Chiang Mai, Thailand

Having enjoyed the delights of Pattaya and Bangkok, we decided to finish Thailand off in Chiang Mai, our favourite place in Thailand. Getting here is super easy from Bangkok with loads of options but the best one is the train as you can actually get a nights sleep and not have to play catch up once you've arrived.

Arriving in the early afternoon, some three hours late (maybe not the best option then) we got a sangtheaw and headed to a small guesthouse we knew from before. However, it had been renovated and the once beautiful price of £4 a night had been quadrupled, disaster. Thankfully there was a cheap place just up the road so still managed to avoid the main tourist drag.

Relaxing spot outside the room

Having been to Chiang Mai a few times over the years, it was more of an opportunity to unwind and relax more than anything, no point going mad trying to see everything that the city has to offer, even though there are plenty of options up here.

On the outskirts of the city lies the Chiang Mai zoo, a pretty good really, especially for two pound entry, no complaints. Been before but missed the pandas so was looking forward to seeing them here as there are three. Unfortunately they decided to hide/ sleep/ do nothing so I got one photo of one of them, shame. Apart from that, walking around the grounds was my best workout in a long time, got to feed elephants and giraffes and watch two pairs of turtles mating and making E.T. noises, bonus.

I said no more bananas

Lazy bugger

Not overly enthused

Nice one mate

Greedy baby

In the city itself there is the night bazaar, a market that is on every night where all the usual dross being sold in Thailand is available, plus there is the Sunday market which is in the heart of town by Thapae gate, a little cramped and always incredibly busy, this market sells pretty much the same things but there is a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere to proceedings. Buskers take up half the street playing traditional instruments, the nearby temple is aglow with colour from locally made lanterns, and hawkers sell fresh fruit, shakes and all manner of snacks.

Among other sights, there is Doi Suthep, the temple on the mountain just out of town. Easily accessible by taxi or moped, it's great for sunrise views over the city and the steps to the temple itself are a decent workout so you appreciate the temple more. A little further afield is Doi Inthanon, the tallest point in Thailand, and plenty of scenic routes to take to explore the northern most reaches of Thailand.

See anything you like?

Fresh corn and mango

Night bazaar under cover

Of course, I don't think it's possible for me to write a post without mentioning food at least once or twice, but I really do have ot stress how good this food was. Going to India next means that my options for halfway decent Western food are limited (not that I want any with all the curry goodness coming my way), but still the allure of a tasty burger is always there. Cutting straight to the chase, if you ever go to Chiang Mai, go to 'The Dukes' restaurant, there are two. I think the pictures do the talking.

The one and only, apart from the other one

Chilli burger and chips

Sandwich and onion rings

YEESSS!

Having come to the end of my South East Asian part of my trip, I am filled with new memories from places old and new. Sumatra was a real treat and I know I will be back there again, for Lake Toba and to explore more of the island, I hear the diving north of the island is incredible.

There really is so much to see in this part of the world and I know I have barely touched the surface. I still haven't even been to the Philippines, the Palawan beckons...next time. As for now, time to pack up and get ready for my second trip to India, only this time to concentrate on the north and west of the country. 

Next stop, Delhi, and this time I will see the Taj Mahal.

Chatting with students by the lake

“Hello mister. Hello Miss. Could we talk to you for just five minutes please?” With such good manners and innocent faces, it’s hard not to stop and chat, even if it’s the third time since breakfast.

It’s the weekend and all the local students have come flocking to Samosir island on Lake Toba, Indonesia. A stunning location to come and while away the time amidst clear blue waters, lush green hills and the beautiful Batak architecture indigenous to this area, not to mention to  practice your English.

It’s the same each time. The more confident English speakers tentatively get your attention, and when they have you hooked, their minions come flooding in around you so there’s no escape.

Always smiling and eager to learn, they each want to shake your hand and introduce themselves, but as their excitement builds, it just becomes a blur of greetings with each student trying to say his or her name at the same time.

Questions come thick and fast, many rehearsed as they want to get the basics down.

“What’s your name?”
“Where do you come from?”

“Do you like Lady Gaga?”

These are some of the standard questions from giddy teenagers who clearly love interacting with foreigners. Just don’t let them know you have actually heard of Rihanna or Lady Gaga or they’ll be requesting renditions of everything from ‘Umbrella’ to ‘Bad Romance’ and won’t let up. I don’t want everyone to know I know the words!

As we answer, they become more comfortable speaking and their confidence grows. Little factions are established with small groups forming around the foreigner of their choice. Half of the thin road is now blocked, much to the chagrin of the locals trying to get past with their mopeds stacked high with timber, old women balancing outrageous piles of food stuffs on their heads and families driving past in their old four-by-fours, but to the delight of the other local children who gather around too.

As the interrogation draws to a close one of the final questions posed is, “what do you think of the new generation?” At first I think this is another band I don’t know before I realise they are referring to themselves. I am a bit surprised by this as I’m not all that much older than they are. Some of them are university students, so I just say I am in the same generation.

They look stunned and almost horrified by this claim, as if there is no way this is possible. “I’m only 27” I tell them. “Oh sir, you look 20! Very handsome, very handsome!” the chorus rings out, a sudden cacophony of compliments.

As they round off their inquisition with a final flurry of questions, they pose for that all important group photo and leave in a procession of “thank yous” and “good byes”. Polite, well mannered, and incredibly friendly, they’ve been a welcome interlude from the peace afforded by this beautiful country.

Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia

Following an incredibly relaxing five days in Jogjakarta, the prospect of heading into the busy capital Jakarta and then onto the island of Sumatra, which would have meant up to fourty hours on a bus, didn't sound all that appealing so a four hour flight to Medan in the north of Sumatra seemed much better. From there, five hours away by bus, lies Lake Toba, one of the many places high on my list to visit.

Map of Lake Toba

Arriving late at night in the sleepy village of Parapat, we were unable to get the ferry over to the island so had to stay in a pretty dismal excuse of a guesthouse before boarding the ferry early the next morning.The crossing takes around 30 minutes to complete the 8km to the other side, but as well as being super cheap, the ferry drops you off at the accommodation of your choice. With so many beautiful looking options to choose from, it could be very hard to narrow down your choice so we just went with the one advertised the most at the pier, although the little village, Tuk Tuk, has a stupid number of guesthouses available.

One of many Batak style buildings along the lake front

Drifting along to our accommodation

Coming into Samosir Cottages

Samosir Cottages

Considering the day before was a travel day and I'm so used to a laidback lifestyle now, it seemed appropriate to have a rest day at our new lodgings and peruse the local area. The food in Indonesia has so far been delicious so expectations were high, thankfully, this little island didn't disappoint. After having rendang curry back in Jogjakarta, I felt it was only appropriate to compare it to some local renadang on the island.

Fair to say it was the best food I tasted in my whole month in Indonesia so obviously the only thing to do now was ask the chef if I could watch her make the meal again and write down the recipe. She was only too happy to show me so I went back the next day to watch the cook prepare the meal again, taking notes and tasting along the way.

Cooking lesson

As much as I would actually like to do nothing for a week besides eat, there was an island to be explored. Samosir isn't a big island, about 100 km by 30 km but the roads on the west coast are pretty shocking so you need to take your time if you want to circumnavigate the island which can take a whole day, depending on how many stops you make or whether you get lost (which is pretty hard to do).

I was expecting it to be a pain to hire a moped because I didn't have my International Drivers Permit which you generally need in Indonesia, but the guy renting out bikes didn't even ask for my name or anything, just asked for the bike to be back before six, no worries then.

Decided to head to the east side to check out some hot springs we had heard we cool so mounted up, got our helmets on and started out that way. Driving around here is significantly easier than a busy city and with the roads being pretty good this way it was an enjoyable ride on a sunny day offering sumptuous views.

On our way to the hot spring

Along the road you pass through small villages with their own unique attractions such as Ambarita with it's old stone chairs where local council meetings were held and executions decide,d and Simanindo where a Batak museum, with traditional Batak performances,  lies next to the water.

About 40 km from Tuk Tuk is the islands main town, Pangururan, and it is around here where you find the hot springs. Locals have access to them but only the custom built simming pool will you give you full body access, be careful of the naked men though who have no idea what a changing room is.

Hot Spring

Having driven around the west side of the island, it wasn't long before the moped was calling again for a day trip around the island. Starting off clockwise, 2km out of Tuk Tuk is the village Tomok, where the tomb of the ancient Catholic King Sidubatar lies. Unfortunately, the tour is not in English so once you have seen it, there isn't a whole lot else for you to do there.

Tomb of  King Sidubatar

Once out of Tomok, the road quality deteriorates at a serious rate and you have to take it very slowly for the next 40 km or so, in no rush to get a puncture, although we did get one on the decent road later on, go figure.

As the roads get steeper, the views becomemore amazing, and with the weather being so clear, we had great panoramic views of the lake and the mainland. Sadly, I haven't figured out the panoramic feature on my camera yet, so just imagine the final three photos in a row.

View from the road

Panoramic view 1...

...2...

...and 3

Breaking up the time having day trips on the moped was definately a good idea, as it was too easy to just stay in the luxury of the hotel and the surrounding area. Ample room to relax, far too much good food and perfect lounging weather for those close at hand Bintangs. Leaving was difficult as Lake Toba has always been a travel highlight for me, only now I've been I still don't know why. All I know is I will be back to enjoy the peace and tranquility of this beautiful place again.

Volcanoes, lakes and temples, Java, Indonesia

After relaxing in the hills of Bali for a few days, it was time to set off in order to fit in all the sights in Java and Sumatra. This made for a long day of travel to the neighbouring island; first back to Denpasar (near Kuta) and then transfer to another bus terminal before getting a bus Gilimanuk (west Bali) bound, about a five hour ride, followed by a ferry crossing. Not so much long as it was boring, but happy enough to get to Java and find a cheap as chips guesthouse to relax in, until midnight at least.

As always, there is someone willing to help you find accommodation or book a tour with and this small town of Ketapang was no exception. Four pound accommodation, okay. Reduced price volcano trip, excellent. Even approaching high season, some of the sights out here fall victim to the popularity of the Komodo dragons on the Flores islands and the obvious delights of Bali.

Mt. Ijen

This is just one of many volcanoes in Indonesia but a popular one on the tourist trail, mainly because of the lake in the Ijen crater, the blue fire which can be seen at night, and the miners working to excavate as much sulfur as they can in a day.

Still feeling groggy from waking at just after midnight, the driver spent just under two hours driving to the base of the trail leading up to the lake, the four-by-four slowly trudging uphill over the cobbled road. Once at the top, the rangers offered coffee and a simple breakfast before the assault on the path to the top. Not the most rigorous climb but still, thankful for a headlamp and at 3am it was difficult enough.

Reaching the cusp of the caldera around 4am, the miners were all out in force, labouring up the hill with their baskets of sulphur which weigh somewhere between 75 and 90kg. They have to climb up out of the crater and then 3km down to get it weighed, twice daily, so they can be paid, about $10 a day. Yikes.

The blue flame, which you can only see at night, was really cool, basically super hot fire coming out of the ground with the sulphur pouring out around it. Meanwhile the miners were working around these conditions. Soon enough the sun started to come out, the fire disappeared and you could see just how yellow the area is where the sulphur rises. Given the conditions, the miners have to stop around midday, hence the early morning starts, as the entire lake is just covered by fumes.

Ijen Lake

At about 2800m elevation, it was pretty cold up here early morning

Miners at work

Doesn't look too heavy

Surface of the caldera

Mt. Bromo

Five hours west of Ketapang lies the small town of Probollinggo, the jumping off point for any and all tours heading to Mt. Bromo, the ultimate volcano sunrise in Java, or so it is said. Not enough time to enjoy sunrise at every peak so just went with the flow and sorted out another tour. No guide needed this time as with Ijen, a jeep makes things easier but it's not necessarily required to get to the viewpoints from where you wait for the sunrise. Those who wish to can hike up to the viewpoints from the local village Cemero Lawang, but back-to-back midnight starts didn't sound particularly appealing.

There are two viewpoints and from the lower one I assume you have just as good a view as the higher one, the distance to the volcanoes making the difference between the vantage points minimal. Thankfully a much later start to proceedings, only had to get up at 2.30am this time, and even though it was at a similar altitude to Ijen, it wasn't so cold with the cover afforded from the viewpoint.

Mount Bromo isn't actually the biggest volcano in the massif, but it is the most well known, having erupted as recently as 2011. In the picture below, Mount Batok is in the foreground, Mount Semeru in the background and Mount Bromo in the middle with the 'Sea of Sand' surrounding them.

Sunrise

Mt. Bromo et al

Jogjakarta

Ten hours drive west of Bromo is the town of Jogjakarta, home to two of the most famous temple complexes in Indonesia; Borobudur and Prambanan. There are plenty more options available, more volcano tours and jungle treks for those interested but having just done this, I took a pass.

Not a whole lot going in the town itself, the city's kraton being the main attraction within the city, but this isn't necessarily a tourist attraction, more like some sultan's home, or so I was led to believe. Anyway, not here for that. 

Borobudur

Close to a couple volcanoes, of course, and just 40km or so outside of town lies Borobudur, the biggest Buddhist monument in the world. It's a pretty big complex but you only really come out here to see the main temple. As usual here, the easiest thing is to book a tour with anyone on the main tourist road and you can arrange hotel pickup and transportation to the temples. Both Borobudur and Prambanan came as a package deal for around a fiver, can't go wrong (excludes entrance fee, looking at a tenner for both).

From the main entrance you can't actually see the temple but once you have walked through the garden for a minute or so, the main temple looms up close in a big section which it dominates. There are three levels but to beat the crowds the easiest thing to do is go straight to the top for some choice snaps and work your way down. Even on a Saturday, the number of kids on school trips was staggering. One group came up to us for a photo and when we said it was okay, the flood gates opened and the next hour was literally spent posing with every kid in Java, my mouth was aching from smiling.

At the base of the temple

Surrounded by shrines

Stupas on top with Buddha statues inside

View from the top

View from below

Prambanan

An hour or so away from Borobudur but closer to the city lies Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. Unlike the previous temple, once you are past the ticket office and round the first corner, the temple is in full view and dwarfs everything else in the surrounding landscape. The main shrine, dedicated to Shiva is nearly fifty metres tall and the obvious centrepiece to the temple. Many of the smaller shrines hold statues or various deities and you can walk up the steps to go into them all, aside from the one which is being renovated.

Not as many school kids thankfully and only accosted a handful of times which I could manage, any more though and I may have lost the will to live.

The grounds were a similar size to Borobudur but what remaining temples there were, were all under repair so not too much to see there unfortunately, so after walking around the main attraction it was time to head back to the hotel.

Temple from afar with the main shrine dedicated to Shiva

Walking up to the temple

Posing

Nice leap

Temple under repair

Jogjakarta itself was a relexing city, or it could have been. The hotel had a balcony with an epic breeze in the heat of Indonesia. Either way, after the early morning starts to see the volcanoes and temples, it was a nice place to rest and recharge the batteries.

Not feeling Jakarta, been to big cities before and not overly bothered about it so plane tickets booked and heading straight to Medan on Sumatra to get to Lake Toba, a place I have always wanted to get to. Not overly interested in 40 plus hours on a bus, a couple quick flights will be just fine. Next stop, Lake Toba.

Bali, Indonesia (2)

Lake Batur/ Mt. Batur

Further north of Ubud is volcanic Mt.Batur. Trekking to the top is optional but I gave it a pass as I will  be heading to Java soon enough to do that kind of thing. The ride up to the mountain viewpoint is constantly uphill and winding through the forest until you suddenly come up for air and the volcano is immediately in sight with the crater lake of the same name next to it. It was a little cloudy but there were still decent enough views, only now and again is it clear up here.

View of Lake Batur and Mt. Batur

Mt. Batur

Besakih

Besakih temple is the biggest in Bali so I made it a must on my temple sightseeing. You wouldn't know it from the pictures or from where I was standing but it is actually about 1000m up the face of Mt. Agung, the tallest mountain on Bali, the cloud cover is just too thick to actually see the summit which is a shame. Now and again a view is possible but sadly not this day.

As always there are touts trying to offer their services as a guide who are not needed really, although in the end I gave some money to a 'temple guardian' who followed me for a while and explained a fair bit of the layout to me. Not sure what a temple guardian is exactly but at least he was being original for a tout.

There are 35 buildings around the complex, most of which house statues of various size depending on the building. Again, many people here to make offerings, nice to see these temples are still in use by the local Balinese people and not just aimed at tourists.

All these temples are accessible by motorbike and public transport but if you are feeling lazy and don't mind splashing out, ahem, ten pounds or so, then it is just as easy to hire a driver for the day to do all the donkey work and just let your camera do the rest.

Entrance to the temple  grounds

Steps leading up to entrance

View from top of the steps

Within the main temple courtyard

More buildings within the complex

One of many spots to make an offering

More temple buildings

Through the entrance

Again, a view from above

Just before the main courtyard

Tanah Lot

Close to Denpasar, I decided to give public transport a go to get to this temple out by the ocean. In hindsight, for just a litte extra it really is just easier to give some money to a random Balinese guy and just tell him where you want to go. Four changes of transport to just go about 30km is a bit of a faff, probably why I went for the easy option with the afformentioned temples.

The temple is easy enough to find though with all the locals in the area aware that it is a toursit hotspot. Once past the ticket booth it's just a short walk to the ocean where the temple awaits, sadly only practicing holy men or worshippers allowed up the steps to the temple itself, maybe my Bintang tank top and board shorts gave me away as a tourist.

However, with the tide out, you can walk around the area and get pretty close to the spot where the temple is situated, come high tide though the temple is off limits (I guess).

Tanah Lot temple

Steps up to the temple

View of the rest of the grounds

Rice Terraces

Bali is famous for it's rice terraces and they really are everywhere and with the hilly nature of the island, most of them look very similar and just as impressive, non-more-so than the terraces up around Tegal Lallang, about 8 km north of Ubud - a serious cycle to get to, but going downhill to get back is much easier. However, most I saw had just been harvested so the ground had either been burnt or was past that stage and the grass was being allowed to grow over before the next harvest.

Bukit Jambul rice terrace

Tegal Lallang rice terraces

Village huts bordering Tegal Lallang

Tegal Lallang

As fun as Bali is, there's still plenty more in Indonesia to see. Next stop, Java for some volcano action.