Mui Ne...Real Vietnam

We fly to Ho Chi Minh City in a thunderstorm, had some Pho at the Airport and hailed a ride out to Mui Ne Beach for 4 nights.  A friend recommended we come here, and we thought we'd try something different this time.

What we find here is nothing short of astonishing.  First, the fishing village... where do I start. Eagerly, as we're heading to the beach,  we put on our togs and go.  Didn't realise it was a rubbish dump, of stinky dead fish and crap. With cows chewing through bags. I was shocked.

The boats are cute tho, like little round pudding bowls sitting there to await their catch.  Interesting to see all the same, we wander through them to get to the sea. Hold your nose.

Next stop is the market in Phan Thiet, we make a trip down on the scooter, dodging rain drops and enjoying coffee at the Hilltop Cafe.

Back to this for a second... and we easily get lost around little alleyways and streets so badly maintained it makes you wonder how these people can sit here and do nothing all day. I don't think I'd be able to stand it myself... but that's what makes travel so enlightening. What we do, and get used to, is not necessarily what others do, no matter what country you're in. Ps... where's the rubbish bin?

Back to the market, and we arrive as the downpour starts, pulling into a side bit under an awning. Its not just a shop, but a home, and the old man inside is making his lunch. We ask him if we can park here. Yes, he nods, and we give him some money for the convenience. He looks a little confused, but smiles wide, nods his head and runs upstairs. Great, he's happy we say as we wait for the sky to clear.

Next thing, he gives us 2 plastic ponchos... wow, that restores your faith in humanity.  Such a kind gesture, allowing us to walk around and explore.  I think we've found the real Vietnam right here... and I know it's the reason we came here.

Mui Ne... it ain't flash, or touristy at all. But it sure is meaty... in every way.  From tanks of fish and stingray for dinner, to wriggling crayfish and conch shells for lunch, it's eye popping. We find a nice restaurant called Swiss House and enjoy a cheeseboard and snapper. 

Ooh... and the highlight really... seeing this on the road. Going from zero to "THERES A FKN SNAKE ON THE ROAD" in 0.001 seconds. We drive around it. It Slithers off. What a rush.

2 nights in Bangkok

We caught the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok... could've flown really, but the scenery was worth it. So lush and green, and compared to a lot of other countries... so clean.

Pulling into the station at night, we're straight to the hostel and an easy dinner, going to a small curry shop around the corner.

We're on our way to Vietnam to hook up with a tour and we're flying outa here. Not too bothered with sightseeing this time, we'll have days to do that at the end of our trip. Instead, we head into the market streets around our accommodation and go to the river. Looks like is flooded... and so brown and muddy. The flower market was amazing, I loved it. It's basic and rough, but filled to the brim... and smells nice.

Next day we check out the huge shopping malls in the city... it's where we'll be staying next, a good choice. There's food halls everywhere, and shops. Can't wait to explore more.

Train to Bangkok... old and clunky

First impressions of this place... it's kinda what we expected. A mix of new and old, clean and dirty... and interesting. With cute little coffee shops to find and plenty more to see, it's been great. People are friendly too.

Chiang Mai - Elephants & Art

Chiang Mai is a very interesting place and I reckon a must see in Thailand. We've loved our time here, only seen a wee fraction of what's on offer, but if you're looking for a peaceful and arty vibe... it's definitely here.

We hired a scooter for 2 days to zip around town. There's some very cool night markets to see and taste all kinds of yummy food. It's authentic and interesting and you're not hassled here. I'd rate it as the best market town we've been to for ambience and enjoyment.

Taking a tour to an elephant sanctuary was an experience to take in. A great time if you like mud, and elephants lol. After preparing pumpkin and sugarcane for the greedy phants... you get to feed them, then run around in a muddy field while they chase you for more food. Pretty scary having them so close to you with their trunks over your shoulder lol, I drop my bag and run away hahaha. Baby elephant was cute tho, and watching them splash everyone in the water was pretty funny.

The afternoon consists of another cooking class... this time we get to choose our menu. After the market tour and look around their garden, we get stuck into learning mode... getting to make chicken coconut soup, pad Thai, massman curry and mango sticky rice. Delish.

There's plenty of temples to explore and we head out to Umong Temple in the morning. It's a peaceful place, where monks work quietly and roosters crow in the distance. The tunnels through the temple are inspiring and home to a few small bats.

One of the highlights here are the markets and bazaars all over the old Town. There's musicians playing and life happening everywhere. No chance of getting bored here, we're planning to return one day. With an empty suitcase.

Ko Samui - Relax vibe

We've been staying in beautiful Ko Samui a few nights now, and somewhere along the way, it's turned from holiday mode, into just nomad living. Reasons being... the lack of any tourist activities we've chosen, and the ease of zipping around on our scooter, and a bit of self catering (well, breakfast at least lol). It's a great choice to come here. From Ko Lanta, and an overnight stay in Krabi, we took 3 speed boats and a bus. They do this organized travel well here.

Staying off the main road in Chaweng Beach, we've rented a guesthouse for 7 nights.  I imagine we could increase that anywhere and we'd really be living the digital nomad life. It's easy to get around and hiring a scooter is a breeze this time. Almost feels like home lol... great pool too.

We spend our week exploring the Island... first the beaches, then the hills, stopping off at the many little coffee shops along the way. There are tourist things to do here... next time we say.

Jungle Club, Ko Samui

We're not far from Samui Central, and we're there all the time. From the cool little food hall, to the supermarket, there's lots of great food here, and it's so good having all the choice.

I've always wanted to see street food like this... and Fisherman's Wharf does not disappoint.

We spend lazy mornings at the beach, drives up into the hills, and go see the craziest croc show we've seen. All in all, it's lovely here. A place you could call home. Without the vulnerability of the west coast... it's a blend of island living and Thai flavour. Very nice.

Let's Ko to Lanta

We've boarded a big blue wooden ferry for the laid back island of Ko Lanta... a little off the beaten track. We've hit low season with some great deals on accommodation and some peace and quiet. Not sure what to expect after tourist mad Phi Phi, but here goes...

Old Town, Ko Lanta

It's the kinda place life just happens. We're staying right on the beach at New Coconut Resort... a bunch of cute beach huts with a great pool. That's a good start.  It's a bit Rarotonga vibes here I feel... and very quiet. No one's in a hurry and that's the appeal.  We rent a scooter and go exploring the island.

The old Town is a quaint and interesting spot. There's cats on clothes and cannabis shops amongst old cars and bikes and plants and stuff. A nice slow walk around after lunch is a good fix.  We've hit rainy season too... and pretty quickly we discover the mud, with our first scooter mishap, sliding out and falling over. Could've been worse lol. 

We've enjoyed Ko Lanta. It's rugged, very quiet and more than a little laid back. The foods cheap and good. The roads are either excellent or terrible, but there's interesting beaches down south. Not able to swim at them in the rainy season, and some have piles of rubbish on, but in spots where there are businesses, they are kept pretty clean. It must be such a chore dealing with all the rubbish washed up everyday... so much plastic. 

Phi Phi Island Blue

How to describe Phi Phi Island... Stunning.

It truly is. It feels remote, yet connected. It's such a beautiful place to be.  The boat trip over from Phuket was speedy... we step off and we're met by our accommodation to walk our luggage through town and to Uphill Cottage. Not that I'm scared of tsunamis or anything lol but it's got a great view. And of course it's a hundred steps up.

The boat trip out to Phi Phi Lei was as good as we were hoping for. The colour of the ocean changed around every turn, and those cliffs, wow. Such a dramatic landscape, even with all the boats. We stop off for snorkeling, complete with sea snakes... for that part I stay on the boat.

The maze of shops and cafes in town is quite interesting and so easy to get around. There's people working too... carting bags of rubble and sand across town. There's a few contrasts here. From pristine beaches, to ramshackle alleyways, and the aroma from the drains all makes for an interesting stay. It's as if they've salvaged what they can from anywhere. We see wrecked boats beside sheds and rubble in bags to fill in potholes on the back roads. Most daytrippers wouldn't see these things, and I'm glad we stayed longer to get a real feel for what it's been like. Tho we'll never really know. The devastation from the tsunami was horrific.  

Still, it is paradise. With the constant engine noise from the longboats humming in the distance... that's the only real sound. Bliss.

There's good walking tracks around and we take the steps beside our accommodation up to the first viewpoint. Linking the next 2 viewpoints and down to Long Beach... we spend a good morning walking the loop and enjoying the beach.  Three nights here is enough for a good stay, but I'm sure we'll come back again for longer. Always good to leave something for next time.

The food here's been good and we've enjoyed the local Thai food. Even finding a bar to watch the league... there's something for everyone here.

Tomorrow, another Island. Although, this one's hards to beat. So beautiful.