TOOTH GERM: Backpackers

Roadtripping in Bali

Following my previous post with my Top 10 things to do in South East Asia, I decided that I would write about some of the time I spent in Bali. We were only there for 3 days and in hindsight, I definitely think we should have stayed longer.

To cram in as much as possible in the time we were there, we hired a man and his taxi to drive us to some of the top attractions on the island in one day. This sounds expensive, but if there are a few of you (another girl from our hostel came along too), you can split the cost which isn't too bad. I think in the end it came to around £30-40 and this was a long day; from around 11am to 7pm!

Before I describe the itinerary we did, let's get some basic facts about Bali.

What language is spoken there?

Indonesian but it is very easy to get around as most people speak English and signs and menus are in both languages.

What is the currency?

Indonesian Rupiah. At the moment, it's around 20,000 Rupiah to the pound

How do I get around?

The best way to get around and possibly the easiest is local taxis which are relatively cheap. There are a limited number of buses on the Island, mainly connecting to the main airport.

Local culture

Unlike the majority of Indonesia, Bali is a Hindu region so you unlike the other Islamic regions of Indonesia you do not have to worry so much what you wear out and about.

View over some of the rice fields at Ubud

1. Rice Fields and Kopi Luwak

First we headed to the central of the island to the town of Ubud to the famous terraced rice fields. There are lots of different views you can see, but we went to a place where they made Kopi Luwak - coffee made from beans that have been partly digested by the Civet (a small cat like animal).

At the farm you will see the civets (cute but smelly!) and see how they make and process the coffee as well as having some FREE coffee at the end (although you'll have to pay to sample the actual Luwak coffee).

You can sit on the top terrace and look out over the fields drinking a nice cup of coffee, or if you're like me and don't like coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

2. Monkey Temple

Next we headed to the famous Monkey Temple and Forest in Ubud to meet some very cheeky monkeys. It was amazing how bold and fearless the Macaque monkeys were - we saw them ambush some old ladies at a banana stall at the entrance to the forest and they'd climb up on top of your head as if you were a tree!

I'm not sure whether these monkeys or the ones I experienced at the Batu Caves in Malaysia (see my post about it here) were more cheeky!

In the middle of the forest is a Hindu Temple where the monkeys make themselves at home. To find out more see their website.

Not too shy to pose for a photo!

3. Bali Zoo

I know it's a bit cliché to go to a country abroad and go to a zoo, but there was a big variety of different animals which are indigenous to Indonesia and the surrounding Asian countries compared to what you would find in any zoo in Europe.

Of course we had to get up and personal with an Asian elephant and if you pay a little extra you get go on a ride on it. It's touching to see the relationship between each elephant and their personal keepers - the keeper for the elephant we rode said that she was his 'wife'.

We also got the opportunity to feed a Bengal Tiger and a Crocodile (scary!), as well as holding a baby crocodile and a bear cat (Google it, so cute!).

Enjoying our new ride!

4. Balinese dance

Finally later on in the evening we watched a traditional Balinese dance performance which told the story of Rama and Sita, a Hindu Diwali story.

All the costumes and make up were spectacularly elaborate and their dance was very elaborate with intricate hand, arm and eye gestures like they were in a trance. There was also a chorus of local men chanting constantly during the story

It was quite hypnotic at times and very entertaining, the perfect end to a long day of site-seeing!

Have you been to Bali? Been to any of the places I've recommended or are there any other things that you'd recommend doing or seeing when out there? Please leave your comments in the section below!

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18:19

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Backpackers

Top 5 Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur

Continuing my series of travel posts after my Top 10 things to do in South East Asia, I thought I would write about my top things to do in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

On our trip through South East Asia, KL was a must stop as I have family who live in the capital. Having a free tour guide in the form of my Uncle was great as we saved a lot of time finding things to do and knowing which activities were worth doing.

Like the other big cities in the area like Singapore and Hong Kong, KL is a bustling city but a lot of the infrastructure is being improved at the moment which lead to some long tail-backs in the car when trying to get about.

What language is spoken there?

Malay. It's not too difficult to find someone who speaks English though.

What is the currency?

Malaysian Ringgit. At the moment, it's just less than 6 Ringgit to the pound

How do I get around?

Getting around is probably easiest with Taxis or the Malaysian version of the underground MRT (which is really cheap). We were lucky knowing someone to drive us around most of the time!

Local culture

In Malaysia there are 3 main cultural groups: Malay, Chinese and Indian. In KL there is both an Indian hub and a China town. Despite what you may hear in the national media, there still is segregation between each culture and being Malay is highly favoured if you want a government job.

So there are the top 5 things I think you should do if you're heading out to Malaysian capital!

1. KL City Centre (KLCC)

In the main business district of KL, the famous Petronas twin towers (which were once the tallest buildings in the world) dominates the skyline.

The shopping mall attached is a good place to pick up some goods and it's huge so you could definitely spend a day there without feeling you've got around the whole place! There's also a park behind the towers which is a nice place to sit and soak up the sun with the impressive back drop of those towers.

It's quite difficult to get tickets to go up to the bridge that connects the two towers and you will need to get up early to get in the queue!

Posing outside the Petronas Towers

2. KL Tower

This old satellite tower actually has a view which is higher than the viewing platform at the Petronas Towers - it's actually the 7th tallest building in the world.

You get a fantastic 360 degree view of the city and can use the binoculars around the tower to get a closer look.

There is also a revolving restaurant and outdoor viewing platform - you will have to pay more for these, as well as an aquarium and other outdoor activities surrounding the tower.

A view of the twin towers from the KL tower

3. Kuala Selangor

A hour or so drive out from KL is this small fishing village on the River Selangor.

You can hire boats and go see the famous fire flies (Kampung Kuantan), but the main attraction here is the food. The fish restaurants here serve amazing seafood which you pick out from the tanks if you wish, and the restaurants themselves project out on stilts into the river itself.

We were there are sunset and the view across the river was magical!

Sunset over the Selangor river

4. Batu Caves

These Hindu caves on the edge of the city are a hot spot for tourists, if you can handle the stairs!

Batu is Malay actually means rock, and at the top of the x stairs there is a Hindu temple which is the most popular Hindu attraction outside of India. There are other relics surrounding the caves, but the aspect you need to be careful of are not the 272 steps or the heights; beware of the monkeys!

These Macaque monkeys are very cheeky and bold - we saw one pinch a bottle of coke right out of a man's pocket! Do not feed them, but they are very willing to pose for photos!

As well as the temple you can actually enter the pitch black caves for a guided tour and there is also a museum at the bottom which has a reptile house, dancers performing regularly (they'll try to get you involved too) and a exhibition of Hindu Gods.

5. Royal Selangor

In the past, Malaysia's main export was Pewter. On the outskirts of the city, there is a Visitor Centre where you can learn about the importance of pewter in Malaysia's history, have a go at finishing a pewter tankard and wander through the main factory to see how their products are made.

The centre also runs workshops where you can make your own jewellery! I would never have considered seeing this attraction before my trip, but my Uncle recommended it and of course at the end of the tour we spent a while browsing the gift shop.

Centuries ago when there was no official currency in the country, the way that goods were exchanged was with the exchange of different weights of pewter either in the shape of animals or as a money tree (which is seen as a good luck charm now). We found this so cool that we bought replica of a little crocodile which was used for such purposes as well as a turtle as a gift for a friend.

Posing with the largest pewter tankard in the world!

Have you been to Kuala Lumpur? Is there anything else you'd recommend people do when out there? Please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

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20:37

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Backpackers

No one says F*** it to Phuket

Continuing my series of travel posts after my Top 10 things to do in South East Asia, I thought I would write about my top things to do in Phuket, Thailand.

One of the top destinations to hit up in South East Asia, Thailand is now an easy place to visit and get about. Due to the limited time that we were travelling about, we had just 5 days to kill between Singapore and moving on to Malaysia so where to go?

Phuket is a the biggest island in Thailand off the west coast and has become a popular beach getaway not just for tourists, but for Thai people themselves. It's a short cheap flight from most of the destinations around South East Asia so it was ideal for us!

What language is spoken there?

Thai. It's not too difficult to get around though as there is usually someone around with basic English, especially if you are staying in a particularly touristic area.

What is the currency?

Thai Baht. At the moment, it's around 5 Baht to the pound

How do I get around?

Getting around is probably easiest with Taxis or Tuk Tuks, but there are a few buses about if you wanted to save some cash.

Local culture

Locals are so friendly in Thailand! If you're around the really touristic areas, you'll be faced with calls from ladies from massage parlours or street vendors trying to sell you their wears but never in an aggressive way. Plus if you're going on a night out you will get some hassle from people trying to get you to go into a certain bar, or have a picture with a ladyboy or come to a Ping Pong show! Just remain polite with them, even if you are trying to get away from them!

So there are the top 5 things I think you should do if you're heading out to Phuket!

1. Ko Phi Phi

This group of idyllic islands just off the coast from Phuket were the setting for the film The Beach.

Beautiful white sands and clear blue waters where you can top up your tan, go snorkelling or explore the caves around the rocky bays.

The Phi Phi Don is the biggest island and the only one with accommodation on it. You can do day trips from Phuket town if you're on shorter trips which include snorkelling and lunch but if you're going in peak times these can be very busy!

Go up to the viewing point on Phi Phi Don where you can see the whole Island!

One of the beaches on Ko Phi Phi

2. Phuket town

A good base, the capital of Phuket is not as touristic as some areas of the island but still has lots to offer if you're looking for a quieter side of Thailand and to interact with some of the locals.

If you're heading to Ko Phi Phi, there are regular ferries from Phuket town but the town also offers a great Trick Eye museum.

The whole museum has various art scenes which you can pose which create some really funny and creative illusions! These sort of museums are becoming really popular in Asia.

Some pretty impressive stuff at the Trick Eye Museum

3. Muay Thai Match

This combat sport is really popular and also really entertaining to watch! We went to an evening of matches which started out with the younger less experienced fighters (they were really young, looked about 9 or 10!), and culminated in a big fight between an Australian fighter and a famous local Thai champion.

Grab a couple of beers, get involved with the locals running around betting on who will win and shout along to your favourites.

4. Patong Night Life

One of the really touristic and busy areas of Phuket, Patong is full of life and it's famous nightlife sprawls along Bangla Street which is shut to vehicles during the evening and night to accommodate the rowdiness of a night out in Thailand.

As I said earlier, be ready to fight off Ladyboys, club promoters and Ping Pong show menus but a night out in Thailand is infamous and will go on late into the night.

My favourite place was were a Filipeno band played into the early hours of the morning, taking requests throughout the night.

5. Tiger Kingdom

Up close and personal with Tigers

Before going to Thailand I told myself that I wouldn't go to have my picture taken with a sleepy drugged up tiger.

Admittedly, as soon as I stepped off the plane and saw that you could get up close to a tiger, my resolve wobbled. We asked a few people we met during our stay and finally on our last day, caved in and went to see the tigers.

It was very different to what I expected. The tigers didn't really seem to be that sleepy, especially the younger ones who jumped around playfully, making cute little snarls at each other. According to the staff, they never drug their tigers and the tigers are brought in and trained from a young age to interact with humans.

The big tigers were quite terrifying, especially when one came up behind me when I was taking photos! There were a few young children around crying because they were so scared!

I haven't done enough research to definitely say that these sort of experiences are good for the tigers, but it certainly does raise a lot of money and awareness about the declining tiger population in the wild. I would say if you're really concerned do some research, but I certainly wouldn't feel guilty recommending this attraction!

Have you been to Phuket? Is there anything else you'd recommend people do when out there? Please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

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20:10

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Asia

A Day Trip to Singapore

Continuing my travel posts after my Top 10 things to do in South East Asia, I thought I would write about my top things to do in Singapore in one day!

When I visited Singapore, I was only there for just over a day. Singapore is small enough to get around in a relatively short period of time so using it as a stopover between destinations in Asia is ideal. Singapore is also expensive in comparison to the neighboring countries in the area, so if you're backpacking it' probably best to limit the time you spend here.

What language is spoken there?

Mandarin but it is very easy to get around as most people speak English and signs and menus are in both languages.

What is the currency?

Singapore Dollars. At the moment, it's around 2 Singapore Dollars to the pound

How do I get around?

Getting around is easy with the bus and MRT (metro) systems. Taxis are also really cheap and its easy to flag one down, most speak English.

Local culture

Locals are really friendly and culture is generally very similar to western countries, you'll feel like you're in a hotter cleaner London!

Morning - Chinatown

Not only a great place to get some of the local food; check out the Maxwell Centre and chicken rice!

There are markets, museums and places of worship like the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. It's also somewhere relatively cheap to stay if you're ok kipping in a hostel and is a bit closer to things than Little India (the other area which is dense with hostels).

Singapore also do a tourist travel card which you can use on buses and the MRT for one or two days depending which one you buy. This card also allows you to hop on and off their city tour bus which is a good way to see the sights around Singapore in a short space of time.

Lunchtime - Marina Bay

Marina Bay is probably most famous for the Marina Bay Sands Hotel with it's infinity pool at the top. But that's not just all there is at Marina Bay.

If you can stand the heat at this time of day, take a walk around the the Marina, check out the famous Lion Fountain. You do get a pretty good view from the viewing platform at the top of the hotel, although it probably is a bit overpriced and unfortunately only hotel guests can use the pool at the top.

There is also a huge mall at the bottom of the hotel - if you're looking for somewhere to shop, the mall has pretty much everything and grab something to eat while you're there.

Afternoon - Gardens by the Bay

Just behind the Marina Bay Sands hotel are the Gardens by the Bay:

'Turning the Garden City into a City in a Garden'

The place is so full of greenery you wouldn't think you were in the middle of the city and there are countless large plant-like structures, some with a walkway between, one with a restaurant at the top if you're still peckish.

Evening - Night Safari

One of the top attractions in Singapore aside from Universal Studios on Sentosa Island. There are 3 wildlife parks that you can go to: the Night Safari, Singapore Zoo and the River Safari. If you want to go to all 3 (which will probably take you more than one day) you can get a discount.

The Night Safari was the only one I went to, but it was really good and brought a new perspective to the zoo experience.

We bought our tickets at a discounted rate from our hostel and although there is a shuttle bus that runs directly from areas of Singapore to the zoo, it was still really easy to get the MRT and a regular bus there.

At the Night Safari there are a couple of 'shows' at set times but the main attraction is hopping onto a safari train to get driven through the night around the zoo and see the animals up close. You can also hop off the train to walk around the trails to get an even closer look and a lot of the animals are up and about rather than sleeping. See more at their website.

Night - Clarke Quay

If you're still full of energy after your busy day, head to Clarke Quay where there are countless restaurants and bars to keep you entertained - there's even a Hooters!

Since taxis are pretty cheap and easy to come by, I'd probably recommend catching one back to your hotel or hostel afterwards!

Have you been to Singapore? Is there anything else you'd recommend people do when out there? Please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

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10:04

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Asia

Top 8 Things to Do in Hong Kong

10:29

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Backpackers

Top 5 Things to do in Dubai

After my dental elective in the summer of 2013, on the way back to the UK we stopped over in Dubai. We were flying with Emirates who allowed us to extend our stopover in Dubai by 7 days for no extra charge!

What language is spoken there?
Arabic but it is very easy to get around as most people speak English and signs and menus are in both languages.

What is the currency?
Dirhams. At the moment, it's around 5 Dirhams to the pound

How do I get around?
Getting around is easy with the bus and Metro systems. Taxis are also really cheap and its easy to flag one down.

Local culture
Dubai, together with the whole of the United Arab Emirates, is an Islamic area therefore you should dress modestly when out and about - make sure your knees and shoulders are covered at least. At the beach or in expat areas things are a bit more relaxed. Also be aware not to drink alcohol or appear drunk outdoors or to kiss in public as this is also frowned upon.

Luckily, we knew people out in Dubai to help give us an idea of what to do whilst we were out there, but for those of you who don't, here are my top 5 activities you must do out there!

1. Burj Khalifa

The tallest building in the world is not only pretty impressive from the ground, but amazing when you're up at the top. When I say at the top, it's not really at the top - probably three quarters of the way up but apparently any further up and the altitude would make you feel ill.

We went up to the 'top' at night time but they have these cool telescopes where you can see what the views are like day and night, and also what the landscape was like only a few years ago when the area around was just desert. It's amazing to see how quickly the area has built up in a relatively short time.

If you're scared of heights I would probably just stick to the view from the bottom and every 15-20 minutes there is a fountain show with music at the base of the building so check that out instead.

Night view from the top of the Burj Khalifa

2. Deira

An underrated area of Dubai in my opinion. We stayed in a hotel in Deira which is much cheaper than some of the more popular areas. You also get a taste of the large Asian ex-pat community here with cheap and delicious food everywhere.

The highlights of the area are the Souks - my favourite being the Gold Souk which is filled to bursting with tonnes of bling! Even if you're not looking to buy gold I would still recommend it and there are other things to buy there not just gold, from souvenirs and trinkets to traditional Asian clothing to belly dancing costumes and shisha pipes.

Endless amounts of gold in the Gold Souk

3. Jumeirah

The location of the 7 star Burj Al Arab and as well as the famous artificial archipelago Jumeirah Palm Sands.

If you're also looking for a beach there's one right by the Burj Al Arab just down the road from the Wild Wadi Water Park.

To get onto the Palm, there's a monorail where you get a pretty nice view of all the island. It which runs down the centre and terminates at the Altantis Hotel where there is an aquarium as well as another water park.

View of the Burj Al Arab from Jumeirah Beach

4. Malls

Dubai is a great place to shop! There are a staggering 69 malls throughout Dubai, all with their individual character!

Some of the malls I visited were Deira City Centre, Dubai Mall and Ibn Battuta malls.

Dubai Mall is the biggest and most visited and is just by the Burj Khalifa. It holds the Dubai Aquarium and underwater zoo and on our first night, we were surprised to find we could visit the aquarium at 1am!

Ibn Battuta mall is a bit further out but is really quirky as each of the different areas of the mall are a different region the arabic explorer Battuta visited.

One of the other famous malls in Dubai is the Mall of the Emirates which houses Ski-Dubai, an artificial ski slope in the middle of the desert city!

China Court in the Ibn Battuta Mall

5. Desert safari

Venture out of the city into the surrounding desert. There are lots of tour companies who will arrange this for you and activities when you're out there include dune bashing, camel riding, quad biking and sand-boarding.

Depending on which company you end up with, there is may also be a camp set up with other things to do: holding falcons, dressing up in traditional arabic clothing, henna and shisha all culminating in a buffet dinner with magicians, belly-dancing and the traditional Tanoura arabic dance.

Out in the desert!

Dubai was a great place to visit, especially after spending 6 weeks in Africa. We definitely appreciated our nice hotel room, the ease of getting around at night-time and of course the shopping!
Like the other big international cities across the world like London, Hong Kong and Singapore, there is lots of do even after the sun goes down but it is also easy to escape to the beach to relax!

To see some of my other general travel tips see my previous post here.

Are you planning a trip to Dubai soon? Found this post useful? Or have you been and got any other top things to do that I've missed? Please leave your comments in the section below!

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09:16

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Backpackers

Top 10 Travelling Tips

Going travelling this summer? Or going on elective? Check out my Top 10 Tips for travelling!

Maya Beach in Thailand

1. Plan!

This is pretty obvious but it's something that a lot of people fail to do. You may book flights and maybe look at a few places to stay beforehand but if you're out travelling for more than a couple of weeks you may feel like you have the time to not have planned certain aspects.
There are some things you can get away with not planning so much, but in my opinion some of the essentials that you should plan before you leave include:

Flights
How long you plan to stay in each location
A couple of ideas of places to stay, perhaps book some of the early on accommodation
A few ideas of what activities you want to do in each place
If you're planning anything big during your trip, get that sorted; safari, scuba diving, Machu Picchu trek, climbing Kilimanjaro etc.
Budget - how much you can spend a day so you don't run out of money mid-trip!

2. Pack light

You may feel like you need to pack for every instance, especially if you're going on a long trip; however, in the end you will pick up lots of items during your trip and if you're moving around a lot too, it will become tedious dragging a massive backpack or suitcase around.

As mentioned during my post about my trip to South East Asia, I stuck to a small CabinMax backpack which if required can be taken on as hand luggage which I found much more preferable to the 80L backpack I heaved around Tanzania with me!

3. Travel insurance

This is a bit boring but it's important to give you peace of mind just in case something happens. Unfortunately things do sometimes go wrong, whether it be a stolen wallet or an accident with a scooter.
A good site to check out travel insurance is Money Supermarket where you can compare the different providers.
If you're going on elective or volunteering you need to make sure you have appropriate insurance too - check out organisations such as Dental Protection who can provide this for you.

4. Get personal recommendations

Rather than just Google the places you want to visit, ask around the people you know. A lot of people travel nowadays so just putting out a Facebook status asking for recommendations around that area of the world will get you plenty of responses.

I've also been lucky to know people who have either lived or are currently living in other areas of the world which is great as you'll get the inside information from the people who know these areas best.

5. Haggle

When you're elsewhere in the world, don't be afraid to haggle when you're out and about but know where it is appropriate.

Whilst generally it's ok to haggle in market places, you can also get better deals with things such as safari trips, excursions and even hostel rates in the down season.

Some people love this, but some people really hate the idea of being hassled or haggling with locals. It's up to you but as long as you have an idea in your head of what you are willing to pay and remain friendly with the seller then you'll get on great!

Sunset over the River, Kuala Selangor, Malaysia

6. Lonely planet

The bible of travellers' guides. Take caution with some versions as they may be a couple of years out of date and there were a few instances where the places in the Lonely planet were no longer open and the prices are usually not always right.

They do come into handy on the move with their maps of the areas and give you a great overview of the areas you're visiting.

7. Don't always get your currency in the UK

You may feel like you need to get all your currency all at once before you head over where you want to go, but look up the best way of getting your required currency as this isn't always the best way.
When I went to Tanzania I took American Dollars with me as a lot of places accepted this currency and it also got a decent exchange rate over there into Tanzanian Shillings.
We also took Sterling over to South East Asia and changed it up out there to avoid having to order in the currency which some Forex's charge for.

8. Take a good camera

To capture all those great moments! This is also a good reason why you should have insurance.

We bought our camera out when we were in Hong Kong and it was definitely worth it, we got some really memorable pictures from our trip.

9. Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a great site to help you book your flights. It compares different flight carriers and it's easy to visualise what is the cheapest option with the flexible month bar chart which shows the prices nicely.

I've booked all my flights via Skyscanner and not had any problems.

10. Make the use of stop overs

So on Skyscanner or whichever site you're using it says you have a significant stop over time. Whilst long stopovers overnight can be wearisome you can actually turn them into something positive.
Some airlines let you extend your stop over to a few days, even for free! On the way back from Tanzania, we extended our stopover in Dubai for a week! And when we had a 26 hour stop over in Beijing, we were able to get a 72 hour visa and explore the sites of the Chinese capital.

Desert Safari in Dubai

I hope you've found this post useful when you're planning your trips abroad! Do you have any other tips? Or planning a particularly special exploration? Please leave your comments in the section below!