In this post I will briefly tell you about the destinations we visited and give you links to the full post on each. I will also include the accommodation we stayed in and the transport we chose, as well as visa and currency information, and cultural information, including food and tips on visiting pagodas.
Seeing Mandalay with such a friendly local was fabulous… but what made our time in Mandalay so special? Was it the temples, monastery, school visit or refreshing waterfall? Or was it something else entirely?
There are so many unique experiences to be had in the township of Nyuang Shwe where Inle Lake is situated – both on the lake and around the lake. The 10 things we experienced at Nyuang Shwe (and although there is more to do in the area we believe these 10 activities will make your stay all the more enjoyable) included a cooking class, wine tasting and lake tour with weaving, hand rolling cigars and silversmith.
The year 2016 was a busy one! We managed 4500 sea miles, 603km by train, 14700km by plane and 3115km by automobiles (including 1065km on scooters!) Have a look at our journey in photos!
How do you see beautiful Penang on a tight budget? You see and do all the free things. You eat at the markets, and you jump on the free bus. Getting a good look at Penang – on the cheap – is simple because most of Penang’s temptations are free! Yes free! For instance, the street art, a major drawcard for Georgetown, is free. The stunning national park and turtle sanctuary, is free. Furthermore, those that are not free are cheap. The food in Penang, also a leading attraction, doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it is the hawker food which attracts all the foodies that flock to Penang to taste her delights!
The Sabang Marine Festival – 2016 – was extremely well organised, a lot of fun, and facilitated the healthy and happy mixing of many different cultures.Many organised activities such as cultural performances, a tour of Banda Aceh and the Tsunami museum.
One of the most stunning features of the Phang Nga Bay area is, undoubtedly, the limestone karsts which jut dramatically from the emerald green sea. The karsts give the area its complicated and mystical beauty. These karsts are often covered or partially covered with lush vegetation, and the bases of these karsts are honeycombed with astonishing caves and aquatic grottos known as hongs in Thai. Many hongs can be explored via kayak or canoe, and some, at low tide, can be traversed on foot. To my mind they are a must see. They are mystical, beautiful and wondrous…
After leaving Senibong Cove Marina we stopped at the Sebana Cove Marina for a few days. Sebana Cove was in the middle of nowhere but it was a nice break just lazing around the pool. We walked through a oil palm plantation and watched the monkeys and I got to see my first ever hornbill in the wild!!.. Malacca is a very interesting place, with many souvenir shops and art galleries… at night as it is lit up with hundreds of lights. There are many restaurants and bars along the river…
We anchored between the jetty and the breakwater in Coffs Harbour about 1630. As soon as we set the anchor we had to clean the Marlin we’d caught. A big messy job! Our bait board, on which we usually clean our fish, was just a little too small (2 metres too small) so we cut the marlin up on the cabin top…. Wait! Did you say Marlin? Yep… read on for more about our tasty catch!