Monthly Archives: May 2015
Luxury Budget Accomodation for midlifebackpackers
A good friend and family member explained the phrase “slackpacking” to us, as being backpacking, but with more creature comforts. Accomodation in 3 star hotels & resorts, would therefore qualify as being suitable to slackpackers. Hostels would be suited more for backpackers. We’ll just stick to calling ourselves “midlifebackpackers”. Because we have never really been … Continue reading
A good travel companion & comfort zones
I am writing this piece as a tribute to my lovely partner Janneke, who exceeded my expectations and proved that she would be well adapted to travel anywhere & under any circumstances with me. Not only did she constantly “go with the flow” but in fact shifted her boundaries beyond her comfort zones to make … Continue reading
Refuse in Thailand. What the brochures don’t show.
One really sad thing that is obvious in Thailand is the refuse & pollution everywhere. It’s overwhelming & something we did not expect here. Refuse is everywhere, whether it be city or countryside, town or beach. It really seems like the locals have no idea that they are being swamped by refuse. Everywhere we went, … Continue reading
Stray dogs living the beach bum lifestyle in Thailand
Our perceptions of the proverbial “dogs life” that many stray animals may have may have changed somewhat over the last few weeks that we have been in Thailand. We have seen a great number of seemingly “stray” dogs, loafing about in the streets & especially on the beaches. The difference in Thailand however seems to … Continue reading
711 in Thailand. The Westerner’s refuge.
It’s unbelievable how many 711’s there are in Thailand. In every place we have been, there is a 711 every few blocks & they’re always busy. Get to a major bus terminus & there is a 711. Basically they sell items like sweets, cooldrinks, toiletries, fast foods, dairy products etc. Things that we regard as … Continue reading
Getting to and from Bangkok and getting around in Bangkok.
Wow. Complex, confusing, frustrating & infuriating. That sums it up. We arrived in Bangkok early morning after an overnight trip from Phuket via bus. There are a number of long haul bus services running between the major centers like Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi & many more. Usually these buses come in 3 categories, ie, … Continue reading