World Tourer - Travel Information - October and November 2012


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30th November 2012

The Loy Krathong Festival was on on Wednesday and I had Planned to go to the beach and take photos but it rained most of the afternoon so I did not bother. I am still hoping to update this travel blog at least once a week and add photos on a regular basis.

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23rd November 2012

My flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang are now booked. The Flight to Ho Chi Minh City is with Lufthansa as their fare was even less than Air Asia (I booked a return trip coming back 5th April). The flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang is with Vietnam Airlines.

I am not sure how long I can stay in Vietnam but came across a site offering pre approval for a three month multi entry visa so I will start with that and then see what happens once in Vietnam. I may stay longer than three months if I am able.

Vietnam Photo Gallery

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12th November 2012

I have found an apartment in Nha Trang, Vietnam (with a swimming pool) and have already booked it for a month starting 8th January - I will probably stay three months and then who knows?

The Bangkok Airport to Hua Hin bus is apparently not going to start operating until next year.

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4th November 2012

Back in Jomtien after a relaxing trip to Hua Hin. I have previously been to Hua Hin about three years ago and whilst I liked it I thought it was very quiet - that was in July which is the low season and now is the beginning of the tourist season and it is a lot more lively. The owner of the hotel I stayed in also told me that Hua Hin is a very popular weekend getaway for Thais that live in Bangkok.

The trip home was uneventful and went to schedule - once back in Jomtien a local expat friend Merv reminded me of the minibus service from Pattaya to Hua Hin (direct) that I had forgotten about. My plan this trip was to try out the new Bangkok Airport to Hua Hin bus service that does not yet exist. I plan to visit Hua Hin again soon and will try to use both the minibus direct from Pattaya and the new service from the airport.

I have made a decision on where I will living next year and the time in Hua Hin has cleared my mind somewhat:

I will be moving to Nha Trang, Vietnam in January and staying for at least one month (probably two or three) and then I will be going to Hurghada, Egypt to continue my world travel and (possibly via Thailand for one month) to move into my new apartment that is due for completion by the end of April.

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3rd November 2012

My hotel (Guesthouse) is called Karoon Hut - I actually booked to stay at Victor Guesthouse (400 Baht a night - about $14) but it seems they both share the same ownership. Karoon Hut is on its own pier into the sea and all the rooms have sea views. There is also a restaurant at the end of the pier which strangely does not serve any alcohol.

My day has been a combination of walking around Hua Hin, walking along the beach, swimming and just lying on the beach. I considered going for a horse ride along the beach (300 Baht for 30 minutes) but decided against it as I pulled a muscle in my back a few days ago.

Hua Hin is nothing like Pattaya and it seems to cater more for older couples with cash as the cost of food and drinks here is considerably higher than Pattaya. The beach and sea are clean and not very crowded.

Karoon Hut Restaurant

The Restaurant Area at Karoon Hut

More Photograps of Hua Hin

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2nd November 2012

I spent today coming to Hua Hin and then relaxing on the beach - I had a plan A that did not work out - Plan A was to catch the new Bangkok to Hua Hin bus service operated by the company that runs the airport bus service from Pattaya to Bangkok - despite the fact that the ticket counter at Bangkok airport has large signs advertising the service along with schedules and prices the service has not even started yet. Luckily I had a plan B which was to catch the minibus service from Victory Monument to Hua Hin (180 Baht) - the trip only took 2 3/4 hours which was less than expected.

My hotel room is on a pier over the beach with the sea under my floor at high tide.

The View From My Room in Hua Hin              Fruit Vendor on Hua Hin Beach              Horse Rides on Hua Hin Beach

The View From My Hotel Room     A Fruit Vendor on Hua Hin Beach    Horse Rides on Hua Hin Beach

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31st October 2012

I have decided to go to Hua Hin for a couple of days to relax and finally decide on what to do and where I will be living next year.

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24th October 2012

Arrived back in Jomtien, Thailand, on Sunday and have now settled back into my normal routine here. It will take a while to adjust to the higher price of beer here in Thailand (about three times the price of Vietnamese beer). The entire Vietnam trip went smoothly and I really enjoyed it - so much so that I am thinking of returning next January for a month in Nha Trang (my favourite place in Vietnam).

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19th October 2012

The trip from Dalat to Nha Trang went smoothly taking three hours including a lunch stop.

This moring we went to the local market followed by a visit to Long Son Pagoda and a stop at the station to buy tickets for the train to Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow morning. The rest of the day was spent at the beach in front of (and inside) the Louisiane Brewhouse - Louisiane is a great place with a micro brewery, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a private beach area - it is very much like a five star resort except without accommodation. We also had lunch on the beach - a large barbecued lobster plus crab, scallops and shrimp - costing 300,000 Dong (about $15).

Last night was a normal bar crawl which will be repeated tonight - the cost of beer and spirits here is much cheaper than in Thailand - eg. Local beers for around 35 cents and spirit shots about the same price.

Bern on a Cyclo in Nha Trang                        Louisiane Swimming Pool                        Louisiane Beach Area

        Bern on a Cyclo in Nha Trang           Swimming Pool at Louisiane Brewhouse       Beach Area of Louisiane Brewhouse

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18th October 2012

We are still in Dalat but leave today by bus for Nha Trang. I went for a long walk around town and Xuan Huong Lake (which was empty last time I was here) this morning and took a few photos. Dalat is in the mountains and the weather is cooler with less humidity than Ho Chi Minh City with the temperature last night dropping to around 15 degrees C.

Restaurant on Xuan Huong Lake        Xuan Huong Lake Pedal Boats        Dalat Market Area

   Restaurant on Xuan Huong Lake         Lake Pedal Boats                  Dalat Market Area            

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16th October 2012

Now in Vietnam for six days with Papa (Bern) - currently in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and fly to Dalat tomorrow for a day and then on to Nha Trang for two days before returning to Ho Chi Minh City for the last night before flying back to Bangkok.

I have been to Vietnam several times before (five I think) but it is Bern's first visit. Today we went on a day tour to the Cu Chi tunnels - Followed by a few Saigon Red beers at my favourite street bar.

Hidden Cu Chi Tunnel Entrance    Cu Chi Tunnel Entrance    Going Down The Tunnel    Bern in The Cu Chi Tunnel

Bern in Cu Chi Tunnel    In Love in Saigon

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5th October 2012

I have just arrived back in Jomtien after another 7 hour trip on the minibus from Koh Chang. Koh Chang is great but is hard to get to. The "Door to Door" trip on the minibus should probably only take 5 hours if everything goes smoothly but both my journeys took 7 hours. On the return trip the driver could not locate one of the passengers and we missed the ferry which meant waiting 45 minutes for the next one. Then there was a long queue at one of the fuel stops adding another 45 minutes. I was the last to get dropped off which probably added 30 minutes to my trip.

Ferry Arriving at Koh Chang    Koh Chang From The Ferry    Ferry Heading to Koh Chang

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3rd October 2012

I am now in Koh Chang again and also staying at Paddy's Palms Resort again (the Wifi still does not work - I doubt that it ever does - they have signs posted saying sorry that it is out of their control - but Wifi is available anywhere else without issues).

This time I travelled "Door to Door" by minibus (650 Baht) which I believe is the quickest way to get here (it still took 7 hours thanks to a slow driver that spent a lot of time on the phone and made a couple of extra stops to deliver packages.

It's a shame that Koh Chang is so hard to get to as I think it is a great place - similar to Kata Beach on Phuket or Koh Samui (but better).

Paddy's Pub    Swimming Pool at Paddy's Palms    Ox in The Garden at Paddy's Palms    White Sand Bech - Koh Chang

Koh Chang Fishing Boat    Koh Chang Fishing Boat    White Sand Beach - Koh Chang    White Sand Beach - Koh Chang, Thailand



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