Malaysia in 15 Days

When I say Malaysia, I mean the mainland portion below Thailand. There’s a whole other section to explore that includes Borneo (amazing!), but I did not see that part. To be honest, Malaysia was not my favorite country. I felt overwhelmed by the big cities, the heat, and the modernization, and the food wasn’t that great. I felt like I could feel and see the presence of the patriarchy here more than the other countries I’ve visited. Besides the site-seeing detailed below, I also spent two weeks working at a horse farm which was very nice, but really hard work! I’ll do another blog post on that sometime.

These 15 days in Malaysia cost me about $700 in total.

Malacca (2-3 days)

Malacca (also spelled Melaka) was my first stop in Malaysia, and also my favorite place I saw there. I took a 6 hour bus from Singapore to get there for $18. Definitely stay near the river in Malacca. I stayed here which was just a short walk to the river, and I really enjoyed it (but note: there is no AC).

The best part about Malacca is all the beautiful murals everywhere. Walking around was a real joy. Then you have the river, which at night is all it up and very lovely. There’s a great ice cream place on the river called Fruit Cones that I went to every night. The tuk tuk’s in Malacca are really fun and over the top. They each have a theme and are decorated crazily, and drive around playing loud, obnoxious music. Baby Shark was a very popular theme haha. There’s a great night market as well called Jonker Street Night Market. It has a hilarious giant karaoke stage. Pretty much only old men got up and sang and they were all surprisingly really good.

Make sure to give durian and cendol a try while you are there! Cendol is a traditional, and very strange dessert containing ice, green rice flour jelly, coconut milk, palm sugar syrup, and whatever other toppings you want like beans and corn. It’s like lunch and dessert in one bowl….

Kuala Lumpur (2-3 days)

I had a friend from America join me at this point which was really great! Since Malaysia was turning out to not by my favorite country, it was nice to have a friend to explore it with and liven things up. In Kuala Lumpur, we just did a lot of walking around, and a LOT of eating at McDonald’s haha. They had the best McDonald’s I’ve found so far. Banana pies that were to die for. Tons of different ice cream flavors and dippings. My favorite was sarsaparilla ice cream dipped in chocolate. Caitlin said the chicken curry pie was “phenomenal,” but I don’t eat meat so I did not try it.

Batu Caves. There were some monkeys on the stairs that we fed crackers to which was fun!

Petronas twin towers. This is a nice area of the city to walk around in.

Me trying fried banana for the first time at the night market. Very delicious!

We saw the Batu Caves, the Petronas twin towers, walked around the city parks, and went to a fun night market. We also went to the shopping mall a lot! This is a very popular activity because it’s so hot there. Might I recommend eating at Llao Llao yogurt bar when you are at the mall. Best frozen yogurt I’ve ever had!

The next day, we did a really great hike through this airbnb experience. Definitely recommended, we had a great time and the views were stunning. We also got to try “scrambling” which we had never done before. The guide was wonderful, and an adorable local dog joins you on the hike every time because the guide gives her cat food at the top. It was so cute.

Gorgeous view from the top!

The infamous pup that joins you.

Cameron Highlands (2-3 days)

Next, we took a 4 our bus to Cameron Highlands for $8. This area is known for their tea production and the rolling hills of tea plantations really are beautiful. But that’s one of the only things that is nice about this area. The town isn’t very cute, the taxis are overpriced, and all “strawberry fields” are a big disappointment. The nicest thing about Cameron Highlands was the weather! It was actually cool! Probably low 70s the entire time which was a nice break from the heat and humidity of the rest of SE Asia.

A tea plantation in Cameron Highlands. There are tea houses all over the road that you can stop for some delicious ice tea and scones.

The other really cool thing to do here is visit the Mossy Forest. This is a must-do if you are in the area! A group tour is easier because the roads to this are really rough and it’s hard to get a taxi driver to take you there. We were lucky enough to find one, and he charged us $10 each, and waited for us while we explored. The Mossy Forest was really a spectacular experience. At first, it seemed a little boring. We walked along wooden pathways for a while, and got a taste for the eeriness of the forest. We thought that was it, but then the path disappears and opens up to the true forest which you can walk into for hours. It’s so mystical in there, you feel like you are in a different world, maybe a scary movie. The air is misty and there’s moss everywhere and unusual and powerful trees. We had a blast climbing up and over all the hills and roots and discovering what was around each corner. I felt a little uneasy being in the forest with just the two of us, so you may prefer to go with a tour group. But everything was fine, and every now and then we would run into another group of hikers. Highly recommend! And, of course, the pictures just don’t do it justice!

The Mossy Forest

Caitlin, after a pretty steep climb up!

Penang (2-3 Days)

Next, Caitlin and I traveled to Penang (or Georgetown). We took a 5 hour bus to Butterworth That cost $9. And then a 30 minute ferry from Butterworth to Penang, which I think was <$1. The ferry was cool. We stayed at this airbnb, which I really liked. And there was a lot of delicious food and a great grocery store called Cold Storage in the area.

In Penang, we hiked through the Penang National Park, along the Turtle Beach Trail which I really enjoyed. It started pouring rain at the end, I mean pouring. We got completely drenched and waited for a boat to take us back, but it was fun. We also visited the Penang Hill, which was pretty cool. The funicular taking you up to the top was quite the adventure!

We did this farm-to-table cooking class through this airbnb experience and enjoyed that as well. Airbnb experiences have been a great resource during my travels.

Results of our farm-to-table cooking class.

Caitlin looking cool, trying to beat the heat!

Langkawi (3-4 Days)

Caitlin had to return to America, so I went to Langkawi alone. I took the ferry back to the mainland, took a 3 hour bus from Buttorworth to Kuala Perlis for $4, and then took a speedboat to Langkawi for $4. It was a bit scary, honestly. I felt crowded and stuck in the boat, and was very happy to be off when it was over. In Langkawi, I stayed in this adorable, but not very convenient airbnb. It was not a convenient location, and living on the third floor with detached bathroom was also inconvenient. I started getting really depressed in my solo endeavor, and after 2 days there, decided to splurge on a nice airbnb with Netflix that was closer to the attractions. I stayed there for a few days and honestly saw nothing, because I was in such a low point of my travels. So I really have no recommendations on Langkawi, sorry! However, I can highly recommend this airbnb. It was extremely nice, as was the family who host it. They even had a dinner one night for all their guests.

The coolest thing, and only thing, I did on Langkawi was finally learn to drive a motorbike! I had been riding on the back of them, mostly completely terrified, and I decided I wanted to learn. The airbnb let me rent one, and it was the perfect spot because there were long stretches of country road with no one on them except some cows. So here, I proudly learned to drive! And since then, have been able to drive in the other countries I visited.

This is where I practiced driving a motorbike for the first time! Safe and beautiful.

It’s worth noting here, that I don’t really know the rules behind riding motorbikes in Asia. It may not be legal, I know sometimes cops will stop you just to get a bribe, and I’m pretty positive your health insurance will not cover an accident on one of these. And accidents seem to be very common with foreigners. You’ll see a lot of white people walking around with huge areas of road rash or large bandages covering massive areas of their legs and arms. So do your research, and proceed with caution!

But, man, I just felt like…how can I come to SE Asia and not learn to drive one! So I did. =)

Singapore in 3 Days

As I’m definitely not a city girl, I was surprised to find out that I really enjoyed Singapore! Of course, I did only stay there for 3 days, and that was quite enough for me. But I definitely recommend this as a stop along your way. It’s a great place to explore for a few days before heading to Malaysia.

An adorable restaurant near Arab St, where I stayed

Another reason to only stay 3 days is that it’s quite expensive. I stayed at this hostel, which was a very average hostel, but it cost $17/night. I did like the location though. It was on Arab Street and there were a ton of cute restaurants and bars with lots of beautifully painted wall murals. And it was about a 10 minute walk to the nearest metro station which was pretty convenient. Did I mention there was a Popeye’s within walking distance! Hello buttery biscuits and french fries!

Glow-in-the-dark walls on Arab St. at night

The main parts of the city are as pristine, beautiful, and interesting as everyone says. The high fines for littering keep the streets looking beautiful, and there are many unique buildings with beautiful plants surrounding them or growing up them. A focus on the environment seems to be important, which you’ll see more of at Gardens by the Bay.

The supertrees as the storm was rolling in.

Supertrees as the sun was setting.

Gardens by the Bay was definitely one of my favorite things about visiting Singapore. The super trees are stunning (albeit not as tall as I thought 🤔), and the light show in the evening is fantastic. I paid for the full access ticket which was $28. This gives you access to the everything, like the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome, but does not include the Skyway which is a bridge connecting some of the super trees (it’s $8 extra). Unfortunately, it stormed a bit the day I went, so the Skyway was closed. The park itself is quite large, and you can spend a lot of time exploring it. The Cloud Forest was really cool too, definitely worth it. And the Flower Dome had some unbelievable flowers along with some great educational material about how we can and must save the planet before it’s too late.

The marina at night!

My other favorite thing about Singapore was the marina, especially at night! Omg, I had such a great time there! There’s this wonderful light-up double helix bridge, an area with live music, a very expensive and beautiful mall, stunning views, and of course the famous boat hotel. I did not go up into the boat hotel because I am afraid of heights. But the most fun I had at the marina was actually renting an electric scooter and scooting around the whole thing! Idk why, but this was just so grand; I was laughing the whole time. I also had the best soft serve melon flavored ice cream of my LIFE there! It cost $4 which was obscene but so worth it. See if you can find the stand selling it!

You can get to both the marina and Gardens by the Bay using the metro. In fact, the metro stop for Gardens by the Bay is very fun and reflective of what you’ll see there!

The only other main place I explored was Little India, which I wasn’t impressed by. And I missed some opportunities for some Michelin star-rated street food. So check that out before you go! Happy travels!

How My Purse Was Stolen in Cambodia

There are a lot of warning signs to this story, that I wish I had taken more seriously. Maybe this could have been avoided. But I’d been traveling for about 5 months, and had gotten really comfortable..too comfortable apparently. Moral of the story is, always trust your instincts!

I was traveling on the main tourist track through Cambodia with my friend Helen. We started in Siem Reap, and had a great time there. It’s very cute and walkable. There’s tons of adorable bars and $1 smoothie stands everywhere. We went to this amazing frozen yogurt shop every night called Project Y. Overall, we were having a great time, and expected the same thing of Phnom Penh, our next stop.

But when we arrived, I disliked the city right away. It just had a feeling to it that I knew wasn’t me, and I felt uneasy and wanted to leave. On our first day, we just walked around. It was super hot and there wasn’t anything great to see.

Strangely, nearly every time one of us had our phone out getting directions or taking a picture, a Cambodian man would come up to us and tell us to be careful with our phones. It happened at least 5 times. It was eerie and, honestly, made me wonder if those men were trying to trick us or something. I didn’t like it.

The next night, we decided to go to a night club called Pontoon Club. We had been going to bed early every night, so thought it might be fun to go dancing and stay out a bit later. We heard from others that this night club was a bit sketchy, so we were already very on guard. We just had a couple drinks, and danced, carefully holding our purses next to us.

On our way home, we turned onto a main street to get back to our hostel, Base Villa. This street was very busy and thriving during the day, but at night, it felt scary. It was the only leg of the walk that felt this way. I turned to Helen and said we need to be careful on this street. I was expecting a person to come up to us, maybe, so I was watching for that. But I wasn’t expecting what happened next….

Helen and I were walked side by side, briskly trying to get down this street. All of a sudden, a motorbike was next to me, and a tuk tuk was next to Helen, blocking us in together. Within a split second, they had cut my purse away from my body and were gone.

Then it was all quite dramatic. Once I realized what had happened I started screaming “they stole my purse!” I starting running after them (futile) but tripped and fell on the ground (I’ve never been very athletic.) A nice tuk tuk driver stopped and picked us up and drove after them (this was a bad idea because they could have been in on the scheme as well, but in my panic, I wasn’t really thinking). Anyways, there was really no hope of catching them…

I had heard of this happening before the trip, but motorbikes are everywhere. You get so accustomed to their presence. I never expected this, and it happened so so fast.

I lost my wallet with my license, credit card, debit card, $30, and my iPhone (luckily I had my iPhone data entirely backed up on iCloud). So then ensued the awful walk back home, the people at our hostel telling us there’s no point in contacting the police unless I had phone insurance (which I didn’t), staying up late calling my bank, canceling my cards, changing all my passwords….

I had another credit card hidden in my backpack in case something like this happened, but it was of very little use. It has high international transaction fees, and after hours on the phone with my bank, was still unable to withdraw money from an ATM with this card. Luckily, Helen generously lent me some cash so I could survive a few weeks while I waited for my new debit and credit cards to reach me in Laos (thank you mom for sending them!).

Later, I learned from other friends that Cambodia is very known for petty theft. So please be careful when traveling there. Although this can and does, of course, happen many places in SE Asia! And speaking of….

I mentioned in my blog post “How to Pack for a Year-long Warm-weather Trip Abroad,” that I purchased and have been using this purse specifically designed for travel. One of the ways it’s designed for travel is that the straps cannot be cut through. Seems great, except that….had I been wearing this purse when the incident happened, likely I would have been jerked forward, and dragged on the ground until the purse finally slipped off me (this actually happened to a friend of a friend in Bali). Luckily (I think), I was wearing a very cheap purse I had purchased at a market in Chiang Mai, so it cut away from my body easily. Now, I’m back to wearing my travel purse, but I’m really not sure how I feel about it now! I keep it tightly held to my body when I walk around so that no one can grab the straps.

The safest bet is probably to carry a cheap bag with a bit of cash in it, and keep your phone, cards, and more cash in a money belt around your waist. But I know that that is really quite inconvenient.

My friend Helen and I a few days before the incident

Whatever you decide to do, I hope this story can inform your decision. Stay safe and vigilant!

P.S. This is nothing against Cambodia! Helen and I had a wonderful time there (which I will detail in a future blog post), and actually most of the Cambodians I met were the most hospitable people I’ve met my entire time in SE Asia.

Bali, Indonesia: Ubud & Canggu

Bali was the first stop on my trip! I chose this because I thought it would be an easier transition from my old life. I spent most of the time in Ubud, and totally fell in love with the spiritual offerings and the food! Wow, the food. SO many vegan and vegetarian options. I stayed there for the first month of my travels, but after moving on, becoming depressed in my solo endeavor through Singapore and Malaysia, so abruptly decided to fly back to Bali for 3 more weeks to gain some clarity. So I spent nearly 2 months total in Ubud.

Sunrise hike on Mount Batur

Ubud

Ubud is in the center of Bali. Ubud is known for its spirituality, self discovery, yoga and all that. LOTS of stuff there – healers, cacao ceremonies, rebirths, women’s circles, ecstatic dances, sound healing, meditations, whatever you can think of. I loved being there. It’s full of tourists and ex-pats, but it’s just an easy and safe place to be. If you stay in the center of town, you can get everywhere in walking distance. I spent a lot of time at the Yoga Barn doing yoga and attending their free community classes which are really good. Kundalini yoga is life changing…not to oversell it or anything! I also highly suggest trying the Ecstatic Dance at the yoga barn on Friday nights. It’s worth the experience.

Where to Stay

Most people stay in a homestay there. Balinese people open up their homes which are basically tiny communes with a temple that the whole family lives at. I stayed here for over a month and loved the family, location, and all their amenities. You can learn a lot about the Hindu customs and traditional Balinese lifestyles by staying at the homestays. Airbnb is a wonderful resource for finding great homestay. If you are looking for a cheaper place, I also stayed here, and the family was really wonderful!

Getting Around

Getting around in Ubud mostly is done by foot. There is a public bus called Kura-Kura that can take you to a few places (including taking you almost all the way back to the airport for a fraction of the cost of a taxi). Or there’s taxis which are the main mode of transportation. They look down upon taxi apps but people still use them. GrabCar and GoJek are the best. GrabCar you can use in pretty much all of SE Asia. Otherwise, there’s taxi drivers everywhere constantly asking if you need a taxi. Definitely don’t accept their first price. You can hire a car or a scooter driver. Scooter drivers are cheaper and more fun. Just please wear a helmet!

The view from the plane on our descent to Bali

Arriving on the Island

When you fly into Denpasar (southern part of the island), you can expect to pay about 300,000 Indonesia Rupiah ($21) to get to Ubud. Where a GrabCar or GoJek will be closer to 270,000. So generally, the apps are cheaper. If you land at the airport, you can always look for other obvious tourists and see if they’ll split a cab with you to Ubud or wherever you are starting.

The Monkey Forest, Ubud

Amazing free breakfast everyday at my homestay

Food!

One of my favorite places to eat was Bali Buda the restaurant (not the grocery, although it also has delicious offerings). I love all their food, but especially the tacos and the pumpkin pasta, and the free peanut butter cookies you get when you pay. Green Key makes the best smoothie bowls that I could find. I loved their chocolate protein one. Warung Sopa is a nice local place with really good sugar cane juice and food. Happy Falafel makes the best falafels I’ve ever had! Overall the food in Bali is super delicious and healthy and reasonably priced. A satisfying meal will cost $3-$6. CP Lounge is a fun place for dancing if you want to get cray one night.

What to Do

Popular things to do in Ubud are the monkey forest (so fun), visiting waterfalls, seeing the rice terraces, walking the Campuhan Ridge, and anything spiritual. As mentioned, the Yoga Barn is really lovely, and another spiritual place to check out is the Pyramids of Chi. I also did the Mount Batur sunrise hike (pictured above) and really enjoyed that. It was beautiful and there were a ton of monkeys vying for our leftover breakfast boxes.

Gorgeous sunsets in Canggu!

Canggu

The only other place I went to in Bali was Canggu, which is on the west coast. This is a party beach town, but not as insanely party as Kuta or Seminyak. I personally wasn’t impressed with Canggu except for the food, and they have super beautiful cafes that really cater to the digital nomad crowd. It’s bigger than Ubud and sidewalks aren’t really a thing so you really need a scooter to succeed there. Or be constantly hiring a taxi driver. And I wouldn’t recommend scootering there if it’s your first time. Traffic is crazy in all of Bali.

But if you do go there, definitely eat at the Shady Shack (this is probably my favorite food from my entire trip), Cafe Vida (amazing poke bowls), and check out Pretty Poison skatepark bar. Also, there’s a speakeasy near there that you enter through a refrigerator in a convenience store. Very fun!

Surfing lessons are popular in Changgu but the ocean was too rough for my liking when I was there. And of course, lots of beautiful sunsets. That was really the best part.

Other popular places that I wish I had seen in Bali, but just was too in love with Ubud to leave are Nusa Penida (an island) and the Gili Islands. I saw photos from friends and it looked absolutely stunning!

9 Tips for Traveling South East Asia

As I’ve been traveling through South East Asia for nearly 6 months, I’ve learned a few things on the road that I did not learn in my research ahead of time. I’ve been to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. These tips apply to visiting any of these countries.

Little India, Singapore

1. Carry extra passport-sized photos with you

This is recommended anyways in case you lose your passport. But what I didn’t realize until I got here, is that many countries require a visa on arrival, which will require one of these photos. If you are an American citizen, you can enter some countries with no visa, AKA a visa exemption. Those countries include Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. All the other countries will require some kind of visa to enter. And those visas require a picture. When you enter one of these countries, or if you apply for visa ahead of time at an embassy, you will be asked to fill out an arrival card, pay (usually in USD), and supply a visa photo. They create your visa on the spot for you using that photo. Take as many photos as you need to enter all the countries you plan on entering.

2. Take the bus!

If you are traveling for a while, and time isn’t that important, please take the bus! Night or day buses, but day buses are my favorite because you get to see the beautiful landscapes. A 10 hour bus ride honestly goes by so fast when you can look out the window. I get all my best ideas in these moments. I heard J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter on the train every day to work, and this makes total sense to me now.

Book buses 1 day ahead if possible. Even during low season, buses fill up quickly. And don’t string too many bus journeys together, because the buses are usually late to arrive. And if you have one shortly after another, chances are you will miss it. You can book your bus at the bus station (usually cheapest), through whatever hotel or hostel you are staying at (very convenient because they usually pick you up at your location), or through these three websites which I found very helpful: www.easybook.com, www.12go.asia, www.rome2rio.com. The tickets on here will be a bit more expensive because it’s online booking, but often it’s worth it.

Be aware, if you are in some countries, like Laos or Cambodia, a night bus is often a sleeper bus. Meaning you will be in a bed with whoever has the seat next to you! As a women traveling alone, I DO NOT recommend doing this, unless you have a friend to share the bed with. I’ve heard of women getting stolen from or groped on these night buses. The one time I accidentally took a sleeper bus alone, one of the bus workers got in bed with me in the middle of the night and I was extremely uncomfortable the entire time. The width of the bed is a twin! Not a double! I tried to tell him no, and to get another bed, but he refused. After 2 hours of laying with my eyes wide open, I finally decided to try and annoy him until he left – moving around, eating, unzipping my bag, pushing him onto his half of the bed. Which worked swimmingly, and he finally left!

3. Use apps like Grab for taxis or motorbikes

Grab is a popular app in many places in SE Asia. Another like it is GoJek, used for motorbikes in Bali. These are very useful in big cities, and if you have a SIM card so you can book anytime. You can see the drivers rating which made me feel very safe getting into a taxi alone. The prices are very fair, and often lower than if you just got someone on the street.

4. Share taxis when arriving in a city

Whether you arrive by bus or plane, you are usually a ways out from the city center, or wherever you plan to go. This is a good time to ask other travelers to share a taxi with you. It’s safer and cheaper. For example, if you land at the airport in Bali (in Denpasar), it’s about an hour drive to Ubud, which is where many of the tourists will be heading. Every time I landed at the airport, I walked out to the taxi area, and found other obvious tourist to share a ride with me, cutting the cost in half or thirds. And making friends along the way!

5. Expect fees

I have an international credit card through Chase that has 0 international transaction fees which is really wonderful. However, it’s a bit rare that I can actually use this card. Only in big cities, or sometimes when paying for a hotel. And in many places, if you use a credit card, they will ask if they can charge you a 3% fee. They ask…but you don’t really have a choice. The other way to get money is using a debit card at the ATM. This is usually what I do. But unfortunately, this comes with two fees. The ATM fee which is usually between $3-$5, and my bank’s fee which I believe is 5%. So it’s quite steep! I try to get out larger chunks of money, and do this as infrequently as possible. But you have to balance this of course, because you never want to carry too much cash.

6. To SIM or not to SIM

If you choose not to have a SIM card (maybe you are really cutting costs) definitely download the app Maps.me. Somehow I did not find out about this until 5 months in, but it is CRUCIAL. It’s a complete offline maps app and works very well. So when you are in your hotel, you’ll have wifi. And when you aren’t, you’ll have maps access which is really important for safety and fun.

Because I knew I was traveling long term, I chose to cancel my phone plan entirely back in the US, and buy a SIM card each time I entered a new country. I transferred my phone number to Google before cancelling, so that I would not lose my phone number that I’ve had for years. If you fly into a new country, getting a SIM card is very easy and convenient at the airport. They know what they are doing and usually speak English quite well. If you enter by bus, you’ll need to go to a convenience store and get a SIM. This is usually more challenging, but doable. Either way, have your passport ready. They need this to sell the SIM card to you. General cost for a SIM card that lasts 30 days with a reasonable amount of data is $10-$20. Pretty cheap!

7. Workaway

I highly recommend including a workaway into your journey if you have enough time. Workaway.info is an amazing website that connects travelers with people all over the world who are looking for help. Any type of help you can think of! Animal care, painting, building, teaching, community work…whatever skills you have, someone will be glad to host you. You usually work for 4-5 hours a day, in exchange for a free place to stay and free food. It’s an amazing opportunity for both parties.

Many of my favorite travel experiences have been through workaway. Taking care of Poitou donkeys in France, insulating a house in Italy (that’s a story for another time haha), caring for horses in Malaysia, teaching English in rural Myanmar, painting signs for a jewelry store in Laos…the list goes on! It’s an amazing way to get a better understanding of local culture and lifestyles, and make life-long friends. And of course, it is the most affordable way to travel.

8. Don’t plan your trip using instagram

South East Asia is a wild place! In many ways, it’s so different than the Western world. And, of course, that’s why we are so attracted to it! But things do NOT look like they do on instagram (This is an important life lesson actually 😂). Anyways, some of the most beautiful spots I went to were very beautiful in one corner, or from one angle (the angle you see in photos), but the rest of it was covered in trash (trash is a real problem in SE Asia), overtaken by tourists, filled to the brim with shops and taxi drivers asking if you want a ride. It’s just different. Unless you really go deep into the jungle, things are always a bit dirty, dusty, noisy, and chaotic.

And some things are just down-right fake. An example is the Gates of Heaven in Bali…an instagrammer’s dream right? Beautiful lake in front of those gates, right? Nope! It’s a tiny mirror, held up to the base of you camera, to create an entirely fake reflection after you stood in line for 3-4 hours. Moral of the story, I would not look to instagram photos to plan your trip because 99% of them are completely photoshopped or not encapsulating what is actually going on.

9. A lot of accommodations don’t have air conditioning

If you are someone who has a naturally high body temperature, make sure to check ahead of time that your accommodation has AC. A lot of places don’t, although they will always have a fan. Most places list whether or not they have AC, but some don’t. If you use Airbnb, you can filter to show only the places with AC. I’ve slept in plenty of places with only fan, no AC, and it’s usually fine. But I’ve definitely had a few sleepless nights because of the heat or humidity.

For more tips, like how to pack, check out my post on packing for long-term travel!

How to Pack for a Year-long Warm-weather Trip Abroad

As many of you know, in March 2019, I set off for a year long solo trip through South East Asia. My bag and my items have become my steady companions. They are my home and my comfort. I take good care of them, and use packing cubes to keep things organized and pack with care. I always kept my home very tidy, and I like to do the same with my bag. It’s a life-changing experience to live out of one bag for so long, especially coming from a culture where consumption is the rule. I love the concept that you can really carry everything you need right on your back. It’s truly freeing!

The backpack I use is the Osprey Porter 46, and I absolutely love it. I’ve had it for 7 years and have used it for all my longterm and short term trips since I bought it. For my day bag, I am using this that I got off Amazon. I really like the looks and it is quite sturdy, but I do wish it was a little bigger. I use this cross-body bag as my purse, but please see my blog post of How My Purse Was Stolen in Cambodia as I still am not totally sure about this bag in terms of safety.

I spent a long time working on my packing list. And now that I’ve been traveling for 5 months, I can honestly say I did a damn good job. I’ve used every single thing I brought multiple times, and I haven’t needed to buy anything (except restock) since I began traveling. I have gone on a few shorter trips in previous years (2 weeks – 3 months long), so I had some good experience with packing that helped me figure out what a year would look like. Actually, I pack nearly the same for a 3 week trip as I do for a 1 year long trip, but basically just add some more meds!

You can access the full list below through pdf download. Some of these items I would consider luxury, and not a complete necessity, so I have added a * to those items. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions. And happy packing!

Click here for the free pdf download of my packing list

In Ubud, Bali, getting ready to go to the airport in Denpasar. Not pictured: my cross body bag

Ginger Snickerdoodles with White Chocolate

I made these for that same New Year's Eve party, and they were a big hit, particularly with Gui, who isn't a huge fan of desserts normally. They are super soft and pillowy like you'd expect of a snickerdoodle, but then they have that ginger snap taste and big chunks of soft white chocolate. Yummmmmmm!

Speaking of New Year's, I'm still working on getting my resolutions together. But I'm set on doing monthly "themes" and ideally developing those into habits that I carry into the future. My January theme is "Strengthen Friendships." I have a tendency to be a bit of a recluse, and even though I text my friends, I'll go months without seeing them. Then I get in a bad mood and I wonder why! 

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened

Directions

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 2 c flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ginger.

3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c granulated sugar and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon. 

4. In a large bowl, cream together 3/4 c butter, 3/4 c brown sugar, and leftover 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add in the syrup, egg and vanilla extract, and mix.

5. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until combined. Add in white chocolate chips and mix. 

6. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and coat in cinnamon sugar mixture that's in your small bowl. 

7. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until the bottoms are just brown. As soon as cookies are out of the oven, sprinkle the tops of cookies with leftover cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread with Dark Orange Chocolate

I made these cookies for a New Year's Eve party. I wanted something festive and holiday feeling. I've always wanted an excuse to use edible gold dust, and this felt like the right time! These cookies give you all the buttery goodness of my traditional shortbread, with that sweet/tart orange/cranberry combo, anddddd the rich dark chocolate! They are also really fun to make! 

The cookies end up looking really beautiful too! I did half the cookies with the right half dipped, and the other with the left so they would look really pretty either stacked or laying on the plate! 

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp fresh orange zest, divided

3/4 cup room temperature butter

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

5 oz. dark chocolate

edible gold dust (optional)

1-2 tsp vegetable shortening

1. Use a food processor to combine the 2/3 c sugar and 1 Tbsp of the orange zest to create orange-sugar. 

2. In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter, the orange-sugar, and salt. 

3. Gradually incorporate 1 1/2 cups flour to the wet mixture.

4. Mix in the 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries. 

5. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

6 Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to create desired shapes. 

7. Chill on a cookie sheet for 20 more minutes in the refrigerator.

8. Preheat 350°F

9. Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, or until the edges are golden brown. 

10. Once the cookies have cooled, use a double boiler to melt the 5 oz. dark chocolate. Add the orange zest and the vegetable shortening to the dark chocolate and stir until smooth. 

11. Dip half the cookie into the melted chocolate, and transfer it to wax paper to set. Sprinkle on the gold dust, or any other desired topping. 

P.S. I only dipped the front of the cookie so that the chocolate wouldn't be too heavy and overpower it. 

Zion National Park – Hiking The Narrows

Zion was amazing. First of all, driving into the park itself was unreal. It almost felt like we were in Avatar with the floating mountains. And there were all these amazing terraced rocks everywhere. I made my dad pull off on the side of the road so I could climb it. 

There's a lot we didn't get to do that I would like to do next time. For example, Angel's Landing was highly recommended but it was a 4 hour hike that we just didn't have time for. But you could easily spend 2-3 days here if you have that time! 

But we spent most of our time hiking The Narrows. The pictures obviously aren't going to do this place justice. Because we were hiking through water, I just took my iPhone in a water-proof case, and not my nicer camera. 

We hiked (and swam) for about 5 hours. It took less time to hike out than it did to hike in because we were going upstream, and we were also stopping a lot to take in our surroundings. Mostly the water was about ankle deep, getting up to your thighs every now and then. And once I hit the 2 hour mark, I did have to swim some parts of the river. 

It was just absolutely stunning. The canyon walls are so high, and once you get in about an hour, you'll realize why it's called The Narrows as the walls come in closer and closer. It's an experience I wish I could take all my favorite people on, and definitely one I will return to one day.

Here you can see it starts to narrow significantly. It's really magical. 

Here's some pictures of us hiking. Scroll right to get a good idea of what you'r up against. It's really not too difficult or treacherous. My dad, who is 69, had a harder time than me and he didn't go as far as I did into the canyons. But you can go in quite a ways before having to swim. And I saw lots of people with children hiking. 

All we had with us was a backpack with snacks, so nothing could really get ruined if we got submerged.

You've got to watch out for the squirrels! This little guy was neck-deep in trail mix before we even realized it! They aren't afraid of humans at all.

This was the best ice cream cone I've had in my life. Partly because it was just really tasty, and partly because it really hit the spot after a 5 hour hike.

The Practical Stuff

When to go:
GO IN THE MORNING. Seriously, as soon as the shuttle starts running, you should be on that first shuttle. I think we got into the canyon around 9 (which wasn't even as early as we could have) and we had a great experience, with minimal people. But on our way hiking back out, there were TONS of people, and the experience was not the same. And the paths had also become really muddy and slippery with so many people trekking through. 

How to hike:
You'll definitely want to rent water socks, hiking boots, and a hiking stick...maybe even two sticks. Do NOT skip out on this. I thought I could wear my Chacos and my dad forced me to rent gear from a place in Springfield and he was so right. It's rocky almost the entire way, so you want to be able to put your foot down without fear of hurting your toes. 

You'll likely want to take a light jacket as well, as very little sun gets in and it can be a little chilly in there.

What to expect:
The water is a bit cold, but you get used to it right away, and the water socks help. Depending on how deep the water is in certain areas, your difficulty walking through it will obviously increase. Expect to use those thigh muscles! If you start at the bottom of The Narrows, you'll be walking upstream so that makes it a bit more difficult as well. 

Is it dangerous?
Generally speaking, the rocks are big and rounded off, not jagged. So falling might be annoying, but it's not dangerous. And the water is mostly shallow enough that you wouldn't get swept away. Basically, you'd fall, get wet, and then just get back up. 

There's also a flash flood potential to be aware of. Because the canyon is so long and narrow, it can be clear skies above, but raining a long way away, and cause a flash flood which is obviously very dangerous. You'll want to be aware of weather in surrounding areas, and Zion also has some signs saying how likely flooding is that day. 

How do I get there?
There's a free shuttle service in the Canyon that takes you to all the places you can hike. It's about a 40 minute ride from the visitor center all the way to the entrance of The Narrows, with several stops along the way. Take the shuttle to the very last stop, and then you'll hike about 30 minutes to the base of The Narrows where you can begin!

Alternatively, you can get an adventure company in Springfield to drive you to the top of the Narrows, and you can hike all the way down to the base that the shuttle takes you to. We met one couple who did this, and they said it was about an 8 hour hike. There's no turning back on this one. 

Some random tips
Pack a lunch! This is such a cool experience. The last thing you want to do is turn back for hungers-sake. We packed peanut butter and bread from the hotel and stopped on a rock for lunch. Then we were reinvigorated for more hours of hiking. 

The deeper you go into the canyon, the deeper areas of water you'll experience. I hiked in about 2.5 hours, and near that time mark, I had to swim to get where I was going. But up until then, I had only gotten wet up to my thighs. 

And here's a deer who is also totally nonchalent around humans! 

Road Trip 2017: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada

Father-daughter trip 2017. Full disclosure, my dad planned this entire thing. (Honestly I barely weighed in besides "I want to hike a lot.") And because my dad planned it, the trip was 1: meticulously and thoroughly executed, and 2: not my usual super inexpensive trip! We stayed in nice hotels and had nice dinners and gambled in Vegas! I think total for both of us for 7 nights ended up being around $3000.

It was a seriously amazing trip though. I was so inspired by all the beautiful things I saw, and it felt so good to leave the busy/technology-riddled world behind and spend 7 nights on the road. We went the first week in September, and the weather was perfect. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

This was so lovely. We took the 11 mile precarious dirt ride up the side of the mountain all the way to the top, and stopped a few places along with way to hike. We saw elk, marmots, a fox, and even a young bear! YES a bear! 

I took a solo hike on one of the trails, and it was really life-giving. The air was crisp, and the stream was cold, and the atmosphere was teaming with that thing you only find out alone in nature. That thing I'm not sure quite how to describe...

How we got there:
Flew into Denver Colorado. Drove to Estes Park and spent the night. Got up early in the morning for Rocky Mountain National Park.

Arches National Park

Arches was great! I mean look at that picture! Beautiful! Also hot! There's so many arches to walk out and see, and each walk is a good hike in the relentless heat. So make sure you come prepared with water and some steal resolve to get to your arch. Also know your limits out there! 

One really nice hike that does provide some shade is Park Avenue, shown below if you scroll right. It's about a 30 minute walk

Park Avenue

Climbing high near Sand Dune Arch

Because my dad didn't want to hike too far in the heat, we were choosy about which arches to go see. My favorite one was Sand Dune Arch. It was my favorite because it was in a narrow, shady, cool canyon, with really soft red sand. It was just a nice atmosphere. There were also some really fun rocks to climb back there, shown above if you scroll right.

How we got there:
After Rocky Mountain National Park, we drove to Moab, UT to spend the night. Then we drove to Arches the next morning! P.S. The entrance to Arches is spectacular! 

Grand Canyon National Park

So the Grand Canyon was actually my least favorite part of the trip. But that's probably because we didn't do any hiking? We just went to the South Rim to a few of the overlooks. So once the initial shock of "holy shit this is huge and looks like a painting and am I actually on The Truman Show" wears off...it's time to move on. Honestly, the thing was just so big it didn't even look real. 

If I went again, the right move would be to go on some hikes down into the canyon. I think I could have appreciated it a lot more from that perspective. Standing on the overlook with a bunch of other people, vying for space really took away a lot of the majesty and romance of the place. 

My real next move is to river raft down the entire Colorado River! 

How we got there:
After Arches, we drove to Flagstaff, AZ. The next morning, we went to the Grand Canyon! While we were in Flagstaff, we ate at The McMillan Bar & Kitchen which was v good. 

Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend was really scary! First of all, it seems like it's "right off the road." But it's actually a good 20-30 minute walk with absolutely no shade. So take water. Back to it being scary....there is no guard rail, and there's sand, and rippled rock all the way to the edge, so you really need to be careful. Vertigo could be a real issue here, and it's about a 200 ft drop. 

There were also a lot of people getting dangerously close to the edge to snap the "perfect picture" which really had me on edge [ಠ_ಠ]. We basically walked down, snapped a few pics, and headed right back! I wouldn't recommend this if you have young children. But as you can see, it really is very beautiful, and totally worth a stop.

How we got there:
We drove from the Grand Canyon to Page, AZ. This is on the way there, on Hwy 89, just before you get to Page. 

Lake Powell

Lake Powell was quite lovely. The blue water butting up against the red dirt was really stunning, and unlike any landscape I've seen before. The water temperature was perfect and there were several people swimming. I would have gone swimming, but our trip here was impromptu and I was not prepared. 

You can rent boats here which seemed like a fun option for an afternoon activity. I also saw a jackrabbit when we were hiking around!

The Slot Canyons – Owl, Rattlesnake, Antelope

Here it is! You've all seen these in your favorite Nat Geo, as computer screen savers, and maybe in "127 hours"...slot canyons! Let me first say, these are obviously ridiculously stunning and majestic and almost otherworldly. But, you do have to see these on a guided tour. And a lot of these tours are "photo tours" which means your tour guide tells you where to stand, and when to stop, and what setting to put your iPhone on. It was just a little different than I expected...

The canyons we went through were Owl, Rattlesnake, and Antelope. Owl and Rattlesnake were the most fun because we were in our small group of 9. And Rattlesnake was pretty cool because it snakes around [get it?] and you get to climb through small slits and up ladders and the like. 

Antelope is probably the one you recognize most, with the light shaft coming through it. That canyon was the most crowded, with hundreds of people filing in and out. It felt more like a museum than being out in nature. In fact, if you pan down about a foot in that image on the left, you'd see around 50 people just there. So again, very beautiful, but lots and lots of people and shuffling and photo taking. Less romantic than it seems, but surely worth seeing in real life. 

How we got there:
This is right outside of Page, AZ, and is Navajo* owned land which is why you have to take a tour. We used Antelope Canyon Photo Tours. 

*Our tour guide told us a sobering fact. The Navajo isn't even the term they call themselves. They call themselves Dene, which means "people" in their language. Actually navajo means "thieves," and was a name given to them by the Spanish. 

Zion National Park

Zion was way too cool! So it deserved a post entirely to itself! Hiking The Narrows was definitely one of the best things I've ever done. I think canyoneering might be my new thing??? (see also: canyoneering in Guatemala) 

How we got there:
After our day in the slot canyons, we drove to Hurricane, Utah. In the morning, we got up early and drove to Zion. However, I would actually recommend staying in Springdale, UT. It was much closer and really cute.