The 100 Day Report
Trip Start
Jan 2003
1
71
200
Trip End
Dec 2003
Singapore, Singapore
Friday, May 2, 2003
Being a list type of person we decided that at the 100 day mark we should look back at what we have done so far this year and create lists showing the 'bests' and 'worsts'. Below is the result of that but obviously more information regarding each of these can either be found by reading the travelogue or by e-mailing us. None of it is order, they are just the best or worst in each category.
Best Hotels (excluded from this category are all treats - ie anything over $30)
1. Hill Top (Varkala, India) - Good staff and location
2. Chart Guesthouse (Bangkok, Thailand) - Gorgeous room
3. Tanoy Guesthouse (Luang Prabang, Laos) - Friendliest staff so far
4. Vinh Hung 2 (Hoi An, Vietnam) - Bit more expensive but a bit of luxury
5. Travellers Lodge (Melaka, Malaysia) - Great communal areas and room and helpful staff
Worst Hotels
1. Cosmo (Delhi, India) - Unclean, relatively expensive
2. Marine Palace (Varkala, India) - Tramps on the verandah, out the way and mozzies galore
3. Connaught (Delhi, India) - Ridiculously expensive and a funny smell
4. Narin 2 (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) - Awful location and cleanliness uninspiring
5. Bounmy (Pak Beng, Laos) - Generally unpleasant
Worst Journeys
1. Goa to Mumbai (India - Bus) - dropped us off on a flyover after 16 hours of hell
2. Nha Trang to Hoi An (Vietnam - Bus) - uncomfortable and egg-eating and vomiting woman
3. Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai (Laos/Thailand - Boat/Bus) - painfully long and squashed
4. Hue to Hanoi (Vietnam - Bus) - uncomfortable, uncomfortable, uncomfortable
5. Bangkok - Siem Reap (Thailand/Cambodia - Bus) - hassles galore
Best Cities
1. Siem Reap, Cambodia - Nice bars and cafes
2. Luang Prabang, Laos - Friendly people and relaxing
3. Kochi, India - A welcome change for India - clean and almost hassle-free
4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Shopping and food
5. Hanoi, Vietnam - Bustling and full of character
Worst Cities
1. Delhi, India - Hell on earth
2. Mumbai, India - Marginally more pleasant than Delhi
3. Agra, India - Hassle 24/7
4. Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Nothing going for it
5. Vientiane, Laos - Dull beyond belief
Best Local People
1. Danoi - Tanoy Guesthouse in Luang Prabang, Laos
2. Prabha - Restaurant/Bar in Benaulim, India
3. Mr Singh - Taxi driver through Northern India
4. Khanh - Guide in the Cu Chi Tunnels
5. Shampi - Guide in the Keralan backwaters
Most Valuable Items Brought from Home
1. Guidebooks - self-explanatory
2. Torches - when bedside light are absent and strip-lighting headache inducing
3. Sleeping Bag Liners - small and when the thought of sleeping in certain places fills you with dread
4. Kirsty's Watch (it's got a thermometer on it which has been surprisingly excessively used)
5. Travel Towels - when space is at a premium
Most Useless Items Brought From Home
1. Mozzie Net - one night from a hundred speaks for itself
2. Camp Soap - environmentally friendly but fails in its primary quest - to clean clothes
3. Socks (8 pairs) - unworn since about Day 7
4. Cardigan (Kirsty's not mine obviously) - bulky and stays wet
5. Transistor Radio - haven't even found a station on it yet
Best Buys (Value for Money)
1. Full Size Inflatable Pillows (65 pence) - Agra Train Station, india
2. Bag for Kirsty (20 pence) - Pushkar, India
3. Shorts (130 pence) - Phnom Penh, Cambodia
4. Sarong for me I'm embarrassed to say) 65 pence - Kovalam, India
5. Vests for Kirsty (130 pence each) - Phnom Penh, Cambodia
