close to the surface half a dozen times, but the depths and the disorientation meant she inhaled through her nose (silly Chloe!) Water flooded into her throat and her body panicked. Coughing and spluttering at the depth of a double decker bus is a terrifying experience. However, indomitable Chloe recovered herself quickly (I’m not sure I could have!) and went off exploring.

Down in the reef she saw lots of little Nemos swimming in and out of their anemonemonies, explored the beautiful reef and was lucky enough to see a turtle, before returning to the boat to tell me all of her underwater escapades.

We went for lunch and a break to avoid decompression sickness at Tekek. I must admit, I was still under my self-pitying, despondent cloud whilst we ate and couldn’t have been very pleasant company. We got back in the boat and headed out to the island that one can see from Salang Bay. As everyone got kitted up (there were a dozen other divers on the boat, including instructors) I made my peace with going snorkelling. I said goodbye to Chloe and watched her sink into the depths, then struck out for the island.

I had a lovely time swimming on the North side of the little island and struck out for the headland. Unfortunately, there was a very strong current and I was struggling to make any headway. I lay on my back, getting my breath back, and decided to go back after one last look. I submerged my head underwater and what should I see, swimming five meters, directly below me? A beautiful turtle! We swam together for a good few minutes. I was so enchanted by this graceful animal, and so focused on keeping up with it, that I didn’t notice that it had helped me break the back of the current and the going got much easier. It came up to my level, only two or three meters away from me. It surfaced briefly, took a big gulp of air, and dived out of sight. I followed her with my eyes and into view came a reef shark! It swam along with its posse of attendant fish and disappeared the way I had come. As you can probably tell by the way I am describing it, this was a magical experience and I felt blessed to have interacted with these beautiful creatures up close. I swam around, singing to myself nonsense songs about fish, until I grew tired and lay waiting for the boat to pick me up.

Unfortunately, Chloe had taken the GoPro with her to the bottom of the sea, so there aren’t any images or videos of my experience. Chloe’s dive was not as eventful as her previous dive, but she did get attacked by a very dangerous, extremely territorial Trigger Fish, and narrowly avoided a very painful jab to the foot. (Chloe interrupts to say that her dive (although it didn’t include a turtle this time, or a reef shark, was absolutely amazing….and she can’t wait to go driving again).

Back in Salang, Chloe got her certification and after lunch we decided to explore and try to get to the abandoned hotel that is placed up on the curve of the bay. However, we took the wrong path and ended up climbing up the steep, wild path up towards the next beach, following a large power line.

After about 20 minutes of hard slog, we thought we could see the top of the steep jungle path!

Unfortunately, this was not the case and we continued on for another 20 minutes before the heat, the humidity and our own exhaustion got to us and we turned back. We did, however, see a bird of paradise and a mummy and baby monkey!

That night, on our way to dinner as we walked along the wave kissed beach, I wondered at how lucky we are to be witnessing all this beauty. As the warning lights of boats in the bay twinkled in the darkness- Christmas tree lights of blues and reds and greens- umber flashes of lightening brooded in the hot dry thunderstorm that lashed out in the dark expanse of the water beyond. We stood entranced by the violent, strange lightening- the colour of which we had never before seen and which brought to mind the magical storms of mythology.

That we could bare witness to the grace of the sea in all it’s dark, graceful, mysterious beauty, and that we have only spent two weeks of many exploring South-East Asia together, reminded us how extraordinarily lucky we are to be living as we are. Even in the mundane moments of this trip; sitting in the bus station at three in the morning, when either of us are feeling unwell, or itchy with bites, or awake in the night listening to the frogs, desperate for sleep, we promise that we shall endeavour never to take this glorious adventure for granted.

When Tuesday morning rolled around we went for one last dip in the bay. As Chinese families started their oh-so-safe, life-jacketed fun, we visited the tropical fish on the reef. After a quick rinse in the shower, we packed our bags and made our way to the jetty for the start of yet another odyssey- this time from Tioman to the mainland, to Kuala Lumpur on an overnight bus, to the airport in a taxi with a wonderful Dutchman from Utrecht, for an early morning flight to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
As always, we will keep you posted.
Love, the Backpack Duo x

After an epic journey from Penang Island in the North-West of Malaysia to Tioman Island in the South-East involving two ferries, a train, two taxis and a bus (complete with a fellow passenger who threw up on and off for 5 hours), we finally made it to Tioman Island. We had arranged to stay at Bushman Chalets for the first half of our time there and were met by a suitably bearded wild-man, who, when we asked his real name, insisted we call him Bushman. We clambered into his 4×4 and made the crazy journey over the central mountain in the middle of this beautiful, mostly unspoilt island. After a 30 minute drive up and down slopes that at points reached 4545-degreengles, we were at Juara Beach.

Worth it, wouldn’t you say?

We were staying in a delightful little chalet within spitting distance of the a beautiful, white sandy beach that actually squeaked when we walked on it, and was littered with beautiful washed up white coral.

There isn’t really much to say about our activities, or lack thereof, at Juara Beach. We could have gone on a snorkelling trip. We could have gone trekking in the mountainous surroundings. We could have gone rock climbing…

We didn’t.

We did next to nothing.

We swam, ate, drank, read, slept, and played a lot of cards….

And it was wonderful.

The full extent of our movements whilst staying at Juara was walking up the beach to another cafe to drink iced Milo (like iced chocolate milk) and eat more noodles….our feet didn’t touch a road in three days = bliss!

So for the rest of this blog post, here are some jealousy inducing photographs.

Enjoy.

 

Now that we were truly relaxed, we thought it was time to decamp and take advantage of the marine conservation park on the North-West side of the island. Cue another wild journey over the centre of the island and we were back at the central port village of Tekek.

As I mentioned before, the island is mostly undeveloped. This means that the only way to get from one beach/village to another on the west side of the island is either by trekking through the jungle or by water taxi. Considering the weight of our backpacks and that we were expected at 9am at the dive centre, we opted for the £12, 20 minute water taxi. This may not sound like much to your decadent Western pockets, but that accounts for 20% of our total daily budget- an expense not undertaken lightly. However, we were very glad we shelled out for taxi- it was a wonderful way to start the day.

 

More on how we got on at Salang learning to dive in our next post. Watch this space!

-The Backpack Duo x

 By James

Known as the foodie capital of Malaysia, it was only a matter of time until we ended up in Georgetown, Penang, and as there was a direct ferry from Langkawi to Penang, our fate was sealed! Almost three hours later and we arrived at Georgetown’s Jetty and after a quick walk with our heavy rucksacks, checked ourselves into our lovely hostel – The Frame

A hipster’s delight- unpainted plaster, large filament lightbulbs and wooden floorboards- The Frame Guesthouse was an ideal place right on the edge of George Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in which to base ourselves for our Penang stopover.

(Although there was a CD of panpipe covers playing incecently for three days. If I ever hear ‘Your Heart will Go On’ on panpipes again, I may scream…)

After we arrived we headed out to explore Little India. The smells of curry mixed with the sounds of classic Bollywood tunes as we wandered around this vibrant area whilst the sun set. We made our way through the main streets to the Esplanade by the shore, where we witnessed the beginning of the 8^th annual Japanese Cultural Parade. Whilst the parade itself wasn’t anything to write home about, the speeches beforehand were touching in their sincere wishes for cultural understanding and gratitude for the aid given by the people of Penang to the survivors of the Japanese Tsunami of 2011.

After that, we headed back into Little India for a delicious Indian meal at Woodlands Vegetarian Restaurant. On the way back to the hostel we stocked up on sugary Indian sweets -delicious, although now we may well have diabetes…

On Sunday we headed down to the Clan Jetties on the shore, the traditional bases for the secretive clan societies that ran Penang throughout most of the 18^th and 19^th centuries (in a rather brutal fashion, see the Penang Riots of 1867). Now it would appear the march of 21^st Century commercialism has taken its toll and the main walkway has been colonised by tourist tat and t-shirt shops. However, just off from the main drag, it was possible to glimpse the traditional houses in which families were still living.

 

 

‘Urgh, I’m, like, so over you tourists and your cameras…’

After lunch (two delicious bowls of Char Kuay Teow noodles and amazingly crunchy fried chicken…all for a grand total of £4.44), we wound our way back through the streets via all the major Street Art spots of George Town.

 

 

The Owl Shop, for all your owl-based needs

After a break at the hostel to cool down (with the temperature staying above the 30-degree mark whilst the sun is up) we went to dinner at Teksen Chinese restaurant. James was tempted by the street stalls on the way, but the snaking line down the street attested to the fantastic food we ended up having when we went inside. The best salt and pepper squid we have tasted, amazing pork, succulent aubergine and strange drinks- the best meal at a Chinese restaurant that we have ever had, by a long way. (Yep, as predicted, most of the passion in this blog is about food!)

Yesterday (Monday the 13th), we headed West to the Kek Lok Si temple at the base of Penang Hill. When we arrived we wound our way through half-constructed alleyways, past shops selling gaudy souvenirs in dollars to the main temple. I would love to say that our first Buddhist temple on this trip filled us with awe and serenity, but this just wasn’t the case.

This temple is an utterly bizarre place. Although it was constructed in 1905, it feels like the architects took a trip to Disney Land and thought ‘hey, that’s a tasteful place; let’s do this with our temple!’. From the shop built inside a pagoda, to the sprawling boutique at the bottom of an entirely superfluous lift selling strange gifts (a Rasta skeleton shredding on a guitar!), this place was totally devoid of spirituality. There was even a carp pond with fake ducks! That’s not to say we didn’t get some enjoyment out of visiting such an odd place though.

This lady’s face says it all

This guy is pretty unimpressed too

The fact that I uttered the words ‘no not that one, the Buddha on top of the gift shop’ let’s you know the kind of place it was. By the time we saw this absurd paddock of plaster reindeer/lizards waiting patiently in their crate paddock for next Christmas, our bemusement was complete.

 

So we headed back into town and visited some genuine places of worship, which were lovely.

 

One of the things I (James) admire about Malaysian society, is the way the three major ethnicities- Muslim Malay, Taoist Chinese and Hindu Indian – are integrated into the whole. The Taoist Goddess of Mercy temple is in view of a wonderfully brightly painted Hindu temple, which is in view of a very peaceful Mosque, which in turn is in view of a Church. They celebrate one another’s festivals, eat one another’s cuisine and live beside one another peacefully. Although I’m sure there are issues in their society, this multiculturalism could teach the West a thing or two – especially at this time of division and misunderstanding.

Anyway.

Yesterday evening we went out for some delicious Night Market food and by the time this is posted will be 10 hours into our epic 14 hour journey to the South Eastern coast to stay on the tropical paradise that is Tioman Island. We will update you all the next time we find decent internet.

All our love,

-The Backpack Duo x

By Chloe 

After a few days dealing with our jetlag (hello card games at 2am) in Kuala Lumpur, and exploring some amazing markets and street food….we are the Cull-Parker’s after all, and food is going to be a huge part of our trip…we were off to Langkawi for some well-deserved downtime.

Now Langkawi tends to have a bit of a bad rep as being a tourist trap, and it’s mostly true, there are parts of Langkawi that we can only describe as the ‘Costa del Sol’ of Malaysia. BUT, there are lots of relatively undiscovered, beautiful scenic areas, which were almost empty except for the locals. We gravitated towards those!

Whilst in Langkawi, we stayed at one of the most remote guest houses we could find – Butterfly Guest house – it was beautiful! And the owners Fousi and Shoun, and their small children Aslan and Miriam, were an absolute joy to stay with! The house is nestled into the edge of the jungle, and the sounds of birds, monkeys and all kinds of other animals was an amazing lullaby.

 

Oh, and I really should mention….there were kittens to play with!

 

As we had chosen to stay somewhere off the beaten path, our own transport was a must, and for a mere 35Ringgits (around £6.50) a day, we hired a scooter from Fousi and Shoun. This allowed us free reign of the Island.

 

In the most part, our time on Langkawi was spent chilling out, relaxing, and getting our body clocks in tune with our new time zone. Lots of reading on verandas and hammocks, however, we did also manage to seek out some beautiful (and quiet) beaches.

 

Pasir Tengkorak beach was our first stop, and after a 30-minute scoot (and a few wrong turns) we discovered a stunning jungle beach! The water was a balmy 26 degrees, and the sand was squeaky white! After a few hours on the beach, we checked out a dry waterfall – beautiful, but lacking in water.

 

The second beach we visited was just as beautiful if a bit bigger with a few more people – Tanjung Rhu Beach. Here we strung up our double hammock, and whiled away almost an entire day…bliss!

 

The other stand-out location we visited whilst on Langkawi was Telaga Tujuh, known as Seven Wells, a waterfall, but also a group of pools above the waterfall perfect for swimming. The climb up to the pools was touch, especially in the heat and humidity, but we were rewarded by the most amazing views and a beautiful place to take a dip and cool off.

 

 

Langkawi was beautiful, and an amazing way to kick start our mega-moon!