With almost 12 million people, the capital of the People’s Republic of China is the world’s third largest city in terms of population. Even so, I was surprised that it didn’t feel crowded (except for that one evening on the metro…). Parks, tree-lined streets and massive cultural sites all give the city an open feeling.
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Being one of only four municipalities in China (reporting directly to the Government rather than being part of a province), you would think there is something special about Chongqing. That could possibly be true but I can’t say I saw it. Surrounded by mountains, it’s located in the southwest of the country at the meeting point of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.
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Guangzhou (previously Canton) is China’s third largest city and a major port but it’s not a nasty, heaving metropolis. It’s clean, green, easy to move around. Traffic can be heavy at peak times but it has an uncrowded feel. Strangely, there don’t seem to be any birds or animals of any type – even cockroaches! In fact, it feels a little eerie at times.
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Next stop, Kuala Lumpur and it’s just the same as I left it 3 years ago… big and bright and busy, busy, busy!
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Ho Chi Minh City is the real name for Vietnam’s second largest city however, in all matters other than official dealings, the locals still refer to it by its original title, Saigon. It’s changed a lot since I first visited over 12 years ago but it’s terrific to see that some things remain the same.
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Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island that’s actually closer to Cambodia (12 kilometres) than Vietnam (38 kilometres). And yes, this has been a source of contention amongst both nationalities over the years! One of the island’s primary industries is fishing and evidence of this can be seen in the eye-catching trawlers crowding ports and anchored around the coast.
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Our last stop in Thailand (for this trip!). It’s been over 20 years since we were last here and of course it’s changed. Normally that makes me a little sad but I can honestly say I like it much better now than I did last time. Being surrounded by mountains, it’s quite a green city and less humid than our southern stops.
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The city of Phitsanulok is the capital of Phitsanulok Province which stretches to the Laotian border in the west. It strikes me as a commercial/industrial kind of place with a University vibe which is pretty cool when it comes to food. We only stayed for one night but we struck gold when we got lost and found the food markets at the western end of Pra Ong Dam Road.
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Bangkok can be daunting for a first timer but it’s incredibly friendly and easy to get to know. It’s one of my top 3 cities in the world and I couldn’t even begin to do it justice in a ‘review’ so instead I’ll do a summary of some of my favourite things to do in this amazing city.
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Phetchaburi is the northern most province before you hit the outskirts of Bangkok and the influence of a major international airport can quickly be seen in the surroundings. Being only 2-3 hours from Bangkok, local tourism is also big in this area so if you’re only staying for a short time, avoiding weekends will mean less congestion and potentially a saving of money.
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Pranburi is located in the northern part of Prachuap Khiri Khan province and for me, this is where the presence of mass tourism starts to become more evident with large international resorts and the usual touristy shops. Beaches are ok but most are becoming busy with hotels. If you’re looking for a one stop resort ‘holiday by the pool’, this is the place.
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We’ve been excited about visiting Chumphon for a while now and it didn’t disappoint. Located in the province of Surat Thani and with easy access from the main highway north/south, it’s well positioned for a stopover but to do it justice a few nights would be better.
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A quiet, sleepy seaside town in Nakhon Si Thammarat (but just south of Surat Thani), Khanom is a delight. The town itself has all the necessary amenities (banks, shops, etc) with a great deal of local flavour rather than westernised tourist restaurants.
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The island of Samui boasts some amazing beaches with crystal clear water (on most days) and beautiful white sand. Sadly it’s true that Samui suffers from a garbage problem and this does affect some of the more uninhabited beaches on some days and this depends on wind direction. For this reason, it’s an unfortunate fact that the beaches with some development tend to be cleaner.
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The best beach in the Sihanoukville area by far. Water is clean and clear, sand is white, very fine and mostly free of rubbish (except after storms). There are a few hawkers but a few more would be nice for food (fresh fruit, etc) so restaurant meals aren’t the only option. Motorcycles are $7 per day and worthwhile for exploring the surrounding beaches.
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