Goodnight Asia.

My 2 weeks on Ko Phi Phi were ridiculous. After 6 weeks touring South East Asia, it was beyond what I'd been waiting for - a big fat beach holiday. We sat on the white sandy beach, we sat in the turquoise sea. We sat and ate amazing papaya salads and massaman curries. We sat and drank cocktails at happy hour. We sat some more and ate delicious seafood (big up to Kevin '07 for his impressive catch of the day). We sat and watched the world go by, the tide come in, the tide go out, the sun go up and the sun go down. It was amazing. This place is paradise - if you're ever in the area, stop by Long Beach and don't move for at least a week.

I didn't just sit on my ass though. A few beach parties getting trashed down at Slinkys were also on the agenda, and I have the war wounds to prove it. My fall after one particular night will go down in history as particularly dramatic (I now have a giant scar on my elbow - Jodie, I forgive you for not rescuing me from the snake pit because you were pissing yourself laughing). Speaking of snakes - I saw one slithering across my porch one hungover morning. Only a mild aneurysm though. 

Later joined by Chris and Sean direct from Vietnam, we took a tour around the surrounding islands. Monkey Beach was a treat, and I was left thanking every God in the sky that I'd had my rabies jabs. I swear those beasts were extras in Outbreak. We also took a trip to Ko Phi Phi Leh, where The Beach was filmed. Even after our 8am start it was slightly overrun by tourists seeking "something visceral, something real, blah blah", but it was actually still spectacularly beautiful.

I'd booked a flight from Phuket which was my next stop, and a lot of unexpected fun. Staying above a very random Belgian steakhouse, where the owner was apparently overheard while rubbing up against his wife that he was "feeding her ink" (!?), and the next door neighbour was a ladyboy travel agent (who was actually really helpful - she booked me a cab at 5am to the airport), me and the boys had a lot of laughs down Trannie Alley with the Gaga impersonators and vodka redbulls. My last night in Thailand can only be marked by 2 words - razor blades. Go figure.

So onwards to Malaysia, which turned out to be a true life lesson in frugality. Having blown the budget in Thailand, I was forced to be cultural (read - no beer) for 10 days in Kuala Lumpur. But I actually learned something more important, which is that I really am more than happy in my own company. Most of the time.

So in summary, here are my top tips on how to save money while travelling.

(1) Stay in hostels for 2 quid a night where you are likely to find random cutlery under your pillow. Forget about renting sheets, just sleep under your travel towel.

(2) Sleep a lot. Make sure you don't get out of bed until at least 12pm - that way you don't have to pay for  breakfast.

(3) Eat only street food. It's amazing - the freshest, tastiest possible and not a hint of dysentery.

(4) Visit only free shopping malls (don't buy anything!) and places of worship. In one day I took in a cathedral, a mosque and a Hindu temple, and I only paid 20p to put my shoes in storage while I walked around.

(5) Drink only root beer, not real beer.

Big thanks to my local guides Elana, Kim, Lynz and John (and Wei Ming for the introductions) who were kind enough to show me the local KL ways of life. 

In the absence of drinking, basically I became obsessed with food in KL. Malaysia is a fascinating mix of cultures and I took it upon myself to find the best hawker stalls with the tastiest food for the least amount of money. After my introduction to a breakfast of kaya, roti babi, congee and Hainanese iced coffee, I sought out the best mamak stalls, street noodles and yesterday even walked for 2 hours in the pouring rain to find a recommendation of Time Out KL's best cheap eats. It was worth it. Peter's Pork Noodle, a tiny stall in a car park near Little India made my heart soar. Time Out described it as "something that touches every part of your taste buds, psyche and soul". I can only describe it as a noodley cooked breakfast soup, and writing about it now is making me want to jump back on a bus straight back to KL. Pork slices, crackling, minced pork and a cracked egg served up in a hot steaming bowl of soup while the rain lashed down was the most comforting thing I've ever eaten. Definitely beats the Burger Kings (Queens) in Phuket.

So here I am. Singapore - my last stop in Asia. I'm going to be so sorry to leave but in other news, I'm moving to Australia. Well, not really, but I have got my working visa which means I can stay a bit longer in Sydney and prolong this imaginary existence. I have things I want to be back for next year, and South America is still calling, but for now I'm just enjoying the ride.