The street flows around you the moment you step off the curb. Scooters part and rejoin, a vendor hands over a steaming bowl, and someone waves you onto a low plastic stool. Beyond the city, green hills and a long coastline wait for you.
The weather is tropical and shaped by the monsoon, with rainy and dry seasons in the south and centre, and four seasons in the cooler north. Pack for sudden downpours. When your list runs out, a Local Friend picks the next stop, whether that is a snack stall, a quiet path or a lane you would have walked past.
