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Pictures
Cameron Highlands
We have been warned
Expectations clash hard with reality when the minibus climbs up to 1400m to the Cameron Highlands. You dream of solemn hikes in dampy mossy forests, endless tea plantations and lush green nature – and then you find yourself in traffic jams, passing by industrial plantations, artificial strawberry farms, big hotels and countless busses. But we had been warned, and succeeded in finding the sweet spots, enjoyed the cool rain, also found a mystic, secluded trail and enjoyed wonderful food like Roti Canai.
Pulau Perhentian
Baby and mummy whale
When she was a kid, we spent a lot of time playing around in the water. I tried to teach her both – respect of and joy & confidence in the water. Going diving for the first time together now in Pulau Perhentian Kecil, a small island off Malaysia’s West coast, was jsut so cool and I was incredibly proud to see her moving with such a grace and security under water after only a few dives. No cars or streets on the island, just walking in the sand, wonderful diving, sunset and sunrise in cinemascope, and such a chilled place!
Taman Negara
My first rainforest love
Taman Negara was the first rainforest I visited many years ago. Going upstream in a small boat right into the jungle is a special experience in itself, with the forest getting more dense and loud on either side of the stream. There are some more accomodations, a canopy walk (that was not open), but apart from this not a lot seems to have changed. The 130 million year old forest with its incredibly big and strong trees and wildlife is probably smiling mildly about a timespan of 30 years. Still love this place!
Phnom Penh
Still today – The Pearl of Asia
Before saying anything about Cambodia it is a must to commemorate this country’s incredibly painful past. The brutal Khmer Rouge regime claimed more than 2 million lives 1975-79. Many historic sites like the Killing Fields are around the capital. I decided to not visit them, knowing what I can bear, and what not. Trendy restaurants, cafés and boutiques in the city at the confluence of Mekong & Tonlé Sap river allude to French colonial times, and blend well with colorful markets & Buddhist temples.
Apo Island & Dumaguete
Underwater stopover
I had visited Dumaguete before and didn’t find it too interesting, which is why I didn’t expect much from this stopover on my way from Siquijor to Cambodia. But what a surprise! I stayed at a great place with little huts next to the beach and went diving at Apo island, a small volcanic island 7kms off the coast. Stunning underwaterworld in this marine sancturary – from princess-like nudibranchs to turtles, and coral walls to sandy slopes with gas bubbling out of the ground. Phantastic – why didn’t I stay longer?!
SIQUIJOR
Witchcraft and waterfalls
Rumour has it that many Philippinos make a detour around Siquijor, because they say it’s bewitched. In fact, local herbal medicine gurus meet here annually to brew magic potions, and drink one or the other beer while doing so. The incredibly friendly people of the small island make a lot of fun of their bad reputation. I was so happy to meet my parents there, to enjoy waterfalls, wonderful coral gardens and superb sunsets. San Juan is the place to go – great diving, chilled restaurants & good live music parties.
Puerto Princesa
The capital: Time to take it slow
Palawan’s capital is the gateway to exploring the Northern part of the almost 2000 km long island. I had been here before and found the town quite likeable, you can easily spend 2-3 days here. A lot of tours are offered, I did the Honda Bay (found it horrible) and the firefly tour (rather unspectactular), which is why just took it easy this time: marveling at the local market, the harbour, hanging out for tea and cheesecake in shopping centers, visa prolongation, night food market, … Nice!
Sabang / Palawan
The most beautiful beach in this world and an underground river
Sabang is among the most underrated places in Palawan. Most people come here only for a day-trip to the underground river, a spectacular UN World Heritage Site. But the tiny, relaxed place is absolutely worth a longer stay. Sabang beach is the most beautiful beach I have ever been to – powerful waves roll continuously into the moon-shaped bay, high energy, nice wind, and very few people. A quiet mangrove river hosts wildlife, and you need to taste a Guyabano juice from one of the booths!
Port Barton
Go there soon
Port Barton is not an insider tip anymore, but still a miraculous place. I had first been here in February 2018, and was crazy enough to spend only one night. Magic sunsets, cocktails and pop-up restaurants at the beach, fresh fish, a half-moon shaped bay that invites for doing nothing or long talks with strangers in the night… No electricity round the clock in many places, live reggae music under the star light … A perfect spot to celebrate New Year’s Eve! Things are changing fast in this paradise, go there soon.
Palawan - Remote Island Expedition
Stop this world
The archipelago between Busuanga and El Nido is beautiful beyond words, small islands in crystal-clear, turquoise waters. One of the most beautiful spots on our planet! I visited Northern Palawan for the 2nd time, again on a 5-day remote island expedition with TAO Philippines. Island-time, out of this world, watching the booms splashing into the waves, sleeping in little huts at the beach. A socially responsible enterprise supporting local communities in their efforts for sustainable livelihoods on the islands.
Kuala Lumpur
Breathing city air
After weeks of outdoor life and in Indonesia, KL felt like a big Aaah…. It was relaxing, comforting & fun to be back in a big, diverse modern city: organic food in supermarkets, gay waiters calling you Darling while serving a perfectly cold Prosecco, couples holding hands on the streets, a top hairdresser with Swiss prices, a Victoria’s Secret store to stock up some basics. And: water in fountains, green behind bricks and stylish shop logos – after a few days of city time out, I was ripe for the jungle & the ocean again.
Raja Ampat
R4 – out of this world
For non-divers Raja Ampat is a big ha? and for divers one big aahh… For me it is one of the places, which I call heaven on earth – above & below water. I spent 7 days on a liveaboard in the central and Northern area of this incredible diverse and lively marine protection zone and couldn’t say what was best: the 3 to 4 hours we spent under water every day, breakfast in the sun after our first dive, the lazy afternoons, sleeping on deck under the stars & full moon, the atmosphere aboard …. ? Everything! I’ll be back.
Banda Islands
A scent of paradise with a bloody past
The spice islands in Indonesia’s far East are anything but easy & fast to reach. The paradisiac islands are the place, where nutmeg, cinnamon or clove for Europe have been coming from for centuries – a special kind of wealth, and cause for brutal and violent colonialism in the past. Today, the healthy and impressive marine ecosystem around the Banda islands is reason why many visitors return regularly, a creative spice cuisine and slow island life add to it. 5 days were way too short, another must-return place!
Pulau AMBON
Love at second sight
I went to Ambon for two reasons: a) the ferry to the Banda islands leaves from there, and b) for the famous muck diving around the island. Sounded great, although I had no idea about muck diving. At first sight Ambon is not a particularly beautiful place, but the second sight caught me: diving in the permanent presence of garbage you see some of the most wondrous & rare creatures on our planet. And over water I spent ever so nice evenings with fishermen and friends in a pop up restaurant next to the sea.
Mandalay - မန္တလေး
Fields of Gold and Lights
There is no chance to escape the intensity of Mandalay. The impacts of gold, colour, odours, tastes, people, traffic, and candles per second are overwhelming. By chance, I stayed in the formal royal capital during October Thadingyut Fullmoon Lightening Festival – a night where thousands of candles are lit all across the country, with Mandalay Hill being one of the epicenters of festivities. Everybody is on their feet, celebrating and lightening candles with the neighbourhood. Beautiful beyond comparison.
Irrawaddy Dolphins - ဧရာဝတီလင်းပိုင်
The last 70
2 days on a boat to see the mystical dolphins and visit villages at the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy. Local communities have been fishing with the help of river dolphins for centuries. The biggest threat to the last remaining gentle mammals is dynamite fishing. Staying in the local villages is like a journey back in time for centuries. As the sun set next to our campsite, some dolphins appeared very close to the shore and all of the kids were screaming of joy – one of the most touching moments of my journey!
Train ride: Hsi Paw to Mandalay
Train ride back in time
Of the few epic train rides in Asia, the trip from Hsi Paw to Mandalay, or the other way round, is definitely one of them. I loved this journey back in time, travelling slow, the occasion to get in contact with other travellers. On the 11h trainride with a lot of stops between scenic passages, the route also leads via Gokteik viaduct – Myanmar’s longest and highest single-track railway bridge, the world’s largest railway trestle at the time of its construction, 1899. Still impressive and good for sweaty hands!
Hsi Paw သီပေါမြို့နယ်
Rice fields, mountains & an Austrian princess
The simple reason why I wanted to go to Hsi Paw was the spectacular train ride from Hsi Paw to Mandalay. The region around the former royal city of Shan state (whose last princess was from Austrian) is absolutely worth staying for some days – especially for a hiking tour in the mountain region with the chance to visit Palaung and Shan villages. For me, this was the best discovery in and the place I fell in love with Myanmar. I will return to one of the high up mountain villages for sunrise.
Inle Lake အင်းလေးကန်
Hobbit’s Lake-Town: as real as it can get
Life here is happening ON the lake. Inle lake is a paradise for numerous birds. Several fish and snail species can only be found here. Families live in wooden houses on stilts directly above the shallow freshwater lake. They earn their living from fishing, tomatoe plantations directly on the lake, small trade or handicraft like weaving. And also tourism, as this is one of the most visited places in Myanmar. Afternoons at the perfectly still lake except for starting and landing egrets and swans are magic.
BAGAn ပုဂံ
Pagoda-Mania
October is a great month to visit Bagan – it’s shortly after the rainy season, with everything being fresh and green, and not yet high season. Tousands of temples, pagodas and monastries – many from the 11th to 13th century – are scattered around a large plain and on the banks of the Irrawaddy river. I loved going around with the silent e-scooters, often just going where the road, sun, tops of pagodas on the horizon or my hunger would lead me. Getting lost in the very relaxed Tuscany of South-East Asia.
Yangon ရန်ကုန်
Get into Myanmar
Century-old golden temples in the middle of major traffic circle, markets with vegetables never seen before, food stalls in front of abandoned buildings with beautiful patina, women with golden-shimmering paste on their cheeks, men in skirt-like longyis, finally again couples holding hands in the public, monks as part of normal streetlife – Myanmar’s very lively largest city has many faces and I liked them all. The restaurants and markets alone would be worth a visit!
YOGYAKARTA
Maintenance stop
Yogya was my planned maintenance stop after 2 months of backpacking. If this is the best choice in itself can be debated, but I enjoyed an easy-going week with wonderful food, very nice evenings in great company, and some sightseeing. With some 400.000 inhabitants and 100.000 university studenty from all of Indonesia, Yogya is still a comprehensive town, in direct neighbourhood to two of the most impressive UNESCO world heritage sites in Asia – 8th ct. Hindu Prambanan and Buddhist Borobudur.
Tomohon
Are you sure you want to go there?
… was my mum’s comment when I posted my plans in our family group. Yes, I was sure. Tomohon is in the highlands close to Manado and reputed for its ‘extreme market’. It’s nicely cool up there, a great starting point for exploring the Minhasa region, a highly active volcanic area in Indonesia’s Ring of Fire: boiling mud pools, steaming holes in the ground, sulphur and iron minerals in all colours and hot springs heating lakes to bathtube temperature and more. A drama, baby! – area with wonderful people.
BUNAKEN
Stop the world for a while
The breathtaking scenery and marine life in Bunaken National Park are the reasons why a good part of the days is spent under water. Bunaken is probably one of the best dive spots our planet holds. Life in the villages on the small island feels like it has not changed a lot in the last decades: kids, goats, pigs, chicken run around between candy-striped bamboo fences, there is always music from somewhere and life seems very relaxed. A unique combination that makes Bunaken a very special place.
Lake Toba
A place to chill and revive: South East Asia’s largest lake
Samosir Island in Lake Toba is a very relaxed place at 900m altitude, used to travellers, with corresponding infrastructure. Arriving at 2:30 am, freezing and sick from the rugged, winding road, I was nearly crying when having my first hot shower for weeks. Sunny mornings allowed exploring the shores of the huge crater lake fringed with pines, banana trees, palms and rice fields by scooter. The Christian Batak communities love music, and if you are lucky, the real jam sessions start after the evening dance performances.
BANYAK ISLANDS
Wet tropical island dreams
Small islands, palms trees, soft white sandy beaches, clean waters and largely intact coral reefs – what else do you wish for? Solitude and only a handful of travellers? Here you go. Sunsets to fall down on your knees? Just stroll barefoot to the West coast of the tiny paradises in the late afternoon. The Banyaks are 30 kilometers from Sumatra mainland, not particularly easy to reach, very basic, and still below the detection threshold of bigger tourism. A wonderful discovery!
KETAMBE
My Jungle Book Village
Ketambe was my access point to Gunung Leuser National Park – a huge jungle area, which is home to orang utans, gibbons, tigers, elephants and so much more, who have been living here in the wild practically ever since. 3 days in the jungle just allowed to get a glimpse into this wonderful forest, which I missed already the day after we came out of it again. The small, relaxed village spread along the bank of river Alas is a little paradise and has become my second temporary home on my journey.
Pulau Weh
Where Indonesia starts
A small rock off the coast of Pulau Weh is the official starting point of indonesia, kilometer Zero. Pulau Weh is the most Northern inhabited island of the 13.466 (or probably more) islands of the vast archipelago. The small active volcanic island in the Andaman sea is covered with dense forest and surrounded by a marine wildlife protection area with an impressive density and richness of sealife. It’s a very relaxed place, where most visitors prolongue their stay. It’s my km 0 in Indonesia, and it was a perfect start.
Singapore
We built this city
I found Singapore simply impressive: the way how 5,5 million people are living, working and playing side by side in a highly organized, calm and yet relaxed way. How diversity and tolerance are celebrated and officialy promoted. The visionary, leap-frog city development in the Marina Bay area is ganz großes Kino. Sustainable development is the big ambition underlying many projects. Huge areas are deliberately left green, treetop walks connect a number of parks. Honestly, I cannot remember a place, where citizens and expats alike were talking so enthusiastically about their city. A soothing thought that this is possible.
Back Home
Nothing compares to home
Without even having left yet , I already know that I will miss so many aspects of home. Vienna is just a wonderful city to live in, and I am very much aware that it’s not a matter of course or my personal achievement to be born and able to live in one of the wealthiest, most peaceful and to me most beautiful countries in this world. Valueing my roots and my homebase are maybe the best starting point for this journey.