Six Months in Southeast Asia Was Just Enough This Time

After arriving at Bangkok from Hua Hin on Friday 5th of May, we had been almost six months in Southeast Asia. During this a half year period, we have been and seen several different cultures and countries in the area.

Let’s quickly wrap our six months in Southeast Asia together. After that, I will share you some near future plans as well.

Flowing Firm’s Six Months in Southeast Asia

First, we began our journey in Bangkok, Thailand after flying there from Helsinki, Finland in November 2016. Furthermore, we quickly continued from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with night bus and stayed there over three wonderful weeks. It was our second, longer period in the Northern Pearl of Thailand. Moreover, we rode 762 corners to Pai with a motorbike and had an unforgettable weekend there. After a one night stay in Bangkok, we flew to Da Nang, Vietnam via Tan Nhat Son Airport in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) on 8th of December.

We spend few weeks exploring various places in Central Vietnam. After Da Nang, we spend a couple of days in a picturesque, little village Hoi An. Since the weather wasn’t on our side, we took a hundred kilometers train trip to the old capital of Vietnam, Hue. With that being said, raining still continued in Hue, too. After taking one of the most beautiful train journeys from Hue back to Da Nang, it was time to go and spend holidays in Mui Ne with in-laws.

We had a lovely and relaxing two weeks in Mui Ne since most of the time we could use a high-class resort where in-laws were staying. When Christmas and New Year’s eve were done and the year of 2017 has begun, we said goodbyes to the parents of the wife in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). They had to return back to Finland whereas we kept traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

After Thailand and Vietnam to tropical Malaysia

During the three tropical weeks in Malaysia in January, we visited in digital island Penang and paradise island Langkawi in addition to Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is perhaps the most developed country in Southeast Asia (together with Singapore of course). Having said that, it’s always a pleasure to visit in this friendly country.

Since we had acquired a free tourist visa at Georgetown, Penang, we crossed the border back to Thailand in late January. First, after a one night stay in Hat Yai, we went to see the astonishing Krabi. It was already second time there since we had been there a year ago. We most definitely are going back a third time as well.

After Krabi, we booked a private minivan in order to go and pick my brother up from Krabi Airport. It was time to spend 10 days with him in one of the best islands in Thailand, Koh Lanta. In addition, we had a brisk weekend break in Phi Phi Island, too.

Back in the Northern Pearl of Thailand

When the brother had gotten safely back to Finland, we took an evening flight back to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai has been really good to us so this time we wanted to find an affordable rental apartment for a month.

We had a chance to stay up to 90 days in Thailand. Nevertheless, since our mutual friend lives in Vientiane, Laos, we wanted to pay a visit there. He offered us a possibility to stay in his gorgeous penthouse apartment as long as we like. Before crossing the border from Udon Thani, Thailand to Vientiane, Laos on mid-March, we stayed four nights in Udon Thani.

One scorching hot month in Laos

During four weeks in Laos, we stayed almost three weeks in the apartment of our friend in Vientiane. Moreover, we took a three-hour bus to Vang Vieng in order to have a tubing weekend. In addition, we took a night bus from scorching Vientiane to unbelievable hot Southern Laos. There, we quickly stayed in hippyesque 4000 Island. Finally, before crossing the border back to Thailand on mid-April, we quickly took a part of a wet Pi Mai (Lao New Year) celebration.

First, we stayed a couple of nights in Ubon Ratchathani on the east side of Thailand. Furthermore, after celebrating the wife’s birthday in Bangkok, we took a night bus (again!?) towards Koh Samui. We had to change buses in Surat Thani and hopped into the ferry at Donsak Pier before reaching Koh Samui after 18 exhausting hours of traveling.

We stayed four nights in touristic Koh Samui and took a quick ferry to a much quieter and laid back Koh Phangan. We had a wonderful and relaxing week there. It was just pure perfection to sunbathe on the white sandy beaches and swim in the crystal clear sea.

After Koh Phangan, we took a night train to Hua Hin in early May. There, we had an extraordinarily fun day at the Vana Nava Water Jungle before heading back to Bangkok.

Finally, six months in Southeast Asia change to a snowy spring in Finland…

And now, when I’m writing this blog post, we are already sitting on a plane from Bangkok to Helsinki. The date is 10th of May 2017. We have to admit that six months in Southeast Asia has gone by really fast!

If you have every morning something special to do when you wake up, something you haven’t done before, you don’t even notice how fast days are passing by. Still, you will experience wonderful long lasting memories that’ll stay with you for a lifetime.

…for a while, though.

Our plan is to spend at least a month or so with family and friends back in our hometown. Then there might be new adventures in sight. We don’t know yet where it might take us. Don’t worry, though, Flowing Firm will continue posting articles regularly regarding our recent and future travels.

There might be coming some useful posts, too, helping you to achieve similar kind of lifestyle – if you desire so. But now, let’s relax for a while at home after six months in Southeast Asia!