A travel tip or two

I have done my fair share of traveling in the last 2 years, specifically around South East Asia and thought I'd share some of the things I find helpful.


Secret Money-belt

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Now I know the very mention of the word money-belt has most of your cringing. But the secret money belt really is my top tip. I bought one in the airport on my first trip out of Korea, and have stuck with it ever since. If your not staying in the classiest of establishments and worry about your money and passports safety, this is a great buy. Take a little money out each day for your daily spending and place the rest of it in the money belt along with your passport or credit card. Put the belt inside your pants/skirt/shorts so that no one but you even know's it's. That way, even if  you are mugged or your bag is unfortunately stolen, your important documentation  and majority of money is safe inside your pants:P

Roll your clothes

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That's right ladies and gents rolling your clothes tightly instead of folding them not only lessens the chance of wrinkles but it also saves a lot of space. Try it out, you'll see.

Cash passport or global ATM card

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If you're like me and don't own a credit card things can get a little tricky! I find travelers checks are such a burden these days, especially when going to more rural destinations, changing them can be a pain in the bum. But at the same time as saying that, who wants the responsibility of all that cash! What Charlie and I like to do is split the spending money carrying some of it in cash and the rest of it in a cash passport or global ATM card. If you are currently living in Korea KEB bank offers a great global ATM card that works at any ATM that sports a 'Plus' logo. * Cash passports are not available to foreigners living in Korea.

Take some over-the-counter medicine with you

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Take a basic medicine with you, traveling in South East Asia your risk of getting an upset tummy, or headache from the heat is likely.  We once got caught without pain killers in America, and had to pay a hefty doctors bill just so that he could prescribe some.

Take a towel

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Having been used to traveling with my parents and staying in "fancier" joints, it never occurred to me that in a less fancy place I might need to take my own bath/beach towel, so that's just a heads up.

Pack sensibly

If you're traveling in South East Asia, (well traveling like me on a budget), it's really not a fashion show, take some slops/thongs and maybe a pair of trainers. But seriously- you don't need those stilettos! Most of the time it's pretty humid so take light and comfy clothing and a few beach wear items.

The less you take, the less you risk losing

Traveling has its risks, and maybe I'm a little overly cautions, but I try to avoid taking any unnecessary special/ expensive items. If you want to accessorize take some costume jewelry that you don't mind losing to much. Or take items that you will ware every day. Don't take expensive/lavish jewelry changes.

Leave space in that bag

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It's easily to cheaply shop up a storm in South East Asia, so make sure you haven't reached that 20 kilogram luggage limit before you've even left your house.

Think safe

Send a family member/ close friend your travel schedule, including flight details, hotels, dates and a copy of your passport. So that if anything happens someone will be able to help, or at least know where you are.

Carry a bottle of water

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Hot weather conditions and site seeing will often leave you thirsty. Make sure to carry arround a bottle of water, not only will it keep you hydrated but it will save you money not having to buy a drink every time you're a little thirsty.

Happy Traveling

A well deserved winter break!

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While the rest of the world seems to be settling down into the new work year, most foreign teachers in Korea are getting ready for their winter break. Charlie Brown and I are no exception to this and will be taking flight this Saturday! 18 days of bliss await us and I really can't wait!

First stop, Singapore, followed by some Malaysia exploration, we'll be heading to Penang, Langkawi and of course Kuala Lumpur.

Excluding the traveling in-between destinations, we're trying to spend roughly four days in each spot. Four days is not a lot of time in one place, and I don't want to miss out on anything important, which means I've spent days searching the internet for must do activities and must see destinations. Keep and eye out for some of my findings!

Travel Bug: Thailand

When we went:
January 30th-Feburary12th 2011
Travel agent:
N/A, we winged this one by ourselves
Length of stay:
14 days
Visa cost:
None for both Chris on a South African passport and me on a British passport
Airfare:
Its a bit tricky to answer this one, because our thailand trip and Vietnam trip ran at the same time. But from Incheon to Phuket, Bangkok to Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh back to Korea came to the total cost of 1, 177 700won.

Where we went:
Phuket (4 days), Phi Phi(4 days), Ko Lanta(2 days) and Bangkok(4 days)

Highlight's of the trip:
We had several unforgettable experiences, some of the one's that stand out the most are; visiting a pingpong show which was definitely unforgettable (although maybe not for the right reasons), white water rafting and riding on the back on an elephant, and Island hopping around Phi Phi island with the most amazing views.

If I could only chose one of the four destinations:
 Its difficult because each destination we went to was so uniquely different to the one before, but I think if I had to chose I'd go with Phi Phi Island. We met so many great people and really just had the best time hanging out, laying by the beach, drinking one to many cocktails. The island is so beautiful and the island hopping tour is a must!

Things to eat/ drink:

• Try a traditional curry; red, yellow or green they are all delicious and only about 100baht/25rand/4000won
• Enjoy one of the many different flavoured fruit shakes. Watermelon is my personal favorite and really refreshing. 

Thailands unique quirks:

• When you visit most markets, especially any of the markets in Phuket, the stall sellers have learnt one or two catch phrases is almost every language imaginable. When you pass by, they do an on the spot analysis of where you're probably from, and call out to you phrases like "good day mate!" or "hoe gaan dit? Lekker dag, ne?" 90% of the time they guessed we were from Australia- but if you correct them they quickly come up with a new quote to impress. I thought this was a great marketing strategy.
• THE BUCKET is a fantastic invention where instead of being served your cocktail of choice in a glass it's served to you in a large bucket instead. Alcohol is really affordable- and with cocktail's literally the size of buckets- fun is never far arround the corner.

Places to see, things to do and where to stay: Phuket

• Phuket is defiantly not everyones cup-of-tea, but I must say I had a great time there. The beach is breathtakingly beautiful  especially if you're staying on Patong beach (which I would definitely recommend as the islands number one destination), the nightlife never seems to end, restaurants are a-plenty but so are old-fat men who are looking to (or have already) hit it of with young Thai girls. 
• We stayed at the Yorkshire Inn, I think it was about 60USD a night, located right in the center of the night life. Its not the fanciest place, but its affordable, and clean, plus it has its own pool. While we were there they were revamping the place so I'm sure its even better now. I would definitely stay here again.
• Take a tour into the jungle and go elephant back riding,white water rafting and quad bike riding.
• I would avoid staying in Phuket town- accommodation may be cheeper and closer to the airport but there is very little going on there and its at least a 20min drive to the beach.
• Go see Simon's Cabaret for a good laugh and stunning costumes worn only by Lady-boys!
• Get a massage- they are cheep and will give you a good idea of what heaven feels like. I recommend Sala Spa, they are clean and professional.
• Go to a Dr Fish where the fish eat the dead skin of of your feet. Its the best pedicure you could ask for an is incredibly ticklish!

Places to see, things to do and where to stay: Phi Phi

• Take a ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi, it's easy and affordable, plus the views on the way are breathtaking.
• Go on a Island hopping tour, see where the movie the "Beach" was filmed, go kayaking and snorkeling, enjoy lunch on the boat, experience the most beautiful views and limestone islands, and for only 100rand/ 13000won it's totally worth it.
• Spend at least a full day at the beach relaxing and just taking it all in.
• Get a massage, mani/pedi, or experiment and get your hair braided.
• Go scuba diving with one of the many scuba schools on the island.
• Check out the cool nightlife and bars on the beach.
• Phi Phi is not nearly as commercialized as Phuket,plus its a whole lot smaller. I would be a lot more likely to recommend it to a 20something year old, as I feel it's more catered in that direction.
• We stayed at the Phi Phi hotel. Location was great and the room was lovely. A little more expensive than the Yourshire Inn, I think we paid about 70 dollars a night, compared to our friends accommodation we were very satisfied.
• Make sure you book your accommodation in advance. The island has limited accommodation and its a very popular little spot.

Places to see, things to do and where to stay: Ko(h) Lanta

• Get there by taking a ferry from Phi Phi island or travel there by mini-bus from Krabi
• Where I would be hesitant to recommend the previous two destinations to my parents for reasons listed above, I would happily recommend Koh Lanta to them. Koh Lanta is so beautiful and hardly commercial at all. You'll struggle to find a bar with loud music, and almost everything happens during the day, with most people on the island going to bed around 9pm.
• Rent a motorbike or scooter for the day (or duration of your stay) and drive around the island, stopping to admire some of the most beautiful nature you'll ever see, and eat delicious food at totally affordable prices.
• We stayed in basically the cheapest accommodation on the Island we could find, and it was still about 60USD a night. Accommodation (unlike everything else on this Island) isn't cheap- but you pay for what you get, with most resorts and hotels offering their own private beaches and complete privacy and peace.

Places to see, things to do and where to stay: Bangkok

• If I had to chose one of the 4 places I went not to go, I'd chose Bangkok. That's not to say I hated it, it's just that it was my least favorite.
• When in Bangkok, go check out the Grand Palace, it really is stunning, but beware of con-artists who try to convince you that the palace is closed, in an attempt to make some money from you by offering you an alternate sight-seeing opportunity. Also note that because its a place of worship you need to be covered up- that goes for both ladies and gentelmen. Make sure your shoulders, knees and chest are covered up.
• Go have a look at China Town, but brace yourself for narrow alleys, lots of traffic and crowded streets.
• Pop into a travel agent and find out about one of the many great trips you can do just outside of the city.
• Go to Khao San Road, for great bars, cheep shopping, tons of hostels and lots of fun.
• Make sure to arrange a price with a taxi driver before getting into the cab- or insisting that he/she turns there meter on, Bangkok is not lacking in opportunists.
• Go scout out one of the many huge shopping malls.

Travel Bug: China

When we went: August 6^th 2010 (Summer in China)

Travel agency: Tour Ease China

Length of stay: 11 days

Cost of private tour: 888 dollars

Including 13 meals, all entrance fees, a professional English-speaking guide & driver with air-conditioned vehicle. All accommodation. Round trip transfers between airports or railway stations and hotels. All service charge & government taxes, and train rides in private four sleeper cabins. 

Excluding: tickets to and from China. Personal spending money, visa fees and tips.

Visa cost: 50 000 won each (for non-Americans)

Airfare: 331,800 won on China Southern Airlines (return)

Where we went: Beijing, X’ian, Shanghi

Source: Imperial China Tours

Highlight of the trip: For me its impossible to chose between the Great Wall of China in Beijing, and the Terracotta Warriors in X’ian. They both totally blew me away. Really a once in a lifetime experience.

If I could only choose one of the 3 destinations: Beijing, It’s so culturally rich and there is so much to see and do there. Definitely my favorite of the three.

China's unique quirks

• How cheap it was! Food, shopping and public transport is really affordable.
• Fat men with their bellies hanging out. Ok, not everyone was fat, nor had their tummies on show, but in the summer heat a lot of the men have a habit of rolling their t-shirts up and exposing their stomachs to cool down.
• Babies with holes in their pants. Little toddlers stroll the streets with giant holes in their pants where their nappies would be, exposing their little bums! When I asked my tour guide about this she said that their families may be too poor to afford diapers so the babies just go about their business in this way instead. Haha, I guess that’s a little gross - but those little chubby baby bottoms are just too cute!

Places to see and things to do Beijing

• Tiananmen Square which is the largest square in the world
• The Forbidden City which is the largest imperial palace in the world (A MUST)
• The Temple of Heaven
• The Great Wall of China, which is the symbol of ancient Chinese civilization and is approximately a 2-hour drive from the city. (an absolute HAVE TO)
• Ming tomb
• Acrobatic show
• Summer Palace, known as the largest and best imperial gardens in the world (A MUST)
• Wngfujing Pedestrian Street (New York’s equivalent of 5th avenue I was told. There are tons of top of the range shops and boutiques but also some really cool street food markets where you can enjoy delicacies like scorpions!)
• Any reputable fresh water pearl market or jade factory
• Tea shop

Places to see and things to do in X'ian

• Terracotta Warrior army and horse museum, considered the eighth wonder of the world (an absolute HAVE TO)
• Ancient Cultural Street and Bell & Drum Tower Square
• Great Mosque, which was established in AD742 and is still an active place of worship. (Really beautiful and unlike any mosque I have ever seen) 
• Big Goose Pagoda, which was built in AD 648. The pagoda is regarded as a symbol of Xian. 

Places to see and things to do in Shanghai

• Jade Buddha Temple, which was built in 1882, is a well-preserved Buddhist temple. 
• Ming era Yu Garden that is the most famous classical garden of Shanghai
• The Bund, known as the symbol of Shanghai, features 52 high-rises of all styles showing the art of world architecture. 
• Old French Concession Area, the White House and Pudong New Shanghai - The People's Square. 

Things to eat:

• Peking roast duck 
• Scorpions

Pros of the tour:

• Stella the travel agent I worked with was as helpful as I could have possibly asked for, speedy with her responses, polite and offered useful suggestions.
• The price of the trip when compared with other agencies was very competitive.
• The itinerary was well put together and we got to see everything we wanted at a price we could afford.

Cons of the tour: 

• In each city we were accompanied by a different tour guide, which was fine but I guess I should have read the fine print about tips for the tour guide and taxi drivers not being included, because they were definitely expected. That would have been fine, but after paying what was for us at the time a big deal of money, and then being pressured into tipping money we hadn’t allocated for, came as a bit of a shock. Saying this though I must say of the 3 tour guides we only felt pressured by one, and I’m not sure you could blame the agency for that. 
• When staying in 3-star hotels one has to realize you're getting what you’re paying for, and I don’t think I had unrealistic expectations. The first hotel we stayed in, the Minzuyuan Holiday Inn express, was perfect. The rooms were a nice size and clean and the staffs were friendly. The other two hotels, the Bell and Drum tower in X’ian and the Jinming Hotel in Shanghai were really bellow standard though - with peeling paint/wall paper, the smell of damp, filthy carpeting and mould on the walls. I complained about them to the agency and they apologized saying that they hadn’t used those two hotels before, and that they were only using them while the hotels they usually used were under renovation. But a word to the wise, when booking through a tour it may be a good idea to find out which hotels they’re going to put you in first and read reviews on them rather than just taking the agency’s advice. If you tell the agency you’re not happy with a particular hotel they can always change it.

Travel bug: background and helpful hints

Since living in South Korea we (Chris and I) have tried to make the most of each of our holidays by exploring as much of Asia as we possibly can in the limited amount of vacation days we have (18 days a year excluding weekends and public holidays). The days are divided into two periods- 8 days in the summer, and 10 days in the winter and have to be taken during the schools vacation dates.

In our first holiday, which was in August of 2010, we traveled to China. For our second holiday, which was in January/February of 2011, (where we were given an extra two weeks for re-signing our contracts) we went to Thailand and Vietnam. For our third holiday, which was in August of this year, we went to the Philippines. And now, for our last holiday, before leaving Korea to move back to S.A, we plan on traveling to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia, for 4 days, 4 days and 10 days respectively.

For me personally, one of the best parts about going on holiday, is planning the holiday. I can spend days upon days trawling the internet reading different travel sites, looking for the best flight prices, and reading hotel reviews.

I always try to make sure that I’m getting the biggest bang for my buck, and don’t have regrets at the end of the holiday because I didn’t know about a ‘must see’ sight or destination. Because of this I thought I’d do a little travel feature on each of the destinations we've been to since living in Korea, and share with you what we got up too. So if your interested keep and eye out for my travel posts:)

In the meantime, here are a few tips I apply to every holiday.

• Come up with a budget first. There is no point in planning a fabulous vacation and then realizing you can't afford it
• Always check hotel reviews out before setting your heart on one, I've found that a lot of hotels websites and pictures are extremely misleading. I love tripadvisor when it comes to honest reviews. Obviously some people out there are a little anal, so take some things with a pinch of salt. Trip advisor also has an option to view pictures of the hotel taken by guests during their stay- so you can get a better idea of whats actually being offered
• Take time looking for the cheapest flight- it can really save you a fortune.
• If your going without a tour/guide do your homework, there just isn't enough time during the trip and you will find you miss out on a lot of stuff otherwise.
• Prioritize whats important to you. For me personally, cleanliness and privacy are very important. Staying in a hostel with 15 other people, while perhaps cheap and more of an adventure, is not really in my comfort zone, so its something I tend to avoid. Where at the same time as saying that, I'd rather stay in a friendly and clean 3 star hotel or guest house then spend a huge amount of money on a 5star hotel when I could be spending it on other things during the holiday. There isn't a right or wrong answer when it comes to accommodation at the end of the day, just make sure its something you're happy and comfortable with.
• Lastly, look at a calendar when booking your dates to see if there are any public holidays you can tack onto your vacation to make it last as long as possible. Using the korean New Year public holidays and weekends in 2012 will add an extra 8 days to our trip.