Ari’s Travels

Now that I’ve completed my tour of southeast Asia, here are some thoughts about the places I visited. While reading, bear in mind that these are based only on my experiences, which are a small slice of what each place has to offer.

Jakarta: Jakarta has good and cheap street food and a solid, albeit expensive, nightlife, but it’s loud, crowded, ugly, and hard to get around on foot. I don’t want to go again.

Bali: I stayed in three different towns in Bali: Ubud, Canggu, and Seminyak. Canggu and Seminyak boast a lively party scene, especially at Canggu’s beach bars, while Ubud is more relaxed and cultural in its jungle setting. Bali as a whole is pretty and has fantastic food from both local and global cuisines. Its prices are higher than in most of the places I visited, but still a good deal cheaper than those in the West. However, so much of Bali’s economy is structured to cater to tourists that to me it felt a bit like one big resort. For that reason, I would consider going back to Bali if I wanted to relax for a bit in between other nearby destinations, but I wouldn’t go much out of my way to see it again.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City: After two weeks in Bali, I was ready to go back to city life, and Saigon did not disappoint! Delicious and cheap street food lined the sidewalks during the day, and a few vendors could always be found even late at night. Saigon is crowded, but in contrast with Jakarta, I found it fairly easy to get around. I would be happy to return to Saigon, and would consider living there for a time.

Hanoi: I found Hanoi and Saigon to be very similar. I thought Saigon had a slightly better street food scene, but Hanoi made up for it with prettier views, a more charming character, and 22-cent beers. As with Saigon, I would like to return to Hanoi, and would consider living there for a time.

Yangon: Yangon had decent street food and beautiful pagodas, but I really didn’t need to spend a whole six days there, even with one day lost to sickness. I don’t want to go again.

Bangkok: Due to my booking of a fantastic party hostel (Bodega Bangkok), I didn’t have much time to form proper impressions of the city. The public transit is pretty good, and the street food isn’t as widespread as in Jakarta, Saigon, Hanoi, or Yangon, but is good and cheap where it’s found (mainly on the party streets and in established night markets). I’d like to return to Bangkok with a friend and stay elsewhere for a few days to actually explore the city, then go back to Bodega.

Kuala Lumpur: The local language and food in Kuala Lumpur, where they haven’t been eroded by globalization, are very similar to those in Indonesia, to the point where I could use my knowledge from Indonesia to get around. More surprisingly, Kuala Lumpur reminds me of Berlin. English isn’t people’s first language, but just about everyone speaks it; the public transportation is cheap and runs smoothly; the city never sleeps — there’s something happening at all hours; Middle Eastern immigrants have made shawarma ubiquitous; and they even have similar-looking broadcast towers on their skylines. However, in contrast with Berlin, Kuala Lumpur is prettier and cheaper, and has warmer winters. I would love to return to Kuala Lumpur, and would consider living there for a time.

Singapore: The city I was most excited for at the start of my trip, Singapore was a great experience, but didn’t live up to my hype. I found a lot of the buildings to be fairly drab, in contrast with the gleaming city I’d been imagining, and the city seemed to lack a certain intangible character. That said, the public transit was among the best I’ve seen, the various ethnic neighborhoods served delicious and diverse food, and the city was very clean and felt orderly and safe. I liked Singapore, but I don’t feel a pressing need to return, especially since it’s so much more expensive than the rest of the region.

Location Awards

Best Street Food: Hanoi. While Saigon had a slightly better street food scene in general, Hanoi takes this award thanks to the fantastic banh mi served at Banh Mi 25. An honorable mention goes to Bangkok, which would take this award if more of the city were like Ratchada night market.

Best Desserts: Bali. With a selection including black rice pudding, fried bananas, murtabak, bubur sumsum, and pandan-flavored pancakes with palm sugar, nowhere else holds a candle to Bali when it comes to desserts.

Prettiest: Kuala Lumpur. If the gleaming skyscrapers lit in ever-changing rainbow lights weren’t enough, the water show at KLCC park would seal the deal.

Most Exotic: Yangon. Between the paucity of English speakers, the odd-looking foods sold on every corner, and the unfamiliar outfits and gestures, Yangon was very clearly foreign.

Most Fun: Bali. While Kuala Lumpur had some cool museums, and Bangkok had some serious partying, Bali takes this category with Ubud’s whitewater rafting and Canggu’s surfing and beach bars.

Overall Favorite: Kuala Lumpur. Highlights include the delicious food (Jusu, Molten Chocolate Cafe, and Halab Gate being a few of my favorite establishments), the beautiful skyline, the cheap and efficient public transit, and the nocturnal activity.

Hostel Awards

Best Party Hostel: Bodega Bangkok. With an in-hostel bar, nightly organized events, a crew of volunteer staff who go around in the evening giving out free shots to coax people out of their rooms, a selection of party games available to play, and free vodka mixed drinks from 7-8 pm for anyone not wearing pants, it would take a serious effort to avoid having fun at Bodega Bangkok.

Best Free Breakfast: Old Quarter View Hanoi Hostel. Old Quarter View offered a large menu of breakfast options, of which I tried two: beef pho, and a cheese omelette served with a baguette. Both were delicious. Honorable mention to WW Backpackers, Ubud, for their banana pancakes.

Best Facilities: d’Gobers, Seminyak. d’Gobers best feature is its wide beds with solid wood on 5 sides and a privacy curtain on the sixth, complete with a light, power outlet, and small nook for storage. In addition, each guest gets two lockers, one for small valuables and one large enough for an entire backpack. The common area has plenty of space and a bar, which encourages socialization.

Overall Favorite: d’Gobers, Seminyak. Winning mostly by virtue of the facilities mentioned above, d’Gobers secures this award with its free breakfast (far from the best of the hostels I stayed in, but decent enough), its free pool parties at a nearby club three days a week, and the rooftop party it hosted for its founding anniversary.