When I set out from the United States in September the only thing that was certain was I was flying into Thailand, after that the possibilities were endless. As I made my way through Thailand and into Cambodia I kept meeting travelers who raved about Myanmar and it’s amazing people and scenery. Well, if this many seasoned travelers think so highly of it, maybe I have to go? Myanmar has just recently opened itself to more expansive tourism (2015), and due to governmental restrictions tourism is developing slowly in most areas of the country (a good thing). So as I was finishing my trek around the Annapurna area in late November I pulled the trigger and put in for an eVisa and booked a flight for a two week stint in Myanmar with almost no plan or idea what I was getting into.

Street market in Yangon

The eVisa came back approved three days later so it was official, I booked a place in Yangon for two nights and would figure it out from there. After another stop through KL on 12/3 I was off to Yangon, and was dumped into a quiet modern airport, breezed through immigration and on to baggage claim. The first thing I noticed was all the locals were wearing lovely dresses and longyis and had smiles on their faces as they waited for loved ones. I shared a taxi into downtown with an Aussie (‘P’) and relaxed for the night. I spent the next two days mostly just wandering the streets and markets of Yangon. The most striking thing was how few tourist I saw. Sure there were a few at the Bongyoke market, Sule pagoda and Shewdagon, but we were by far the minority in a sea of Burmese. I actually felt as though people were simply going about daily life and I was a fly on the wall, very refreshing change from Thailand or Thamel (Kathmandu). The streets were crowded with fruit/vegetable stalls, food carts, electronic stores, longyi shops and thousands of stalls selling betel nut chew (huge in Myanmar).

Shwedagon Pagoda glitters at night.

I’m not much of a city goer but I truly loved Yangon and all the locals I met. And I have to admit I find the Burmese people very attractive (except their red teeth); friendly, well dressed people with soft facial features (thanks to thanaka), sorry, single male here so I notice these things.

Aung Mingalar bus station, oh the madness. Bottom, VIP night bus to Bagan.

First Bagan sunrise, temple all to myself.

Temples temples everywhere, 2200 to be exact.

Sunsets in Bagan are also pretty nice.

After three days I caught a shared truck from Sule up to Aung Mingalar bus station (1000 kyat) on the north end of town and proceeded into the madness. See Aung Mingalar bus station is not a station but a massive complex, covering 6-8 sets of warehouses, and it took me 20min to find my labeled bus. The VIP night bus to Bagan was quite comfortable, but dropped us off and 5am, ugh. I shared a taxi into New Bagan with a few others, paid the 25000 kyat Bagan entry fee, dropped my bag at the Mingalar hotel, rented a bike and immediately took off to watch sunrise. With no idea where I was going I simply rode toward the nearest temples finding a small one that was unlocked. I climbed (literally) up to the top just as the morning sun was illuminating the haze and the hot air balloons drifted by. Wow, what a welcome to Bagan, atop my own private temple. I spent the next two days riding my bike down random dirt roads past temples of all shapes and sizes, admiring the local’s sand paintings and chatting with the artist about life. But what made the Bagan experience were the sunrises and sunsets (didn’t miss one) perched atop a temple just watching the world go by with my new friends Sandra, Yongia and Sergio. Something about watching the soft early/late days light filter across the plains with just the shadows of temples popping out of the jungle is just magical. Finally it was time to catch another night bus, this time to Inle Lake and sadly I had to bid Bagan and the friendly folks of the Mingalar hotel farewell. Night busses may sound convenient (they are faster than trains) but they are bumpy and often arrive at ungodly hours, this one at 4am. Thankfully the Win Nyunt hotel had some space so I crashed out in a bed on the floor.

Sharing sunrise with friends.

One last Bagan sunset before heading to Inle Lake.

Exploring caves in Myanmar means temples and lots of Buddhas.

The following day I met up with my new friends; James, Doris, Morgan and Molly and we took off around Inle Lake for an afternoon ride, finished off by drinking wine with views of the lake. We all hit if off and enjoyed dinner, beers and roller blading (yes that’s right) that night and planned to meet up again the next day for a hot spring and a boat ride. Molly and Morgan ended up taking the morning off, leaving James, Doris and myself to head to the hot springs, which were a bust ($10USD spa, bah). Just as we were about to give up I pulled over to check out some random local pool where a group of locals (who spoke almost no English) handed us beers, sat us down, fed us and after that we were basically family for the next 1.5h. As we pulled away on our bikes bidding them farewell, covered in makeup and thanaka, we were all laughing hysterically and had no idea what happened, but relishing the experience. We then met Morgan and Molly at the boat dock for the standard sunset tour of Inle Lake, which was a nice mellow way to cap off such a wonderfully unexpected day.

Winery with views of Inle Lake, it’s a rough life.

Lunch with our new family. We were literally spoon fed and had our makeup done.

Doris gettingher makeup done.

Just making friends and getting our makeup done. Photo curtousey of James Fletcher.

Afternoon boat ride on Inle Lake amongst the floating villages.

Boat cruising through the floating villages.

Sunset on Inle Lake, relaxing end to a wonderful day.

The right people can make a good experience an amazing one.

Since I had another night bus I was able to spend one last day in Nyaung Shwe just relaxing with the others. Then at 4p I bid them farewell as I hopped the bus to Bago to connect to Hpa-an. So many amazing new friends on my journey, some I will hopefully see again. Once again dumped in Bago at sunrise to await an 8am bus to Hpa-an (apparently there was a direct bus from Inle I was not aware of), this gave me a chance to kick back and watch the locals just do their thing as everyone started up there day.

View from Lombini gardens up toward Mt Zwegabin.

View from the pagoda atop Mt Zwegabin toward Hpa-an.

Kawgun cave and it’s 7th century temple built right into the walls.

I arrived in Hpa-an in the early afternoon and strolled over to the Kan Thar Yar (Royal Inn) right on the lake where I’d phoned in for a room (14000 kyat, not online, 058 21600). Hpa-an is a fairly sleepy town surrounded by massive karst cliffs, caves and countryside. Nice place to relax for a bit. I went for a hike up Mt Zwegabin (so hot and sweety) for the amazing view, visited the monastery at Kyauk Kalap, strolled through temple caves and made some new Burmese friends by the lake. What a way to end my journey, calm, friendly and beautiful. Back to Yangon on the 9am bus I went after 2 days of relaxing in Hpa-an, and a slow 7h ride it was. Shared a taxi from Aung Mingalar back into town for 7000 kyat and settled back in at the Agga B&B. I spent my last day in Yangon just how I’d started, wandering the streets, shopping, eating all kinds of street food, a 5000 kyat massage (19th Spa, worth it!), and just watching the locals do their thing. I’m going to miss this place and these people, but the next adventure is calling, Hawaii with Ben!

Sunrise on Kan Thar lake in the center of Hpa-an.

Random assortment of fried Burmese street food. All delicious, especially the small square things.

Notes, Tips and Tricks:

As of this writing (12/2016) tourism is just permeating into Myanmar, but it definitely hasn’t ruined the spirit yet. The people are incredibly friendly, helpful and curious when it comes to foreigners. The only place where I really noticed the tourism was Inle Lake, everywhere else I was just an Asian man lost in a sea of Burmese. There are just a handful of budget hotel/hostel options online, but there are many more that are phone or walkin only, so while I mostly prebooked you should also be able to find walkin places of you’re into a little wandering. Note that a hotel needs a tourist license to rent to foreigners and not all places have them, look for signs in English. For food, the Burmese like it oily, fried and in a soup. So if you’re a picky eater, good luck, and look for the few upscale western restaurants and try the steamed rice dishes. 

My main recommendation for traveling Myanmar would be, travel slowly, stop and talk to locals and take in everything you can. Zooming by on a motorbike or taxi won’t give you the opportunity to really experience the country, walk or ride a bike when you can. My dozens of wonderful interactions with the people are by no means unique, I’ve heard many other stories from other travelers to the same effect, the people really are that amazing so don’t be afraid.

Getting around the country takes time. To/from the airport you can use a combination of shared truck to Te Mi and bus #51 to downtown, but good luck finding it (taxi 7000-8000 kyat, bargain for it). To/from Aung Mingalar bus station either bus #43 (300kyat) or shared vans from Sule Pagoda (1000 kyat or taxi 7000-8000 kyat). And expect the ride from town to the airport/bus station takes 1-1.5h. Bus travel is slow but more efficient than trains. Night buses work alright but don’t be surprised if you arrive at 1-5a. Motos, eBikes and bicycles can be found for rent in most places though your feet also work really well for getting around town.

Don’t miss a sunrise or sunset in Bagan, you’ll regret it. I can give you directions to my random little temple if you wish, but I won’t post it publicly 🙂 Lastly if you’re the big package tour group kind of person you better stray from the group or you’ll miss why Myanmar is so wonderful, it’s not about snapping iconic photos it’s about experiencing the culture. Safe travels and happy adventuring to all.

​November 15th, Day 1 (or 10), Tatopani to Gorepani.

After my whirlwind tour of the Annapurna Circuit I planned to use my fitness and acclimatization to easily cruise up to Basecamp in a few days. After a relaxing afternoon in Tatopani restocking, hot springing (worth the price), and planning I was all set to tackle the steep but short trek to Basecamp. Another casual 8am start down the road before the steep uphill started. The climbing was steady and relentless up through Ghara and Shirka (2:05). Views back down the lovely lush valley were quite expansive. The trail then mellowed for a bit through Phalate (3:10) and Chitre (3:50) before the final steep push to Gorepani.

I put my head down and hammered out this last section reaching town just before 1p. Gorepani was much larger than I’d expected with several small trekkers shops, bakeries and dozens of guesthouses. I took a free room with a view at the Greenview Lodge and spent the afternoon relaxing. For those searching for the best views in town head higher on the hill, you probably won’t get a free room, but those places had phenomenal decks from which to watch sunset/sunrise. 17km, 1700m+, 4:40.

Terraced hillside near Shikha.

Dhaulgiri views.

Lots of pleasant first hiking up to Basecamp.

Sunset and sunrise from Gorepani on Annapurna.

Day 2 (or 11), Muldai Tower dayhike.

I stayed in Gorepani for two nights so I could go for a trail run without the big pack. The goal was the Muldai Tower at just over 3600m, hopefully with some sweeping views. Waited until the warm sunny hour of 930a to hit the trail armed with my inov8 running vest and a hand bottle,  jogging past tons of people enroute to Deurali Pass. At the pass I refilled water and the fun began. I located the signed trail to Muldai behind the tea house and set off on the narrow single track all by my lonesome.

The trail was easy to follow, though narrow and steep at times, as it undulating along the ridge before sweeping around a massive rock promentory. After many switchbacks I was finally deposited back on the ridge as the views were just starting to get good. The climb kept rolling up up up, until the tower was finally in sight. At last I climbed the rickety steps to up the 10ft tall tower (2:10) and was able to relax and marvel at the views from 3637m.

Ahead were stunning views of Manaslu, Machhapuchhre, Annapurna and Nilgiri. Behind the entire sweep of the Dhaulgiri massive was visible,  and far below the Pokhara valley was shrouded in haze. After several photos,  some video and lots of gawking I trotted my way down the steep trail through Muldai and into Dobato (making a loop). I hung a left in Dobato at the guesthouse finally reaching the pass to Swarta… holy downhill. Before me lay 1400m of relentless downhill to the river far below. The trail was steep but offered good footing as I pounded down into Swarta (3:40). I briefly lost the trail before refinding it and reaching the crossing of the Ghar Khola at 2000m (4:40).

Note that Gorepani (and my bed) lay at 2800m, so with 1200m of climbing already on my legs I set out on the final soul crushing ascent. With only a small vest on this should not have been so bad,  accept I’d consumed 100g of cashews and one pack of crackers all day…oops. So head down and exhausted away I trudged. Some good old fashion type II fun, as I finally returned to Gorepani around 3p (5:32), thoroughly exhausted but satisfied. Ate some pastry, enjoyed daal bhat dinner with Ryan and Beth (from Philly), and crashed early after the long day. 30km, 2000m+, 5:32.

The tiny Muldai tower perched atop is view point with Dhaulgiri behind.

Just another afternoon trail run in front of Annapurna.

Panoramic views from the Muldai Tower.

Day 3 (or 12), Gorepani to Chomrong.

Slept in a bit after my longer than expected day and felt sluggish as I started up the trail toward Deurali pass. The descent from the pass followed a stream through a lovely green valley to the village of Banthanti (1:30) then dropped precipitously before the short 200m climb back up to Tadapani (2:40). I elected to take the high route from Tadapani to Chomrong, skipping Gandruk, but of course the first thing I did was descend 800m to the Kimrong Khola, before starting the slow climb back to Chomrong.

My legs were heavy and the hot sun definitely took a toll on me as I slogged past numerous small guesthouses, so I was very relieved when I finally arrived at the hill top restaurant (4:00). From here the views really started to open up and the terrain eased a bit before I finally descended into town. Chomrong is the village of 1000 steps (or more), so I settled in at the international guesthouse high on the hill in a pretty spectacular room with a view. My easy day had proved not so easy after all, so is trekking in the Himalaya. 16km, 900m+/1600m-, 4:53.

Lovely green forest on the trail from Gorepani to Tadapani.

View from the edge of Tadapani, not too shabby.

Views get good as you near Chomrong.

Room with a view in Chomrong, literally.

Fires burn bright on the shoulder of Machhapuchhre.

Day 4 (or 13), Chomrong to Deurali.

Down down down 200m of steps only to climb right back up to Sinuwa (0:45). Then the trail climbed much more slowly before turning straight downhill on steep stairs into Bamboo (2:15). I was very glad that the trail after Bamboo eased a bit and steadily climbed up through pleasant forest where I finally reached Himalaya (3:45). It was early so I continued to plod on up to Deurali where I took a dorm bed at the Deurali GH, as all the other places were full (first time). I did some laundry and enjoyed the sunshine the rest of the afternoon. Everything in this portion of the valley is ala cart, hot shower, wifi, battery charge all cost extra. 14km, 1500m+, 4:45.

Location of guesthouses in the upper valley.

Looking back at Chomrong and all the stairs from Sinuwa.

Fog creeping up the valley toward Deurali.

Day 5 (or 14), Deurali to Annapurna Basecamp (ABC) + Lookout hike. 

Was in no rush being I only had a few hours to reach Basecamp so got stated at the crack of 8:25a. The morning was still chilly but quite a few groups were already ahead of me, but I soon passed them and was hiking alone. The valley opened up and I was bathed in warm sunshine as I reached MBC (1:00). The final climb to ABC was quite mellow as I was now surrounded by the vast amphitheater of rock and ice. I cruised into ABC at 10:35a (2:10) and had the place to myself. I was able to enjoy a snack and relax before the masses arrived.

Just before noon I set out on the trail behind ABC bound for a high view point overlooking the valley. I made quick time up the several hundred meters and was soon perched high above ABC, but this wasn’t enough so I kept climbing the spur ridge toward Patal Hiunchuli. Stopping only once I’d reached the edge of the moraine and the vertical walls guarding the upper mountain at 4800m. It was a good lesson on feeling tiny, as I descended the lumpy grass tufts back to ABC. Sunset from the lodges was quite wonderful, consisting of pink and red hues on Machhapuchhre, followed by an equally spectacular night sky (though very cold). Another early night before sunrise the following morning. 

Views aren’t too shabby on the trail to ABC.

View from my high perch above ABC.

Evening clouds rolling up the valley in front of Machhapuchhre.

Packed house at ABC.

Sunset on Machhapuchhre.

Pretty spectacular night sky over Annapurna south from ABC.

November 20th, Day 6 (or 15), ABC to Jinhu.

Everyone was up early to watch sunrise on Annapurna, which was cold but quiet pleasant. I actually enjoyed sunset much more than sunrise, but both were lovely. After a quick breakfast I strolled back out for one last view of the valley only to run into Steven who had run up that morning from Himalaya. So we set off down valley together, picked up his bag in Himalaya (1:40), and cruised off on the long road to Jinhu. The steep climb out of Bamboo went by quickly, but the miles were starting to wear on Steve so we took a snack break in Sinuwa (4:10) before tackling the Chomrong stairs.

We ground our way up the stairs into Chomrong, checked in with the ACAP then continued up to the small German bakery for pastries. Clouds had settled in over the valley obscuring the views. Filled with pie and danish we finished off the climb through Chomrong and hit the cutoff down to Jinhu. The 400m drop into Jinhu went by quickly and we snagged a room at the Evergreen to colapse after our long day (6:42). Though we were both fairly tired we dragged ourselves out of the room and down another 200m to the Jinhu hot springs. The series of the pools along the river bank were bustling with people, but the warm water (body temp) and serene atmosphere was just the relaxation we needed. We soaked for an hour,  chatting with others and relishing in what an amazing day it had been. After trudging back up to the hotel we vegged out the rest of the night and crashed early. 22km, 400m+/2800m-, 6:42.

Morning silhouttes, pretty nice.

Avalanche roars down south Annapurna.

Back in Sinuwa at the Chomrong stairs.

Jinhu hot springs along the river, nice way to end the trip.

November 21st, Day 7 (or 16), Jinhu to Pokhara.

Started the day with a skype call to the family, while slow, it still amazes me this is possible in these remote regions. Then Steve and I set off for our last day on the trail, a nice mellow downhill to Nayapul and eventually Pokhara. The trail mostly consisted of gently rolling terrain along the river,  a nice change from all the steep stairs. We cruised through Kyumi (1:50) and just kept on walking. Soon after the trail ended and we were dumped out onto the road, so we began to prepare ourselves for the long dusty road to Nayapul when all of a sudden there was a bus in Siwar picking up tourist to Pokhara! Sure, why not. So for 400 rupees we hopped on the bus and ended or trek. The first part of the bus ride back to Nayapul was along a very bumpy dirt road and I was tossed around pretty good in the back. Finally at Nayapul we were back on ‘pavement’ and the drive sped up and smoothed out. After only 2:15 we were deposited at the Baglung bus station of the north end of Pokhara. Since we’d had such a short day of trekking we opted to walk the 3km to the hotel and to see a different side of the city. So ended my trekking days in Nepal. 9km, 100m+/400m-, 2:15.

Final view down valley as you exit the Annapurna Sanctuary trek. 

NOTES;

When it comes to bang for your buck the Annapurna Sanctuary is worthwhile. Beautiful forest, expansive views, waterfalls, glacial rivers and of course the amphitheater at the end all make for a spectacular journey. What you won’t find is authentic Nepali culture or much solitude. Most of the trek is set up purely around tourism, you will still meet many wonderful people from all over the world, but this trek is immensely popular (for good reason). Also this was the first time as an independent trekker finding a room wasn’t easy (from Himalaya up) and I didn’t get free rooms most nights. So if you’re looking for a one week trek with lots of wow factor this is it, but if you want a more authentic experience of Nepali mountain life and culture maybe check out the Langtang region instead (see previous blog). Overall each of my three treks offered something a bit different and made for a wonderful experience in Nepal. 

​After my world wind tour of the Angkor temples things slowed down a bit (relatively speaking). The nice long bus ride from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh gave me a nice glimpse into the rural Cambodian life, lots of small wooden shacks,  rice paddies, and an overall quiet life. Phnom Penh is an interesting city, coming into modern times, but with an infrastructure that can’t quite keep up, but still some pockets of traditional life along the waterways and in the markets. 

The madness of Phnom Penh where bikes, mptos, busses and cars all mingle with markets.

Slower pace of life along the rivers of Phnom Penh.

I only passed through then was soon off to Sihanoukville, the launching point for the beaches and islands along the Gulf of Thailand. In my short time there,  sihanoukville didn’t have a lot of character. Split into an industrial warf area and a tourist party zone, bleh no thanks. I was glad to catch the boat to Koh Rong the following day for some more relaxed beach side living. When I was dropped at Ramdoul pier and slogged it through the jungle I wasn’t sure what to expect. Basic wooden shacks, mosquito net beds, cold showers, and no need to wear shoes or change out of one’s bathing suit. My kind of digs, so I extended my stay to 4 nights.

Basic beach side living, all one needs to relax in style.

Lazy living beach side in hammocks, I could get used to this.

Beach sunsets are one of my favorite things.

Stroll to palm beach with Pascal, Ann-Christin and Mario.

Cambodian fishing village in the north shore of Koh Rong.

Not much to say about the next four days except I spent most of the time lounging in hammocks,  waking the beach looking for seashells (and swimming), and hanging out with lots of cool people. Oh,  and there was our nightly swim with the bioluminescent plankton that always made me a bit giddy and never got old. They are only visible once you’re away from all light and you have to get in the water,  waist deep or deeper is best.  Diving underwater with my goggles on was like swimming through a sea of stars,  so surreal! When my four nights were up I was definitely sad to go,  but Nepal was waiting! So I caught the slow bus back to Phnom Penh with Mario (from SOB), where I bid him farewell.

Ocean side sunrises are pretty nice too

Lounge area at Sons of Beaches, lots of hammocks and lots of sand.

On the 24th I was dumped into Kuala Lumpur for a one night layover which I spent wandering Chinatown (bao!) and relaxing by the iconic Petronas towers. Lovely very clean and modern city,  Malaysia, I will be back. Then it was off to Kathmandu, and I was dropped right into the madness. Made it through visa applications and out of the airport, right into the hectic traffic of the dusty streets, more semi-organized chaos. Kathmandu feels less like SE Asia and more like what I imagine India to feel like. Really nice people, densely packed brightly colored houses and really really cheap outdoors gear. AJ (new friend and travel companion) and I spent the next few days working on our bargaining skills (need work) and getting all the permits settled. I am taking gear orders for those interested 🙂

Kuala Lumpur, a blending of the old and new.

Petronas towers and all their glory. Lovely place to relax for an evening.

Sunset over the colorful houses of Kathmandu.

Momos and Naan for $3? I could get used to this.

Then she (AJ) headed to Bhutan for 6 days while I went off for a solo adventure into the Langtang Valley. Stay tuned for a ton of photos and sad stories from my trek through the Langtang Valley, a place heavily ravaged by the 2015 earthquake and still struggling to recover. Hope your life is an adventure,  no matter where it leads. 

So much for keeping up with my blog,  but I have a good excuse this time. I was sitting on a beach with no WiFi for 5 days sleeping in hammocks and swimming with bioluminescent plankton on Koh Rong 🙂 rough life I know. So we’re going to roll it back a week to my tour of the temples of Angkor near Siem Reap on October 14th and 15th.

I flew into Siem Reap from Thailand on the 13th and promptly hit the ground running (or riding as it was). The temples of Angkor are world renown for their immense beauty and history so I wanted to be able to view them on my own time. I rented a $3 mountain bike with slicks and took to the road to battle the tuk-tuks, motor bikes and cars. It wasn’t too bad, even amidst the madness there is some method and it works. It was about 10km to the temples,  a nice warmup ride, and I quickly realized the advantage of the bike,  I could ride almost anywhere at my pace. I cruised my way around the main Angkor circuit in a long 9h day. Through the magical tree entombed halls of Ta Prohm, the ancient city of Preah Khan, the massive courtyards of Angkor Thom, the Mordor-esque towers of Bayon, and of course the grand palace of Angkor Wat. I will let my photos give you a glimpse into the amazing detail and say,  this is one of those places you need to experience for yourself. 

Temple of Ta Prohm being swallowed by nature.

Intricate carvings in Ta Prohm.

Preah Kahn’s entry gate over the old moat.

The Temple of Bayon, erie…

Wandering through Bayon, feels like one walked into Mordor.

While Angkor Wat gets all the press,  I personally fell in love with Ta Prohm and Preah Kahn. Two temple complexes where the battle between stone and nature has been raging for 1000 years,  and nature is winning. Definitely take a moment to sit down and soak in the grandeur of these massive stone monuments built over 1000 years ago.

The infamous Angkor Wat. Amazing as is reputation.

Detailed inscriptions for hundreds of meters. The lesser appreciated side of Angkor Wat.

Two monks relax in a window of Angkor Wat.

The sanctuary of Preah Koh, 1200 years old.

Nature slowly reclaiming a tower at Bakong.

The temple mountain of Bakong, standing tall after 1200 years.

On day two I took a shorter half day tour of the Roluos group of temples. While not as spectacular as the main temples at Angkor, their charm lies in their 1200 year old sandstone towers and intricate carvings.  Oh,  and you’ll see a fraction of the people as well. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to Banteay Srei but I did hear they were lovely,  just far away. So one of my bucket list items has been checked and it lived up to the hype. Next up (for the blog) wanderings in Cambodia and some much needed beach time. 

Well a lot has happened since I last wrote here and I am realizing that I really need to be better about taking some moments to kick back and put my thoughts into writing (or type). Let me start off by saying that Thailand was beautiful and I saw tons of amazing things, met some great people and enjoyed almost all of it…almost. The highlights for me were definitely the amazing street food (spuper cheap), lounging on Lamai beach, the boat trip to Ang Tong, the jungle excursion and night on Cheow Lan lake, trail running and night marketing in Chiang Mai. Now onto that ‘almost’ I mentioned above.

The true locals I met were all wonderful people, but sadly there seems to be so much tourism focused on extorting every last dollar it sometimes soured the experience. Shuttle bus rides that would randomly stop in the middle of no where to sell you a tour or some overpriced food,  boat piers hours from any public transport so you need to pay for the overpriced taxis, and half the guesthouses focused more on selling high priced tours than helping customers or heaven forbid helping you do something on your own. Just a few sour experiences in an otherwise wonderful country I guess.  Of course this is just my personal experience for my first time being in SE Asia and just traveling where I did. Maybe I didn’t get far enough off the beaten path or was looking in all the wrong places,  but that’s how it went. 

I will probably return to Thailand at some point with a new agenda and a new point of view. But only two days into Cambodia the people have been nothing but wonderful and the culture so warm and welcoming. I think I’m going to like it here. As always I’ll leave you with some photos from my travels around Thailand,  the next blog will be a photo heavy writeup on my tour of the Angkor temples and Siem Reap.

Monkeys of Khao Sok.

Boat tour on Cheow Lan Lake.

Tramping through the jungle, kind of on trail, or just in the river.

The cave was flooded so we went and bathed in a waterfall instead.

A quiet night lake side on Cheow Lan Lake.

Early morning kayak all by my lonesome on the lake.

Descending into coral cave.

Wandering the Chiang Mai night market

Took the long way via trail up to Doi suthep

Temple stairs hidden deep in the forest.

The lovely and ornate white temple

Giraffes and zebras! OK so it was the Singha Park zoo in Chiang Rai, but it was still cool.

Wandering the tea fields of Singha Park on my lay day in Thailand.