Blog

31-10-22

Da Nang / 3 nights

Hoi An / 2 nights

As we work our way from the North to the South of Vietnam, Da Nang and Hoi An were our next two stops following Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.

Before I dive into our stay in both Da Nang and Hoi An, it’s worth pointing out that before our stay here, we realised that we had only been given a two week visa when entering Vietnam. This gave us a post-covid travel check as previously an entry visa would last 30 days. To avoid this two week cap, you can apply online, before visiting Vietnam and pay for an extension. However, with this out our reach we have to leave Vietnam for the time being. Hence why we only stayed in Hoi An for two nights, in order to allow us time to also travel to Ho Chi Minh before leaving Vietnam. Although doable seeing Hoi An in two nights, three nights is also a suitable amount of time should you wish.

DA NANG

A sleepy, relaxed beach town, Da Nang is a welcomed break with the daily agenda of beach days. We travelled from Hanoi to Da Nang via a flight as they were so cheap and a much more pleasant and quicker mode of travel than a bus.

Unsure as to whether this is due to the impact of Covid however the vibe of Da Nang was very quiet and in some parts, very baron and abandoned. However this does not stop you from having a great time.

Attractions

As well as lounging on the beach and enjoying a drink from the multiple bars that line the coasts promenade, Da Nang is known for two elaborate bridges; Dragon Bridge and Golden Bridge.

Dragon Bridge

Walkable from Da Nang’s beach, this bridge is great to visit in the evening to see the full effect of its light show – of which, is much more of a spectacle on Saturdays and Sundays with water shooting from the Dragon’s mouth, however we were there during the week so can’t pass comment on this experience.

Golden Bridge and Ban Ha Hills

Built as an extra tourist attraction, the Golden Bridge is a two hour drive from Da Nang’s centre and is accessible via a cable car which requires paid entry. We did not travel to see this as we wanted to use Da Nang as a relaxation spot to organise our next move after Vietnam however this sounds like a good spot to check out!

Restaurant Recommendation

The restaurant scene here is not as vibrant as Hanoi with it being a small town, however, if you fancy a break from Vietnamese food, you have to visit Bikini Bottom Express. Giving Bali vibes in both decor and delicious menu, this place couldn’t have been more amazing. From burgers to tacos and milkshakes, this place is heaven and provides such a yummy change from Pho.

HOI AN

A lot livelier than Da Nang, Hoi An is an upbeat, lantern light, market filled joy. The main canal running through the old town is filled with gondola-esque boats carrying colourful lanterns with floating tea lights bobbing along where people place on the water to make wishes.

The old town is made up of numerous streets, which are pedestrian and bicycle only which provides a welcomed break from dodging motorbikes all the time on the main streets.

All of the streets are lined with market stalls selling everything from jewellery to ornate wooden ship models. You’ll find a fair share of souvenir items you’ll want to take home. There are also so many pretty and quaint coffee shops in these street, some of which even double up as farm shops. I’d definitely recommend enjoying a fresh juice or coffee in one of these beauties.

Restaurant Recommendation

The old town of Hoi An provides endless amount of restaurants, all of which look as good as the other, however one favourite of mine would be VY’s Deli. Recreating an indoor market vibe, the seating is lined with different kitchens turning out amazing food – the sticky pork with rice would have to be a favourite of mine and many other diners that I saw eating it!

Hoi An is famous for its seafood dumplings and a famous joint to try these is White Rose. This place always has guests dining in and with only two options on the menu, it’s very easy to decide! The food here isn’t necessarily blow your socks off but it’s worth it just for a try and to tick the iconic box.

The only slight negative of Hoi An is the amount of locals who persistently approach you to sell their business. Locals that work at the famous tailoring stores here actually drive round on motorbikes and jump off when they see you to then walk with you for five minutes convincing you you need a suit and to follow them to their shop. The first interaction can be funny and pleasant but the tenth can get tiring. Always best to just stay polite and direct if you’re certain you don’t want a suit made in five different colours. However don’t let this put you off, locals are simply trying to make business and this does not take the shine off Hoi An.

From Hoi An, we make our way down to Ho Chi Minh as our two week Vietnamese visa is soon to expire and we need to fly out.

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

21-02-20

Singapore / 4 nights

When I was telling people about my trip back in London, so many people would always come back with the comment of, ‘Are you going to Singapore? You will love it!’. These pieces of advice did give it quite the expectation however to say it delivered would be an understatement🌟

From its cleanliness to its food spots and amazing residents, Singapore is a must visit when passing through Asia 🙌🏼

We ended up staying in Hotel 81 in the Geylong area, it was only once arriving that we realised this is the red light district after finding out from our taxi driver telling us this area is ‘messy’ but this didn’t bother us one bit and it is still totally safe.

One of the most ideal things to look out for when choosing accommodation is a local underground station. This is by far the cheapest, easiest and quickest mode of transport in Singapore, plus the air con is a gift from above 🙏🏼

The sight I was most looking forward to experiencing in this city was Gardens by the Bay 🌺 The towering metal tree sculptures are an iconic part of the city’s skyline and show just how green and spacious Singapore is. As well as exploring its endless amount of gardens, the ‘Supertree’ is well worth a visit up to the top. This is the main and tallest of the trees here and tickets are easily purchased at its base for $8/person. The top of this tree supplies some unreal panoramic views of the city.

Side note: as we were visiting Singapore at its peak of the Coronavirus outbreak, we were told that a lot of prices had been dropped which, of course, was a plus for us but may mean the prices I state are lower than normal. However, it did mean that our body temperature was checked everywhere we entered whether it be a cafe, shopping mall or going up the Supertree however great regulations to keep everyone safe 👍🏼

After receiving some advice from a local on where to head for dinner, we discovered the outdoor food court (hawker house as they are known) gem that is Makansutra Gluttons Bay 🍽 Just round the corner from Esplanade underground station, this spot is filled with various street food vendors with cuisines from Singapore, Malaysia and China the enormous wealth of food does not go unappreciated 😋 Try the stall that makes the rotis filled with chicken – one of the best meals of my life 😍

Although Singapore is considered a small city/country, it’s sights are quite spread out, the furthest including its botanical gardens. When only spending a short amount of time in a city, the best way to tick all the boxes is a hop on and off bus, yes very Mary-Kate and Ashley take London I know but trust me, they are so useful! 🚌

The ticket will see you through for the whole day at there are four different routes to explore. Along with this there are also bus stops at every main sight for you to hop off and enjoy – I’m sure we all know what a hop on and off bus is but felt the explanation necessary 🤷🏻‍♀️

One of the main highlights of our sightseeing has to be Singapore’s Formula 1 race track 🏁 Accessed right next to the Singapore Flyer 🎡 you can walk right onto the track and walk down the home straight where all the pit lanes are situated 🏎 Although, I can’t be 100% sure that you are allowed to do this as 1. we were the only people on the whole track and 2. we were shortly chased off by security after?🤔 However, if we can do it, sure you can and who doesn’t love a bit of thrill 🙌🏼

Lastly, one of the main attractions of them all and the main piece of the skyline which makes Singapore so iconic – Marina Bay Sands Hotel 🌟 It’s famous top storey ‘boat’ holds an infinity swimming pool and observation deck. This observation deck is accessible to the public however the pool is only available to hotel guests. Luckily for us, with the new Coronavirus rates, we were able to grab a room at Marina Bay Sands for at least $100 less than usual but don’t get me wrong – this was still a massive treat for us two travellers. We did leave the UK with more money than we need in order to have a few fun experiences along the way 🙌🏼

It is fair to say we totally milked our 24 hour experience in the hotel, we requested an early check in so was there at 10am and may have told the check in desk we were celebrating our anniversary so they upgraded our room and covered our bed in rose petals and gave us a free cake….white lies are good for you it turns out?🤪 We used the main rooftop pool of course as well as the gym pool, sauna and steam room, both the shower and bathtub in our room and the hotels casino which we walked away $200 richer from – all in all, one of the best 24 hours in our life 🥰

Overall, Singapore is a must visit and could happily live in this gorgeous green, clean and friendly city💚

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

17-02-20

Penang – Langkawi, Malaysia

3 nights – 5 nights

PENANG

After heading north of Kuala Lumpar on a 4 hour train to Butterworth followed by a short 10 minute ferry we landed in Penang 🌟 One of the largest islands on Malaysia’s west coast, Penang’s Georgetown is a growing hub of hip cafes and street art with its original and historic culture.

One of the major plus sides to staying on Penang is that Grab is available here and at such a cheap rate so roaming around the island is super easy and no need to think about a ‘perfectly located hostel/hotel’.

In order to make the most of Penang’s street art, you wont have to wander far into Georgetown until you start to spot them! However if you want a good starting point, head to a street called Lebuh Armenian. This is almost one of the main streets in Georgetown and leads you off to many other hot spots such as Chew Jetty ⛴

Chew Jetty is exactly what it says on the tin….it is a Jetty however a very unique one with floating markets and food stalls 🥡 It also creates a great viewing point of the outskirts of Georgetown and Butterworth when you reach the end of the jetty. There are more street art pieces on the jetty 🎨

If the city life of Georgetown is getting you a bit hot and bothered, a perfect spot for a days escape to the sea is Batu Ferringhi 🏖 A long stretch of beach with lots of water sport options or for simple sunbathing. Behind the beach is a long strip which lights up at night! A shopping night market runs the whole length of the street offering everything you could ever wish to purchase but the real winner on this street is Long Beach Cafe🙌🏼

Long Beach Cafe is an outdoor food court filled with local vendors. With more dishes than you could poke a stick at, this food extravaganza is all you could wish for and is a real shame it’s not closer to Georgetown. Grab a Tiger and a plate of spring rolls and you are rocking 🍻

If local outdoor food courts are your scene for dinner than one we found in Georgetown was Padang Brown. Filled with locals and we were the only tourists there which is always a good sign as it means delicious authentic food🥢

********************

LANGKAWI

An absolute beach paradise, Langkawi is the perfect spot to really relax into the sunbathing lifestyle 👙 A simple 4 hour ferry from Penang at £15/person makes this a worthwhile stop!

The main beach on Langkawi is Cenang. This 2 kilometre stretch of coast is where you will find the hub of backpackers soaking up the rays ☀️ Cenang is filled with water sport shacks and cafes to grab fresh juices and lunch so makes it a perfect location for an all-day rest spot. We found that when looking out to the sea, the left hand side of the beach is much nicer to plot with a good range of cafes and quieter water sport wise.

The next beach along from Cenang, Pantai Tengah makes for a nice alternative as it is only a 15 minute walk away. This beach is much quieter and brings a nice break from the craziness of Cenang however along with this comes higher end resorts therefore the price of lunch here is much higher than Cenang. Therefore, nice for a morning or afternoon spot if you want to stay on that low budget life 💷

Finally, the beaches of them all on Langkawi, Tanjung Rhu. This is said to be the most beautiful beach on the island and can definitely see how it owns this reputation 🏝 With a gorgeous horizon of rocks in the sea, bright sands and tranquility, this beach on the north coast is a must visit. About 2/3 of beach is owned by a resort therefore there is a section specifically for the public and security guards do run after you if you try to go on the resorts side of the beach….trust me, we tried it 😂

Not to be all David Attenborough but we must have picked around 10 items of rubbish, plastic or wrappers out of the sea and sand while we were there and that was only within 3 hours. Therefore please help out the gorgeous sea and take them to a bin if you see anything unnatural floating around 🚫

Our next stop was going to be the west coast including the Perhentians, however after finding our it is monsoon season over there, we have decided to take a rain check and will revisit during our trip 🙌🏼 That means next stop…Singapore ♥️

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

09-02-20

Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia / 3 nights

After our flight full of face mask covered corona-phobics, us included, we landed into Kuala Lumpar from Krabi, Thailand. My very first time to this city and wow was I so impressed! From its cleanliness to its green open spaces and architecture, this city really does have it all depending on what mood you are in.

We worried that accommodation would be a bit more expensive in this city compared to islands however found a really great rate at InnB Park Hotel and it was so brilliantly placed therefore we were able to walk everywhere 🙌🏼

Once we dumped our bags we were straight out and walked 5 minutes up the road to Lot10. This shopping centre is great for some much needed escape from the city heat however is also home to the best underground food court. After ascending stairs from street level you are surrounded by local vendor stalls and long communal benches which you would never expect to find underneath the hustle and bustle that is KL. You can order from multiple stalls to try as many Malay dishes as you wish and they will all bring it to your table. The prices of these dishes are stupidly cheap and will provide you with one of the best meals of your life 🍽 You must must must visit!

From Lot10 it was only another 15 minute walk away to the famous Petronas Towers 👀 An airconed skywalk starting at the Pavilion Mall takes you directly to the park which surrounds the Petronas Towers 🌳 When arriving at the Towers you can’t help but be stunned by their architecture and overwhelming height! The park here is so clean and provides some much welcomed shade to take in the views as well as a fountain at the base of the Towers which provide a musical shower every night at 8pm, 9pm and 10pm ⛲️

For £16/person, you can experience a tower of the Petronas Towers visiting the 42nd floor skybridge and the 86th floor which is the highest accessible point of the building. I would highly recommend doing this as not only are the views amazing but the tour is very detailed with relevant interesting facts along the way. Such as the fact that the Skybridge is in fact the highest double-storey bridge in the world. The bottom floor is for tourists and the top floor for staff.

Another great spot to visit in this city is the vibrant hub that is Chinatown 🎊 It is especially exciting to visit at this time of year due to Chinese New Year therefore decorations and celebrations were in full swing 🐲

Along with beautiful chiselled temples, Chinatown is also home to Central Market, an Aladdins cave of clothing, jewellery and souvenir stalls 🛍 I was able to find a beautiful Botswana Agate stone bracelet which they even christened in a crystal singing bowl, my actual heaven as a love of stones and crystals 💎

Overall, Kuala Lumpar was one hell of a city with so much to offer, definitely will be returning! 🌟

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

07-02-20

Koh Phi Phi – Koh Lanta – Krabi

5 nights – 4 nights – 2 nights

KOH PHI PHI

Home to the famous Maya Bay which features in the movie, The Beach, Phi Phi is made up of two separate islands; Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley. Phi Phi Ley is a private island with no hotels on and this is where Maya Bay is situated. Phi Phi Don is where you can stay and then visit it’s neighbour, Ley, by boat.

The main town of Phi Phi Don is called Tonsai which is where you will arrive into on the ferry. This is a bustling little town with lots of accommodation, bars and restaurants. However, our next 5 nights on Phi Phi were going to coincide with my birthday therefore we were looking for somewhere a bit more special to stay. We ended up staying on Long Beach which looks out directly to Phi Phi Ley therefore providing unreal, movie-worthy views! 😍

Tonsai town is easily reachable from Long Beach at 100 baht/person and only takes around 5 minutes. It’s not always necessary to go over to Tonsai during the day as you have paradise on your doorstep at Long Beach however it is nice to venture over in the evening for dinner and drinks🍹

All over the island you will find longboat drivers and tour operators offering a 6 hour boat day in order to explore the several bays, beaches and most importantly, Phi Phi Ley! We grabbed various quotes from all the long boat drivers on Long Beach until we found a route, price and package we were happy with 🚤

We went on the 6 hour boat day on my birthday and our wonderful driver, Son, redecorated the front of his boat with new flowers and colourful fabric ribbons for the celebrations. This really does just sum up the wonderful culture and personality of the Thai people ♥️

Our boat day started at 9am where Son took us directly to Maya Bay in order to avoid the busy period of tour boats arriving! You are still unable to physically step foot on the beach due to previous overcrowding however the boats dock up and you can jump off and snorkel 🤿 Son then took us to more hot spot snorkelling locations as well as to a beach to stop off for some lunch.

Side note: It’s worth noting that Son provided us with endless bottles of chilled water, an array of fruit and snorkels and flippers for everyone. This was super helpful and worth asking if other drivers offer this service.

We finished off our day by heading to Shark Point which is right by Long Beach. We were lucky enough to snorkel alongside some black tip coral reef sharks 🦈 This was a totally unreal experience and would definitely recommend!

Another top destination on Phi Phi is Monkey Beach where, clue is in the name, wild monkeys live and roam 🐒 Unfortunately this is quite busy due to its popularity and we didn’t see any monkeys therefore Son took us to a quieter bay with a huge family of monkeys! However we did snorkel at monkey beach where we saw, thanks to my brother for spotting, a female black tip shark with her babies! She must have been over 6ft long and was in water no deeper than 1 metre! Therefore if snorkelling with sharks is on your agenda, Phi Phi shouldn’t disappoint!

Overall, Phi Phi is so beautiful and at the top of our favourite Thai islands! Just please keep it beautiful by picking up any rubbish you find on the sea or beaches like we did 💚

***************

KOH LANTA

A simple and easy one hour ferry ride from Phi Phi to Lanta, this large island offers lots of variety. From partying on the beach to quiet and secluded bays for peaceful sunbathing and reading, Lanta really has got it all.

We stayed in a brilliant accommodation, Pinky Bungalows which is situated a one minute walk away from Long Beach, the main strip of sand on Koh Lanta 🌴 The staff are super helpful and friendly plus they offer a great range for a cheap breakfast. What’s more, they have a pool which is an absolute blessing when travelling in hot and humid climates 🏊🏻‍♀️

Long Beach is your go-to place for endless music, parties and fire shows. This beach is filled with restaurants and bars one after another and they all light up their wooden shacks of a night which creates a real friendly scene here. An absolute must for dinner on this beach is Patty’s Secret Garden – there is no such thing as a bad choice from their menu and they had a live band and fire show when we went🙌🏼

An amazing beach spot on Lanta has to be Beautiful Beach 🏝 just a 10 minute walk north of Pinky Bungalows this quiet and secluded bay is yet to be discovered by the masses. Just one family run shack is on the beach who churn out beautiful Thai dishes for £2 each 😋 A guaranteed perfect beach day out.

Another beach known for being the best on the island is Kantieng Bay. Unlike Beautiful Beach, this sand strip is super long therefore loads of choice to plot up with your beach towel 👙 A great place for some lunch here is Same Same But Different, this restaurant not only serves great food but fresh fruit shakes and juices too 🍌

Overall, the whole vibe of Koh Lanta is contagious. Everyone is so friendly here with great spots to explore all along the coast and inland. Somewhere you could easily stay for a few weeks to explore, relax and live the island life 🧡

*************

KRABI

As our 30 day Thailand visa came to a close, it meant we only had 2 nights in our last stop, Krabi, before we flew from there to Kuala Lumpar.

The ferry from Lanta to Krabi was again really nice and easy and took roughly 2 and a half hours. When arriving into the port at Krabi, if your accommodation isn’t walking distance, Grab (taxi app) is available here and massively cheap and reliable 🚖 You pay by cash at the end of your ride so no need to worry about card details unlike Uber.

While we were in Krabi Town and strolling around looking for some dinner we came across an incredible market filled with food, clothing and even a cacti stall! 🌵 After doing some research I believe it is called the Krabi Night Plaza and is located opposite the The Mud Crabs Sculpture. We feasted on a variety of food stall dishes all while some locals sang and breakdanced on a stage! This is by sure a must-visit 🙌🏼

Unfortunately, Krabi isn’t too well connected to the locals beaches such as Ao Nang and Railay. The only way to arrive is either a 45 minute long boat from the pier, local bus which can be quite unreliable timing wise or a Grab. Considering Grab only cost us £2 for a 30 minute journey, this was the best option by far.

After the Grab to Ao Nang we were able to get a long boat from here, over to Railay (which is only accessible by boat). Railay is the most popular and beautiful beach in Krabi and you can see why with it’s limestone surrounding cliffs and gorgeous waters 🌊 This famous beach is definitely worth the day trip ☀️

Ultimately, Krabi served as a great transport link for us in order to fly out of Thailand before our visas expired however it is definitely worthy of more nights stay in order to island and beach hope around its coast 🌟

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

27-01-20

Khao Sok National Park / 2 nights

After our time of island hopping the east coast it was back onto mainland Thailand for some rare wildlife and nature 🌱 Khao Sok National Park is said to date back 160 million years making it one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It is the perfect place for seeing animals in their natural habitat and embracing your inner David Attenborough!

Our stop before Khao Sok was Koh Phangan so our journey involved one ferry over to Surat Thani and then a 2 hour taxi to our accommodation in Khao Sok – this was all booked through 12Go Asia which made the journey super easy!

We stayed at Jungle Huts Resort in Khao Sok which provided a perfect location and helpful staff. As it says on the tin it was a air conditioned jungle hut room, no complaints! 🛏

Top tip: We found Jungle Huts through our ‘bible’ (our Lonely Planet Book: Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. I would massively recommend buying and taking this book on your travels, we refer to it almost daily and never gives a bad recommendation! 📙

The entrance to the National Park was only a 5 minute walk away from our accommodation where we strolled to not long after we arrived. This road leading up to the park is full of great and cheap places to eat! 🥢 The entrance to the park is 300 baht/person and if you buy your ticket after 4pm then the same ticket will be eligible to use the following day 🎟

Once you enter the park you are free to roam as you please! We personally took the first left and followed this 3K trail to a waterfall. Whilst keeping our 👀 peeled on the trek there we spotted many different monkey family’s swinging, playing, eating and sleeping in the trees. A couple of younger monkeys were even running around and playing on the pathway 🐒 We even saw a small jungle snake kill and eat a frog….bit too much info?😬

Best to note that the jungle is super humid and hot and the paths can be very rocky and steep so best to take trainers/walking boots and lots of water💧

On our second day in Khao Sok we ventured out to Chiew Lan Lake. This is a one hour drive away for the National Park entrance however totally worth it! We booked this package through our accommodation which was a 10 hour day out with a tour of the lake, lunch, kayaking, jungle trekking and the car transfer for 1,500/person.

Visiting the lake is definitely a must do in my opinion, it is absolutely beautiful and so vast! The views are incredible and really showcases nature in all its glory 🌄 Our lunch spot was on a floating raft house made out of bamboo, this was a great stop off as it meant we could swim in the lake, relax and do some kayaking!

Overall, Khao Sok is definitely not one to miss with its untouched nature and wildlife! 💚 Next stop: the west coast 🙌🏼

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

09-01-20

Bangkok, Thailand / 4 nights

After an overnight flight leaving London on the evening of the 8th January, we arrived into Bangkok in the afternoon of the 9th, heavily jet lagged! We took a taxi from the airport…

(Top tip: always ask the taxis to use their meters for the fare, it works out so much cheaper than them offering you a flat rate)

…..to our accommodation – Chern Hostel. I would highly recommend this spot for its great value for money. The building is light and welcoming with super helpful staff and security on the door 24/7 if this is something that puts your mind at ease. Plus, it is right next to the monument know as the Giant Swing which makes it very easy to get taxis/tuk-tuks back as not many of them know hostels by name.

Top tip: download the Grab app, it is basically the Asia version of Uber and is so cheap! Aside from the MRT (underground system) this is such a cheap way to get around, most journeys will only cost you maximum £2!

For our first meal we went to the home of Padthai, a restaurant called Thipsamai. This is an absolute must with locals queuing down the street to get in from its opening at 5pm until it’s closing of 1am! It is a simple restaurant with fast service (so don’t let the queue put you off) and delicious food you can see being prepared in the glass windowed kitchen. If you end up there, get a big bottle of the orange juice, it is honestly unreal and I hate orange juice!

The two must dos when in Bangkok are Khao San Road and The Grand Palace;

Much better to visit at night, Khao San Road is the party strip of Bangkok with DJ bars, street food stalls and market shops. You’ll find everything from great fake designer items to dried scorpions on a stick! (I don’t care who you are, you have to get one – almost like initiation). To really liven up your night, hitch a tuk tuk to or from Khao San, most of them have huge speakers and party lights in them at night so really tops off the experience.

The Grand Palace is a Thai place of worship as well as it being one of the King’s residences. Expect beautiful gilded temples with mosaic tile art! A great place for some gorgeous architecture and culture. This will be the most expensive thing you pay for in Bangkok at 500 baht each as well as your hottest activity due to having to wear trousers and a sleeved top in order to be respectful to the religious culture. However, there are plenty of shaded areas for you to take a seat if you overheat at any point.

If you’re after a nice bit of luxury in all the hustle and bustle then head over to the Octave Rooftop Bar in Sukhumvit! This was very kindly a Christmas present therefore didn’t have to come out of our travel budget however very decent prices if you compare it to back home! Up here you can enjoy happy hour cocktails and delicious food all while taking in the beautiful views of Bangkok city.

One of the only practical things on our list in Bangkok was to find a Thai SIM card. This proved difficult at first as the best place to find these is in 7-elevens however the first few we went in were out of stock! However when you do find one, make sure to have your passport on you and ask the server at the counter to help set it up with you. Most of the instructions are in Thai and they are happy to help!

**********

We are now currently on our way to Chumphon on a 6 hour train from Bangkok Station which we booked through 12Go Asia (highly recommend). The train is lovely and air-conned and the seats are nice and comfy, feels like home after practically living on a train through Europe! In Chumphon we will stay one night and then will be hitching a ferry over to our first island Ko Tao. Get me to the beach!

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

P.S. although a very lighthearted blog post, Bangkok can be a very overwhelming and crazy city, especially as a first stop on a travellers trip. I will be totally transparent and say it wasn’t constant sunshine and rainbows mood-wise with peaks of anxiety, however this is probably mostly caused by heat, jet lag and, for me, the unfortunate circumstances of falling rather sick! This has nothing to do with the city being unsafe or scary in anyway.