Bangkok

We find that Bangkok's public transport system isn't very stroller-friendly. We took the BTS trains a few times and the stations that we boarded & alighted didn't have any elevators or ramps for strollers. We had to carry it up/down the stairs. But they do have a special 'gate' for strollers at the entry/exit gates! Go figure. The streets of Bangkok are also crowded with people & peddlers selling all sorts of stuff on the sidewalks, so it can be a task to navigate your way through this traffic. Fortunately, the Thais are very considerate people who will give way to you when they see a stroller coming!

Seafood for dinner

We wanted to have a good seafood dinner so we asked Mr Udon where is the best place to find cheap & good seafood. He suggested a place called KoSaweng. It's a 40min drive from the hotel to the outskirts near the coast. After exiting the highway, we entered a dirt road for about 15mins before arriving at the restaurant. There are a few other restaurants along this road too. There were only 2-3 cars there and the restaurant was virtually deserted. I was told that during the weekends, the place is filled to the maximum. If the tables numbers are an indication of how many tables available, we sat at table #428! We ordered a steamed fish, vegetables, crabs, prawn & of course the Tom Yam Khung. The food arrived in 10mins and in healthy servings. Everything was so fresh & delicious. It was a great meal and the bill came to about US$45 for everything. If only my stomach had more room for more bbq-ed prawns!

Long-tailed boat ride

Bangkok is famous for the Chao Phraya river that meanders in and out of the city area. Many canals continue to be used for transport to this day. We decided that we should take a boat ride on these canals & see it for ourselves. Mr Udon took us to a pier that was next to the Rama 8 bridge to board the long-tailed boat. The price was 1500Bht for the whole boat for 1hr. The route took us on the main Chao Phraya river, into smaller canals where many Thai people continue to live their lives next to the rivers. We saw many houses built on stilts next to the canals.


There was an area where our daughter could feed some catfish too. The boatman stopped here for about 15mins and we bought bread to feed the fish. There are so many of them, well fed too I might add. The water in the smaller canals were calm whereas on the main river, it was a bit choppy. It was a good experience to see a different part of Bangkok that is rarely thought of when visiting a cosmopolitan city like Bangkok.

Siam Ocean World

Another activity we did was to visit the Siam Ocean World aquarium. It's located at Siam Paragon shopping center basement. The entry fee was 750Bht/adult but I can't remember how much was for kids. Anyway, they were giving away freebies like free drinks, glass-bottomed boat ride & merchandise for every ticket bought. The aquarium is pretty impressive with many different types of fish. The feeding sessions are a highlight, especially the shark feeding, giant grouper feeding and arapaima feeding times. The staff there are helpful in explaining the fishes' diet & habitat but their English is not that great. There is also a touch pool where starfishes, hermit crabs & other sea life are placed so that you can have a feel of them. A padded playground with obstacle course, slides, ball pit & play area is available just after the penguin exhibit. Too bad there is no place where kids can feed some fish.

Bangkok Again!

We decided to go to Bangkok again because we needed our fix of good food, shopping & massages! This time we arrived at the new Suvarnabhumi airport. This airport is big & there's a lot of walking to be done before you reach Immigration. Luckily for us, we asked an officer if we could go to a counter with a shorter queue. He was kind enough to direct us to one that was free. We got our usual cab driver, Mr Udon to pick us up at the airport. The drive to our hotel, Amari Watergate took about 40mins in usual traffic conditions. We chose Amari Watergate because I had a special deal on the rooms as well as we're familiar with the area.

Driving in Melbourne

We arrived in Melbourne & got our rental car from the airport. We are staying with a friend in Geelong for a few days. The drive to Geelong takes about 1hr from the airport. The highway/freeway signs are pretty clear, just follow the signs to Geelong(most likely via the Princes Freeway). Speed limits are 100km/h but almost everyone goes slightly faster than that. Becareful if you decide to go above the limit as you never know where there might be a camera/device to record if you're speeding.

Mt Wellington

Overshadowing the city of Hobart is the towering Mt Wellington. It's an easy 20min drive from the city all the way up to the summit. The roads are a bit winding but manageable. This time, we could drive all the way to the summit because we were told that if it snows, the roads will be closed 3/4 way up the summit. It's very windy up there so remember to pack a jacket. There's an observation deck with information of places as look out to the horizon. There are many trails that lead to the top of Mt Wellington but these are all for seasoned hikers and trekkers.

Horseshoe Falls

Unique in every way.

Russell Falls

Wall-to-wall waterfall. That's amazing!

Waterfalls at the East of Tasmania

Tasmania is famous for its many beautiful waterfalls. On the eastern part of Tasmania alone, there were so many to choose from. We drove around to several of these waterfalls and were amazed at their beauty. We went to St. Columba Falls, Ralphs Falls, O'Gradys Falls, Russell Falls and Horseshoe Falls. In my opinion, Russell and Horseshoe Falls are a must see. You would be amazed at the sheer size of Russell Falls and marvel at the uniqueness of Horseshoe Falls. You'll need to walk quite a fair bit on trails to reach the waterfalls but the walk is worth it. Most trails are well-marked and even stroller-friendly. There are so many more waterfalls that we couldn't see because of time constraints.

Hiking to Wineglass Bay lookout

We decided to go to the Wineglass Bay lookout today. It's located inside Freycinet National Park and there is an entry fee for it, something like a day pass. Anyway, there's a car park at the start of the trail and signboards for the various trails from that point. The trail to the lookout is supposed to take approximately 1hr return, but do give yourself more time to walk/hike at a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery. We reached the lookout in about 45mins. There's a small platform there to view the Bay but you can get similar views from around the platform area. The track back always feels faster than going! As it can be quite hot during the hike, always be prepared with water, hat and sunscreen for everyone.

Fruit picking in Sorell

Fruit-picking is one activity that most kids will like. We found one on the way back to Hobart and its called Sorell Fruit Farm. It's just off the Sorell Town Centre and when we were there, the apples were in season. We paid for a bucket & we could pick/eat as much as we want. The apples were good quality & delicious. Our daughter loved it! There are other fruits like strawberries, peaches, berries and other fruits. What fruit available will depend on when you go there. There is also a small cafe that serves awesome smoothies made from the fruit at the farm itself as well as items like jams, juices, liqueurs and souveniers. We really enjoyed our time there.

Driving around Tasmania

We arrived in Hobart and went to the car rental company. The car we booked for turned out to be too small to fit all our luggage so we upgraded to a bigger car. It turned out to be a good choice to upgrade as the drive around Tasmania is much longer than we thought. Eryn was strapped into her car seat which looks comfortable for her. The drive to our accomodation was about 2hrs from Hobart.

Visa for ASEAN

Citizens ASEAN member countries do not require visas when visiting other ASEAN member countries. I'm speaking only about typical holidays with a duration of not more than 2 weeks. However, there are restrictions placed by countries like Laos and Myanmar with regards to foreign travellers. Please check on your own.