Events in this story happened on Tuesday the 9th of June 2020. It was the last day of the Malaysian government’s Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). You can read more about our experiences of the coronavirus pandemic in Penang in the dedicated diary. We took the funicular up Penang Hill and then hiked it down to the botanic gardens. Click here to skip to the Penang Hill Tips + Map. Preparations I can’t even remember the last nature hike we went on. I think it might have been in Kota Bharu before we came to Penang. We’d been less thanContinue reading
Southeast Asia
Full of optimism and free of debt, I traveled with Jonas to Southeast Asia in Autumn/Winter 2019. We started in Thailand, celebrated the new year 2020, then hitchhiked extensively through Myanmar on a very short visa.
After Myanmar, we returned to Thailand, which was the first country outside of China with COVID-19 patients. But February saw no restrictions, which is why we had no issue to hitchhike through southern Thailand across the border to Malaysia. All we had to do at immigration is sign a form that says we hadn’t been to China in the last 14 days. We hadn’t, but the officer did analyze our passport stamp very keenly.
In Kota Bahru (Malaysia), the coronavirus numbers started to let loose. We hitchhiked with facemasks to Penang and still considered booking more Airbnbs on our future itinerary. Then there was the announcement that Australia locked its borders. Shit. We had to get some money back from those bookings. Then slowly more countries started to lock down and so did Malaysia.
Luckily, Malaysia allowed us to stay. Even though our passport stamps had long expired, we were on the receiving end of amnesty. And we were happy to stay in Malaysia, because holy smokes, the food!
After lockdown, we explored bits of Malaysia whenever cases were low. Jonas didn’t like Malaysia the first time he visited way before I met him. Now he’s a huge fan. So am I.
Our adventures in Southeast Asia came to a premature halt. I’m hoping to pick up my travels here again later, but the world will look very different. But for now, enjoy these posts!
Getting a SIM Card in Malaysia
This article is a comprehensive guide to getting the best prepaid SIM card in Malaysia. “RM” is short for Malaysian Ringgit—their currency. Click “In Short” in the table of contents to skip over the text and get a step-by-step guide. For starters, the Malaysian country code is +60 Contents1 Telecom in Malaysia2 Why should I Get a Malaysian SIM Card?3 Which Provider Should I Choose?3.1 Should I Get the Tourist SIM Card?4 Before You Travel to Malaysia…5 Story Time! How We Got Our Hotlink SIM Cards6 Using the Hotlink RED App and Topping Up6.1 Installation6.2 Getting Packages6.3 Checking Your Balance6.4Continue reading
Hat Yai to Kota Bharu: Hitchhiking from Thailand to Malaysia via Tak Bai
Things in this story happened on Thursday the 27th of February, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Hat Yai (Songkhla) in southern Thailand to Kota Bharu (Kelantan) in Malaysia. We took the Tak Bai river border crossing. This is my first time in Malaysia and Jonas’ second visit. Taking a Grab to the Hitchhiking Spot After five days of enjoying a few of the sights in Hat Yai, it was time for us to move on. Besides finding a new spot to hitchhike from, we didn’t need to prepare much for this hitchhiking day. Jonas and I found two viableContinue reading
Koh Lanta to Hat Yai via the Khao Kop Cave: A Seven-Star Hitch
Events described in this article happened on Sunday the 23rd of February, 2020. Jonas and I departed the islands of Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi to hitchhike across the Thai mainland to Hat Yai. Our drivers were on vacation themselves and took us to a cave system called ‘Tham Le Khao Kop’ in Trang Province. Preparing to Leave Koh Lanta for Hat Yai After Ao Nang, we had taken a boat across the Andaman Sea for 53 kilometers. We landed at the Saladan Pier in Koh Lanta, where our arranged transport brought us to a southern resort nearContinue reading
Ranong to Ao Nang: My First Time Hitchhiking in Thailand
Events narrated in this article happened on Thursday the 5th of February, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Ranong to Ao Nang in Southern Thailand. Despite us having been in Chiang Mai for 60 days before, we had never gone hitchhiking in Thailand – yet! Read about our hitchhiking day and check out the cool map and the comparison between hitchhiking and taking public transport. Preparations After returning to Thailand from Myanmar via the Kawthaung – Ranong border crossing at the river mouth of the Kraburi River, we made plans to travel southward. We spent five nights in Ranong (ระนอง) building differentContinue reading
Ranong by Scooter: Hot Springs, National Parks, Mangroves, Canyons, and Reservoirs
After some intense traveling in Myanmar, we were mostly in Ranong to relax and work. Our place at Savika’s Guesthouse was an excellent base to explore the region from. On the 3rd of February, 2020, we rented a scooter from our own guest house. Very convenient! Make sure to also check out the map of our route at the bottom of this article. Contents1 PornRang Hotsprings2 PornRang Resort + Restaurant3 Namtok Ngao National Park4 Mu Ko Ranong National Park5 Ranong Canyon6 Hat Som Paen Dam—the Reservoir7 Prices8 Route Map of Ranong Scooter Trip PornRang Hotsprings First, we drove out ofContinue reading
Myanmar Itinerary: Maxing Out Our 28-Day e-Visa
This article sums up our four-week journey through Myanmar in Southeast Asia. As we’d bought a Myanma e-visa before we left, we maxed out our 28 days. We traveled in the month of January (dry season) from the 3rd till the 31st. Though we mostly traveled by hitchhiking, we also took one cruise and one train to spice things up. We always planned and booked one week in advance. You may steal this Myanmar itinerary! Contents1 Day 1: Arriving in Mandalay from Chiang Mai2 Day 2–4: Mandalay3 Day 5: Down the Irrawaddy River to Old Bagan4 Day 6+7: Old BaganContinue reading
Kawthaung to Ranong: Crossing from Myanmar to Thailand by Longtail Boat
The events in this story happened on Friday the 31st of January 2020. We reentered Thailand near Ranong after one month in Myanmar in the southernmost city of Kawthaung. There it’s possible to travel to Ranong across the Kraburi/Pak Chan/Kyan river mouth in the Andaman Sea. Mind you that these were the early days of the coronavirus outbreak and Thailand already had its first 14 confirmed cases. Click here to skip to the summary of tips for what to bring and what to expect. Preparations The Kawthaung-Ranong border is one of the few border crossings between Myanmar and Thailand thatContinue reading
Hitchhiking in Myanmar – Everything You Need to Know!
Jonas and I went hitchhiking in Myanmar between the 3rd and the 31st of January 2020. These tips are based on our experiences and the laws of Myanmar during that timeframe. Feel welcome to add your own hitchhiking in Myanmar experiences + adventures in the comments! Contents1 Basic Tips2 Is Hitchhiking in Myanmar Legal or Illegal?3 Do People in Myanmar Know What Hitchhiking Is?4 Where to Stand When Hitchhiking in Myanmar?5 Why Do They Drive on the Right?6 I Keep Hearing About This Yangon-Mandalay Expressway. Why?7 How to Make Hitchhiking Signs in Myanma Script?8 What to Wear When Hitchhiking inContinue reading
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