Wandering Asia
Index:
Flight Tips
Singapore
Thailand
Bangkok
Phuket
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Indonesia
Jakarta
Bali
Saigon, Vietnam
Hong Kong, China
Japan
Tokyo
Kyoto
Hawai’i
Flight Tips:
The flight to Southeast Asia is long (a minimum of 12 hours) no matter where you’re coming from in the states. I recommend bringing a few things with you to help get through the duration of the flight:
1. Mini toiletry bag – I packed eye cream, face mask, moisturizer, facial and body wipes to freshen up, disinfectant wipes to wipe down my seat, aquafor or lip balm, headphones (noise cancelling), nail file and cuticle oil, charger, and sleep mask to block out light.
2. Compression socks – I didn’t pack these, but I should’ve. If I sit for too long my legs will begin to cramp, so I got up to stretch and walk around the cabin, but the compression socks would’ve been a great help!
3. Download Movies / Shows – I made sure to download a bunch of movies and shows for us to watch. We didn’t end up watching all of them, but it was nice to have the option. The airline will most likely provide content (I ended up watching a Harry Potter Marathon since it was Christmas), but had additional things just in case there wasn’t anything that interested me. This is also your time to binge without feeling guilty, so do it!
4. Food – I suggest eating before the flight, the airline food is okay and not the best. They’ll still give you the free meal if you want it (you’ll get two). There were meals I barely touched because it wasn’t good (at least to me) so I recommend bringing snacks!
Singapore
Singapore’s Airport was amazing and by far the most efficient airport I’ve ever been too. Minus all the fantastical things to see and do in the airport, the efficiency was what blew me away. We spent about 10 - 20 minutes exiting the plane, and walking through customs. All we did was scan our passport and we were free to go. Baffled that America hasn’t adapted to this system yet.
There was so much to do and see (mostly inside because it was so hot) and I’ll list them all below!
Where we stayed:
1. The Sultan – This hotel is beautiful, affordable and located in Little India. We loved our stay here! This neighborhood is filled with little markets, great food, and beautiful mosques. We woke up every morning to the ethereal voice of the Muezzin praying (in song). I would wake up every morning to this if I could.
Sites to visit and things to do:
1. Indoor Malls – there is pretty good shopping in Singapore so take advantage of it!
2. Chinatown Street Market
4. Flower Dome
5. Cloud Forest with Avatar Attraction
Places we wanted to go but didn’t have time:
1. Gardens by the Bay – there is a really nice mall over here we checked out but didn’t make it to the gardens because of the rain.
Restaurants:
The food was incredible in Singapore! It’s a melting pot of all difference Asian cultures so you’ll have some of the best food while you’re there. I’m listing our favorites below.
1. Mihrimah Restaurant – This is a local Malaysian spot with affordable curries and other delicious bites. We went here every morning for breakfast. You have to get the curries with Roti Canai, curry puffs, sardine puffs, sour sop juice, and coffee with condensed milk. Delicious.
2. Maxwell Food Hall – Go to this hungry, there are vendors from all over Asia and you’ll want to try everything. We had the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, which is a must order.
3. ADDA – A modern Indian restaurant in little india, it was amazing! Get the butter chicken pot pie, vindaloo, garlic naan, rogan josh, and literally anything else you can fit.
4. Din Tai Fung – Great dim sum if you’re looking and have various locations worldwide. But try this is SE Asia!
5. Crystal Jade – Also good dim sum and have locations around SE Asia.
6. Enishi – Amazing Ramen, it’s hard to find but worth the journey.
7. LeVel33 – great rooftop bar with beautiful scenery and great drinks. We didn’t eat there but the food looked good. We also went in the day, but you’d need a reservation for dinner.
8. Ce La Vi – this rooftop had great views, but a bit pretentious. It gave a Tao vibe without the buildout. The drinks were decent. You’ll need a reservation if you want to go, and you also have to dress nice or they won’t let you up. I recommend LeVel33 over this.
Restaurants we wanted to try but didn’t have time:
2. Lolla
3. Tekka Centre
5. Atlas
6. Humpback
Thailand
Thailand was so beautiful and one of my favorite destinations. The temples and palaces are stunning, the culture is friendly and expressive and the food here is also incredible! You really can’t go wrong. Listing some of our favorite activities, sites and restaurants below:
View from Cape Sienna Bistro
Bangkok – we only stayed in Bankok for one night and half a day.
We stayed in a central neighborhood where we were only a 5 – 10 minute walk for shops, street vendors or a 15 -25 minute drive from temples, palaces, etc. I’m not going to list where we stayed because I wouldn’t recommend it lol. But the Neighborhood was Khey Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon.
Activities and Sites:
1. Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium for a Muay Thai Match – this is a very cool, authentic to Thailand experience.
2. Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan Temple
4. Massages – literally get a massage from any parlor that catches your eye. The pricing is very affordable, we were getting massages like every other day.
5. Siam Paragon – shopping mall
Places we wanted to see:
1. Damneon Saduak Floating Market
4. New Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
5. China Town
10. Soi Cowboy
11. Srinagarindra Train Night Market
13. The Ancient City
Restaurants we went to:
1. Street Vendors! - so great for fresh fruit, smoothies, snacks, milo tea
2. Nara
Restaurants we wanted to go to:
1. Tookpak
2. Anmole
3. Madras Darbar Indian Restaurant
7. Inter Restaurant since 1981
10. Sky Bar
Phuket, Thailand
Phuket is gorgeous and I didn’t want to leave. I also didn’t expect it to be as big and busy as it was. There are so many beaches and beach towns to check out. They all have awesome night markets to as well, the perfect for a snack after you’ve been walking around. Each beach town has a different vibe, some more relaxed, some more party focused, some with good shopping; so it all depends on what you’re looking for if you’re deciding on where to stay.
Where we stayed in Kathu Beach:
1. Cape Sienna – It’s gorgeous hotel on a cliff over-looking Surin Beach. It’s affordable with a Ritz-Carlton level of service. we spent less than $125 USD a night.
Activities:
We booked a few tours through Viator, I recommend using them if you’re lost on what to book, how and where you want a tour. Viator is awesome and the tours are usually well curated, organized and super affordable:
1. Elephant Sanctuary - Booked through Viator. Make sure you research ethical sanctuaries.
2. Scuba Diving - You can book through Viator or through a specific dive shop that organizes dives.
3. Phi Phi Islands - Booked through Viator.
4. Bangla Rd – super lively and definitely good for partying.
5. Kamala Beach – lots of bars, restaurants, and street vendors.
Places we missed but wanted to see:
3. Surin Beach
4. Karon Beach
7. Blue Elephant Cooking School and Restaurant Phuket
8. Ra Wai Beach
Restaurants:
Thai food is delicious and we explored a couple of restaurants while we stayed in Phuket, but for the most part, all of our tours provided local lunch and the food at our hotel was amazing. Unfortunately, Brenton was sick so we chilled at the hotel for a couple of days until he recovered:
1. Amritsr Restaurant – We ordered the chai tea, rogan josh and butter chicken naan wrap. Everything was delicious and I’m sure their other dishes are just as good.
3. Cape Sienna Bistro
Restaurants we wanted to visit:
2. Pantai Seaview Restaurant Halal Food
3. Baan Rim Pa
4. Rom Sai
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur is honestly not a city I would recommend. We were only there for 2 nights and one day. There isn’t much to do or see, we ended up watching the Wonka movie because we couldn’t find anything to do. The food is good, but more Indian forward than Malaysian. I love Indian food but I wanted a more authentic Malaysian food experience which was lacking a bit in Kuala Lumpur with the huge Indian population, at least in the couple places we went too.
Where we stayed:
1. I honestly don’t remember the hotel – It was a nice hotel, but infested with mosquitos. We woke up every morning with new bites and for that I cannot recommend this hotel.
Activities:
1. Batu Caves
2. Menara Kuala Lumper – I recommend just going to a nice rooftop bar than paying for this.
3. Petronas Twin Towers – There are a bunch of bars around here to visit.
Restaurants:
1. Heritage Pizza KL - The pizza was delicious.
2. Kedai Mamak Husin - The food was good.
3. Marini’s on 57 – The drinks were good and food was pretty good. Great view of the Petronas Twin Towers.
Indonesia
Indonesia is beautiful and has 17,500 lslands so there is a lot to see! We only visited 2 of those islands and Bali was probably the prettiest place we visited.
Cafe Batavia - Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia
We were only in Jakarta for one day and two nights. Jarkarta is an interesting city, it’s a major city and a financial hub so it’s very busy. The traffic is terrible and was just as bad in Bali. This was probably the poorest country we visited on our trip, you can really see the wealth gap here. Jakarta itself has a lot of history and animosity towards their colonizers, more so than any other countries we stayed in. We booked a city tour where we learned about the deep history of Indonesia, it’s an experience I highly recommend.
Where we stayed:
1. I don’t remember where we stayed, but all the 4 and 5 star hotels are very affordable.
Where we wanted to stay:
Activities:
1. City Tour – booked through Viator
2. Kota Tua
Restaurants:
1. Café Batavia
2. Loewy
4. The Bar
Restaurants we wanted to check out:
3. Beautika
Nusa Penida , Indonesia
Bali, Indonesia
Bali is stunning, everywhere you go in Bali is breathtaking and surreal. I thought we were in a movie, most of the time. My only complaint is that it is too hot. The weather app will say that it’s 85 F but feels like 105 F. The air is very stagnant, humid, and sticky. It literally feels like you’re walking through a steam room, which is from the rain forest environment. I now understand what people mean when they say they went to Bali to detox, they literally just mean they sweat for days.
We were in Bali for New Years which was insane because they have a fireworks show (locals buy thousands of fireworks and light them on the beach at midnight) on the beach. The energy was electric and I really don’t think there really is anything like it.
Where we stayed:
1. The Stones at the Marriott – the rooms were great, the food was delicious and the hotel was conveniently located on Kuta beach.
Activities:
1. Nusa Penida Islands Tour – includes snorkeling and landmark site seeing. We booked it through Viator.
2. Viator Island Tour – we had a private driver who took us around the island to the spots we wanted to see. We saw a bunch of temples, lost city, volcano, and rice paddies.
Things we wanted to see:
3. The Edge Hotel and Beach Club
Restaurants:
2. Luber
3. Big Fish Grill - at The Stones
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Vietnam was one of my favorite stops on this trip. The culture is so beautiful and rich, the people are so welcoming and friendly. I couldn’t recommend this destination more. We only visited Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for about 5 days and had something planned every day we were there. I’ve listed them below!
Where we stayed:
1. Signature by M (Signature Le Thanh Ton) - 5 star hotel that was less than $100 USD a night. Great location, beautiful hotel and perfect for a short visit or a long one.
Tours and Activities we booked:
1. Cu Chi Tunnels - Booked through Viatour and was only $20 a person.
2. War Remnants Museum - A must visit to learn more about the history of the Vietnam War and the effects it had on the land and people.
3. Food tour - Booked through Viator, our tour guide’s name was Brian.
4. Landmark 81 - tickets are $20 a person to go to the 79-81 floors. It was okay, and the restaurants that are at the top are super expensive.
5. Mayu Japanese Esthetic Spa District 1 - We got facials here and they were fabulous and affordable.
7. Lisa Nail Spa - Tiem Nail Quan 1 - Goi Dau Duong Sinh - Get your nails done! It is so affordable and they do such a good job.
8. Nguyen Hue - A beautiful, pedestrian boulevard!
9. The Running Bean Ho Tung Mau - Coffee and Brunch - This place has great food and drinks and is perfect for a day of work at a cafe.
10. COI Saigon - Jazz club with great drinks and live music.
11. Hoang Van Thu Park - A really beautiful park!
Things we wanted to see:
2. Blank Lounge Landmark - Recommend doing this instead of Landmark 81.
6. Nga Bay - Phung Hiep Floating Market - We really wanted to do a floating market (they are also in Thailand) but didn’t get the chance too.
Restaurants:
1. Laang SaiGon Central - We ate here twice, it’s a very visually appealing restuatrant with incredible authentic Vietnamese food. Everything was so good. Highly recommend the fried spring rolls with crab if you eat seafood and honestly anything else.
2. Maison Marou Cafe Nguyen Du - Chocolate Cafe with great croissants, milkshakes, coffee, desserts.
3. Ca Phe Do Phu - Bao Tang Biet Dong Sai Gon - Great drinks, coffee and food. Get the Butter Beer (not a harry potter thing) has been a staple in their cafe since the 1940s.
4. Chuoi nep nuong Vo Van Tan - The best grilled banana with sticky rice and coconut cream. A really good local spot.
5. Chung cu Nguyen Thien Tuat - Local spot. Great spicy beef noodle soup spot right across the street. A really good local spot.
6. Ho Thi Ky Food Street - A street market that is pretty densely packed with all kinds of treats. We had the lemon grass beef with lobot leaf and Vietnamese pizza. Both were very delicious. A really good local spot. Don’t recommend eating raw seafood here.
7. Banh Mi 24 - Really good Banh Mi’s! A must stop. A really good local spot.
8. Banh Xeo Thao Vy - Local spot, the Vietnamese pancakes were incredible. A really good local spot.
9. KHANH VY Sweets - Local spot, the porridge here was amazing. We had the corn and black bean flavors. I would love to go back and try the banana. A really good local spot.
Restaurants we wanted to check out:
1. Khoai
3. Ba Ghien Broken Rice Dish - this was recommended by our local food tour guide.
4. A Tung Banh mi bo Nuong bo Campuchia - another Banh Mi stand our tour guide recommended.
5. Banh mi bo nuong bo Campuchia - Recommended by our tour guide.
6. Banh Xeo Ngoc Son - Local Vietnamese Pancake shop recommendation by our tour guide.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong was this new shiney city for me, every time someone asks me: “how was Hong Kong?” My immediate response is “shiny”. It’s a very modern, expensive city with high rises, mountains, beaches, great food and shopping. We only stayed there for two nights and one day so the recommendation list is pretty small, for now.
KMUSEA - Hong Kong, China
Recommended sites:
1. K11 MUSEA
2. The Peak - Such a beautiful view with so many restaurants and bars at the top.
4. Causeway Bay
Sites we didn’t get to:
1. Sham Shui Po
Restaurants:
1. Australia Dairy Company - A traditional Hong Kong Diner. Highly recommend the french toast, egg sandwiches, congee, and puddings!
2. SKYE Rooftop Bar and Dining - Great food and drinks!
3. Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-Fried Buns - These buns/soup dumplings are delicious! You have to visit.
4. Jing Alley - Food here was pretty good
Restaurants we didn’t get to:
1. Wo Tin Bakery - Tin Hau
3. Hashtag B (Causeway Bay)
4. Happy Bakery
5. Angus Cafe
Japan
Japan, where do I even start? I absolutely loved Japan, in a way that I haven’t loved a city besides New York. I could imagine myself living there, even just for a year or two. I’ve truly never experienced a culture / environment quite like it. The city is so clean but in a way that is routed in the culture for generations. It’s safe, I never once felt unsafe walking anywhere in Tokyo or Kyoto. It’s so efficient, there was no traffic, no train delays, no confusion or disorganization anywhere. The food is not only so fresh and delicious (even in convenience stores), but it is also affordable (depending on where you eat) I can’t recommend visiting Japan enough. Biggest recommendation is eat at the convenient stores! Eat everything, because all the food is fresh and so good. We ate here at least twice a day and if you do your trip right, you will also eat there at least twice a day.
The National Art Center Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo
Sites and Activities:
1. The National Art Center Tokyo - very beautiful spot with amazing art and libraries. There are also 3 cafe’s in the building if you’re hungry.
3. Shibuya City / Crossing is a must - shopping in Tokyo is amazing and you have to do it.
4. Akihabara Electric Town - Play games!! So much fun.
5. teamLab Planets - This art museum was very cool and interactive. I highly recommend carving out sometime to visit. It was one of our favorite spots.
6. Tsukiji Outer Market - It’s very busy after 9am so go early, but it’s a must stop in Tokyo. Eat everything!
7. Shinjuku Golden Gai - Historic area where you can get drinks and good street food like teppanyaki.
8. Kabukicho - Lively red light district and busy late at night.
9. Yoyogi Park - So beautiful and tranquil.
Places we didn’t get to:
1. Nezu Museum
2. Shimokitazawa - thrift shopping.
3. Chidorigafuchi Moat - We didn’t get to this but I could see this being very beautiful in the spring and summer.
4. Burlesque annex Yavay - Burlesque and live music bar.
5. Meguro River Cheerry Blossoms Promenade - We didn’t get to see this but I’d love to go during Cherry Blossom season.
Restaurants:
1. Coco Ichibanya Shinjuku West Entrance Branch - Incredible Curry. We ate here twice, the food is amazing and I can not recommend this enough.
2. Omoide Yokocho - Cool street where you can get drinks and good street food like teppanyaki.
3. Savoy Azabujuban - Really good pizza, get the sardine one.
4. Miscasadeco and Cafe Jingumae - Amazing Pancakes, you have to go!
5. Honda Tokyo Noodle Works - Quick 30 minute wait. The soup and DanDan noodles are amazing.
6. Sushizanmai Main Branch - Really great and cheap sushi. Also open late.
Restaurants we missed:
2. Tsukiji Sushicho, Main Store
4. Bar Hoshi
8. Sawada
Kyoto
Walking through Kyoto honestly feels like you’re walking through a different time. They’ve kept a lot of the original architecture and historical buildings/temples/monuments. It make you think about how cool it would be like to grow up in a city/country where the history is so ingrained in your everyday life.
Where we stayed:
1. Hotel Resol Trinity Kyoto - This hotel is so beautiful and clean but very small rooms. Most of the hotel rooms in japan are pretty small unless you pay up. Otherwise you can stay at a clean, nice hotel for an affordable price but with small rooms.
Sites and Activities:
5. Shinsho Gokurakuji (Shinnyodo) Temple
6. Higashiyama Jisho-ji - My favorite temple we saw.
9. Otokozaka 9slope (For Gentlemen) - A very cool spot to check out at night.
10. Gion district - we saw real geisha’s here walking the streets.
11. Rengeo-in (sanjusangen-do) Temple
12. Toji Temple
Places we didn’t get to:
2. Fushimi Inari Taisha - I think the path to this temple was closed when we visited.
Restaurants:
1. CoCo Ichibanya Keihan Schichijo - Best curry
3. Shigure - A really great hotpot soup spot. This restaurant has been around for about a century.
4. Kyoto Mameshiba Cafe - dog cafe
5. Mipig Cafe - pig cafe
6. Sushi no Musashi - Kyoto Station Hachijo Entrance - This conveyor belt sushi was incredible. You can just sit and eat plates and plates of sushi.
Restaurants we missed:
1. Monk - This pizza place was on Chef’s Table. We really wanted to try it but you need reservations in advance and they weren’t open on the day we were able to go.
2. Imo Pi-pi Kyoto Gion - I really wanted to try this dessert place, but we didn’t get to it. I’ve heard the creme bruleé sweet potato is divine.
3. MOTOI Gyoza
4. Fiveran
Hawai’i
We only spent one night in Waikiki Beach for a long layover between Japan and Miami. Waikiki Beach is stunning but very touristy and crowded. I would love to go back to Hawai’i and visit other islands and really get a good feel for the culture there. That list will have to be saved for another trip.
Where we stayed:
1. Shoreline Hotel Waikiki - This hotel was a bit outdated but a good stay for the very short time we were there.
Restaurants:
1. Duke’s Waikiki - Food was pretty good, drinks were great! They had live music on the beach while we were there.
2. Lulu’s Restaurant Waikiki - Really good food, drinks and vibes! They had live music while we were there.
Tips and Tricks
Download ‘Grab’ because it’s available all over Asia where Uber/Lyft/Revel are not.
Vietnam has crazy scooter traffic. Be cautious when crossing the street. Keep a steady pace, do not stop, do not turn around and if you get clipped by a loose cargo belt, the hospitals are cheap and they will get you in and out because you’re a foreigner.
If you’re looking to visit Hawai’i, then a long layover or stoping there on your way back might be your best opportunity. It is cheaper to fly there from Asia than from mainland US.
Tipping is not a requirement in any of these countries. If you would like to tip, then do so, it’s a very nice gesture to staff but not required. They usually expect it from Americans though, just as they do in Europe, but don’t feel pressured simply because they might expect it from you.