The Paperback Diary

I have plans to evolve this site to provide more relevant information for those who are planning their trips. So this would be my first post where I've actually consolidate all 6D5N plans into a post. Packs a punch and I hope it will be helpful for you. Leave me a comment on what you think!

Hanoi Day 1 - Singapore to Sapa

Hanoi, old quarters

Singapore to Hanoi (Old quarters)

We took the afternoon flight from Singapore and when we arrived at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi), it was 4pm local time when we arrived. I pre-book a private car from Vietnam Transfer Service for the airport transfer to Hanoi, old quarters. They were quick to respond emails and the 1 way trip cost US$14. The driver was on time too.

Sapa tour with Classy Travel Vietnam

Upon arrived at the old quarters, we went to our tour agency's office as we're heading out to Sapa in a overnight train in the evening. We took our 3D2N tour with Classy Travel Vietnam. They were one of the more expensive tours and the reason why I chose them over so many other agencies was their fast response to all my questions (I asked quite a lot). They were also able to accommodate to our request to have a place to shower before we board the overnight train ride.

Our private train cabin

Overnight train to Lao Cai (Sapa)

We wanted privacy, so we paid more and bought out 1 cabin for the 2 of us. I'm glad I did as the cabins were tiny. We had dinner, walked around the old quarters, took a bath and finally transported to the train station to board the train at the appointed time.

Do not expect European rail, imagine Thomas the train, bumpy rides and occasion sudden stops at small stations. My inner child was joyful with my first overnight train ride, so I didn't quite sleep that night.

Our 2N2D Sapa tour cost US$358

Package includes:

• 1-way train in a private cabin for 2 people
• 1-way transport from Lao Cai to Sapa
• 1 half day tours (1 hike and 1 market tour)
• Meals (3 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner)
• 2 night stay at hotel (1 night at Sapa, 1 night at Hanoi)
• 1-way limousine bus ride from Sapa to Hanoi

Sapa Day 2 - Hiking around Sapa

Sapa's view from our hotel

We arrived at 6am in the morning at Lao Cai and looked for our driver who was holding a board with our names on it. Waited for everybody to gather and we were on our way to Sapa. The whole journey took us about an hour, including road jam.

Tip: If you have motion sickness, please pop a pill before boarding the bus. The road up to Sapa is bumpy and winding.

Sunny Mountain Hotel (mountain view)

Sunny Mountain Hotel and breakfast

Upon arrival at our hotel, Sunny Mountain, we were told that we can wash up at the public area and have our breakfast. Do note that public showers are open concept instead of in cubicles. If you're not comfortable with that, just wait out till you check-in and you can bath in the comfort of your room.

Best milk bread ever!

Breakfast was limited and not too bad... I fell in love with their bread. I'm not a fan of bread BUT this is milky goodness was a different story.

After filling up our tummies, we waited at the lobby area for our guide. If you are Chinese, high chance they would assume you're a Vietnamese and would try to speak to you in their local language. The whole scene was quite amusing for us.

Tip: Please request for mountain view at any hotel you're staying, so you get the best out of the trip.

The hiking journey at Sapa

My trekking journey with locals

We were blessed with a good day and dry ground. That was a very important factor for us as wet ground means a lot more slipping and falling down. It can potentially be quite dangerous if it was slippery as one mistake can bring you to the bottom of the hill. Roads are uneven and hiking up and tiring. There are no safety railings as well. There will be local tribes who will come alongside us, they will help us and please don't be paiseh (shy) about it because you will need their help.

The locals who come alongside us will try to sell you their works when they arrived at their home, which was our stopover. The local ladies accompanied us from city centre and will leave when they've reach home. I know I wasn't going to purchase anything from them, so I tipped the lady who helped me through the difficult trek. She had a child on her back and at the same time, helping me with the trek. I thought that was pretty crazy.

Although it would have been better if we visited during their harvest season where the paddy fields will be golden. Since it was March, they haven't started plantation and the land was bare. We didn't have much chance to really absorb the beautiful since we were constantly looking down at our feet to watch our footing.

After completing the most difficult part of the hike, we began to descend down towards the paddy fields. Walking within the paddy fields, we saw the life of locals at their most natural state. Children playing, animals roaming, locals (adult and children) trying to sell us trinkets as we walk pass them. The guides brought us into a small village and into a small home restaurant where we had a simple lunch and performance. After lunch, we met a driver who drove us back to our hotel and it was free time for the whole evening.

I was refreshed in my mind and worn out physically from the hike. I haven't been very active for the past couple of months and that resulted in muscle aching legs the next day.

Sapa Day 3 - Touring around Cat Cat village

Flower field after the Cat Cat village

We visited what seems like a touristy marketplace where locals selling wearable or usable items along the walking road. Brought to an area filled with yellow flowers. At the end of it, we reached to a large open area where the French built the hydroelectric power station and watch a short performance by the locals.

We thought it was going to be an easy tour on day 3 and was sorely mistaken about that. Visiting the Cat Cat village was alright but we didn't enjoy going up the mountain that leads us back to our hotel. Once again we were physically challenged but this time from the aching pains from our thighs. Upon reaching a wonderful alfresco eatery that has a wonderful mountain view, we waved our white flags to take a break there while the rest of them headed back to the hotel.

Catching our breath from the hike

That was the best coke we ever had. Slowly, we inched our way back to the hotel and had lunch with 2 other ladies that we met from the tour. A major accident occurred while we were waiting for our bus that will bring us back to Hanoi and was delayed for about 2 hours in total.

Our dinner along one of the stores near La suite Hotel

We arrived in Hanoi at night and check-in to our next hotel (La suite Hotel) at old quarters. The streets were still lively and we head out for some BBQ food after dropping off our luggages in our room.

Hanoi Day 4 - Food tour with Hanoi Kids and Massage

Meracus 1, deluxe room

We moved to another hotel the next morning, Meracus 1. We originally booked for the junior suite but was downgraded to deluxe due to renovation. We were not informed prior to arrival and felt a little disappointed. The staff tried to make up for it by giving us a better room rate. After the last few days of hard work, we had a very loose plan today.

Yogurt Coffee (bottom) and Coconut Coffee (top)

We head to Cong Caphe to try the yogurt coffee and coconut coffee. These types of coffee can be found anywhere and if you love coffee, you need to try their beverages. I love the coconut coffee but the yogurt version was too sour for my liking. Don't forget the egg coffee too!

Egg coffee - reminds me of tiramisu

Hot stone and oil massage at Hanoi Marguerite Spa

Though I had a couple of places pinned down in my map for massages, we ended up going to the nearest place from our hotel. It happened to be Hanoi Marguerite Spa and did an 1hr 30mins spa with them. As we were their first customers, the boss decided to throw in some discounts and allowed us to do a 2 different types of massage for 1h 30mins.

It was my first time doing hot stone massage and I actually fell in love with it! I love the idea of heat therapy combined with consistent massage stroke on my upper back. Due to work, I have almost chronic rhomboid aches and this massage totally soothe the dull aching pain a little. That magic touch was what I needed.

Food tour with Hanoi Kids

In the evening, we met up with 2 guys at our hotel lobby. I originally thought those who brought us out would be university students and apparently, alumni are still allowed to conduct the tours too. The 2 guys that we met are were working adults, they came after their work and brought us out to various places around old quarters to eat.

Hanoi Day 5 - Half day Tour with Hanoi Kids, Night Market, Cafes

Another half-day tour with Hanoi Kids

Today, we took a morning half day tour with Hanoi kids. 2 university girls met us at our hotel lobby after breakfast. We didn't quite plan for anything and they suggested some places that we can cover around the old quarter. So we picked the prison and Confucius temple instead. Going back to the past for half a day, we get a background of how Vietnam evolved to what they are today.

My best lunch ever! This meal is called Bun Cha

The girls later asked where would we like to go for lunch. We were recommended to try Bún chả for lunch by the 2 guys yesterday. So we told them we have to try this today. The BBQ flavour in sweet savoury soup. I fell in love with the fresh herbs, thick noodles and BBQ pork. You can never find the exact same thing in Singapore!

Fried kimbap at the night market (old quarter)

In the evening, we splurged on a dinner place which wasn't up to our expectation. We were very surprised that they gave us a 50% discount for that. I hope the chef didn't get into a lot of trouble. Thereafter, we covered the night market again and visited a cafe till all the shops started closing for the day.

Hanoi Day 6 - Home Sweet Home

Our last coffee before flying home

Our flight was in the morning and we were shock to how long the queue was for Vietnam airlines! For taxi, we made a booking to have a driver pick us up early. The ride cost us US$11 from Hanoi old quarter to Noi Bai international airport.

Tip: If you're taking Vietnam airlines, make sure you are there early to check in as there may be a very long queue.

I am back to share another trip! We were in Europe mid-September (early autumn) and it was pretty chilly then. About 20 degrees in the afternoon and 14 degrees at night. We were really lucky to have a lot of sunshine during the first half of our trip, apparently sunshine doesn't come so often in London?

People in general dress well and look good. That was pretty much the first few things I noticed. If you are familiar with Singapore transport, you will find it easy to navigate around London.

1. Take buses instead of the tube (trains) in London.

This was an important recommendation by our Airbnb host. Buses has a daily maximum ride cap (example: 5 pounds), upon hitting the cap, all your subsequent bus rides on that day will be free! Feel at ease as every stop is read out loud and shown in the LED board inside the bus (just like how you take an MRT in Singapore).

Trains on the other hand were rather different from what I have expected. Take for example the Bakerloo line (brown), which I believe is one of the oldest line because of its holding capacity. It was about half the width of our MRT lines and if you are planning to go on board with a large luggage, you would be seen as a road blockage. The newer trains in circle line (yellow) would be similar to the MRTs we have here. If you're travelling around with a big luggage, you may want to consider taking the bus or know which trains are the newer ones.

2. Be well dressed for cold days

A good windbreak helps to block out the wind and hoody comes in handy when it rains. Even better if it comes with 2 front pockets for your hands. Uniqlo carry some really good and ultra light down in various colours.

3. In London, catch at least one play

There are many many theatres in London and you can buy tickets with good seating at a cheaper price when you are there. We caught Wicked and loved it.

4. Visit parks because it's beautiful and free

We visited some parks and understood why our late prime minister, LKY, wanted Singapore to be a garden city. The parks are beautiful and you can spend a good time there. Read a book or have a picnic on the ground.

5. Grocery shop at their local supermarkets

This is one thing I love to do in every country. Grocery shop! They have so many wonderful items and can make great souvenirs as well. We, Singaporeans, are foodies after all.

6. Eat at markets

If you are a foodie like me, you will enjoy markets like borough market. You will go crazy with the variety of fruits, bread, cheese, vegetables, meats & seafood that they have. I didn't want to leave that place. It was my earthly kind of heaven.

7. Use London as a base to visit other other cities

We made day trips out of London to the nearby areas such as Cambridge and Brighton. We obviously visited Brighton at the wrong season. It was too cold and windy but we caught a beautiful rainbow there, so it was worth it. Cambridge is a university city, absolutely beautiful and peaceful. We did punting there as well with a guide. I won't recommend to punt yourself unless you've done it before.

8. Join free walking tours to learn more about the cities

There's no starting price and it's based on tipping. Tip your guides at the end of the tour based how much you think should get (we gave 7-10 pounds per person). Any amount that you can afford. We learn a lot about the cities by joining their walking tours. Knowing the history of the place allowed us to better appreciate the culture and locals living there. Look around trip advisor website or google, you'll find a lot of free walking tours within England. Pick one that suits your interest and timing.

The local tours that we've signed up with are:

Free tours of London
Free tours by foot in London
Footprints Tour in Cambridge
Punting in Cambridge - Not free but should do!

9. Chill out at cafes to people watch

Take out sometime to chill along one of the cafes to people watch. It's my pastime and allows me to soak up atmosphere with teas and cakes.

10. Live like a local with AirBnB

If couch surfing or hostel isn't your thing but you want to live like a local, AirBnB will be your best bet. It was my first time using AirBnB and the experience was great. I chose to stay in homes of families, couples and singles. Of course, do your research and look at reviews before booking.

We stayed at the southern part of London (near Oval and Kennington underground) with a British family. Though I was told that the southern part of London was a dodgy area, personally I think it's pretty safe. From what I observed, there are definitely more foreigners (Blacks, Indians, Asians etc) living within this area and less Brits. In every country, it's common sense to always be aware about your surroundings.

11. Public toilets are not that common and you will need to pay

Good news, the toilets in England are clean compared to Singapore's toilets. Bad news, they're not found everywhere and if you need to use one urgently, be prepared to pay from 50 pence (cents) to 1 pound (dollar) for it. Fast food places would be your best bet for free toilets usage, though we've encountered a Burger King in Brighton that has their toilets are password locked. We've made it a point to use the toilet before leaving any cafe or restaurants. As long as you dine in, you can usually use the toilets for free.

Hope these tips are useful for your upcoming trip!

Locals that we've met in the market and us! :)

In my previous post, the aftermath of a really painful butt from last bike tour made me requested a change to a food tour instead of another bike tour. Apparently, I was the only one having butt pains whereas my other 2 girlfriends were perfectly fine. The tour we signed up for was Mandalay Tea Shop, Foodies Tour with Grasshopper adventures.

Nay, our tour guide and friend

We met our guides again the following day at their office with 3 rickshaw riders waiting patiently outside for us. Keeping our stomach close to empty was a good idea as we were brought to many places to try their local food. My favourite was mohinga! It reminds me of what we have in Singapore known as mee siam.

Snacks from the local market

I always believe that food brings people together. With the slower paced tour, we were able to talk a lot more. Nay, our main guide, knows his history and currently happening in his homeland. He was very willing to share what he knew and is passionate about what he does. The knowledge shared was very insightful and I really appreciate it. I am always interested about people’s lives and why they do what they do.

Best handmade fruit juice ever!

We were also brought to their local market where we get their snacks/desserts. My favourite was the fruit juice! As the small roadside stalls do not have machines, they hand chop their fruits. It took a while for them to make it but trust me, it was so worth the wait.

Give it a try!

Very quickly, the half day tour ended and we bid goodbye to our guide who is now our friend. After a short rest back in the hotel, we met up with our new Singaporeans friends for dinner at a local restaurant, super 81. With the help of the manager, who could speak english, we place our order based on what he recommended with a couple of Mandalay beers to celebrate our new form friendship! Ending with a high note in Mandalay, we were ready to return to Yangon the following morning.

Our well maintained bikes provided by Grasshopper Adventures

Barely having enough any sleep after a crazy world cup match (Brazil vs Germany) that happened at 2am, local time, we were up and out to the airport before sunrise to catch our flight to Mandalay.

Clean and modern airport

While keeping my expectations low, the domestic flight airport actually turned out to be better than I thought. Flight from Yangon to Mandalay was about an hour and the hotel driver that we booked didn't turn up! A Burmese lady, who was waiting for guests to arrive, saw us wondering around came to our rescue and contacted the hotel to ask for our driver's location. After multiple phone calls between the hotel and driver, she told us to take a taxi from the hotel as this driver seems suspicious. This whole incident actually took 30 mins! We took her advise and went with the taxi at the airport.

View from Taw Win Myanmar Hotel

The taxi fares listed in the airport was the same as what I've research online. It cost us 15,000 kyats with aircon. Carry your own luggage if you do not want to tip the guys. We sat in a F1 taxi and the whole ride took us less than an hour. Followed with a quick check-in to our hotel (Taw Win Myanmar Hotel), we rested for a while before heading out for our next adventure (U Bein Bridge Sunset Ride, with Grasshopper Adventures).

The famous U-Bein Bridge

Our guides and us at the watch tower

Our guide picked us up from our hotel, along with 2 other tourist, who turned out to be Singaporeans! It is very comforting to meet people from your home country in a foreign land. Singlish flowed out naturally after that too. We rode for half a day and that was the bumpiest ride I ever had! My butt hurt so bad halfway but I'm glad that I've persevered through. We explored small roads and visited the homes of the locals to understand what they do for livelihood. The tour was very enjoyable and our guide, Nay, was knowledgeable.

Mini Bagan in Mandalay

Local food for dinner

With the recent riot that took place in Mandalay, a curfew was imposed and everybody had to be in their homes by 9pm. With that, dinner had to be somewhere close to our hotel, which was on the next street behind our hotel as recommended by the hotel staff. We had some trouble understanding their menu and the waiter with limited English words wasn't able to explain it to us. Lady boss came long and decided to speak in Chinese! At this point, it was pretty candid as we were so glad that we can finally communicate. The staff laughed at our relieved reaction. With the lady boss's recommendations, we ordered a couple of items and similar to Korean food, they give out side dishes too. Verdict of the food? We didn't quite like them as it was either too oily or too salty. After dinner, we headed back to our hotel to rest for the day. :) We had another food tour with Grasshopper Adventure the next morning. Stay tuned!

Final Product

Did I ever mentioned that I love these brown mahjong paper! They are my number one paper to go to for wrapping simply because they are huge in size, comes in bulk and super affordable. You can get them easily at Popular, Art Friend and some local mama stores in Singapore.

To piece the whole thing together, I've made use of:

Ideas
Brown mahjong paper
How to make a paper bag youtube tutorial
Scissors
Clear sticky tape/double sided tape
A marker to personalised the names

When you're an expert at making paper bags, the whole thing will take you less then 5 minutes. You can decorate anyway you want and let your creative juice just flow!

Have fun!

Breakfast at Golden Guest Inn

It was our very first breakfast in Myanmar and we were in for a good meal! Of all the French toast I had so far, I've found my best in Golden Guest Inn. French toasts that I had are usually only coated on the outside and dry in the middle. This toast was entirely infused with the flavour and moist, very lovely. The only regret I had was leaving this place the second day without any breakfast.

Kamayaut Station (Nearby the guest inn)

Handwritten train tickets

We walked to the nearest Circular train station, Kamayaut and there we purchased our handwritten train tickets. I realised that this information isn't readily available online so I'll like to share this with you. The circular train goes bi-directional (2-ways) and you can pretty much buy your tickets at any station now. Timing of the trains are not accurate, so do buffer another 30 mins of waiting time on top of the time the station master tells you. Don't expect a seat immediately and depending on the time of the ride, it can be pretty packed. Journey time from Kamayaut to Yangon Central station was about an hour. During the one hour ride, we pretty much had a glimpse of how the locals live on a daily basis.

Inside the train

I thought the ride was rather soothing as it rocks a little from side to side when it moves. Accompanied with the slight breeze, it was comfortable enough for a short nap. We pretty much just enjoyed the slow ride and people watched. I was just observing this cute Burmese granny, who was sitting across me, just enjoying her ride. She pretty much just gazed out of the window peacefully with occasional fluttering of eyelids, trying to keep herself awake. I really enjoy seeing how the locals live their lives in what we could call the "kampong style".

Inside Shwedagon Pagoda

Upon alighting at Yangon Central Station, we walked out of the station and took a taxi down to Shwedagon Pagoda. I believe it was about a 15 minutes ride from the station. Be prepared for a long climb up to the temple (about 5 flights of stairs). Please wear pant/skirt that cover your knees, else they would want you to purchase a wrap around for 5USD each. Entrance fees has also risen up to 9USD per person. The area is quite huge and they would provide you with a map to walk around. They have unofficial tour guides too which you can try to bargain. One guy offered to take 3 of us at 10USD but due to the short time we have there, we turned him down and went on our own. We couldn't get a very good photo as there was some restoration work done while we were there. I would say the real gold coated buildings against the white paint is pretty impressive. Also, I liked a building that was covered entirely with small pieces of mirror, I can imagine it sparkling when the sun shines on it. As you walk around barefooted in the huge compound, you'll also be amazed that it has been well-kept. We left the area about an hour later and the rest of the evening was just hiding in our guest house due to a heavy downpour.

At Inya Lake

Myanmar not being one of the top holiday destinations in Singapore was one of the main reasons why we've decided to head there. We thought that it would be a backwards country in terms of development and we were in for a pleasant surprise. It was actually like Malaysia or Batam, not as backwards as we initially thought to be.

Golden Guest Inn

Our contact recommended us to stay in Golden Guest Inn while we were in Yangon. This guest inn is a family-run business, they have built an extension at the back of their house to allow more rooms for guest and the family would stay in the main building. This guest inn is more like staying in a chalet. As I'm not a hotel staying person, this guest house provided me what I needed. It was homely and comfortable. They had wifi, hot water, a small fridge, TV with international channels, air-con, clean towels and some basic soaps.

During our short stay, Tat and his family were really friendly and helpful. They would recommend places to eat and places to visit. Tat is fluent in English while his parents are fluent in Mandarin. So communication was not a problem for us at all. From Yangon airport, it would take about 15 mins by taxi to the guest inn. To the city (downtown) area, it would take another 15 mins from the guest inn. Depending on the time of the day, do expect peak hours traffic jam.

Inya Lake

We arrived early in the afternoon, and with our limited time, we visited Inya lake and just strolled around the area. Inya lake was well maintained and you could tell the cleanliness difference by just looking across the main road. It's not uncommon to find piles of food waste at random corners of the streets, uneven side walks, very little traffic lights and bi-direction one way roads. Compared to Mandalay, I felt that Yangon was messier.

In the evening, we met our contact for some volunteer work. We visited families who lived in the squatters and interacted with them for a couple of hours before we left. The contrast between the rich and the poor is obvious in Yangon. On one end of the street, you could see concrete houses where the rich lives and on another, the poor are just living off with what they make do with, building their homes with what you can see above.

The little ones are adorable. They were really curious about us (I guess it's not common for them to have visitors) and I was reliving my childhood again when I played their favourite game. Volunteering has always been a humbling experience and trust me when I say that Singapore is good place. As much as we're finding our identity as Singaporeans, in terms of development and welfare, we're considerably better off compared to our neighbouring countries. It's just finding the balance of appreciating what I have currently and being contented with it.

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