It's been 7 months now so I want to give y'all a time line of where we have been so far and how I will keep my posts flowing from there
Thailand--Vietnam--Cambodia--Singapore--Hong Kong--Malaysia--Indonesia
DFW to Bangkok
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai to Bangkok
Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang/Hoi An
Da Nang/ Hoi An to Hue (train ride)
Hue to Honoi
Hanoi to Ninh Binh (train ride)
Ninh Binh to Cat Ba (bus ride)
Cat Ba to Hanoi (bus ride)
Hanoi to Siem Reip
Siem Reip to Bangkok
Bangkok to Krabi
Krabi to Ko Lanta (boat ride)
Ko Lanta to Ko Lipe (boat ride)
Ko Lipe to Panang
Panang to Singapore
Singapore to Bangkok
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai to Hong Kong
Hong Kong to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai to Bangkok
Bangkok to Panang
Panang to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur to Bali
Bali to Kuala Lumpur
23 flights in 7 months
HOLYYYY s***!!! If you read all that đ
We never had a plan when we got to Bangkok which sounds insane but after reading multiple blogs from other travelers the best way to do it in SE Asia is to just go with the flow and see what the next cheapest flight is when you are ready to move destinations which is exactly what we did. If we loved a place we stayed longer if we didn't we left. Which there are a few times where that has happened. I'll talk about those when I get to that destination.
The one place we knew we wanted to visit first was Chiang Mai ⤠Which became our home for several months!
When we got to Chiang Mai we did as much touristy stuff we could in the first week
-Tiger Kingdom
-Elephants
-Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
-Night Market (especially the Sunday Night Market)
-Khao Soi
-Tuk Tuk rides
-FOOT MASSAGES FOOT MASSAGES FOOT MASSAGES *No happy endings đ
Laying on a tiger is pretty scary I have to admit but it was one of the coolest things I have ever done. And no the tigers were not drugged and put to sleep for us to take photos with them. They were fed chicken and steak the whole time we were there! We did our research and tried our absolute best to find the most ethical places we could.
I have fallen deeply in love with elephants here in Thailand. I'm trying to put into words how amazing these creatures are but it is one of those things you have to experience it for yourself. But to sum it up. They are so sweet, love bananas (bananas are like chocolate to them), love to give kisses, love long walks, and taking constant baths!
Our first week in Thailand I learned how to ride a motorbike which came natural to me! David 2 years ago had a bad experience on a motorbike so he didn't want to drive at the beginning for a while so I would drive while he was on the back lol pretty funny to witness but he eventually learned and now 7 months later I refuse to drive because it's better to just sit on the back!
Motorbikes rent for about $5-$7 a day depending on type of bike but you can ALWAYS negotiate especially if you are renting for a longer period of time!
We stayed in hotels ranging from $15-$25 , which is what we budgeted for and most come at or just under the $20 mark. Traveling as a couple has allowed us to bypass hostels. I have nothing against hostels, for solo travel they are perfect, but we are a couple and enjoy our personal space . Hostels average around $10 per person, give or take,so with two people we can get more value at the same price! Now they aren't lux but they more than do the trick!
Tuk tuks are everywhere in CM and should cost you between 100baht to 300baht ($3-$9) depending on where you go but again you can negotiate with them as well. Just try and not get scammed have your converter app ready or know ahead to negotiate quickly with them, or come with a set price and most the time they will agree!
Songthaews (Red trucks) are another form of transportation in CM. It's a hop on hop off method and costs about 30 baht to 60 baht ($1-$2) per person. They actually have the price advertised on the outside of the truck so don't let them scam you either. If you go outside the old city they will charge you slightly more.
Oh yeah and foot massages should cost you around 180baht ($5.70) FOR A FULL HOUR!
And gel manicures 150baht ($4.70) I guess you could say it's pretty much heaven đ