#139 Singapore

Singapore is a very interesting little place. It's both a city and country in one, incredibly multicultural, vibrant and modern, and best of all everyone speaks English and it is very clean and safe. However it is also one of the most expensive places to visit in Asia, so best for a short trip or as part of a long stop-over. Overall I really enjoyed my short visit, and honestly it looks like a cool place to live.

The highlights of the city are the gardens, in particular the Botanical Gardens (which are free) and the Gardens by The Bay (paid attraction). When I visited it was in the summer holidays and the height of the Pokemon Go craze, so there were lots of young people crowded around the Botanical Gardens on their phones. I appreciate nature and getting out  for a nice walk but I'm not hugely interested in types of flowers etc so in hindsight visiting just the free Botanical Gardens would have been more than enough for me, and probably for most people too.

Cloud Forest

The Gardens by the Bay were quite expensive but since it's one of very few attractions there I splashed out to pay for it. The Cloud Forest was really cool, but you have to be careful as the misting only happens for a few minutes every few hours and unless you're there for that it's a bit pointless, so plan in advance. I was lucky and happened to be walking in just as misting started, so I ran around the different levels taking as many photos as I could while it lasted, then when it was over I finally relaxed and went back around again taking my time. I had an enjoyable time and since the domes are temperature controlled it was really nice taking a break from the heat, but overall unless you really like flowers it's not amazing and probably isn't worth the money.

The Gardens by the Bay area is also where you will find the Super Trees and also for a good view of the Marina Bay Sands hotel with the Infinity Pool on top. The only way to get to the pool is to stay at the hotel which is obviously very expensive so I didn't do this. The absolute highlight of my visit was the SuperTrees light show in the evening. They change the music and theme every few months, and when I went it was a 70's disco theme which I absolutely loved beyond words. You can pay to walk around the trees but it's only a small walkway between two of them so it didn't look like it was worth the money.

Shopping

There are tons of shopping malls and high class boutiques around the city, which for commoners like me aren't exactly budget friendly. Despite this I liked my visit to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, it had a little Venetian boat ride going through the mall which is a first for me. It also had a deck out the front with a great view of the water and city skyline, I came here in the evening at sunset and waited around until it got dark.


The good places for eating, shopping and souvenirs would be Chinatown and Bugis Street which both had lots of stalls. There were also two malls beside Bugis which had familiar high street brand names and restaurants.

The Shoppes

Chinatown

Bugis Street

Transport

The best and only way to get around Singapore is the MRT (underground trains) which is very easy to use, very clean and safe and quite cheap too.

For getting to the country itself, I incorporated a visit to Singapore as part of a wider trip which included Thailand and Malaysia, which I think many tourists do. There are a few options for this including train, plane and bus, and in the end I flew to Thailand, flew to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, got a bus to Singapore and then flew back to Thailand again. It's slightly more expensive to travel from Sinagpore to Malaysia than vice-versa which is interesting, and therefore I decided to go to Kuala Lumpur first and travel to Singapore.

I had originally planned to get an overnight train but they changed the schedules and routes shortly after I booked so I had to think fast, and opted to get a bus instead. The bus was luxury and the ticket was quite cheap, but the downside was it took a long time - we left KL at around 7am but didn't arrive in Singapore until around 1pm. Sinagpore Changi Airport is supposed to be the best in the world with all these crazy attractions - but to be honest I saw very little of this - there was a small Japanese garden, a small sunflower garden on the roof, and a small cinema room, which were nice but nothing particularly amazing like I had imagined.

#138 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Unfortunately, I had less than 48 hours in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur. Thankfully, it's quite small and I found I could just about get everything I wanted to see done!

Getting to KL

My first piece of advice is to try plan carefully when you will arrive in KL. I got an early flight from Bangkok and arrived in KL early afternoon on a Monday - and immigration was absolutely madness. I had to wait in line for 1hr40mins, there were hundreds of people in front of me and very little/no information from staff. I think avoid Monday mornings/afternoons as it seemed to be clearing up by the time I finally got through.

So when I finally arrived at my hostel, showered and prepared to go out it was about 5pm and quite late. I made friends with a Spanish girl who was also in KL for the same amount of time as me, and we went out together. First we headed to the Central Market, Chinatown and City Gallery (home of the I <3 KL sign). Thankfully these were all within walking distance of each other and easy to find. There weren't particularly spectacular and we didn't spend a long time, but they were nice and a good place to visit in the late afternoon or early evening before dinner.

Food

Our hostel was located beside the popular Jalan Alor street food street and we ate there, although be careful where you eat as some of the Chinese restaurants have giant menus and are not actually so cheap (and forgot to put in our order, so eventually we left and went somewhere cheaper further down the street). Make sure to watch out for all the durians (well...more like smell out!) too.

Batu Caves

On our second day we headed off to the wonderful Batu caves. It was very cheap and easy to get to, we simply caught one of the regular trains from KL Sentral for only 4ringitts (90c!) return that took about an hour. The train is very clean and modern, and there are even women only carriages! The caves themselves are free to enter and look very remote and exotic despite being so close to the city. It really is an amazing, WOW-factor destination without all the hassle. Perfect!

Best Place for a View

On our way back we visited the famous Petronas Towers. I wasn't eager to actually go up the tower since it was very expensive (85rm/€18), and it turned out tickets were completely sold out for that day by the time we arrived (around 2pm) so if you do want to go up make sure to go early in the morning or get tickets in advance.

We went to the Skybar located at Traders Hotel that night to take photos of the Towers at night. It was quite busy and there were no seats at the window, but we found a couch at the window and sat there and took photos. No staff approached us to take our order, and so we got away without even having to buy a drink. They also weren't strict on dress code - we didn't look bad but we also didn't dress up either!

Although my time in KL was very short, I felt I could still get a good feel for the place and I had a very enjoyable time. I didn't get the opportunity to visit the Islamic Arts Museum but I have read good reviews so I would encourage you to visit there too.

#137 Ayutthaya, Thailand

Ayutthaya is an old city full of old ruins, a 2 hour train from Bangkok. Think of it like a cheap and convenient version of the temples at Siem Reap in Cambodia, and a nice day trip from the city. It is also a world heritage site.

While accessible via a private tour bus run by many hotels and hostels, I arranged the trip by myself by getting a train to Ayutthaya station, then a very short ferry ride across a river, then a tuk tuk around the ruins. Overall the whole thing cost about €20!

Train, Boat and TukTuk: Transport

The trains run quite frequently, I couldn't find a timetable online so I just turned up at Bangkok Central Hualamphong station (accessible by MRT) and asked for a third class ticket to Ayutthaya, which cost 20 baht (about 50c!). The train wasn't leaving for about another hour but I decided to go outside and check where it was leaving from, and it was actually already there. Third class looked dodgy with unscrupulous looking men, but the attendant pointed me towards the 2nd class carriages. A sweet Thai girl then confirmed that despite the ticket I could sit anywhere and encouraged me to sit beside her in the leather seats in 2nd class, which also had fans and open windows.

Since I was on a day trip I only had a small bag, but there were many backpackers with large bags who had trouble fitting on the train. The train also filled up well before departure time and people had to stand. So if possible, please be early for your train and check if it has already arrived. You do not want to stand, especially with backpacks and also local venders walking up and down trying to squish past you carrying who knows what!

The return journey home cost 29baht (75c) because it was a slightly faster train. The seats weren't as comfortable, hard benches, but it was fine, almost everyone managed to get a seat, and it was mostly full of backpackers.

On arrival, you just need to walk across the street and keep walking until you find the river, it's very close, and there are many other backpackers who you can ask for help or try find it together! The ferry cost 5baht each way (about 25c or so total) and it leaves every few minutes and takes literally 2mins.

Upon exiting the ferry there is bicycle rental which I did not partake in due to the heat, but is definitely a fun and cheap way to see the area if you have good fitness and a change of clothes afterwards (you will be drenched in sweat). It is also possible to rent like a motorcycle, but there was no way I was trying that! I walked past this and was met by some tuk tuk drivers who tried to charge me like 1,000baht. I had read the average price was around 400baht, and eventually I got them to 500baht (€12) for 2 hours and gave up because I was alone and hate haggling. As for the length of time, I felt rushed in 2 hours, but then the temples all start to look alike after awhile and it's very hot so I don't think I would have been up to much longer either.

TukTuk Trauma

My only problem was this; the tuktuk driver who I was speaking to first took me to another place and switched drivers to some young guy. This guy apparently had absolutely no English and no idea where any of the temples where. He got lost trying to find one of the biggest ones and we circled around for about 10 mins, then he stopped and asked for directions, and then he eventually dropped me off at the wrong one. I obviously didn't even try to tell him and get to the right place as it would have wasted more time. As I said the temples are quite similar so it wasn't a huge deal, but it was still frustrating.

Entry to the temples cost about 50baht each (€1.20) but there are some that you could easily just take photos outside instead of paying to go in, even though it's a small fee it starts to add up after awhile!

Overall, it was a fun day out and wasn't too difficult to organise on the day without any prior booking. It was very cheap and a bit of an adventure getting outside the city, and I was happy to see some ruins as I couldn't make it to Siem Reap this trip!

#136 Bangkok, Thailand

I had a really great time in Bangkok, and can definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to go!

Sightseeing

Wat Arun (under construction)

I was in Bangkok for quite a long time - 4 full days. Surprisingly, I think you could do it 48hours. The major tourist sites are all along the Chao Phraya river, so could be done in one day. This includes Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Grand Palace and Khaosan Road.
Wat Arun is currently under some kind of restoration/reconstruction so has scaffolding around it so unfortunately doesn't look so great in photos.
I couldn't actually find Khaosan Road, I got the boat to the right area but without internet couldn't find the exact street, so be careful of that!
The Grand Palace was very expensive at 500baht but considering everything else is very cheap it's not so bad. It was also the strictest out of anywhere on dress code - I was wearing shorts and thick black tights and was still refused entry so had to join a long line to rent a sarong.
Wat Pho is very nice and that area has a lot of delicious food stalls and cheap snacks including coconut and coconut ice-cream and fruits like mango, watermelon etc.

Grand Palace

I thought the Jim Thompson house was nice - but not great. It's actually quite small and you must take a guided tour - our tour guide was very sweet and made it enjoyable, but I'm not sure why it's such a major attraction and if you're in a rush I'd give it a miss.

Jim Thompson House

Shopping 

Chatuchak Weekend Market - This was my absolute favorite thing in Bangkok and I would advise people to try schedule to have at least one weekend day in here so you can visit. It is absolutely huge and I got lost in it for awhile before eventually finding an MRT station.
I'm not a fan of shopping, and honestly I expected it to be full of souvenirs and fake and knock off brand items - and although there were plenty of these there were also a huge amount of boutique stores selling really hip,cool and unique items for far cheaper than you would find in your home country, and also some food stalls and weird stuff like a huge animal section with fish, lizards, dogs etc (although I questioned the ethics so I refused to take any photographs or document otherwise).

There are a ton of shopping malls in Bangkok including Terminal 21, Siam Paragon etc. They're nice to get inside from the heat and relax, but of course the prices are much higher than what you'll find outside. You can also find luxury cinemas here - the prices seem very expensive but in comparison to your home country I think you'll find it affordable for the luxury service.

Safety

This was my biggest concern. When I visited Manila, Philippines I felt very unsafe as there were very few tourists, no public transport and I had men leering and shouting at me on the streets. However, I am glad to say I had none of these problems in Bangkok! Being August it was absolutely full of tourists - no matter where you go there is almost always guaranteed to be another tourist nearby. I feel like this alone gave me a secure feeling, that knowledge that you're part of a group and not on your own.

Soi Cowboy - gogo bar street (and safe!)

I had one man (taxi driver I think) comment on how beautiful I was and although it made me a little uncomfortable I just ignored him and had no other problems. I was always quite well covered up, but there were many a beautiful young woman wearing tiny short shorts and skimpy crop tops so it must be fine.
I was robbed in my hostel, but they only took some cash and didn't take my electronics or passport so it was probably the nicest robbery possible haha - more detail further below.

Public Transport

Both the BTS and MRT (skytrain and underground) were very clean, cheap and easy to use. The Chao Phraya boat was also fine - the first day I took the special tourist boat but after that I used the regular commuter boat and had no problems.
I took only one taxi to the airport which was arranged by my hostel, I felt it was perhaps a little overpriced but since the price was set I felt a little safer knowing I couldn't be completely ripped off.

I also took a train to Ayutthaya, and although I paid for a 3rd class seat, the platform attendant encouraged me to sit 2nd class and I had no issues! The only place I used a tuk-tuk was in Ayutthaya, and it wasn't the best experience...they obviously tried to triple charge me but I got them down to an acceptable price which was fine, but then they switched drivers and mine didn't speak English and somehow had no idea where the temples were and got lost and took me to the wrong ones....also we very, very nearly crashed into a car which was terrifying.

Generally speaking, I think they're very dangerous so I really wouldn't recommend it unless you really had to (like in Ayutthaya). On a slight side, there are elephant rides in Ayutthaya but as an animal lover I find them vile, disgusting and harmful to the elephants, so I beg you please not to ride them or even take pictures as some idiot will see it online and think it's a cool idea. Rant over.

Weather

Chatuchak Weekend Market

The heat is almost unbearable. When I went I had been living in Japan which has similar weather, but being outside in the sun visiting tourist sights is very different from sitting in an office with air conditioning most of the day, and I can't imagine how people visiting from colder climates must feel.

From living in Japan I have a few summer-proof tricks up my sleeve, including; carrying a facecloth/small towel to help mop up your sweat, carrying a hand fan, wearing a hat, sunscreen, and wearing a thin vest underneath your tshirt/dress/shirt - you'd think adding more clothes is a bad idea but when its 35 degrees there is no feeling cool or getting less hot, and the purpose of the vest is to absorb the sweat so it doesn't seep into your outer tshirt, and it also makes you feel more comfortable than having itchy sweat running all over you. You've ever seen people with wet tshirts cuz their backs are so sweaty? Well it's a very rare sight in Japan because the vest thing is so well-known. Trust me, and trust 127 million Japanese people. The sweat vest works.

In terms of it being a rainy season - it did rain everyday but it was almost always late afternoon, and at that point I was always back in the hostel relaxing after a cool shower and a morning of sight seeing before heading out for dinner in the evening. It also does dry up very quickly - but carry a small umbrella just in case.

On getting robbed

So I thought the hostel I stayed in was really good...up until the point when I was robbed, and now I obviously don't think it was that good anymore. So we had lockers but one night I slept with my handbag beside me on the bed in my dorm, but since it's not a bunkbed they easily leaned over me while I was sleeping, took out my wallet and took a 1,000baht note. I noticed the next morning that the note was gone, but since there was still a few 200baht notes and my phones etc were still there, I assumed I had just misplaced it and put it somewhere else, since the probability of someone having the opportunity to take all my stuff but only taking one note seemed odd to me.

Delicious coconut icecream!

Then, a few days later in Singapore I happened to notice all my Japanese yen was gone. I forget how much I had, but it was around 5,000yen, so quite a lot. It was hidden in my backpack that was locked in my locker - so it appears they somehow got into my locker as well. However, I also had a Kindle and my passport in there, so all in all for the sake of €100 or less I'm not too annoyed - especially since they could have taken my phones, passport, credit card etc etc.

Since they got into my locked locker I have a feeling it must have been hotel staff, but then it has very good reviews so maybe it was someone in my (small) dorm. They are very clever, since they know that you will either not notice straight away/you'll think you misplaced it, or even if you do notice it seems like a small amount to go to the police or really complain over - and that is how they get away it. 1,000baht from many tourists results in quite a lot of money I'm sure.

 I also met a girl who had €100 in cash taken from her safe in a hotel in Cambodia - they didn't take any other money or currency so obviously when she complained the hotel staff told her she must be mistaken.
Moral of the story; Trust no bitch, check all of your cash regularly, and bring a heavy duty lock to lock up your shit!