Melaka, Malaysia.

After a quick flight to Malaysia we were back to our road trip. We took a bus from the airport to the car rental agency, jumped in our Hyundai Matrix and were on the road. We drove from Kuala Lumpur (dodging scooters and tuk-tuks) south to the city of Melaka. We explored the historical Dutch heritage site and did a little shopping in the old houses, now converted to little shops in Chinatown. 

Kevin+Kristen

Railay & Phuket, Thailand.

Arrived in Railay in the evening, just in time for a walk along the beach at sunset and delicious Thai dinner. The next day we rented a scooter and drove along the coast to various beaches and lookouts. The rest of the day included relaxing by the pool, Thai massages, and even more Thai food. We hopped on a bus and drove from Railay to Phuket. Once in Phuket, we got to our hotel, right on the beach, and took to some more island relaxation. Swimming in the ocean and pool, reading and lounging, and going for walks in the warm weather. Fittingly, our last evening in Thailand was concluded with two orders of pad Thai.

Kevin+Kristen

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.

We finished our Scuba Diving Openwater certification in Koh Phi Phi, while doing dives in Koh Bida Nok, Malong Bay, and Koh Phi Phi Leh. We saw lots of beautiful coloured fish and corals!! We spent the afternoons relaxing and reading on the beach and swimming in the ocean.

We are taking the ferry to Railay this afternoon and plan to do some rock climbing tomorrow.

Kevin+Kristen

Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Sightseeing included exploring the old city wats: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phan Tao, Wat Chang Man, and our favorite, Wat Phra Singh. We also visited the Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Center before walking through the famous Sunday market for over two hours. One day we rented a scooter (Dad - it was a Honda) and drove to Doi Suthep-Pui national park to visit the Doi Suthep Wat and Palace, which is on the top of a mountain with a beautiful view of Chiang Mai.

Our down time activities consisted of two evening yoga classes in an open air classroom and Thai oil massages. Chiang Mai is known for their safari animals so we visited elephant and tiger sanctuaries.

We are flying to Phuket today to tour the islands on the Andaman Coast to finish our diving certification and get some sun.

Kevin+Kristen  

Ayutthaya, Thailand.

We took a day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya - the ancient capital city of Thailand that was the capital city of Siam for many years. We visited temples and ancient ruins for the day - Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Phra Mahathat, Wat Ratburana, and Chai Wattanaram.

We had a traditional Thai lunch and our favorite was the pumpkin chicken curry. Lastly, we visited the Royal Summer Palace of King Rama before heading back to Bangkok.

Kevin+Kristen

Bangkok, Thailand.

Sightseeing included the Grand Palace (royal residence of the King), which included the Wat Phra Kaew (temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Traimit, cruising the Bangkok waterways, visiting Chinatown, shopping at the Patpong Night Market, and even getting a Thai massage at the Wat Pho Traditional Thai Massage Medical School.

One evening we went to the new Spiderman movie and out of the blue saw our friend Kyle Harke and his girlfriend Megan, so we had ice cream and talked about out travels! One morning we did a Thai cooking class (5 coures) at the Silom Thai Cooking School!! The cook took us to the market to buy fresh ingredients for our meals - so fresh the chicken and fish were still alive when we got there. Kevin and I had a blast learning how to make green curry, pad Thai, chicken salad, hot coconut shrimp soup (for Kev), and banana coconut dessert.

Just about to board our flight to Chang Mai!

Kevin+Kristen

Hot Water Beach & Auckland, New Zealand.

RAPIDS from New Zealand! Last day in the campervan (much to Kristen's delight). We spent the morning at the Hot Water Beach, where we dug a hole in the sand to the underground hot springs. As we dug, our hole filled up with the steaming water and we had a natural hot tub right on the beach! Then we had a drive back to Auckland to unpack and return the campervan. In the evening were off to watch the Auckland's NRL team, the Warriors play rugby against the North Queensland Bulldogs. The Warriors of course won and we even got to touch the game ball after a drop goal :)

Woke up bright and early and were off to the ferry to Rangitoto, a volcanic island off the coast of Auckland Harbour. The morning was spent hiking up to the breathtaking views of Auckland's harbour and surrounding seas. Then back down to the ferry and back across to the city. We spent the afternoon walking around the harbour and downtown Auckland before heading back to pack all our things and move Kevin out! Off to the airportr where we started our sleepy night flight to Singapore.
Kevin+Kristen