We have unfortunately brought our return flight home forward with our two months backpacking around Cambodia and Vietnam changing to a two week jaunt through Singapore and Thailand…we just remembered someone might need to pay for the wedding in May!
So (technically before Borneo) we headed to Singapore to break ourselves into Asian culture…
Our first stop was the Gardens by the Bay, an amazing place of calm with a crazily modern backdrop, although the high walk way was not exactly calming on the shaky legs!
Then for the Alan Titchmarsh fans (of which I am unashamedly one) we headed into the flower dome, ‘the worlds largest greenhouse’ (remember that pub quiz fans). We took a ridiculous number of pictures here, luckily I have edited these down…
And on a similar theme the ‘Cloud Forest’…
With its suspended walkways…
Singapore was an amazing city which came even more alive after dark…
Thanks to our free guided tour from Dan ‘Bean’ Snowball we visited the Arab Quater, Indian Disctrict, Chinatown and other unique parts to the city all of which had an amazing authenticity and their own charm…
Then we were off to what would be our final leg, Thailand where having spent a few Baht near the Khoasan Road we didn’t reach any life changing epiphanies…
So to we decided the best way to find out what was going on in Bangkok was to pay a tour guide to show us everything we needed to see and teach us everything anyone could possible want to know. She also took loads of pictures of us…
Our day started with a stroll rough the flower markets and few local snacks, although anything insect based was rejected, a visit to ‘The Temple of the Reclining Buddha’ and Ella getting involved with teaching in the first public university in Thailand…
We then crossed the very busy river to get to Wat Arun…
Another amazing place ticked off and it wasn’t even 10:30…
The main attraction in Bangkok is the Grand Palace…
Where we received a whistle stop run through of the history of Buddhism and the Kings of Thailand and a past King had even built a scale model of Ankor Wat, a temple we were planning to visit in Cambodia…
After lunch we had a rather choppy boat ride down Bangkok’s canal system…not quite Venice but an unexpected bonus…
Our brilliant day in Bangkok finished with a typically brilliant temple, the aptly named ‘Temple of the Golden Buddha’…
Whose temple hosts a 3m tall, 5.5 tonne solid gold Buddha…
Then we headed to the island of Ko Samet a few hours and a boat ride from Bangkok…
To see how my uncles Sunrise Villas matched up. The beaches were lovely and sea views amazing, so a brilliant and relaxing way to finish our exploration into Aisa…at least for the time being…
Getting to the barn the long way round ... 