I spent all of August continuing my work as a volunteer research assistant in Terengganu, Malaysia. As part of my arrangement, I was living with the professor I was working with, and my room & board was covered. My expenses were pretty low. The first half of the month was still the Muslim holiday Ramadan and in Terengganu (the most ...

Daniel’s Lodge is a Basic (worn and musty) backpacker lodge located just a short walk from the main bus station in the Cameron Highlands. How to find Daniel’s Lodge? Exiting your bus, walk along the main strip for awhile. You will see a sign that says Daniel’s Lodge pointing up a street (with an arrow pointing right) Turn down that ...

While volunteering at a University, through a work exchange in Terengganu, Malaysia, I got to meet and accompany a Geology professor on some sampling missions. He was trying to prove that the sea level was several meters higher 4000-6000 years ago by finding remains of mollusks caked onto the rock at higher then current levels. Getting to explore the islands ...

After catching a ride to the  bus station in Ipoh (from my CS host who was on her way to KL) I hopped on a bus to the Cameron Highlands (16.8RM or ~$5.10). It was my first time on a bus in Malaysia and they were much, much more comfortable than the cramped buses in Myanmar there were only 3 seats ...

After a month living in Koh Phangan, leaving Thailand the day my visa was to expire I was now in Malaysia where I would be starting work as a volunteer research assistant starting on the 18th. What did I do? With almost three weeks to explore before my position started, I took the opportunity to explore the country a bit ...

Recently, in my post How much does it cost to live in paradise? – Koh Phangan, Thailand I informed you all about the costs involved with living on the beautiful island of Koh Phangan for an entire month and due to some expressed interested, I wanted to share with you how you can find a house to rent on the island. Where ...

After a month of backpacking Thailand, during a month of backpacking Myanmar, I had a few decisions to make. I had a return flight booked back to Bangkok but no plans once I got there. I was either headed south, to Malaysia, or east, to Cambodia. Through Helpx, I found, applied for, and was accepted to be a mycological research ...

In my previous post about Yangon, I mentioned that most people like only one of the major cities (Yangon/Mandalay) and at first, I was no exception. Eventually I feel in love with Mandalay but only during my second visit. During my first visit to Mandalay, I was staying in the tourist area and a combination of the heat, the people ...

Inlay (Inle Innlay Inley) Lake very well may be Myanmar’s (Burma’s) most visited tourist destination and it was literally the only place in Myanmar where I found any more then a handful of tourists/westerners. I arrived in Inle, from Mandalay via night bus and as with every other bus in Myanmar, taxis where waiting for us when we arrived. The ...

Plane The fastest way to travel. Yangon and Mandalay are the main airports in the country and you can arrive or leave from either (with flights to/from Bangkok around $60 when I went). Some travelers also fly domestically but I don’t think it’s necessary. Train The trains in Myanmar are slow, bumpy and are often more expensive then other options. ...