travel – Pim Never Stops

Hiking and road trip in Thailand

April 15, 2025April 15, 2025Posted in Hiking, Road trip, Thailand, travelTagged adventure, camping, Hiking, nature, travelLeave a comment

When you grow older, you often think about your past and miss those times. I wish I could go back to the old days and pause… even if just for a moment.

When I was 10 to 16 years old, I lived in a village on a mountain with my parents and little sister. I had the best time with them. Sadly, they are no longer with me, and I miss them very much. So, I planned to visit the village in December 2024 to remember the good times we had together. Going alone would make me too sad, so I invited two foreign friends to join me and enjoy this special place together.

Near the village, there’s a hiking spot called “Phu Soi Dao National Park,” standing 1,633 meters above sea level. Apart from visiting the village, hiking and camping overnight at the top would be the highlight of the trip. I enjoy hiking and camping, likely because I often hiked with my parents in the jungle when I lived in the village.

We planned to visit some places after Phu Soi Dao. Here is our 7-day itinerary. Since we live in Phuket, our trip started with a flight to Bangkok and stayed a night at this beautiful villa near Don Mueang Airport before hitting the road early the next morning. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/966602979501524641

I contacted my old friend in the village to let her know I’m visiting, and she prepared lunch & dinner and an evening activity for my two foreign friends. When I arrived in the village, I thought about my childhood, where life was simple. I lived with my parents and played with my little sister from morning till evening, without any worries. On weekends, I would explore the jungle with my friends and search for insects! And went into the canal to look for fish. I also met some old friends from school, and we talked a lot about the old days, reminding me of how wild I used to be.

Enjoying a meal with friends in the village.

Sharing a moment while trying local delicacies, showcasing their adventurous spirit!

A delicious plate of fried frogs served alongside a simple omelette and papaya salad, showcasing local cuisine!

A joyful with local children in the village, capturing the essence of community.

Enjoying a serene moment by the river in the village, reflecting on childhood memories.

A serene view of a tranquil stream surrounded by lush greenery, capturing the essence of nature’s beauty.

I visited the school I attended for 6 years. It seems small to me now, but it felt big when I was little. I couldn’t believe how much this school has taught me, things I don’t think I would have learned in a big city like Bangkok. I’m thankful for my time here and for the experiences that shaped who I am today. The evening ended with laughter, drinks, and joy.

In front of the school with my old friends.

Three young boys in jerseys sit together on a bench, watching a game on the school field, surrounded by the beautiful hills.

A vibrant outdoor sport event in the school.

Showing my classroom to my friend, reminiscing about my childhood of past days in the school.

Staying at this little cute resort near the village before heading to Phu Soi Dao the next morning.

The next morning, it was time for the highlight of the trip after last night’s feast. We packed our camping gear for one night at the top and headed to the base camp, where we registered and got a strong man to help carry our stuff. The process was quick and simple. Around 400 people were set to be our companies on top of the mountain, mostly Thai, coming from all over Thailand. So, we weren’t lonely on our way to the top.

Camping gear and backpacks ready for the hiking adventure at Phu Soi Dao National Park.

Preparing for an adventurous hike at the base camp, friends gather in a pickup truck, excited for our journey ahead.

Ready for an unforgettable hiking adventure!

The three strong women at the starting point of the Phu Soi Dao trail, ready for adventure on a 6.5 km journey.

The atmosphere of our 4-hour journey was enjoyable because we were fit and well-prepared. It wasn’t as hard as we had feared. I remembered feeling very tired during my previous visits as a teenager. Today, we saw about 400 people hiking and many of whom were younger than us but struggled and complained about being tired. Some were overweight and unprepared for the climb. I recommend that if you’re not ready, don’t attempt the hike just to see the views. It’s best to exercise for at least 1-3 months before coming. If you’re overweight, consider skipping the trip to avoid being a burden to others.

A serene view of a waterfall surrounded by lush greenery and rocky terrain, perfect for nature lovers and hikers.

Making our way up the rocky trail surrounded by lush greenery.

Enjoying a well-deserved snack while hiking.

Enjoying the breathtaking mountain views on the way to the top.

Finally we reached the top of 1,633 meters above sea level.

After unpacking and setting up the tent, we prepared our special meal: Korean BBQ pork. The delicious smell made the campers nearby quite jealous. It was the best Korean BBQ I’ve ever had. The cold weather made the hot food even better, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sharing this meal with friends who know me well brings simple happiness as we eat and laugh together. After eating, we watched the sunset at the cliff. The sky was a beautiful orange and yellow. After a long day of travel, this view made all the tiredness go away. It’s a romantic spot for couples, but it can also lead to breakups once you leave!

Setting up the tent for an unforgettable camping experience.

Sunna is pouring wine for everyone! The camp is surrounded by tall pine trees and fellow campers.

Lily & Sunna enjoying a beautiful sunset while preparing a meal.

Serene sunset view at Phu Soi Dao National Park, surrounded by towering pine trees.

A serene sunset over the campsite at Phu Soi Dao National Park, surrounded by tall trees.

Enjoying a breathtaking sunset together.

A beautiful sunset view from the mountains, with silhouettes of trees framing the horizon.

Witnessing a breathtaking sunset, where we celebrate nature and cherished memories.

Starry night over the camping site, with tents and fellow campers enjoying the serenity of nature.

In the morning, Lili & Sunna made breakfast for us. We planned to cook Korean ramen, but since we weren’t very hungry, we just had coffee and the croissants we brought. I thanked my Chinese friend for bringing the camping gear, like a gas stove, grill pan, kettle, glasses, and plates. She was very organized and took on the role of chef because she believed eating was important more than anything! I acted as the team leader, managing the overall plan, booking a car rental and accommodations while my Korean friend were always help and do as requested. We were such a good team, Thai, Chinese and Korean!

Those two young boys from the village approached me and said hello while they worked on the top. I hardly recognized them since I left the village when they were little. Now they both have wives and children. It’s surprising that those little kids with runny noses are now starting families; time really flies.

After packing everything, we started to go down. We left the top at 8:30 AM to avoid the heat.

We enjoying the beautiful trail, embracing the spirit of adventure with smiles and energy.

Enjoying the last breathtaking views of the mountains.

Two friends enjoying a moment by the stream in the lush greenery of the jungle.

Enjoying a moment of joy during the way near a beautiful waterfall, embracing the spirit of adventure and friendship.

Lili is enjoying a refreshing coconut ice cream, showcasing the joy of simple pleasures.

Walking down the mountain in the morning felt great. It took us about 3 hours, which was quicker than the 4-hour ascent. After coming down from the mountain, we had to wait for our stuff for 3 hours, which delayed our trip to Chiang Khan. While waiting, I reflected on the journey, the experiences I had, and childhood memories. Friends and juniors greeted and helped me, along with elderly people who remembered me after nearly 30 years. I was deeply touched by their kindness. This village behind the mountain, filled with warmth, will always stay in my heart.

Thanks to Lili and Sunna, my travel companions, for helping me make this trip happen!

Hope you enjoy reading it.

Study Korean Language in Busan, South Korea

September 15, 2019October 7, 2020Posted in Busan, Deagu, Geoje Island, Jeonju, South Korea, travelTagged Korean language, travel2 Comments

Recently I studied Korean language in South Korea for 10 weeks during the summer. I had visited South Korea once before in Autumn of 2018 for 2 weeks. I fell in love with the country and decided to return in order to learn Korean. When it comes to choosing where to study a foreign language in other countries, I always choose a smaller city rather than a capital city. I don’t really like a big city with a lot of people. I think going to visit a capital city as a tourist for a short time and living there are different stories.

When I studied English as my 2nd language 12 years ago I went to Adelaide, South Australia when most of Thai students went to Sydney and Melbourne. I could understand why everybody heads to a big city where they think it is more convenient and would give them the best experience of living in that country. I also chose to study Russian language in St. Petersburg instead of Moscow 5 years ago. The two experiences of studying a foreign language in a smaller city, not a capital city, gave me many benefits, e.g. I did not meet any Thai students in South Australia and this helped me to develop English faster as there were no Thai people to talk in the school. I also chose St. Petersburg over Moscow because I thought that Moscow was too big and too busy. Also the cost of living in Moscow was more expensive than in St. Petersburg. I was very much in love with St. Petersburg and had so much fun living there. The city was very pretty during the summer with many beautiful places to visit. I have been travelling over the world and still no other city can beat beautiful St. Petersburg!

So, this time, I decided to study Korean in Busan, the 2nd largest city in South Korea after Seoul. Busan is located on the south east of South Korea and right beside the sea where you can enjoy eating good quality of seafood and beautiful beaches. The population is about 3.5 million whilst the population of Seoul is about 10 million.

The accommodation:

The school that I chose has 2 branches in Seoul and Busan. The one in Seoul is located in Gangnam, the most expensive area of Seoul. I could not find any nice apartments near the school for a reasonable price in Seoul, and most of the apartments are very, very small for a lot of money. And then I looked in Busan where the school is located in Seomyeon, the city centre of Busan. After looking for a while I saw a big difference in price between Seoul and Busan. Therefore I did not hesitate to chose Busan over Seoul.

I found a 40 sqm apartment near Seomyeon where I just walked about 15 minutes to the school. The location of my apartment was very convenient and everything just on the door step – even a beautiful park for jogging everyday. I found this place via Airbnb. Here is my cozy apartment where I stayed for 10 weeks.

The Korean Language School:

After comparing many Korean language schools I ended up choosing a private language school in Busan. I took the Intensive 25 hours a week class which from 9.00 am to 3.30 pm Monday – Friday. I did not realise when I signed up that it would be too much to study morning and afternoon. If I go back again I would take the Intensive 15 hours a week then I would only study from 9.00 am to 12.15 pm. and have the free afternoon to enjoy other things.

I very much enjoyed the class and the teachers were very nice to me. They always wanted to help students to develop the language and they were very kind and had a sense of humour which I like most. One thing I like about their teaching system is that they have an exam every Friday to measure what students learned in the past week. I really like the exam as it forced me to study hard. My speaking was the worst in the class but I knew whether my Korean skills had improved or not by the score of the exam every week.

The school also provided many activities every week, e.g. sport, visiting museums, cooking class, art, culture learning, etc. The school also organised the “Meet Up” with Korean friends. They not only teach Korean language but they also teach English. Therefore you will have a chance to make friends with Korean people. I met a few Korean people from the school and some of them became my good friends who I believe we will be friends for life. We exchanged languages and they helped me a lot with my homework and other things. I cooked Thai food for them from time to time in return! We also hung out together every week and did trips to other cities together. Having local friends gave me the best experience of living in South Korea. Without them I would not have had such a wonderful experience and fun.

Apart from the activities that the school provided I also did a lot of my own things. As I enjoy exercising, I ran regularly in the Busan Citizen Park in Bujeon located only 2 metro stations from my apartment. The park was very well maintained and very beautiful in the summer. After running I often went to the Bujeon Market to buy seafood and bring home to cook. I very much enjoyed eating seafood here as it was so fresh and not expensive.

Busan is a city of Art. On my first visit in 2018 I visited many art galleries. And this time I continued to explore more.

Korean Food: To eat good Korean food you need to have good Korean friends, both eating in restaurants and home cooking. I experienced eating Korean home cooking from 2 of my Korean friends. The first person is Hoyun, my Korean junior friend. We got to know each other from the school “Meet Up” and we became friends from the second week of my arrival in Busan. When we went on a trip together and it was my birthday he made me a traditional seaweed soup or Miyeok-guk. Miyeok-guk is traditionally eaten for breakfast on birthdays. Hoyun also took us to many places to eat where you would never find it on your own.

The second person is Junho, a Korean chef who I met on my first visit in 2018. I attended his cooking class and we become friends since then. Junho is a really good cook and fun person. I did recommend a friend to attend his class and my friend had so much fun cooking with him. I would highly recommend Junho if anyone wants to learn Korean cuisine. I did not have much chance to meet him during my stay as we both were too busy. However we managed to meet up before I left. He cooked a lot of Korean food for me and my friends and I also cooked Thai food for him.

I ate out a lot of the time with my friends. I tried to eat local food and explore different restaurants every day. There are tons of restaurants in Seomyeon. I very much like Korean food as they also eat rice like Thai people. I think I could live in Korea if there is no country such as Thailand!

Busan is very Asian city as you can find Thai restaurants, Vietnamese restaurants and, of course, Japanese restaurants here. And not just a few of them, there are a lot of them. The 2 Thai restaurants that I went to regularly was “I’m Thai” and “Bamboo”, both located in Seomyeon. We also ate Italian from time to time when we became sick of Asian food!

Nearby cities to visit: I had a chance to visit 3 cities, Geoje Island, Deagu and Jeonju. The 3 of them are totally different. Geoje Island has beautiful nature, e.g. beaches, mountains and rural lifestyle. We climbed the 566 m high Gyeryongsan Mountain and visited Hak Dong beach, watched the most beautiful sunset and jumped into the rice field to chat with the farmer. Travelling on the island is more convenient with your own transport.

Deagu is a modern city like Busan and Seoul but smaller. We enjoyed the modern stuff e.g. the e-world amusement park, Seomun Night Market, Deagu Art Museum and Deagu Arboretum.

And the last city I visited before coming home is Jeonju. Jeonju is a cultural village with traditional Korean Hanok & Japanese houses & calligraphy & sake museums. Visiting Jeonju you must stay in a Hanok, a traditional Korean house which we did and we very much enjoyed the experience. If you have a chance to visit South Korea, apart from Seoul and Busan, I highly recommend to visit those 3 cities.

I had one of the best experiences of living in another country. My 10 week stay in South Korea was much more enjoyable than I expected. I chose the right school, I picked the right accommodation, I explored a lot of Korean culture and, the most important, I met good people. Kaxin, a Taiwanese girl would do anything for me if I cooked Thai food for her! She was like my personal assistant, bought me breakfast and medicine when I was sick and chased me up every times when I being late for the class! She is a beautiful, caring and loving person. Julie was the only Thai friend I met who I did not expect to meet! She was my personal translator in the class as her Korean was better than me. She would translate what the teacher said immediately when I just looked in her eyes! She bought me Thai herbs all the way from Thailand just for me to cook one meal. She is a beautiful, funny and caring person. Hoyun, my Korean friend, behaved older than his age! He was like my teacher and he never hesitated to help whenever I asked – even at midnight when I sent sms to ask about homework! He replied as soon as he was available. He joined us to Geoje island as he worried we would get lost! I have a lot of favours to return when he comes to Thailand!

I can’t mention about all of my friends here but everybody in the photos mean a lot to me as you guys helped create one of the best experiences of my life.

Hope you enjoy reading.

Road Trip in Puglia, Italy

September 30, 2017October 19, 2017Posted in Road tripTagged accommodation, Italy, Puglia, travel, Unesco2 Comments

Before heading to my friend’s wedding in Piacenza, south of Milan, I took the opportunity to visit Puglia for 3 days with one of my best friends from Thailand who lives in Finland at the moment. We met up at Brindisi Airport on 18 Sep around 9 pm. After picking up a rental car we drove to our little Trullo, a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof in San Vito which is located about 30 minutes from Brindisi airport. I booked this place because I wanted to experience traditional accommodation of Puglia and the location of the Trullo was perfect, right in the middle of the areas that we planned to explore. The host was very welcoming and kind to us. We tried some local fruit from their garden which we very much enjoyed.

The Trullo is part of a family compound but it was very private

We left the Trullo around 9 am and our first destination was Ostuni, a historical charming white town with Mediterranean architecture. We walked around The Old Town, enjoyed the architecture and refreshed ourself with drinks at one of the lovely outdoor restaurants. It was an enjoyable morning.

After that we headed to Alberobello and before arriving in Alberobello we stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant with a stunning view in Locorotondo called Controra. The lady was very friendly and served simple dishes, she spoke very little of English but it was not a problem at all. All the way from Ostuni to Alberobello was beautiful countryside a mixture of farms, vineyards and lovely Trullos. It was a good morning drive.

After lunch we headed to Alberobello, the town of Trullo. The small town has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site for the district of Trulli, with characteristic white conical roof houses and built with stone. I was amazed and fell in love with this town as it was so cute and so dreamy! We were very much enjoying looking at those Trullos. The town was busy with tourists but it was not too difficult to take nice photos without tourists in it. After hours of walking and shopping we stopped for a drink at a little bar near the parking, with a view overlooking those Trullos. It was very relaxing after a long walk. The reason to visit Puglia was inspired by Anna Dello Russo, an Italian fashion journalist who has a Trullo summer house in Cisternino, Puglia. I follow her on Instagram for fashion but she often posts her beautiful Trullo. Alberobello has to be on your Wishlist when visiting Puglia!

After that we headed to our last destination of the day, Polignano a Mare. We arrived there around 5 pm which is a bit late for taking good photos. We walked around for hours and after that we had a seafood dinner and a bottle of local white wine; it was a lovely ending to the day and we very much enjoyed it. We headed back to the Trullo on the highway road on the seaside which took us about an hour to reach home.

We planned to visit Lecce before going to the seaside. Unfortunately, we were behind schedule as we woke up late and we also had to pick up my friend’s luggage at the airport so we did not have enough time to see Lecce which I regret. After lunch in Lecce we drove a long the seaside and we stopped a few places included Grotta Della Poesia. It was a beautiful place with crystal clear water. We also stopped at Sant’ Andrea and swam in the Mediterranean for the first time! It was cool but refreshing. We ended our day by having a fantastic dinner (with a few glasses of Prosecco) at Sant’ Andrea with a stunning sunset. We very much enjoyed the seaside even though we did not make it to Otranto as original plan.

We planed to visit a few towns but we ended up visiting only one town which was Taranto. We took the last day quite easy as we wanted to return to the Trullo earlier than the first 2 days to enjoy the last evening at the Trullo. My friend prepared dinner and we were talking about our trip and the old days. For dinner we cooked horse meat which we bought in a local supermarket! Our first taste ever of horse meat; quite tender and not strong tasting – similar to beef. But I don’t think I’ll be buying it again.

It was a very relaxing and chilling evening with 3 (!!!) bottles of local wine. We very much enjoyed the wine even though we had to run to the airport like zombies at 4 am on the next morning and we even lost 10 Euro in the petrol station automatic machine without getting any petrol because of the 3 bottles of wine! What a fantastic ending!

Puglia is very different than other parts of Italy, very rural, authentic, full of history, beautiful and it’s probably the most economical part of Italy for tourism. I found that Puglia was not too busy with tourists compared to other parts of Italy which is one of the things I loved about it. We hardly saw any Asian tourists – we were probably the only 2 Asians in Puglia! The weather was perfect during our stay; it was 25-28c day time and the temperature dropped to 15-18c in the evening which was cool. If you want to travel affordably and love history, architecture, countryside, sea, sun, sand and enjoy drinking wine then you can’t miss out Puglia in summer!

After 3 weeks of travelling I finally arrived at my friend’s wedding in Piacenza. It was a traditional catholic ceremony in a church and after that we went for a reception lunch in a very beautiful castle called “Castello Di Paderna”. I also found out that Italian people are very good at dancing and seems they have a lot of energy when it comes to dancing. After the first dance of the couple, everybody joined the dance but I did not have a partner to dance with so, I invited the father of the groom to dance with me, after he spun me 3 times I was sweating! It was a mistake to invite him! He was too good at dancing but I was not. The party ended around 11 pm and it was very enjoyable wedding. It was a good memory with which to end my European trip.

Hope you enjoy reading!

Where to stay in Llangollen,Wales

September 17, 2017October 19, 2017Posted in PropertyTagged accommodation, Apartment, Farm stay, Llangollen, travel, WalesLeave a comment

After 10 days in Switzerland, my husband and I went to visit relatives in Llangollen in Wales and in Leicester in England. We stayed in Llanerch Farm near Llangollen for 3 nights and it was an enjoyable stay. What we enjoyed most was walking around in the morning, breathing the fresh air and seeing animals around the farm. We also visited the town centre of Llangollen which was a lovely little town and busy with tourists.

Llanerch Farm located up on the hill with stunning view over Llangollen. We stayed in the apartment which is part of the big house. The apartment is newly furnished and it has been offering short stays for a few months via Airbnb. The apartment was very well furnished, everything has been chosen to a high standard and the owner of the property, Barry and Lora, pay attention to all details. If you are visiting Llangollen, I would highly recommend you stay there; you will not be disappointed!

The apartment is on the right hand side of the house

In the back of the apartment is a small garden

Barry with Tommy – a retired gypsy racing horse

Barry was walking us around on the first morning of our stay

Hope you enjoy Wales’s countryside!

Road trip in Switzerland

September 14, 2017July 4, 2019Posted in Road tripTagged Interlaken, Jungfrau, Lausanne, Locarno, Lugano, Switzerland, travel, VilletteLeave a comment

I got an invitation to attend my Italian friend’s wedding in Italy in late September, so we decided to take the opportunity to visit Switzerland before going to the wedding. We were in Switzerland for 10 days and we rented a car to get around.

4 Sep 2017 : We landed in Geneva late afternoon and picked up our rental car. We booked an apartment in a village called Villette via Airbnb for 4 nights, located about 10 km from Lausanne and an hour drive from Geneva. The apartment is right in front of Lake Geneva with view overlooking beautiful Lake Geneva and France on the other side! In the back of the apartment is a huge beautiful hillside vineyard. We were very impressed with this stunning location. We booked this place because we always prefer to live like locals; staying in the city or a busy tourist town is not our style. Another benefit of staying away from the city centre is that sometimes you get a better standard of accommodation and good value for money. Swiss people in this area speak French.

The top floor of his 3 storey red building was our home for the first 4 nights in Switzerland

The apartment is located on the top floor view overlooking Lake Geneva and France on the other side of the lake

The newly furnished 3 bedroom apartment which can accommodate 5 people

5 Sep 2017: On our second day we did a bit of relaxing by visiting Lausanne, where our King Rama IX used to live for 18 years from 1933-1951. We also visited the Royal Thai pavilion. The pavilion was a gift to the City of Lausanne from His Majesty the King of Thailand in 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Switzerland.

Later in the afternoon we went to Geneva, walked around the city centre and along the waterfront and get the feeling of the rich city. Geneva was busy with tourists, every cafe and restaurant was crowded. We did some shopping and had coffee in a chic cafe before heading back to the apartment.

6 Sep 2017: We left the apartment around 9 am and drove a long the lake to the Chateau de Chillon. A long this road were countless beautiful vineyards and Lake Geneva. We stopped a few times to enjoy the scenery and take photos. On the way back we stopped for lunch at Montreux. We found a good Thai restaurant which is very close to the real deal! We also walked along the waterfront and had coffee and ice-cream at a cute Turkish restaurant.

The Chateau de Chillon..photo from iPhone

After that we drove back near our apartment and did a vineyard tour by car which was the highlight of the day. We spent a few hours enjoying this amazing area. And to finish a good day we drove up to the top of the mountain and enjoyed a glass of wine at the Restaurant de la Tour de Gourze – friendly service with stunning view. What an awesome day!

Mountain top Restaurant de la Tour de Gourze high above the vineyards

7 Sep 2017: We walked up the hillside vineyard in the morning, I could never get enough of those views and the fresh air in the morning made me feel like I gonna live longer! We had a great lunch at the restaurant on the top of the hill called ” Auberge De La Gare” recommend by the host. We had a very nice salad with perch from Lake Geneva and a glass of local white wine with a stunning view overlooking Lake Geneva. The restaurant seems popular with locals. Later in the afternoon we returned to the apartment to catch up with some work emails, take a rest and drink wine for the rest of the day!

8 Sep 2017: We checked out from the apartment at 9 am. Our next destination was the town called “Interlaken” located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. After turning off highway No.9 we took road No.11 as we were going to visit the Glacier 3000. Along road No. 11 was beautiful scenery of mountains, villages and lakes.

View from the cable car up to Glacier 3000

After Glacier 3000 we stopped to have lunch at a quaint village called “Ormont-Dessus”. The village was very quiet, located in the middle of nowhere and looks like it is a winter holiday village for Swiss people. The village was beautiful, each property was well maintained, the whole area was clean and tidy. It was like the beautiful village in a novel which was not real to me! People in this area speak German.

After lunch we continue our driving and enjoying the locals lifestyle a long the road and beautiful scenery.

The restaurant’s terrace with a nice view

We arrived in Interlaken around 4 pm and we booked an apartment in front of Lake Brienz for 4 nights. The apartment is located only 10 minutes from Interlaken downtown. When we arrived at the apartment it was a beautiful sunny afternoon overlooking blue Lake Brienz. After a long day we had such a very relaxing accommodation and we recovered with a glass of wine! It was the most beautiful and relaxing place I have stayed so far.

The apartment was spacious, the kitchen was fully equipped and had fast WiFi

9 Sep 2017: It was a wet and cold day. We did a bit of driving, went to the supermarket, prepared lunch at the apartment and stayed inside for the rest of the day.

10 Sep 2017: The weather improved today so we could explore more. We left the apartment at 9:30 am and drove around Lake Thun, went up on the hill to a small village called Beatenberg and later we visited downtown Interlaken. The downtown was busy with tourists. Later in the afternoon we went to Grindelwald for the cable car.

But first we wanted to experience one of Switzerland’s most famous eating experiences – fondue. So for lunch we found a restaurant that served meat fondue. The other option is a cheese fondue. In fact, there’s also chocolate fondue! Our fondue is a bit like Thai hot pot but instead of water in the heated bowl, there is cooking oil, When the oil is hot enough, you put beef, chicken and pork on the end of long forks and dip the meat in the oil to be cooked. It was served with Thai rice, french fries, dipping sauces and pickles.

The cable took 25 minutes up and 25 minutes down. The view was stunning only half way because the weather was not good and unfortunately, I could not take any photos. We returned home around 5 pm.

We stop for coffee at a villa called Beatenberg

Beautiful properties along the river in downtown Interlaken

11 Sep 2017: The weather was much better than the 2 days before, it was sunny with beautiful blue sky so we decided to visit Jungfrau (Top of Europe). We left the apartment around 9 am, and only 20 minutes to drive from the apartment to Lauterbrunnen, a village where we took a train to Jungfrau. We very much enjoyed the scenery a long the railway, many beautiful small villages and hotels are available. It took 1.50 hours to reach the Top Of Europe and when we arrived at the top we went straight away for lunch. There were a few choices to eat and we ate at one of the restaurants which has stunning view over white snow and mountain, that was a good start. After lunch we checked out all the view points and it was spectacular for someone who live in a hot climate all the time like me! Another exciting experience was walking through the Ice Palace. We were 3,454 meters above the sea and this is the highest we have ever been and it was not as cold as I expected.

The view at the top was stunning. It’s amazing how nature created this but how humans created the railway 100 years ago through mountains and stone. It took them 16 years to finish Europe’s highest-altitude railway. The sadness is that many lives were lost during the construction.

Visiting Jungfrau has to be “must do” on your list when you visit Switzerland.

12 Sep 2017: We checked out from the apartment at 9 am and our next destination was Lugano for our last 3 nights in Switzerland. We took the road No. 11 through the mountains and snow when the temperature was zero degree. It was beautiful scenery of mountains with snow and pretty villages. When we reached highway No. 2 and arrived at the Italian speaking area, the temperature was 23 degrees and sunny with a beautiful blue sky. It was like we had just changed countries but we were still in Switzerland.

We stopped for lunch at Locarno and checked out the town for a few hours before heading to Lugano where we booked apartment for 3 nights. We arrived in Lugano at 4.30 pm and the apartment was stunning location view overlooking Lake Lugano and the downtown. After that it was drinking and enjoying the sunset!

13 Sep 2017: After many days in countryside, mountains, lakes, villages and snow I felt like I needed to visit a big city like Milan. It was not in my original plan but when I realised that it was only an hour by train from Lugano to Milan I decided to take a shopping trip to Milan. I left Lugano at 9.30 and returned at 17:30. It was an enjoyable shopping day in Milan! My husband did not join me in Milan. Instead he took my camera and explored Lugano. After I returned from Milan we went for dinner near our apartment which was recommend by the host but the restaurant was fully booked. However, the staff at the restaurant recommended another restaurant nearby called “Locanda Gandriese” which was very good, the food was excellent with friendly service and a stunning view overlooking Lake Lugano. Staying here feels like living in Italy!

14 Sep 2017: The weather was not so great today so we decided not to do much, just relax at the apartment, pack to be ready to fly away tomorrow and look at all the photos where we had been in the last 10 days.

Screen Shot 2560-09-14 at 3.41.44 PM.png — Our route 10 days in Switzerland

Traveling in Switzerland gave us a feeling of traveling in 3 countries – France, Germany and Italy. The first place we stayed people speak French and the scenery was vineyards, wineries and the border is next to France. Then we stayed in Interlaken where people speak German and were driving a lot of Mercedes and BMW! And the last place was Lugano where people speak Italian and the border is next to Italy. The architecture of property in each area is different, influenced by the proximity to neighbouring countries and the climate of the area.

The 3 apartments we stayed could not have been any better; all of them were specious, fully equipped and located in superb locations with stunning views. We booked them via Airbnb as we prefer to have access to facilities like kitchen, laundry and working space. The 3 places made us feel like home.

We ate out from time to time and we also cooked many times when we were sick with local food. I packed some Thai ingredients from home and this helps me a lot when I need spice! Eating out in Switzerland can be pricey, especially in tourist areas. The cost of food in supermarket seems very high compared to other European countries. Switzerland is probably the 2nd most expensive after Norway (from our own experience).

Driving in Switzerland was not too difficult. We used GPS sat nav which was very helpful. The roads in Switzerland, especially in the countryside, were quite narrow and we found it a bit scary when other cars approached. The manner of drivers here were very good and we did not see any accident on the road – which is the opposite of Thailand!

We both agreed that this was one of the most enjoyable after our road trip in South Africa and camper van trip in New Zealand.

15 Sep 2017: Last few shots of Sunrise before leaving at 7:30 am.