Nicky Vermeulen's Activity

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Good nights and good times in Bodega   9 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  If you’re headed for Phuket and are looking for somewhere cool to stay over the festive season – make sure you drop in to a flashpackers called Bodega in Patong. It is (so far) the coolest budget accomodation I have found in the world. Not that I’ve been to every place on the planet –

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Chickynet Phuket – A Farang girl survival guide!   9 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  Ask anyone you know who has visited Phuket where to go for a party and the first place they will direct you to is Patong’s famous Bangla Road. Even on a quiet night, Bangla is a bustle with thousands of tourists throwing their names away at Hollywood, Seduction, Tiger, Suzy Wongs or any one of

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: New beginnings with Loy Krathong in Patong   9 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  The blood on the pavement has barely had a chance to dry and the Thai’s are celebrating again.
  October (the ninth lunar month on the Chinese calender) saw the annual Vegetarian Festival and its madness pay homage to the nine Emperor gods with abstinence and volunteered mutilation. November (the 12th month of the traditional Thai calender)

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Singapore Supreme   10 months, 1 week ago
  

  With October 16th and D-day for my next border run irkingly impending, I had no choice but to make plans for another trip out of Thailand. I wasn’t about to do Burma again, and Penang – in Malaysia, is even longer than the six hour drive I took on my first border run a mere

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Vegetarian Festival Bloodbath 2009   10 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  OH MY ACTUAL BUDDHA!!!!
  These people are insane! What kind of vegetarian festival has people mutilating themselves in the name of spiritual cleansing?
  I get the whole alcohol, sex and meat abstinence as a method of self purification – but what on earth does ripping massive holes through your cheeks, climbing bladed ladders, smothering yourself in boiling

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Phuket Annual Vegetarian Festival, 2009   10 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  Thailand has some rather unique local customs and traditions.
  Many of them endearing – others, fairly mind-bending. It’s not always easy to understand what they’re thinking. One of those fairly mind-boggling customs is the need to set of firecrackers throughout the entire day.
  Buddhists believe it wards off evil spirits.
  Some days the loud and unsuspecting bang don’t

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Phang Nga – Bay of dreams   10 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  What an awesome day!

  For the past two or three weeks, myself and the three Australian friends I have here have been threatening to go on a day trip with a Thai guy who was in our class on our Teacher Training Course. The Thai guy – Chon, is a freelance tour guide and very kindly

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Emerald Beach – Phuket’s hidden gem   10 months, 2 weeks ago
  

  Being on budget in Phuket is tough.
  There is so much to do here – so much you WANT to do. Touristy things – like riding an elephant or going to see what all the hype about Ko Phi Phi is about. There are snorkelling excursions and various other themed trips (including mass underwater weddings) to

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Monsoons and My Unfair Weather Friends   11 months ago
  

  Seriously. This weather needs to to pull it’s self toward itself, have a cup of cement, harden up and be the happy ray of sunshine we know, love and need in a Phuket day . It’s been pouring with rain since Monday. It’s now Thursday – and I’m tearing my hair out! Number one because

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Thailand to Burma, and back again.   11 months, 1 week ago
  

  WHAT A MISSION!!!!

  Between the crazy man behind the wheel of the mini bus, and the crazy man behind the wheel of that boat we took to Burma – I was well glad we were on the home leg of the journey.

  What a day!

  First, we get to Port Ranong – which is possibly one of the

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Border run to Burma   11 months, 1 week ago
  

  I’m on my way to Burma in a mini bus – bouncing up and down, as the man driving is flying down the mainland road, on his mobile phone.

  I’m pretty happy living in Phuket. The weather is great and life is just that much sweeter.

  Why then, did I feel the need to wake up at

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Phuket after dark   11 months, 1 week ago
  

  It’s 2:30pm on a perfect Phuket Sunday. The sun is shining and the sky is its usual three dimensional blue.

  I should be on the beach writing from my laptop like I normally do – sprawled out on my towel in the shade of the palm trees, BUT – thanks to this weekends debauchery – I’m

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Natural Born Hustlers – Thai’s and their customers   11 months, 3 weeks ago
  

  The countdown has begun and pressure is starting to mount.

  In about a month – the already busy island of Phuket’s population will jump from 400 000 to a whopping 2 million! And it will stay that way until about February.

  With the mass migration, comes mass price hikes.

  What would cost you 800BAHT a night in low

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Big B and all that he can see   11 months, 3 weeks ago
  

  Driving in and around Phuket is not something to be taken lightly. Firstly – Thai people would take a sofa, put a motor and wheels on it and drive that if they felt it would do the job. My jaw dropped when I was taken from the airport to my accommodation. a) EVERYONE rides scooters.

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: The Doochbag of Danger   11 months, 3 weeks ago
  

  A couple have just come into the westernised coffee shop I’ve decided to perch in and do my people watching for the day.
  First impression led me to believe that they are ‘a couple’. Then – the guy opens his very loud and instantly offensive mouth and asks the girl “So, how long have you been

• admin and Nicky Vermeulen are now friends   11 months, 3 weeks ago

• nicky updated the ”Base” information on their profile   11 months, 3 weeks ago

• Nicky Vermeulen wrote a new blog post: Breaking My Mold: Why I’m Traveling Alone in Thailand   11 months, 3 weeks ago
  

  I’m in my room in Kata Beach, Phuket – thinking back and trying to remembert how exactly it is that I ended up here.

  A mere 4 months ago, I was living in Johannesburg and stuck in a very large rut. At 30 years old: I was depressingly single, still living with my parents, working for