Melbourne - Australia

After spending 7 weeks in the beautiful city of Hobart it was hard to leave but our adventure had not finished yet so we continued on to Melbourne arriving on the 1st Jan flying with JetStar from Hobart which cost us $305 (today's exchange rate £158 for 2 people and 25kg baggage) and took just under 1 hour. We stayed in the suburbs of Melbourne at a place called Glen Waverley where our 5th house sit began.

The house was situated right next to a national park and in high season for bush fires was a little concerning but the there were plenty of walks for the dogs and my main worry was SNAKES! Lisa, the owner of the home gave us the low down on snakes and to keep eyes on the ground at ALL times. I was thankful for the advice because we saw..... 0 snakes. lol.

We were shown round the home and introduced to the animals which were:

A horse called Missy, she was a ex breed mare never been ridden, a donkey called Dobby who was a little shy at first but very inquisitive.




 

2 miniature goats Daisy the white one who was shy but loved to be stroked and Bonnie the brown one, she loves all the attention and cry's out to you when she first sees you or when your walking away. These were a character and always made you laugh, they always found something to cause trouble with, i understand why baby goats are called kids because it was like having 2 kids, you couldn't take your eyes off them.

 



Then there were 4 chickens which we got 3 or 4  fresh eggs from each day and Molly the spoodle (springer and poodle) dog who has to be the cutest little doggy, very well behaved, hardly made a sound and always loving. On the second week of our stay we looked after a family members dog called Oscar. He too was a spoodle a white one but he was very timid and hated loud noises. Sometime naughty when you wanted him to come in he would just look at you through the window and then run off.

While at our house sit we went to the nearby shopping malls, both of which were the same just one was slightly bigger. We looked at Village cinema and Hoyts cinema here but decided against it when we saw it was $21 (today's exchange rate £10.29) for one movie. To us that is expensive as we were paying $12 (today's exchange rate £5.88) in Queensland.

We also went into Melbourne for the day on the train. We had to purchase a MyKi card to use the train but this and our fare for the day only cost $14 (today's exchange rate £6.86) for an hour journey there and back which we thought was good value.

Melbourne Attractions:

• Eureka Tower: This can be seen anywhere in Melbourne city with its 'gold crown'. It has  365 degree views across Melbourne and cost $19.95 each (today's exchange rate £9.77) but you did have to pay extra for the 'Edge' experience $12 (today's exchange rate £6.24) which is not worth the extra money as there is a small section which is outside the building you can go on without paying extra and this was good enough. Within the tower there is dining and The Walk Experience, which is a green screen set which gives you the illusion your walking a tightrope suspended high above the city, this is an additional $15 (today's exchange rate £7.80) .

• The Royal Botanic Gardens: I'm starting to think every city in Australia has Botanic gardens and yes they are very pretty and lovely to walk round but once you've seen one you've seen them all.

 

• St. Patrick's Cathedral: You can not miss this Cathedral and is in the heart of the city. Its architecture is amazing and so detailed, you can look at it for hours. I think this is what makes Melbourne different from the other cities in Australia are the buildings and architecture it has. Not all the buildings are the same. 

 

  

•  Walking Tours: (We just walked on our own as it is a very easy city to walk, one main street and all side streets are parallel.) We walked from Flinders Station straight up to the State Library and then went down side streets on the way back to the station. I guess a girl from the country doesn't see the attraction of a crowded city, we much prefer shopping online. But like i said it to us is the nicest city in Australia as it was so clean and had history. Also what were liked was there were WIFI spots around the city that you could us so you wouldn't get lost.

• Museums: Like every city there are museums and lots of them depending on your interests, from City Gallery which is an Art Museum to the Australian Center of the Moving Image and many more.

• Puffing Billy Steam Train: This was not in Melbourne City, it can be found in the suburbs but an honest opinion is don't go looking for it. The tour cost $51.50 each (today's exchange rate £25.24) and was a total waste of money so my advice is DON'T DO IT!! We traveled from Belgrave to Lakeside and the views from the train were obscured by trees on one side and the other was of run down homes. There was no commentary on the train telling you about its history so the journey was silent. The train stopped at 2 places to let people off and all that was there was a small tuck shop which sold 2 preheated pies and sweets. Moving on to Lakeside we thought it would be a village to look round and a nice pub to eat in, boy were we mistaken. All that was there was a tearoom which sold only preheated pies and crisps, a small souvenior shop, and a cafe which was more like a truck stop cafe with dried sandwiches in. There was a lake secluded behind trees but we were only given 20 mins to look round, not enough time to walk the lake and get back. Even though we arrived back on the train  after our 20 minutes were up we sat for another 40 mins not moving because there was a problem. The advert says leave up to 3 hours for the whole journey but it took us near 4. When we got back we asked for a refund we felt it was that back. 

• St Kilda Beach: There are many activities to do at St Kilda beach which is only 6km from the city. If your interests are bike riding or roller blades, kite boarding, sky diving, fishing or just swimming in the ocean all this can be found at St Kilda. There are many events and festivals held in this area, but unfortunately for us it wasn't the season for it but if your there in May keep a look out. 

After our 2 weeks were up we booked plane tickets to Christchurch, New Zealand for the 19th Jan with Jetstar and cost us $485 for both. (today's exchange rate £237) to start our 6th house sit. Join me next time in our adventure around Christchurch.

Hobart - Tasmania

From Sydney we flew into Phuket and once again stayed in Patong. We stayed in a similar area as before and the hotel was quiet. This time round we didn't do many `tourist` things it was more of a beach/pool holiday but if you'd like to know more about different areas please read my sisters blog on Karon beach, Kata beach and Phuket Old Town. stylespeakslouder.com

While in Phuket we secured our 4th house sit through trusted house sitters and we flew from Phuket to Melbourne then to Hobart with Air Asia and Tiger Air and cost us 17,880 THB (today's exchange rate £352.07 for 2 people) but took near 24 hours to get there.

When we arrived in Hobart airport we were greeted by Gill and taken to her home which over looked Hobart city. Their home was on top of a hill in Tranmere and had beautiful views across the Derwent River. Their home was only 4 years old and after a freshen up from our flight they showed us round the area. We didn't have a car to use at this house sit so we relied on push bikes but we loved the bike ride out to the shops every 3 days along the water front. It was very peaceful and picturesque. The closest shops to us were Shoreline and took 40 minutes there and back on the bikes,  but there was a bigger shopping mall at Bellerive which took an hour there and back.

We cycled over to Hobart a few times which nearly killed me as it is very hilly in Hobart  and the bridge is only narrow but once we made it, it was so lovely to bike around the city. Its only small but lovely along the water front and the city its self is quiet. There is a main shopping area called Elizabeth street which is all cobbled and has malls coming off it. There is great architecture in Hobart and lots of things to look at. They have a huge market every Saturday morning called Salamanca Markets which is a street market and selling everything you can think of. We went to cinema at Bellerive and in Hobart city, we went on a Tuesday as its cheap Tuesdays and only cost $12 (today's exchange rate £5.88) instead of $18 (today's exchange rate £8.82) on other days.

We wanted to go to the Cadbury factory while we were there and I looked at the Hop on Hop off bus for $70 (today's exchange rate £34.30) but then realised it was only $4 (today's exchange rate £1.96) to get into the factory so we decided to look at public transport but that was going to work out the same price and take near 2 hours to get there so we decided to hire a car instead. We hired one from Bargain car rentals and just went for the cheapest one, which was cheap and felt like it was going to fall apart around us. One thing they didn't mention when I booked it over the phone was you have to pay a $1000 (today's exchange rate £490.05) deposit which they hold for 1 week in case you steal the car or damage it, which for us a $1000 is a lot of money not to have so be aware of this.

So we got in our hire car and went to find Cadbury world which turns out is only 10 minutes away. (god knows where the bus must have taken you?!) Anyway Cadbury world visitor centre was actually closing down on the Friday before Christmas and now we know why. It was just basically a shop selling cheap chocolate and a lady talking about the factory with a slide show, there was no tour of the factory or demonstrations on how it was made.




After Cadbury world we went up Mount Wellington, bit of a nail biting drive up there in our small car but we made it and the views were amazing. It was a little cloudy but we liked this as it was cool. We walked round the walk ways and took some pictures and had sandwiches while we looked across Hobart.

On our way back we to stopped at the oldest Brewery in Australia, we did want to do the tour but had just missed it by 10 minutes and there was another hour and a half wait for the next one, so if we go back to Hobart we'd definitely try to go there.






So we went off for lunch and I had seen this Burger place advertised on the TV all week so wanted to try that out in Sandy Bay. It was called Burger Got Soul and although the burger was tasty it was disappointing because the meat patty was frozen and not homemade. If all you sell is burgers I would have expected homemade burgers.

After this we took the car back to the rental shop. I thought things were a lot further apart in Hobart so had hired from 9am until 6pm but we finished up  by 3pm.

We didn't fancy the 5 hour drive there and back to Port Arthur so we never went and we are not really into nature reserves so we never went to Cradle Mountain but Gill said she enjoyed it so maybe if its your cup of tea you would too.

We spent 7 weeks in Hobart all together going out on our bikes most days and we loved it. We had Christmas there, which was a little strange having it in 33 degree heat and no decorations, even the neighbours didn't have decorations up in the windows and it was so quiet. We also celebrated the New Year with Gill and Harry watching the fireworks over the Derwent River.


This really was one of our favourite places we've been so far.

Sydney - Australia

Welcome to Sydney.

This was to be our third house sit, which was situated on the suburbs or Sydney, Picnic Point. From the International arrivals we got our bags and headed for the T2 Airport line to East Hills. (When booking your tickets ask when the next train will be as we waited 30 minutes to find we had to get 2 different trains as the direct train was going to be another 60 minutes). The trains are really easy to navigate and cost only $4.20 (today's exchange rate £2.50). Some of the trains are double
decker's which I have never seen before so the kid within me had to sit on the top deck. It took around an hour to get to East Hills traveling through suburban Sydney which like anywhere is a little run down and lots of graffiti.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the home owner and taken for a quick tour of the area, everything you needed with a 10 minute drive. The house was private and overlooked Georges river, but the best part of house sitting are of course the pets and we had a very playful, lovely nature doberman to look after called EJ. Contrary to peoples beliefs this doberman was the sweetest scaredy cat you could meet. Never left our side and had constant affection to give, and don't forget receive. We only had 6 days with him but I think it was safe to say he was taken by us as we were with him.




The area of Picnic Point is lovely to walk around especially along the George River. Being this far from the city there wasn't many attractions so we hoped back on the train and headed to the city. Again the trains are very easy to understand and the journey took about an hour and cost $10.80 each return. (today's exchange rate £6). The main station to get off is Circular Quay as this stops in the middle of the Harbour Bridge and The Opera House. The city is very walk friendly and takes about 30 minutes to walk from the main shopping street (Pitt Lane) to Darling Harbour or to the Opera House.

Attractions in Sydney:

• The world Famous - Sydney Harbour Bridge - The worlds largest steel arch bridge began construction in 1924 and took 8 years to complete. The Tyne Bridge in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England is a smaller version to the Sydney bridge, and this is where 79% of steel work came from. On this trip to Sydney we never went up the bridge, we walked along the path on the same level of as the cars. There are sign post everywhere directing you to the walk way which takes you to the northern suburbs of Sydney. There wasn't many people up here and great views of the Opera House and to the sea mouth. If you were interested in the Bridge Climb it is good fun and nerve racking as there are lots of steps, narrow metal ladders and you climb between the lanes of traffic. You are harnessed in and have a guide with you telling the history of the bridge. The climb costs $228 weeks day (today's exchange rate £125 each) and takes 3.5 hours. The only downside to the climb is you can not take a camera up with you so you cant capture the views from the top, which is why I think walking the path at a lower level is a better choice because you can take as many pictures as you wish and the views are still great. 

• Another world famous - The Opera House - It has earned its reputation as a world class performing arts centre and holds all kind of events throughout the year. There are lots of different tours offered, from looking around inside, eating at the restaurant or going backstage but the beauty is the outside and its free. Have your picture taken on the steps of the Opera House or walk around the building.

• Royal Botanic Gardens - Access can be found just past the Opera House and free guided tours run everyday 10.30am and 1pm. You can just walk the gardens yourself for free too.  

 

• Darling Harbour - A lovely harbour with lots of street entertainment, not far from the Harbour Bridge. Every type of restaurant can be found along the harbor so never short on choices and you can also find the Sea Life centre here.

• Bondi Beach - The beach is on the eastern suburbs of Sydney and has become world famous. I was actually surprised how small the beach was, I mean its big but because you hear about it all the time i was expecting a massive beach. There are nice places to eat along the sea front, but it does get very busy at the beach so if your not a strong swimmer stick to the shallows and always swim between the flags.

• The Rocks - Lots to see and do around here from looking at the shops all ranging in price to finding a bargain on the markets. Take a look round the museum or relax in one of the bars on the cobbled streets.

• Taronga Zoo - Located in the northern suburbs this zoo was opened in 1916. It houses every animal you can think of in a zoo and entry costs $46 (today's exchange rate £25). You can get a ferry across to the zoo from outside Circular Quay train station.

• Sydney Tower - The tower can bee seen anywhere in the city and boasts a 365 degree revolving restaurant at the top. I went up the tower in 2007 and was disappointed because all the windows were dirty, and if the only thing your offering is the view you want a clear look at it. For the more adventurous travelers you can walk the sky-walk and observation deck for $70 (today's exchange rate £40)

• Ferries - There are numerous ferries found at Circular Quay train station depending what you want to do and bookings can be made direct with the company.

After our 6 days were up we booked flights back to Phuket to keep within the rules of our visa. We went all the way back to Phuket because it was cheap and we hadn't planned our next move as yet.

So join me next time when we are back in Patong - Phuket.

Brisbane - Australia

From Kuala Lumpur we looking into ways of flying to Brisbane Australia and it was more expensive to fly direct (around £300 with a stop in Singapore, total trip 13 hours) so instead we booked seperate flights, the first one was to Sydney and we booked our tickets online via Air Asia which was very quick and easy to do. The flight cost about £100 direct 8hours and then we booked another flight through Tigerair from Sydney to Brisbane and this cost about £37 direct 1 hour. These prices do not include baggage but even with the cost of this for 2 seperate flights it was still a lot cheaper than one long flight.
I do search for flights using the Sky Scanner app to see which airlines are the cheapest and to work out times and once I have done this i find it cheaper to book direct with the airline.

Visa: As we are a British Citizen we can get a free 12 month visa for Australia (non-working) but the conditions are you have to leave the country every 3 months. There is no specific time limit in which you have to leave but i would suggest leaving for longer than a day.

On arriving in Brisbane we were picked up by my Auntie and Uncle whom we stayed with in Redcliffe, a half hour drive north from Brisbane. It is a quiet place not a lot to do but does have good bus services and you can easily catch the train from Sandgate into Brisbane city.

Attractions in Brisbane:

 

• Brisbane South Bank - This is a man made lagoon which anyone can use and has slides for the children. In May when we were there it was getting into their winter so the water was a bit cold. They have a lovely botanic garden which surrounds the lagoon which you can follow and walk all the way along the river bank.

• Wheel of Brisbane - As you can guess the wheel is the same in most cities, revolving pods which your in to experience different views of the city. Adults cost $17.10 each (today's exchange rate £9)

 

• Mount Coot-tha -Here you will have panoramic views of Brisbane city skyline from the observation deck. On clear days you can see right out to Moreton Bay and at night the city will light up the sky. There is a cafe and restaurant at the top so you can enjoy coffee, cake and the views.

• Queen Street Mall - You will find all the shops you want along this open aired mall. There are many side streets full of shops which sprout off the main street. 

 

• River Cruises - There are many different cruises to view Brisbane from different angles and there can all be found on the river banks around Brisbane. The prices vary depending on what the cruise offers so check out the local tourist information center for more info. 

 

• Eat Street Markets - These are open every Friday and Saturday night and Sunday through winter and offer a wide range of food from Indian, Chinese, Pizza, Burgers, Kebabs, Donuts, Cupcakes, Fudge etc. There is live music and entertainment offered with a small entry fee of $2. It can be found next to the ferry port (Hamilton Wharf) and definitely worth a trip.

Attractions in Redcliffe:

• Whale watching - Brisbane whale watching is the main company in  Redcliffe to offer whale watching. (This company can also be found at The Gold Coast). You board the boat at 9:30am and returns 2:30pm. The boat doesn't travel far out to see, just past Moreton Bay and although the sea looks calm at the jetty it is not out at sea. We paid $135 (today's exchange rate £72 each), we chose the deal with the buffet lunch, DO NOT get this. It really wasn't worth the extra money, mostly salad with a bit of chicken, but most of all you probably wont want to eat anything as it is very choppy. We have never been see sick but this company turn their engines off while around the whales so you go which ever way the sea goes and with huge whales splashing around it can go up/down, side to side. I think at least 70% of the people on board were sick. Saying that we did see about 7 humpback whales, 3 dolphins and a hammer head shark which was very lucky. There was live commentary all the time so if something was happening at one side of the boat you would know.

 

• Jump the beach - Sky diving can be done all over Australia (and the world) so I'm not going to say Queensland is the best place to do it, you have to pick the place you want to see from up above while you fall out the sky......with a parachute of course.

The main attractions in Queensland:

•  Australia Zoo - Of course everyone knows about Australia Zoo and if you don't where have you been?? The famous Steve Irwin and his family own the zoo which is filled with any animal you can think of. It spans over a huge area so allow yourself a full day to explore and see the animals. They have many different shows on from Crocodile shows, bird show, snake shows to Koala shows. They offer zoo tours kind of like a jeep safari, you can have your pictures taken holding or touching some of the animals, but I think the best part of this zoo is the open Kangaroo enclosure which you walk through and can feed and stroke the kangaroos. The Koala's are also in the open so when you walk through there area you can stroke them and have your picture taken with them. It allows you to get close to animal you would not usually see.

• Movie World - Found on the Gold Coast and basically a movie themed theme park. They have 4D experiences as well as a variety of thrill rides. It isn't the biggest theme park I've been too but offers the same things.

• Sea World - I think everyone knows what to expect from a sea world, they offer different animals shows, swimming with dolphins, trainer for the day and touching of sting rays/turtles etc. They also offer a helicopter ride over the Gold Coast but I personally think this is very over priced.

• Wet'n'Wild - Everyone's favourite holiday activity the water park. Again isn't not the biggest I've been too but offers different level of slides, a large swimming pool with the wave machine and heated pools. They have a selection of places to eat, all fast food of course so you might want to take a picnic and sit on the grassed areas.

With movie world, sea world and wet'n'wild we purchased a combination pass which gives you access to all three parks and valid for 3 months. it cost $99 (today's exchange rate £53) which is so much cheaper than buying the passes individually. Each park cost $79 each (today's exchange rate £42)

• Dream World - A combination of theme park rides, dream works, and a zoo. We did not go to this as it was not included in the pass we bought but is in the same area as movie world. Tickets cost $85 each (today's exchange rate £46) but they do offer 21 day and annual passes. 

 

• Fraser Island - The worlds largest sand island which is just off the coast of Hervey Bay. There is lots to do on the island whether your there for a day or stay at the hotel, depending on what you like there is something for everyone.

 

• Great Barrier Reef - The great barrier reef stretches from the top of Queensland (Cairns) right down past Brisbane. The main attraction here is snorkeling. We never did this as I am scared of the sea and don't fancy being eaten by sharks which do swim in the shallow waters no matter what they tell you.

There are so many attractions to do in Queensland these are just a few of them. The best thing to do is visit the tourist information center in the area your in to find out what they offer.

While in Redcliffe we accepted our first house sit, YAY!! I spoke about this in my first blog but for those of you who have forgotten or just didn't read it I shall explain again:

Trustedhousesitters.com is a website where people advertise their house and or pets to be looked after while they take their own adventure. As a person looking for a house sit we search the location we are in (currently New Zealand) and any house-sit we find interesting or in the place we want to go to, and we apply to the home owner with a simple email telling them who we are and what we have previously done. With each house-sit you do you are given references and the more your profile builds the better and bigger chance of securing a house sit. What to do? You subscribe to the site for as little at £6.60 per month or £79.20 for a year and create a profile about yourself and who ever your travelling with. Make it an honest profile and let people know who you are, likes/dislikes, job etc. Add pictures, a friendly face can go along way and you can add videos of yourself if you wish, we haven't because I'm rubbish in front of a camera. We have so far done 4 house-sits currently on our 5th and it has been amazing. We have met some great people and made friends for life and looked after some great cuddly animals along the way. We will never stay in hotels again with this website available i can not stress enough how great it is. If you do decided to join this site before your travels please let them know who recommended you as we both might get some discounts. Our name is Travelers2015.
For us this has been the best decision we made on our trip, not only has it saved us money but given us more opportunities to see things and experience living in a new place. Also as animal lovers we were missing our pets back home so its nice to have that company back again. Not all house sits have animals so don't think you will be tied down to a place, its up to you which sits you apply for and accept.

So at our first house sit we looked after 3 lovely King Charles dogs in the first week then only 1 in weeks 2 and 3. She was very easy to care for and the home we stayed in was also lovely and offered us the space a hotel could not. (after spending 8 months together 24/7 its nice to have another room to escape too) lol. Although we didn't have a car at this sit the public transport was close by. Not only did we save money on hotels but it allowed us to cook our own food and save money on eating out, because to be honest in Redcliffe there isn't many nice places to eat unless you like your meat and veg or pub grub. I can however recommend a great little cafe called 'Over There Cafe' next to the Dolphins Oval sports club and it has fresh homemade products that are packed with flavour so support local businesses and head over there!!!!

After our 3 weeks in Redcliffe we secured another house sit for 5 weeks in Sandgate which was about 20 minutes from Redcliffe where you can catch the training to Brisbane. Here we looked after 2 golden Labradors which had been rescued by the home owners. They were very quiet dogs who loved attention but also like to be outside on their own. The house had pool and in the hotter days the dogs liked to join us for a swim. There were great places to walk in the area and although the beach wasn't great to sunbath on it was great for walking the dogs. (Australia doesn't like dogs on the beaches so it great when you find somewhere you can take them on). The dogs and us lovely splashing in the sea and running along the beach. The home was a traditional Queensland cottage, small but very cute and cosy inside and we really appreciated having the opportunity to stay. The home owners themselves were very welcoming and offered us to stay longer or if we were back in the area to visit them.

While we were at our second house sit we took a trip about 2 hours inland to a place called Montville and it was such a pretty little town with quirky buildings, old clock shops, sweet shops and cafes with amazing views. Worth a visit.

Wow this is a long blog so I shall sign off for now. Tune in next week for our experiences in Sydney, Australia.

Thanks for reading.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

While we were in Patong we went round the travel agents looking for a cheap flight to Kuala Lumpur. They all gave different prices so its best just to ask around. The travel agent we went with actually messed up our tickets so we got a pretty good discount on them.

We tried to arrange a taxi through the hotel in Kuala Lumpur but got no response we when we arrived we just went to taxi office. You first have to buy a coupon from the airport taxi coupon counter and then walk down with your number to the awaiting taxi's. To Little India in KL it cost us about MYR90 (today's exchange rate £16). It is cheaper to get the train into KL Sentral but you will have to walk or get a taxi from this train station to your accommodation. We found the train very easy to use and the staff in the stations very helpful.

So we arrived at our first hotel in Little India at 11.30pm, we had no money on us and although there was a bank across the road the desk refused to let us into our room until we had paid. So went to get money out of HSBC (there are plenty of these banks around the city center if you bank with them).
Our room was small, so small, I myself am 5 foot 11 and i couldn't even shut the toilet door while on the toilet there was just no room.

On an Evening in Little India not much is open, McDonald's closes at 10pm, but you may find a local Indian open until 11pm. It is about a 30 minute walk to the center of KL, Bukit Bintang where the malls are and not far from here where you will find the iconic Petronas Towers. The malls are very grand and clean with about 3 different ones within 5 minutes walk from on another. There are free buses called GoKL that run round the city you can hop on and hop off and these will stop outside the malls and other various tourist attractions.

We spend 3 nights in our first hotel before we started to look for somewhere a bit bigger. We had to spend a little more money but we got a gym, pool and a kitchenette in our room so it did pay off.

NOTE: In Kuala Lumpur the hotels do not add 6% tax and 10% service charge into the price this is added on after. In our first hotel they just added 16% onto our final price but our second hotel added 6% and then and extra 10% onto that price so it did end up costing more.

Attractions in Kuala Lumpur:

• Petronas Towers: There is a mall in the base of the tower which is free to walk around and a water feature out the front so you can capture the twin towers but you do have to pay to walk the sky bridge half way up the towers. This costs MYR84.80 (today's exchange rate £15) plus 6% GST. We did not do this as didn't think it was worth the money when our hotel room was high up and could see cross KL anyway. 

  

• Aquaria KLCC: You can access the aquarium via underground tunnels from the Petronas Towers. It offers 5,00 exhibits with clear tunnels to walk through. There are learning programs, shows and feeding of the animals. It costs MYR64 (today's exchange rate £12)

• Bukit Nintang: The place to be for shopping and night life in KL. It is always hustling with people, with plenty of restaurants/bars to choose from.

• Pedaling Street: A long market street selling everything from handbags, trainers, clothes and food.

• KL Tower: At the top of the tower there is 360 degree views of KL which you can enjoy while eating the restaurant. It is the tallest observation deck in KL and can be enjoyed at sunset.

There are also many different attractions to do outside of the city if you are prepared to travel, for example temples, Mosques, Batu Caves, Water Parks and Museums.

Hotel we stayed in was booked through booking.com
Hotel 1915 Kuala Lumpur, MYR259 plus 16% taxes (today's exchange rate £55) for 3 nights. The rooms in this hotel are very small. It smelt of smoke as people smoke in the hall ways and the bed was not very comfy. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

Pacific Regency Hotel Suites, MYR1,588 plus 6% tax and 10% service charge (today's exchange rate £335) for 7 nights. The hotel room was very spacious with a kitchenette and living area. The halls smelt of smoke as people smoked in them. The roof top pool was large with a bar and had night pool parties on occasion. The gym was big and had everything you needed. We did eat in the restaurant one night and was disappointed, starter was nice but the main after waiting 45 minutes was cold (sausage and mash) we were told they would make us a fresh one and 5 minutes later surfaced with a microwaved meal. We were the only people in the restaurant, we refused to eat it and left so don't eat there.

Patong - Phuket

One thing I have to say about Patong is that the staff in hotels are not very polite. You pay on arrival which we have not had to do else where in Asia and once they have your money they don't care, literally.

My advise: Pay day by day then if something is not right they will want to sort it so they get your money.

We got a boat from Koh Lanta to Patong which went past Phi Phi islands. You could get off here but we stayed on until we reached Phuket.
We had already arranged a transfer from the ferry port to our hotel but you could easily pick up a taxi.

Our first hotel we stayed in was about a 10minute walk from the Mall and Bangla Road. It was in a nice local with night markets along the road and plenty of restaurants, very easy to navigate around.

We had 2 nights in this hotel which we thought we would spend by the pool but unfortunately this did not happen. We spent 2 days arguing with the hotel over our room and money. We had arrived about 8pm and there was only one guy on the desk, he checked us in and gave us a room key. The room was massive and we were very impressed with it, until the morning came when we had a rude awakening by a member of staff telling us to leave the room. We asked what was wrong and they she said we had been given the wrong room, she showed us to another room which was falling apart. We refused to move rooms and wanted to speak to the manager. On speaking to the manager we found that our card had been charged 2 days prior to our arrival. When we book hotels through booking.com we always check that we choose payment on arrival as our card company will charge us for using our card otherwise. So this was a shock and not a good one. After hours of talking to the staff we eventually spoke to booking.com direct and within minutes we were issued a refund for the hotel which included our bank charges. This was great so off we went shopping with a spring in our step.... or so we thought!!

NOTE: Any problems your having with hotels which have been booked through booking.com, call them straight away as they will have it dealt with in minutes.

After our 2 nights in this hotel we moved to another one which was further from the hustle and bustle of Bangla Road. It was about 30 minute walk to the mall, but we thought this was fine as the hotel provided a shuttle.. NO NO NO that was the old owners of the hotel, the new owners could not care less if you stayed or went. There was no staff in the hotel after 3pm until the next day so if anything goes wrong your on your own. Some people were left a note and their room keys on the desk, not a very warm welcome from the hotel. We had problems with the WiFi and our friend was coming from the UK for a holiday, we had arranged an airport transfer through the hotel but her flight was delayed by 2 hours so who do you inform?? the non speaking taxi driver of course. After about 30minutes of trying to tell him we finally had it sorted and my friend arrived safely. We did not pay the hotel until the end and we called booking.com which they arranged for us to get a discount because the shuttle bus was no longer running.

Anyway Patong itself is great, we really enjoyed the area. There is so much to do in and around Patong, things that cost and things that are free so plenty to please all age groups.

Attractions we did:

• Roof Top Mini Golf:

This is 18 holes on top of Banana Walk, which looks down onto the busy party streets below and the Andaman Sea. I love playing mini golf and do it on most of my holidays so i really enjoyed this evening. It cost 500 baht per person with a cocktail of your choice at the end.

• Ping Pong show:

You walk down Bangla Road at night and you will approached by at least 50 people offering ping pong shows. The entrance is free but they do request you by a drink. The drinks are expensive, a bottle of beer in the supermarket is around 50 baht and in the ping pong bars you will pay around 900 baht, but they are an eye opener and a great laugh. Something you have to experience while in Patong definitely.

• SF Cinema:

The cinema is on the top floor of the Jungceylon shopping mall. It is super cheap 180 baht and Wednesdays are even cheaper 120 baht,with all the new release movie so a must while in Patong.

• Fantasea:

This is a evening show is for all the family, with many different things to look at. The magic starts at the door with a beautiful waterfall, and into a village of shops selling souvenirs to jewellery, etc. Have your picture taken with parrots or looks at massive cat fish in the small rivers that run through the palace. Before the show you enjoy a sit down all you can eat buffet, which has everything from Chinese, Indian, Steak, Pasta, Salads and a great selection of deserts. After dinner you head over to the main stage where you can ride of touch the elephants that are walking around outside. Inside while you make your way to the seating area you can have you picture taken with baby tigers. We booked the day before so our seats were high but good views but i would advice booking in advance so you can be sat near the front and really experience the show. They has everything in the show from elephants, tigers, goats, rabbits etc a real fun thing to watch. We paid 800baht each but this can be bartered down and if you book as a group it will probably be cheaper.

• Quad Biking, Elephant Trek and Monkey Show:

We booked this as a package to do both but you can book separately. There were 11 of us so we got a good price of 800 baht each, it is usually about 1,500 baht. We first watched the monkey show, this was more for kids, I didn't really enjoy it, felt too sorry for the monkeys as didn't seem very happy. The preform tricks for food and then come sit on your knee for photos. It only lasts about 15 minutes.




The quad biking was the best part, zooming down the dirt tracks pulling in on occasion to admire the views across Rawai Bay. Standing on top of the hill the guide was telling us when the tsunami hit you could watch it coming across the sea before it hit the land, The views are amazing from up there and you can see how close the hotels are which got hit, but have now been rebuilt.
Advice when on the quad bikes, don't be at the back. I was and my lovely partner thought it would be funny to wheel spin the sand which blow up into my face...Twice! Pay back was given don't worry.

After that we went on the elephant trek, not the best one Ive been on, was a small walk, those stood on the platforms could see you so good for pictures. I wasn't sure how safe it was as our guide told me to get off the seat and sit on the head mid walk, was very scary as nothing to hold on to so i quickly got back into my seat. The best bit of the ride was at the end playing with the baby elephant and feeding it milk for kisses. Very cute.

•  Night market:

As a large group we organsied a bus to take us to the night market and pick us up again but you can get the local bus for 34 baht each. The local bus is called a Songtaew and is blue, you can hail it down if your not at a bus stop. The market was huge but a lot of the stalls sold the same stuff. The food market was the best bit as it had a variety of food on offer and for those of your who are brave... fried bugs, worms etc. I did try the bugs and they tasted like peanuts as long as you didn't think about what you were eating. Did get a leg stuck in my teeth though. lol. The market was really cheap, cheaper than Patong area itself so was happy to look around.

• Big Buddha:

The big Buddha sits on top of a mountain between Chalong Bay and Kata Beach which can be seen from almost anywhere from the southern part of the island. The Buddha is still under construction and weighs 22 tons of brass and stands 12 meters high. Its is amazing at how big the Buddha is and the detail which has gone into it. You can have your name carved into the bricks they are using to build the Buddha so it will be there for ever.

• Gem Gallery:

To enter the gallery you take a small train ride inside the gallery which talks you through how they mine for the gems and how they are made into Jewellery. Once the train stops you can walk around and watch the locals work on  making earrings, rings etc and the detail/time that goes into making them. After that you are shown into 2 huge rooms containing the finished products which you can buy, and given a free non-alcoholic drink of your choice.

• Beaches:

The beaches in Patong are very clean and not over crowded. You can hire umbrella's and beach mats or for the more adventurous jet ski's and paragliding.

• Bangla road:

This is an attraction in itself, there is always something to look at with plenty of bars all along the road, with kebab shops at each end for when you fall out the bars at 2am, oh sorry we are in Patong i mean 6am. lol.

We were lucky enough to be there for their New year, (Songkran) In Thailand they celebrate New Year a lot differently to what we thought, They celebrate with a 3 days water fight on the street. Be warned you can not walk anywhere with out having a bucket of water thrown over you. Everywhere has and sells super soakers and even our hotel got involved and set up water stations outside to throw over passer by. Groups of people drive through the streets and throw water over you its crazy but in the best possible way. Was the best new year Ive celebrated.

Hotel we stayed in was booked through booking.com
Alfresco Phuket Hotel, 1,890 Baht (today's exchange rate £131 ) for 2 nights. This was the first hotel mentioned at the start so we did get it at a reduced price but this is that booking.com advertises it as. Worst hotel we have stayed in.

See Sea Hotel, 28,800 Baht (today's exchange rate £ ) for 12 nights. This was for 2 rooms and it has so much potential to be a great hotel, the rooms are big and decorated nicely it is just a shame the owners don't care about it.

Buasri Phuket Hotel, 4,893 Baht (today's exchange rate £ ) for 7 nights. I never mentioned this hotel above but after See Sea Hotel we moved here. It was closed to town with plenty of places to eat near, there was a cut through from the hotel to the mall which took 5 minute walk but i think this has been closed off so the walk round to the mall will now take 10-15 mins but plenty to see along the way. The hotel had only been open for 2 months so was very clean, the staff were great and provided anything we asked for, there was a large pool but the owner was in there a lot of the time which put us off going in and there were only 2 double sun beds but the hotel was not very busy. We loved this hotel it gave us everything we wanted and would stay here again.

Krabi and Koh Lanta

So as I mentioned in my last blog to get a 30 day visa in Thailand you need to arrive via air so the cheapest and shortest flight from Siem Reap was to Krabi.

We stayed at a driving range, although we are not golfers and have never played we thought it would be fun. The owner picked us from the airport and it took us about 30minutes to the hotel. It is outside of Karbi town about 40 minute bus ride but there are shops in a Mall including a Tesco which is in walking distance.

The owners at the hotel were very nice and helpful, our first room unfortunately had a big problem with ants, it was like something out of a horror movie coming out the wall but we were soon changed to a new room which was a lot better. Although the hotel was out of the town it was so peaceful and this is what we liked.

We did play some golf, but i wasn't very good and couldn't hit it very far. There is potential for a mini golf course which i think they had at one time and its a shame they let this slip.

We grabbed a lift into town with the owner, which is a small main square with a market on but lots of hotels and restaurants around it. We had to go to the immigration office while we were in town to extend our visa, (as i can not count and missed 3 days off our visa so we would have over stayed) this is NOT in walking distance. We however did walk it on what seemed to be the hottest day. There is nothing around and is a very long walk so if you need to go get a taxi.


We got the bus back to the mall near our hotel, this was easy to find and very cheap. (you can hail the bus to stop if your not at a bus stop). We didn't stay long in Krabi so we never got over to the beaches which are very popular.

We organised a bus to Koh Lanta through the hotel and a minibus picked us up in the morning and took us across the ferry crossing into Koh Lanta. This cost about 350 baht (today's exchange rate £7) and took a couple of hours.

Hotel we stayed in was booked through booking.com
Palm Driving Range & Resort, 2,000 Baht (today's exchange rate £84) for 2 nights, breakfast was not included. The staff were very polite here and it had an on site restaurant where the food was very good. It is a very basic hotel and has locals coming and going to play golf but don't let this put you off, it really was a peaceful place to be.

Koh Lanta

At the ferry port we jumped into a tuk tuk which took us to our hotel. It was about a 15 minute drive, not far from the ferry as we did walk it. The whole of Koh Lanta is small and easy to walk, although we did find it more expensive.

At arriving at our hotel we were shown to our cabin, to find the air con not working and at 30 degrees it was definitely needed so we asked to move rooms.

The main attractions in Koh Lanta are the beaches, there are very clean and white sand with a variety of restaurants/bars. Very peaceful place and only 5 minute walk from our hotel. The shops are up towards the ferry port which will take you about 30 minutes to walk, there are some great restaurants along the ferry port as well so worth a walk. We were there March and many of the restaurants/shops were getting ready to close as the tourist season was coming to an end.


We were not very happy with our hotel so we looked at others in the area and found a great one up near the ferry port, it was very large and hardly anyone there with a huge roof top pool which most days we had to our self.

We organised a boat ride to Phuket through a travel agent near to the ferry port, they were very good and beat the price we found elsewhere, although i do think any travel agent would do this as they want the business.

Hotels we stayed in was booked through booking.com
Escape Cabin, 4,590 Baht (today's exchange rate £192) for 3 nights, including breakfast which was at a restaurant across the road. We felt this hotel was very over priced for what you got. The cabins are very small, ants everywhere in the bathroom and towels are only changed every 2-3 days, (we've stayed in cheaper places that change towels everyday), The pool was small and not very deep, there was also dead frogs in it. I thought frogs could swim?? we had to ask the staff to clean it or even clean it ourselves on a daily basis. The sunbed were poor quality and uncomfortable. Overall i would not stay or advise anyone to stay here.

Hotels we stayed in was booked through booking.com
Lanta Residence Boutique, 1,916 Baht (today's exchange rate £38) for 1 night, breakfast not included. (This price is what booking.com offers but we spoke to the hotel direct and there offered to beat the booking.com price and include breakfast, which i thought was very good). The hotel was very quiet which was a good thing as we had the pool all to ourselves. It had a huge roof top pool with views across the mountains. The staff were brilliant here and the hotel was close to shops and restaurants. I would definitely stay here again.