Blog | Where's Dariel?

Myanmar – Inle Lake Boat Tour (Part 2)

In Part 1 of my blog post regarding our Inle Lake Boat Tour, I’ve shown you the beautiful lake with skillful Intha fishermen and the rotating market. We continued with the tour and visited a couple of temples.

Inthein Village

After we finished our early lunch, our new boatman brought us to the Inthein Village. We were told that the temple there has “many many pagodas and is very nice”. We didn’t really know what we were going to see but decided to go along with the idea.

It was a relatively long drive from the restaurant but along the way, we crossed paths with the locals on boats, zoomed past many little dams and saw the locals, including monks, swimming in the lake.

I love how the boat had to squeeze through the narrow opening everytime we come to a mini dam

Upon reaching the Inthein Village, the boatman dropped us off and told us to “walk inside, there (pointing to a certain direction)”. Since he couldn’t really speak English, we reckoned we will just follow any signpost or ask someone along the way. We walked past a kindergarten and an empty piece of land. It wasn’t really empty – there were structures built above the ground which looked like shops. I highly suspect this was one of the rotating markets.

One of the rotating markets, maybe?

It was noon so it was bright and warm. The road leading to the temple with “many many pagodas and is very nice” was quiet and dusty. We were not sure where we were going as there was no signpost whatsoever so we simply followed some locals. Then we came to a river crossing where there were people doing their laundry, kids swimming and even somebody washing his car (we assume he was!).

A boy waving to us while diving in the water – cheeky!

Washing car?

After crossing the river, a guy gestured to us which we assumed was the direction towards the temple. This was just the beginning of a long walk up to the temple, which was supposed to be the longest stairway.

Boats stopping right in front of the beginning of the stairway

Hawkers all lined along the stairway so I guess we were on the right track. However, they were not pushy so we didn’t mind them at all. In fact, they made the long walk less boring because we could browse the things on sale.

I think we walked for at least 15 minutes before we got any nearer to the Shwe Inn Thein (or Shwe Inn Dain) Pagoda or Pagodas Complex. And we saw “many many pagodas” like all the locals said. In fact, there were 1,054 of them as of the inventory of monuments in 1999. However, some had already collapsed whilst others were falling apart.

There was a temple with a Buddha when we finally reached the top. I took off my shoes and walked behind the temple, not sure what to expect, and I saw these:

It was gorgeous! There were so many pagodas that the whole ground looked like a maze.

The pagodas dated all the way back to the 11th – 18th centuries when Myanmar’s King Thiri Dharmmasoka first founded the Shwe Inn Thein Pagoda in 273 – 232 B.C. The Myanmar’s Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library, the regional authorities and the Shwe Inn Dain pagoda trustee have been preserving, conserving and renovating the cultural heritage pagodas since 2006.

It was not crowded when we were there and we almost had the whole place to ourselves. We could take our time to admire the different types of traditional architecture and carvings.

HOWEVER, the afternoon sun was shining strongly on the bare concrete floor intensely. I was unable to hang around for too long in my bare feet, had to skip and hop into the shade. But as we descended the long stairway (with our shoes on), we saw some pagodas lining along the sides with their respective donors’ name and the country they were from. We even saw some donors who hailed from Malaysia!

Jumping Cat Monastery

Last stop of Inle Lake Boat Tour – Jumping Cat Monastery

Even though the cats were no longer jumping (because the monk who taught them how to jump passed away few years ago), we thought we would check out the monastery. However, it was quite disappointing because there seem to be nothing special about this monastery other than the LV posters we found on the pillars 🙂

Have to admit they looked really nice!

Outside the monastery shops were selling t-shirts, hats, etc., touristy stuff. But I saw someone selling some local snacks and decided to take a risk (of getting stomachache) and try.

This was made of flour with chives wrapped in banana leaves, steamed. It was bland on its own but after we added some garlic and light sauce (I think it was fish sauce or soy sauce), the ball was delicious! A Dutch lady saw us eating it and decided to try too.

On our way back to Nyaungshwe, we got to enjoy the vast lake again which was a great way to end the boat tour on the Inle Lake.

For anyone visiting Myanmar, a trip to Inle Lake or indeed an Inle Lake boat tour is definitely a must-do to enjoy the stunning views of the landscape and take a peek into how the locals live. As mentioned in my previous post, the boat tour cost us 16,000 Kyats (about US$15); so if you can find 4 or even 5 people to share 1 boat, this will no doubt be a very inexpensive way to spend your day.

Tip: Bring along a scarf or light jacket if you are going for the sunrise boat trip, it gets chilly especially if you are sitting right in front.

Check out what else we were up to around the Inle Lake here!

Dariel 18 November, 2015 Myanmar, Southeast Asia 1 Comment

Myanmar – Inle Lake Boat Tour (Part 1)

**This post will many photos I want to share therefore I ask for your patience while it loads.

Beside visiting Buddhist temples and monasteries in Myanmar, I also went for an Inle Lake Boat Tour. Inle Lake is famous for its leg rowing fishermen. A boat tour is a must if you are visiting this freshwater lake of almost 120 square km. The lake is bordered by mountains around it and is so picturesque that I have no words describe, see for yourself in the photos below.

The boat tours organized by the tour agents and hotels in the small town of Nyaungshwe usually include stops at various handicraft or cottage industry workshops (read “tourist traps!!”). My friend Elayne and I decided to roam to the jetty on the first day we arrived at Nyaungshwe to find ourselves a better deal instead.

As we got nearer to the jetty, a soft-spoken man approached me with a “Hello, boat trip?” I was planning to ignore the first tout that came along but something about him made me stop. With his limited English, we negotiated the price to 16,000 kyats (about US$15) for a full day trip. The trip include watching the sunrise on the lake, visiting the rotating market, the Indein Village and the Jumping Cat Monastery (although the cats no longer jump because the monk who trained them passed away).

The boatman requested for 5,000 kyats as deposit and with a lot of sign language and our own interpretation, we got his message saying “meet here at this spot tomorrow morning 5.30am”. Frankly, we were a bit worried that he will not show up but we took our chances :).

A little incident at the hotel made us late the next morning for the sunrise. The hotel owner who was supposed to prepare breakfast for us to bring onto the boat and most importantly open the locked gate for us to get out, did not show up. In the end, we climbed over the fences of the hotel! Definitely a first in my life!

We rushed to the jetty and saw the familiar face waiting anxiously for us. I guess he too was worried that we wouldn’t show up and he would probably have wasted his day then. We got onto the boat after climbing over a few others and we were on our way! The sun had already started rising.

As the boat went further out towards the lake, the landscape around us started to change. Open sky, mountains in the distance, vast amount of water and stilt houses were slowly replacing the concrete buildings surrounding the jetty. The air was also nice and clean, very different from the inland that is generally dusty.

Sunrise

Intha fishermen can be seen on the lake using their famous leg rowing skills so that they can use both hands to fish. Among the fishermen there was 1 guy who was posing with his boat for tourists. He would come around later asking for “photo money” – the result of tourism. Can you spot the difference between the genuine fishermen and the “poser” in the photos below?

After we left the “poser”, the boatman started to talk to himself and the boat stopped. We realized there was a problem with the engine. How (un)lucky were we?! First the hotel lockdown, now this! Anyway, there wasn’t much we could do; so whilst he tried to repair the engine and call for help, we made use of the time to take photos of fishermen who were fishing nearby. The video below shows how the men rowed their boats and fish at the same time.

I think they must have very strong core muscles as well as a fantastic sense of balance to do that!

Help on the way!

Following the unexciting rescue mission from another boatman about 1 minutes later, we headed to the rotating market at Mein Thauk. Along the way, we saw more people fishing and collecting seaweed as fertilizer. Due to the sheer size of the lake, even though there were many activities going on all at the same time, it felt so clam and peaceful. Very scenic!

The rotating markets are called “5 Day Markets” because the hill tribe people rotate the Inle Lake market between five different locations over a 5-day period. The 5 markets are: Ywama, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Indein, Mine Thauk Market and Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery. On the day we took the boat tour, which was a Thursday, Mein Thauk was open. Our boat docked at a shop selling souvenirs with a “long necked” woman sitting on the floor weaving.

We walked to the back of the shop and saw a long stretch of “shops” set up under the shelter. This was the beginning of the Mein Thuak Market!

In the beginning, it felt really touristy with hawkers selling t-shirts, longyis, wooden carved souvenirs, etc. If you ever want to buy anything, remember to bargain! Anyway, after we managed to pushed through all the hawkers and crossed a wooden bridge, we saw locals / hill tribe people do their marketing and hold their gatherings.

A different sight after crossing this bridge

There weren’t many foreigners around when we were there and the hill tribe people didn’t really bother about us either. They probably have already gotten used to having tourists visiting. The locals were selling almost everything from fresh vegetables, fresh meat, fish, to cooked food and clothing.

I was, however, a bit disappointed to see very few people in their traditional tribal costume. This was unlike that time when I was in the Lung Khau Nhin market in Vietnam. It was nonetheless interesting to see how the locals live, shop and eat.

After spending about an hour at the market, we returned to our boatman. He told us his friend would take over the rest of our Inle Lake Boat Tour because of the faulty engine. We felt bad for him but there was nothing much we could do.

We were hungry by the time we left the rotating market at about 10.30am since our breakfast promised by the hotel didn’t show. So we asked the new boatman to bring us to an early lunch. This also meant avoided the lunch crowd (yay!). The boatman came along with us on his friend’s boat, which looked exactly the same to me by the way.

Our poor boatman who lost his income for the rest of the day

The boat scooted around the lake, passing temples, stilt houses and people on their canoe-like sampan, going under bridges after bridges. It was quite a long ‘drive’ for breakfast but we enjoyed it, passing locals going to the market, going to work.

Finally when we were near the restaurant, both the boatmen suddenly jumped out of the boat and started pushing! Apparently because it was the dry season in early April, the water level was so low that boats could not motor their way through this part of the village / lake.

Low water level

Breakfast / early lunch was served in a restaurant where Elayne and I were the only customers. We took the opportunity to refuel and re-hydrate ourselves for the rest of the day. It was also a good opportunity for us to walk around the restaurant and snap some photographs.

Beautiful place to have a meal

Check out the next part of our Inle Lake Boat Tour and adventure here or see what else we did around Inle Lake here.

Dariel 1 November, 2015 Myanmar, Southeast Asia 6 Comments

Hong Kong Travel Tips

I’ve been living in Hong Kong for over 3 years now and have been travelling quite a bit. I am happy to provide some tips for people travelling to / from Hong Kong. Many locals and expats who have lived here for the most part of their lives do not even know some of the stuff here! I hope this article will be able to provide some insights and maybe help you guys save some trouble and money.

Hong Kong Travel Tips

1) Fastest way from Airport to Downtown

The MTR Airport Express takes only 24 minutes to travel from the airport to Downtown (Hong Kong Station) so it is an extremely convenient (and fast) mode of transport if your destination is at or near to Tsing Yi (15mins from the airport), Kowloon Station or Hong Kong Station.

However, the downside is the fares are not cheap. BUT, if you are travelling in a group of 2 or more, get the group tickets from the counter; they work out to be much cheaper than single tickets. Sometimes the staff behind the counter do not inform the customers of this offer.

If you take the Airport Express, note that there are complimentary shuttle buses to various hotels at Hong Kong and Kowloon stations. That will help you save on any additional costs for transfers.

MTR have different promotions every now and then. Currently they are giving 50% off on the Airport Express fare if you take a taxis costing not less than HK$60 to Kowloon / Hong Kong Station before transferring onto the Airport Express to the airport.

2) Discounted tickets to tourist attractions and Airport Express

Many travel agencies in Hong Kong sell tickets for some of the tourist attractions at a discounted rate (between 5% to 15%). I managed to get a 5% discount on Hong Kong Disneyland tickets for my friends a few months ago which works out to be HK$25 per standard ticket!

You can also buy discounted tickets for the Airport Express (regardless of whether you are coming from or going to the airport) from the travel agents. You can choose a return or one-way ticket. The travel agencies will hand you a voucher which you need to redeem at the Airport Express counter before you enter/exit the gates.

I’ve used these discounted vouchers on every trip I took to/from the airport whenever I’m travelling alone. I’ve saved enough money for a few trips back and forth already lol.

3) Take the Airport Bus to Downtown

If you don’t have a lot of luggage, is not pressed for time and want to save some money, you have the option to take public buses from the airport too. I took the “Airbus” on my first vacation to Hong Kong and the experience was good. The buses usually have a sign indicating the next upcoming stop so it won’t be difficult to navigate. Or, you can just ask the bus driver to let you know when you need to alight; they are usually helpful.

4) Connectivity

Very few people can live without the internet nowadays. This part of the article will address that concern.

Free WIFI

Many places in Hong Kong provide free WIFI.

Hong Kong International Airport – no need to sign up, just agree to the terms and conditions and you are online!

Shopping malls – many big shopping malls, like Elements in Kowloon, The Landmark in Central and even Maritime Square Mall in Tsing Yi provide free WIFI. Again, you don’t have to sign up, just agree to the terms and conditions. Don’t worry if you need the free WIFI for longer than the specified period allowed. Try closing the browser, turn off WIFI settings on your phone and turn it back on then log-in again; that should give you another free session.

7-11 – many 7-11 in Hong Kong also provide free WIFI. Just stand outside / near one of the convenience stores and you should normally be able to get connected.

Banks – technically the WIFI is provided for the banks’ customers. However, since there’s no password required to log-in, you know you can just tap the free WIFI.

Cafes – Technically these are not free because you generally need to pay for food or drinks before they give you the password. However, if you are feeling really desperate to get online, Starbucks, Pacific Coffee and Café Habitu are your safest bets.

When you are using any free WIFI, please remember they are not secure and there may be a chance that someone will be able to steal your personal information. Therefore, I would highly recommend that you do not use the free WIFI for any banking services or online shopping that requires credit or banking information. You have been warned!

Data SIM Card

Hong Kong convenience stores (7-11, Circle K) generally sell SIM cards. However, if you only want temporary SIM cards for a few days up to 1 week, you need to specify that clearly to the cashier.

PCCW is probably the most popular telecom service providers in Hong Kong and their coverage is also the best. They have Tourist SIM Cards that’s available from the convenience stores which include credits for phone calls on top of the data plan. But if your phone require need a nano-sized card for say iPhone 6, you need to go to the PCCW shop.

More choices are available from other service providers and they also sell Data-only SIM cards. These do not allow you to make calls and are available from the 3HK shops.

If possible, try to get the SIM cards from downtown because the shops in the Airport usually have limited choices.

5) Emergency / Customer Services

There was once I was rushing to the airport from work to catch my plane when I realised I forgot to print a copy of my visa, which the Immigration at Myanmar will require (in hard copy). Understandably, I panicked! Luckily, the gentlemen behind the check-in counter informed me that there is a counter at the Check-in Hall which provides a wide range of services including printing, photocopying and scanning. I got my visa printed at HK$5 per copy! Yay!

In case you encounter similar problem like I did, or just need to wrap your luggage or rent a wheelchair, approach these counters for help; they are located at:

– Aisles D and H, Check-in Hall, Level 7, Terminal 1 (non-restricted area)

– Service counters at both ends of Departures East Hall, Level 6, Terminal 1 (restricted area)

– Aisle P, Check-in Hall, Level 5, Terminal 2 (non-restricted area)

Hope the above Hong Kong travel tips have been useful! There are many activities in Hong Kong, check out some of them here and here.

Dariel 10 October, 2015 Hong Kong, North East Asia 1 Comment

Things to do in Siem Reap

Soooooo sorry that it has been a long while since I last posted on my blog. You see my external hard disk containing all my holiday photos died on me! And I had to spend some time and a lot of money to fix it. Anyhow, I managed to recover about 90% of all my photographs so I AM BACK!

This post will give people some ideas of Siem Reap. Besides Angkor Wat, there are in fact many other things to do if you don’t want to be “templed out” like me. Below is a list of suggested activities in Siem Reap if you are spending less than a week there.

1) Visit the Angkor Archaeological Park

Angkor Wat is the most famous temple in the Park but there are many other impressive buildings. The Park has a 1 day and 3 days passes at US$20 and US$40 respectively. If you like photography or wish to take more beautiful photographs while in the Park, you can also consider doing a photography tour like I did.

Here’s a tip: Buy your ticket in advance to avoid queues on the day of your visit. Also, if you buy the ticket after 5pm, you get to enter the park that same evening to watch the sunset which doesn’t count towards your 3 days! The entrance / ticket counters are a distance away from Angkor Wat so you have to arrange for your tuk-tuk driver to bring you inside after the purchase of the passes.

2) Cafés Hopping

The Siem Reap old town has a good number of cafes, some of which are run by NGOs or just some friendly people who want to help the local community.

Sister Srey Café faces one of the main roads and allows you to people watch and while your time away with a book. The café serves food and drinks with coffee seemingly one of the favourites among its customers. You can choose to sit either upstairs or on the ground floor.

New Leaf Book Café is hidden in a corner of a small lane, away from the relatively busy streets. I tried the Cambodian fried rice the first day I arrived and it was delicious!.

I even paid US$2 to watch a documentary on the Angkor Archaeological Park that night with unlimited pop corn and a drink. The documentary was shown in a room upstairs on a projector.

Unfortunately we didn’t manage to finish watching the show due to a power outage, which is a norm in the city by the way. I was glad that I brought a small torchlight with me!

Many other cafes are in the vicinity as well. For instance Café Central allows you to sit and people-watch since it is located right in the middle of the old town. I wanted to try the cupcakes at Blossom Café but was always too full whenever I passed by. So even though I was in Siem Reap for 5 days, I never get to eat the cupcakes… sad 🙁

3) Visit the Phsar Chas (Old Market)

The Old Market is also in the middle of the Old Town and you really get a feel for a real Cambodian market since everyone there is Cambodian! It has both a wet and a dry section. The wet section is mainly for the sale of vegetables, meat, etc. while the dry section sells souvenirs, snacks, etc.

Interestingly it seems dried meat is popular in Cambodia as well, if not Siem Reap. And they are not in any way less appealing than those in other Asian countries.

If you are buying anything here, especially souvenirs, please check the prices from a few shops first before you bargain!

4) Go for a massage or spa

Most hotels offer massage or spa services but there are other independent ones which have gained good reputation. Frangipani Spa has consistently received customers’ praises but it is not cheap. Upon a friend’s recommendation, I went to Kaya Spa which is located right in the Old Town. The packages are more affordable and the ambience was great. Although it may not be as popular as Frangipani, it is advisable to make a reservation before you turn up. Having a massage after a day out visiting the ruins can be very relaxing!

5) Day tour to one of the floating villages

There are three main floating villages on the Tonle Sap lake in Siem Reap with Chong Khneas being the nearest to Siem Reap, however this village has received some bad reviews for being too commercialized. Kampong Khleang on the other hand, is the least visited floating village probably because it is the most remote and is located further away from Siem Reap (about 40km).

Although it is a dusty drive which takes about 1-1.5hours by a tuk-tuk from Siem Reap, I personally highly recommend Kampong Khleang for a day tour since it is relatively untouched by tourism.

At the floating village you can see the houses built on high stilts, locals fishing on the lake, children rowing boats, etc. You can read more about my trip here.

6) Become a Volunteer

Siem Reap is one of the poorest city in Asia. Many NGOs and volunteering groups are active in Siem Reap and you can help to make a difference by giving a little bit of your time to participate in their activities like I did when I joined Soconomist in their teaching programme.

However, there have been a lot of reports about visiting orphanages which does not seem like a good idea. So do take into consideration the goals of the organizations before you participate in any of their programmes.

7) Phare, The Cambodian Circus

This Circus is part of a NGO which train the performers and help them gain employment. I wasn’t expecting a lot from the show but I have to say that some of the performers have attained at least 50% of what you would expect from Cirque du Solei. I was impressed.

There are daily shows which start at 8pm. However, since it is free seating make sure you get there about 10-15mins earlier to queue up for a good seat. If you are in a rush and need some food before the show, don’t fret. There is a café just outside of the performance venue and they serve hot food like fried rice and noodles and snacks. You can get alcoholic drinks here too if you want. AND, the Siem Reap famous Blue Pumpkin (ice-cream) is also available here.

Ticket cost: US$18

Venue: Big Top, behind Angkor National Museum – in front of Angkor Century Hotel

Website: http://www.pharecambodiancircus.org/circus/

8) Roam around the night markets

If you wish to get souvenirs, the night markets are probably where you would want to go. I understand there are at least 2 night markets namely Angkor Night Market and Siem Reap Night Market. Both are in the Old Town area. I was walking around on New Year’s Eve and didn’t really know where I was going; there were simply too many people!!

There’s also a handicraft market which you need to cross a bridge from the old town to reach. You can find not only souvenirs, food and drinks in the night markets there are also big foot massage areas inside. Depending on the length of time, you can find foot massage starting from US$1 onwards but do read the small prints or ask before you walk in. You have been warned!

You can also choose to have a fishy foot massage where you let the tiny fishes in the tank nibble on your feet and help get rid of the dead skin. The fish tanks didn’t look too clean so I passed 🙂

9) Pub hopping

Ok I didn’t actually go pub hopping since I don’t drink. But I did walk around Pub Street. There are countless pubs and drinking holes in the area with some famous ones like Angkor What?, Miss Wong, Charlie’s Bar. So pick a few you like!

10) Try the street food

Weird food and street food seems to be very popular in Siem Reap. Spiders and snakes, anyone?

Keeping in mind my sensitive stomach, I ended up only trying something which is similar to crepe being sold along the main streets in the Old Town. Boring… I know.

Which ones would you dare to try?

There are other things you can do in Siem Reap, like driving the ATV, riding a horse or cycling around the villages. If you have time. get out there and explore Siem Reap!

Read more about my visit to the Angkor Archaeological Park here.

Dariel 1 October, 2015 Cambodia, Southeast Asia 3 Comments

5 Ways to keep Budget Low for Your Trips

Spending too much on your vacations? I am no expert in this area but having travelled to almost 40 countries, I can offer some tips on how to keep budget low for your trips.

1) Flight

Compare and compare

There are a lot of articles advising the best times or the best days to buy an air ticket. However, I’ve found it to be too complicated with many conditions to follow.

For me, since I usually only travel when there’s a public holiday or a long weekend (because I hold a day job), it is difficult to get cheap air tickets which are normally on sale for weekday departures. So what I do is compare and compare.

Skyscanner and Cheapoair are 2 websites I use nowadays to do a quick comparison to find out which airlines are available and the price range. After that I will go to the individual airline website directly to check the timings and air ticket prices.

It was through Skyscanner that I got to know that United Airlines fly from Hong Kong to Singapore during the Chinese New Year Period at 50% of the cost of other carriers, including the budget airlines! (that is, if you don’t mind the crappy flight timings)

It helps to sign up to the airline websites as well since they usually will notify you when there’s a promotion.

Fly with budget airlines

Tigerair, Airasia, Jetstar; these are some very popular budget airlines that allow travelers to fly cheaply, even for as cheap as $1! However be careful of the fine prints and know what’s included in the price of the tickets otherwise you may end up paying a lot more, especially for baggage.

The (not-so-)new kid-on-the-block Scoot, which is owned by Singapore Airlines, is also relatively cheaper for flights between Hong Kong and Singapore. I like the big planes they use (787 Dreamliners!) and personally feel that their crew are more professional and friendlier than many other budget airlines. If only their flight timings are better…

Do you know that there are budget airlines for Japan? Vanilla Air fly to Tokyo and Fly Peach takes you to Okinawa if you fancy some time on the lovely Japanese island. Hong Kong based low-cost airline Hong Kong Express has flights to almost 30 countries in Asia.

Redeem free air tickets

Sign up for a credit card that allows you to earn miles and eventually redeem free air tickets. There are different credit cards tied to a particular frequent flyer programme so you need to consider carefully which one is more suitable for you.

However, Citibank PremierMiles Card allows you to redeem miles for 10 different frequent flyer programmes. Plus the welcome offer is fantastic with up to 8,000 miles to give away! I love my Citibank PremierMiles Card!

2) Stay

I’ve seen many travel bloggers recommending their readers couch-surfing and home-sitting to save money. I understand many of us are not comfortable doing that, especially if you want privacy during the trip. So this is what I would recommend – rent your accommodation through Airbnb or Roomorama.

I guess many of you are already familiar with the concept of Airbnb where you can rent either a room or the entire house for your trip. I have used Airbnb on several occasions and am extremely satisfied with the apartments, except for 1, and the hosts were all great. The one thing to do is always read the reviews and only book those with good feedbacks.

A similar online booking platforms to Airbnb, which may be unknown to some, is the Singapore-based Roomorama. There was once when I booked an apartment in San Francisco that was also advertised on Airbnb but I got it cheaper on Roomorama! However, this may not be the case across the whole platform.

The best thing about the online booking platforms is they are usually cheaper than a hotel, especially if you are travelling in a big group. If you have not yet sign up, use these links for Airbnb and Roomorama to book an accommodation for your next trip! By clicking on the links, I will receive some credit when you make a reservation but at no additional cost to you.

For hotels, I always compare prices among the different websites. I like using Booking.com, Agoda and Hotels.com to shortlist the hotels before comparing their prices with the hotels’ direct websites, if they are available. Sometimes the hotels offer cheaper rates if you book with them directly since they save on commissions charged by the hotels booking platforms but check the terms and conditions carefully.

Some credit cards also give further discounts on these websites; for example HSBC cardholders can get 5-7% discount if they booked through Agoda.

3) Eat

When in Rome, do what the Romans do.

I usually try to eat what the locals eat! You not only get cheap food you will also get good food. For instance when I was in Vietnam, I had my fair share of local food like Bun Moc, Banh Mi, Bot Chien, Bun Cha, and they were all delicious! And most importantly, CHEAP!

I’m not saying that you should avoid the Michelin-starred restaurants if you are in a city littered with famous chefs’ kitchens but simple and delish local food can be good alternatives especially if budget is your main concern. Bear in mind that some Michelin-starred restaurants are really cheap though, like Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong.

4) Shop

I discovered several years ago that the local supermarkets and stores are usually a great place where you can find souvenirs, especially if you are looking for local food and snacks to bring home for your family and friends. The things you can find in these shops can sometimes surprise you and they are usually much cheaper than the souvenir shops on the busy tourist streets.

5) Tourist Attractions

Pay less for admission fees

Admission fees for most of the tourist attractions are expensive; they are at the end of the day, for the overseas visitors. However, a way of getting around the high entrance fees is to pay for the “reduced fees” which are usually for students. So if you are a student or still have your student card, use it! Just make sure the photograph still look somewhat like you. The savings from paying the reduced fees can add up and you can use the extra $$ for an additional (or a few) gelato(s) or a cup of coffee!

Find free things to do!

You will be surprised at how many things can be done for free or almost free in a lot of the cities.

Many museums in Europe and America, like the Tate Gallery in London and Smithsonian Museums in Washington D.C., are free. If you are not a museum-person like me, visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris or Duomo di Milano in Italy without the need to pay! If you are in Asia, you can visit both famous Sensoji Temple and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo or take a walk around the Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) in Hanoi. Or take a walk inside the Gardens by the Bay (the open and free park) in Singapore and enjoy the greenery, all at zero cost!

There are also free guided tours which allow a 2-way exchange between the locals and travelers. The Hanoi Free Tour Guides is one such example and I can vouch for the authenticity of it. This is not a gimmick where the tour is free for the first 30 minutes than ask you to pay for the rest of the tour. I really enjoyed the company of the student tour guide I met.

There you are, some great ways to keep budget low for your trips. Happy travels! 🙂

**Note: This is NOT a sponsored article. However, it contains affiliate links where if you sign up using those links, I will receive some credit AT NO ADDITIONAL COSTS TO YOU.

Dariel 19 July, 2015 General 2 Comments

Siem Reap – Angkor Wat Photography Tour

This post will be one filled with many photos so the loading may take some time, please be patient.

*Note: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Angkor Wat! I remember it being one of my top to-go places ever since I saw amazing photographs of the beautiful temples and structures from a colleague who visited donkey years ago. When I finally planned for the trip to Siem Reap last year, I wanted to make it a memorable one with a lot of nice photographs. However, since I was (still am) very much in the learning stage on photography, I decided to sign up for a photography tour with an expert who will be able to teach and show me the ropes.

After much research on the internet and comparison of prices, I got in touch with Eric d Vries from Photo Cambodia, a foreigner (Dutch if I remember correctly) who married a local girl and settled down in Cambodia for many years now. (Hint hint: he knows the place inside out!)

On the day of the tour, Eric met me at my hotel at 5.30am with his trustworthy tuk-tuk driver and we went to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. It was pitch dark when we got there and “choped” a good location, not that there were many people when we arrived. For the first time in my life, I saw the sky filled with bright and shiny stars! Couldn’t help being excited about it since it was simply stunning! Something to occupy me while waiting for the sun to appear.

As we stood there waiting for the right shot, Eric started to give me pointers on what to do and told me when to adjust my camera settings.

Angkor Wat sunrise

Angkor Wat Sunrise

From the photos you probably cannot imagine how many people were there for the sunrise but yeah, that’s a perk for getting someone who knows how to avoid the crowd!

Throughout the day Eric brought me to the different temples, usually with no or few crowds. He not only showed / taught me how to utilize the colours around us and composition, he also provided technical guidance on my camera. Not to mention he also patiently answered many of my ignorant questions ha!

Here are some of the photos taken that day with his guidance. My camera was mainly set in AV mode in case anyone is interested to know.

I was trying to capture the sun ray behind come from behind the tree. I was told if there’s some dust around (like somebody sweeping the floor) then it would be more dramatic.

Capturing the different colours on the wall.

Move nearer to your subject and focus on what you want to show in the picture.

Doesn’t it look like a candle?

The nun who gave us blessings in the temple

Eric said he carried the rock and placed it there 2 years ago to give depth to the photo!

Stone lion at Preah Khan

Nature wins!

At Leper King Terrace

No editing was done for this photo and it is not a combination of 2 photos. Amazing isn’t it?!

Leper King Terrace

Monk statue

Here we were playing with shadow, light and colours.

Using black & white to compensate for the (non) effect of the harsh afternoon sun – Banteay Kdei

The Bayon

Master at work

Popular shot of statues touching nose to nose

The Bayon from the outside

These are just some of the photographs I had taken with Eric. Believe it or not, many of the pictures have not been edited at all!

As you can see, Eric mainly brought me to the less trodden path with less crowds. I appreciated that a lot. Due to time constraints, he gave me tips on when to go to the more popular temples like the Ta Prohm (where Tomb Raider was filmed) and to take note what to photograph. It was a truly enlightening and enjoyable tour. By the way, he also brought me to a restaurant that served the best Amrok Fish I ate on the trip!

If you are interested to see more beautiful photos taken in the Angkor Archaeological Park, do head over to my Facebook page! Also check out what are the other things you can do in Siem Reap here.

Note: This is NOT a sponsored article.

Dariel 12 July, 2015 Cambodia, Southeast Asia 11 Comments

Reviews of Myanmar Hotels – Yangon

How many times have you arrived at a hotel and realised it is nothing like what the advertisements say? To help you avoid that sticky situation, here are my honest opinion and independent reviews.

Note: This post contain affiliate links where I will earn some commission if you book hotel through the links at no additional cost to you.

Reviews of Hotels in Yangon, Myanmar

Hotels in Myanmar are considered expensive for a third world country. And, the prices are rising every year. I had the opportunity to visit Myanmar in March 2015 and travelled to Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake and Bago. Here’s my reviews of the hotels in Yangon.

Hotel Bahosi

This hotel is located within a residential area and it takes about 20 minutes by car from the airport (in the middle of the night with no traffic) and 10 minutes to Shewagdon Pagoda. It is in a very quiet surrounding. There’s backup generator so no worries if there’s a power cut, which is common in this country. A minimart is connected to the hotel which makes it convenient to buy simple groceries. We bought water here and it’s cheap.

Our twin bedroom had ample space for 2 to move around. The toilet was big with a separate shower area, keeping our toiletries and clothes dry.

The staff at the hotel were friendly and helpful although some do not speak English. The wifi was strong and fast, a rarity in Myanmar. The TV had international channels and bedroom slippers were provided. There was also free water each day, free tea and coffee, refrigerator and hairdryer.

For about US$68/per night for a twin bedroom including breakfast (which by the way served delicious local and western food), Hotel Bahosi was the best among the few hotels I’ve stayed in Myanmar. At that time, Agoda offered the best rate for this hotel in Yangon.

Hotel 51

The traffic police department is along the same street as the hotel. A couple of embassies are also nearby. However at US$85/per night booked via Agoda for a twin bedroom, I think it is definitely overpriced (like many hotels in Myanmar).

The hotel has a spacious and bright lobby. Even though the ambience in the room was superb, the space was pretty tight for 2 of us. The toilet was very small and the whole bathroom would be wet when we showered.

Staff were very friendly and helpful but the wifi was weaker and less stable than Hotel Bahosi. I didn’t eat much of the breakfast since there were a lot of insects flying around food that were not covered.

Overall, Hotel 51 a nice place but too expensive for what you get.

Note: Information above are correct as at March 2015.

Looking for things to do in Myanmar? Click here and here.

Dariel 2 June, 2015 Myanmar, Reviews, Southeast Asia No Comments

Siem Reap – Volunteering in Cambodia

During my trip to Siem Reap, I decided to include some variety to my itinerary other than just visiting the Angkor Temples and ruins. I went to the Kampong Khleang Floating Village and signed up with Soconomist to do some volunteering in Cambodia. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and finally got the opportunity.

A little background here about Soconomist. It is a non-profit, non government organisation, self-funded community enterprise that is registered as a company in Singapore. Soconomist believes in providing education to people, especially children in developing countries. This allow them to acquire knowledge and become self reliant in order to get out of poverty. My friend MJ was a volunteer and that’s how I got to know of the organisation.

My volunteering in Cambodia, Siem Reap covered a period of 2 days, the first of which was sight-seeing around the Angkor Temples and getting to know the other volunteers. However, it was the teaching at one of the local village schools the following day that left a deep impression on me.

On the morning of the teaching-day we gathered at the hotel where the other volunteers stayed. We bought some stationary from a shop nearby before leaving for the village school. The school was about 20 minutes away by tuk-tuk.

Beautiful morning at the countryside on our way to the school

Tuk-tuk carrying the other volunteers

When we arrived at the school just before 8am, the students were already there. What I first noticed was how small they were for their age. Most of them were wearing school uniforms, and they were all in good spirits with most of them running around, playing.

Students gathering outside the classrooms

One of the many cheeky students

Poleak, Soconomist’s Country Manager for Cambodia then introduced us to the Principal of the school. They then tried to get the things organised before classes started. I and two other volunteers were assigned to teach and interact with the higher-level class first. This class had students around 12-13 years old. Poleak was around to be our interpreter but these children understood basic English so we were able to communicate throughout in English. It was great because one of the purposes of having overseas volunteers was to provide them with the opportunity to interact in English.

We started with introductions, of the volunteers and the students. We engaged them to speak more with basic questions like “What is your name? How old are you? How many sisters and brothers do you have?” After that the class started with us teaching them Mathematics. It was basic addition, subtraction and multiplication using the traditional method, i.e. NO CALCULATOR! Frankly, I had no problem with the additions and subtractions without using a calculator BUT for multiplication, I needed a little bit of refresher course myself! Now don’t start laughing at me and try doing this simple multiplication sum on paper, without using a calculator or mental sum and tell me how long you took to solve it: 3890 x 45. Do you even remember how to start?? That’s probably how I felt! Lol!

Higher-level students trying to work out sums in their notebooks

We called some students to go up to the whiteboard to solve some questions. They were rewarded with the stationary we bought if they answered correctly. We also gave them a series of questions and asked them to solve in their notebooks. Then rewarded those who got all correct answers. Everyone had a lot of fun! And I don’t remember this level of participation in our schools.

Eager students who wanted to solve the questions on the whiteboard

And they became really excited!

Battle between the sexes!

There was this small incident when one of the girls was trying to solve a question in front of the class. The question was something like 9 x 12. She didn’t manage to answer them correctly twice and looked a bit panicky at the third attempt. When she went back to her seat after 3 failed attempts, I saw tears rolling down her cheeks and her nose was all red. She looked a little shaken up. I quickly walked over and tried to comfort her, by giving her a similar question and teaching / showing her how to do it. When I checked back later on her regarding the second question I came up with for her, she got the perfect answer! Knowing that the answer was right, she looked less stressed and more confident than before and less upset. I guess she was probably just too nervous being in front of the whole class. They could get a bit noisy and rowdy since everyone was trying to get a shot at the rewards we were giving out.

Class photo! – Poleak’s hands were shaking 🙁

Each class lasted about 1.5hours before they had a break. During break time, the students took the opportunity to play, like any other children in the world! We the volunteers, on the other hand, were trying to get our hands on some snacks and drinks. There was even ice cream in the school so why not!

I was given the chance to “ring the bell” when the break was over

We taught the lower-level students after the break, aged between 7 and 10. It was a much bigger class of more than 40 students. Most of these children know zero English and Poleak had to interpret everything to them. At one point, Poleak even got the students to do a recital, watch the video below!

The Math questions for these children were of course simpler. We saw some of them using their toes to count, like many of us when we were little, it was adorable. And when the boys were naughty, Poleak made them stand on 1 leg in front of the class as punishment, just like the old times!

I wanted to ask whether she needed my toes as well 🙂

Punishment!

When the class ended at lunchtime, the students went home. We had our lunch with the school’s Principal, teachers and the Soconomist helpers right outside the classroom. They prepared local Cambodian cuisine, which was delicious. Despite some language barriers, we enjoyed the lunch with jokes and chit-chat.

It was half-day of studying on the day we went to teach. The students returned in the afternoon following their lunch break for outdoor activities session. It was something like our Physical Education (PE) lessons but longer. We had to suggest some activities for the students to Poleak who then helped to arrange the games. Since there were too many of them, the children were again split into the higher and lower levels (by age) and they took turns to participate in the games. Even though the weather was hot and humid, everybody had a good time.

Students waiting for their turn to be engaged in the games

One of the volunteers being surrounded and the students were not letting her go!

Boys and boys

I was having fun too!

When I took my camera out to take pictures of the students, a group of them sitting on the slide shouted to me “Teacher teacher! Here, here!” and started posing for me. This went on for a while because they obviously loved to have their pictures taken. Of course I took the opportunity to take more photographs when there was a ready subject/subjects! The joy in them when they saw the photographs was indescribable!

Mischievious boys

Final group photo

When the day ended, some of the older students were still lingering around to say goodbye to us. I can’t describe how I felt but it was almost touching to witness. I know many volunteers do come and go but how often do they have form that link with the volunteers?

Many of the students showed that they were eager to learn. I would like to think that my extremely short volunteering stint in Cambodia, Siem Reap touched someone’s life that day. Hopefully we also inspired the young child to study harder in order to have a better life in future. I was no doubt humbled by the experience.

Will I do it again? You bet!

If you would like to participate in something meaningful, please check out Soconomist’s website and you can be volunteering in Cambodia too! They are also on Facebook which you can “Like” and follow the many volunteering stories and activities! Other things to do in Siem Reap can be found here.

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Dariel 11 April, 2015 Cambodia, Southeast Asia 4 Comments

Bamboo Hut Massage – Inle Lake, Myanmar

Nyaung Shwe town was where we stayed when we visited the Inle Lake in Myanmar. It is a small town with many hotels and hostels, quite a few restaurants and many travel agents who provide services beyond what a normal travel agent would. Phyu Phyu’s Bamboo Hut was one such agent which also included traditional Burmese massage into their list of services. I read about Phyu Phyu’s massage on the internet and decided to try their Bamboo Hut massage.

There wasn’t much information about Phyu Phyu and we saw their signboard while roaming the town on the first day. It was located opposite the Royal Luxury Hotel, along one of the side roads.

We ‘made a booking’ with Phyu Phyu’s father who was manning the shop for a massage the next evening and was informed that we would be transported to another place, 10 minutes away by tuk-tuk.

The next day, we appeared at Phyu Phyu’s shop at the arranged time. We met Phyu Phyu this time who arranged for us go to her cousin’s place for the massage. She spoke reasonably good English. As the tuk-tuk meandered into the area where the locals stayed, we started to suspect that we were going to someone’s home instead of a shop…

About 10 minutes later, we reached our destination – someone’s home! Just after entering the main gate, we were ushered into a simple and basic bamboo hut that looked like it had been converted into a massage room. The hut was set up in the main yard outside the house.

Taken with my iPhone

Inside the bamboo hut

There were thin mattresses and pillows and blankets. The masseurs were introduced to us and almost immediately, we were told to lie down on our stomachs. There was no cleaning, no washing, no changing.

The masseurs started with our feet, probably the most dirty part of our body since we had been walking around… We got over being squeamish about the no-cleaning part and the massage started to feel “right’. The ladies were not very strong (for me) but it was comfortable enough. After a while, I realised I was dozing off, probably because we had been waking up early to catch sunrise and were in the sun the whole day.

Anyhow, the masseurs worked on our hands, back, legs, feet and shoulder before finishing off with a few ‘strokes’ on the head and neck. That was traditional Burmese massage in a traditional bamboo hut!

When we left, Phyu Phyu’s brother and other family members (one big group of them!) came out to see us off. It almost made us felt like VIPs! Phyu Phyu’s brother gave us his name card and told us that he and his sister work together as partners even though they have different shop names. The tuk-tuk then sent us back to our hotel.

This was definitely one very memorable massage experience for a long time to come!

Phyu Phyu Bamboo Hut
Address: The shopfront is along a side road opposite the Royal Luxury Hotel
Price : $7 or 7000 kyats for 1 hour traditional Burmese massage (as at March 2015)
Phyu Phyu also arranges our taxi from hotel to the airport at 15,000 kyats (US$15). This is cheaper compared to the fixed price taxi from airport to Nyaung Shwe at 25,000 kyats (US$25) even though the taxi wasn’t as new, we didn’t mind.

Would you dare to try this traditional Burmese Bamboo Hut massage at Inle Lake? Click here for more on Inle Lake!

(Note: I was not paid to introduce Phyu Phyu’s Bamboo Hut. I just wanted to share my unique experience in the small town.)

Dariel 3 April, 2015 Myanmar, Southeast Asia 2 Comments

Chengdu – Huanglong National Park (黄龙)

There were many highlights during my trip to Chengdu last year. We visited the biggest stone Buddha in the world, went off the tourist track to see hundreds of Buddha carved into cliffs and not forgetting how up close and personal I got to a panda. Now I have 1 more to add to the list – UNESCO World Heritage Site Huanglong National Park. It has many colour ponds formed by calcite deposits forming the now amazing and stunning travertine landscape.

We took a 45 minutes flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport (this is also the airport for the Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) / Jiuzhai Valley), which is situated at 3,448m above sea level. The flight was meant to take off at 11.40am but it was delayed by about 1.5 hours…

When we reached Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport, it was 3 degrees celsius! We were definitely not prepared for such cold weather so everyone wore whatever thick clothing she had. For visitors who do not have anything suitable at all, fear not because there were shops selling winter clothing INSIDE the airport! SMART!

Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport

One of the shops selling winter clothes inside the airport

From the airport, we had to take a 1 hour bus ride to the Huanglong National Park. The scenery along the way was beautiful! And we saw some yaks too, both the black and white ones! It was my first time seeing Yaks and they looked so adorable.

Beautiful landscape along the way to Huanglong

As part of something similar to “caring for the tourists” programme, someone certified by the Chinese government came onboard our tour bus and did a short introduction to sell a herbal essence extract. It was supposedly known to prevent or alleviate altitude sickness. Another gimmick? Well, at least the lady selling the medicine wasn’t pushy at all and our guide did forewarn us. She also advised that we were not obliged to buy. We didn’t know if it would truly work but to avoid any discomfort that may occur, most of us bought it.

RMB100 for 10 bottles in a box

We each had to take 3 on the spot and 2 after the Huanglong tour. It actually tasted like honey.

The original plan for the Huanglong tour was for us to take a cable car up to the mountain top and walk back down. However, by the time we finished our late lunch and got to the Huanglong National Park main entrance, it was almost 4.30pm! By that time, it was too late to take the cable car. Damn that delayed flight!

We had only about 2 hours before the sun set to explore the whole park, by walking / climbing! Not the best option but we had to make do.

There were 2 routes we could take, one was longer with more gradual ascent but more scenic and the other was shorter but less scenic. With the limited amount of time we had, our tour guide advised that we take the shorter route to the top, or whichever highest point then use the longer route on the way back down.

Map of Huanglong National Park

We followed the advice and started walking and climbing as fast as we could. It was easier said than done at above 3,000 metres above sea level! The air was thin.

Somewhere just after the start of the trail

Everyone was excited upon reaching our first sight – the Guests Welcome Pond.

The climb up through the shorter route was nice although there were A LOT of steps. Pavilions for resting could be found along the way. There were even oxygen bars set up for people who may need them.

I abandoned my tour mates on the way and came to the 7-mile Golden Sand Pond (七里金沙). What I saw was the calcified shoal coagulated at the bottom of the pond and the whole place looked like a whitewashed beach.

Further up at 3,414m above sea level, I reached the Flamboyant Pond (争艳池). The bridges to get to the viewing platform for the pond were blocked off but I saw people standing inside. Hmm..

Bridge blocked off

Then I saw people coming out by climbing the sides of the bridge. After watching a few people doing the same and making sure that it was safe, I did the same going in. So happy that I decided to take the risk because the place looked just like it came out of those National Geographic documentaries!

Amazing view!

It looked as though one could just climb into one of those and soak in it.

With the fog and the soft light coming through, it felt like I was in heaven! I was as happy as a clam no doubt.

For a moment I contemplated whether it was wise to continue making my way up the mountain to see other sights. But since there wasn’t much time left and I wasn’t even sure how long it would take me to the next point, I decided to stay here and enjoy the view. I could stare at this pond for hours!

After spending about 20 minutes at the Flamboyant Pond, it was time for me to make my way down before the sun sets. I was afraid of being late to meet our tour guide so I half-ran half-walked all the way back down. Also took a detour on the longer-but-nicer route to check out the other sights.

Bonsai Pond

It was at this point that I realized that my camera batteries were dead, all 3 of them! Not quite the same predicament I was back in Egypt but I was really glad to have my iPhone with me again. I was still able to capture some nice photographs 🙂

Flying Waterfall on Lotus Platform

Washing Cave

Lianyan Pond

The “things” inside the Lianyan Pond

Marvellous Flying Waterfall – really, that’s the name

The longer route – Isn’t this beautiful?

It was a really rushed trip with poor planning and unforeseen circumstances. As a result, we did not manage to take the cable car which would have been nice. We didn’t visit the temples at the top of the mountain nor the multi-coloured pond. if you know you will be coming to the Huanglong National Park straight from the airport, make sure you get on the earlier flights out from Chengdu. This way, you will have more time to explore the Park at a leisure pace.

Oh, do have a piping hot onion pancake sold along the roadside after the climb. It’s a little bit oily but tasty! And it’s only RMB 5.

Pin this for future reference!

Check out what other places we visited in Chengdu here.

Dariel 11 March, 2015 China, North East Asia 2 Comments