Trip Overview – 3 days in Krabi with extended family

Krabi is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places on Earth. It is known for its steep, limestone karsts, and offshore islands with white sand beaches and clear emerald waters. Being close to Singapore and well served by budget airlines, it is a good destination for a short trip during the June school holidays for families with kids.

My wife and I were tasked with organising a 4 days/3 nights trip for the extended family to Krabi since we had visited Krabi in 2018. My travel group consists of 17 persons, including kids and a granny.

My itinerary included a day out on a long-tail boat to visit some the offshore islands. We also included a free and easy day where individual could choose to go shopping, swim and relax by the pool in a resort quality hotel.

Krabi is hot all year round, with a rainy monsoon season which runs from May to October, and a dry season from December to March. So, June is not the best time to visit due to unpredictable weather. We could get rain on some days but also days with excellent weather. Even if it rains, it only rains for an average of an hour or two each day, often late in the afternoon.

However, there are some advantages in visiting during the rainy season. The temperature would be slightly cooler during the day. Hotels and tourist-related services also offers steep discounts during the rainy (low) season.

We had the whole beach on Poda Island to ourselves.

For me, I find the biggest advantage is that there would be much lesser visitors at the beaches and restaurants. The beaches could be unbearably crowded during the peak season (December to February).

Where we stayed in Krabi

For a beach and seaside holiday with good access and day trips to the attractive offshore islands in the Andaman Sea off Krabi, the seaside town of Ao Nang would be the best place to stay instead of Krabi Town. Ao Nang Beach is one of the places where visitors could board the long-tail boats to offshore islands like Tup, Poda and Railay Peninsula.

Swimming pool of Pranan Krabi Resort.

While there were many hotels offering deals during the low season, Pranan Krabi Resort was selected due to its convenient location in Ao Nang town, good reviews, excellent facilities including two swimming pools and competitive prices.

This is the overview of our short stay in Ao Nang, Krabi.

Day 1 (15 June 2019)

This is the day we travelled from home to Krabi, arriving at Krabi Airport at about 11 AM. From the airport, it took us 40 minutes to travel by 2 vans booked via Krabi Shuttle to our hotel in Ao Nang.

After checking into our hotel at 2 PM, we had lunch at the Thanya Kitchen restaurant. Although it was past the normal lunch hour, the owner of this small restaurant, located just outside the hotel, welcomed us warmly and served up some delicious Thai food to our hungry group. The dishes that our group had included pad thai, tom yum seafood soup, beef/pork/chicken noodle soup, pineapple rice and popular Thai desserts like mango with sticky rice.

Mango with sticky rice – a  “must-eat” Thai dessert especially during the mango season.

It was free and easy at the hotel till it was time for dinner. Some of my travel companions went to explore the main street of Ao Nang, lined with shops, restaurants and tour desks. 

Nice views from Hilltop Ao Nang Restaurant.

We had dinner at the Hilltop Ao Nang. As the name implies, the restaurant is located on the top of hill in Ao Nang, offering dining with probably the best views of the Krabi sunset.

We ended the day with a simple foot massage at Atta-rak massage and spa, located just outside our hotel.

Trip report: Dinner at Hilltop Ao Nang.

Day 2 (16 June 2019)

This was the day forecasted with good weather, despite the rainy season.

Beach on Poda Island.

We did a full-day boat trip by private long-tail boat to 4 islands off Krabi namely Chicken Island, Poda Island, Tup and Mor Island plus Phra Nang Cave Beach located on the Railay Peninsula.

We had dinner at the Family Thai food and Seafood Restaurant. This small and not so prominent restaurant is located along a small alley off the main road of Ao Nang. 

Trip report: 4 Islands Tour - day trip by private long-tail boat.

 

Day 3 (17 June 2019)

This was a day that we planned to stay and enjoy the facilities in our hotel.

We were notified by the hotel that whole of Ao Nang would have power outage from 9 AM to 5 PM as the Provincial Electricity Authority is performing some upgrade on the power grid. As a result, the hotel would be running on emergency generators and only basic level of electricity would be available for the elevator, internet and pools.

Pranan Krabi Resort.

This did not stop us from having a good time at the hotel’s swimming pools. The hotel did well to provide complimentary cocktail party with drinks and snacks in the afternoon for all the guests.

It was also a day for some shopping along Ao Nang Beach for local products.

We ended the day with a walk along Noppharat Thara Beach at sunset and dinner at a seafood restaurant located along the beach.

Trip report: Evening at Noppharat Thara Beach and dinner at Noppharat Seafood.

Planning a trip to the islands off Krabi? Here are some tips to share.

• Getting on and off the long-tail boats requires wading into the sea as there are no jetties. Many wore sandals or flip-flops. We wore aqua shoes. i.e shoes that are designed for water activities. 
• Protect your electronics, e.g. phones and cameras, with a waterproof bag or waterproof casings for your mobile phone. This are sold at many shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
• Bring beach mats or pool towels.  Alternatively buy a beach mat at one of the shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
• No need to bring snorkelling gear for trips to offshore islands. The tour operators typically provides them. In any case, snorkelling at Krabi is disappointing.
• There are few restaurants selling food and drinks at the offshore islands. It is best to arrange for packed lunch to be provided by the tour operator or bring your own. You may get decent food and drinks from the “food boats” during the peak season but there is no guarantee these would be available during the low season.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen. 
• Go on a weekday and go early in the morning to enjoy the beaches without the crowds.
• Preferably hire your own long-tail boat for your own private boat trip to the offshore islands.
• If going only to the beaches on Railay Peninsula, there is no need to pay any National Park fees.
• If going only to the beaches on Railay Peninsula, there is also no need to join a tour. Take the “water taxis” (the long-tail boats to and from Ao Nang to Railay) from Ao Nang Beach. Buy return tickets instead of single trip tickets. With a return ticket, you may have the option to board a boat at Phra Nang Beach back to Ao Nang. I did see any ticket booth at Phra Nang Beach. The regular boats operate from 8 AM till about 6 PM (before sun down). Thereafter, you may have to pay more or charter our own long-tail boat back to Ao Nang. In terms of water quality, I think Phra Nang Beach is the best beach that is on the Railay Peninsula or even the Krabi mainland. Do not miss and it is best to go during the low tide where more of the white sandy beach is exposed. See my trip report: Day trip to Railay Peninsula in Krabi from Ao Nang.
• Tup island is best visited during the low tide. If chartering a boat for the day, your boatman would know when is the best time to go.

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Trip Overview and itinerary - 5 days in Melbourne city and a 7-days Road Trip to Phillip Island, Dandenong, Grampians and Great Ocean Road

My family had visited Australia many times when the children were younger. Places and cities we visited include Perth, Albany, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest, Fraser Island, Daydream Island and Atherton Tablelands with fishing at Lake Tinaroo. These were places we visited before I started this travel blog.

But we have missed out Melbourne, one of the world’s most liveable city!

Lured by what we saw in the MasterChef Australia TV show, we planned a 12-days trip to Melbourne in May (late autumn) 2019.

After 5 days at Melbourne seeing the sights and savouring the food, we embarked on a road trip from Melbourne to Phillip Island, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Grampians National Park and ending with 3 days along the scenic Great Ocean Road before heading to the airport for our flight home.

The Great Ocean Road, one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, extends over 200 km between Torquay and Allansford near Warrnambool.

We chose to drive the Great Ocean Road starting from Warrnambool and proceed down south and east towards Torquay, with overnight stays in Port Campbell and Lorne before heading to the Melbourne International Airport on the 3rd day for our flight home.

By going the reverse direction from Warrnambool to Torquay, we succeeded in avoiding the bus tours at the popular attractions along the route.

This is the overview of our trip:

Day 1 (6 May 2019)  – Arrival Day in Melbourne City

We flew from home to Melbourne Airport via Qantas arriving in the early morning and took the Skybus to Southern Cross Station. Our “home” for the next 5 nights was an Airbnb studio apartment, located right across the Southern Cross Station, along Spencer Street.

We did a walking tour of Melbourne, checking out places like Federation Square, Yarra River and the Southbank, Saint Paul Cathedral and the street art at Hosier Lane and AC/Dc Lane.

Melbourne is well known for the street art.

We also checked out the Melbourne food scene with brunch at Hardware Société, ate gelato at Pidapipó Gelateria and fusion food at Rice Paper Scissors.

Trip report: Exploring Melbourne – Southbank, Federation Square, Hosier Lane and yummy delights.

Day 2 (7 May 2019)  –  Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

A sunny day was forecasted for our second day in Melbourne. This was ideal weather for a visit to Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria located next to it.

Trip Report: Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance

Trip Report: A walk through Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Day 3 (8 May 2019)  – South Melbourne Market, Brighton Beach and St Kilda Beach

We spent the morning enjoying the food at South Melbourne Market.

This market is a lively indoor market with stalls for local produce, meat and seafood. Most important for us, there are cafes serving local and global fare.

Must try:  freshly shucked oysters and the freshly baked croissants.

Brighton Beach

First time visitors to Melbourne should include a visit to Brighton Beach to see the iconic and colourful wooden beach huts, or “bathing boxes” lining the beach. Not commonly seen in other countries, the colourful boxes make quite nice travel photos.

Wild fairy penguins could be observed after sunset at the breakwater in St Kilda Pier.

We ended the day at St Kilda Beach and saw the cute little fairy penguins at the pier.

Trip Report: Morning at the South Melbourne Market.

Trip Report: Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes and penguins at St Kilda Beach.

Day 4 (9 May 2019)  – Yarra Valley 

We did a day trip to Yarra Valley, Victoria's oldest wine region dating back to 1838. The Yarra Valley is about a one-hour drive north-east of Melbourne. There is no public transport to the Yarra Valley, so the best way to get there is on an organised tour or by self-drive car.

We decided to join a wine tour to Yarra Valley since we wanted to do wine tasting at the vineyards.

Trip Report: Wine tasting at Yarra Valley with a wine tour.

Day 5 (10 May 2019)  –  Queen Victoria Market, shopping malls, arcades in the Melbourne CBD area and also the State Library Victoria

A rainy day was forecasted. We visited the more famous and larger Queen Victoria Market (QVM) with plenty of yummy food stalls in the morning. 

Must try: Steamed mussels and the freshly baked doughnuts from a food-truck.

State Library Victoria.

We spent the afternoon exploring the shopping malls, arcades in the Melbourne CBD area and also the State Library Victoria.

Note: QVM is closed on Monday and Wednesday. On Friday, many shops in the CBD and suburban shopping centres remain open until 9:00 PM.

Trip report: Morning at Queen Victoria Market.

Trip report: Exploring Melbourne on a Rainy Day – Shopping malls, Arcades and the State Library Victoria.

Day 6 (11 May 2019)  –  Road trip to Phillip Island

This was the start of our 7-day road trip to visit Phillip Island, Dandenong Ranges, Grampians National Park and the Great Ocean Road.

We collected our rental car from Avis at the Southern Cross Station.

Daily pelican feeding at San Remo.

We drove to San Remo (2 hours journey) to see the pelican feeding that takes place on the beach next to the San Remo pier daily at noon.

Hiking at Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island.

Thereafter, we did a 4 km hike to the Pinnacles Lookout at Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island, followed by an easy walk at the Nobbies Boardwalk before ending the day at Cowes.

We skipped the famous Phillip Island Penguin Parade!

Where we stayed:

We stayed at the Seahorse Motel, a clean and well maintained motel located in Cowes, Phillip Island.

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 1 – Phillip Island

Day 7 (12 May 2019)  –  Road trip to Dandenong Ranges

Day 2 of road trip started with an easy 120 km drive to the Dandenong Range National Park from Phillip Island.

Interesting clay figures in the forest at William Ricketts Sanctuary, Dandenong Ranges.

We had tea at the famous Miss Maple’s Tearoom in Sassafras, visited William Ricketts Sanctuary and Dandenong Ranges Botanical Garden at Olinda.

Autumn foliage at Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden.

Where we stayed:

Nightcap at Ferntree Gully Hotel Motel, located along Burwood Highway, is a 2-minutes drive from the Dandenong Ranges National Park. This is a convenient place for an overnight stay for visitors to the park. There are eateries onsite and within 5-minutes drive from the hotel.

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 2 – Dandenong Range National Park.

Day 8 (13 May 2019)  –  Road trip to  Grampians National Park with visits to Mackenzie Falls, Reeds Lookout, The Balconies and Boroka Lookout

Renowned for rugged mountain ranges, rich cultural heritage and breath-taking views, the Grampians National Park is one of Victoria's most popular destinations. We planned to spend 2 days at the National Park to do some hiking and be close to nature.

The drive from Dandenong to Grampians took about 4 hours, excluding a stopover for lunch and some shopping at Ballarat.

We arrived at Halls Gap, the village located in the heart of Grampians National Park, at about 2 PM.

View from one of the lookout points in Grampians.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the sights in Grampians:

• Mackenzie Falls
• Reeds Lookout
• The Balconies
• Boroka Lookout.
  

Where we stayed:

The best place to stay when visiting the Grampians National Park is at Halls Gap, the village at heart of the park. We stayed at the Kookaburra Motor Lodge.

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 3 – Grampians National Park with visits to Mackenzie Falls, Reeds Lookout, The Balconies and Boroka Lookout.

Day 9 (14 May 2019)  –  Hike to The Pinnacle in the Grampians

The Pinnacle at Grampians.

We hiked to The Pinnacle from the Wonderland car park on our second day in the park. The Pinnacle at Grampians is one of the most spectacular vantage points in the Grampians National Park.

The hike took about 3 hours, covered a distance of 4 km return.

Plenty of kangaroos at Halls Gap.

We spent the afternoon strolling around the village of Halls Gap. Halls Gap is a quiet place during the weekday afternoon in May.

There were quite a lot of wildlife to be seen and photographed. This included a field full of kangaroos, emus, deer and lots of birds.

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 4 – Hike to The Pinnacle in the Grampians.

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 4 – Free and easy in Halls Gap.

Day 10 (15 May 2019)  –  Driving the Great Ocean Road near Port Campbell

Leaving Halls Gap after breakfast, we arrived at Warrnambool for early lunch before seeing the sights along the Great Ocean Road around Port Campbell.

Bay of Islands, along Great Ocean Road.

Places visited are

• Bay of Islands
• The Grotto
• The Arch
• The London Bridge
• 12 Apostles.
  

Where we stayed: 

Port Campbell is a small coastal town along the Great Ocean Road. It is an excellent location to explore the nearby attractions along the Great Ocean Road, namely Bay of Islands, Grotto, The Arch, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, Tom and Eva Lookout, 12 Apostles and Gibson Steps. We stayed at Port Campbell Motor Inn.

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 5 – Driving the Great Ocean Road near Port Campbell.

Day 11 (16 May 2019)  –  Driving the Great Ocean Road from Port Campbell to Lorne

The famous Twelve Apostles, along Great Ocean Road.

On the second day of our drive along the Great Ocean Road, we visited:

• Loch Ard Gorge
• 12 Apostles
• Gibson Steps
• Otway Lighthouse
• Apollo Bay
• Kennett River

We spent the night at Lorne.

Besides awesome seascape and landscape along the scenic drive, see wild koalas and birds at Kennett River.

Wild koalas spotted at Kennett River.

Where we stayed:

We stayed at the Chatby Lane Lorne. This luxurious condo hotel offers studio rooms with a spa bath. We even had cockatoos visiting us at the terrace in front of our room.

Trip report: Driving the Great Ocean Road from Port Campbell to Lorne.

Day 12 (17 May 2019)  –  Driving the Great Ocean Road from Lorne to Torquay

This would be the 3rd day of our road trip along the Great Ocean Road. It was also our last day touring Melbourne and the surrounding attractions.

We had to be at the airport by 2.15 PM to return our rental car, do the flight check-in and have lunch. We had the whole morning to complete our Great Ocean Road drive from Lorne to Torquay before heading to the airport, about 1.5 hour driving time from Torquay.

View from Teddy’s Lookout.

We visited:

• Teddy’s Lookout
• Memorial Arch
• Split Point Lighthouse
• Bells Beach.
  

Trip report: Melbourne Road Trip Day 7 – Driving the Great Ocean Road from Lorne to Torquay.

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Trip Overview – 9 Days in Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam has some of the most beautiful, untouched and natural scenery in South East Asia. Pictures of the golden terraced paddy fields seen on the hiking trails in Sapa and pictures of thousands of karst mountains set in the emerald sea of Ha Long Bay made me book my air tickets to Hanoi, which is Vietnam’s capital city and gateway to these attractions.  In addition, I wanted to visit Ninh Binh, located just 2 hours away from Hanoi by car. I got to know of the beauty of Ninh Binh through watching an episode of the Amazing Race (Season 29 Episode 10) on TV.

Ironically, we did not go to neither Sapa nor Ha Long Bay. As I planned my itinerary before our trip, I realised that Mai Chau and Pu Luong could be better places for hiking instead of Sapa.

Sapa, according to what I read in the internet, has become too touristy and crowded. Tales of aggressive local villagers “pressuring” tourists to buy stuff, crowded hiking trails and 7 hours of overnight train journey just to get to Sapa from Hanoi were some of the reasons I chose not to go to Sapa.

For almost similar reasons, I decided to skip the “touristy” and “over commercialised” Ha Long Bay and spend more time in Ninh Binh, also known as the “Ha Long Bay on Land”.

Best time to visit

The best time to hike and visit the rice fields of North Vietnam is during the rice harvesting season.  There are usually 2 to 3 crops per year. The actual harvesting periods would vary according to weather and location. For Mai Chau and Pu Luong, the month of October was a good time for our visit but the rice fields in Ninh Binh were already harvested in September.

Green and yellow terraced paddy fields in Pu Luong - October 2018.

As things turned out, I enjoyed my experience hiking through Pu Luong Nature Reserve. We saw plenty of green, yellow and golden terraced paddy fields within the gorgeous rural landscape of Vietnam. We witnessed all stages of rice harvesting activities.

Instead of aggressive and pushy locals trying to make money from us, we interacted with friendly local villagers during our time at Mai Chau and Pu Luong. One elderly couple even invited us into their house to rest and served us cold water and oranges from her garden.

I had booked a 5D/4N private tour that starts from Hanoi and ends in Ninh Binh from VIC Travel. I chose this company as they focus on low impact "off the beaten path" private trips in northern Vietnam. The company provided a local English speaking guide, a car with driver and arranged our accommodations and meals. On one of the nights, we stayed in the bamboo stilt houses of the ethnic minority people in Pu Luong and ate authentic local meals.

Our itinerary includes travel by car and a fair bit of hiking and trekking in the beautiful Mai Chau Valley and Pu Luong Nature Reserve. We also did a bit of cycling around Mai Chau.

We actually found the landscape in Pu Luong to be more beautiful than Mai Chau. In addition, Pu Luong is more laid back and less touristy. Mai Chau’s tourism industry had boomed recently and has attracted more visitors (local and international). We encountered a few electric powered carts carrying visitors on the narrow country lanes. In comparison, we did not meet any other hikers on the hiking trails in Pu Luong!

Our itinerary

The following is a day by day summary of our 9 days in Northern Vietnam.

Prior to going to Mai Chau and Pu Luong, we spent one and half day exploring the sights and culture in the Old Quarters of Hanoi as well as giving our taste buds a treat with local culinary delights.

Day 1 (4 October 2018) – Arrival and half day in Hanoi

We arrived at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport at about noon time. We travelled by pre-arranged taxi to our hotel located in Hanoi’s Old Quarters. After settling into our hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we spent the rest of the day exploring Hanoi on foot.

Seemingly never ending stream of cars and motorcycles on the streets of Hanoi.

We experienced the mayhem of the city traffic and took the leap of faith that is needed to cross the streets with seemingly never ending stream of cars and motorcycles. We also enjoy the sights and gastronomical delights of Hanoi.

We tried one of the best pho in the famous Old Quarters. One of the hidden gems in Hanoi is “Train Street” where we saw many interesting sights but the train!

We had dinner at the Red Bean Classic Restaurant, one of the best fine dining restaurants in the city.

Hanoi’s famous Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner

 

Following dinner, we sat on plastic stools by the street and drank probably the cheapest beer in the world at Hanoi’s famous Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner (located at the crossroads of Pho Ta Hien and Pho Luong Ngoc Quyen).

Where we stayed: Hanoi Imperial Hotel located in the middle of the Old Quarters. Hanoi's Old Quarter is the city's ultimate shopping hotspot. The Quarter's maze of streets offers a wealth of cheap shopping, delicious must-try dishes, and essential travel services.

Trip report: Gastronomical delights in Hanoi Old Quarter

 

Day 2 (5 October 2018) – A whole day to enjoy Hanoi

After breakfast at hotel, we continued our exploration of Hanoi on foot. 

Some of the things we did and places we visited are:

Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and visit Ngoc Son Temple.

Try the famous Hanoi’s specialty egg coffee or ca phe trung at Cafe Giang.

Eat the banh mi at Bahn Mi Bread. 

Rest and relax at Tranquil Books & Coffee, one of the many trendy and cute cafes in Hanoi.

Try the Vietnamese noodle salad with slices of roast duck at the Vit 29.

Go to a different part of “Train Street” again and saw a train rolling past us. Really really close. What an experience!

Hanoi’s “train street”.

Tour Hoa Lo Prison, the "Hanoi Hilton".

Enjoy 90 minutes of body massage at Sen Spa.

Shop at Hanoi’s Night Market which operates every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Where we stayed: Hanoi Imperial Hotel located in the middle of the Old Quarters. There were a few excellent spas located just outside this hotel. An hour or two at a good, clean spa is the perfect way to relax after a long day of walking and sightseeing.

Trip report: A day of cafe hopping and sight-seeing in Hanoi Old Quarter

Trip report: Up close with a train in Hanoi’s “train street”

Day 3 (6 October 2018) – Travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau.

This is the start of our 5D/4N private tour arranged with VIC Travel.

My wife and I were picked up by our guide Mr Long and driver Mr Ha from our hotel in Hanoi in a clean and spacious Toyota Innova. It was a comfortable 4 hours’ drive through the countryside, small towns and mountainous regions to Mai Chau with a coffee break en-route.

We had lunch comprising authentic cuisine of local people at the Lac village. This was followed by a 5 km hike through a forest and paddy fields in the Mai Chai valley to Mai Chau Ecolodge, our accommodation for the night. Mai Chau valley is one of the most beautiful areas in the north west of Vietnam.

Mai Chau Ecolodge.

After dinner at the Mai Chau Ecolodge, we watched a lively cultural dance performance.

Where we stayed: Mai Chau Ecolodge.

Surrounded by mountains and paddy fields, Mai Chau Ecolodge features modern rooms and suites with views and free Wi-Fi. It has a restaurant, bar, an outdoor pool and in-house spa for guests to relax in. Free bicycles are available for guests to borrow and explore the countryside.

Trip report: Hiking in Mai Chau Valley with a local guide.

Day 4 (7 October 2018) – Mai Chai to Pu Luong

After breakfast at the Mai Chau Ecolodge, we borrowed the free bicycles to cycle through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of Mai Chau valley and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people on our visits to the Lac and Na Phon villages.

After lunch in the Na Phon village, our driver drove us to Pu Luong Nature Reserve.

En-route, we made a brief stop at a roadside bamboo factory to observe how bamboo trees are turned into chopsticks and rulers.

The drive to the Hieu village in Pu Luong took about 2 hours. This area is the home of the Muong and Thai ethnic groups.

We stayed in this hut at Ban Hieu village,  Pu Luong.

After settling into our stilt hut in the village, we went to explore the surrounding area, including a 5 km trek up a waterfall and jungle path.

We had dinner with our hosts and enjoyed the food and hospitality provided. We even stayed up late to watch a live telecast of the English Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester City in the homestay via cable TV.

Where we stayed: Mr Ly’s homestay in Ban Hieu village.

Trip report: Cycling in the morning at Mai Chau valley

Trip report: Road Trip from Mai Chau to Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Trip report: Our Activities at Ban Hieu Village in Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Day 5 (8 October 2018) –  Hiking in Pu Luong

After breakfast, we start our hike through Pu Luong Nature Reserve, passing corn fields, rice terraces, palm forests, farms and many villages. We saw people going about their day.

We had lunch in the stilt house of a villager in the White Thai village. We enjoyed some free time to acquaint ourselves with the life of our hosts.

In the afternoon, we trekked through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of Pu Luong and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people in Don village. We were lucky to visit during harvesting season and saw plenty of golden terraced rice-fields and harvesting activities. Pu Luong was especially beautiful, non-touristy and we met many friendly local people in the villages.

Rice harvesting in Pu Luong during October 2018.

This was the day where we did the longest and most energy sapping trek of at least 12 km in hot weather. But this was the day where we really appreciate the beauty of North Vietnam, in terms of scenery, country and people.

Where we stayed: Pu Luong Retreat.

Pu Luong Retreat offers the best views of rice terraces, valley and mountains from the property.

It features an outdoor infinity pool, a restaurant and free Wi-Fi access in the public areas. Select suites feature a bathtub.

Trip report: Hiking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve - From Hieu village to Kho Muong village

Day 6 (9 October 2018) –  Hiking in Pu Luong and travel to Ninh Binh

We did a 7 km trek in the morning through the rice terraces and forests around Pu Luong.

We then drove on the Ho Chi Minh highway through the surrounding countryside to Ninh Binh.

En-route, we stopped for lunch at one of the local restaurants before arriving at our hotel in Ninh Binh’s city center in the afternoon.

Where we stayed: Ngoc Anh 2 Hotel. This is a clean and “value-for-money” hotel located in Ninh Binh city.

Trip report: Morning in Pu Luong Retreat

 

Day 7 (10 October 2018) – Explore Ninh Binh

The last day of our tour with VIC Travel was spent exploring a few attractions of Ninh Binh that I had selected.

Trang An boat ride through the “Ha Long Bay on Land” in Ninh Binh.

We took the highly enjoyable and scenic Trang An river boat tour through limestone caves early in the morning before the tour groups and day trippers arrived in Ninh Binh.

After the 2 hours boat ride, we went to see Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and learnt about the 10th and 11th century kings who once ruled ancient Vietnam.

Our guide arranged for us to sample some local special dishes such as crispy rice and goat meat in a local restaurant during lunch.

After lunch, we went to Hang Mua. Hang Mua is a cave that was used as a secret hospital by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.

Panoramic views from Hang Mua Peak.

A more interesting activity at Hang Mua was the challenging 500 steps climb to the top of the mountain (Hang Mua Peak) where we were rewarded with cool breeze and panoramic views.

The 5D/4N private tour with VIC Travel concluded after our driver Ha sent us to our next accommodation in Tam Coc area of Ninh Binh.

Where we stayed: Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow. This is one of the best homestay accommodations in Tam Coc that is suitable for couples and family groups. 

Trip report: Exploring Ninh Binh - Trang An boat ride, Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel and Hang Mua peak

Trip report: Our stay at Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow

Day 8 (11 October 2018) –  Explore Tam Coc area of Ninh Binh

We had a free and easy day to explore the attractions around Tam Coc. We chose to walk (instead of cycling) to Bich Dong Pagoda and back. On the way, we saw the famous Tam Coc Boat Tours where rowers row the sampans with their feet instead of using their arms.

Local women rowing sampans using their feet in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh.

After lunch in a restaurant in Tam Coc, we relaxed in our homestay till the day is cool enough for an evening walk to Thai Vi Temple. 

Where we stayed: Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow.

Trip report: Exploring attractions in Tam Coc

Day 9 (12 October 2018) – Free and Easy in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh

We spent our last morning in Ninh Binh relaxing at our homestay till it was time to transfer by taxi to Noi Bai Airport for our 6.30 PM flight home.

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Trip Overview – 8 days in Chiang Mai with old school mates

In one of my gatherings with some of my old school mates, I was given the task to plan an oversea trip within Asia for our travelling group of 3 couples during the January to February 2018 period.

I chose Chiang Mai to be our destination as the weather in Chiang Mai during this time of year would be nice and cool. A perfect getaway from hot and humid Singapore. Chiang Mai is also a relatively inexpensive travel destination, with delicious food and plenty of attractions and things to do within and outside of the city.

This was how we spent our 8 days in Chiang Mai:

Day 1  (6 January 2018)

We travelled from home to Chiang Mai by air, arriving in the early evening. Since we took different flights, we arranged to meet at the hotel.

We walked to the famous Saturday Night Market, a lively and fun night market that takes place every Saturday. It is along Wui Lai Road, starting from the southern gate of the old city walls to the end of the road. It starts in the late afternoon, after the road is closed to vehicular traffic, and continues until around 22:30 hours. There are plenty of stalls selling handicrafts, clothing, shoes,  food, wood carvings, ornaments, candles, housewares etc.

Our dinner was from the various street food vendors along the night market. We ended our gastronomical adventure with a round of brewed coffee in a nice cafe near the end of Wu Lai Road before walking along the same night market back to our hotel.

Where we stayed: Hotel De Nara, a small boutique hotel within the Old City that is within walking distance to the Saturday Night Market. This hotel is also convenient to visit the Sunday Night Market, which starts at ThaPae Gate and runs all along Ratchadamnoen Rd, for around one kilometre.

Day 2  (7 January 2018)

This was the first day of a  2 Days/1 Night private tour for my travelling group. 

The activities for this day were:

Visit Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary.

River Rafting down the Mae Teang River.

Visit a Karen Long Neck Village.

Dinner and evening activities (massage and releasing of sky lanterns) at the Tree House.

Where we stayed: Tree House Hideaway in Chiang Dao (booked as part of the tour).

Trip report - Visit Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary.

Trip report – River rafting and visit to Long Neck Village.

Day 3  (8 January 2018)

This was the second day of a 2 Days/1 Night private tour for my travelling group.

The activities for Day 2 were:

Jungle trekking to a waterfall.

Lunch at the Tree House.

Visit the beautiful Wat Ban Den temple on our way back to Chiang Mai.

Dinner at the Dash Restaurant, opposite our hotel.

Where we stayed: We returned to Hotel De Nara, a small boutique hotel within the Old City of Chiang Mai.

Trip report - Jungle trekking at Chiang Dao from the Treehouse Hideaway.

Trip report – Wat Ban Den.

Day 4  (9 January 2018)

A day out from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand’s highest peak. We hired a private car with guide/driver for the day and go hiking on two of the most popular nature trails, namely the Pha Dok Siew and Kew Mae Pan nature trails.

Where we stayed:  Hotel De Nara, a small boutique hotel within the Old City of Chiang Mai.

Trip report - Hiking the Pha Dok Siew and Kew Mae Pan nature trails at Doi Inthanon National Park

Day 5  (10 January 2018)

Some free time to enjoy a massage or go explore the old city and visit at least one of its historic temples. Two couples walked to Wat Chedi Luang in the Old City and one couple went for a massage near our hotel.

Wat Chedi Luang in the Old City.

Later in the afternoon, we shifted to our next hotel in Chiang Mai, so as to try a different hotel and also be closer to the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar which operates every night.

After a morning of exploring the Old City and shifting hotels, it was time for some soothing massages (a must when visiting Thailand!) in the afternoon.

We went to the Fah Lanna Massage along Loi Kroh Road, which was a short walk from our new hotel.  

We had dinner and did some shopping along Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar.

Where we stayed:  Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel. This hotel is ideally located next to the intersection of Chang Khlan Road and Loi Kroh Road which is right smack in the center of Chiang Mai’s famous Night Bazaar.

Trip report – Wat Chedi Luang

Day 6  (11 January 2018)

We hired a car with a driver cum guide to bring us to a few places outside of Chiang Mai City.

Visited Wat Phra That Doi Sutep (also known as Doi Suthep Temple) in the morning.

Mom Cham

Had lunch at Mon Cham, relaxed and enjoyed the views and fresh air at Mon Cham.

Bua Thong “Sticky” Waterfall

We then spent some time at the Bua Thong “Sticky” Waterfall in the afternoon before returning to Chiang Mai.

We ate excellent pad thai (Thai style stir-fried rice noodles) at a small nondescript restaurant called Eat Pad Thai before exploring more of the Night Bazaar. Eat Pad Thai is located along Chiang Moi Road, between Warorot Market and the eastern moat of the Old City. 

Where we stayed:  Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel.

Trip report - Day trip out from Chiang Mai to Wat Phra That Doi Sutep, Mon Cham and Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall.

 Day 7  (12 January 2018)

This was a lazy morning in Chiang Mai where we did little but explored cafes in the Nimmanhaemin area, known to be the chic and trendy part of Chiang Mai.

The Nimman area includes the main Nimmanhaemin Road, which runs south from Maya Shopping Mall on Huay Kaew Road, cutting through the city’s bustling university area towards the airport, plus all the small Soi or side lanes along the Nimmanhaemin Road.

The afternoon was spent catching the giant Mekong Catfish at Bo Sang Fishing Park, under the guidance of a fishing expert.

We ended the day with a casual dinner at the Green Chilli Thai Restaurant and a soothing massage at Fah Lanna Massage, both places near to our hotel, Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel.

Trip report - Cafe hopping at Nimmanhaemin.

Trip Report - An afternoon of fishing at the Bo Sang Fishing Park. 

Day 8  (13 January 2018)

We catered some free time in the morning of our last day in Chiang Mai before taking the afternoon flight home. Four of us went to continue exploring Chiang Mai’s Old City which included a visit to Wat Phra Singh temple, Fern Forest Cafe and Khao Soi Khun Yai (tasting the best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai).

Trip report - Wat Phra Singh temple, Fern Forest Cafe and Khao Soi Khun Yai.

 

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