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Sanur, Indonesia
TBH, I thought Denpasar (especially Sanur) was overrated. Too touristy. There are much better places to stay, like Gili Trawangan or Ubud.
Food recommendations: honestly, there are restaurants EVERYWHERE. And Grab is super cheap to order food for those really lazy days.
Tour guide recommendations: there wasn't a single Grab driver who didn't offer their services to be hired for a day. And you can negotiate a reasonable price from them. There are also heaps of booths on the main Sanur street.
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Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
Highly recommend this little island of paradise!! The beaches are beautiful, and diving is amazing. Way better than Bali, IMO.
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the poor horses. 😪 They literally only exist there because of the lazy tourists. Gili T is such a small island. You can literally walk anywhere in less than 30 mins (but realistically less than 20). My hotel was 'far' from the docks, and it was only an 8-minute walk. Those horses are way too small, it's way too hot, they're forced to pull too much weight, and I'm told they aren't taken care of at all. It's very sad.
Food recommendations: honestly, there are restaurants EVERYWHERE. And Grab is super cheap to order food for those really lazy days.
Tour guide recommendations: there wasn't a single Grab driver who didn't offer their services to be hired for a day. And you can negotiate a reasonable price from them. There are also heaps of booths on the main Sanur street.
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Lombok International Airport, Indonesia
I wasn't here long enough to give it a proper explore.
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Jakarta, Indonesia
Sorry, but Jakarta was not a vibe. People didn't seem overly welcoming or friendly. And hardly anyone spoke English, which was quite surprising for being the capital.
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Yogyakarta, Indonesia
This place is such a vibe!! The history! The culture! The temples! If you can get here, you won't regret it.
I recommend Tomo if you're looking to hire a car or a tour guide for the day. He's very reasonable, flexible, and will make a custom tour for you for a reasonable price.
Insta: @tomo_javakarta
WA#: +62 822 4332 3088
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Jakarta, Indonesia
Sorry, but Jakarta was not a vibe. People didn't seem overly welcoming or friendly. And hardly anyone spoke English, which was quite surprising for being the capital.
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Pangkalan Kerinci, Indonesia
Lovely little city.
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Pekanbaru, Indonesia
I wish I had a few more days to explore here!
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Of course, I had to explore the capital of Malaysia! This city was a vibe. Probably don’t need longer than a week to see the highlights, but I definitely recommend stopping to check it out.
I never felt unsafe, and nothing bad happened to me. However, I did have a friend get attacked. Someone was trying to grab her bag, but because it was attached to her, she just got drug along the road and got a wicked road burn. I’m told things like that happen pretty often in KL, so just be smart and keep your guard up.
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George Town, Malaysia
Penang! What a lovely little place to check out! George Town is a must-see if you love culture and street art! Staying on the island even for a day or two and walking around the city streets will be such an amazing experience. If you're here for a bit longer, you can go out and explore the island a little more.
I think the Chaiya Mangalaram Thai Buddhist Temple and the Kek Lok Si Temple are definitely worth the trip!! You haven't really seen George Town if you haven't seen these beautiful temples.
But honestly, I'd probably skip Batu Ferringhi unless it was someone you really wanted to see. If you're short on time or just wondering if the long trip was worth it, personally, I don't think it's worth it. There are better night markets much closer. Overcrowded with tourists is not a vibe for me.
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Langkawi Island, Malaysia
Everyone I spoke to raved about Langkawi and how it’s a must-see. Sorry, but it didn’t really live up to the hype for me. I’m sure it’s great if you’re after a beach vacation sitting on a resort for a week. But I get bored. I wasn’t even excited to do any of the tours offered here. Maybe an island hopping tour.
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Koh Lipe, Thailand
Everyone says to check out Koh Lipe, and the diving is amazing in Koh Lipe. Yes, it is a stunning island with gorgeous sunsets. But it’s super touristy. Which means lots of tourists and everything being overpriced. Be aware it’s mostly sand from the ferry, so it is not very suitcase-friendly. It's best if you have a backpack here!
Also, a note on the ferry. It’s not super accessibility friendly. Like, I’m not sure my mom could make it off the boat I got off. But also, please note that the experience will vary! The boat I got off I had to get off the boat and jump – literally jump I sat on my butt and jumped into the smaller boat – for that smaller boat to take us to shore. But the ferry to leave the island came up to the small docks, so I just had to climb in from shore. I also saw some ferries where the people had to jump from the boat into the water. So, just be aware that experiences will vary.
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Phuket, Thailand