Thailand // My SE Asia Adventure

Phuket

Going to Phang Nga Bay was the most typical touristy thing we did on the trip, but I was happy to do so. It gave us a chance to get out of the city's pollution and into clean air and nature. The entire boat ride were non stop views. We made a few stops at some of the islands including the famous "James Bond Island." Other stops included swimming, going into a cave and kayaking through the eroded cliffs. 

Bangkok

We spend just a couple days in Bangkok in a hostel on Khao San Road. The whole area is very vibrant and lively with many restaurants, bars and foot massage places. We took advantage of the $5.00 massages everywhere we went in SE Asia!  We spent a few hours at the temples of Wat Phra Kaew. Remember there is a dress code at most temples, so wear long pants and sleeves. In Cambodia, I bought some $3.00 pants and shirt that was airy. These types of clothes also help with mosquitoes. During our time in Thailand, we saw many mourners for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. There were hundreds of people dressed black holding framed photographs of him sitting in the temples mourning. Every government building had white and black memorial decorations. There were giant portraits and memorials at every traffic circle in the cities. The airports had kiosks where you could pay your condolances. It was incredible to see this level of mourning. 

Vietnam // My SE Asia Adventure

Sapa Village

I wanted to leave SE Asia with a bang, so we decided to do a trek through the mountains of Sapa in northern Vietnam. I got to see the villages and culture of the Hmong people that I grew up with in my rural hometown in Minnesota. I went to school K-12 with the children of Vietnam war refugees. These large group of Hmong were the only sign of diversity in our town of predominately German and Polish decent. Growing up, I had no knowledge of their culture, history, values, landscape, or anything. There was no effort made in the school curriculum to fill in the gaps of knowledge and mutual understanding. Thinking back, it's incredible that these families were able to adapt to living in Minnesota because Sapa Vietnam and the culture couldn't be anymore opposite. 

We arrived in Sapa in a sleeper bus. This was the first time being on one of these for me. The roads are narrow and windy for two of the 6 hour ride. There is a train option the is probably safer, but since there was no availability, we took the bus. I booked our trek and overnight homestay through Sapa O'Chau. They were extremely helpful and we loved our guide! The trek was an all day hike through the mountains, villages and rice fields. There was a stop for lunch and a snack. We arrived at the family's house for the one night homestay. They made a dinner for us on an open fire and we soaked in an herbal bath. Each homestay house is required to have a western toilet and shower (not heated water). However, on the trek you will make stops for lunch/snacks and the toilet may not be a western one. 

Myanmar // My SE Asia Adventure

Old Bagan

Old Bagan is hands down, the most magical and breathtaking place I've ever been. If you want the best sunrise of your life, visit this place. Images of the hot air balloons peacefully gliding over the landscape of the temples will never be forgotten. The best thing about these photos is that they are hardly photoshopped. What you see is what you get. The color changes from oranges to yellows and greens through out the sunrise and mid-morning. 

We stayed in old Bagan right outside the walls and rented E-bikes to get around the 2,200 temples. I was a little reluctant to get on a motor bike, but in this particular area, that was the only way to get around in a practical way since there weren't any tuk tuks. A lot of the pathways were sand or dirt. This place is changing by the minute. Right now, the country has only been open to US tourists for 6 years and the temples are wide open to exploration. The bigger ones are quite touristy, but still very worth it. We did a fair amount of exploring, going in as many as possible that were off the beaten path. I recommend wearing flip flops or easy on/off shoes as you will have to take your shoes off when entering every temple. 

Inle Lake

Inle Lake was one of those unexpected adventures that stands out in the memory bank. We almost didn't come here, but decided to anyway. I've always had a fascination with living on the water. Inle Lake takes it to the next level. They have an entire community that lives miles and miles out in the middle of this lake. They have a post office, electrical poles, everything. They are completely self-sustaining water community. For the most part, it's still pretty under the radar and not overly touristy. We hired a boat driver and did the tour in one full day. The boat tours are very "un-official." You just walk down to the boat docks and find a guy and pay him $20 US dollars for the whole day. No need to worry about getting a touristy tour vs. an authentic tour because it's all the same.

Yangon

We flew into Yangon and spent two days there doing a couple of short stories. If you are just traveling, I recommend doing a layover that has enough hours in between flights to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda. This is the tallest pagoda I saw on my trip. It stands 325 feet tall and made with gold and a 76 carat diamond at the top. It looks incredible during the evening all light up and early morning hours. It's the most famous landmark in Yangon and worth seeing. We got there just before sunrise. The wind chimes and children chanting made me feel like I was on a different planet. There's nothing else that compares to it. I recommend wearing sandals or flip flops and bringing wet wipes because you will be expected to take off your shoes at the entrance. They regularly sweep, but your bare feet will get very dirty.