Travel Bits: June 2024

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South East Asia Train Journey...... 


I had just got home from a train journey from Bangkok to Singapore traveling through the South East Asian countries of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

While I do not have an exact number on the actual kilometres travelled, my estimate was that I had probably covered close to 2000 kilometres of rail travel as my journey from Bangkok to Singapore took me through the Thai provinces of Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla, the Malaysian States of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Melaka (a.k.a. Malacca), Negri Sembilan and Johore as well as the Malaysian Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

My itinerary took 8-days to complete, with overnight stopovers in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Hat Yai, and Taiping. There were also two overnight train rides. The first was between Prachuap Khiri Khan and Hat Yai in Thailand. The second was in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Johore Bahru with a train change in Gemas in-between the two cities.

Overall, this was an amazing trip where I got to meet people that I otherwise would not have met in my daily life. Everybody I met and interacted with in Thailand and Malaysia during this trip, were great. They were hospitable, friendly and helpful. Their big hearts taught me that I should strive to be more like them, to have a big heart and to be welcoming to all who cross my path in my own life's journey.

I had learned much from this trip of independent travel and self discovery. I need to plan and go on another trip like this in the near future. Because one never stop learning and there are many great people out there in the world from whom I can learn from.

Me, chilling at a Café Amazon store in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan District, Thailand (2024)

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