PERHENTIANS - PERFECTION

Perhentian lslands are the perfect paradise in NE Malaysia. Arriving after a sleepless over-night bus into Kuala Besut, it was a relief to see the sun rise over the South East China Sea. lt's a typical bustling murky port that quickly gives way to a beautiful royal blue on the 30min speed boat trip to the islands. Travelling with 2 Dutch back-packers, our grumpy moods soon transform & our smiles return. Long Beach on Kecil (small) island is the more popular spot for back-packers. Palm-fringed, powder white sand, azure blue water & the usual superlatives for a tropical paradise, are inadequate in describing the Perhentian lslands. The diving being the main draw-card, with easy access to snorkelling & scuba, & guaranteed sightings of turtles, reef sharks, fish of every tropical colour & variety. But more than anything it's the perfect crystal clarity & temperature that make this place special. Among so many well-travelled back-packers, we all agree, we have never experienced anything like it elsewhere. We can only guess at the temperature, but it's perfect. The kind of water you can swim in all day & never feel it. And the visibility is endless with just a slight turquoise tinge in the far distance.



lt's been 5 yrs since l'd been there & not much had changed. Very basic accommodation in beach chalets cost about 50RM ($15). And the scenery is priceless. lt's not always as easy to find as it used to be  & one of the reasons we'd decided to arrive as early as possible. Late arrivers can be forced to sleep on the beach. Not the worst place in the world to sleep. l met a 70yr old German-Australian quite happily sleeping on the beach. Food is of course a bit more expensive than the mainland. At night the tiki-torches are lit & every sea-side reataurant is offering the same seafood barbeque for 25RM ($8). Alcohol is expensive also compared to other Malaysian islands like Langkawi & Tioman which are duty-free. But it doesnt seem to deter anyone from partying & the beach bars are full with everyone sharing their photos of the day's dive. Snorkelling costs about 50RM ($15) for about 5hrs, including lunch & 5 differently incredible dive points. It's also one of the cheapesst places in the world to obtain a PADI open water dive ticket. Packages include accommodation.

Cost of bus from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Besut is 40 RM ($13) & takes 7 hrs. Boat trip to islands is 35 RM ($12).

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LANGKAWI CURSE

Beautiful Langkawi was under a curse until 1987. Since then the 99 island archipeligo has gone through a massive tourist boom & become a well known international destination. While trying to steer clear of touristy type & hype islands,  l have discovered now that l had been cheating myself of a surprisingly unique experience.  Perched in the NW of Malaysia, near the border of Thailand,  l   I had purposely skirted past it many times. But sometimes the beaten path is well beaten for good reason. And so it is with Langkawi.

Legend has it that in the late 1700's,  a beautiful woman named Mahsuri was falsely accused by her jealous mother-in-law, of adultery. She was sentenced to death by the chief & tied to a tree & stabbed with her family kris (dagger). Her wounds bled white blood, the sign of her innocence. With her last breath she cursed the island for 7 generations.  Decades of failed crops followed, as well as attacks & take-overs from Thailand. Then 25 yrs ago, 7 generations later strangely enough, the sultan proclaimed Langkawi as a duty-free island & it's now become a prosperous & well known holiday playground with all the toys such as jet-skis, banana boats & para-flying.

I stayed at Cenang  Beach, the most popular & touristy, lined with beach bars, seafood restaurants, happy hours & cheap cocktails at sunset ($2.50). Plentiful array of choices in accommodation ranging from 5star to bare-arse back-packing. The problem with staying at the budget end is envying all the resort hotels with pool-side service. The street is full of duty-free stores tempting with all the name brands as well as the mandatory chocolates & alcohol. Bottle of duty-free vodka, 1litre, $12!

But Langkawi is also blessed with an amazing amount of natural beauty & was classed as a geo-park by UNESCO. lt really does have it all, lush jungle, waterfalls & mangrove estuaries, wildlife & marine parks. We went on a 3 island hop & it was surprisingly better than anticipated. Each island experience was uniquely different & well-worthy of a visit. Went to the Pregnant Maiden Lake, a huge, deep freshwater lake that feels eerily bottomless. Apparently it has magical powers that increases fertility. lf fertilization is not on the itinerary, maybe it should be avoided. Cheeky monkeys can be aggressive if they suspect bags carrying food.  Massive sea-eagles, mascot & symbol of the islands, swoop the bay hauling fish with their talon claws. There's always something happening but in a lovely kick-back way. Langkawi is a lovely surprise all round. Yeah it is touristy but for good reason.

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MYANMAR - BEAUTIFUL BURMA

The Golden Pagoda, Shwedagon, yangon Myanmar.

Myanmar is still known to most of the world as Burma. And Myanmar is opening up to the world. It has now become a travel hot spot and prices are being pushed up by the shortage in accommodation. It has become more expensive than its Asian neighbours but it is well worth it. And now is definitely the time to go while tourism is still in its infancy. This is a rare & never to be repeated opportunity to see Myanmar while it is still uniquely Burmese & not yet diluted by Western influences.

It was my first time there so had booked in advance for the first few days in Yangon. Motherland Inn 2 was well reccommended by the usual sites & l booked through email. l received an immediate reply and because credit cards are not accepted in most of Myanmar, a cyber handshake was accepted. A free pickup from the airport was offered & gratefully received. How good was it as a solo backpacker to arrive in Yangon & be welcomed by a couple of smiling Burmese boys dressed in traditional longyi, holding my name high over their heads!

I was the only pickup & was given the special treatment. Motherland lnn 2 is about half an hour from the airport but the boys generously treated me to a city tour on the way. We stopped outside the magnificent Shwe Dagon. It was night & it was perfectly lit & dazzingly beautiful. As we had flown in to Yangon earlier l had noticed the golden gleaming, but from the ground it was massively impressive. My young cheeky guides proudly showed me several city sights & a stunning silver mirrored temple that l never did see again. I milked them for information, local & general, about Myanmar & learnt a few words in Burmese. By the time we arrived at Motherland, I was already in love with Myanmar.

l impressed the staff with my Burmese greeting & they were happy, helpful & hospitable. The next day was my birthday, this trip to Myanmar was a birthday gift to myself. Breakfast was included & when l entered downstairs, there was a birthday cake with my name on it. The staff had seen my birth date on my passport when l checked in. I'm assuming they do this for all their birthday guests and the staff were the first to line up with their plates as l cut the cake. lt was such an extremely lovely touch for me being so far from home on my birthday alone. And l couldn't receive any calls or messages on fb, Myanmar is still very isolated in that regard. So l can well recommend Motherland lnn 2 and was warmly greeted back there at the end of my journey as well. 

Legend has it that Shwedagon is 2,500 years old. Historians age it at 6th-10th century CE. The pagoda is 99 metres high, covered in gold leaf that has been deposited onto it by devotees for centuries. Several kings & queens apparently had their weight in gold added. The stupa is encrusted with thousands of diamonds & rubies and the crown of the stupa is topped wth a 76 carat diamond which can be viewd through a telescope from the platform. Shwedagon is a magnificent example of Burmese art & arhitecture and an insight into the devoted lives of the Burmese as they pray, meditate & wash the statues.

 First destination out of the city was Bagan. Arriving in the early hours by bus, l was woken to find a horse & cart was the mode of transport being offered. It felt like l was dreaming as we clip clopped through the silent streets to my driver's recommended hostel. Fuel is very expensive in Myanmar so horse & cart is a sensible alternative. And also the best way to visit the temples. The temples & pagodas of Bagan are gob-smacking. Over 10,000 were built but due to mostly earthquakes, there is 2200 left which is more than enough from a tourist's point of view. At certain times of year there are hot air-balloons and it must be one of the greatest sights on earth to drift across the plain viewing all those spectacular pieces of archaeological architecture.

A good round trip in Myanmar is from Yangon, then to Bagan, then Mandalay, onto Inle Lake & back to Yangon. Next time l plan to hike Kalaw to inle Lake and also take a slow boat down the Irrawaddy River. I know l need to get back there soon. The people are trying to recover from the hideousness of the military regime & find political freedom. At the moment they are quietly embracing tourism as a permanent economic source. It is almost like the last place in SE Asia that you can experience an almost untouched culture. There are no Thai soap operas or staff playing with their phones while you try & attract their attention. No 'in your face' vendors & peddlars and no bartering. There is a simple genuine gentleness in the people and they can still smile despite their suffering & poverty. It is not a dangerous place. Considering all tourists are almost guaranteed to be carrying large sums of cash, l didnt hear of any theft. Money changing scams, yes! English is well spoken due to colonization from 1824 to 1948. Food is still very cheap and ice very expensive.  It really was surprisingly easy to get around and recommend anyone considering going, will not be disappointed. Get there soon.

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BANAUE - UNESCO - PHILIPPINES

Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Teraces are over 2000 years old & carved into the Cordillera Mountains by the ancient Ifagao people. Filipinos like to call them the 8th Wonder of the World.

Situated 5000 ft above sea level, in 5 clusters covering 10,000 sq km. And fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforest above.


The natural scenic panorama combined with the engineering achievement creates a sculptured masterpiece of unparalleled beauty.
Banaue Rice Teracces have been continuously farmed for 2 millennium and are a natural cultural landscape, ensuring them of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Unfortunately they have become a victim of their own popularity. Now that the Banaue Rice Terraces have become a tourist destination, many young people are now being employed in the more lucrative tourist industry as tour guides or in hospitality. Fewer Ifagao people are finding farming appealing & the terraces are under disrepair. The result is the gradual erosion of the steps, exacerbated by typhoons & earthquakes. Without the laborious maintenance, the Rice Terraces of Banaue will eventually deteriorate into ruins. Many people believe there is only limited time left to conserve the World Heritage site now.

The Ifagao people were master wood carvers as well. Maybe that is why they were so proficient at carving the terraces out of the mountains. Their other claim to fame was they were ferocious head hunters. More of a sport for young warriors. there were rituals & omens involved with the expeditions. Avenge & revenge continued through the centuries right up until the 1970's. The jaw bone was a prized possession & my Igarot friends are proud owners of 3 jaw bones handed down from their grandfather.
In Bontoc near by, there is an excellent museum depicting tribal life in the mountains with exhibits & confronting black & white photographs of head hunters.
The Cordillera Mountains have attempted to maintain a quiet lifestyle in their towns & curfews exist. I spent one Saturday night in Bontoc & when leaving a restaurant at 10pm, was unable to find a taxi to get back to my hotel. After approaching a couple of policemen & requesting help, they sent a police car to take me home. Impressed & grateful for their gesture & assurance that l get home safe. But l chucked to myself that l needed a police escort home because l had stayed out past 10 pm on a Saturday night!

Banaue is 8 or 9 hrs from Manila by bus. I travelled it at night & it was the coldest bus trip that l have had in my life. Apparently the bus driver falls asleep if it's too warm! The roads are dangerous as they spine along the top as the mountains. Bus journeys are long but the views are spectacular. A good round trip is from Manila to Baguio, then to Sagada, on to Bontoc & Banaue, then back to Manila. Allow about 9 days. The Cordillera Mountains are scenically stunning & culturally interesting. It is also a very popular destination with Filipinos as well as they  escape from the constant heat of the lowlands and enjoy the cool clean mountains.


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BANGKOK - BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Khao San Road by night, Bangkok.

Bangkok is the banging heart of SE Asia. It's where most SE Asian treks begin & end. And Khao San Road is the backpacking epicentre for Bangkok budget accommodation, cheap fares, live music, street bars & $2 cocktails. At night it's a carnival of bright lights & non-stop entertainment. There's something always happening. A stroll down the crowded Khao San Road takes longer than thought because of this. Peddlars are selling fake branded watches, fake tattoos, T Shirts, jewellery, deep fried scorpions & bugs. Tribal people from northern Thailand, dressed in costume, sell their crafts & wooden frogs that make a croaking sound. l know l am back in Thailand when l hear that sound. Massage chairs spill out onto the street so it's possible to get a leg massage and a cocktail and still people-watch. Value for money, it's hard to beat, and tourists are eager to part with their baht.

On my first trip to Asia many years ago, l arrived in Bangkok about 5 am and l was admittedly very frightened. Forced to go out looking for bottled water, it's a bad sign when your hotel has no drinking water! The night was morphing into morning & the grotty remains of the night were being hosed away. It felt so seedy & sordid. But l survived and l now chuckle to myself  about that night. Khao San Rd is far from dangerous. But l do suggest to anyone considering going to SE Asia on their own for the first time, to begin in Singapore if possible. Singapore is extremely safe & alot less of a culture shock.

From Bangkok, the rest of Asia is open & easy to get to. For about $20 there is an overnight train to Chiang Mai in the north. Or there is an overnight train to the Laos border. There's a night bus down to Surat Thani where there is access to all the party islands & resorts. Or there is a $10 day bus to Siem Reap in Cambodia. There is a bit of a scam at the border but it can be avoided by paying for a visa in advance.

Sight seeing is simple by tuk tuk or organize a city tour. The ornately beautiful Royal Palace is a must & epitomises Thai culture. Also the floating markets are a unique example of life in Bangkok. The Golden Buddha has an interesting story. For centuries it was covered in colourful plaster, hiding its 5.5 ton of gold beneath it. It is believed that monks covered it in plaster to protect it from marauding armies, possibly the Burmese.  Somehow the secret was kept & then lost. The 3m statue of Buddha was well revered & honoured and when moving it to a new location in the 1950's, the plaster cracked & revealed the 5 1/2 ton of solid gold!

Food is fabulous in Bangkok from banquets to street food. And as someone once said, 'There is no such thing as a bad Thai restaurant.' Street vendors nosh up a $1 pad thai and the backpackers favourite, banana pancakes. Green papaya salad is a lunch time mainstay.

Accommodation ranges from extremely affordable 5 star suites to a cupboard with a mattress & a fan for 7 bucks. It's one of the few places in the world that l book in advance. No matter what's happening politically or in the economy, Bangkok is always buzzing. And no matter what time of day or night, people are arriving & departing. And the best part about Bangkok for me, is meeting some of these people from all over the world. It really is an international city. And unlike the movie 'The Hangover,' a night out in Bangkok with new friends is usually an unforgettable experience.

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KERALA - KICK BACK & KOOL

Chinese fishing nets, Fort Kochi, Kerala, lndia.

Kerala is kick back & kool. And if anyone l know is considering going to lndia, l always suggest starting their journey in Kerala, a south western state in lndia. It's less intense & less densely populated, and by the Arabian Sea, it's a few degrees cooler. It's a breeze strolling around the spice-scented streets, buying fresh seafood directly from the fisherman.The chinese nets were introduced to Kerala by the Chinese many centuries ago. Kochi is a major trading port & spices are its claim to fame. And they have been sought after by the Chinese, the Arabians, the Greeks & Romans back as far as BC.

Kerala is also known as the Land of Coconuts & it's obvious when flying into Kochi airport. The first place to head is Fort Kochi and once there, it is difficult to leave. The rich cuisine is the best in lndia and the salivating smells & aromas waft around every corner. Colonized by the Portugese, there is also a lovely mediteranean feel about the town reflected in the architecture & flower boxes. Beautiful basillicas & churches are historically interesting. St Francis church is the site where the famous explorer, Vasco De Gama, was buried there after he died from malaria in 1524. His son visited there many years later & took his father's remains back to Lisbon for burial.

Kerala is probably best known for its back waters & it's almost manditory to take a cruise around the canals & lakes. Barges that were originally built for transporting rice harvested in the back waters, have been tansformed in to house-boats and have become popular with tourists. Of varying luxury, price & size, some include all meals & staff.

Another draw-card in Kerala are all the Ayervedic retreats all over the state. Ayerveda means 'life knowledge' and has become a popular alternative medicine in the Western world. It has been practiced in lndia for millenium as well as Sri Lanka. Retreats offer diagnosis, remedies, yoga, meditation, massages & all vegetarian meals. Or just for a treat, an hour or two long Ayervedic oil massage is unforgettable, anywhere in Kerala.

Other attractions are the Dutch Palace which is a wooden mansion & museum that was built for the Rajas of Kochi. And also the Jewish synagogue that is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. There are a regular ferries from Fort Kochi to other areas & islands of the magnificent harbour, costs a few rupees.

Accommodation covers all range & prices. Hostels cost from about $10 pn. Fabulous food cannot be avoided & it's cheap & available & everywhere. Alcohol, l found a little more more difficult to access. But there are a few non-descript bars offering barely cold Kingfisher beer, for around $3.

Kerala is a great place to begin or end a journey in India. For first timers it's less of a culture shock & less in your face. Ernakulum train station is about half an hour away & has train routes to anywhere in  India. The airport is an hour or so depending on the congestion of traffic. And for those about to leave for other parts of the world, Kerala is a great place to wind down & soak up lndia at a slower chilled out pace. Fort Kochi is one of my favourite places in the world & it's worth going just for the  'biryani' alone.

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CHENREZIG - TIBETAN DEITY OF COMPASSION

Chenrrezig is the name of the Instiute & the embodiment   of a thousand arms of compassion.


Chenrezig Buddhist Institute is located in the hinterland of the beautiful Sunshine Coast. It is the largest of its kind in the Western world. In 2011, the Dalai Lama honoured the institute by formerly opening & blessing the "Garden of Enlightenment', a decorative garden of stupas & shrines built by the residents & volunteers of Chenrezig over many years.

I first visited there years ago when attending a weekend course "Buddhism in a Nutshell.' l had been rostered off for the weekend & saw it as a sign from the gods. Chenrezig is not so easy to find & l got lost. After arriving late & stressed, l quickly ran up the hill & steps from the carpark to the gompa. My attempt to sneak in to the class that was already in meditation, was marred by my breathless panting, amplified in the silence. Very unholy! Who would have thought that the path to spiritually would be so steep & physically exhausting?

The facilitating nun was a Canadian olympic rower & claimed that because of  years of sitting in a boat, she did not feel discomfort in sitting for long periods in meditation. It was explained that Buddhism was centred around the teachings of the Four Noble Truths. The first one being, 'Life is Suffering.' Thinking that it sounded like a negative start to a religion, or rather philosophy, l voiced my opinion, and a debate began. The word 'dukkha' can also mean dissatisfaction, l just thought 'suffering' was a bit harsh. Buddhism encourages debate & Buddha was a convincing debater, of course. He told his students to question everything and to never accept anything on blind faith.
Sure enough in the many years since, life has proved to me that life CAN be suffering. And through the practices & teachings of Buddhism, we can release ourselves of the pain.

For 37 years, those involved with Chenrezig were planning, praying & contemplating, the coming of His Holiness. Established in 1974 after two Tibetan monks conducted a one month meditation course. About 150 acres of an arid pineapple farm were donated & now the institute has grown into a lush tropical retreat. A well respected place of learning, it offers a large variety of classes, short courses & indepth extended courses. Not just a place of learning, it is also a peaceful place to spend the day, or a few days or just a class in meditation. There is an excellent eccletic library & the Big Love cafe serves up delectable vegetarian meals every day. And the best chai & brownies on the coast.

It is the home of a large community of monks & nuns, also a Tibetan Lama and many students & volunteers. An exceptional opportunity to study there, is to volunteer. For exchange for about 30 hrs work a week, the institute offers accommodation, meals & access to classes. At least one month's commitment is required. Or day volunteering is available which is what l do. One day a week in the kitchen, when l'm home, learning more about vegetarian cooking, learning about Buddhism and making good friends from all walks of life from all over the world.

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