My plan before 2010 comes into force, is to start releasing articles on the Philippines and Hong Kong.
BUT...
I didn't go backpacking here!!! (it was a family trip in Dec/Jan 2009) But I feel like I still caught a lot of good things that should be useful to you as a backpacker!
An example is the Mount Pinatubo Tour which I think is cool activity to do in the Philippines.
Many travelers coming to Philippines go straight to the beaches in south, but they somehow forget or don't want to visit the beauty of the north! My parents are from the province of Pampanga (in the north) and it's just beautiful up there!
My boyfriend walked all the way to Mt Pinatubo, and he's going to help me write this article! ;-) I caught fever during this trip, so I couldn't enjoy it myself.
Other things I will be writing about are:
-- Reviews of the attractions we visited on Bohol Island
-- Review of Alona Kew Beach (Bohol)
-- Shopping in the Philippines
-- Lantau Island of Hong Kong
And since I'm technically a Filipina, I will write about the exciting (but sometimes strict) culture of the Philippines!
I've started writing these articles, but the newsletter (which will be released on Nov 20) is priority nr. 1!!!
So after this, I will hopefully be serving you fun reviews of Philippines and Hong Kong! ;-)
Amanda
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
GOING TO CAMBODIA! ;-)
Well, what can I say...
I just bought tickets for me and my boyfriend to Bangkok in APRIL 2010!!! WOHOO!
We will be away for a whole month! ;-)
From Thailand, we will cross the border to Cambodia -- starting from the south (Sihanoukville, Kampot and Kep).
My plan with this trip is to explore the rest of Cambodia (because I didn't get to see the rest of the country back in Nov/Dec 2007), gather FRESH information and hopefully create new articles on Southern and Eastern Cambodia (Ban Lung and Sen Monorom). Trekking in the east and sunbathing in the south are the things we want to experience.
Another thing is that I will revisit Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
When writing about my experiences for my website, I have to admit that writing about something that happened for almost 2 years ago can be tricky. That's because I can't remember ALL the details (both good and bad), and sometimes that makes the writing hard!
I only had one day at the Angkor Temples and have decided to explore the other temples (my boyfriend is so excited... He has never been to Cambodia)!
And since we're starting and ending the trip in Bangkok, I will gather more practical and relevant info about this capital. A hope is to take a fast trip to Eastern Thailand (but I don't want to raise my expectations too high). CAMBODIA is the real goal of the trip!
It's still 6 months left, but I just can't wait. Right now I'm trying to save money for the trip ;-)
Amanda
I just bought tickets for me and my boyfriend to Bangkok in APRIL 2010!!! WOHOO!
We will be away for a whole month! ;-)
From Thailand, we will cross the border to Cambodia -- starting from the south (Sihanoukville, Kampot and Kep).
My plan with this trip is to explore the rest of Cambodia (because I didn't get to see the rest of the country back in Nov/Dec 2007), gather FRESH information and hopefully create new articles on Southern and Eastern Cambodia (Ban Lung and Sen Monorom). Trekking in the east and sunbathing in the south are the things we want to experience.
Another thing is that I will revisit Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
When writing about my experiences for my website, I have to admit that writing about something that happened for almost 2 years ago can be tricky. That's because I can't remember ALL the details (both good and bad), and sometimes that makes the writing hard!
I only had one day at the Angkor Temples and have decided to explore the other temples (my boyfriend is so excited... He has never been to Cambodia)!
And since we're starting and ending the trip in Bangkok, I will gather more practical and relevant info about this capital. A hope is to take a fast trip to Eastern Thailand (but I don't want to raise my expectations too high). CAMBODIA is the real goal of the trip!
It's still 6 months left, but I just can't wait. Right now I'm trying to save money for the trip ;-)
Amanda
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Backpacking Tips Asia taking a BRIEF pause...
... I need to be out of the apartment by September 30.
In other words, instead of using my precious time on writing articles, I have to use that time on selling furniture, moving my stuff and finding a new place to stay!
Sorry about the inconvenience...
Amanda
In other words, instead of using my precious time on writing articles, I have to use that time on selling furniture, moving my stuff and finding a new place to stay!
Sorry about the inconvenience...
Amanda
Friday, July 3, 2009
Backpacking in Malaysia
I just got home from Asia and I'm already longing back to Malaysia! *sigh*
Here's a taste of it:
Kuala Lumpur is the BEST (better than Bangkok I have to admit).
Before we left, my friends who already visited Malaysia told me that Chinatown was shitty and unbearable. I disagree -- well, it's shitty alright.
But Chinatown is the place to soak real culture -- the smells of Malay food and sewage/methane gas hits you when you arrive in the heart of it. There are loads of local restaurants where you can eat CHEAP delicious food and it's packed just like Khao San Road in Bangko
k.
And the atmosphere... very relaxed! No one was stalking us to sell some piece of wood (compared to e.g. India). There are millions of people in KL, but it still feels that you have space around you.
And I got my 6th tattoo! A very nice sea horse (4 inches tall). Hurt like hell, but it was worth it. And it cost like nothing. Kelvin charged 180 RM (that's like 45 US dollars) -- professional and talented guy. He knows what he's doing.
Then we went to Borneo...
Gosh... we loved Kota Kinabalu (at least the nice part of it). If you're going to KK, taking a stroll along the harbor is a must! Relax and have some cold cold beer while you're enjoying the ocean, the breeze and the friendly local people.
At night, the harbor comes alive... The Filipino Market was heavily packed with starving people... eating anything from fresh fried fi
sh to Halal BBQ chicken on stick to mouth running soups!!
Diving in Semporna...
Skuba Junkie was our first choice and it really lives up to its reputation. I already booked a Open Water Course in March, and was glad that I did...
When we got there we heard that the next available date for diving on Sipadan island was August 22... We got there on June 11th... Two frigging months of waiting! So book ahead if you can!
We had to fill out forms and a complex medical declaration honestly. So I did.
But they sent me to the doctor because of my minor asthma problem. The local doctor checked my lungs and my ears. He was like: "I can see your eardrum is ruptured..... Still, he said that I was fit for diving -- I believed him of course..cause he was a doctor!
On the 2nd day of the course, my right eardrum erupted/popped badly...
Could I complete the course? -- Sorry, Amanda you can't.
Disappointed? -- YES.
SUCKS! :(
If you want to go diving: PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR in your home country. Even our diving instructor told us that the some of the local doctors in Semporna didn't do their job right (that was after my eardrum popped).
So I was just sad and we left Semporna the next day. Couldn't handle all the "divers talk" like "Ahh, we saw a frog fish, and a shark and a leatherback turtle" when I couldn't even complete the course... SUCKS!
Our next stop was Perhentian Kecil on the east coast of Malay Peninsular...
We stayed on Long Beach at Panorama. If you're planning on visiting Perhentian from
June-August, I suggest you get your ass over there the earliest you can (first boat leaves Kuala Besut at 07.30 am). We got the last bungalow at Panorama and we arrived around 8 am...
Around noon more backpackers came in, but they had to take the boat to another beach cause there were NO bungalows/rooms left on Long Beach by that time. Not even at the only resort (BuBu's) on Long Beach...
Perhentian is beautiful! It's picture-perfect: white sand beach, crystal clear water, tall palm trees and blue skies. And before I forget: the cute monitor lizards (the largest we saw was 1,5 meter long) running around the island looking for food -- they're awesome!
The only downside is the garbage floating around the bungalows. It didn't seem like they cared about removing it. It's a shame though..
Well, we didn't get to visit Melaka but otherwise it was a great backpacking trip! Me and my boyfriend miss Malaysia, and we're definitely going back next year.
Some practical info:
I will be releasing the first articles on Malaysia at the end of the summer (August). As you've probably noticed, I have to finish up Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and India.
There's a lot of work with backpacking-tips-asia.com, but I love the work so I don't mind at all! ;)
Amanda
Here's a taste of it:
Kuala Lumpur is the BEST (better than Bangkok I have to admit).
Before we left, my friends who already visited Malaysia told me that Chinatown was shitty and unbearable. I disagree -- well, it's shitty alright.
But Chinatown is the place to soak real culture -- the smells of Malay food and sewage/methane gas hits you when you arrive in the heart of it. There are loads of local restaurants where you can eat CHEAP delicious food and it's packed just like Khao San Road in Bangko
k.And the atmosphere... very relaxed! No one was stalking us to sell some piece of wood (compared to e.g. India). There are millions of people in KL, but it still feels that you have space around you.
And I got my 6th tattoo! A very nice sea horse (4 inches tall). Hurt like hell, but it was worth it. And it cost like nothing. Kelvin charged 180 RM (that's like 45 US dollars) -- professional and talented guy. He knows what he's doing.
Then we went to Borneo...
Gosh... we loved Kota Kinabalu (at least the nice part of it). If you're going to KK, taking a stroll along the harbor is a must! Relax and have some cold cold beer while you're enjoying the ocean, the breeze and the friendly local people.
At night, the harbor comes alive... The Filipino Market was heavily packed with starving people... eating anything from fresh fried fi
sh to Halal BBQ chicken on stick to mouth running soups!!Diving in Semporna...
Skuba Junkie was our first choice and it really lives up to its reputation. I already booked a Open Water Course in March, and was glad that I did...
When we got there we heard that the next available date for diving on Sipadan island was August 22... We got there on June 11th... Two frigging months of waiting! So book ahead if you can!
We had to fill out forms and a complex medical declaration honestly. So I did.
But they sent me to the doctor because of my minor asthma problem. The local doctor checked my lungs and my ears. He was like: "I can see your eardrum is ruptured..... Still, he said that I was fit for diving -- I believed him of course..cause he was a doctor!
On the 2nd day of the course, my right eardrum erupted/popped badly...
Could I complete the course? -- Sorry, Amanda you can't.
Disappointed? -- YES.
SUCKS! :(
If you want to go diving: PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR in your home country. Even our diving instructor told us that the some of the local doctors in Semporna didn't do their job right (that was after my eardrum popped).
So I was just sad and we left Semporna the next day. Couldn't handle all the "divers talk" like "Ahh, we saw a frog fish, and a shark and a leatherback turtle" when I couldn't even complete the course... SUCKS!
Our next stop was Perhentian Kecil on the east coast of Malay Peninsular...
We stayed on Long Beach at Panorama. If you're planning on visiting Perhentian from
June-August, I suggest you get your ass over there the earliest you can (first boat leaves Kuala Besut at 07.30 am). We got the last bungalow at Panorama and we arrived around 8 am...Around noon more backpackers came in, but they had to take the boat to another beach cause there were NO bungalows/rooms left on Long Beach by that time. Not even at the only resort (BuBu's) on Long Beach...
Perhentian is beautiful! It's picture-perfect: white sand beach, crystal clear water, tall palm trees and blue skies. And before I forget: the cute monitor lizards (the largest we saw was 1,5 meter long) running around the island looking for food -- they're awesome!
The only downside is the garbage floating around the bungalows. It didn't seem like they cared about removing it. It's a shame though..
Well, we didn't get to visit Melaka but otherwise it was a great backpacking trip! Me and my boyfriend miss Malaysia, and we're definitely going back next year.
Some practical info:
I will be releasing the first articles on Malaysia at the end of the summer (August). As you've probably noticed, I have to finish up Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and India.
There's a lot of work with backpacking-tips-asia.com, but I love the work so I don't mind at all! ;)
Amanda
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