March 2010
An end to all work and no play...
Wed 17th Mar 2010 — drewAfter our weekend break in Koh Phra Thom, it was a fairly relentless three weeks of work especially for Drew. We extended our visas and stayed for longer to try and make sure we tied up as many loose ends as possible. This included the launch of a new website for the Calcutta medical charity we worked for last year - work on this hadn't begun until our last few days there, and it was a relief for all concerned to get the new site up.
Island hopping to Malaysia
Tue 23rd Mar 2010 — drewFrom the laid back, relaxed Koh Yao Noi we picked up a ferry to Ko Phi Phi - one of the most famous Thai islands, renowned for its party atmosphere and beautiful beaches but also serving as a warning to other islands about the hazards of over-development. It is not a place that was high on our agenda to visit, but our ferry to Malaysia started here and we thought that it might be interesting to see. The approach to the island is very impressive as you sail around the towering cliffs before cruising into a wide sandy bay.
Swapping beaches for skyscrapers
Sat 27th Mar 2010 — drewOur final island hop and ferry journey took us from Langkawi to Georgetown, on Penang Island. Formerly known as Betel Nut Island, Penang was the first settlement of the East India Company on the Malay Peninsula in 1786 and it became an important port attracting settlers from all over Asia, predominantly China and India. The old town area is now protected as a UNESCO heritage site, recognised for the unique blend of cultures, religions and architectures.
Singapore slings to Saigon
Tue 30th Mar 2010 — drewFrom Kuala Lumpur, our plan had been to catch an overnight comfortable sleeper train to Singapore, leaving at a reasonable time in the evening and arriving at a respectable time in the morning, having had a good nights sleep with little interference at the border... However, the train was fully booked and we had to explore the alternatives. Doing the journey by bus was fairly cheap, and several different buses left KL to arrive in Singapore around 6am.