We've been in Norway for quite some time now and adjusted ourselves to the society again. So we've decided to sum up our trip: Backpacking for dummies awards!
Best meal
Randi Helen: fish filet in garlic sauce in Goa, India
Astrid: the buffet on Fraser Island, Australia
Worst meal
RH: There are no specific meal that comes to my mind as really bad, but I had one steak in Goa that was so spicy that I couldn´t finish it, which was quite disappointing.. (and I usually like spicy food)
A: boiled vegetables in a bowl of warm water, Pushkar, India
Most beautiful place
RH: probably the islands of Thailand
A: the rainforest outside Kuala Lumpur? or the islands of Thailand?
Best weather
RH: we had a lot of sunny days, so it´s hard to pick out one specific, but when we travelled south in Australia to Brisbane the density was not that high - it was perfect to just sit in the park and enjoy ourselves!
A: simply going out in streets of Dehli the very first day with sunglasses and no snow
Worst weather
RH: Driving a scooter in rain and thunder at Koh Lanta, Thailand
A: hail, thunder and rainstorms (while driving a scooter) Koh Lanta, Thailand
Coolest building
RH: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
A: the "boat" of the top of a hotel, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Best hostel
RH: We stayed in a lot of good hostels, but since Tropic Days had free internet, free dinner and free ride to the city center every day it gets a few extra points (even though my wallet was stolen here and I didn´t get to much help..)
A: Tropic Days! (free coffee, great staff and backpackers, nice beds, pool and hammocks) Cairns, Australia
Worst hostel
RH: Backpackers Travellers Inn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Smelled weird, not too clean, tight and in a very noisy area.
A: claustrophobic rooms and dirty bathrooms, Kuala Lumpur
Best sunset
RH: at the beach in Goa while eating dinner and relaxing with my feet in the sand
A: an explosion of all kinds of colours in one sunset, Koh Lanta, Thailand
Most terrifying moment
RH: while trying to sleep and watching various unknown insects crawling in my bed...
A: while riding a camel through the desert, the guy who were supposed to hold the reigns of my camel ran off. All I could do was to hold on to my seat and hope for the best as the camel started to gallop.
Funniest experience
RH: probably the Uncle Brians´ trip in Australia, it was fun, fun, fun!
A: hm.. the biggest laugh must have been on the day trip with cousin Brad, Cairns, Australia
Best coffee
RH: when we first came to the shopping mall in Cairns I bought a cup of coffee that stuck to my mind... probably not the best one, but it was so long since the last good one that I totally enjoyed it!
Also the iced mocha from Starbucks is amazing!
A: no doubt - coffee from "Café Coffee day" throughout India
Most eccentric person
RH: cousin Brad (from the Uncle Brian´s-trip in Cairns)
A: the russian (Dmitri) we ran into at the night market in Krabi, Thailand, however the boomerang lady should be mentioned.
Best nature experience
RH: snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef
A: snorkeling, Great Barrier Reef
Best activity
RH: driving a scooter in both Goa and the islands of Thailand -didn´t know where we were going, but just driving and seeing the nature, feeling the wind in my hair, smelling the scent from the trees and ending up at a beach somewhere with an ice cream and looking for seashells...
A: Jet boat, Sydney Harbour
Best shopping experience
RH: Vintage-shopping in Brisbane
A: New York! Closely followed by the cozy, vintage shops of Brisbane
Best flight
RH: Air New Zealand from Sydney to Auckland -amazing food with roastbeef salad and icecream, new music and movies, and good seats
A: Air New Zealand from Auckland to L.A. Great entertainment, great seats and great food!
Best guide
RH: C.P. -our loyal and very helpful guide for two weeks in India
A: Cousin Brad was definitely the funniest and Pat was the most knowledgeable, Cairns/Airlie Beach, Australia
Most overrated
RH: Elephanta Island in Mumbai -nothing worth seeing, just crazy monkeys
A: Byron Bay..Surfers Paradise and the Goldcoast.. VERY touristy. (And also watching "Black Swan" on the flight to Bangkok..)
Best swim
RH: Pileh Bay at the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand -crystal clear water with white sand and surrounded by mountain rocks
A: swimming in a warm, dead volcano! Australia
Best buy
RH: i-pod nano (saved a lot on buying it in the US)
A: nearly 700 pages with "Ultimate book of bizarre lists" for 3 dollars..
Best movie
RH: probably Thor, because it was in 3D and had the incredible handsome Chis Hemsworth in it!!
A: We stumbled across "Junior" (1994) on Indian television in Goa - amazing to watch Arnold Schwarznegger being pregnant..Highly recommendable
Best museum
RH: Art Museum in Singapore
A: It was impressive with high tech and interactive exhibitions - national museum, Singapore
Best quotes
RH: "Ok friends!" -our guide C.P. every time he wanted our attention
A: "there's a transvestite in the kitchen" - Randi Helen (in a restaurant in Thailand)
"are they on their way to a barbeque?" (we were on evening service in a church in Harvey Bay and a little girl saw us with our bags..)
Best entertainment
RH: free circus shows at the Sydney Harbour
A: concert with indie bands, Brisbane
Best beach
RH: the one we stayed next to at Koh Lanta.. not specifically outstanding, but very quiet and relaxing
A: the one looking like a beach from computer game "Monkey Island" in Koh Tao, Thailand
Memorable moments
RH: going to the indian cinema, galloping on a camel trough the city, dancing with crazy norwegians at the disco in Goa, being stopped by the Indian police, getting a fire-stick in my lap, eating breakfast at the beach, hiding from the heat in a shopping-mall, snorkeling with reef-sharks, spotting wild koala-bears, finding a street in Brisbane were everything has an old charm, meeting up with the same people over and over, reading a book in the Sydney botanical garden, visiting the place where my parents lived, and finally being met by my mom at the airport with a box of homemade chrisp-bread with brown-cheese and homemade strawberry-jam!
A: scooter/motorbike riding in India and Thailand, having a "pseudonym" for 3 months, camel riding in India, eating out - everyday!, disco in Goa, breakfast in Central Park, looking at the stars with our busdriver somewhere in Australia, mountain hiking in India, trying to spot a platypus while drinking hot chocolate, dancing in MacDonalds, Hillsong church on Easter sunday, guy playing cello in the subway, getting lost in a indian castle and of course all the eccentric, amazing people we've been privileged to meet!
Best meal
Randi Helen: fish filet in garlic sauce in Goa, India
Astrid: the buffet on Fraser Island, Australia
Worst meal
RH: There are no specific meal that comes to my mind as really bad, but I had one steak in Goa that was so spicy that I couldn´t finish it, which was quite disappointing.. (and I usually like spicy food)
A: boiled vegetables in a bowl of warm water, Pushkar, India
Most beautiful place
RH: probably the islands of Thailand
A: the rainforest outside Kuala Lumpur? or the islands of Thailand?
Best weather
RH: we had a lot of sunny days, so it´s hard to pick out one specific, but when we travelled south in Australia to Brisbane the density was not that high - it was perfect to just sit in the park and enjoy ourselves!
A: simply going out in streets of Dehli the very first day with sunglasses and no snow
Worst weather
RH: Driving a scooter in rain and thunder at Koh Lanta, Thailand
A: hail, thunder and rainstorms (while driving a scooter) Koh Lanta, Thailand
 |
| Marina Bay |
RH: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
A: the "boat" of the top of a hotel, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Best hostel
RH: We stayed in a lot of good hostels, but since Tropic Days had free internet, free dinner and free ride to the city center every day it gets a few extra points (even though my wallet was stolen here and I didn´t get to much help..)
A: Tropic Days! (free coffee, great staff and backpackers, nice beds, pool and hammocks) Cairns, Australia
Worst hostel
RH: Backpackers Travellers Inn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Smelled weird, not too clean, tight and in a very noisy area.
A: claustrophobic rooms and dirty bathrooms, Kuala Lumpur
Best sunset
RH: at the beach in Goa while eating dinner and relaxing with my feet in the sand
A: an explosion of all kinds of colours in one sunset, Koh Lanta, Thailand
Most terrifying moment
RH: while trying to sleep and watching various unknown insects crawling in my bed...
A: while riding a camel through the desert, the guy who were supposed to hold the reigns of my camel ran off. All I could do was to hold on to my seat and hope for the best as the camel started to gallop.
Funniest experience
RH: probably the Uncle Brians´ trip in Australia, it was fun, fun, fun!
A: hm.. the biggest laugh must have been on the day trip with cousin Brad, Cairns, Australia
 |
| Gus the bus |
RH: when we first came to the shopping mall in Cairns I bought a cup of coffee that stuck to my mind... probably not the best one, but it was so long since the last good one that I totally enjoyed it!
Also the iced mocha from Starbucks is amazing!
A: no doubt - coffee from "Café Coffee day" throughout India
Most eccentric person
RH: cousin Brad (from the Uncle Brian´s-trip in Cairns)
A: the russian (Dmitri) we ran into at the night market in Krabi, Thailand, however the boomerang lady should be mentioned.
Best nature experience
RH: snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef
A: snorkeling, Great Barrier Reef
Best activity
RH: driving a scooter in both Goa and the islands of Thailand -didn´t know where we were going, but just driving and seeing the nature, feeling the wind in my hair, smelling the scent from the trees and ending up at a beach somewhere with an ice cream and looking for seashells...
A: Jet boat, Sydney Harbour
Best shopping experience
RH: Vintage-shopping in Brisbane
A: New York! Closely followed by the cozy, vintage shops of Brisbane
Best flight
RH: Air New Zealand from Sydney to Auckland -amazing food with roastbeef salad and icecream, new music and movies, and good seats
A: Air New Zealand from Auckland to L.A. Great entertainment, great seats and great food!
Best guide
RH: C.P. -our loyal and very helpful guide for two weeks in India
A: Cousin Brad was definitely the funniest and Pat was the most knowledgeable, Cairns/Airlie Beach, Australia
Most overrated
RH: Elephanta Island in Mumbai -nothing worth seeing, just crazy monkeys
 |
| Pileh Bay |
Best swim
RH: Pileh Bay at the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand -crystal clear water with white sand and surrounded by mountain rocks
A: swimming in a warm, dead volcano! Australia
Best buy
RH: i-pod nano (saved a lot on buying it in the US)
A: nearly 700 pages with "Ultimate book of bizarre lists" for 3 dollars..
Best movie
RH: probably Thor, because it was in 3D and had the incredible handsome Chis Hemsworth in it!!
A: We stumbled across "Junior" (1994) on Indian television in Goa - amazing to watch Arnold Schwarznegger being pregnant..Highly recommendable
Best museum
RH: Art Museum in Singapore
A: It was impressive with high tech and interactive exhibitions - national museum, Singapore
Best quotes
RH: "Ok friends!" -our guide C.P. every time he wanted our attention
A: "there's a transvestite in the kitchen" - Randi Helen (in a restaurant in Thailand)
"are they on their way to a barbeque?" (we were on evening service in a church in Harvey Bay and a little girl saw us with our bags..)
Best entertainment
RH: free circus shows at the Sydney Harbour
A: concert with indie bands, Brisbane
Best beach
RH: the one we stayed next to at Koh Lanta.. not specifically outstanding, but very quiet and relaxing
A: the one looking like a beach from computer game "Monkey Island" in Koh Tao, Thailand
Memorable moments
RH: going to the indian cinema, galloping on a camel trough the city, dancing with crazy norwegians at the disco in Goa, being stopped by the Indian police, getting a fire-stick in my lap, eating breakfast at the beach, hiding from the heat in a shopping-mall, snorkeling with reef-sharks, spotting wild koala-bears, finding a street in Brisbane were everything has an old charm, meeting up with the same people over and over, reading a book in the Sydney botanical garden, visiting the place where my parents lived, and finally being met by my mom at the airport with a box of homemade chrisp-bread with brown-cheese and homemade strawberry-jam!
A: scooter/motorbike riding in India and Thailand, having a "pseudonym" for 3 months, camel riding in India, eating out - everyday!, disco in Goa, breakfast in Central Park, looking at the stars with our busdriver somewhere in Australia, mountain hiking in India, trying to spot a platypus while drinking hot chocolate, dancing in MacDonalds, Hillsong church on Easter sunday, guy playing cello in the subway, getting lost in a indian castle and of course all the eccentric, amazing people we've been privileged to meet!
:)
SvarSlett