MALAYSIA

PULAU PENANG

Penang is an island on the north west coast of Malaysia Peninsular, just south of the Thai boarder. Caitlin and I found a place to stay in Georgetown- the mainstay on the island. The hostel we were staying in was a huge Chinese building with old wood carvings and wide stair cases. We paid for 2 spaces in the dorm room which turned out to be beds that filled the landing upstairs!

The afternoon we arrived we went out to wonder Georgetown's back streets, a 'sensory playground'. Passing mosques, chicken rice stalls, fortune tellers, coffee shops and loud speakers blasting out Indian pop music! It felt strange being not so far from Thailand and yet the culture was incredibly different due to the islands mixed population of Malay, Chinese and Southern Indian.

The next day was got a bus to Batu Ferringhi- Penang's best beach area where we saw the shirtless Muslim men walking the beach while the Muslim women were in full burka...even on the banana boat!

That evening we joined two other travellers from our hostel, Scott and Shane, and went out for dinner at the night market which sold a variety of foods of the different culture. I chose the teri-aki salmon, which unknowingly was accompanied by eye ball soup - had to give it a go!

PULAU PERHENTIAN

We got a night bus over to the east coast and got dropped off at the port in the early hours and were greeted by a chain smoking, fish head eating Chinese man who walked way too much about meeting Asian men "JUST FOR FUN!".

The Perhentian Islands are made up of 2 islands; Pulau Besar (Big) and Pulau Kecil (Small), we stayed on Pulau Kecil at Coral Beach. Coral Beach was a small crescent of white sand, turquoise waters with a jungke backdrop creating a chilled and hypnotic ambiance. We decided to base ourselves here for a few nights in a pretty chalet on the beach front. The first morning I woke up with a kitten in my bed who must of snuck in during the night.

We spent our time on finding a different beach each day, which sometimes involved a trek through the jungle, to snorkel and sun bath. On one of the days I organised a scuba diving trip for the morning. The dive site was a shipwreck, I felt like i was in a video game swimming in and around the wreck. Unfortunately the visibility was pretty poor (2 meters) as it had rain the night before, I did get to see a Bamboo Shark, but nothing else too exciting.

During our time on Pulau Kecil it was Caitlin's 22nd birthday! I could have wished for her to spend it in a more beautiful place. That evening we watched the sunset and went for dinner which included MEGA chocolate birthday cake and shisha. I hope she enjoyed herself as much as I did.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS

After the sticky days on the beach, the cool temperatures in the Cameron Highlands were a reprieve. We only had a short stay here during which we walked to one of the Cameron tea estates. The walk took a lot long than estimated as the map did not indicate the many turns on the mountain roads! Eventually we reached the estate and were rewarded with a stunning view of the blue peaks and the green humps of the fuzzy tea plantation. As it began to rain we went inside the tea shop. I tried Massala Tea milky blend of Indian spices, it was quite sweet and also reminded me of Christmas! As the rain got heavier we thought a taxi home was a good idea and watched films for the rest of the afternoon. We felt a bit sorry for some of the people coming back to the hostel who were returning, absolutely sodden, from trekking expeditions in the jungle. That evening we had a great street food dinner - curried fish on banana leaf with chapatti and dahl.

KUALA LUMPUR

Arriving late morning in the city Caitlin and I found a dorm to stay in in China Town. Walking around China Town I found that it's circuitous streets and cramped chaos creates a pressure cooker of sights, sounds and smells... not all of the pleasant! That afternoon we checked out the sights of the surrounding areas; Merdaka Sq., the Old Railway Station, Little India, Masjid Jamek (mosque),Central market - where we could see traditional Malaysian crafts and creativity and Petaling Street - a busteling street of tacky souvenirs including "genuine fake" Chanel, Paul Smith, Louis Vuiton, Gucci, Rolex and more!

The next day we got a little closer to Kuala Lumpur's Indian culture by visiting the Batu Caves. The Batu Caves are a system of 3 caves a short bus journey out of the city. The most famous cave is Temple Cave because it contains a Hindu shrine reached by 272 steps and is guarded by a giant 43 meter tall Murga statue (the biggest in the world!) and 1000's of monkeys too!!

Our last full day in the city Caitlin and I were up early to head over to the Golden Triangle, Kuala Lumpur's high rise business, shopping and entertainment district. We were in the cue at 8am to get tickets to go up the Petronus Towers. The view from the bridge was pretty cool however it was a shame that the bridge was the highest point open to the public - on floor 41 out of 84!

Later on we went over to the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex. Styled like a Malay village the complex offers the best local ethnic handicrafts including local pottery, batik outfits, weaving, wood carvings, ornaments, brass and silver jewellery. We watched the resident artists at work and were even aloud to try our hands at making our own batik pieces.

MELACCA

It was recommended to visit the town of Melacca by my Nana and Grandad, who used to live close by some years ago. Melacca is on the south west coast of Malaysia. Considering the small population of the town it has a colourful history, in short it was founded by a Hindu Prince, protected by the Chinese then dominated by the Portuguese followed by the Dutch and finally the British. The multi cultural influences are obvious in the towns interesting and picturesque appearance. A striking feature of the town is the red buildings on Town Square. They were originally built white by the Dutch but the heavy tropical rain would splash up red soil and stain the walls, so it was the Brits decision to paint them red to save on maintenance fees!

The town itself is easy to walk around and explore by foot visiting the churches, art galleries, silk shop in Little India, Porta de Santiago - a Portuguese fortress, mosques, river side walks and when we got tired we would spend the rest of the afternoon in the tea houses in China Town.

During the time we were there we were able to try out much of the local food. Our favourite was "Nasi Lemak" rice steamed with coconut milk and Rendang chicken accompanied by a herd boiled egg, green veg, peanuts and dried anchovies. And "Cendol" shaved ice treats with jellies, fruits, coconut milk and Malacca's famous sugar cane syrup. We also found a great local dig, a Pakistani place which served up mouth watering curries with soft naans. One of the cafes close to our hostel put on live music and we were able to catch an evening acoustic set of the local talent.

I became very fond of this beautiful town, Melacca. It's so hard not to like!

THAILAND - The South

KOH TAO

Koh Tao literally mean 'Turtle Island' and was once a favored hide out for pirates who stashed their gems deep with in the jungle. This magical island now has a reputation for its treasures under the sea. This tiny island, with a population of only 5000, issues more diving certifications than any other place in the world (yes, even more that the Great Barrier Reef in Australia!) So it doesn't take a genius to work out how I spent my time on Koh Tao!

I met with my dive school early in the morning to set off on the boat at 7am. On the way out I was a little bit nervous, not having dived since last summer when qualifying in Greece, but when in the water it all came flooding back to me!

"Chumphon Pinnacle", the first dive site, had a colorful assortment of sea anemones along the 4 interconnected pinnacles and is home to schools of Giant Trevally, Yellow Barracudas and Moray Eels. Sadly, at this time of the year the water is too warm to see any of the Whale Sharks that are known to come by in the cooler temperatures.

"Green Rock", the second dive site, was like an under water jungle gym! The site featured many caverns and caves in the rocks that we were able to swim through. At Green Rock we saw so much sea life, including more Moray Eels hiding in the rocks, lots of Angel Fish and Parrot Fish and many of the territorial Trigger Fish.
Diving in Thailand had been highly anticipated and I can say that it had definitely surpassed all expectations. I really had the most fantastic time and I can't wait to get back to the under water world!

To finish our visit to Koh Tao on a high note we managed to meet up with Bex & Rosie and Chris & Orla, who were also staying on the island, and have a night out with the famous Thai Lady-Boys!

KOH PHA-NGNAN

Koh Pha Ngnan...the party pilgrimage! Caitlin and I were two of thousands of people who flock to the island every month for the epic Full Moon Party. We based ourselves in Baan Tai, a less touristy part of Koh Pha Ngnan, and stayed in a bungalow on the beach that over looked the neibouring island, Koh Samui. During the time we were there we went on a snorkeling trip around the coast which also included a small trek to a waterfall inland. It Was a great way to see more of the island but unfortunately I came returned with a sun burnt bottom from too much snorkeling!!

The day of the Full Moon we spent on the beach sunbathing, I was careful to only expose the front side of my body- still nursing the sunburn! To prepare for the party the evening was spent decorating ourselves with neon body paint. Caitlin and I teamed up with some guys staying at the same place as us, Rob, Chris and K, to share 'artistic skills'. However our bungalow ended up looking like a fluorescent play group! Ready to go we piled into the back of a truck to meet fellow party go-ers on the Hat Rin Beach...
It was a crazy night that was proved by our 6am home time. The following day was a day of recovery spent in the shade re-hydrating, eating spring rolls and playing UNO!


KOH SAMUI

One of the original islands that started the backpackers migration to Thailand. We found a place to stay on Hat Lamai Beach where we found Hin-Ta and Hin-Yai stone formations. (Also known as the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks.) These genitalia shaped rocks were able to provide a good source of entertainment! Regrettably we were only able to stay one the island for one night before an early start for our journey to the Andaman Coast.


PHUKET

Caitlin and I had a long journey from Koh Samui across to Phuket, using 5 different modes of transport. Eventually we found a grotty guesthouse to call home for the night; the 'On On Hotel'. Despite the droopy beds and the peeling paint we thought it would be fun to stay here as this bare bones hotel scooped a part as a dirty flophouse in the 2000 hit film The Beach, staring Leonardo Di'Caprio.

I had set an early alarm for the next morning but getting out of bed was easy as I was going to meet Guy, my boyfriend, from the airport who was flying out to see me in Thailand for his summer holiday. From the airport we headed to Patong Beach. Until then I did not know that Patong was well known for ladyboy's, PingPong shows and prostitution, so I don't think it was the best first impression of Thailand that I could have given Guy! So the next day we went to Hat Karon instead; a long sweep of gently curving beach. Even though Caitlin and I were both applying factor 30 sun cream Guy rejected the idea in hope of tanning, however the consequences of his mistakes soon followed!



KOH PHI PHI DON

A truly jaw-dropping beauty, Koh Phi Phi Don is blessed with bodacious jungles, arcs of white sand, bejewelled tropical waters and technicolour corals. Our time on the island was spent mostly on the beach, Ao Loh Dalam, lying on the sand or bathing in the sea.


But I did make time for a scuba diving trip. Guy and Caitlin wanted to come along for the ride to which was lovely having their company on the boat. Whilst I was underwater Guy went swimming and Caitlin opted for sun bathing. Again I dove at 2 dive sites, "Bida Nok" and "Ma Long", which were situated within the National Marine Park surrounding Koh Phi Phi Leh- Koh Phi Phi Don's uninhabited twin island. The dives were fantastic and the marine life was incredible. It included Clown Fish, Jelly Fish, Scorpion Fish, Sea Turtles and one Black Tip Reef Shark!

That afternoon, back on land, Guy and I took a little trek across one of the headlands on the island to reach Monkey(less) Beach. It was a shame we didn't see any of the monkeys but it was a beautiful beach to visit that could only be reached by foot or by boat.

In the evening we went out for a BBQ dinner in town. Guy and I tried the barracuda, to be honest it wasn't very exciting but Caitlin's curry looked good!

The morning we left Koh Phi Phi Don I got up early to go and see the viewpoint before we caught the boat. Unfortunately I was unable to persuade Guy or Caitlin to come with me! The viewpoint was a short hike up a 300m vertical climb including hundreds of steps and narrow twisting paths. But the views at the top were amazing, over looking twin bays Ao Ton Sai and Ao Loh Dalam and the Marine Park that seemed to stretch on forever in colours of aqua, emerald and jade.



Back to PHUKET

We arrived back on Phuket to check into a new hotel for the night and spend some time on Kata Beach. Later that afternoon, Guy and I rented out a motorbike and headed inland to the cable lake. Guy was on a wake board and i chose water skis. neither of us had done it since last summer whilst in Greece so it was great fun to get back on the water.

The next day we took the bike again and headed to the north of the island where we spent the second half of Guy's holiday. On one night we treated ourselves to 'luxury' accommodation at @@ beach where we stayed in a pretty poolside villa that served up an enormous breakfast in the morning. The rest of our time we stayed in a bamboo hut on @@ beach. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great so we decided to explore the island on the motorbike. Our days were filled with:

• visiting gibbon rehab centers,

• climbing Bang Pae Waterfall,

• elephant trekking

• and even an afternoon at the 3D cinema!

On the last afternoon we had had the idea to try out some of the recipes I had learnt at the cookery course in Chang Mai. We were lucky to find a quiet bar/ restaurant run by a Thai family who very kindly lent us the use of their kitchen for the evening! After a trip to the market to get supplies we were on a roll... Together we replicated the Tom Yum Soup with prawns, Green Thai Curry (yes, we even made the curry paste!) and Fried Bananas. We ended up cooking a huge amount and shared it with our hosts, who said it tasted good - for our first time!

The following morning was a little teary saying goodbye to Guy at the airport. But Caitlin was able to cheer me up on the bus on the way out of Phuket as we shared sweets and headed further south down Thailand.

HAT YAO

Hat Yao was our final beach destination in Thailand. We found a great bungalow to stay in opposite the beach nestled under the towering limestone cliffs. The beach at Hat Yao was lovely and wide and we had it all to ourselves as it was low season and we were the only guests. In the afternoon I went exploring around the caves, cliffs and secret beaches while the tide was out.

Hat Yao is a tiny Muslim fishing village and Caitlin and I were there during the festival of Ramadan. Because of this it was quite difficult finding food to eat! When the sun had gone down we were able to order in a nice restaurant that stood over the sea on stilts, I chose Poo (Thai for crab!). Later that night we struggled getting back to the bungalow in the darkness, but came prepared the following evening with the head torch!

HAT YAI

I am now in Hat Yai, this town is mainly used by travelers coming from and going to Malaysia, like Caitlin and I who are off tomorrow! To pass the time, today, we snuck into a posh hotel to take a dip in their pool and sun bath on the terrace while the sun was out!

Since being away Thailand had been the country Caitlin and I have spent longest in, exploring the country has been remarkably exciting and rewarding.

Thailand is exotic, yet chaotic!

THAILAND - The North

BANGKOK

My bum hurts! Well it did do after a full day of cycling (in Cambodia) followed by a long bus ride from Cambodia to Thailand. After the tedious boarder crossing we weren't sure what to expect from the capital city,Bangkok. We had heard mixed reviews: some brilliant and some horrific! So Caitlin and I were looking forward to making up our own opinions. It was getting dark by the time we had reached the city center and were getting off the bus. We were hit by the noise from the crowds, the strange smells from the street food stalls and the neon lights from Khao San Road... and we absolutely LOVED it!

The next day we made our way across the city trying out the different modes of transport: the river boat taxi and the BTS Sky Train, to reach the monstrous "BMK" shopping mall. I was on the hunt for a new digital camera. After a successful shopping trip we headed back to the centre to go to Wat Pho, the temple that houses the enormous Reclining Buddha. After wards we went to check out the Grand Palace. On entry we were given a long list of clothing that we were not aloud to wear, confused and unsure of what we were aloud to wear we decided to do a U-turn and quietly back out!

During the time we were in Bangkok, Thailand was in full swing of a national holiday to celebrate the Queen's birthday. But fear struck when loud booms were heard and the floor beneath us shook. Bangkok was being bombed, we were terrified and needed to find shelter. However it turned out to be the Royal Family firing cannons -all part of the party. PANIC OVER!

CHAING MAI

The old city of Chaing Mai is a neat square bounded by a moatand remains of a medi-eval style wall built 700 years ago to defend against Burmese invaders. Inside the old wall is a district of narrow streets that lead to a quiet world of family run coffee houses, leafy gardens and friendly smiles. After getting off the over night bus ride from Bangkok we soon found a room to stay in at Mr. Whiskey's guest house.Later that afternoon Caitlin and I were out about the town when I heard another TukTuk driver trying to to get our attention. It was strange on this occasion because they knew my name... we turned round and saw Bex, a close friend from college, and her travel buddy Rosie. It was odd "bumping into" old friends 1000's of miles from home! We joined them for coffee to swap stories and arranged to meet later for dinner and explore the Chain Mai Night Bazaar (street market).

After a good nights sleep i was feeling like a culture vulture and so signed myself up to do a cookery course with Baan Thai Cooking School. That morning I met my group and we headed to the local market with our wicker baskets to collect our ingredients for the day. Throughout the day I learnt to cook 5 different traditional Thai dishes:

Pad Thai

Thai Fish Cakes

Tom Yum Soup

Green Thai Curry

Deep Fried Battered Banana

Of course we got to eat everything that we cooked and it was also great trying the other different dishes that had been cooked in my class. I had the best time and met a fantastic group of people!

PAI

Pai is slightly further north than Chaing Mai and the dusty little town is found within a picturesque valley. The stress reducing setting appealed to Caitlin and I so we decided to give Pai a try! The afternoon the we arrived we went out to explore the town, taking pictures of the funny road signs and farm animals, and enjoyed the bohemian way of life adopted by the locals.

During our time in Pai we went to visit a couple of the temples in the surrounding mountains, went to an elephant camp, saw Pai Canyon, swam at Mo Paeng Waterfall and spent the evening trying out local delights, my favorite was Panang Curry followed by pancakes!

Our last day in Pai we decided to move accommodation and found budget huts over looking the river and mountain scenery. We wanted to spend the day relaxing and sunbathing on our balcony but once again had to change our plans due to the continuous rain! Getting restless inside our hut we stuck 2 fingers at the weather and went on a Wet'n'Wild adventure...

The morning we left - of course the rain had stopped by now!

We are now back in Bangkok for one more night in the city before heading south to the islands... :)