the next morning i toured the island. my first stop of the day was the kek lok si temple, largest buddhist temple in southeast asia. an inclined elevator takes the visitors up to the guan yin statue and a terrace overlooking georgetown. climbing up the pagoda provides about the same view. just beneath the pagoda… Continue reading around the island of penang
Category: locations
georgetown
the ferry was going directly to central georgetown. we had an amazing sunset as we were nearing the pier. i checked into a cheap but clean guesthouse, a recommendation from ben and margo. one of the first things i did the next morning was to get some maps and information about malaysia. the tourist office… Continue reading georgetown
langkawi
the ferry was rather fast and soon the only remembrance of thailand was the flag waving at the stern. after an hour we already reached kuah, the district capital of langkawi and port for the ferries. the immigration formalities are easy. after filling out the entry card, european citizens get a visa on arrival valid… Continue reading langkawi
satun
my hotel room was just opposite of the mambang mosque. as it was ramadan, i was waking up the sound of the azaan-ul-fajr, the first call to prayer before sunset, which marks the beginning of the daily fasting. what was annoying in the mornings, was a rather pleasant backdrop during the rest of the day… Continue reading satun
from coast to coast
leaving the west coast didn’t mean a lack of water around me on the way to the east. after leaving koh muk on the ferry, i had to take another one to cross over to kantang and was then riding through an area with various waterfalls. i just picked one of them, the namtok ton te,… Continue reading from coast to coast
koh kradan and emerald cave
one of the main attractions of the islands is the ‘tham morakot’, the emerald cave. i was looking for people to share the boat fare with, after the only place with canoes refused to lend me one because of too much wind and big waves. this is how i met frank and laurent from paris. they invited… Continue reading koh kradan and emerald cave
koh muk
soon after leaving pakmeng i passed the turnoff to the pier for koh muk. as there are almost no regular ferries going during the rainy season, i thought the only option would be to charter a long tail boat which would be expensive. but as the sign stated the pier was just 2km away, i steered this… Continue reading koh muk
pakmeng beach
i shared the first kilometers out of town with ben and margo. after a last stop at a bicycle store and exchange of good wishes we continued in opposite directions. best of luck to you! the first half of the day i was ‘flying’. maintained equipment, delicious food and enough sleep are always good preparation. so i left… Continue reading pakmeng beach
smile guesthouse
a recommendation from caro and tobi, the smile guesthouse in krabi is the perfect guesthouse. clean, friendly and cheap. the simple but ultra comfortable rooms felt like home soon after i moved in and spread some of my stuff around. it reminded me so much on flatsharing rooms i remember from berlin. plain and yet stylish. the roof terrace is the perfect place… Continue reading smile guesthouse
koh phangan
the ferry arrived before sunset and i thought this would leave me enough time to search for a nice beach with a nice bungalow. i forgot about the somewhat different laws of island roads. whereas most roads make you sweat when you climb a hill, these roads feel more like climbing a ladder and you… Continue reading koh phangan