Soon after leaving Cambodia, we got to day 200! We were lucky to celebrate this milestone with two of my best friends, Margaret and Jessica, in the middle of Vietnam’s beautiful Halong Bay.
It was the perfect day to mark this travel milestone: We woke up on a cruise ship to massive karsts looming outside our window, spent the day kayaking and exploring some of the small islands, ate tons of fresh and local cuisine—and shared all of this with two dear friends.
Read on for some more of the highs, lows, and everything in between from these second 100 days!
Most Breathtaking Moment
Vikram’s pick: Swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines.
Mary’s pick: Jumping off a 30-foot cliff while canyoneering in the Philippines. Not only was I not breathing, but I have no memory of the actual jump!
Funniest Family Moment (Malaysia)
Vikram’s pick: Staring contests with my nephews in Malaysia.
Mary’s pick: Looking through old pictures of Vikram at his grandma’s house.
Funniest Family Moment (Philippines)
Vikram’s pick: Our pool day with Mary’s nieces at Shangri-La, especially when Chill was on my shoulders and pretended to wash my hair while singing “shampoo shampoo shampoo.”
Mary’s pick: When my niece Button drew a nice portrait of me … and then one of Vikram.
Most Underwhelming Attraction
Vikram’s pick: Our snorkeling trip in Ko Lanta, Thailand was disappointing. Given the rave reviews we’ve read about snorkeling in Thailand, I think we just were unlucky—maybe the water was cloudy that day, or the best spots were closed during low season, or we just had a bad tour operator.
Mary’s pick: After seeing the Grand Palace and magnificent temples in Bangkok, the temples in Chiang Mai seemed a bit lackluster.
Best Food
Vikram’s pick: It’s impossible to really rank the things we’ve eaten, but for sentimental reasons I’ll say roti canai in Malaysia.
Mary’s pick: Ughhh I can’t pick. Maybe the pork buns from Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong. Or the massaman curry on Ko Phi Phi. Or roti and coffee with condensed milk for breakfast in Malaysia. The list can go on and on!
Best Place We Slept the Night
Vikram’s pick: Niras Hostel in Bangkok was comfortable, clean, stylishly appointed, served a good breakfast, and was run by friendly, helpful staff. If we come back to Bangkok with quadruple the budget, we’ll probably still stay there.
Mary’s pick: The Shangri-La on Mactan Island—thanks, Mom and Dad!
Worst Place We Slept the Night
Vikram’s pick: Our hostel in Phnom Penh generally didn’t have toilet paper or hand soap in the bathrooms, the water didn’t work one day, and at least one component of our breakfast order was wrong every morning. That said, the beds were comfortable, and it was $4 a night—things could have been a lot worse. We’ve generally been pretty lucky with lodging so far.
Mary’s pick: While I usually love trains—and overnight trains in particular—the train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok weirdly never turned any of the lights off during the night and was frigid. I hadn’t yet invested in a $2 eyemask, so I just tied my sarong around my head to try to get some sleep.
Most Memorable Mode of Transportation
Vikram’s pick: The canals in Bangkok. Cheap, fast, efficient, charming, and kind of grimy, just like Bangkok itself.
Mary’s pick: Taking a tuk tuk around the great Temples of Angkor.
Best Splurge
Vikram’s pick: Cashing in Starwood points to stay at Le Meridien in Siem Reap.
Mary’s pick: Our day with the elephants in Chiang Mai was well worth the $70!
Favorite Addition to Our Wardrobe
Vikram’s pick: My purple linen shirt from Sam’s Tailor in Hong Kong, which has been surprisingly useful for backpacking.
Mary’s pick: My Havaiana flip flops that have a strap around the heel. I can wear them from the beach and the shower to dinner and drinks at nice-ish places. They are also surprisingly comfortable for walking around town all day. The only downside is that they don’t offer much protection from the elements.
What We Wished We Had Done
Vikram’s pick: Done a tour of Maya Bay (of The Beach fame) near Ko Phi Phi—we hesitated and the weather was bad the day we wanted to do it.
Mary’s pick: I wish we had learned how to scuba dive while in Thailand, but it was still a bit too much out of our budget. Next time!
What We’re Most Looking Forward to in the Next 100 Days
Vikram’s pick: Meeting up with friends and family across Europe.
Mary’s pick: Eating lots of cheese in Europe. While I love Asian food, the one thing it lacks is cheese, and I can get some serious cheese cravings.
3 Comments
I continue to be impressed at what you two are doing and how you are doing it.
What an adventure and education, and I am glad to be along for the trip through your wonderful travel blog.
Mary and Vikram, my new super-heroes. As I go forth in my island life-style, I think of you two in your capes flying from one country to another.
What a lovely reminiscence! Thanks so much to both of you for sharing your adventures. Truly fascinating. Looking forward to your next 100 days. All the best!!