Divanun Guide/ Bangkok

 

The Divanun Guide is a one pager of everything to eat, see, and do in Bangkok

Historical

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  • The Grand Palace- home of the royal family

  • Wat Pho- Temple of the reclining Buddha my fav temple in Bangkok

  • Rattankosin Island (Old Town)- Historic district filled with tiny alleys and ancient beauty

  • Temples Galore- so many temples to post about but you could fill many days exploring these beauties

Cultural

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  • Chatuchak Weekend Market- Massive market filled with food and clothes galore. A must if you want to bring back souvenirs

  • Festivals

    • Songrkran- Water Festival. I’ll probably never go because its set during one of the hottest month. April 12-15

    • Yi Peng- Lantern Festival. (I celebrated this in Chiang Mai but the festival in Bangkok is nice too). Full Moon of the 12th Lunar Moon, ( November)

    • Chinese New year

  • Bangkok Arts and Culture Center- A free contemporary arts center in downtown. I saw a ton of art reflecting people’s feelings about the passing of King Rama IX

  • MOCA Bangkok- A paid contemporary art museum further north then the Chatuchak Market

  • MBK- A huge mall that has to be seen to believed. A great place to spend those hot summer months

  • Khao San Road- The party district for foreigners in Old Town.

  • Kathmandu Photo Gallery- Shows a collection of emerging artist and the owners work.

Food

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  • Som Song Pochana- I had this amazing soup dish called Sukothai noodles. OMG it was amazing. Its in a random part of Old Town and you have to walk down some weird alleys but its definitely worth it.

  • Kanom Beung Bang Mae Prapa- Had this amazing tiny Thai crispy crepes that are sweet called kanom beung. You see them everywhere in Thailand but they had the best

  • Kim Leng- This amazing spot has Mee Krob which is this crispy rice noodle that has the best balance of spicy and sweet. They also have dishes that are rare in most Thai restaurants.

  • Look Sao Kor Panit- this place has some of the best mango sticky rice. I got this recommendation from the cleaning lady at my favorite hostel and she did not disappoint.

  • Beef Lady- this is not the best description but outside of my favorite hostel NapPark there was a lady who sold beef that is the best beef I’ve ever had. I still think about this beef from time to time its so good. She sells beef and sticky rice by the kilo.

  • Krua Apsorn- This place has a delicious crab omelet and fish cakes. Also they have some bomb mushroom medley.

Miscellaneous

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  • Accomodation

    • NapPark is my favorite Hostel in Bangkok. It’s more expensive them some of its neighbors but it is definitely worth it. It is always clean even though it houses so many people. They have a great atmosphere and I met so many people relaxing in their lounge.

  • Transportation

    • Public

      • There is a bus and a train system that I used to get around pretty well.

    • Private

      • There are ride share apps like Uber and Grab. As well you can order motorcycles on these apps which is the cheapest and fastest way to get around the city.

Divanun Guide/ Vietnam

 

The Divanun Guide is a one pager of everything to eat, see, and do in Vietnam

Historical

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  • Hanoi

    • Temple of Literature- hosts the first national university built in 1070

    • Tran Quoc Pagoda- The oldest buddhist temple in Hanoi

    • Old Quarter- a historic district

  • Phong Nha

    • Caves- Phong Nha Cave and Paradise are the ones I explored but there are others here

  • Ninh Binh

    • Hoa Lu- the ancient capital of Vietnam

    • BIch Dong Pagoda

  • Hoi An

    • My Son- ancient temple complex

Cultural

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  • Hanoi

    • Weekends in the Old Quarter- a great place to see how locals spend their time

  • Phong Nha

    • Duck Stop- a duck farm where you can feeds ducks and make wishes.

  • Hoi An

    • Museums- this city has tons of museums about history, art, and culture

Food

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  • Hanoi

    • Bun Cha Ta Hanoi- bun cha is a dish comprised of grilled pork and noodles that is dipped in a soup with aromatic herbs

    • PIzaza 4P’s- amazing japanese pizza joint.

    • Pho Cuon Huong Mai- get the pho noodle wraps and other dishes using the pho rice noodles

    • Foodshop 45- a delicious Indian spot

    • Pasteur Street Brewing Company- amazing Vietnamese brewery make sure you try their passion fruit beer- its divine

    • The Hill Station- great cocktails made from Vietnamese rice liquor

  • Phong Nha

    • D-Arts Zone- had some amazing bun cha here

  • Hoi An

    • Madam Khanh The Bahn Mi Queen- the best Bahn Mi i had in Vietnam/ my entire life

    • Dong Au Restaurant Hoi An- really great noodle dishes

    • Lantern Town Restaurant- amazing dishes cooked in clay pots. I had this eggplant and beef dish that was phenomenal

    • Central Market- tons of little food stalls. Make sure you try the white rose dumplings

    • Boulevard Gelato & Coffee- really good place for an icy treat in the heat

Miscellaneous

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  • Hanoi

    • Accomodation: Vietnam Backpackers Old Quarter- really easy place to meet people and its near all of the travel agencies for when you want to plan your trip.

  • Phong Nha

    • Accomodation:

      • Gecko Hostel & Bar is where I stayed very clean and nice

      • Easy Tiger Hostel- this place was highly recommended and I would have stayed here if I was in town any longer

  • Hoi An

    • Accomodation: Tribee Kinh Hostel- one of the best hostels I stayed at in all of SE Asia. The people were super friendly, they always have events, and they genuinely created a warm atmosphere

    • Tailoring

      • Bao Khanh Silk- this place is mid range price wise, however they have great quality and a really fast turn around. I would show them pictures of what I wanted and they would come out great. When it comes to alterations they really know their stuff.

      • Happy Day- this place is where you go for leather goods. I got a cute bag made and some shoes. My only advice is to ask them to stitch the soles instead of gluing them.

    • Really great night market across the bridge.

Divanun Guide/Kyoto & Nara

 

This DivaNun Guide is a one pager of everything to do, see, and eat in Kyoto & Nara. 

Historical

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  • Kyoto
    • The Kyoto Imperial Palace:
      • Not as cool as I expected it to be. They were doing construction so maybe when more of it is available it would be more fun
    • Fushimi Inari
      • Head shrine to the god Inari in Kyoto
    • Saganoo Bamboo Forrest
      • Beautiful grove filled with bamboo in the outskirts of Kyoto
    • Kinkaku-ji/ Ginkaku-ji
      • A pair of zen temples built by the family of a shogun
  • Nara

Cultural

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  • Kyoto
    • Aoi Festival
    • Seeing a Geisha performance 
  • Nara
    • Feeding the Deer

Food

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  • Kyoto
    • Kitchen Raku Raku
      • by far the best meal I've ever eaten in my entire life. The chef's special is a reminder of how delicious and simple traditional japanese food is with a flair of western influences
      • The Chef's Special was three course's a seafood, beef, and desert
    • Kyoto Gogyo
      • The Burnt Miso Ramen is one of my favorite ramen dishes I've ever eaten in the world. The burnt flavor provides a contrast to the typically rich and silky ramens I had been eating. 
    • Honke Owariya
      • Didn't make it here but apparently has really good Soba noodles
    • There is a restaurant that sells amazing tempura on the way to the way to Ginkaku-ji that the photo above was taken. Such a delicious meal but I can't find the restaurant on google maps. 
    • Cafe/Bar Oil
      • Recommended by a friend for having good drinks
  • Nara
    • Harushkia Sake Brewery
      • they have sake tastings for 500 yen and you get a free sake cup.
      • You can also buy all the sake's you taste plus more to take away
    • Maguro Koya
      • Tuna Heave
      • very reasonably priced but you will have to order multiple plates. Think tapas style

Miscellaneous

  • Accomodation
    • Kyoto
      • Backpackers Hostel Kyoto
        • $24 a night
          • this is a chain but it felt very at homey with a large common area and a kitchen that you could cook your own meals in. 
          • About a 10-15 minute walk from the city center and the main train station as well as a closer to the local subway stations for access to Fushimi Inari
    • Nara
      • Deer Guest House
        • $12 a night

Shimokitazawa

 

Shimokitazawa, or Shimokita for short, has been described as what Tokyo would look like if hipsters ran the city. From boutique clothing stalls, quaint coffee shops, and amazing vintage finds this is not an area you want to miss. 

Shimokita consists of tiny streets packed with stores selling a combination of new and vintage pieces. If you are in search of something unique then I would suggest you spend a couple hours getting lost among the clothes hangers. At Tabatha you can find Supreme like merchandise that reps the neighborhood of Shimokita with cute hats and jackets.

Some of the strangest things I saw in Tokyo was in this small neighborhood. I was walking down the street and noticed this mannequin and I had to step in to get a closer look. 

One of the best stores I stumbled across was Far East Leather, founded in 1979. The store carries handmade wallets and purses.

What stood out to me most was the abundance of graffiti that could be found in Shimokita. I love to see different cities and cultures take on the art form and I was always saddened by its abcense in Tokyo. For a slice of the weird and quirky visit Shimokitazawa.

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