Chiang Mai

The 12-hour overnight train ride to Chiang Mai was actually not nearly as bad as I feared. Our accommodations were basic but Alex and I both managed to get some sleep before arriving right on time at 8am.

We hailed a songthaew (basically a combination between a small pick-up truck and a tuk-tuk) and in no time we were relaxing, eating breakfast at our hotel in the old city. After showering, we mapped out a walking tour of the city and set out to explore the many historic temples nearby.

The entrance to Wat Phra Singh Woramahaviharn.

Monks in training...

Lots of elephants and Buddhas in Chiang Mai.

The beautiful Wat Chiang Man.

We quickly realized that Chiang Mai is far more manageable than Bangkok - not only is it much smaller geographically, there are fewer people and less cars. The sights were easily viewed by walking around and there were ample restaurants and shops everywhere.
For dinner we headed in the direction of the night bazaar and ended up at a restaurant called Mammary Delicious (we wondered about the name choice too). Afterward we grabbed beers and explored the night markets for a bit, scoring a couple of elephant t-shirts for a very reasonable $3.

Today we woke up planning to start the day with a hike to Doi Suthep, a nearby temple perched on top of the area's highest mountain. Unfortunately, hiking appears to be something of little interest to most Thai people and we really couldn't find any suitable maps or guidance. We settled for a songteaw ride to the temple and back (a beautiful temple but completely overrun with tourists - we much preferred the less-traveled temples we saw in town) and spent the afternoon wrapping up some travel logistics for our upcoming time in Vietnam.

Standing in front of the Doi Suthep stairs. We seriously had to wait over 10 minutes just for this crowded shot.

The temple was pretty cool once we got to the top.

One of the less-visited Buddhas within the temple.

We've seen a handful of temples that display a different Buddha for each day of the week.

Everyone else was so busy with the main temple that they paid no attention to this "side temple."

At 4pm we were picked up for our evening activity - a Thai cooking class at Zabb E Lee cooking school. We spent five hours with Ann,  the owner / instructor, visiting the local market, creating a menu and cooking and eating. We learned a lot about Thai food in general and also that pad Thai - one of my favorite dishes - is actually not made with nuts, but is only garnished with peanuts at the end, meaning Alex can eat it! Ann was a great teacher and our four dishes all turned out to be delicious. What a great way to spend the evening!

First stop of the cooking class: buying ingredients from the local market.

Not the best quality image but the only one our Chef took while we were actually cooking!

Armed and ready to cook.

Tomorrow we head to Patara Elephant Farm for the day and I expect this to be the highlight of our time in Chiang Mai!

Ayutthaya

After wrapping up some additional sightseeing in Bangkok on Sunday, we took a two-hour train ride north to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is en route to Chiang Mai - our next stop - and the former capital of Thailand, making it home to ruins and tons of temples and former temples. While the train was not air conditioned, our tickets cost less than a dollar each so we braved the heat and watched the Thai countryside pass by.

Sunset somewhere between Bangkok and Ayutthaya.

From the train station we hailed a tuk-tuk to our guest house for the night and were pleasantly surprised at how nice our accommodations were (I know it's cheap in Thailand but spending $25 a night for a nice, comfortable room with all the amenities just doesn't feel right). We walked through town in search of dinner and found a quiet local spot on the water. Not much English was spoken (which makes us nervous only because of Alex's nut allergies) but we managed and had a wonderful meal for less than $15 (I just can't get over it!).

View of the Wat Phanan Choeng, just across the river from our table.

Once we returned to our guesthouse, our host Jaena took the time to greet us and help create a tour for us to see the ruins by bike on Monday. Feeling excited and prepared we headed off to bed to get some sleep before a long day in the sun.

We woke up early and packed up our bags before heading out for Thai iced coffee (made with condensed milk, it is sweet and a really great indulgence at about $1 for a giant cup) to jumpstart the day.

We ended up biking around from temple to temple, stopping only to rest and have some lunch and by late afternoon we were exhausted.

Wat Phra Si Samphet.

Wat Phra Ram.

Lunch beak. Seafood curry in a coconut? Yes, please!

One of the many Buddhas at Wat Maha That.

Same Buddha from another angle.

When our guide said we could "see a Buddha head in the tree over there" we thought it would be a little less literal!

Different Buddha with more ruins of Wat Maha That in the background.

Before heading back to the guesthouse we needed to grab a quick dinner nearby. With limited restaurant options - though food stalls are everywhere - we finally tested out the night market. Alex survived!!! For less than $10 (including tip) we had three entrees and a few beers and also confirmed a few dishes that appear to be 100% nut-free all the time. It's nerve-wracking for Alex to take the first bite of anything here but we are both happy that it has worked out so well so far (knock on wood).

Alex with pad see ew - his new favorite Thai dish.

Jaena was nice enough to let us shower at the guesthouse even though we had checked out in the morning (SO grateful - we were covered in sweat and bug spray and the train to Chiang Mai is overnight, clocking in at 12 hours minimum) so we cleaned up before heading to the train station and saying goodbye.

We only spent 24 hours in Ayutthaya but Alex and I both agreed it was an amazing place that should warrant a stop for anyone traveling through Thailand.

Bangkok

As the point of entry for most travelers who visit Thailand, Bangkok gets a pretty bad rep. Most reviews warn others to get in and get out as quickly as possible. After spending just two days here, it's easy to understand why: traffic is abysmal, it's crowded, hot and dirty, and the must-see sights are often alongside the slum-like neighborhoods throughout the sprawling city.

But underneath the rough exterior is a place well worth a visit (if you do it right and come prepared). Our advice:

1. Stay in a modern hotel. There are plenty of places with everything you could need for less than $50 a night. You will want creature comforts after a long day of sightseeing and sensory overload (think comfy beds, AC, WiFi, a bar and a pool).

2. Take advantage of the exchange rate. Thailand is super cheap and even nicer restaurants cost fractions of US prices. I've been dying to get a massage because the offers are so reasonable!

3. DO NOT plan on walking everywhere. This was our biggest mistake - the temples and sights are spread out and the maps make them seem closer than they appear. More importantly, the streets and areas you traverse through are not scenic or charming. Also, it is HOT! But...

4. Tuk-tuks are always available, fun and cheap - by far the best way to get around and explore the city. We had a tourist officer (usually hanging around many of the main sights) hire a tuk-tuk to take us around for a couple hours for about $3. Special note: the drivers are in cahoots with the tailors and tourist agencies and will try to add these stops to your itinerary. We felt bad - and were caught off guard the first time - so we obliged the driver and looked around a fabric store for a few minutes. But be prepared and just say no!

5. Plan for meals. Given Alex's nut allergy we can't depend on street food for a quick meal (and honestly in the 90-degree heat we didn't want spicy soup noodles or intimidating fried objects anyway). We figured with over 7,000 restaurants in Bangkok we wouldn't have trouble locating a small Thai place or cafe, especially near major tourist spots, but we were wrong. (This ties in with the previous point on walking too).

Overall I think two days is the right amount of time to spend in Bangkok. We have to connect back through here for another night or two and I'm excited to see the few sights we missed and take a boat ride down the river, but I'm happy we are moving on within Thailand. Below are some of our favorite images from the past couple of days:

Wat Pho is known best for the Reclining Buddha but the outside grounds are pretty nice too!

More of the many chedi surrounding the temples.

Posing for a picture in one of the elaborate gates at Wat Pho.

There are over 1,000 Buddha images in the temple - here are just a few.

And then we found these more elaborate ones just down the hall.

One more from Wat Pho. The Reclining Buddha is so big that it's basically impossible to photograph properly from inside the temple, but you can get an idea of what it looked like here.

The temple courtyard at Wat Benchamabophit.

We loved the blue contrast behind this Buddha at Wat Benchamabophit.

Buddha at Wat Saket (the views from the top of the "golden mount" weren't great because it was a bit hazy when we were there - but definitely worth the trek up the stairs!).

Tuk-tuk...the only way to get around in Bangkok!

Decent sunset view from our hotel as we relaxed after a hectic day!

Singapore

Our flight from Christchurch to Singapore was surprisingly long. It takes 11 hours to complete the journey - almost as long as our LA to Tokyo flight. Fortunately, similar to that hop over the Pacific, we were on Singapore Air and had excellent service the whole way. The views out the window were pretty nice too.

Flying over the west coast of New Zealand.

By the time we landed – 8pm local time, 1am New Zealand time – we were ready to just get to our hotel and crash. The early bed time (and unadjusted body clocks) allowed us to get an early start to Wednesday morning, though, so we headed out for a run around 7am. The streets were still mostly deserted so it was a great way to begin getting a feel for Singapore. We ran down to the waterfront, which has nice running tracks all along the Singapore Straight, and paused to look at all the ships anchored just offshore and the morning sun creeping through the clouds.

Nice view for the morning run!

After we were both too sweaty to continue – it’s VERY hot and humid here! – we grabbed a coffee and walked home. I thought I had inadvertently led us on an excellent running route that miraculously ended right at a Starbucks; as we later learned, there are 100 Starbucks in Singapore (which is a lot for such a tiny place). Regardless of the non-novelty of the coffee, it was still the perfect end to our run.

Our goal on Wednesday was to see a few of the ethnic neighborhoods Singapore is known for: Arab Street, Chinatown and Little India. First up, Arab Street. Unfortunately, the Masjid Sultan (the neighborhood mosque) was having some renovation done to the outside so scaffolding covered most of it. The inside was still nice (although we are still a bit spoiled from our time exploring Istanbul).

I think we were spoiled by the mosques we saw in Turkey…this just doesn’t compare.

We strolled over to the Malay Heritage Center next, which was a good primer on Singapore’s history. By the time we had finished walking through the museum we were ready for lunch – we headed back to Arab Street to have some Middle Eastern food at Beirut Grill. Very good, and very cheap; we’d highly recommend if you’re in the area!

Our next intended stop was Chinatown, but Mother Nature had other plans. We got as far as Raffles, which is a sight to be seen in its own right, just as a downpour of rain began. Fortunately, we figured it was as good a time as any to stop into Long Bar to try the famous Singapore Sling.

It tastes about as sweet as it looks. Very cool bar to see, by the way.

After waiting out the rain, we headed over to our other intended destinations but our time was a little rushed as we had other big plans tonight: two separate rendezvous with friends. Our first was at Oxwell & Co with Max and Afsan, two friends-of-friends who currently live in Singapore. The drinks were good but the company was better – always good to make new connections on the other side of the world! After saying goodbye to our new friends, we walked over to LeVel33 to meet someone we actually knew beforehand, Sara. LeVel33 is a craft brewery atop one of Singapore’s many skyscrapers…so we had good beers to accompany excellent views of the city!

Reunited on the other side of the world.

A better shot of Singapore’s skyline at night.

We woke up pretty early again on Thursday, this time no run though: we had a 3 hour walking tour of Singapore scheduled so we didn't want to wear ourselves out. We made our way to the heart of downtown Singapore to meet our tour guide. By the way, the area where we met is called Raffles Place. There are also shopping centers, hospitals, numerous streets, etc. named after this guy. He is the “founder” of Singapore and they don’t want you to forget it! (First class on Singapore Air used to be called Raffles Class. No joke.)

Wei, our guide from Indie Singapore for the next three hours, was great - he showed us all around the heart of Singapore and we learned a lot of the country’s history. (Not to mention that the tour was free!)

Our tour group walking along the Singapore River.

Wei’s favorite sculpture along the river: children jumping in.

Parliament.

The former Ministry of Propaganda. Now the Ministry of Information… (Sarah liked the rainbow colored shutters.)

The tour ended with a great view of the city’s skyline.

We were ready to get out of the heat and into some AC so we headed straight for downtown to grab some lunch. On the way, we passed The Clifford Pier and Sarah suggested we duck quickly to check it out. I’m very glad we did.

Cooling AC with a view!

After lunch we headed back to our hotel to do some laundry and rest up before another night out. Around 5pm, we headed to the Marina Bay Sands to catch the sunset from their legendary roof deck. I had a wardrobe issue, though – just after we got there (around 5:30pm), they began enforcing the no shorts rule. And I was wearing shorts. I tried to convince Sarah to go up without me, but she refused. Oh well, we’ll save that one for the next time we’re in Singapore.

The Gardens by the Bay.

Our view of the lightshow from water-level…still pretty spectacular!

After the nightly light show (which some say is government propaganda…not sure we were left with that impression) we headed to Chinatown to meet Sara again at one of her favorite local spots: a hawker microbrewery. We caught up for a few hours, then said our goodbyes and headed home.

We had about half a day today to squeeze in the rest of what we’ll see in Singapore. We decided to head to the Botanical Gardens, which are deservedly legendary, before heading to the airport. The grounds are huge, well maintained and definitely worth a visit (especially the orchid garden!).

The Singapore Botanical Gardens.

Entrance to the Orchid Garden.

Me and some orchids.

Decent walkway through the gardens.

An orchid up close.

After strolling through the gardens for a few hours, we had lunch at Nando’s. This place would be a goldmine in NYC – the chicken is deliciously prepared, the sauces have just the right balance of spice and flavor, and Chrissy Teigen posts about it fairly regularly on Instagram (Sarah added that last fact). A great last meal in Singapore.

We’re at the airport now, about to make the short flight to Bangkok. New adventures in Southeast Asia await!

Top Takeaways - Fifteen

We are rounding out our last few days in New Zealand and had an amazing time exploring the country with my dad and stepmom. Here are some of our top takeaways.

View from the KiwiRail TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch

1. New Zealand really is quite proud of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Landing in the Wellington airport and being greeted by a flying Gandolf was unexpected and strange. There are tours advertised everywhere and even the Air New Zealand safety video is filmed entirely as a Hobbit movie! As someone who has seen exactly none of these movies, I thought this was weird but as my stepmom would say "to each their own!"

2. The scenery on Middle Earth (seriously, there are hobbit references everywhere!) is beautiful and totally unspoiled, which is why so many movies are filmed here!

3. Part of the reason New Zealand has so many amazing, untouched landscapes is that very few people actually live here. With a population of less than five million, the density is less than 1 person per square mile in the majority of the country! Even the tourist destinations we visited seemed pretty tame relative to other places we've seen.

4. Skydiving should be on everyone's bucket list. I NEVER planned on taking the plunge because I'm generally afraid of dying in a freak accident but I am so glad I talked myself into it. Definitely the coolest thing I've ever done and a top five experience on the trip.

5. Flat whites are just as ubiquitous in New Zealand as in Australia (no complaints here!) but we couldn't tell you if we prefer the Aussie or Kiwi take.

6. New Zealand really does offer something for everyone. From beautiful beaches, lakes and mountains to skiing, shopping and relaxing to skydiving and bungee jumping, the small country is pretty diverse!

7. Fjords and sounds are not the same thing. We traveled to Doubtful Sound only to learn that it should really be called a fjord and left still confused. (Basically a sound is created by a river while a fjord is created by a glacier, FYI.)

8. Free WiFi doesn't necessary mean free, unlimited WiFi. Many of the hotels we stayed at in New Zealand had questionable internet situations - either slow or barely existent connections, data limits or other qualifiers (my favorite was at a hotel in Franz Joseph when the lady at the front desk told us we "should try by sitting outside near the parking lot" and "tea time is the busiest time to get a signal.")

9. My dad and stepmom are excellent travelers. They kept up with us and never complained - they can rejoin us any time they want! Also, it feels different to travel with others after traveling alone for six months. We really enjoy the "newlywed travel" experience but it was nice to have some company!

10. Not all small towns are charming. I'm so glad we made the decision to drive through the countryside near Queenstown and Lake Wanaka but wish we'd bypassed Hokitika and Greymouth in favor of more time elsewhere. Even Franz Joseph was not a must-see for me given the poor weather (which is apparently the case most of the time).

Peak: Skydiving in Lake Wanaka

Pit: Debacle with the Sofitel in Queenstown

Next Stop: Singapore