5 places worth a visit on your travels

To me, everywhere is worth visiting once. I have found enjoyment in every place I've been and just because there are places that I won't rush back to doesn't mean that I regret visiting there in the first place. Then there are these places, which are truly special. They might be a little trickier to get to, or you may not have them on your list for a variety of reasons (distance from other places, budget, transport options etc) but I highly recommend (read: suggest you visit or you are missing out!). I either have gone back already, will go back or a little part of my soul will pine for them.

1. Achill Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland. I have raved in previous blog entries about Achill, my favourite place in the whole world. Why should you put Achill on your list? Its scenery will take your breath away, from the craggy  rock formations, many pristine beaches perfect for surfing, kite-surfing or just a swim, magnificent cliffs rising into modest mountains that are well worth a hike, delicious seafood and Irish music sessions in many pubs waiting to serve creamy pints of Guinness. I can't extol the virtues of this island enough. From the Atlantic Drive to Keem Bay, barbecues under the shadow of Slievemore at sunset, a good walk to knock out the cobwebs on Keel beach and settling in at the Valley House for a pint and great tunes - it's hard to beat and I'm sure you'll agree.

Slievemore at sunset

The writers Graham Greene and Heinrich Boll spent time living on the island and many an artist has taken up residence there.

How to get there: Train from Dublin to Castlebar, then 1 hour bumpy bus journey to Achill Sound, or hitch - plenty of friendly locals and travellers pick up on the road from Castlebar to Achill.





2. Trakai, Lithuania. Never heard of it? Probably not but it's fantastic. Only a stone's throw from the capital of Vilnius, which is also worth a visit, Trakai is definitely budget-friendly and worth a visit for it's Gothic castle (with unique architecture for Eastern Europe), the bridge, the maze (yes, a maze you can get lost or found in!), a range of outdoor activities - including sailing and rowing and the fact that it's a national park. It's been quite a few years since I visited (hint: I was a teenager at the time) but it still pops up in my dreams. Grab some local food for a picnic beside the lake. If you wish to do more than a day trip you can get apartments for less than EUR40 a night.

Image from TraveloLithuania.com

How to get there: From Vilnius, there are regular buses every 20 mins or so. There are also trains for the short journey.





3. Koh Chang, Trat Province, Thailand.

Koh Chang is definitely growing in popularity but it's still much cheaper than most of the Thai islands, such as Koh Samui or Phuket. Don't expect the karst formations that you'll find on the Andaman islands, but there are plenty of picture perfect beaches here with far less crowds than the famous spots on other islands. It's pretty hilly and is great to explore (be careful of the wildlife in the jungle) and you can also hop onto other, even less visited islands from there. If you really want the 'backpacker' feel you can stay at Lonely Beach, where the nightlife is anything but lonely. Massages start at around EUR5, accommodation can be as cheap as EUR8 per person sharing (even in a double room) and a wide range of cuisine can be found on the island. I recommend Kai Bae beach, for location and the beach.

Me, a swing, Kai Bae beach.

How to get there: We got burned on our trip because the internet doesn't always tell the truth! Well, information changes, I guess. If you are coming from Bangkok, it is recommended to get to the Ekkamai bus station EARLY (and/or book in advance) and get a bus that leaves before noon. It takes about 4 and a half hours to Trat. Some buses go directly to the pier where boats leave from, others just to Trat and you have to share songtheaws (they resemble pick-up trucks with benches in the back) to the port. The last boat to the island leaves at 7pm. The boat takes about 30 minutes to cross and then you will have to pay about 150bht to get to whichever resort you're staying in.

There are also buses from near Victory Monument in Bangkok to Trat and Koh Chang, they leave hourly but once again, be aware that due to demand there may only be 2 or 3 buses running rather than hourly.

http://iamkohchang.com is a good website if you're planning to travel there.

4. Tarife, Southern Spain. Forget Gibraltor (seriously, it's not a nice place) and go a bit further down the road to the charming town of Tarife, which is also the southernmost tip of Spain. Although it barely gets a mention in guidebooks and isn't the prettiest of port towns, it is a haven for kite surfers and also offers pristine white beaches both on the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans (the two meet here) and there are wonderful views across to Morocco. There's the Moorish Castillo de Guzman el bueno fort to visit and the Church of San Mateo plus plenty of lovely tapas places to eat for under EUR10. It is definitely worth a weekend trip if you're interested in geography or history.

Med on the left, Atlantic on the right

How to get there: The nearest airport is Gibraltor, but Malaga is only an 1 1/2 hours away so you can see more of the Costa del Sol before taking in Tarife or plan your trip from there.  The easiest thing is to hire a car (pretty inexpensive - from EUR45 per week) but you can get a bus from Malaga. There are also regular buses from Gibraltor and Algeciras.












5. Kaikoura, South island, New Zealand. Last, but by no means least. There are so many places to get to in New Zealand but I've noticed that this one is sometimes missed. I have no idea why. Kaikoura is known primarily for year round whale watching, and it's absolutely worth it. Although I missed the money shot (the tail raised out of the water) I did so because watching it took my breath away. There are also large seal colonies in the area, fantastic to watch, even from a bus and dusky dolphins out at sea. Even though I visited in peak season, the small town wasn't very busy, which is nice for a break when travelling. You can see a longer post I wrote on a local bar/eatery here.

Sunset on the beach

How to get there: There are regular buses from Picton, which take around 2 and a half hours, whilst buses from Christchurch take only slightly longer and fares are very reasonable (you can get buses from NZD$1 in Christchurch, whilst it's around NZD$15 from Picton).

Kaikoura is not a cheap destination, although if you're already in New Zealand you're probably aware. Still, if you're on a backpacking budget it's probably a good idea to set a little extra aside for the even the basics here.

The walkway at 7am, beautiful mountains in the distance.

Realistically, I could put so many places on this list but these were the ones that I see mentioned least online, that were special to me at the time and still remain in my mind. Where are your places? I'd love to hear so I can add them to my list.

Not Khao-San, other places to eat and drink in Bangkok

The first time I was in Bangkok I was incredibly overwhelmed by the size of the place - the city seems never-ending and if you get up to any heights it stretches out in every direction the eye can see; the river winding through various sky-scrapers and low-lying shacks by the river. The enormity of it is still striking to me now but I've gotten to know another side of the city by now and can thoroughly understand why it offers expats a nice life.

From the Mariott Rooftop, Bangkok goes on forever

An old friend from Dubai, Becky, now calls Bangkok home. We go through long periods of not meeting up and our last meeting outside Thailand was a funny road-trip to Ennis, accompanied by a little green teddy. Yes, Becky and I do have some weird ideas of fun but we also share a very similar sense of humour and a deep bond from sharing some tricky times in Dubai. Becky's place is a far cry from Khao San Road; it's set in a pretty district of Sukhumvit, surrounded by other residences with pools and gyms and up market restaurants nearby.

I'm not a huge fan of enormous cities, probably because the city I come from, Dublin, only has a population of about a million people, which barely competes with the major metropolises of our world.
I like my cities smaller and easy to navigate. Having said that, I'm a big fan of Bangkok's various options of transport - the BTS is cheap and reliable, motor cycle taxis are ubiquitous, taxis themselves are crazy reasonable considering it's a worldwide city with an intolerable traffic problem. You can even take canal boats (not a pastime for hungover backpackers - the stench would shake even the sturdiest constitution) where you might chance upon a dead croc floating in the infected waters, true story - a friend has seen one.

So, to share some of the places I've been and liked in Bangkok, even though I fear giving too much away, it's nice to share with other travellers and for the owners to have patronage of those seeking out a different path.

If you've visited Wat Pho, which certainly is worth it from a historical perspective (It was the first university in Thailand) and to admire the colourful stupas in the courtyard, then you'll appreciate a cool drink or some food nearby. There are a number of options by the river, you can normally get a seat at Eat Sight Story, ESS to watch riverboats go by and enjoy the view of Wat Arun. It is accessed by a soi between two temples. There is also the better known The Deck, which boasts the same views and excellent food, but you may struggle to be seated.

Wat Arun at sunset

Bangkok is developing quite the cafe culture and a great spot for brunch is Gram, on Soi 49 of Sukhumvit. There's not much seating and it's probably to be avoided in the sweatier months but I had a long, lazy lunch there in March and it was very pleasant. They offer all day breakfasts and super smoothies.

I was lucky enough to be invited to Bellino wine bar and boutique, a stunningly picturesque little part of Italy in Bangkok. Go for the chorizo, stay for the reasonably priced and good (finally, good wine in Thailand!) wine.We had a lovely night there for their birthday party.

If you are pining for a bit of trivia, then you can head to pub quiz on Thursday nights at The Pickled Liver, a proper British pub which doesn't feel like it's just off Sukhumvit in Bangkok, a very unassuming joint with good pub grub.

And finally, if you're looking for a quieter Rooftop than Lebua (the rooftop scene's from the Hangover have made it a hotspot), head over to Octave at the Mariott for 360 degree views of the city. It also has great 2 for 1 cocktails between 5pm - 7pm so you can enjoy your sundowners at a more reasonable cost than most of the city.

Sorry Becky, if I've given away some of your secret spots, but not all :)

Visa-run from Chiang Mai-Vientiane - taking my time, making it leisurely.....

I am aware that there are many blogs on this topic, however when I was looking, I found none posted after July 2014 - when visa rules changed, and none by Europeans, which I happen to be. Many focus on getting in and out of Laos pretty quickly but I decided (after a really enjoyable time in Luang Prabang at the beginning of 2014) to spend a few days in Vientiane, and also explore the different transport options in doing this particular journey.

Sunset over the Mekong, in Vientiane

I left on a Saturday afternoon from Chiang Mai. I decided to fly to Udon Thani one way as my tourist visa was expiring that night at midnight. I booked the flight about 4 days previously for 2, 000bht (approx. EUR48 right now), you can get them cheaper or you can fly to Vientiane for about 9, 000bht more, if you're feeling flush. The flight was nice and easy, free checked luggage with Nok Air and out of the airport within about fifteen minutes. I had been told to get across Udon Thani to the bus station and get a bus to Nong Khai and then from there to the border, but I was offered a mini-bus directly to the border for 200Bht (EUR4.80) and that seemed far less hassle for a saving of what would amount to 50bht. I met a fellow Chiang Mai dweller on the mini-bus, which proved to make the whole trip easier and more enjoyable.

We were dropped right at the border. It's pretty easy to leave Thailand, but I had a hairy moment as I'd lost my departure card. I cajoled a little (with my absolutely minimal Thai) and the guard gave me another. I don't really understand the departure card - as the stamp for entry is in my passport so they know when I came in? Anyhow, there are many things I don't understand! Once you're through you get the bus across the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge (20bht/50cents) and arrive at the Laos border.

As it was a Saturday evening, there was no one else around and I had come prepared money-wise. For Europeans, it's usually $35 (approx. EUR27) for a Laos visa, but add $1 for weekends or after 6pm. After 6pm on a weekend seems a great time to do it, and I was happy to pay the $1 extra. Note that you can also pay in Thai baht, but you pay 1500bht (approx. EUR36) so there's a nice little surcharge on there, for whoever it is that prefers the US Dollar. Also, have a couple of passport photos handy. They say one but in SE Asia, laws are apt to change. The forms don't take long and are processed within about five minutes.

Vientiene's version of the ubiquitous signpost

My new friend, John, had forgotten to go to the bank back in Thailand, due to some silly law his bank had (as I said - many things I don't understand) so I said I would wait for him at the Laos border to get to Vientiane together. It also meant I had the time to people-watch, one of my favourite pastimes. I deduced that toilet paper must be cheaper in Thailand, as people seemed to be bringing stacks of it (I mean, hundreds of rolls!) across the border, along with various foam packaging, for restaurants I guess. The border got much more crowded around 8pm and there was a queue of cars when John returned, about an hour later.

We headed into the city by minivan. If you share, expect to pay no more than 200bht per person, but try and get the songtheaws, some have bargained down to 100bht per person. Thai baht is freely accepted here, even preferred to kip, the local currency.

I had chosen www.vientianestarhotel.com as my lodgings, and they were perfectly adequate. The owner and staff were really friendly and helpful, the rooms were really clean (and bed-bug free - bed bugs are a huge problem in Vientiane), as were the bathrooms, and they have a cool courtyard decorated with graffiti for drinks or breakfast. It's also a pretty good location, around the corner from the Mekong. John and I headed around to Via Via, an Italian restaurant, where we stuffed our faces with pide (Turkish pizza), hummus, falafel and salad. I also had a couple of mojitos, as it was Saturday night. We also had a couple of Laos whiskey (more like rum) in the courtyard of the hotel with some fellow travellers.

I didn't sleep well - not the hotels' fault, my usual problems with sleeping - so I rose late and went off exploring the town. It is a sleepy place and there isn't that much to do, but the perks are definitely the food. For breakfast fare, or indeed lunch, try The Scandinavian Bakery. It is substantially cheaper than some of the other French places, and offers a variety of breads and breakfast sets. I paid 27, 000kip for breakfast (about 110bht) compared to 50, 000kip in Le Banneton and I got more bang for my buck too. If you like wine, there are quite a few wine cellars near the American embassy, with a much better selection than Thailand. Also, explore the side streets for great examples of French architecture in the houses, and stop off at Patuxai, Vientiane's nod to the Arc de Triomphe.

A window near the top of Patuxai

Next day, bright and early we headed to the embassy, reaching there at 6.25am. Mel spoke some Thai, so she negotiated that the five of us would be taken by songthaew for approx 40bht each/10, 000kip. There was no one else at the embassy, but people began to arrive about ten minutes after us. By 8.30am, when the gate opened, I was told the queue stretched about 1km down and around the block. Tip: Download the application form free from www.thaivisa.com the night before, or pay 80bht outside the embassy to get one! When we entered, although we were first, we didn't have our forms completed, so we ended up being between 30-60. Not a big deal, as the lines move fast. However, when I reached the guy, he told me my application was incomplete/incorrect but wouldn't tell me why. As I had seen my friends, Lauren and Simon, have theirs accepted two queues over, Mel, Rica and myself simply moved to that queue and had our applications accepted there. There is no point in arguing with the officials - as we found out. If they say no, then arguing the toss is simply un-Thai, they won't give in as it would mean losing face. Then, we entered the main building, paid 2, 000bht and were given a receipt to return the next day. It's all quite confusing, no one tells you what is going on, you can simply go with the flow.

Success! Non-B visas acquired!

After more sightseeing, and a lovely dinner by the Mekong, we returned at a more reasonable hour of 12.30pm the following day, to pick up our visas. The embassy doesn't open until 1.30pm but they started giving out numbers at 1pm. Visas completed, we headed out for some lunch and then the long journey back. I had decided to join my fellow teachers on the overnight bus. We booked one for 1100 bht pps, a songtheaw picked us up at the embassy and brought us to the bus station outside Vientiane, where we boarded a bus to the border. We had to pay another 45bht to exit Laos (again, why?) and got back on the same bus. At the Thai border, they checked our passports, we entered Thailand, returned to our bus again which took us as far as Udon Thani. There, we were met by tuk-tuks which brought us across town to another bus station, to take the overnight bus. We had about half an hour to eat and use the toilets before we boarded our bus to Chiang Mai. Onboard, we were given blankets, a snack and water and about 10pm the air-con was turned on, although it wasn't great. It was a bumpy ride and I slept fitfully, although better than most of my friends. We arrived back at Chiang Mai bus station around 6.40am, exhausted but relieved.
Breakdown below.

Type of Cost	Description	Price (THB)	Price (EUR)/(USD)
Travel	Flight	2, 231	Approx. EUR58/USD73
Travel	Bus to Border	200	Approx. EUR5/USD 6.35
Travel	Bus across F/Bridge	20	Approx. 50cent/65cent
Visa	Laos Visa	1, 500*	EUR 28.40/USD 36
Food	Dinner at Via Via	400	EUR 9.85/USD 13.50
Accomodation	Vientiane Star – 3n	1, 760	EUR 44/USD 56
Food	Le Banneton	200bht	EUR5/USD 6.35
Food	Scandinavian Bakery	110	EUR2.80/USD 3.55
Drinks	Drinks	240	EUR7/USD 8.90
Travel	Songthaews x 3	120	EUR 3/USD 3.75
Visa	Thai Non-B Imm.	2, 000	EUR 50/USD 65
Food	Scandinavian Bakery	110	EUR2.80/USD 3.55
Food	BBQ on the Mekong	240	EUR 7/USD 8.90
Travel	Bus back to CM	1, 100	EUR 27.50/USD 35
Food	Dinner in Udon Thani	40	EUR 1/USD 1.25
TOTAL		10, 271	Approx. 252/USD 318

Overall, it was a nice trip and could have been worse. I do recommend not rushing it, as you will be less stressed. Take in the Mekong, get some nice French food (and wine!) and make sure you have all your paperwork. Note that the tourist visa costs the same as the Non-B.