Kuala Lumpur

After taking 2 flights from Goa I arrived in Kuala Lumpur where in total I spent just over 48 hours. It was more of a stop over visit than anything else but having said that I feel like 48 hours in Kuala Lumpur was more than enough! I had splashed out a little from my usual backpacker budget and I stayed in the Platinum Face Suites, as recommended by 2 friends. It was a mega upgrade coming from no hot water and beach huts in Goa!! It was about 10 minute walk to the centre of KL (where the Petronas Towers are), it had an infinity pool on the roof (51st floor) which overlooked the Petronas towers and I even used the gym next to the pool. Probably the gym with the best view in KL!

As much as I did enjoy lounging by the pool for a few days I did also go out and do some touristy bits too! On my first day I went in the morning to see the Batu Caves which I have to admit we’re pretty impressive from the outside but that was about it... It was around a 40 minute train ride from the central KL station. I spent no more than an hour there of which probably half an hour was just spent climbing up and down the stairs! I managed to stay away from all the monkeys in that time - I’d been warned they can be pretty aggressive and bite people and also take you’re things! On train ride back to central KL station I actually fell asleep but so conveniently managed to wake up like 30 seconds before my stop. Always find it weird how that happens!! It’s like a 6th sense you have when you’re asleep!

In evening I went to see the shopping centre which is underneath the Petronas Towers. It probably is the largest shopping centre I’ve ever been in and I got very lost trying to find my way out! It was strange to see they had all the same shops as back home, even a Marks and Spencers! For dinner I went to a local street food market which I’d seen recommended online called Tapak Urban Street Dining. It reminded me of whapping wharph at home in Bristol with lots of little old shipping containers serving all different types of local and international foods. I had beef satay and a Malaysian seafood noodle dish from 2 different stalls. It was all really cheap with the whole meal and a drink costing me less than £5! 

A pretty short post but like I said I was only there for 2 nights. My next post will be all about the Philippines! 

India: In a Nutshell

I did an overview post about my time in South America (click here if you want to view!) so I feel it’s only right to do one about my time in India as well. 

In total I spent 3 weeks in India which for some may be too much but for me it felt just right for my first visit. I said in my first blog post about India that nothing can really prepare you for it until you actually arrive, and I’m going to say it again! I flew in to Delhi and out of Goa. Definitely the right way to do it - Goa was very chill so it was a nice way to end. With Delhi being India’s capital, I will admit was slightly overwhelming when I first arrived and left the airport on my own. The city is at times unorganised but weirdly organised chaos and I was thrown in at the deep end that’s for sure. It’s a whole world of madness (and traffic and pollution) and for anyone whose been they will know where I am coming from on this! I’ve heard that Bangkok in Thailand and Hoi Chi Min city in Vietnam compare well but as I’ve not been yet I cannot comment. 

One thing my guide taught us early on in our trip was ‘TII’ which stands for ‘This is India.’ The meaning behind the phrase is for when things are great and going well or for when things are bad and not going so well - either way this is India. Take it as you like it. That’s how things are! It became a running joke by the end of the trip because we’d be saying TII about 5 times a day, especially when things were delayed or when our bus broke down! 

Moving on nicely if travelling to India has taught me one thing... Patience would be it, and I really am the most inpatient person so you can imagine I had some learning to do! (In my head I’m singing Patience by Take That!) Everything happens at India time which really can be anytime. I took a bus one day which google maps said would take an hour and a half. It took 3 hours and there was no traffic... thank god I wasn’t in a rush. I don’t think India is ever in a rush to do anything! The bus would just stop and the driver would get off and pop into his friends shop or to go and buy a Chai tea. The airport is no different - I took 2 flights in India and they were both delayed. 

I was really taken back in the 3 weeks I was there how welcoming India is to foreigners. At times it did make me feel slightly uncomfortable when I was literally treated like royalty just for being from England. People are so eager to learn about our lives and where we are from and they can’t understand that we want to do the same! I think I had selfies with about 50+ random people/families who most of them told me it was an honour for them to meet a foreigner! 

The thing which got to me the most was how much poverty there is in India, but also how rich people are as well. I know this does also happen in England and all over the world but it definitely hit home and the poverty was the worst I’ve seen. In Mumbai for example within half an hour drive I saw the house of the richest man in India (it was a skyscraper!! He’s also the 3rd richest man in the world) and I then saw the largest slumb in all of India. A real eye opener and again another time where I remind myself how unbelievably grateful I am. 

One of my favourite things about travelling in India was tasting all the amazing food - I decided before going that I wasn’t going to eat any meat, only fish in Goa. The vegetarian curry’s were delicious! I also enjoyed experiencing the differences in culture - they don’t have supermarkets so you go to the market or mini-mart and you can barter everything which is always fun! One slight negative to being a foreigner is that you pay foreigners prices although I did try my best to haggle! 

My negatives to travelling in India have been - the poverty, the pollution, the poor hygiene/sanitation, the lack of hot water (I went over a week without a hot shower in Goa!) but hey this is India! 

My favourite places I visited in India would be Udaipur and Goa. Udaipur was a beautiful town set around a lake with lots to do in the town. It was definitely the prettiest place I visited and also the cheapest! Goa felt more like a holiday than travelling. It’s a lot easier there than the rest of India - you get in a tuktuk and they actually take you to where you want to go instead of via their friends shop/restaurant! I spent just over a week lazing on the amazing beaches in Goa, drinking beer and cocktails for absolute pennies! The food in South Goa was probably the best out of anywhere in India. The famous Goan fish curry didn’t disappoint! 

It did make me realise how hard it must be for Indian people to come to England because the two countries are world’s apart. And I think it could be the same in reverse. People from England would either love the difference or hate it. Like marmite! 

I loved nearly everything about India and I for sure will be planning a trip back in the future. 

Goa

It was just a short 1 hour flight from Mumbai to Goa. We were going to be spending 2 nights in North Goa (Calangute) where our tour would come to an end. I then decided to spend an extra 7 nights in South Goa with some friends from the tour, mainly to enjoy the beautiful beaches!

Typical India that our flight was delayed from Mumbai and then the taxis were striking in Goa so it was then around a 2 hour bus ride from the airport to Calangute. When we eventually got to the hotel it was late afternoon and it was time for a much needed drink before heading to the beach for dinner! I tried Goan fish curry for the first time which was really nice. 

We spent the next day at the beach before our final night of the tour. We headed to Calangute beach which was the nearest and most popular beach - North Goa was very touristy in particular for Indian and Russian people on their holidays, so the beaches were very busy. Not my preference! There was also cows on the beaches too which was fun to see! After spending the day relaxing on the beach we headed to Baga, the town next to Calangute for dinner and to party! 

The next day we checked out of the hotel and 4 of us got a taxi from North Goa to South Goa which took around 3 hours. We stayed on Palolem beach which is one of the main beaches in South Goa and a hot spot for Yoga! North and South Goa felt like 2 completely different places with North being like a party town and South being a more chilled holiday destination with much nicer and less crowded beaches. I definitely preferred South Goa!

I also visited Agonda Beach (a quieter and more upmarket beach) and Patnem beach (a smaller and more secluded beach) for the day which are both around a 10-15 minute tuk tuk ride away from Palolem. I think you could probably walk to Patnem from Palolem but I wouldn’t advise in the 30+ degree heat! 

Agonda Beach

Patnem Beach 

Palolem was definitely my favourite beach and from the photos you can probably see why! It was about 1 mile long with bars and restaurants all along with plenty of choices for dinner, lunch and drinks! You could chill on sunbeds, hammocks or beanbags all day and kinda just watch life go by - pretty much what I did for a week! There was still plenty of cows roaming the beaches and the roads! 

The food in Palolem was amazing - delicious currys and fresh seafood. Definitely the best food out of anywhere else I’d been in India! Nearly every bar offered happy hour and you could buy beer as cheap as £1 or less and cocktails for around £2 - bargain! Perfect when watching the sunset and day drinking!

In one of the beach huts I stayed in they offered free classes such as Yoga, Pilates and singing drums which is a bit like meditation! So it was good to get involved in some classes. Most of the places I stayed in were no more than a 100m walk to the beach so you could hear the sea when going to sleep at night and waking up in the morning. 

It was a blissful week in Goa but I can’t stay on the beach and drink cocktails forever. Next stop Kuala Lumpur for 2 nights!!