Into the wild frontier

Our initial meeting with the tour leader for our Pakistan tour was at 12:30, so over breakfast we scrutinised every non-Pakistani trying to figure out if they were from our tour. As it turns out none of the people we suspected were, once our unexpectedly small group of just five (two UK, one Russian/US, and us) assembled. There was one more UK person expected, but they weren't joining until tomorrow.

After introductions and discussion of logistics  followed by a small lunch we jumped into our 21 seater bus, great for our small group as we could spread out.

First stop was the National Museum of Pakistan, which was very quiet, it was almost as if it had been opened just for us. The exhibits covered periods from pre-history through to present day, giving us a taste of what we'd be seeing later on the tour.

As we drove past the Empress Market our tour guide Sala decided to stop. This time we entered through the meat section that we'd deliberately missed yesterday, the swarms of flies around the hanging meat confirmed that yesterday's decision was the right one!

Next to the Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam, the resting place and tribute to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. There were many locals visiting, and K along with others in our group were in high demand for photos, especially with women and children, with some young men also getting in on the act.

We took a trip through some expensive and more contemporary looking buildings to see Clifton Beach on the Arabian Sea. The sand was very grey and not appealing to us, but there were many people there enjoying their Sunday afternoon. It  reminded us of the beach at Lomé in Togo, the water was a long way from the road and there were people coming by on horses asking if we wanted a ride.

We visited our first Sufi shrine, the Shrine of Hazrat Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Sufism being a more mystical or spiritual component of Islam, focusing on an individual's relationship with God. The shrine was very busy, it was shoes off, headscarfs for women as well as separate entrances.

Dinner was at BBQ Tonight, which meant lots of barbequed marinated chicken and beef kebabs, along with naan and paratha. It was very tasty and quite pleasant sitting in the outdoor area.

I hope Disney don't find out

Day 8 - Karachi

We are staying at the Beach Luxury Hotel, which doesn't have a beach and being a 3 star hotel isn't that luxurious.

Breakfast was in the 007 restaurant, and the sign is complete with a black pistol. There was a table of western women at breakfast who were from the UK and were performing at the World Culture Festival 2025 in Karachi.

We booked a car using the InDrive app and went to the Empress Market in an old English colonial building. We wandered through the busy market, admiring the chillies, spices, sweets and snacks, as well as the shop selling stuffed animals.

A friend of M's had grown up in Karachi and we had the address of her old family home which wasn't far from the market, so we decided to walk there. We quickly realised that crossing the road in Pakistan is the same as in India, just step out and the traffic will miraculously weave around you (hopefully).

The building was easy to find as it had a large, grand facade, and a closer look showed that the roof had been removed and the interior had been gutted, it obviously wasn't in use but we couldn't tell if it was being demolished or renovated.

We booked another InDrive to take us to the Mohatta Palace Museum, originally built in 1927 as the summer home of a wealthy businessman. As we arrived we were greeted by a group of school children who were excited to meet their first Australians. 

In the museum entrance there were signs saying photos were prohibited, and we had to hand in our phones before entering. Staff members also followed us and directed us through the museum. There were two exhibitions, one of photographs of Mohammed Al Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, the other on the craft of embroidery as practiced in many areas of Pakistan.

After a mid afternoon snack back at our hotel we walked around the hotel grounds. It was Saturday and a lot of people were at the hotel. A group of beautifully dressed women wanted their photo taken with us, and found they were professionals from a nearby hospital celebrating the retirement of one of their colleagues.

Looking at Google Maps we could see a place by the water a few minutes walk from the hotel called Port Grand, with what appeared to be a few restaurants, and as it had.some positive reviews we decided to visit. 

There was an entry fee of 1000 rupees each (about $5.50), and it turned out to be something like an amusement park geared towards families, with a few rides and attractions for children, some restaurants and kiosks, as well as a slightly off brand Minnie Mouse like character to entertain kids.

It appeared to be all locals there, so we were a bit of a novelty, and K had many requests for photos, mainly from women, many of them in groups and very beautifully dressed. We probably should have gone there a little later as it was still quiet and most of the nicer looking restaurants hadn't yet opened. Once we'd finished exploring we called it a night and headed back to the hotel.

Fan service

Day 7  - Bangkok to Karachi (Pakistan)

Our flight to Karachi wasn't until after 6pm so we took the train to Siam Centre for a very tasty Thai lunch, then walked to MBK shopping centre as K wanted to buy a hand fan. We expect it to be quite hot in Pakistan and women need to be covered up in public, so K was a bit concerned about how she would handle the heat.

We returned to the hotel with enough time to pack and get to our flight to Karachi. Boarding the flight it was very noticeable that there were very few women on the flight and only one other western looking lady.

We landed at Karachi close to midnight. Getting through the border checks was straightforward, just a little slow. We were grateful for the complimentary hotel pick up, only to have the van get a flat tyre half way to the hotel. We waited in the bus for almost half an hour before we were collected by another car that was sent to collect us.

We checked in to our room at the Luxury Beach Hotel, nodded awkwardly at the porter when he lingered in the room hoping for a tip, and got to sleep some time around midnight.

3 airports in one day

Day 6 Penang to Bangkok

A travelling day today. We left at lunchtime for the 1h45 minute flight to Bangkok's Don Mueang airport. We flew Air Asia which is fine for short flights, and were actually quite happy with the food they provided, small servings but tasty and quite spicy.

After we landed we needed to find the free shuttle bus to transfer us to Bangkok's main airport, Suvarnabhumi about 45 minutes away. It was a little tricky as it wasn't well signposted. We found the bus but we then needed to go back inside the terminal to register before they'd let us on.

We spent the night at our usual airport hotel and decided to stay there for dinner.

View from above

Day 5 - George Town, Penang, Malaysia

We woke to no rain and a not too cloudy sky so we decided to have another try at the funicular. Our Grab driver, like the others, also acted as a tour guide, suggesting places to visit and eat at as well as filling us in on some history along the way.

We had read of people waiting in the queue for up to three hours so we were pleased to find there was no delay and we were pretty much straight on. We've taken a lot of funiculars in a lot of countries so didn't have high expectations for the trip only to find it was much better than average.

We were in the front right next to the driver so when it stopped at a temple we could watch as a group of men transferred large storage tubs filled with foods like curries, dahl and salad from the front of the train.

The trip up was about 2km, quite steep and fast in places. The area at the top was nicely developed with good views over George Town and across the bay to Butterworth on mainland Malaysia. 

In the afternoon M walked from the hotel to Gurney Mall via Gurney Bay Park, which was quite empty and looked like it could use a could tidy up. There had been no rain at all even though we had been expecting it.

That evening was another trip to Chulia St followed by rendang and chicken curry at Jawi House Cafe Gallery, the place we'd eaten at two nights earlier. This time the food was even better, M says he would happily eat there every night!

To the beach

Day 4 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

This morning the rain had stopped by the time we finished breakfast so we booked a Grab (Asia's Uber) and visited Batu Cafe which was right on the water. 

We then decided to take the Penang Hill Funicular but checking with our driver we decided that it was a bit too cloudy and the views wouldn't be great, so we thought we'd check out Ferringhi Beach, a popular beach near George Town. There was a nice stretch of restaurants and cafes with seating on the sand but nothing opened until midday so the area was dead.  

We walked along the beach and the jetty then decided to head back to the hotel. Although it seemed very quiet we had no trouble getting a Grab, and on the way back the driver explained the Grab system, and how trips are auto assigned and if a driver knocks one back they are locked out for ever increasing periods, so eventually a driver has no choice but to accept a low fare.

A cafe near our hotel was recommended by our last driver so we headed there for a coffee only to find out they were a Melbourne based operation.

That afternoon M visited some of the other clan jetties, then walked back towards the fort to find that a huge cruise ship (4800 passengers) was in town.

We spent the evening enjoying the George Town area, this time opting for a place on Chulia St where we had some happy hour drinks then a meal (not rendang this time).

Rendang Part 2

Day 3 George Town,  Penang, Malaysia

We woke to steady rain which cleared late morning and the cloud cover meant the temperature was good for walking. 

We walked to Chew Jetty which is very close to our hotel. The jetties are part of the waterfront settlement area called clan jetties. They were built by Chinese immigrants and are rows of houses on stilts on either sides of the wooden walkways. Families still live here but some have also turned them into shops for tourists. They also feature street art on the side of the buildings so are very popular for sightseers. At the end of the jetty there was a number of tourists waiting, and we saw a sign advertising 20 minute boat rides. We decided to wait as well, but after 25 minutes and no boat we all realised it wasn't happening and left.

We walked down to the fort area, also not far from the hotel. It's the largest fort in Malaysia and has a moat surrounding it, however by now the sun had broken through the clouds and it was way too hot so we headed back to our hotel until the temperature dropped.

In the evenings once the sun drops the weather is warm but pleasant, we found a rooftop bar on Chulia St, which is full of bars offering "cheap" drinks for happy hour, though in reality they don't seem such a good deal especially compared to the price of a meal. After that we headed to a well reviewed restaurant nearby and had beef rendang for dinner again, which was well worth the visit.

Love is in the air (kind of)

Day 2 Singapore to Penang (Malaysia)

Everything in Singapore seems to run like clockwork and we had no trouble getting the shuttle bus to Terminal 4. As it wasn't close to the other terminals we were expecting it to be of a lower standard but thankfully it was contemporary and efficient.

We arrived at Penang airport about 1pm and the difference to Singapore was noticeable, it had the old airport feel about it. We grabbed a Grab to get to our hotel in George Town.

As it was Sunday we went to visit the Hin Artisan market, which disappointingly was more craft and twee than actual art. After a quick look around we went back to the hotel to wait until the heat had dropped before venturing out again. 

About 6pm we walked to Armenian Street and wandered around the souvenir shops whilst enjoying the street art. We found the umbrella Street which was pretty with all the fairy lights decorating the umbrella's edges. 

M found a restaurant highly recommended for its rendang curry and and after dinner we walked back to our hotel stopping for a drink on Love Lane along the way.

... and they're off again ...

Day 1 - Melbourne to Singapore

A 1pm flight meant a leisurely start to the day before our flight to Singapore, our first step on the way to Penang. 

After landing in Singapore we quickly made it through customs (no queues, it was all automated), collected our luggage then made our way through the airport to the Crowne Plaza near terminal 3, a very nice and convenient place for an overnight stopover.

Wrapping up

Days 48 to 50 - Patong

We spent the next three days in Patong, there's not much to say as it was just a relaxing time at our hotel, occasionally heading out to visit some of the local attractions and restaurants. 

The days were quite hot so we spent some time in our plunge pool, the hotel we stayed at was a little way out of town so when we needed to go anywhere we booked a Grab which generally worked pretty well.

One day we headed to Bang Tao to see how it had changed from the times we'd spent there previously (our last visit was 2021). The nice peaceful beach area with just a few restaurants was now full of beach clubs, the beach was full of umbrellas and sun lounges, and there was loud music coming from a place next to the Aloma restaurant we'd eaten at many times in the past. The area where before was just a car park was now full of small shops, and it was very, very busy. The old Bang Tao we had enjoyed didn't seem to exist any more, that's "progress" I guess.

When we ventured into Patong we were also surprised by how busy it was, perhaps we should have expected it but the number of tourists was incredible. Not only that, we had been looking forward to having some spicy Thai food but we found that all meals we tried were a little disappointing. The flavours were on the bland side, and prices were quite expensive compared to what we'd paid on previous visits. 

This is probably the last time we'll go to Phuket, it was always busy and touristy but now, for us at least, it's no longer worth a visit.

Day 51 - Patong to Bangkok

We had an early afternoon flight so headed to the airport after breakfast. We had a domestic flight to Bangkok, then an overnight stay at the airport hotel, so it was very much just a travelling day.

Day 52 - Bangkok (Thailand) to Melbourne (Australia)  

We left the hotel very early as our flight was scheduled for just after 8am. As with pretty much all of our flights on this trip it was uneventful (fortunately), and we arrived home into cool weather conditions late in the evening.