From Morocco to Myanmar: My travel top 12 (so far)

A question I get asked a lot is, 'where is your favorite place you've ever been?' Choosing just one is literally impossible, but I've managed to get it down to a dozen. This list is short on major sites and singular monuments and big on places and experiences. Sometimes it's the journey and not the destination that makes a trip.

This is a list that will almost certainly change over time, we have a lot of work to do in South America, Africa and right here in Australia. But at this moment in time, here are my top 12 (in no particular order):

1. Getting lost in Essaouira, Morocco

Essaouira was our penultimate stop on a long, hard journey through Morocco; a dot on the map that broke up a long bus ride between Agadir and Casablanca. I was 23 and this was my first encounter with the third world and the Islamic world (these were the days before Easy Jet was depositing 'stag do's' by the planeload in Marrakech).

With no male travel companion, we spent a lot of the trip seeking solace on the rooftop terraces of our riads to escape the steady stream of sexual slurs and general harassment that had trailed us through Fez and Marrakech. We dressed conservatively and it was the driest college 'spring break' trip this side of Cancun.

By the end of our journey we were feeling fairly defeated and then we alighted in Essaouria. We were among just a sprinkling of other tourists and for the first time in two weeks, left largely to our own devices. Free to stroll on the beach, wander the souk and browse without interference or a relentless sales pitch, it was the Morocco I had envisioned - beautiful, exotic, and hospitable.

2. Swan Lake at the Bolshoi, Moscow, Russia

When I was in kindergarten, each week a different student got to fill in a poster about themselves. You got to fill in things like your favorite food (spaghetti), favorite colour (blue) etc. One of the categories was 'three wishes' and I wrote that, 'I wish I lived in Russia.' It was 1988. I'm pretty sure my reasoning had more to do with ballerinas than Cold War politics, but I was positively smitten by Russia, even as a child.

Fast-forward to 2004 when I was on a college trip to Moscow and St Petersburg. One evening in Moscow, my professor knocked on my hotel room door and asked my roommate and I if we liked the ballet, I replied, 'we love the ballet'. Through some booking quirk our group had been split up and there were two premium, front row, box seats available and we were the chosen ones. Sipping champagne we watched the most famous ballet company in the world perform the most famous ballet in the world!

3. The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

India may have a bit of trouble taking care of its nice things, but this is not one of them. The Taj positively sparkles and it's hard to believe that it is pushing 400 years old; it looks like it was completed yesterday. I can't quite put my finger on why I'm so much more impressed by the Taj than the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House or even Angkor Wat, but I think it has something to do with the size, the symmetry and scale. The Taj is one that you really need to see for yourself, photos just don't capture it.

4. London like a local

I was lucky enough to 'live' in London as a study abroad student and have been back many times since. Sure, it's crowded, expensive, a bit dowdy and the weather is terrible, but who cares. Londoners are terribly smug about being Londoners, but I probably would be too if I lived there. It is a city positively groaning under the weight of history. It has some of the best museums in the world (most of which are free), the food is far better than you think, and there is no shortage of excellent watering holes.

5. Inveraray, Scotland

In Scotland, if you tell a local that you are going to Inveraray at the weekend, their immediate reply will be, 'Oh, are you going to The George?' Aside from a stunning position on Loch Fyne (which in my humble opinion produces the world's best oysters) Inveraray boasts what must be one of the finest gastropubs in all of Scotland (it's a good thing too, because it's practically the only place in town.)

The George (which is also a hotel) shatters my rule about hotel restaurants generally being paragons of mediocrity. (Outside of Edinburgh) Scottish pubs frequently lack the charm of their English counterparts, but not the George. The building dates from 1770 and has been lovingly cared for and restored. There are over 100 malt whiskies to choose from (believe me, when Uncle Matt came to town we got through an impressive selection of them). There are cozy nooks, open fireplaces and a gorgeous conservatory. Sadly, it's been a few years since we were last there, but I still salivate at the thought of their local scallops with brown butter and roasted hazelnuts or their to-die-for sticky toffee pudding.

The flagship Loch Fyne restaurant is also just down the road, and they hold a fabulous little seafood festival every 'summer'. If I was made of time and money, I'd go every year.

6. The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Anyone who has been will probably agree. Our first glimpse was the day after our emergency wedding in Vegas (short version, we needed to get married so I could get a residency visa in Malaysia). We approached from the North Rim, it was early autumn; cool, clear and the summertime crowds had largely dispersed. We spent two spellbound days photographing it from every vantage point we could find. Unfortunately, Ian had a broken foot, so we didn't get to do any serious hiking. I guess it means we'll have to go back.

7. Margaret River to Monkey Mia, Western Australia's Indian Ocean Coast

I have no doubt that this is a permanent fixture on the list. This stretch of coast is without question one of my favorite places on the planet. There's almost nothing (and no one) here and that is a huge part of its charm. The best part is, we haven't even covered half of it. Margaret River to Monkey Mia is only 1,125km (700 miles) of this magnificent stretch. From Monkey Mia, it's another 1,800km (1,120 miles) up to Broome and we can't wait to pick up where we left off.

8. Into the Heart of Borneo: Kuching, Malaysia

 

I'll be honest, when we arrived at Kuching's shiny new airport for the first time in 2011 and found ourselves in a tidy, orderly, little city and not some jungle-backwater (I'd been reading too much Conrad), I was a tiny bit put out. It certainly wasn't the image of Borneo that I had in my head, but I rallied and graciously accepted my unanticipated creature comforts. We dined at atmospheric little restaurants serving up local specialities like midin (an edible jungle fern) and drank ritzy cocktails made from local arak. There is a pleasant promenade along the riverfront, a quaint and crusty Victorian natural history museum and plenty of shops selling (not made in China) Dyak and Iban arts and crafts.

But in Kuching you can have your cake and eat it too. While the city is pleasantly civilised, the surrounding area allows you to sample Borneo's wild side. The orang-utans at Semmengoh Nature Reserve are real show-stoppers, but so too is Bako National Park. Bako is accessible only by boat (through crocodile-infested waters) and is home to rare proboscis monkeys and far, far too many kinds of snakes. There are extensive hikes to remote beaches and waterfalls and it is truly hotter than hell. There's also Kubah National Park, the Fairy Caves, Damai Beach and Mount Santubong. You can get all the jungle you require and then some.

9. Monet's Garden, Giverny, France

When I was a kid, my sister and I had a book called Linnea in Monet's Garden, if I think hard enough I can still recall specific passages and illustrations from the book. I loved it that much. So standing on the Japanese Bridge in Monet's Garden was kind of a big deal. The garden isn't overly landscaped; it's dense, almost shabby-chic and just as pretty as in the paintings.

10. The slow train: Yangon to Bagan, Myanmar

It was long, it was uncomfortable, and it was exactly as it was supposed to be. We trundled (and occasionally alarmingly rocked) along at an inconceivably slow pace, watching life in one of the world's least developed and most disconnected countries slide by. When things go according to plan, the journey takes about 17 hours to cover just under 400 miles. There's cold beer, no wifi, probably some of the safest food you'll eat, and definitely not the worst toilet you'll encounter (that's back at the station), so open the window wide, sit back and enjoy.

11. Sailing and snorkeling Komodo National Park, Indonesia

 

36 hours of sailing the Flores sea, snorkeling in pristine tropical waters, and spotting Komodo dragons (which are the closest thing you are ever going to see to a real life dinosaur). This is the only place on the planet you can spot these beasts and the scenery isn't bad either. Just make sure you have a good travel insurance policy and bring your own beer for the boat ride.

12. My (kind of) town, Chicago, USA

Despite a long tradition of megalomaniac mayors, Chicago is remarkably and refreshingly unpretentious. Chicago is one of the best looking cities in the world, but I think it looks particularly good in snow. A boozy brunch and a matinee at Second City is pretty much the perfect day out. Or maybe a leisurely stroll around the Art Institute and a ribeye the size of your face for dinner. Between London and Chicago, who needs New York?

The good, the bad and the ugly.

2 posts in under a week! I'm really hoping to get this blog back on track for awhile. I've been pretty lousy at it lately, but we had a huge summer (literally, we both came back from a three-week trip to America significantly heavier than when we left) and then the start of the academic year was upon us and so it goes.

Anyway, as our time in Malaysia grows shorter (61 days!) I'm starting to see everything in two categories: what I will miss, and what I will not. Let's take a look:

Things I will miss:

The lovely, lovely weather. 90 degrees every day, guaranteed.

The food. In no particular order: yam basket, banana leaf curry, laksas of all sorts, hokkien mee, steamboat, Chinese pork ribs, salted chilies, the list goes on . . . .

Cheap stuff. Especially: food, haircuts, the vet, gasoline, (really nice) hotels, taxis, the cinema, massages.

Regional travel. So much to see and do, in three years we have covered: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia x 2, Thailand x 4 and several good romps around Malaysia including a few trips to Borneo and some totally gorgeous islands.

Cheap regional airfare. Or how else would we have managed the above? AirAsia, I love you.

Under the sea. This part of the world has possibly made snorkeling my new favourite activity. Rays, octopus, starfish, clownfish, amazing corals. Can't get that just anywhere.

Wildlife. Orangutans, elephants, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, giant lizards, sea turtles. Even the little geckos.

Having a swimming pool. There is a very nice pool about 20 feet from my front door.

Thunderstorms. Totally epic, torrential, noisy, tropical thunderstorms.

Never ever being cold. You know what it's like to get out of bed at 7am in January in Illinois? I don't.

About a billion public holidays. When you observe Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and national/state holidays that adds up to a lot.

The diversity. There's a lot of different people here. I like that.

*And this really goes without saying, but of course all of our amazing Malaysian and fellow expat friends who we've met along the way.

Things I will not miss:

Driving. Everything about it.

Trying to get stuff done. It's so hard to get the simplest things done here sometimes. Want to pay your internet bill? Must call them up and do it over the phone (Oh! The irony). Need a plumber? Take three consecutive days off work and pray he shows up by the third day. Want to deposit a cheque? Good luck finding the 'special' deposit machine for foreigners.

Calling strangers on their mobile. See above. Lots of businesses and tradesmen are not online, so you can't look them up online or book an appointment. Instead, you ask around, you get some guy's mobile number and hope for the best.

Bureaucracy. There is a form and a supplementary price for everything.

Negotiating. I hate haggling and negotiating, I don't want to be ripped off and I don't want to rip you off. Just tell me the real (fair) price.

Sugar. It's in everything.

Spitting, hawking, chewing, slurping. I know it's a cultural thing, but I don't like it.

Littering. Is there really no space in your car for that empty packet of crisps? Really?

Cockroaches. Really big ones.

Lack of personal space. The pushing, shoving, me-first battle of boarding a plane, train or just standing in what passes for queue here.

No means no. If I said I don't want to buy it, I really mean it. Also, don't follow me around the store.

Palm oil plantations. Please, please stop destroying your beautiful country.

Sopping wet toilets. With or without footprints on the seat, this really irritates me. If part of your bathroom ritual basically involves taking a shower, that's fine. Just please wipe up the mess.

And did I mention DRIVING?

Bali high?

Bali is small and Bali is crowded. Seriously crowded. 95 miles across at it its widest point and 69 miles long Bali has a population of 4.2 million people. Then throw in all of the tourists. Gah.

Call me a snob, but Bali has never been high on my list of travel destinations. In this part of the world there are so many excellent islands and beaches and as we are so not into clubbing or crowds that Bali generally held little appeal.  There is a lot more to Bali than clubs and crowded beaches but extracting yourself from the tourist hub on arrival is easier said that done.

Anyway, this year we found ourselves in Bali, mostly because it is the only practical gateway to Komodo National Park (which is still another 400 miles east of Bali).  We did our homework and set our sights on northwest Bali - the corner of the island furthest away from the party scene in the southeast.

We are fairly experienced with Asian roads and Asian driving, so given the relatively short distances involved we rented a car (it was hair-raising, even for us).  Our plan was to overnight in Ubud (admittedly one of the most touristy destinations in Bali) but it was on our route and is considered the cultural heart of the island and came to us well recommended.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but Ubud did very little for me.  It struck me as a bit of a tourist trap full to bursting with Eat, Pray, Love types.  Arguably a more irritating crowd than the ravers in the southeast.

We had a thoroughly overpriced and disappointing meal, went to bed and after a brief but pleasant walk around the paddy fields we beat a path out of town the following morning.

Our drive to Pemuteran was long and windy (windy enough for me to get carsick in the front seat). However, I'm pleased to say it was worth the journey, because when we checked in (http://tirtasaribungalow.com) everything suddenly seemed okay again. Note the convenient swim-up bar at the end of the pool. This place also has a fabulous little spa and the rates are unbelievably good.

Pemuteran was fantastic, laid-back and full of other like-minded guests. Another reason for choosing Pemuteran was the reef restoration project that started there in 2000.  Thirteen years in the progress is phenomenal - the fish and the coral are back - an encouraging site to see in a country where 94% of all coral reefs are classed as 'severely damaged'.

Pemuteran is also just a few minutes away from Menjangan Island, a tiny island about 5 miles off the Bali coast with stunning 200 foot drop-offs, making for some of the best diving and snorkeling in Indonesia (if not the world). There is a huge variety of fish, soft and hard corals - by far the best snorkeling I've done to date.  Unfortunately it's a bit crowded with day trippers from the Ubud and the southeast but is still well worth the effort - just don't count on having the reef to yourself.

On the whole Bali was fine, but much like southern Thailand.  If I was going to splash out on one big trip to Asia - Bali wouldn't be my first choice. There is a lot to do and it is very tourist friendly, but in my mind it's a little too tourist friendly.

The beer run

Lacking any dramatic tales of vicious attacks by Komodo dragons we will continue our Indonesia odyssey with a moment nearly as dramatic - our emergency beer run.

Note: in this part of the world the provision of alcoholic beverages should always be taken very seriously and can never be taken for granted.   

After long, hot day of dragon spotting and snorkeling we found ourselves with a desperately low beer supply. Doing our best not to panic, we managed to communicate our situation to the teenage cook on board our boat.  

Half an hour later we docked at a very small, very isolated and very Muslim village. My heart sank. 

We were instantly swarmed by hordes of gorgeous local children. Some proffering cheap trinkets at extortionate prices others drawn by the sudden presence of a red-head in their midst. 

Yes, Amelia was an instant hit and children lined the dock to stare at her while she tinkered around on the boat.

The cook beckoned Ian and Jeremy to follow and he led them on an extended expedition through the village. Tucked away in a far corner of this town was a single shop. When Ian and Jeremy entered, the shopkeeper's face was radiant with joy. She knew she was about to make a killing. 

In the back of the shop, buried under dust and debris was a single case of Bintang. She asked an outrageous price and the boys didn't bat an eye. Sensing she might be able to fund her retirement in a single transaction she began offering to sell virtually everything but the shop itself. They politely declined offers of dusty sunglasses, cigarettes and expired cat food.

Twenty minutes later the dream team came parading back down the dock looking slightly dazed and extremely pleased with themselves. 

I almost couldn't believe my eyes. If there was a single village in all of Southeast Asia that didn't have beer for sale, I would have guessed this was it. 

Happy and now with refreshment we travelled a short distance to a quiet bay where we would spend the night. We had a delicious dinner of stuffed squid (and beer) and retreated to the top deck of the boat where miles away from any light pollution or obstruction watched the stars appear in their thousands.

Thai travels

Southern Thailand is everything that it says in the travel guides - long white sand beaches, stunning limestone karts, cheap beer, good food (think fresh crab & papaya salad, roast duck noodle soup, pad thai) and teeming with tourists. Teeming. If you are looking for a quiet idyllic retreat you need to be prepared to shell out the big bucks for a fancy resort or head down the road less travelled to some off-beat nook in Indonesia. Southern Thailand has been so thoroughly 'discovered' that even the backpackers have mostly moved on.

There is very little that is uniquely, culturally 'Thai' about Southern Thailand, unless you consider Thailand's exemplary ability relatively efficiently cater to first-world tourists in a third-world infrastructure. The South is not the more genteel cultural (but still touristy) destination of the North, it is unabashedly 100% for tourists, period.

There are probably more white people on any given beach in Thailand than on just about any given city street in London. It was utterly bizarre to so suddenly rejoin the ethnic majority.

The majority of tourists are German, French and British and as an American it's always refreshing to be reminded that not all Europeans are as refined and sophisticated as they would have you believe.  I saw more tramp-stamped, obese bikini-clad women, and coconut-oiled, flabby speedo-strutting men since my summers manning the snack bar at the local public pool.  This is the Ibiza of Asia - where Euro-trash comes to roost in the Mediterranean off-season.

Okay, this has gotten more negative than I intended. Like I said, it's stunningly beautiful (really) and a with a bit of know-how you can put some decent distance between yourself and the hordes.  The beaches are crowded - there is no getting around that - but rent a kayak, go for a hike or hire a private boat (which doesn't cost much more than going on one of the jam-packed, all-day snorkeling tours anyway) and before long you've left the circus behind.

Krabi is a mere 1 hour and 15 minute flight from KL, so as an escape from the big city, endless oil palm plantations and Malaysia's grimy West Coast beaches (Langkawi excepted) on the oil-slick shipping lanes of the Straits of Malacca - it's a pretty excellent retreat. If it was my one shot at a big trip to Asia though, I'd probably be a bit disappointed. 

Would I go back? You bet.

Sinking ships?

Monsoon season is nearly upon us - as evidenced by the massive thunderstorms that have begun rolling through most afternoons.  Here on the west coast things don't get so bad, but the east coast gets the full brunt of it and as such slowly closes down between October and November.  The east coast is home to Malaysia's best beaches and islands so it seemed sensible for us to make a quick trip before the end of the season.

We're off to Pulau Tioman - where one has the option of either flying or going by ferry.  It's a short flight and thus a very small plane (I don't do light aircraft) so I convinced Ian that going by ferry was surely the best option.  Then yesterday I got a vague email from the proprietor of our hotel that there was about to be 'severe disruption' to the ferry service.  At first I assumed he just meant that the monsoons were early and that was causing delays, oh no - according to Bernama (the Malaysian equivalent of Reuters of the AP) this is the problem:

PULAU TIOMAN, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Four of the eight ferries serving Tioman Island were grounded since they did not comply to safety requirements and equipment required under the Marine Department rules.

East Coast Region Marine Department director, Wan Endok Wan Salleh said the ferries, which were en route to the island via Tanjung Gemok-Tioman-Mersing, would resume service after the ferry operators had fulfilled the safety requirements.

He said their non compliance of safety requirements was found after the department held a four-day awareness campaign, that commenced last Friday, in collaboration with the marine police, Marine Park Department and the Maritime Enforcement Agencies.

"About 44 summons were issued to ferry and passenger boat operators during the campaign," he told reporters after a safety campaign for jetty, ferry and passenger boats here.

He said the summons were issued for operating without license, employing incompetent captains, overloading and insufficient safety equipment.

Splendid.  This is what my fear of flying gets me - and this is particularly worrying because:

A. I (alongside two cousins and a friend) have already been on this ferry service twice this year (on the bright side I'm alive to tell the tale).
B. As you may have guessed, Malaysia isn't exactly at the top of the public health and safety charts - so my fear is things must have been quite bad for this to happen.

Oh well, we're off . . . .  hopefully for a weekend of snorkeling and relaxing in the sun - not floating in the middle of the South China Sea as shark bait. 

Travels to the South Pacific

Well Ramadan is into full swing which means I'm in a country of cranky, dehydrated, hungry people who should all be banned from driving until it's over.  Therefore, it seems the perfect time to go on vacation and leave the circus behind.  Also, I have a few visitors currently en route.  One visitor is a cousin whose journey will originate in Galesburg, this is what she is in for:

• a 3 hour, 180 mile drive from Galesburg to Chicago, 
• a 3.5 hour flight, and 1750 miles to Los Angeles, 
• overnight in LA, 
• a 6,500 mile journey - and 12 hour 40 minute flight to Shanghai
• followed by a layover in Shanghai 
• a 5 hour 2,700 mile flight from Shanghai to KL
• and finally a 45 minute - 30 mile drive from the airport home

That's 11,160 miles and roughly 21 hours of flying alone - roughly three days door-to-door, she also will cross the international date line and lose a day of her life. Suffice it to say there is no easy way to get here.

Surviving that, I think they've probably earned a trip to the beach.  So we are off to Pulau Tioman an island off the east coast of Malaysia, which would be familiar to many as the filming site of Bali Hai for the classic 1958 film South Pacific.  We will enjoy three days of snorkeling and taking in the crystal clear waters of the South China Sea.  I'm hoping that will have made the journey worth it!