And here’s our past years’ itinerary:

1. (Nov 2023) Bali #1, Indonesia (4 mo total, two visits)
2. Philippines (1 mo)
3. Vietnam #1 (4+ mo total, two visits)
4. Malaysia #1 (5 mo total, two visits)
5. (summer, 2024) Vietnam #2
6. Thailand (2 mo)
7. Malaysia #2
8. Bali #2
9. (now) Cambodia (2 mo)

WOW. I had to review my calendar to properly remember, but that’s a lot in 17 months.

Stops #4 & #7: Malaysia

Our initial incentives to visit Malaysia were twofold: I’m a sucker for tall buildings, and they have some of the best medical facilities in southeast Asia. And we took advantage of both of them! On our first trip, Kat and I both got full body scans from head to toe, for about $500. Our experience was over the moon and we thought it money well spent, for peace of mind, as well as for the results, which were all good. Things to be watchful of, but nothing to worry about.

We visited the tallest twin towers on the planet, Petronas, and that was a great time. I have been in the Burj Kalifa in Dubai, currently #1, tallest on the planet, but Petronas is hugely impressive, especially since there is a walkway on the 41-42^nd floors, and that is a trip, standing above the street between the two towers. The KL (Kuala Lumpur) Tower (yet another tall structure) is all vertical, with no offices and such, but affords a nice view as well. We also went to Batu Caves, just 20 minutes from town, plus took a few train side trips to the northern towns of Ipoh and Penang. We left Malaysia wanting more, and since we can stay for 90 days with NO paperwork or visa, that is a huge incentive, as is the English usage, which is quite high, since it is a true second language there.

Towards the end of ’24 we did return for our second visit, stayed for (another) 90 days, and continued with exploration of their medical services. Some voluntary, some not. Kat primarily wanted to return for cataract surgery, which was great, and she got both eyes done at one time, which is not that common in many countries. I had a little blood pressure scare and had a complete heart exam, with 3D, full color, diagnosis, along with scans and blood tests. The results were good, nothing going on other than aging…So I stay on meds and that keeps everything in alignment. We spent most of our time in KL, plus had a trip up north to a primitive “jungle resort,” and also down south to a town called Malacca, which we both agreed to return to. I was also able to use my press access to gain access to the SECOND tallest structure in the world, the Merdeka 118 (118 floors), and that was amazing, especially since it won’t be open to the public for a year or more.

Our conclusion. The “goal” in Asia was to find places where we could stay long term. Malaysia passed the test, and we will be back.

Stop #5: Vietnam (our second visit):

We landed in the central city of Da Nang the end of April with the intention of “checking it out” for three days to determine if we wanted to return the following month. We did. It was Love at First Sight for both of us, and since we stayed at the nearby city of Hoi An for 30 days, we got two for the price of one. It was clean, friendly, affordable, and had a great beach and generally good weather. Hoi An is an Ancient City with lots of history, and is situated on the Thu Bon River, which gives it a lot of character. It’s fairly small and the city itself is insane to scooter through! But everyone drives carefully, slowly, and still only ride with head face forward, but it all works.

After our 30 days in Hoi An we moved all of 30 minutes north to Da Nang. Our incredible room (about $400 USD/ mo) was large, new, and only four blocks from the beach. We could walk to dinner in a dozen different ways and not be disappointed in any of them. I did a three day motorcycle ride to the interior and was blown away at the green foliage and scenery. Brilliant.

Conclusion: So much more to share, which I can by referring you back to our Travel Younger blogs, which covers much more detail. Again, Vietnam also offers a 90 day visa, easily extendable, so between that feature and the costs and beauty, Vietnam also passed the test. We will return to Da Nang, but also have many more unvisited places to try.

Stop #6 Thailand: Pattaya

Our first stay in Thailand in 2020 soured me on the country, and Asia in general, so we had to go back to see if first impressions were wrong. They were. Our two mo stay in Thailand was lovely, as we lodged in front of the water in Pattaya, a town with a bad rep, somewhat unjust. It has been known as the “party capital,” as well as the place where old western men hang out for their lenient prostitution laws, easy and convenient marriages with young Thai women, and legal cannabis. We saw all the above, but, like always, it depends on what you SEEK and what you look for.

We were able to stay 60 days no questions asked, no visa required, and the prices were similar to our other places. Overall, our lodgings while in Asia ran $400-$800 MAX per month. In Pattaya we rented a scooter for a month, about $45, and the traffic was very non-threatening, unlike treacherous Vietnam! We truly did not go anywhere special, but used the time to relax, read, write, and our 60 days between July and September were uneventful—which is just fine by us! As full time travelers we find it important to just BE, be there in the MOMENT, in the PLACE you/ we are. And that is what we did. The last few weeks we did visit some islands, including Koh Samui, but didn’t get down to the hot spots of Phuket and Krabi. Our train ride from Bangkok to the Malay border was a fun experience, and allowed us to enter a new country without flying in—or having to worry about packing or weight limits!

Conclusion: As much as we liked Pattaya, and we also liked Chiang Mai on our first visit there in 2020, I haven’t felt led to stay in any particular part of the country. There is a pull since Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for tourists and nomads in Southeast Asia, and I get it, but so far Kat and I agree the jury is still out.

End of Part II

Part III will cover Bali for the second time, and Cambodia, our last stop, numbers 8-9, so that will be our next letter. Please subscribe and share if you can.