Medan is the largest city on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It’s the capital of the province of North Sumatra, and if you are visiting Lake Toba and/or Gunung Leuser National Park (for the orangutans) then you will pass through here. I have a soft spot for Medan as it was the first place I visited in Indonesia. Most Aussies go to Bali first (and only Bali), but when I saw there was a ferry from Penang to Medan I thought that would be a good way to arrive in Indonesia. That was an arduous ferry ride (I wish I blogged about it), and cheap flights from Penang have killed off that service. I ..read more

This island in Thailand had everything I wanted in a tropical beach break. Ko Lipe is a Thai island in the Andaman Sea in Satun Province. It’s the most southerly island you can stay at before crossing the maritime border of Malaysia. Ko Lipe is about 3 km in length and 1.8 km at the widest part. There is no port here, let alone an airport. It takes 90 minutes by speed boat from the mainland, and the nearest train or airport is at Hat Yai, which is 2 hours away from the port by minivan. It’s an effort to get here, relative to other islands in Thailand. I thought this amount of travel friction ..read more

Chiang Mai burning season refers to the time of year when the air in Northern Thailand is filled with haze from forest fires and the burning of crop waste. Even though this is a problem across Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has become the focus of the pollution crisis. The city has made international headlines for being the most polluted city in the world. The fires are from when farmers burn the stubble in harvested rice fields. There are also fires from slash-and-burn farming, where new agricultural land is cleared from forest and bushland. Fires are also being lit in forests to clear forest ..read more

Hat Yai is a city in Songkhla province in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. It’s a major travel hub, with a railway junction and international airport. There’s a good chance you’ll pass through here if you’re travelling to the Satun Islands or to or from Malaysia. Hat Yai is not a typical tourist city, and being inland doesn’t help its cause. I like staying in these unassuming provincial cities as they are like a palate cleanser after being somewhere touristic. I’ve passed through Hat Yai a number of times on the way to somewhere else, but I also like to stop here if I have the t ..read more

Ko Larn (or Ko Lan) is an island in the Bay of Bangkok off the coast of Pattaya. If you are familiar enough with Thailand then that geographical description alone would probably put you off visiting. If you aren’t familiar, the Bay of Bangkok is not famous for its water quality, and Pattaya is a popular seaside city near Bangkok. Koh Larn is not only a popular beach break for Bangkokians, but its also a beach break for Pattayans. Koh Larn is in Bang Lamung district, which encompasses Pattaya City, so technically Koh Larn a staycation destination for Pattayans (for when you need a beach break ..read more

Metropolitan Manila refers to the 16 cities and one municipality that comprise the Manila National Capital Region (NCR). Metro Manila (as it is more commonly referred to) has a population of over 13 million, though some statistics also include surrounding provinces. As a visitor, that is an overwhelming amount of cities to choose from. The most logical place to start is in Manila City (one of the 16 cities in Metro Manila). This is the old area with the most historical sites. I hadn’t been to Manila for 10 years, so staying the old area first was the easiest choice. I then stayed in Makati Ci ..read more

The train from Medan to Rantau Prapat is the longest railway journey in North Sumatra (266 km). It’s not a route that is useful from a tourism perspective, but if you are curious to take a trip then here is what to expect. Tickets I bought my ticket at Medan station on the morning of travel. I tried booking online on the KAI website but it was not user-friendly in English. I was offered Bisnis or Eksekutif seats. I was surprised there wasn’t an “Ekonomi” option, so I went with Bisnis and decided to try Eksekutif on the way back. A Bisnis ticket from Medan to Rantau Prapat cost 155,000 IDR ($1 ..read more

How to get the bus from Hanoi Airport to the the Old City and Hoan Kiem Lake. Hanoi Airport (Noi Bai International Airport) is about 27 km from the city centre, and the cheapest way to travel to and from the airport is by local bus. Bus 84 departs from the international and domestic terminal and terminates at Hanoi Railway Station. Bus 84 goes via the Old City and Hoan Kiem Lake, which is the best area to stay in Hanoi for visitors. The bus takes about 1 hour, depending on traffic. [Hanoi Airport Bus at Hanoi Railway Station.] Hanoi Airport Bus ticket price The ticket price for Bus 84 from H ..read more

Visiting the Gia Lam Train Factory by special train service from Hanoi Station to Gia Lam Station during the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Gia Lam Train Factory is the former factory of the Gia Lam Train Company in Hanoi. The factory has since moved, and the site in Gia Lam District remains undeveloped. The Gia Lam Train Factory was turned into an art space during the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. A special festival train operated between Hanoi Station and Gia Lam Station, which is close to the factory. This is an overview of the special train, the festival, and the old factory ..read more

Hanoi Train Street is where the railway passes through narrow alleys lined with houses on either side of the track. Houses in the alleys set up cafes to allow people to watch the trains pass by. This infrastructure anomaly of seeing a train pass through a populated urban area became a big tourist attraction. The alleys were getting so crowded that authorities closed down the cafes and blocked people from entering the alley. [Notification that Train Street is closed.] The closure of the Train Street cafes made international news, but there is still a section that is open (for now). The south ..read more