We enjoyed a mandatory Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel, quite possibly the most expensive drink you will ever buy. Being typical backpackers, we were knee-deep in the shells of free nuts at the Raffles by the time we left. We were off to the harbour area for a pub crawl and to visit the many restaurants and karaoke bars. It’s a great, clean and friendly city and perfect for a one or two day stopover as you head to your South East Asian destination.
The next day we flew out to Bali for three days of lying around the hotel pool and beach. We were a short walk away from Kuta beach, and every day at sunset a gathering of hundreds of people would commence; drinks were shared and everyone watched the sun set over the sea. Afterwards, the usual ritual is to head off for a night of madness at the many cocktail bars and nightclubs in that area. The locals are great – we stumbled onto a few having a party in the street and were invited to – however, be sure not to trip over one of the many religious shrines that line every street! The hotel we stayed at was perfect – a huge pool, restaurants and a room with a balcony. After a cheap and relaxing break there we caught a low cost carrier to Kuala Lumpur – a great cosmopolitan city with the massive Petronas Towers dominating the skyline. We spent a couple of days absorbing the sights and sounds this city has to offer. There are many young and like-minded travellers all around so it’s easy to make friends. After the hustle and bustle of the big city, it was time to fly to Phuket on a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur. We were all very happy when we looked out of the plane window and saw the fantastic beaches in Thailand that we would be spending the next couple of weeks on.
Phuket is a great and diverse part of the world to visit, the beaches are perfect – my favourite being Kata beach – and there is no visible trace of the 2004 tsunami. A thatched roof reggae bar nestled into the corner cliff face was our preferred vantage point to see the beach from after spending hours tanning and swimming. It was from here that we took a two day tour of Phi Phi Island, the highlight of which was hiring our own personal boat and motoring around, with the skipper stopping off wherever we wanted for snorkelling and swimming. After a few hours in Maya Bay (where they filmed The Beach), we got a few beers and told the boat when we were ready to leave. He sailed us around and dropped us off at the hotel, where we went down to the infinity pool and just lazed around there. Eventually we headed down onto the beach again where there were loads of restaurants with tables in the sand and we sat there all night. The next day we were off to the Koh Samui and Koh Phangan for the Full Moon party, but that is a whole other story! Oh, and while partying on the beach in Phuket, it’s probably a good thing to remember when your friend loses his credit card, is not to go ahead and lose yours a few hours later!
