I’m Marijs and this is my blog Rooftop Antics. My blog is about showing you how much fun traveling out-of-the-box is and sharing all my best travel hacks. I left the fashion industry with a 1-way ticket to India and haven't looked back since.
it’s time for most visitors main attraction: Bali. Read on to find my ideal Bali Itinerary for 10 days. Why only 10 days? Well, because I want to encourage you to visit the other islands such as Java, Lombok, and Flores as well!
My travels through Indonesia started in the city of Surabaya (about halfway through the island of Java). Coming from Vietnam this time around, I skipped…
The dream destination for everyone who loves food as much as I do must be Penang in Malaysia. The island with its small UNESCO protected capital, Georgetown, is a mix between different cultures and offers varieties on Indian, Chinese and Malay food. A blend between flavors that you will not soon forget. You can start wandering around and I can guarantee you, most of what you will taste will be absolutely amazing! But what if you’re limited on time and you want to try the best Penang has to offer. Read on for where and what to eat in my Penang Food Guide!
The best way to meet people all over the world is hands down by staying in hostels. For some of you, sleeping in a room with several strangers might not seem like the most appealing thing in the world. I don’t even feel like it sometimes. However there are a lot of benefits and there are a lot of good hostels! Hostels that give you privacy, have clean and lovely bathrooms, plenty of space to put your gear and with a new group of friends within reach. How to find an amazing hostel while traveling is not too difficult, you just have to use your common sense, read reviews and use below pointers. During my South East Asian travels, I spent most of my time in hostels. In Australia I have interchanged hostels with Couchsurfing and staying with friends. This however allowed me to figure out what is really important and what gives hostels that something extra. For those who haven’t travelled as much, or those who don’t really know what to look for, this article is for you!
While going for Thai food yesterday, my friends and I were reminiscing on what we miss in Asia. The organized chaos, the diversity, the smiles and most importantly, the street food! I still remember my first visit to a street food market in Thailand like it was yesterday. It is overwhelming and hectic, but is there anything better than sitting down on one of those plastic stools and enjoying this amazing street food that is both delicious and super cheap? I knew immediately this was going to be my next blog post. Especially after seeing this photo this morning of my personal hero Anthony Bourdain and the American president in a little Hanoi street food diner. Hey, if it’s good enough for the president, it’s good enough for you. Not everyone is as excited about street food as I am, it can be quite scary when you arrive in Asia and it seems like everyone is making something on the corner of the street. Which food is safe and isn’t going to sentence you to the loo for most of the evening (food poisoning is violent!). Which food will taste the best? What if all the street stalls are making more of the same? What does it even say on the menu? How do I figure out how much it costs? The best pad thai I’ve had? On a corner in Koh tao. The best and most deliciously soft squid? On a beach in Cambodia. Tom yum goon I will always remember? Next to the road on the motorbike loop of Pakse, Laos. Eating so much we lost ability to walk? Definitely all around Malaysia! There is nothing that breaks my heart more than hearing somebody went to Singapore, where eating is the national hobby, and was afraid to eat in the hawker stalls. Therefore, I wanted to give you my 20 tips for eating street food in Asia without getting sick. I’ve tried and tested all of them and hope they will help you scope out your awesome next meal:
Penang in Malaysia is an island with many good things. First and foremost, it is known for its excellent selection of food courts, restaurants and street side stalls. Second, it is known for its art scene. Most of the action when you are visiting the town will be found in Georgetown. This is the part of Penang which is a UNESCO heritage zone and where you will find almost all of the hostels and restaurants discussed in this post. Penang, however, is bigger than only Georgetown, there are beaches, hills, markets all around the island and even one of the biggest (literally) and most impressive Buddhist temples of South East Asia, the Kek Lok Si Temple.
