Round the world: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Where we were

Compared to the identikit shiny, newness of the Asian cities we've visited so far, Phnom Penh was a bit of a shock.  It seemed we were finally and definitely in 'foreignia'; no recognisable shops, no malls, alien aesthetics.  Arriving at night after a surprisingly pleasant and comfortable coach journey from Siem Reap, the bus station was crowded with aggressive tuktuk drivers and unwelcoming stares.  But, while it never quite lost its aggressive edge, over the week we started to see why so many people have fallen in love with this beautifully messy city and why you should always step outside the tourist traps.

Where we stayed

La Rose Boutique, a very new establishment towards the nicer end of town.  Opened in November 2012, you're advised to get in quick while their prices are low, because this is definitely a place on the up and up.   If you can't stay, you should at least go to the restaurant for some of the best food we've had all trip.  The lovely hotel manager arranged a sampler of Cambodia's best dishes for our first night and oh my it was good.  Seriously, seriously good.

On the receiving end of another free upgrade (thanks, universe), we found ourselves in a spa room - double bed, huge bath and separate waterfall shower and our very own massage table.  The hotel has a gorgeously decorated spa on the first floor open to guests and non-guests alike.

Best of all though were the staff, an army of sweet, smiling and funny girls, some of whom were employed through a local charity helping former street children, all of whom were nothing but attentive and helpful.  We didn't hardly have to ask for anything before it was done.  After all my 'DIY is best' sentiment in former travel experiences, these guys made me realise how much nicer it is to ask for assistance when you need it.

What I read

'Wolf Hall' - Hilary Mantell.  Finally got around to this award winning novel and I can safely assert that I see what all the fuss is about.  The third person, present tense narrative from inside Cromwell's head is so clever.  To take a tale for which we all know the end and make it seem like anything could happen is the sort of skill that makes me realise I will probably never write a novel, because there'd be no point if it couldn't be as good as this.

What I listened to

Nothing of note.  A rare occurrence!

What we nommed

The aforementioned delicious 'Cambodian food for beginners' at La Rose's restaurant.  Fish amok, crispy noodle salads and rice porridge were the highlights.

NYE drinks at the Foreign Correspondents Club, a bastion of colonial elegance along the Mekong River.

An excellent pizza with even more excellent company at Nike's Pizza, courtesy of the gorgeous Our Dear Lady Expatriate's Ashley and her lovely man, John.  The pizza was yummy, but more importantly it gave us a chance to see the city through the eyes of people who live and work there.  There was a whole side of town we never would've found without their input.  Cheers guys!

Cocktails at the historically elegant Raffles Hotel Le Royal's Elephant Bar.  Relaxed, welcoming and wildly expensive, it was worth the near-death-experience of crossing the road to get to it.

A fresh and zesty noodle salad at the Boddhi Tree, another charity run affair which helps street kids to learn to chef and waiter/ress.

Homemade ice cream at the Blue Pumpkin on the riverfront.

A green tea and banana smoothie concoction at Cafe Yejj.

What we did

Walked the main length of the Mekong riverfront.  It's a bit of a tourist heavy area supposedly, but didn't feel it as we dodged exercise classes, barefoot football matches (ouch) and food carts.  It was peaceful at sunset, at least compared to the other side of the street, and the photography exhibitions were really interesting.

Got buddha sculpture overload at the National Museum. Just as well they have a lush courtyard to recover you senses in then.

Spent lots of time pointing and gesturing at tuktuk drivers most of whom are out of towners and thus have no better idea where you're going than you do. In fact perhaps less, because you can read a map. Thankfully the western male reluctance to ask for directions doesn't exist and we got everywhere we wanted to eventually and in good humour.

Laughed at ourselves as, wanting to buy some kit for our upcoming Nepal trip, we asked to go to the only mall in the Lonely Planet, expecting something similar to KL and instead found a shiny building exterior full of market stalls, not glossy boutiques.

Were disappointed by the Russian Market.  There was literally nothing there that we would ever want to buy.  And it all looked like it needed a good clean.

Thankfully found the NGO run shops, like Friends, to be reasonably priced and full of innovative, desirable creations.  Bought lots of gifts.

Wandered the lawn outside the Palace soaking up the boisterous evening atmosphere.

Got sickened and depressed at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a school where the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed an enormous number of people.  They took photographs of every victim, now chillingly displayed on large boards in each room.  I can't really articulate any more than that.  My mind goes to blanks and whys and what the hell is wrong with people's.  I had to go eat ice cream in the sunshine.

Cheered ourselves up with a half day couples spa treatment back at the hotel.  Facial, lengthy full body massage, mani-pedi, foot bath...  I'm going to be so sad when I get back to a land in which these things are prohibitively expensive.

Round the world: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Where we were

The city adjacent to Angor Wat and its surrounding temples.  I'm ashamed to say I hadn't heard of it till we decided to go see the famous site and realised that was where we'd have to fly into and stay.

Cambodia had not been on our itinerary, but once we realised that the original plan would have had us in Bangkok for the triple whammy of Christmas and New Year's Full Moon Parties we took the lovely Ashley of Our Dear Lady Expatriate's advice and booked the flights.

Unfortunately for me and our joyful Christmas in luxury plans I got on the train in Penang feeling a little headachey and got off eight hours later with a raging fever that only grew as we slept in the hideous airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur.  Having been horribly sick on the plane (I'm so sorry, man in 12C) and fearing I'd be quarantined, we arrived at the hotel just in time for me to curl up whimpering on the lobby sofa while Greg got reception to call their Doctor.  I had somehow contracted Typhoid.  Merry Christmas, me!

Where we stayed

The Ree Hotel, a 4 1/2 * of faded opulence a few kilometres outside the city centre that we got as a bargain deal through Agoda.

The bargain got even more bargainous as, having been lambasted by Doctor Ly for leaving me in the lobby for 30 minutes as our room was not ready, the abashed staff led us to a ginormous corner suite room complete with lounge, bedroom and two bathrooms.

It made the fact I didn't leave the hotel for 5 days a little easier to bear at least and the staff were beyond accommodating from this point on.

What I read

Nothing at all. That's how ill I was.

What I listened to

See above

What I consumed

Lots of nice soups via room service.  Tiny bread rolls.  Plantains to get my potassium levels back up.  6 litres of fluid via a drip.  Enormous amounts of IV antibiotics, sleeping pills and painkillers.  A little tiny bit of the Christmas Eve Gala Dinner that the hotel kindly brought up to our room since we couldn't attend.

What I did

Slept, whimpered, needlessly apologised to Greg, slept some more.

Had my first ever blood test.  Was not quite as horrendous as I'd imagined largely due to the Doctor taking advantage of the language barrier to lie to me about whether a needle was involved until it was too late for me to complain.

Called home and worried everyone.

Called home when the fever was down and reassured everyone.

And a few days later...

Saw Angkor Wat and many other temples, best of which was the Indiana Jones style Ta Prohm, on a days tuktuk tour.   They did all start to blend into one after the first few hours, but the sheer size of Angkor Wat really staggered me.  It really was a whole town back in the day.

Wandered very slowly around the night markets and through the restaurants of Pub Street buying gifts for friends back home.

Rejoiced, weakly, that if nothing else at least I'd lost the 5lbs I gained in America.  Yay.

Round the world travel: Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Where we are

A little island off the West coast of the Malaysian mainland with the honour of being an UNESCO World Heritage site for its unique blend of cultural and historical buildings.  I've wanted to go here since reading a Guardian article in the Travel section one Saturday morning a few years ago.  The idea of wandering around a colonial town that had been restored and re-patriated to its location intrigued me.  What we found was even better; a great and proper melting pot of Malay, Indian, British and Chinese all holding their own culture high, but coexisting happily and proud of their Peranakan nature.

Where we stayed

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion aka The Blue House, an award winning reconstruction of Mr Cheong's base, home of his 'favourite seventh wife' according to the complimentary tour we took during our stay.

It was beautiful from the outside (and very, very blue), covered in enamel frescoes and stained glass windows.  Inside it was organised in accordance with Mr Cheong's personal Feng Shui, which whether or not you believe in it, did make it very ordered and symmetrical in a pleasing way.

Our room was named Nanyang, each of the thrity-odd rooms has its own name and decoration scheme to match.  We had straw hats on the walls and giant maps of colonial Malaysia.  The room felt like a bizarre mix between what I imagine of an Emperor's bedroom and my old boarding school apartment (as staff not pupil).  Looking at the pictures of Mr Cheong in his robes in one and top hat and tails in the other, I don't think the blend was incidental.

What I read

The paper every morning on my Guardian Anywhere app since we finally had access to consistent wifi and somewhere to lounge post breakfast.  Then I got sad about the state of the world and downloaded some chicklit so terrible I'm not even going to admit to having read it.

What I listened to

Boat To Row's EP 'Higham Hill'.  A cure for sadness in all its folky adorableness.

What we ate

EVERYTHING!!!  People come to Penang to eat, which we didn't know until we arrived, but since we were doing pretty well elsewhere at wandering around eating it just got really out of hand here.  There aren't enough superlatives even in my considerable arsenal for just how yummy everything was.  As our tour guide pointed out, there are no tourist restaurants in Geourgetown only local ones with tourists in them, if you're not good, you shut down. Fast.

Katsu curry and udon noodles at Red Garden Night Market.  Wagamamas is now going to be sad by comparison.  Also it doesn't have loud karaoke and bustling family gatherings. More sad points.

Banana and plum lassis at Amelie, a teeny gypsy caravan of a cafe whose door is nearly obscured by its own greenery.

A beautiful three course meal overlooking the beach at Thirty Two, set within another gorgeously restored mansion.

The 'best brownies in Malaysia' and Penang white coffee sitting at a street table in Mike's Place, where (possibly) the eponymous Mike made us laugh with his comments on Greg's drinking and the US presidential race.

One of the best Indians I've ever eaten at Kashmir, a packed and noisy affair presided over by a sunglasses-at-night bossy patriarch and a team of fairly useless waiters.  The tandoori chicken was so good I can see why repeat customers forgive the terrible service.

Kopis and Nasi Lemak for lunch at 32 Light Street.  I wish I knew how to make Kopi when we get home, but google has not been forthcoming.

A weird jasmine tea from Jing-Si Books and Cafe.  They lured us in with the promise of books and coffee and then proceeded to launch into an 11am prayer service.  Turns out they're a Buddhist charity sect who learned canvassing techniques from some friendly Catholic nuns.  Half expected my atheist heart would burst into flames.  Except I didn't, because I don't believe in that stuff.

Gorgeous creamy porridge and fat french toast every morning at the hotel.  Washed down with excellent coffee and fresh squeezed juice.

What we did

Tried to walk off some of the calories with the '5 cultures on 2 feet' walking tour - from the Colonial district of courts and forts, to Chinatown temples and the noisy, colourful Little India finishing in the brightly painted, restored Straits Collection houses of Lebuh Armenia, where the clan chiefs used to live.

Wandered in the heat through the functioning Clan Jetties built out over the water.

Got a lesson in Penang history at the Penang Museum.  It was odd, humbling and interesting to read colonial history from the other side.

Realised that a few boards of information go a long way in historical sites' interest as they were sorely lacking from Fort Cornwallis.  

Walked all the way along the sea front to the new Gurney Plaza and saw the last showing of Skyfall.  This was more like I'd been led Malaysian cinema going to be - people chatting, actually answering their phones and having a conversation, eating actual hot dinner foodstuffs and generally not paying alot of attention to the film at all.

Sat on the day beds in the hotel's beautiful courtyard, stroking the mega fluffy house cat and pretending to be wealthy Malay business people.

I'm ashamed to say that was it.  Aaaalllll the rest of the 5 days we were eating. Or wandering around looking for places to eat next.    

Follow this to my flicker page for more snaps. Take that rubbish internet!

Round the world travel: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Where we are

KL, for short, was not so much a destination when I planned this trip as a necessary stopover from the already necessary stopover Singapore, in order to get to Penang.  It was always going to be hard to follow the glitzy act of Singapore, but it was a pretty nice place with some pretty nice stuff in it and the first time I felt like I was really in Asia.

Where we stayed

A compromise between the 0* dorm rooms and the 5* blandness we have discovered the boutique hotel. Anggun Hotel is just round the corner from Jl Bukit Bintang, the city's major bar stretch, but the rooms all open onto a quiet fountain and bird filled courtyard, so you wouldn't know that when you're sleeping only when you realise how easy it is to find your way home after too much strawberry mojito.

For not much more than the price of a bunk bed with 8 other people we were treated to an upgrade to a suite room, welcome drinks, towel swans and rose petals and a giant bath and shower room.  The restaurant served the first of many delicious meals we were to eat in Malaysia and allowed Greg to indulge his love of of rooftop dining.

What I read

'Starving The Artist' - William F. Aicher

A treatise against 'the internet culture of free' and its effects on the music industry.  I can't say I either entirely agree of disagree, or whether I feel a bit like the battle's lost and we need to move on.  Probably that.

What I listened to

Birds singing in the courtyard, the fountain that kept making us think it was raining, car horns, construction everywhere.

What we ate

A very nice couple of curries at Anggun's restaurant, plus banana pancakes for dessert.

Chicken soup and blue sticky rice at The Old China Cafe, a cleaned up relic of old KL that wouldn't have looked out of place in Paris.

Kopi at Sing Sen Nam Kopitiam.

What we did

Took the train from Singapore to KL.  Second class as they were the only seats left.  Lets just say I'm glad National Express set the bar soooooo low for my expectations of train timeliness/cleanliness/pleasantness.

Took Lonely Planet's Chinatown walking tour to see the temples and got hopelessly lost due to road construction.  It was ok, however, as we found ourselves in the Pelaling Night Market where I got giddy haggling for cool vest tops and knock off bags.

Went up to the top (well as far as you're allowed) of the Petronas Towers, the space age twin towers that dominate the KL skyline.  Greg took lots of photos of me trying not to give in to my fear of heights and then insisted we press our foreheads to the glass Feris Bueller style.  Meanie.

Bought Greg some smart shoes at Suria KLCC mall.  SE Asia definitely does malls better than we do.  Two weeks before Christmas and it didn't resemble the 4th ring of Hell.  

My 'I'm not at all scared of heights' face.

More photos to follow when we're out of weedy internet land...

Round the word travel: Singapore

Where we are

Singapore city, a place I'd previously only thought about as a stopover en route to the other side of the world.  However, Hanna's insistence it is the only city she has ever liked made us reconsider and arrange to stay several days to explore.  Very glad we did, because what we found was a city that just works - the transport, the food, the shiny malls, all of it ticked over perfectly and resulted in a pleasant and hassle free introduction to South East Asia that laid to rest any fears of a repeat of the struggle that was backpacking round China a decade ago.

Ultimately Singapore is a little too clean and sterile for my tastes.  I like my cities a bit more down and dirty (oh, London, I miss you!), though here Greg and I disagreed, but we did agree we'd be totally happy if I ever got posted here for 6 months.  It'd be an easily exotic and vibrant place to live.

Where we stayed

The rumours that accommodation here is expensive were not exaggerated in the least, so we sought out the joys of airbnb again and found ourselves staying in the 'Tiffany Suite', a beautiful apartment decorated just like a Tiffany box.  Rick, the super friendly and extraordinarily well dressed owner, had perfectly matched the eggshell blue shade and finished the entire place off as near to a 5* hotel as he could.  It was nice to stay in a more residential area of town, too.

What I read

'Betterness: Economics for Humans' by my favourite Harvard Business Review blogger, Umair Haque.  I wish every business leader in the world were forced to read this.

What we listened to

Rick had an Apple TV, so aside from catching up on 3 months of Equals3 on YouTube, I excitedly realised you could listen to NPR via iTunes podcast.  We also found the Freakonomics podcasts really interesting.  New subscription added.

What we imbibed

A traditional Singaporian breakfast at Killiney's Kopitiam where we ate french toast with soft boiled eggs and drank our first cups of Kopi, the sweet and delish Singaporian version of coffee.

Singapore slings and peanuts at Raffles Long Bar, because sometimes you have to do the touristy thing.  And also they were very, very nice.  Greg got quite giddy, but refused to be taken advantage of in Tiffany's next door.

Dim Sum at one of the huge mall food courts.  Nothing like the sad and pathetic affairs in British shopping centres, these courts were tasty and giant.

The famed chicken rice at Chatterbox (Top of the M).  After Lonely Planet talked it up, I was underwhelmed by the generic nature of this place.

What we did

Got overwhelmed by the shiny shiny, compounded a million fold by the Christmas lights, along Orchard Road.  It cured me of my shopping mall aversion post-Sydney, by just being amazing and glitzy and beautiful and full of things I wish I could afford/fit in my backpack.  

Found the only bustling and slightly grubby part of town, just to reassure ourselves Singapore was real and not some giant hologram, in Little India.

Visited the gorgeously decorated, like a giant doll's house, Peranakan Museum to learn about the culture of the city and surrounding area.

Took the Lonely Planet's walking tour of the Colonial District, along the Quays and over the Helix Bridge to the newest shiny place, Marina Bay Sands. 

Saw The Hobbit (OH MY DAYS! SQUEE!) at the smuggest cinema ever invented, the new 'Couple's Cinema' at Golden Village.  It only has two person loveseats, generously spaced out for privacy, for cuddling on in all your couple-y smugness.

Round the world: Bali, Indonesia

Where we are

A little island of chill, where pavements are treacherous, people are friendly and offerings scatter the streets.  A common Aussie holiday destination that feels full on exotic to us Brits due to being half a world away.  It's been on my radar since my best friend and for-all-intents-and-purposes, little sister (we've been besties since we were 2 and 3 respectively) moved there three and a half years ago to teach tiny children at a swish international school.

Despite enviously eyeing her facebook photos for years I was still entirely unprepared for just how gorgeous the whole island and everything in it is and even less so for how friendly and smiley the people are.  "Where are you going?" "Where are you from?" Just blatant, friendly curiousity and endless giggles and smiles.  Consider me thoroughly charmed.

Where we stayed

In Canggu, a little way down the coast from the tourist havens of Kuta and Seminyak.  We rudely ousted Hanna from her room and stole the double bed, relegating her to a daybed in the living room of her cute apartment.  (Not really, she offered.  She did!)

With a beautiful pool, perilously wonky stairs, striking wooden accents and an abundance of  appliances that only just about worked, it is apparently very authentically Balinese.

Hanna also has that great way of making everywhere she lives feel like hers (I think it has something to do with all the purple and cartoon characters), so it was a nice little bit of home for me, too.

What I read

'A Feast For Crows' - G.R.R. Martin.  Death, death, dismemberment, rape and torture. Still I slog on...

'The Portable Athiest' - Christopher Hitchens (ed.)  An excellent collection of important essays from antiquity to the present all with witty little intros by Hitchens himself.

'Dead Reckoning' - Charlaine Harris.  aka a True Blood novel.  For anyone who didn't know it was books before it was TV, do go read.  They're great fun.  I'm so still Team Bill.

What I listened to

Hanna's friend and colleaugue, Simon's excellent itunes collection.  Otherwise nothing of note.  I am very definitely starting to miss having access to my stuff.  One iPod is just not enough.

What we ate

Lots of Nasi Goreng, an Indonesian version of fried rice that bears very little resemblance in taste and certainly in post-eating-grossness to English Chinese fried rice.  The best I had was from a Canggu beachside bar called Eropa.

A giant, but slightly disappointing seafood platter in Jimbaran.  The beachside, and they do mean beachside, the tables were being carried out to the sand as the tide retreated, setting was stunning as the sun went down, but the flies were not and somewhat marred my enjoyment of the lobster.

An amazing three course Italian meal at Ultimo in Seminyak.  I had the black squid ink ravioli and it was only marginally less delish than the one I had in NYC.

A giant tower of a teriyaki burger at Echo Beach, a hipstery beachside bar.  It had piles of onion rings and excellent skinny fries.

A collection of ots of things I don't know the name of, but which were all delicious at Warung Padang, a warung being a typical Balinese style of buffet-ish restaurant.

A super strong, but super good couple of coffees at the Melbourne Cafe in Seminyak.  The lovely owner had gone to great lengths to create an Indonesian take on a Melbourne coffeeshop and proudly displayed his English language GCSE certificate on the wall alongside all the jars of Vegemite.

A horrible, dry and rubbish cupcake at the Grocer and Grind also in Seminyak.  Don't go there, go to Melbourne!

An all you can eat brunch at the newest 5* in town, the W Hotel in honour of Hanna's friend's birthday.  It was fully beautiful as was all the food.  A good solid three hours of eating is decadent even when not in such classy surroundings.

An underwhelming buffet at a super touristy pretend warung near Treetops where we horrifically and blatantly overcharged as the price seemed to fluctuate depending on just how much the waiters thought they could get away with.

Ate a special 'thank you' dinner with Hanna at her fav place, Jem me. Fav because it's purple and has a jewellers of the same name attached, so the entire place is full of sparkles. The food was great, but oft forgotten as we magpied-out.

What we did

Lazed by the pool.  Alot.  Esepecially in the first few days where the heat nearly killed our poor, cold-blooded English selves.  I'm normally all right by dint of my Maltese blood, but this was the sort of heat normally only experienced when opening your fan oven, the sort that melts your mascara and singes your lungs.

Wandered the short way along the beach to the above restaurants, watching the surfers enjoying the waves.

Was hugely freaked out by the mangy curs aka Bali's sad, uncared for dog population.   Became convinced I had contracted rabies from stepping in a particularly pathetic specimen's paw print.  Was ridiculed. I won't be totally sure I'm not dying till I can get through the next six months without foaming at the mouth Old Yeller style.

Swanked it up in the boutiques in Seminyak.  So many shiny, pretty things, so impossible to look at them without falling down a hole in the pavement.

Learned to play poker at Hanna's insistence.

Got a mani pedi at Esthetic spa in Canggu Square.  It was lovely.  And since Greg didn't want to join in, we went back for full body massages later in the week.

I watched Hanna and Greg clamber all over the aerial assault courses at Treetops, a series of wooden bridges, flying foxes and cargo nets strung high in the air.  All fun and games until Greg injured his arm and Hanna had to be rescued after refusing to swing from the highest level!

Tagged along to Hanna's work Christmas party at Pavillion bar where we drank endless mojitos and ended up dancing drunkenly on the beach at La Planche.

Wandered around a water Temple and a sea Temple (the full names of which I hope Hanna will share in the comments) trying to concentrate despite the heat and potential rabid moneky attack, on all the beauty.

Had our pictures taken with some (we think) Javanese tourists.  Bein small, dark haired and a little bit Oriental looking I'm not of much interest, but yellow haired Hanna and beardy Greg attracted alot of attention.

Watched the dress rehearsal for Hanna's class Christmas show. It was predictably cute and unintentionally hilarious, because they're 4 and easily distracted.

Spent a couple of days staying in Ubud at the lush Kori Ubud Resort (huge gardens, yummy restaurant, infinity pool and, woop, air con) just wandering the art galleries, shopping for 'antiques made to order' and eating at beautiful places overlooking glassy rice paddies.

Visited the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets,a relatively new and still being constructed, private collection of, you guessed it, masks and puppets set in several tradtionally built houses admidst well kept grounds.  It was an amazing collection.  The Papau New Guinea ones were the stuff of nightmares.

Strolled along Balangan Beach in the midday sun (old English habits die hard) and watched the butterflies flutter by.

Played the 'what's the craziest thing you can see on a motorbike?' game. Winners include 100 bags of prawn crackers, 3 small children and 2 surfboards, one under each arm.

Were driven everywhere by the lovely, smiley Made in his big, swish, air conditioned car.  Endlessly patient, inexpensive and chilled out, if you're in Bali and you don't want to drive (you don't; it's terrifying) make use of his uber-cool business card and give him a ring.