Acknowledgements

We have to add this section into the blog because we met so many bloody lovely people who just made everything that bit more special. From Guangzhou in China onwards we hardly spent any travelling where it was just Danny and Majid. Too many cling-ons had to get involved with the Steel City Trek. Here's a little thanks to all those individuals, their aliases and where we met them.

India

Krishna - The Royal Stag (Hyderabad)

Venu - Taxi Driver (Hyderabad)

Naresh & Kiran - Unfit Duo (Hyderabad)

Kranthi - Technician (Hyderabad)

Uncle Daz - 'I'll sleep well tonight' (Delhi - Corbette)

Nepal

Ady - X-mas dinner special (Pokhara - Kathmandu)

China

Ben - Batty-man (Yangtse River)

Kate - Meat Loaf (Yangtze River)

Hassan - Turkish (Xi'an - Beijing)

Greg - Frankie Boyle (Beijing/HK)

Elliot - Jeff Burns (Beijing/HK - Ho Chi Minh)

Chris (US) - Aloominum - (Tai'an/Shanghai)

Lilian - Red Briefs (Qufu)

Clara - Jimaaaay! (Shanghai)

Remi - Bastard Remi (Shanghai/Ko Phangan)

Matthieu - Full Moon Pimp (Shanghai/Ko Phangan)

Hugo - He Like De Pony (Shanghai/Ko Phangan)

Abbie - Lil' My, Golden Axe Pixie, Spoon Face (Guangzhou/HK/Hanoi - Pakse)

Nadine - Arab (Guangzhou/HK/Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh)

Zack - Screeeech (HK/Kunming - Dali)

Chris (UK) - Eddie Gordo (Yangshuo/Dali/Ko Tao - Ko Phangan)

Vietnam

Ties - Dutch Master (Sapa)

Charlotte - Kayak Queen (Hanoi/Hoi'an)

Lauren - Maj's Bitch (Hanoi)

Chloe - Glass Face (Hanoi/Hoi'an)

Gee - Monkey Boy (Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh)

Bruce - Wednesday Till He Dies (Hanoi/Hoi'an)

Tommy - Chair Throwing Champ (Hanoi/Hoi'an)

Scott - Ozzy-A (Hanoi/Hoi'an)

Jade - Solvent (Nha Trang)

Cambodia

Vince - Mutha Licker (Ban Lung - Luang Prahbang/Chiang Mai)

Laos

Kate - Gangsta Walkin' (Vang Vieng/Luang Prahbang/Chiang Mai/Ko Tao - Ko Phangan)

Beth - Gangsta Talkin' (Vang Vieng/Luang Prahbang/Chiang Mai/Ko Tao - Ko Phangan)

Clare - 5 Head (Vang Vieng/Chiang Mai/Ko Tao - Ko Phangan)

Chris - Shakey Wakey (Vang Vieng/Chiang Mai/Ayuthaya)

Tom - Shakira Hips (Vang Vieng/Chiang Mai/Ko Tao - Ko Phangan)

Thailand

Kim - Olive Oil (Chiang Mai/Ko Tao - Ko Phangan)

Anton - Jewbox (Ko Tao - Ko Phangan/Georgetown - KL)

Alejandro - Gwizzly Gwizzly (Ko Tao - Ko Phangan/Gili)

Brock - Terrance (Ko Phangan/Gili)

Alex - Phillip ( Ko Phangan/Gili)

Ell - Stoma Klozhak (Ko Phangan/Kuta - Gili)

Malaysia

Heather - Cambridge, Not Essex (Georgetown - Singapore)

Erin - Realz Rials/Gooood Times (Georgetown - Singapore)

Misty - The Dealer (Perhentians)

Nadzim - Rasta Booya (Perhentians/KL)

Leive - Neuken in di Keuken (Perhentians/Singapore/Jakarta - Ubud)

Indonesia

Aurore - Soux Ma Grosse Bis Cherub (Gili - Ubud)

Tyson - Bart Simpson (Gili)

Borneo

Becci - Morrocan Chilli (KK/Phuket - Phang Agn)

Ellie - Timone/Brown Bear (KK/Phuket - Railay)

Thailand
Vish - Cak Dam (Phi Phi - Bangkok)

It was a pleasure hanging out with you scumbags, got some great memories (and hilarious pictures) and were looking forward to seeing you all in the future.

A big, big thankyou goes out to Nas, Maj's baby brother, who has been keeping us funded this past year by sending our pennies through Western Union. Couldn't have gone anywhere without his help so cheers dawg!

Finally a huge thanks to our mummies and daddies for supporting us and not constantly annoying us with worry mail and calls. We missed you loads and can't wait to get some good ol' parent food down us. Maj wants a keema mutter and a flapjack, and I'm feeling a tuna pasta salad, a bowl of crunchy nut clusters/bites and a pack of chocolate hobnobs with a cuppa tea.

And a big thanks to you for following our adventure. 1 LOVE!

Steel City Trekked Asia.

Asia Summary

It has been such an extraordinary year that has gone so fast it only seems like yesterday that I was in the doctors getting my shots. This journey has taken us through red hot desserts in India to freezing cold mountains in Nepal. Lush green valleys in China to the tropical jungles of Malaysia. Rainbow coloured coral covered oceans in Thailand to pure white beaches that meet clear turquoise seas in Vietnam. Frantic bustling cities like Jakarta to serene laid back rural villages like those in the Bolaven Plateau, Laos. The pits of Delhi to the high rises of Shanghai. We have witnessed the poverty of Cambodia to the wealth of Singapore. We've seen collosal sized Mosques in Indonesia to the intricately detailed Buddhist temples in China to the multi-coloured ancient Hindu temples of India to the fascinating grand Churches of the Philippines. The continent is so diverse in its people and their cultures and religion, as it is for its economy, wealth and wellbeing. Each country is its own adventure. Learning the basic phrases, getting used to the currency and sussing out the correct local taxi fare, wether they be cars, rickshaws, trikes or jeepneys. You have to get out there and lay your eyes upon some of the most impressive, remarkable and beautifully stunning landscapes and structures the world has to offer.

People. Most of the local people we have met in Asia have been amazing and are keen to help you with any questions or problems (so don't be afraid to ask). The lifestyle over here is very laid back, too laid back if you ask me. You see guys everywhere either playing cards or chess or drinking alchohol. Probably down to the heat for the lack of strenuous activity I suppose. Most conversations will stretch as far as 'where you from?' to 'whats your name?' And sometimes 'do you have girlfriend?' The people really do make the trip special, you meet the most ridiculous and entertaining characters you could ever wish to. You will probably meet as we did on occasion people (usually kids) who have never seen westerners before. The greatest quote from a kid in India being - 'Why is his skin like that? What kind of soap does he use?' Priceless. A word of warning though, you will be stared at constantly, you will be pointed at and you will even be laughed at the majority of the time. They mean no harm, but it doesn't half piss you off at times. So be prepared. English is spoken widely in most countries, especially the south-east but you will find rural areas and the majority of China do not speak great English, so start learning.

Accomodation in Asia is really cheap if you take the time to find your best options. Don't expect a bubble bath every night though, or even a T.V. Sometimes you won't even be blessed with a shower, never mind hot water. Squat toilets are common in India and China and toilet roll is pretty uncommon throughout, so bring babywipes if your not ready for left hand usage. Aircon is widely available at a higher but pretty unecessary, bog standard fan rooms have been fine for us (you won't spend long in your room anyway).

Travel. Getting from place to place (especially the bigger cities and tourist sites) is usually fairly straightforward with many buses or trains or boats departing often. Although (word of warning part 2), if you plan on the cheap backpacking budget option of transportation the journeys can be incredibly long, uncomfortable, smelly and down right disgusting. So bring a book and an i-pod, and keep your head inside the window (just in case that girl 3 seats in front, throws up outside). The rental of motorbikes in most countries is cheap and widely available and a great way to truly explore an area for what it is. Some of our most memorable days have been cruising the unbeaten track meeting people in rural villages and viewing some fantastic scenery. But be carefull, the right of way rule in Asia is as follows: if its bigger, it holds the right of way. Keep alert at all times, you never know if that chicken or dog is gunna test your driving skills at the last second.

Health. Before going to Asia make sure you visit you Doc and get all the required jabs and medication. For Malaria prevention we have been taking Doxycycline, which is suitable for all the countries. Another option is Malarone, which many people we have met are taking. Side effects of sickness and light headedness are common, but we got along fine. Drinking tap water is strictly a no-no (except for Singapore, but we didn't even risk it there). Always buy SEALED bottles, they will refill empty ones in some places.

Food. Possibly one of the best things about travelling Asia is the food. Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisine are fairly common back home, but they are completely different from the original thing. Staple foods are really cheap, you know, rice, noodles, curries etc. But expect to pay more for junk foods like chocolate (it doesn't taste right either). We didn't have much food poisoning troubles, but it does happen. Pork is simply known as meat in China so be aware if you don't dig the swine. Eating at small sidestreet restaurants are a good option for cheap tasty local foods. You'll learn to switch eating styles too from hands, to chopsticks, to fork and spoon depending where abouts you are.

What to bring. You will pack your life into your backpacks before you leave and you will soon realise a mistake has been made. If you need more you can always buy it out there for dirt cheap. A good pair of trainers, hiking boots if you plan to go trekking and of course flip-flops or sandals for the feet. Few t-shirts, one hoody and a waterproof jacket. Plenty of shorts (or dresses if your like Maj), and maximum one pair of jeans/trousers for the few 'dress code' nights. Essentials are as follows; shades, i-pod, book, credit card, passport (duh), first aid kit, camera, student card (even if its out-dated, they never realise and you can save a bomb), the required lonely planet book and of course a lot of patience and a sense of adventure. Other recommended bringables include; small speakers, tri-band mobile phone, babywipes, torch, waterproof pouch, sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, inflatable pillow and a phrasebook (especially for China).

Travelling can be really frustrating at times (especially after surviving a 10 hour plus bus journey to be swarmed by rickshaw drivers before you've even got your bag on your back!), but keep your cool and don't rush into anything, that's how people get ripped off. If your unsure about prices and such get a locals opinion, multiple opinions if necessary. After having travelled in a pair and solo aswell, I would recommend travelling with someone. Its safer, easier and a lot more fun. Its got to be said that you will put your friendship to a test at times and I am impressed that Majid managed to put up with me for so long. This was his idea to come travelling if you didn't know, all the way back when we were at uni. Well, it has been the trip of a lifetime that we wanted it to be Maj. Thank you for everything brother!

Here are my top 5 favourite days from steelcitytrekasia to finish off:

5 - My birthday in Yangshuo. (China).

4 - Diving for the first time in the Perhentian islands. (Malaysia).

3 - Walking from Simatai to Jinshanling on the Great Wall of China.

2 - Visiting the Orangutan Sanctuary.... Woah! Just kidding

2 - (For real) Finally reaching Annapurna base camp after 4 days hard trekking. (Nepal)

1 - Watching the sun rise above the sea of clouds atop Mt. Emei Shan - A truly magical sight. (China).

What to Make of it All?

My top 5 moments ......

I've travelled across the best part of ten countries in the 11 months of my travels, and as you can imagine, there will be loads of moments that were breathtaking or inspirational. I've trekked to Annapurna base Camp, visited the terracotta warriors, climbed the great wall of China, visited the Forbidden Kingdom, kayaked at Halong Bay, trekked the oldest jungle in the world at Taman Negara, climbed Gunung Bromo and there's so many more but after condensing my best moments, which has taken a lot of time by the way and used up a lot of my brain cells, I can finally tell you my top five:

(5) The palace of love, Taj Mahal (India)

With it being one of the most visited places in the world, I really wasn't expecting it to hit me the way it did. Although it was full of tourists and I got charged the full tourist price and not the usual local price, I was taken back by the size and the beauty of the building. The history that goes with this palace and the money and workforce that was used to build this famous building of love, it makes you appreciate it that bit more. Also having the numerous chances to enjoy Johnny's Malai Kofta round the corner, gave Taj Mahal the edge.

(4) Becoming a qualified diver, Perhentian islands (Malaysia)

People who know me will know my hatred towards swimming and how bad I am at it, but I couldn't have completed my travels without having tried out diving, especially at the world class dive sites we have visited. I really didn't expect to pass the course but I just wanted the opportunity to see a good amount of sea life, which I did, but when I confidently passed everything required, I was made up and so proud of myself and it was just coincidence that my instructor, Suzie, was fit and it helped me concentrate Ha! I was amazed at the creatures that lived underwater, it really is another world down there and just makes you think how big the world actually is!

(3) Spotting a wild tiger, Corbett tiger reserve (India)

With approx 160 wild tigers and other animals in a jungle the size of Yorkshire, we were gob smacked to spot a tiger within our first half hour of our safari. I was expecting to see one because thats what we came for but when we met some guys who have been coming for the past 4 years and have still not spotted one and the fact that we spent the whole next day looking for one with no success, it made me realise how lucky we were. I've seen tigers before in zoos and at tiger kingdom in Thailand, but these wild tigers are huge with very vivid colours on their fur. It's definatley one of them stories you tell the grandchildren.

(2) Climbing up Mount Emei Shan (China)

Danny was the hiking half of our partnership in our travels, so when I learnt about my fate of the number of mountains he's planned, I wasn't looking forward to them and this mountain was not an easy one. With us climbing up a set of stairs for 8 hours on ice with no visibility, I was longing for the end and it finally came. The sunrise in the morning made the climb worth it with the clouds below us and mountains peaking around us and with the sun slowly rising, this was one of them moments where words or pictures cannot describe how beautiful nature was at this moment of my life.

(1) The greatest temple in the world, Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

I've never heard of Angkor Wat before my travels and didn't really know much about it until we got into South East Asia. I saw pictures and stories from other travellers, but experiencing it for the first time yourself, really is magical. The admissions are expensive but it is deifnaltey worth it and makes Cambodia worth visiting just for that itself. It is such a huge complex of temples, that I found it impossible to go around seeing them all without getting bored. The detail within these temples, which is carved out of stone is unbelieveable and can only leave you to imagine the Angkor Wat region in its hay day!

My favourite country .......

This is one question that every traveller has asked me and Danny once they've realised how many countries we've travelled. It's a hard question to answer because every country has something different to offer. I was ready to leave India, when we did and hated China to start off with but once you've had time to reflect, you end up loving these countries. The South East Asian countries are all very similar and this is where the bulk of the tourists are, which makes a very different experience when you compare it to India and China. I've got to admit, South East Asia offers you consistent warm weather and a good selection of beaches but these countries can easily merge into one. So they way I have considered which country is my favourite was to tick my own personal criteria of people, travel, expenses, sights, food and language.

The country that comes out on top is Malaysia, mainly because it ticks all these criteria's for me.

People and the language ....

The people in this country generally speak enough English to get by, even better in the main cities and are so friendly and revel at the opportunity to help you out, whereas in the other countries, I really have the feeling they are after your money then genuinely helping you out.

Transport ......

I have experienced my best transport travel in China and Malaysia with the latter being cheaper and you get more for your money. The seats in some of these buses are like executive seats and I slept on them like a baby and I usually can't sleep on buses, so they must be doing something right!

Expenses .....

Before I visited Malaysia, I had a mixed review of people saying whether it was cheap or expensive but I found it relevantly cheap, although you needed money to do things in the Borneo side. It was not as cheap as India, which was the cheapest country we've visited but it is as cheap as Thailand and Indonesia if you budget well.

Sights .....

I agree that there are many amazing sights that we've seen across all the countries that we've visited but I felt in Malaysia, there were lots of places where you could venture where toursits are not gathered around and you are able to meet the locals properly. I felt you could do the same in India, Indonesia, parts of China and parts of Laos too.

Food .......

Malaysia has a good mixture of different ethnicities from all over the world but they have adopted many Chinese and Indian people in their population. With this great mix, this gives Malaysia the edge on the food front compared to the other countries. All of Asia is full of rice and noodles, which is what you get in Malaysia too but you also get roti (bread) and curries, so you can always mix your food depending on what you're craving. Local food is pretty cheap and I was generally satisfied with my food over here.

My favourite food ........

Soooo many cuisines to choose from, how am I supposed to choose my favourite? Like I said above, I think Malaysia has to be my favourite because of the variety they have to offer as their own local food. My least favourite would have to be Nepalise food, with their fucking boring Daal Bhat, so I just stuck to Western food. I've never really had Chinese food before I went on this trip and I was really impressed by the Chinese food. I would have liked to try out more however the menu's were not in English, so I genuinely stuck with a few meals. The Muslim food in China was something else, especially the dapanji, which me and Danny nailed at any given opportunity. Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos was mainly western food or fried rice/noodles, which was the main dish across South East Asia. A lot of people prefer Thai food, but generally the curry's are too tangy or coconutty for me but I have found the Masuman curry, which is my favourite round these ends. I really liked Indonesian food too, pretty similar to Malaysian and with it being a Muslim dominated country, it was easier for me to get food.

My travel advice .......

Me and Danny have covered so many miles over this year across many countries and the only thing we both want to do is save some more money and lets plan the next one. But now we are experienced travelers, there are a few things that I have learnt, that will help me the next time I hopefully travel.

If I have enough money, I plan to do my future travels on a motorbike, as I've had the best times traveling on one of those. Yes they are dangerous to drive, especially in Asia, but as long as your careful and have your wits about you, you'll be o.k. It allows you to travel at your own pace, whereas if you're on a bus, you have to stay and stick to their itinerary. A lot of the times, you drive through areas, which are still untouched, therefore allowing you to meet the locals and appreciate the country for what it is. Also when you stop off for food, you get to taste the real local food at real restaurants at real prices. The best reason for traveling on a motorbike is that you can be flexible with your itinerary, which allows you to travel at your own pace. Plus with a good set of shades, you'll look pretty cool ha!

Me and Dan had huge bags to carry around for a year, so my extra bit of advice is to make sure you travel light, it saves you getting big shoulders like us. The problem for us was that we were visiting countries across the four seasons so we had to pack for that, but if you're only there for a certain season, then pack wisely. The clothes you bring will get knackered really quick, as you will be wearing them all the time, so either bring your old clothes or just buy them from here. Clothes are really cheap out here so it's worth packing hardly anything and buying your shizzle from here. However if you're a big lad like me, then buying clothes are a little bit harder!

The Lonely Planet book was a godsend in some countries but also annoying in some. The book is really useful for background information, sight information, maps and recommendations but the bad thing is that every traveler has one so the recommended places are busy. It is definitely worth buying one because whenever you are stuck, it's a lifesaver, especially in places where they don't speak English. But as me and Danny transferred real travelers, we generally did things our own way and only really used the books for the maps. Getting into the Lonely planet book is every hotel/guesthouse mission. Every traveler has one and are so dependent on it, that they always stay at the recommended places. Generally the standards were dropped and the prices have gone up since they have been recommended in the book. There are plenty of budget accommodation, so generally when we arrived in a town/city, we found the tourist area and looked around for a cheaper guesthouse, which generally had better standards. This is also the same for travel, as there are many company buses for the comfort of tourists, which are more expensive and the local buses are generally the cheaper option.

summary of travels

What a year, I can't believe what me and Danny have achieved and how quick it has whizzed by. I have met so many great people and have made some real good friends, which I plan on staying in touch with. We both couldn't have traveled without the support of our families and that makes a big difference. I haven't had any regrets from this trip, although it has left with me a little debt, it was definitely worth it. I heard a lot of people saying to me, ' I wish I'd have done it when I was younger" and this made me decide to do it while I was young and have no commitments, but it is never too late. A lot of people are too scared of leaving their comfortable lives or plan to do it later, but a lot of times, you get yourself into a routine or a commitment and feel it's too late. You're never too old, as I saw loads of people of different ages enjoying it out there, especially the older ones who just loved it! I'll leave you with the motto that I have created from thinking on these long ass journeys on buses/trains/boats/airplanes and that is, "Live fearlessly and it will create unlimited opportunity.

Final Statistics

From an early stage in our travels we were wondering wether or not we may cover the distance of the world by the end of our journey, equator distance. That is 40,008.629 Kilometers! Or 24,860.2 Miles. So here is a complete overview of our travel statistics over the past year.

Total Time Spent Travelling - 11 months, 1 day (335 days)

Total Countries Visited - 11

Total Destinations Visited - 118

Total Distance Travelled - 36,314 km (22,565 miles)

Average Distance Travelled (per day) - 108.4 km (67.35 miles)

Total Time on Transportation - 866 hours (36 days, 2 hours)

Average Time on Transportation (per day) - 2.6 hours

So it looks as though we were a little short of the equator distance, but just so your aware these distances were overland routes to destinations only. No planes or boats included. Oh and our motorbike adventures were also excluded. Not bad skills ehh?

In addition to that........
Since we are either very organised (doubted) or just a set of geeks (probable), we have recorded 100% of our travel and accomodation expenses. Using these numbers we have been able to calculate our total spendings for both travel and accomodation. We can also find out our average accomodation costs per night, per country. We have then totaled all the results to give us a complete average of accomodation costs in Asia. We were satisfied with our findings. (Note - Does not include excursions such as the Annapurna trek, Yangtze river cruise or Halong Bay).

Travel Expenses Combined:

India - £200

Nepal - £20

China - £767

Vietnam - £120

Cambodia - £77

Laos - £152

Thailand - £112

Malaysia - £153

Indonesia - £216

Philippines - £46

Sub-Total - £1863 (£931.5 each)

Accomodation Expenses Combined:

India - 18,070 Rps = £240 (53 nights)

Average - 341 Rps = £4.52

Nepal - 5,500 Nrps = £48 (14 nights)

Average - 393 Nrps = £3.42

China - 5,300 ¥ = £530 (55 nights)

Average - 96.4 ¥ = £9.64

Vietnam - 2,502,000 D = £93 (21 nights)

Average - 120,000 D = £4.41

Cambodia - $53 = £35 (10 nights)

Average - $5.30 = £3.50

Laos - 700,000 Kip = £117 (16 nights)

Average - 43,750 Kip = £7.29

Thailand - 11,175 Baht = £223 (58 nights)

Average - 193 Baht = £3.85

Malaysia - 546 Rm = £109 (18 nights)

Average - 30.3 Rm = £6.06

Singapore - S$80 = £40 (2 nights)

Average - S$40 = £20

Indonesia - 1,130,000 Irp = £84 (16 nights)

Average - 70,625 Irp = £5.23

Philippines - 4,600 Php = £69 (14 nights)

Average - 329 Php = £4.94

Sub-Total = £1,588 (£794 each)

Sub-Average (per night) = £5.73 (£2.87 each)

Grand Total of Travel & Accomodation Expenses = £3451 (£1725.5 each)

Grand Average of Travel & Accomodation Expenses (per day) = £10.30 (£5.15 each)

Thailand Summary

Days travelled - 53 days (7 weeks, 4 days)

Distance travelled - Approx. 2,887 km (1,794 miles)

Hours travelled - 78.5 hours (3 days, 6.5 hours)

Destinations - 13

Top 3


3. Chiang Mai

The major city in Northern Thailand has plenty of activities to offer the backpacker, wether you feel like taking on a jungle trek a snake or monkey show, or even go petting the tigers at Tiger Kingdom, you can get everything in Chinag Mai. The nightlife is bumping and the city has plenty of restaurants with a selection of worldwide cuisines (Particularly the Mexican joint we found). Chiang Mai is well connected with Bangkok even though it feels a world away.


2. Rai Leh

An island that offers beautifully peaceful beaches, plenty of chilled bars and restaurants, CHEAP accomodation and some of the best rock climbing walls in the world. World renowned for the climbs it has on offer has made Rai leh pretty famous for excursions from the island of Phi-Phi. The lagoon is not to be missed, neither is the lookout point. A very memorable day........if you can handle the challenge (Eh-hem, Cough!, Vish, Cough!)



1. Koh Tao

In total I spent 2 weeks on this island and I can say I enjoyed every minute of it. Personally, I feel like it had everything. Cheap accomadation (if you know where to look), great nights out on the beach side bars and clubs, amazing scenery to explore (if you can handle the hills) a number of hidden bays with some of the prettiest beaches in Asia, and of course, you can do some diving, lots and lots of diving. The small thai boxing gym took up a lot of our time as did the lovely cafe opposite thecabaret show. Backing paradise = Koh Tao (but will it make the overall top 5 in Asia?)



Final Advice

For many people, Thailand is an essential country to travel with it's chilled out culture and the parties they boast about. Thailand has been the most touristic country that we have visited, which is a downside but we have loved it that much, that we visited this country twice. Starting off in Chiang Mai and working our way down to the full moon party was the route we took the first time and the second time round, me and Danny did our own route, due to different reasons and met in Bangkok before we flew home. A lot of people visit Chaingmai, Bangkok and do the islands in the south but we stopped off in Sukhotai and Ayutaya to see the Khmer styled temples, which was definitely worth the visit.

Thailand is a country that is moving forward and I completely understand why people move over here, generally because they're looking for thai brides, but the thai ladies are looking for the rich old men too. To us, the weather is warm all year around and there are plenty of beautiful beaches (south) to sunbathe during the day and party at night. The Thai food is nice too, especially for people who like coconut/lime flavoured curries, but because Thailand is a well visited country, you can easily find places from all over the world especially in the main cities. The cost of living is cheap, with good quality accommodation and food costing a little. The only thing that seemed expensive was with the travel and that was only if you booked through tourist travel agencies, which is what most people do. The second time I travelled around, I got on the government buses, which were a lot cheaper, generally better quality and the had no tourists on so you can experience the culture better.

Thailand is the place to shop but also the place to get hustled. The main cities, Chiang Mai and Bangkok are the best place to shop for fakes, but you have to hustle hard. They always start at ridiculous prices and work their way down. If you're clued up like me and Danny, you'll have a chance to pick up a bargain. If you'r in Bangkok for a while, there are loads of markets that you can go to but if you're around on the weekend, Chattuchak weekend market is the one to visit for presents.

From personal experience, If any of you are interested in doing Thai boxing out there, then I would definitely train in Bangkok but the only problem is that you're staying in a muggy city, where Chiang Mai is a lot more of an open city. It is expensive to train and you have to be careful not to get skanked, but remember you are getting trained by the best. i trained in Chiangmai for 2 weeks, Krabi for 1 week and Bangkok for 3 weeks and enjoyed it more in Bangkok. I've done Thai boxing before so I enjoyed a more serious training style but if you're a beginner, than you may prefer somewhere else.

Full Moon Part 2 and Back to Bangkok

With all the training in Ko Tao, I trusted Vish was now mentally and physically prepared for the fun and games in Ko Phangan. Bring on the full moon party! We arrived a few days before the big night so that we could guarantee some digs. Plus, enjoy the antics of full moon build up. Of course this includes; pool parties, magic mushrooms, multicoloured buckets, bonfires on the beach, hong thong whiskey, M150, a hired scooter, and lots of body paint. But of course Ive been through all this before.

The actual full moon party was far busier than it was back when me and Maj were here in May. Only problem this time round was that we were leaving the following day, at 7am! So good preperation of packing our bags the night before was a MUST. (Me and Maj didnt get back from our first full moon until 11am, it was going to be difficult). We managed to make it back in time for our transport to the dock and even got to give the teeth a quick brush. The tiredness kicked in whilst on the boat across to the mainland, and I ended up passing out on the top deck of the boat, half in the sun and half in the shade with my sunglasses on. The panda eye was disgracefull, the burns were sore and my skin peeled for the 2nd time on the trip. Only problem this time was that home was only a few days away.

The long bus ride to Bangkok took about 12 hours. From there we grabbed a cab to Majids new apartment where he had been living for the past 3 weeks whilst doing his Thai boxing. It was good to see the old lad again.

Our last 2 days of our trip were spent in the Thai capital. We managed to go on a big shopping spree for all the pressies for everyone back home and have one final night out in Asia with Maj's mate Krissy. A great way to finish off the travels together. Me and Vish went out looking like the chukle brothers (according to Maj) and we tried hard to see a ping-pong show, but the season had finished, so we just settled for strippers.

So that was it for us. We had to make our way to the airport and make the emotional travel home (with a quick stop off in Egypt). Vish on the other hand still had another 10 days left of travelling and would be heading to Cambodia with the all the advice he needed from the pro's. We both told everyone that we would be arriving home on the 5th of September, so a few suprises were on the cards. It was just as exciting to be going home. At the beginning we had a plan of what we wanted to do. Now we can say we accomplished everything we set out to do and a hell of a lot more.

Ko Phangan Photo Link:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=5506229011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Bangkok Photo Link:

http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4774856011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

The Art of Muay Thai

You're probably sick and tired of hearing about Dan's travels so I thought I'll make a guest appearance and fill you in with what I've been doing for the last 6 weeks of the trip. I couldn't have finished my travels without experiencing some real Muay Thai training (thai boxing) so this is what I basically did for the 6 weeks. From Borneo, Dan went to the Philipines and I ventured off to Thailand, starting in Chiangmai for the start of my training. I was looking forward to it as I was craving for some training and I will be learning from the best. Vishal, my school friend came and met me here, so it was good catching up with him. I trained for 2 weeks here, whilst Vish chilled and did all the activities that I did when I was here last.

We moved on down to Krabi via Bangkok, where I stayed and trained for 4 days, while Vish and Tam did all the tourist shizzle. We then got the boat across the waters to Koh Phi Phi for a reunion with my boy Danny, as well as Becky and Ellie, who we met in Borneo, and Lieve, our dutch compandre through Indonesia. There was some great moments here for example, Vish's legendary push kick, climbing down to the lagoon and a lot of time staring at the stars. However this was where I got my infection, and had to suffer some pain with a bandage around my leg looking like I've been through battle. It was time to leave these party animals and ake a solo trip to Bangkok, where I trained for 3 weeks solid with the big dogs.

The last time I was in Bangkok was when all the riots were going down, but the city has calmed down since and they has just got on with it. Jitti's gym, where I trained was far from the tourist area, so I was focused training out there, with a morning jog at 6am in a nearby park, followed y a gym session until 9 am. Training started again at 3pm until 6 pm, followed by a visit to the chicken lady and an early night. I stayed in a pimped out apartment, where none of the workers spoke english, so it was always a laugh communicating with them. This was more or less my routine for 3 weeks, which helped me lose a stone and got me fit. Dan and Vish came and met me on the last full day before we left, after they had a busy time partying at the full moon, where we had a night to mark the end of a legendary full year away. Krissi came and joined us with a special guest appearances from the chuckle brothers, which ended up being a very random night but a quality one. Peace out x

Groundhog Day in Tao

Vish had to leave early in order to complete his visa run to Myanmar, he got a 15 day extension, which would just be enough to see him over the border to Cambodia. We met each other in Chumpon with the intention of catching the night boat to Ko Tao. Unfortunately we missed it because of my mega slow bus and had to stay the night. It was a strange feeling makiing my way back to Koh Tao, the first place I have actually seen twice throughout my travels (though, Bangkok and Ko Phangan are gunna get to see me again too).

Everything was so much easier this time round for obvious reasons. We got a great place to stay with fridge and t.v, 2000 baht for 6 nights.

We had a daily routine in Koh Tao, which basically included. Waking up about 2pm, grabbing a mango shake and eating at our favourite sandwich shop, doing about 2 hours training at the thai boxing gym, resting for 1 hour, freshening up, eating dinner, buying a bottle of Hong Thong, consumimg Hong Thong, partying the night away and getting in for sleep between 6 and 10am. And repeat. Times 6.

It was a tiring week, let's put it that way. On one day I did pass on the thai boxing to go on a night dive with Maxine, Katie and Zayn (a guy we met at thai boxing). Not the best idea when hungover. I was pretty clueless about my equipment, but luckily Zayn was a diving instructor and so he was my saviour. The dive was cool, very different from your standard day dive. We saw a 6ft barracuda, a huge hermit crab, and some sandy coloured sea bed dwelling fish thing. With it being an adventure dive it would help towards my advance diving qualification if I decide to do it in the future.

That was basically Koh Tao. Oh, I did begin to realise that I had a very, very short time left travelling too. Maj was in the process of buying our return flights home. Seems like I have been writing this bloody blog forever!

Ko Tao Photo Link:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=5505941011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Khao Sok Monsoon

In order to break up the time we were spending at Thailands amazing beaches we decided to go to Khao Sok National Park, located between Phuket and Chumpon provinces.

The clan had now depleted to 2 remaining vets, Vish and myself. We booked our accomodation in advance at the bus station because we would need to be picked up to enter the park area. We stayed at Khao Sok Island Guesthouse, with our host (and now our own Thai fairy godmother) Ratana. She has definately ranked as one of the kindest and friendliest people I have met on my travels. She used to give us money off our meals, free bottles of water and helped us so much with our onward transportation.

For our first day in the park we went for a trek to see Thailands oldest rainforest. I reckon we a did a good 5 or 6 hours walk, but we were pretty restricted from seeing most of the park since the monsoon season was in full flow and flood warnings were in place. We had some chill time on a rock right in the middle of a river only reachable by crossing a uprooted tree trunk. Chill time was cut short when a sudden downpour kicked in and we were forced to find some shelter. After the rain had done its damage, we made the slow and sludgy route back to base.

We did plan to go to a nearby lake the next day to do some caving/potholing, but again the monsoon made this impossible. Instead we planned to do a traditional Thai cooking class with Ratana. We were shown the ancient recipes for chicken Thai green curry, pork pad thai, seafood tom yum soup and a papaya salad. To no surprise we had a blast with Ratana, especially learning some extra Thai words that she found hilarious. Farang and cak dam were her favourite (meaning white tourist/black tourist). Vish now had his nickname for the blog.

Khao Sok Photo Link:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=7666244011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Residents in Phang Agn

Only me Vish and Beccy moved onwards to Phang Agn since the other girls wanted to see the hot springs in Krabi (how gay). Not to rub it in or anything, but our overnight stay in the Muslim village off the coast of Phang Agn was incredible. We hung out with a group of locals who made us some 'special' ice tea, mixed with cough syrup and coke. They enjoyed our company and wanted us to meet them again the following day. It would have been rude not too.

We had a kayaking trip arranged for the following day but that got postponed because of crappy weather. Which meant we got to hang out on the island for the day. We visited the evacuation point for Panyee island, which was basically an upturned table. The rest of the entire day was taken up with a game of football with some local kids. We must have been playing for a good 3/4 hours barefoot of course. The kids loved us being there. We arranged them into teams and did little racing games with them. Oh, and bulldog also, hopefully an island favourite now. I reckon one of my favourite parts of travelling is being welcomed and respected by the locals. They were sad to see us leave.

We met the elders again that evening and hung out by the islands pier listening to music and being told stories about how life was for them living here. Most worked as fishermen, some worked for the kayaking rental companies near-by. A really great bunch of guys, they took great care of us and even treated us to ice tea and biscuits.

The boat trip took us through a mangrove forest in the sea, a bunch of caves within the karsts and to 'james bond island'. Named after 007 for appearing in the Roger Moore movie 'the man with the golden gun', the island was the location of the bad guys hideout, I aint seen it, so I was a bit clueless to all the fuss. Nice looking rock I guess?

Phang Agn Photo Link:

http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=7666561011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Rock Climbing In Railay

The 6 of us made the boat ride over to Railay Beach on the Friday, we also regrouped with 2 girls we had met on the snorkel trip earlier in the week, Katie and Maxine.

I had been looking forward to Railay since we first passed through Thailand as it is a world renowned rock climbing area. The whole group except Maj got involved with the climbing. Some enjoying it way more than others. The most memorable climb was our final one, where you had to start off by using upper body strength to scale a hanging stalactite. Maxine 'hench gal' represented the ladies by completing the climb with myself and Vish. I had a great day climbing, and I may have possibly found a new hobby. The Peak District better watch out!

The next day Maj made a deal with us that he would be 90% sure of coming to the next full moon party in Ko Phangan, which would be absolutely awesome, if........ me and Vish escorted him to the lagoon and view point in the morning. Fair deal we thought. The view point was tougher than expected to reach, with no actual pathway, just rocks and tree roots to clamber over. The lagoon was another thing entirely. It was so sludgy, wet and steep that made this a real ball ache to descend. Vish pussied out of the challenge, so it was left to me and Maj to finish our final task together. After much hard work (and Maj getting stuck with a rope between his legs, got video evidence for ya) we hit the bottom and walked round the hidden lagoon. It made a great final adventure for the two of us to witness together. We made the hike back to the hotel in time for Maj to say his goodbyes to the gang and get some grub down himself. He later reported that he had a nightmare of a journey back to Bangkok, he had to walk to the opposite beach with his bags, over the rocks, then he and his bags got drenched on the boat ride to Au Nang, and was boarded onto an aircon bus to freeze the 7/8 hour journey back to the capital. You think he would man-up after 10 months of this shit ehh?

Me and Vish ditched the ladies later that day to check out a cave (weak) a penis temple (you heard correct) and another cove area with great scrambling and cliff jumps to reach. We met up with everyone later to watch some fire dancers doing a show (best I've seen yet).

We had a similar dilemma with our boat ride, except I was at the back and made it out dry as a bone. The sea was really choppy that day so we were hustled into paying double for the boat ride to Au Nang. Whatever. I have lost my bartering motivation these days.

Railay Photo Link:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=7665691011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Phi Phi Phu Phu

Ko Phi Phi, another place blessed with the karst mountainous scenery jutting up from out of the sea. Many guesthouses and hotels and bars and nightclubs make up the rest of this tropical island. Much time was spent soaking in the sun and sea here, awaiting the arrival of Majid and company. We did take a snorkel boat trip around the islands close by to check the coral situation, hidden coves and picture perfect beaches. The most famous being Maya Bay, the beach used in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie 'The Beach'. The infestation of farang (tourists) took away all of its magic personally speaking.

The reunion with Maj, Vish and Tam was quality. It didn't seem 2 minutes since we had seperated in Borneo. Vish would be joining me for the rest of time away, before moving onward to Cambodia. Tam planned to join the girls on a mission to KL and Singapore. Maj would be heading back to Bangkok for his final 3 weeks of intense ballet dancing.

Phi phi remained a piss-up for the rest of our time there. Except for our final day, when we made the climb to the view point and over to another beach. We had a small bonfire on this beach before hopping a long tail boat back to the other side. It was night-time boat ride too, so it was another new experience.

Ko Phi Phi Photo Link:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=7665227011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Phuket About It!

In Phuket I stayed at Patong. Another beach side resort area with plenty of nightlife and water sports available. I got a good deal on a room, then went to get my first cheese and ham toastie from the 7-eleven, it felt good to be back in Thailand. My thai chicken green curry was the highlight of my day, no little philippine portions here. The following day Becci and Ellie arrived and we had a chill day since they were both shattered from there journey from Bali. Other than taking a big walk about the beach and eating some great food, I bought a bunch of dvd's for real cheap. There wasn't much appeal in Patong so we wasted no time in moving onwards to Ko Phi Phi. With the '04 boxing day tsunami, all of the places on the west andaman coast now have evacuation areas. The map to the evacuation area in Patong was very confusing. At one junction you have the choice of two different routes, not ideal for the indecisive.

Philippines Summary

Days travelled - 14 days (2 weeks)

Distance travelled - Approx. 906 km (563 miles)

Hours travelled - 41 hours (1 day, 17 hours)

Destinations - 7

Top 3

3 - Bohol - after Boracay, I would say this is the 2nd biggest tourist destination in the Philippines. Plenty to see plenty to do.

2 - Puerto Galera - the northmost island of the visayas. Clouded by Boracays reputation, this beachside resort is fantastic for chilling, snorkelling and having some fun nights out too.

1 - Siquijor - I wasn't even going to go here when I first planned my itinarary, but I'm so glad I did. Even though I spent only 1 day here this really small island has everything. Beaches, jungles to explore, caves, waterfalls and some lovely people to top it off. Watch out for witches though.

Final Advice
At first I was a little dubious of the Philippines, since everyone was saying 'be very carefull' and 'its very danegerous'. I managed to survive the fortnight without any problems and I had an awesome time there. Asia is bad for people pointing, staring and laughing at you, but the Philippines took the piss a little. It was constant, wherever I went. Maybe moreso since I was alone. That was my biggest downfall with the country, so not a biggie.
I loved the food, many pork dishes, but also beef and chicken to go round. The countries transportation services were excellent in my opinion, and even if you do miss the final boat or bus, they let you hang in the terminals over night.

The big cities of manila and cebu are whack compared to the rural islands between them. Don't waste your time there.

Cebu to Manila to Clark to KL to Phuket to Patong

I only spent a day in Cebu down to the earlier confusion with my flights. I was flying back to Manila for my outbound flight back to Kuala Lumpur, but I had earlier realised that there are 2 airports in Manila. The only problem being is that the other airport is located 3 hours away from Manila, and it would be a very close call to make the flight. I rescheduled my flight for a day earlier back to Manila.

It wasnt that much of a problem since Cebu had little to see, and it was the most expensive place I had visited in the Phillipines so far. I did visit the Magellans cross monument which was planted by Portugese and Spanish explorers 491 years ago, by orders of Ferdinand Magellan and I took a little peek at the Fort San Pedro....... both were fairly uninteresting.

Back in Manila, I arrived at around 11pm, and I was to soon find out that I had missed the final bus of the day to Clark International airport. Which meant that I had to spend the night in the bus station, it was lovely as you can imagine. The following day was spent in transit, first a three hour ride to Clark, then a 3 hour flight to KL, followed by a 4 hour wait in the airport for a 1 hour flight up to Phuket. From the Phuket airport I decided to continue down to Patong, which is the typical tourist destination for many brits making there way over to Thailand.

Tarsiers, Chocolate Hills and a Big Ass Snake

My first day on the bike took me down to Luboc, where the tourist center was located and I found out a few places that had to be visited. I went straight for the Tarsier Sanctuary to start with. Costing 40php (with guide) I was shown the location of these tiny mammals hiding away in trees of the sanctuary. They are ugly little things. Closer to a Gremlin than anything, with eyes nearly as big as their heads. They don't move much in the day, so I was able to get some really great pictures of them close up. The guide told me that the babies are a small as a half a mans thumb, and some were due to be born next week. They are very close to extinction supposedly. It was only a short stop, but a worth while one. Next, I took a horrible dirt road to the town of Albuquerque. To visit their number one attraction, Prony. Prony is a 26ft python, and the biggest one in captivity. She had just finished her meal for the day when I arrived. A whole pig. You could see the huge lump in her body. It really was an insanely big snake, and I'm sure it would be able to eat an adult with ease. Had to get my close up pic with her though, it'd be rude not too.

I tried to visit another cave that was nearby but couldn't find it. The locals were clueless too so I moved on. Next up was my main reason for visiting Bohol and the islands number 1 tourist attraction, the Chocolate Hills. From a lookout point (fairly close to my hotel) you could see these mounded hills spread out for miles. There are around 1000 of them in Bohol and they were formed from dead coral settling on the oceans surface and then the hills had raised gradually over hundred of years causing this remarkable geographic sight. They are called the Chocolate Hills because of the brown colour they turn from the dead coral. They were great for the most of 5 minutes, then my ADD kicked in and I had to roll on. The scenery was lovely around this area from the Chocolate Hills dotted about everywhere.




I only had one mission to complete the following day and that was to visit the town of Danao where an adventure park is located. It took about 2 hours drive by bike to get there and half the journey was over another rocky road (my arse hates me so much from all this abuse). I paid the 700php fee and waited in line for my turn on 'The Plunge'. This was a giant canyon swing (the biggest in Philippines) with a 70ft free-fall drop to set you off. I opted for the scarier head first position whilst being strapped in. Then made my way to the end of the platform (dun dun duh) I got lowered down (upside down) then waited for the 3,2,1 countdown. Bombs away! It was great value for what is was. Plus, a lovely couple recorded the swing for me, so I can relive the memory. Definately recommended. I had to zip back to Carmen to drop off the bike and collect my things (not forgetting my certificate of achievement for completing the plunge). I rode the bus to Tabigon for 50php, with some very interesting characters. I should add that this was a roof top bus ride. The guys up there with me were singing some great songs in both Philipino and English. I was very entertained and so I had to give them a shocking attempt at singing wonderwall. They loved it surprisingly. I got to the port at 4pm and unbelievably a boat left at 4.15! What a turn around in luck from my first boating trip in the Philippines. I paid the 100php, and boarded my final boat trip in the Phillies to go to the 'queen of the south' city of Cebu.

Photo Link: http://www3.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=6333747011/a=2264773011_2264773011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/