BEST/WORST LIST FOR 2014

Some of you more observant readers may notice there is no "Best /Worst List for 2013" post. The reason for this is most of the year we were helping out in the guesthouse in KL, and the remainder of the year was spent in India, so the results would have been somewhat skewered! So, we've taken a little liberty, and included the last few months of 2013 on this list for 2014. It's been our best travel year yet!


Best Muslim monument- Tie, Shah-e Chareagh, Shiraz, Iran/ Jameh Mosque, Yazd, Iran

Best Hindu monument- temples around Pushkar lake, India

Best Christian monument- Geghard monastery, Yerevan, Armenia

Best Jain monument- Jain Temple, Bikaner, India

Oldest Monument- Choqa Zanbil, Ahwas, Iran

Best colonial architecture- Calcutta, India

Best Soviet architecture- Yerevan, Armenia

Best Mogul architecture- Maheshwar, India

Best heritage town- Bushehr, Iran

Best village architecture- Tie, tiered houses, Masouleh, Iran/ cave dwellings Meymand, Iran

Coldest weather- Bikaner, India (December)

Hottest weather-  Ahwas, Iran (May)

Most rain- Bandar Abbas, Iran (February)

Best western food- Pushkar, India

Best local food- Kazbegi, Georgia

Best overall food- Iran

Best beer: Georgia

Best wine: Armenia 

Best restaurant- Tie, Blue Sky Cafe, Calcutta/ Traditional Tea house, Kerman Grand Bazar, Iran 

Cleanest guesthouse/hotel- Swallow Guesthouse, Krabi, Thailand (third year running!)

Homiest guesthouse/hotel- Birdnest, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia (third year running!)

Best value guesthouse/hotel- Kazbegi guesthouse, Georgia

Best social guesthouse/hotel- Tie- Ko Fruitopia, Thailand/ Birdnest, Kuala Lumpar

Worst guesthouse- Hotel Maria, Calcutta, India

Cheapest guesthouse/hotel- Tie, Mama Luna Guesthouse, Pushkar, India/ Ganesh Guesthouse, Omkareshwar, India (200 rupees/ AU$3.50)

Most expensive guesthouse/hotel-Downtown Hostel, Yerevan, Armenia (13,800 dram/ AU$36)

Most beautiful clothing- Tie, Rajastan, India/ Baluchistan, Iran

Best festival- Tie, Pushkar Camel Fair, India/ Dark moon Festival, Omkareshwar, India/ Baluchi wedding, Iran

Best wildlife experience- 20 otters playing, Cherating, Malaysia

Best beach experience- Ko Phangan, Thailand 

Best museum- Tie, Tehran National Museum, Iran/ Shahri-e Sakhta, Zabol, Iran

Best fort-Tie, defensive towers, Shatili, Iran/ Bikaner Fort, India/ Chittogarh Fort, India

Best music- Persian Gulf, Iran

Best market- Tie, Minab, Iran/ Verissage Flea Market, Yerevan, Armenia

Friendliest people- Tie, Baluchistan, Iran/ Persian Gulf, Iran ....actually everywhere in Iran!!

Most unusual “sight”- Tie, Minab women, Iran/ Rat temple, Deshnok, India

Best motorbike ride- Pushkar to Aloo Baba, India

Best public transport- Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia

Best train trip- Indore to Chittor, India

Most scenic road trip- Tbilisi to Shatili, Georgia

Worst road- Tbilisi to Shatilli, Georgia

Best hike- Tie, around Goris, Armenia/ Shatili to Mutso, Georgia

BEST/WORST LIST FOR 2012

We've finally dragged ourselves away from chilling on one of our favourite Thai islands (yes, there is a limit- even for us!), and after seven weeks, have made the break gently back into "real" life. It's actually really nice to be out of the bubble of holiday bliss and into Thai society again.

Since a similar summary of the last two month's swimming, sunning, reading, eating, and socializing can pretty much been seen on this previous blog entry, I've instead decided it's time to publish our thoughts on last year's travel destinations.

Here goes- the second annual Sal and Rich's Best/Worst List:


Best beach experience- Tie- Ko Libong, Thailand/Eden Resort,Thailand

Best Buddhist monument- Wat Phra Mahthat, Nakon Si Thammorat, Thailand

Best Muslim monument- Raya Baiturrahman Mosque, Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Best colonial architecture- Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Best village architecture- Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia

Best festival- Tie-Thaipusam, Penang, Malaysia/Dayak festival, Long Bangun, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Coldest weather- Berestagi, Sumatra, Indonesia

Hottest weather-  Southern Kalimantan, Indonesia

Most rain- Ko Fruitopia, Thailand (July)

Best wildlife experience- Orangutans, Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia

Best western food- Krabi, Thailand

Best seafood- Kalimantan, Indonesia

Best local food- Phattalung night market, Thailand

Best overall food- Liberta Guesthouse, Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia

Most unusual “sight”- Long eared woman, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Cleanest guesthouse/hotel- Swallow Guesthouse, Krabi, Thailand (second year running!)

Homiest guesthouse/hotel- Birdnest, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia (second year running)

Best value guesthouse/hotel- Tie-Liberta, Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia/Ko Dod Resort, Khanom, Thailand

Best social guesthouse/hotel- Tie- Ko Fruitopia, Thailand/Eden Bungalow, Thailand/Birdnest, Kuala Lumpar

Worst guesthouse- Hotel Santosa, Kandangan, Kalimantan, Indonesia (bedbugs)

Cheapest guesthouse/hotel-  Eden Resort, Thailand (100 baht/AU$ 3.50)

Most expensive guesthouse/hotel- Tirta asri-l Homestay, Batulicin, Kalimantan, Indonesia (175,000 rup/AU$17)

Best hike- Gunung Sibayak, Berestagi, Sumatra, Indonesia

Best museum- Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpur

Best market-Tie- Songkla Sunday second-hand clothes market, Thailand/Sidikalang, Sumatra, Indonesia

Best snorkelling- Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Friendliest people- Tie- Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia/Muara Kaman, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Best boat trip- Mahakam River, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Best motorbike ride- around Khanom, South-east Thailand

Most scenic road trip- Gayo Highlands, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Best public transport- Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia

Worst road- Takengon to Blankejeran, Sumatra, Indonesia

Scariest experince- 8.7 earthquake, Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia


Hope it's an interesting read- it was fun for us to look back at 2012 and remember our best (and some not so good!) experiences.

The next three months will be something different for us, with February, March and April spent in our favourite haunt in Kuala Lumpur, helping out our good friend, Will, with his newest hostel, Birdnest 2. If anyone is passing through, we would love to see some familiar faces! It's a great place to hang out, and as we enjoy KL, it should be a lot of fun.

BEST/WORST LIST FOR 2011

We thought it would be fun to make an annual list of our favorite (and least favorite) experiences we have had during the year. Even though we are a bit late for last year, we would like to introduce the winners of.... 

Sally and Richard’s Best/Worst List for 2011:

Best beach/island experience- Poyalisa, Sulawesi

Best Buddhist monument- Bagan, Burma

Best Muslim monument- Ubadiah Mosque, Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia

Best colonial architecture- Rangoon, Burma

Most atmospheric ruins- Phanom Sampeau, Battambang, Cambodia

Best village architecture- Tanah Toraja, Sulawesi

Best festival- Songkran, Nan, Thailand

Coldest weather- British Colombia, Canada

Hottest weather- Burma

Most rain- Rantepao, Sulawesi

Best wildlife experience- Tie- bears, British Colombia, Canada; bat cave, Loei, Thailand

Best western food- Tie- Cambodia and Canada

Best seafood- Poyalisa, Sulawesi

Best local food- Malaysia

Best overall food- Ko Fruitopia, Thailand

Most unusual “sight”- Tie- Phallic garden, Bangkok, Thailand and graves, Tanah Toraja, Sulawesi

Cleanest guesthouse/hotel- Tie- Swallow Guesthouse, Krabi and Sugar Guesthouse, Loei, Thailand

Homiest guesthouse/hotel- Birdnest, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia

Best value guesthouse/hotel- Star Hotel, Battambang, Cambodia

Best social guesthouse/hotel- Tie- Ko Fruitopia; Eden Bungalow, Ko Chang; Birdnest, Kuala Lumpar

Worst guesthouse- Ramayana Hotel, Luwuk, Sulawesi

Cheapest guesthouse/hotel- Tie- Blissful Guesthouse, Kampot, Cambodia; Eden Bungalow, Ko Chang, 

Thailand ; Pop Guesthouse, Trat, Thailand ($5)

Most expensive guesthouse/hotel- May Guesthouse, Inle lake, Burma ($15)

Best bike ride - Bagan, Burma

Best hike- Tie, Tentena, Sulawesi and Kalaw, Burma

Best museum- Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpar

Best market- Kampot, Cambodia

Best snorkelling- Poyalisa, Sulawesi

Friendliest people- Eastern Sulawesi

Best boat trip- Tie- Bangaii to Luwuk, Sulawesi; Inle Lake, Burma

Best motorbike ride- around Loei, Thailand

Most scenic road trip- Luwuk to Ampana, Sulawesi

Best public transport- Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia

Worst road- Poso to Tentana, Sulawesi

Scariest flight- Vancouver to Trail, Canada

^{Stay tune for our proper blog post with more news from the past couple of months very soon.....}