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Since coming home — and even before coming home — I’ve been asked one question much more than any other: “What was your favorite place?”
I could never narrow it down to one! To me, my destinations are like my children — I could never say I love one much more than all the others!
That said, there were several places in Southeast Asia that I adored.
Here are those places, noted in no particular order.
Koh Lanta, Thailand
I have no words to describe how much I love Koh Lanta. It’s absolutely gorgeous, easy to get to, home to a friendly Muslim community, and less expensive than practically anywhere else on the Andaman coast — yet it’s practically empty. I am still dumbfounded as to why.
I loved jumping on a motorbike and riding around Lanta, my hair flying wildly behind me, seeing deserted beaches, amazing restaurants, and meeting up with the small but growing expat community. This island is a treasure, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Click here to read my messages about Koh Lanta.
Hanoi, Vietnam
It was the only cold place I went to in Southeast Asia, but that didn’t decrease my love for Hanoi. The Old Quarter is a sea of humanity — stores firmly packed together and overflowing onto the streets, motorbikes zipping dangerously in every direction, street carts serving pho taking up any spare corner.
Hanoi, with its numerous scams, is hard for some to love, but not for me. underneath the grit, the city has an elegant, artsy feel to it. At times, I felt like I was in Buenos Aires or even Paris!
Click here to read my messages about Hanoi.
Vang Vieng, Laos
“It’s the best and worst place in the world,” my pal Chris likes to say. And he’s right. Vang Vieng is a gift from the gods to party-loving backpackers, with its marvelous river, music-blasting bars, rope swings, totally free Lao Lao shots, and dance parties, all in a spectacular natural setting.
Every morning, you find yourself bleary-eyed and grunting out your breakfast purchase at the family Guy-playing restaurant the next day, wondering if your body can possibly take another day of Vang Vieng — but face it, you know you’ll be back on the river in an hour.
Click here to read my messages about Vang Vieng.
Singapore
Singapore is practically like a utopian society set in the future — how else could you discuss such a clean, orderly and perfectly run place? It was blissful being in a city with beautiful, modern architecture; tidy, well-manicured parks; and perfectly plotted pedestrian walkways.
Singapore really shines when it concerns embracing its diversity. My two favorite things were walking around the different neighborhoods, from little India to Chinatown to Kompong Glam, and eating everything in sight, especially the hawker stalls!
Click here to read my messages about Singapore.
Kampot, Cambodia
I am so protective of this French-influenced riverside town on Cambodia’s south coast. I fell for Kampot, thanks to its beauty, much more or less immediately. It’s ideal now, just as it is, and I am genuinely fearful that overdevelopment will turn it into a new Luang Prabang.
But setting aside my worries, Kampot is an absolutely fantastic small town. My favorite thing was gathering in the center of town during sunset — kids would play badminton, ladies would do aerobics, and teenagers would come up to me to practice their English. The people of Kampot always made me feel welcome.
Click here to read my messages about Kampot.
Mui Ne, Vietnam
At first glance, Mui Ne may seem like a laid-back hippie beach town — and I love laid-back hippie beach towns — but once you get on a motorbike, you see that it’s so much more. Giant red, white and yellow sand dunes. Freestanding green mountains. Tiny fishing villages. The odd gritty city.
Every landscape in Mui Ne dazzled me, and I could see why so numerous people decide to stay for longer than they expected. even if you stick to the beach, Mui Ne is a terrific place to just chill and soak up the sun. I’ve resolved to return to finally go kitesurfing.
Click here to read my messages about Mui Ne.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh is a hard, challenging city, from the trash-filled streets to the begging children to the very visible scars left from the reign of the Khmer Rouge. It’s certainly not a city fonull