Things I'd do Differently

I want to break away from the 'what we did when' aspect of the blog and write this post as I was thinking a lot about different elements of it whilst I was away. It focuses on the things I'm pleased I did and the things I -as the title suggests- would do differently. 

Bag

My big backpack, although I needed it, was a big regret. The zips I thought I'd find handy? They turned out impossible to lock up, and it was pointless having two front-entry points as they just made it harder at the end of the trip when the seams were straining and I was trying to cram everything in. Also the gap really wasn't enough to pull anything out of so I had to use the main drawstring entry anyway. The clips were an incredible waste of time, they were loose, didn't do up properly and could hold no weight at all -pull on the slightly and they'd come apart. This meant that when I landed back home the my knickers and other contents of my bag were trailing along the airport conveyor belt behind my open bag - embarrassing or what?! 

Additionally, next time I go away? I'm getting one with wheels, 'nuff said. 

Soap

The night before I was due to leave for SEA, I decided that I'd take a small bar of soap (nicked from some hotel) along with me in addition to my main bag shower gel so that I could have a shower at Bangkok airport and then chuck it. Unfortunately there were no free showers at the airport and so that little bar of soap came with me and boy was it useful! For the times where there was no soap available, like guesthouse bathrooms or public toilet that little bar of soap in its tiny dish left my hands nice and clean where antibacterial gel just doesn't. 

Suncream & Anti-mozzie spray

Why I thought I'd need three bottles of suncream and 4 cans of spray is honestly beyond me and I ended up giving away all but one of each - and even they came back pretty full! Maybe I just don't get burnt easily or the mosquitos don't like me but I was fine. I used them sensibly, dawn and dusk in the more remote or overgrown/watery areas for the spray and if I was walking around in scorching sun. This was the rainy season though, I would probably have used more in the earlier months. 

Pampers & Wet wipes

For when showers just aren't an option. They were a Godsend. 

Laptop/phone/tablet

Something, ANYTHING that could have connected to the internet. I had my kindle but the typing is impossibly frustrating on it and so I wish I'd have taken something to access wifi. It's not about removing yourself from technology or not seeing the sights and immersing yourself in culture. It's about staying connected and for free. I went to internet cafes, I spent money there and I went on facebook. I would have done the same if I had had a laptop, but I would have been able to blog more efficiently. 

-Also, nearly everyone has some sort of connecting device, in fact even in the most rural and the poorest of areas there is usually at least one Nokia. 

Things are pretty safe. On my first day in Phnom Penh I locked up my bag (to the best of my ability, see above) but quickly realised that things are safe. As long as you're sensible and keep things hidden and neat you'll be fine. That said, we did stay in decent places. It worked out that for two of us sharing a twin room worked out cheaper than getting bunk beds in some cheapy cheapy dorm. Hospitality out there is very good and on the whole I found that guesthouses just wanted to please and so if anything goes missing it won't reflect well on them. Particularly when they are so keen for you to review them on TripAdvisor! 

Going Solo

In hindsight, I wish I had done the trip on my own. I found that I hid behind my travel buddy and didn't go out and make my own friends or meet new people. It also meant that any hot Australian backpackers? Yeah, they weren't gonna approach me whilst I was travelling around with a guy. Oops. Still, I did find that it was good to have someone to share the experiences with and I missed that when I went solo in Koh Tao and Saigon -after all, who else is going to take pictures of me?!