10 March 2013, Sunday We had an early start as we were climbing Mount Batur today. After waking up at 3:20am, we washed up and left our hotel at 3:50am for the starting point. The drive took only six minutes and we reached a small office for the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides. We […]
Category: Asia
DAY 3: 9 March 2013, Saturday (Note: I managed to dig out my old diary and extracted some information from my journal entry, so this post contains more details compared to the previous two days) After spending our first two days chilling in Ubud, it was time to move on to Kintamani, an area on […]
DAY 2: 8 March 2013, Friday For our second day in Bali, we continued exploring Ubud. We woke up at 9am for a hearty breakfast at our hotel before heading out at 10:40am to visit one of the rice fields at Sari Organik, located about 3km away on foot but about 6km away by car. […]
It’s time to revisit another past trip…in March 2013, I visited Bali for the first time. For many Westerners, Bali is one of those must-go, bucket list destinations, with its white sand beaches, legendary sunsets and laid-back charm attracting hordes of tourists each year. Fortunately for us in Singapore, paradise is less than three hours […]
Asia | Malaysia | The Grand Adventure 2018
The Grand Adventure: Day 100 – Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) / Singapore
8 August 2018, Wednesday Today is the day…Day 100 and the day I return home to Singapore. I woke up feeling a mixture of excitement and sadness – excited because I will finally be back in a familiar place I love so much; and sad because it marks the end of this wonderful Grand Adventure. […]
Asia | Malaysia | Thailand | The Grand Adventure 2018
The Grand Adventure: Day 99 – Thailand (Hat Yai) / Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
7 August 2018, Tuesday After an uneventful day in Hat Yai yesterday, I was very eager to move on to Kuala Lumpur today. I checked out of my hostel at 6:40am and walked to Haadyai Station, aka Hat Yai Junction railway station, less than 10 minutes away. Yesterday, I had already purchased my ticket for […]
6 August 2018, Monday I slept pretty well on the train last night. The bed was comfortable and spacious enough despite having to place my big backpack on the corner of the bed. I woke up intermittently from 4am onwards, mainly because the air-conditioning was getting really cold. At 5:50am, a vendor came on board […]
Asia | Thailand | The Grand Adventure 2018
The Grand Adventure: Day 97 – Thailand (Bangkok / Hat Yai)
5 August 2018, Sunday Today, I’ll be making my way down south to Hat Yai, the largest town in the Songkhla province of Thailand, close to the border of Peninsular Malaysia. With each journey, I am inching ever closer to home. My overnight train will only depart at 3:10pm, so I still have the morning […]
4 August 2018, Saturday As I arrived late in Bangkok yesterday, I didn’t have much time to explore the city last night. Today, I had a full day ahead of me and I was raring to go. At 8:30am, I had breakfast at my hostel. It was a simple spread of toast, cereal and coffee. […]
Asia | Cambodia | Thailand | The Grand Adventure 2018
The Grand Adventure: Day 95 – Cambodia (Siem Reap) / Thailand (Bangkok)
3 August 2018, Friday After spending two nights in Siem Reap, it was time to move off yet again to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. This would be the 18th country of my trip. Bangkok is of course, a city that all Singaporeans are very familiar with. It is a popular destination for a short […]
2 August 2018, Thursday For my second day in Siem Reap, I would be joining a bicycle tour of the countryside. At 7:15am, I went for breakfast at my hostel. Breakfast wasn’t included in my room rate so I paid US$6.75 (S$9.65) for my classic breakfast set and a flat white. It wasn’t as cheap […]
Asia | Cambodia | The Grand Adventure 2018
The Grand Adventure: Day 93 – Cambodia (Phnom Penh / Siem Reap)
1 August 2018, Wednesday It was going to be another day of travelling, as I would be making my way northwest across Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Initially, I considered taking a detour southwest to the coastal city of Sihanoukville but I found out that getting there wasn’t so straightforward, and the onward […]
Asia | Cambodia | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 92 – Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) / Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
31 July 2018, Tuesday After my very brief stint in Ho Chi Minh City, it was time to move on again – to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. This would be the 17th country of my trip. At 7:30am, I went for a quick breakfast at the common dining area located on the rooftop […]
Asia | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 91 – Vietnam (Nha Trang / Ho Chi Minh City)
30 July 2018, Monday After spending the past two days in Nha Trang, I would be continuing my journey to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) today, which would be my last stop in Vietnam. I opted for a day bus this time round, having learned my lesson after enduring an uncomfortable ride on the overnight […]
29 July 2018, Sunday It was Sunday, and I had nothing planned for the day ahead in Nha Trang. I woke up at 8:45am, checked the weather forecast and saw that it was going to be another hot day with temperatures hovering around 33 degrees Celsius. I lazed in bed for a while longer, then […]
28 July 2018, Saturday After an uncomfortable, 11-hour bus ride from Hội An, I arrived Nha Trang at 5:05am. I didn’t sleep well on the bus at all. The sky was still dark and the streets were empty at this unearthly hour. Half-awake, I alighted from the bus in a daze and tried to get […]
Asia | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 88 – Vietnam (Hội An / Nha Trang)
27 July 2018, Friday The past two days at Hội An had been relaxing and wonderful, so I was a bit sad that I would be leaving later in the evening on an overnight bus to the southern coastal city of Nha Trang. But first, I would be joining a traditional countryside bicycle tour in […]
26 July 2018, Thursday This morning, at the invitation of my homestay hosts, I woke up very early and joined them for a game of beach volleyball. At 5:20am, I left the guest house with the father and son of the house and we drove to An Bang Beach, a short 10-minute drive away. An […]
25 July 2018, Wednesday As it turned out, my overnight bus from Hanoi did not take me directly to Hội An. At 7:25am, we arrived at Huế, an ancient coastal city located in central Vietnam. We were told to alight and transfer to another bus, which would only depart about an hour later. Naturally, I […]
24 July 2018, Tuesday At 9:15am this morning, I went for breakfast at my hostel. I paid only US$8 for one night’s stay and breakfast was included, what a steal! It was typical Vietnamese fare of omelette, baguette, a banana and hot coffee. Simple but appetising. When in Vietnam, I simply love to eat the […]