Luang Prabang is a World Heritage site, and it is easy to see why. This charming town was once the capital of Laos, used to have over 80 Wats, and is still the most outwardly religious city in the country. It is nestled between the Mekong & Ou rivers, offers exquisite architecture, and is generally considered the most favoured place visited by tourists. The night market is captivating, while the food market offers great food at cheap prices! You could, with the blink of an eye, while away weeks here without noticing the time pass, such is the peaceful ambiance of this city.

We managed to arrive just as this bubble of peaceful tranquility was about to burst open for the New Year celebrations. We thought we had arrived early enough to get some good budget accommodation easily, however we were surprised to find this was not the case. Ania & Niki searched for 2 hours, only to find some great rooms, but at very expensive prices. During the New Year season, most places double if not triple their room rates. Understandable with the vast influx of people, be they Laotian or foreign. We decided to take the rooms on offer for a night, and try to search for something cheaper the next day.

Up early, we quickly ascertained that a cafe, which had some rooms above, still had a double room available at a very reasonable price. Bags packed we made the transfer, but unfortunately, Manuel, Niki & Family had to stay at the more expensive guest-house. Despite this, we embarked on a shopping excursion to equip ourselves with various military grade water weaponry. Lao New Year was upon us, and not only were we going to be victims to, but also part of the Water-Fighting Extravaganza!!!

New Year, (Pi Mai in Lao), generally falls around the middle of April, and normally the country shuts down for about a week, although the official festival is only 3 days. It is also celebrated simultaneously in Burma, Cambodia & Thailand. It marks the beginning of the Buddhist New Year, and is often observed with various parades, folk dancing, & of course the water fighting. Originally the water fighting (throwing), was intended as an act of homage or respect to ones ancestors & family elders, as well as a symbol of washing away ‘bad & tired spirits’ of the last year while purifying yourself for the coming year, but now it’s a free-for-all street water battle! The traditional sentiments still have value, and although you may be a victim or a pragmatist of these water dousings, ‘New Year’ wishes are always exchanged.

The day before the official celebration started was definitely another warm-up day for the battles to come. Upon the purchase of our weapons, and obtaining the appropriate liquid ammunition, we set off in the back of a small truck to visit a local waterfall. Our drive took us about 45 mins, and by the time we arrived we were throughly drenched! Every small village or town we passed through, had loads of people, especially kids, with large buckets of water, which they were throwing at every vehicle that past. Some even had the garden hose out! We got our own back, and also made sure we soaked other passing travellers, whether they be in cars with open windows or bicycles. Training had begun!!!

The Kwang Si Falls are amongst a lush green forest, and their beautiful cascades flow over exquisite limestone formations creating several stunningly tiered turquoise pools, some of which you can swim in. They are very popular with the locals, especially around Pi Mai. We ventured into the forest, following many others who were there to also ‘pay their respects’. Ania & I walked to the top of the waterfall, while the family stayed at one of the swimming pools. Many locals had brought a picnic lunch, and were making a real outing of it, incorporating extended family & friends. It was a lovely atmosphere.

Our ride back to town was less of a soaking, but upon arrival we were greeted with the first of many full-on street battles! We were eager to join, leaving Ania & Niki to some relaxing! Huge buckets & 44 gallon drums were up and down the street filled with water, music was pumping out from various establishments, people were throwing water, shooting water, spraying water, and even drinking beer, and you had the feeling that the party had only just begun!!!

The next 3 days are a kind of blur. We would get up, have some breakfast, wander the town viewing some of the Wats, or walk by the rivers, or visit some craft sellers, but by 11.30am, you had to be prepared for the first water dousings of the day. The main water fighting wouldn’t start until midday, and was generally finished by about 6.30pm. The amazing thing was the inventiveness of other forms of attack. Some were just using water, others were combining that with flour or grease, while others had added food colouring or ice into their concoction. It was a myriad of mayhem, but unless you went with it, you would only get annoyed, frustrated & angry. If anyone saw someone who was dry, they got immediately bombarded with all forms of attack. Many new arrivals in town, with either packs or suitcases in tow, if they were unlucky enough to be dropped of in the midst of battle, well lets just say it was a rather wet welcome to Luang Prabang! Most people handled it with good humour, and we all thought it was a GREAT way to celebrate New Year, but we also realised it would never work on this scale at home! Can you imagine a 3 day waterfight in the streets of London, Auckland, or Sydney? It would mean almost total chaos, and probably result in civil rebellion or at least 1000′s in jail!!! If you want to experience this kind of low level anarchy, just head to SE Asia, and truly indulge in those childhood memories where water was just water, and everything about it was FUN and Carefree!!! You have to experience it to believe it!

With Pi Mai completed for another year, we retired our water weaponry and proceeded to plan the next stage of our travels. We wanted to go up the Ou river to a small place called Muang Ngoi. We had options of road or river transport, and we chose a combination of the two. We booked ourselves to leave on the second day after celebrations had ceased, and were then faced with saying goodbye to Manuel, Niki & Family. They were heading to Northern Thailand for a few days, before working down to Bangkok & catching their flight to Egypt. We decided to treat ourselves to a night out at a lovely restaurant, where we all indulged in a burger. I know, it was a bit naughty, but we all felt that after such strenuous hydro-battling we deserved a so called ‘Western Delicacy’! Dinner consumed, we quietly wandered the street market, before saying our Goodbyes, but promising to meet up in the future.

An early morning saw us get a transfer to the bus station to catch our minivan through to Nong Khiaw, where we would then catch a boat to Muang Ngoi. While waiting to leave we met a Swiss couple travelling to the same destination, with a view of going north & crossing into Vietnam – exactly what we planned to do! Their names were Sven & Andrea, and little did we know that we would all travel together for the next 3 or so weeks! On the road, and the 3 hour drive was beautifully scenic. The amazing limestone formations continued to impress, while the natural beauty of the environment was captivating. We were left wondering what travels further north would have in store!

Previously in the travel world of SE Asia, with dreams of mermaids & visions of hidden cities we were musing our options with onward adventures from Vientiane. We escaped our imaginations for enough time to walk around this quiet & relaxed city to visit Wat That Luang & the Victory Monument.

Vientiane was re-established by the French, and it is easy to their influence, not only in some of the architecture but also the Victory Monument – it is the Laotian answer to the Arc du Triumph! Standing in the middle of one of the main boulevards of the city, it is surrounded by lovely gardens, and offers a good view over the city. Wat That Luang, however, is very much locked in an older historical period. It’s located on a small hill overlooking the area below. The gold stupa is blinding in the sunlight, and its guardian protectors are daring you to challenge their authority. Both these attractions illustrate an interesting aspect of the city’s dichotomy, and are symbolic of the amazing blend of culture & history within Laos. We left Vientiane bound for Vang Vieng, apparently a backpacker heaven – or possibly hell – depending on what kind of backpacker you are!

Vang Vieng is set among Stunning Limestone Karst Scenery that will take your breath away, and is definitely worth a visit! Despite many of the restaurants showing repeats of ‘Friends’ & ‘Family Guy’ & bars pumping out music found in clubs in the 80′s & 90′s, it isn’t hard to see why this place has captured a large travellers contingent. We even met people who had spent 1-2 months here, and had gone no where else in Laos! Shameful really, as they are missing out on more wonderful places in the country. Walking around the town, we were amazed to see that tourists seem to out-number locals, and the only other place we had experienced this in such dramatic fashion was Khaosan Road, Bangkok. In a culture that is quite reserved, especially when it comes to exposing flesh, it was disappointing to see so many tourists flagrantly wandering the streets as if they were on a beach at home. Suddenly the description of ‘Backpacker Hell’ revealed itself. Pushing this uncomfortable observation aside, we readily caught up with Manuel, Niki & family, and decided to book ourselves on a day trip kayaking down the river.

Kayaking offered us the experience of some tubing in one of the limestone caves in the area, as well as 10km of kayaking on the river. We left early in the morning towards on of the tall limestone outcrops, where our group was to enter the cave first. We packed our belongings into so-called waterproof bags, sat in an inflated tube, and pulled ourselves via rope into a long dark cave. Wearing head-torches to light-up the dark interior, we were pleasantly relaxed lying on our tubes while enjoying the beautiful sculptures created by nature. Enhancing our experience was the haunting tenor voice of our guide as he sang a song in his local dialect.

Back out in the sunshine, we were treated to a very early and voluminous lunch, obviously in preparation for our kayaking to come! A quick stop to a nearby Elephant Cave temple, and we were whisked away to our departure point on the river. Our guide imparted some instructions about kayaking, and informed us about certain protocols on the river, and then left us for a few minutes to ‘become one’ with our kayak! Ania & I shared a double-berth kayak, and we, much to our delight, found that we navigated well together. Maybe there is something in being married – huh!

We set off down the river amongst gorgeous surrounding forest & towering limestone mountains, and initially only accompanied by the sounds of birds, buffaloes, the occasional monkey & our own breathing! Drifting downstream through small rapids and shallow pools was, in our opinion, the best way to enjoy such a stunning environment. We soaked up the relaxed & tranquil feelings for the days ahead would prove to be less than chilled!

Our peaceful bubble was soon to burst, as we entered the stretch of river that is designed for the main attraction of Vang Vieng – Tubing! The last 3-4kms of river down to the town is littered with bars & clubs offering beers, cocktails & shots & pumping out loud techno-esque music to entice the multitude of backpackers engaged in a bit of tubing. Apparently you can hire a tube, get a lift to the start of the tube section & float your way down river stopping at any bar you want. Most people who start tubing, never finish back in town. They often end up drinking the day away, and get a tuk-tuk lift back. But what a backdrop for a bar or club. Great Weather, Fantastic Scenery, you can swim anytime you want & go straight to the bar for a drink, it’s basically Koh Samui or Phangan but on a river! Who wouldn’t want to indulge their ‘party animal’!!!

We stopped at one of the bars that was yet to attract the masses, as it was further downstream. It had a diving platform, water-slide, flying fox, and a rope swing! We grabbed a quick drink, and chose the rope swing! The tower for this is quite high, and you swing off the ledge which takes you soaring out over the river. The trick is to determine where you want to land, and choose a height from which to let go. It sounds easy, but a slight in-flight mis-judgement can mean rather painful consequences as you land awkwardly in the water! Luckily for our group, nobody suffered any major in-flight errors, so walked away relatively unscathed. However, we all appreciated the distinct possibility of numerous accidents if you were closer to being drunk than sober!!! The remaining kayaking was pleasant, as we passed the quieter bars leading us to the town. No doubt they would fill up throughout the later afternoon & evening.

Sunset was enjoyed from our balcony, as Manuel, Niki, Zak & Ben joined us for a drink overlooking the river & limestone mountains, while 3 Hot Air Balloons drifted through the darkening sky. Our quiet chatter & scenic voyeurism was interrupted by the lightening show and thunder crashes from a fast approaching storm. The Hot Air Balloons had descended fast, and were now encamped in the forest below, while we were quickly being wind whipped & rain slashed! Madly dashing inside to escape the worst of the downpour, we decided to de-camp to a restaurant for some much needed sustenance. Little did we know that in a few days such a surprising wet weather experience would pale into the background!

Leaving Vang Vieng for Luang Prabang packed into a minivan for 8 hours, was not something any of us were looking forward to. Manuel, Niki & family along with us & some fellow travellers headed out on a drive that was to provide some incredible views, that would, at least, distract from some of the discomfort. The road climbed & fell, offering beautiful vistas through valleys and on mountain sides. Our lunch stop was particularly impressive, as we ate our food in a restaurant perched over-hanging a steep valley wall, but the view was magical!

As we drove on wistfully admiring these almost idyllic winding mountain roads, we would open windows to full the van with some fresh air, only to be brought back to reality when going through some little village, a bucket of cold water would be thrown at us. Although refreshing, this kind of water awakening was not one we would of selected. We quickly remembered that ‘Lao New Year’ was upon us, so we better get prepared! We vowed amongst ourselves, that once in Luang Prabang, we would not be caught out so easily, so planned for some water-weapon purchases!

Don Det is a small backpacker island in the middle of the Mekong. It is a quiet & peaceful place, much enjoyed by travellers who are keen to get away from it all for a few days. It offers bungalow river view accommodation, and that is exactly what we chose, including porch-side hammock!

We, needless to say, first indulged in a few quiet beers looking out on this exquisitely picturesque view, and allowed ourselves a small slice of peace & tranquility. With Hammock Swings & Page Turning Tales we both lost time in the land of our imagination. What blissful ambrosia for the soul!

Don Det is not swarming in traffic, which makes it a pleasant place to take a walk. Chill-out time suspended, we wandered around the small streets looking for an appropriate place to satisfy our stomachs. This took longer than expected as we got carried away with meandering down the island pathways. Finally Indian was the selection, and what a lovely culinary return it was too! Curry & Korma with Garlic Naan to supplement, our bellies were besides themselves.

A sleep-in was demanded by our bodies – that’s our defense & we’re sticking to it! – so we were late to rise. We chose a lovely little restaurant overhanging the river to have brunch, and then spent the next few hours planning our Laotian Leniences. Brushing up on our knowledge base, we made a rough plan of attack, and then decided to allow our imaginations more time for indulgence. We were soon to discover that even a rough plan has no merit in SE Asia!!!

Evening saw us bump into the Springford Family, and we caught up with their ‘interesting’ experiences in NE Cambodia! By the sounds of it, although an amazing scenic part of Cambodia, maybe some of the accommodation is more worthy of renovation than of habitation! That said, we agreed to meet sometime for a meal!

The following day saw us hire a couple of bikes, and bike over to the next island – Don Khone. There we visited the waterfalls & cycled down to the launch point for visiting the Irrawaddy Dolphins, and admired the view back into Cambodia. Riding along the old railway track bank, meant a hot & baking journey, however we did see the remnant of a rusty French locomotive that was once used on the islands. The track used to go from the little port on Don Det, & through Don Khone to the bottom of the island to another small port. It apparently was the only railtrack laid by the French in Laos!

Refreshing Cold Beers and another day of quiet contemplation allowed our bodies to recoup for the adventures ahead. We were glad that we had such a wonderfully beautiful & relaxing place to re-charge our batteries. Books read, packs at the ready, we were off to meet the ‘family’ for dinner in a small riverside restaurant, where time stood still – or at least the kitchen staff did! After waiting for well over an hour, our food started to arrive at the table, not all at once, but slowly over the next 30 mins each of us received our meals! Was it worth the wait? Hmmmmm, a good feed by all accounts!

Pakse was the next destination, and with transport organised, we left at 11am. A short boat ride to the port, and a longer walk to the bus, meant that we were throughly dripping by the time we sat down in our seats. Thank Goodness for air-conditioning, which often means you might be able to open the windows for a breeze!

Once in Pakse, we decided to stay at the Sabaidee Guest-house, which is owned by Mr Vang. Ania was rather surprised to find that he spoke fluent Polish. Apparently he had studied in Poland for 10 years from the early 1960′s, and had then ventured to France for further study. He had returned to Laos only a few years before & had set up the Guest-house. Amazing the people you meet!!!

Mr Vang advised us that a visit to the Bolaven Plateau was not to be missed, so we readily agreed to go investigate. Joined by fellow investigators – Mark from Ireland, & Daniel from France – we embarked on a day filled with Coffee & Tea Plantations, Village Visits, & Wonderful Waterfalls. We had lunch in a local roadside restaurant, which was indeed a treat, and were told of the intriguing history of the area. We also had the chance to see the remains of the bomb casings that were used by the US during the forgotten campaigns in Laos during the Vietnam/American War. Did you know that more bombs were dropped on Laos then, than were dropped in the entire World War Two? Something to think about! After a day of Plateau Platitudes, we all enjoyed a Fantastic Riverside Dinner overlooking Thailand!

An early morning greeted us with a cool little tuk-tuk ride to the local bus depot, where we took a rather short 9 hour bus ride to Thakhek! The local buses are indeed an experience not to be missed. They have all manner of different kinds of cargo, and the way they disperse them throughout the bus is an art form! Our bus had boxes of produce inside the passenger cabin, and on top of the bus, not forgetting at least 2 motorcycles as well! Local buses also stop very frequently to pick up more people or cargo. Sometimes the bus is so overflowing, it’s hard to imagine the engine being able to cope with it all! Yet they always get to their destination, even if that requires a bit of ‘quick mechanics’ on the side of the road!

Thakhek is another one of SE Asia’s towns that has some beautiful French Colonial Architecture. Some restoration work would make these buildings outstanding, but there’s something to be said for their run-down appearance. They are indeed a statement of history passing, and because of their dilapidated state, they retain air of mystery. If only they could talk, what stories would they impart?

We decided to stay only one day in this evenly paced town on the banks of the Mekong! Eager to discover the curiosities of such a town in a beautiful part of Laos, we set out to find the Tourist Office. Now, it is something of a conundrum for us, we cannot work out why in SE Asia they place tourist offices so far from the centre of a town or city. It’s annoying that the bus stations are located so far out of towns, but we understand this inconvenience in some ways, but why make it so difficult to find the tourist office?! Even the maps, if you can find them, are usually incorrect. It’s as if they are saying, you only deserve to discover the magic of an area, if you first go on a tourist office hunt! How much do you want this adventure???!!!

After about 2 & a half hours of searching, we eventually walk in through the doors! Browsing at various brochures and pamphlets on different excursions, we were at little alarmed at the cost. We were contemplating visits to some of the limestone caves in the mountains, but were faced with certain budget constraints that meant we had to save those visits for another time. Such is the life of backpackers sometimes. We weren’t to bothered as Laos has many opportunities to visit such sites, and more were awaiting us!

The street wanderings weren’t to no avail, as just down the road from the tourist office was a bank, where we could exchange money. When we were in Zimbabwe in 2009, we had the opportunity to become trillionaires, as we carried around 100 trillion notes, however these were useless. Now when we exchanged our dollars in Laos, we became millionaires, and they money was actually worth something! I know it’s only a little thing, but we were excited! Probably the closest we’ll become to such lofty titles!

A ‘VIP Painted Bus’ greeted us in the morning at the ‘out-of-town’ bus station! This was to be our first experience on such salubrious transport! You see these elaborately painted buses all over Thailand, but we never took the chance to travel on one. So we made a impulsive decision, and jumped at the experience. Now, of course, these buses are not much different from the normally painted A/C buses, but if you really thought that you’re missing the point! These buses take you on journeys you only can experience in your dreams, and this time you’re awake! Imagine the thrills of travelling in a bus painted with Dragons, Magicians, Knights in Shining Armour & Beautiful Damsels in Distress, what adventures awaited you! The fact that our bus was painted with various characters from ‘The Little Mermaid’ was a slight anti-climax, but hey, that lobster fellow was pretty funny!!!

The chilled-out and relaxed capital of Laos is Vientiane, and what a lovely city it is. Compared to Bangkok & Phnom Penh, Vientiane is so relaxed it’s almost horizontal! Lying on the banks of the Mekong, overlooking Thailand, it’s surprising it retains it’s mellow atmosphere. Tuk-Tuk drivers, market stall sellers, and restaurant hawkers seem very laid-back in their approach to obtain custom. It was quite surprising to say the least. We wandered down the riverside, where much development is taking place & supported by the Japanese Government. There are still dirt roads in Vientiane, even alongside the riverbank, which is definitely not the case in other capitals!

Along our travels we bumped into Manuel & the kids having some dinner in a riverside restaurant. They told us of their ‘night-bus’ experience from Pakse, while we regaled tales of our ‘local bus’ journey – we decided to keep our ‘Little Mermaid’ adventure to ourselves! We agreed to meet them the next day for some food & maybe a decent coffee!

A morning visit to the Tourist Office, this time a little easier to find, and an assessment of exchange rates were our first chores of the day. We were hoping to travel out East to a place called Vieng Xai, which is famous for its ‘Cave City’. While the US were dropping bombs on Laos during the Vietnam/American War, the Communist Government of Laos hid themselves & many others inside this cave network. They built hospitals, schools, shops & homes and they lived here for many years. The cave network still exists, and is a big attraction in Laos. We were very keen to visit, however the ‘New Year’ celebrations were upon us, and transport systems would be stretched, if at all operating, so we faced a difficult decision. We could risk the trip East, but have it take longer, thereby missing other parts of Laos we were also interested in, or we could skip it this time, and look to spend the New Year in Luang Prabang, which by all accounts, was the best place to experience such an event. We chose to leave it for our next trip, and a good decision it was too!

Last we left you we were in Potentially Precarious Phnom Penh! We continued our city excursions with a visit to the site of Camp S21 – The Genocide Museum. This was once a school, but after the successful rebellion of the Khmer Rouge, they turned it into an internment camp & torture chamber! People merely suspected of ideas that went against the Khmer Rouge’s policies were held here and tortured until death. Often they met their deaths at what is now known as the ‘Killing Fields’. A large area of land where many mass graves have been discovered, and human bones still stick out of the earth. A startling reminder, that despite our lessons of the past, we humans still have a penchant to cause indescribable pain & suffering.

On a lighter note, we spent an enjoyable time in Phnom Penh, making our own magical discoveries, while indulging in the relaxed atmosphere that is travelling on your own schedule! Unfortunately, it was also a city where we had to say some ‘Goodbyes’. First to our friend Fi, who flew back to London after joining us in Siem Reap for Awesome Angkor, and then to our Cambodian Travel Companions – Sam & Sophea. On the day we departed for Kratie, they departed for Angkor!

Our journey to Kratie was on a local bus, and it was a long ride. We arrived late in the afternoon, and quickly found accommodation, with a river view! Kratie is a small town on the banks of the Mekong, and is one of the best places to visit the Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins. There are very few of these fresh water dolphins, as the during the years of civil unrest in Cambodia, people hunted & killed them for their oil. Because of this, they have become rather reclusive, and only venture out when it’s best to feed, namely sunrise & sunset. We made a decision to join the company of these shy creatures the following day at sunset, while the morning we spent looking around the market & preparing rough itinerary for Laos.

Our transport to the Irrawaddy Dolphin pools were on the backs of small scooters, similar to the one we had driven in Thailand. The trip was great as we passed through small local settlements on the banks of the Mekong. Upon arriving at the viewing station, we purchased tickets, and boarded a boat. We spent an hour cruising, quietly, up and down the area where the dolphins feed, making the most of every photo opportunity we could. At one point, one of the dolphins leapt out of the water in an uncharacteristic display of carefree abandon, which was amazing to see! Hopefully with the protection orders against the hunting & killing of these beautiful creatures, more displays of freedom will astound travellers! We live & hope!!!

On our second day we hired bikes, and caught the ferry across the river to the island of Koh Trong. We cycled completely around this little island nestled mid-stream in the Mighty Mekong, and it has a very much isolated village feel about it. Farming & crop growing are the staple occupations here, and the people are eagerly awaiting the rainy season! It was a lovely way to spend a morning. The locals were very friendly, and the sleepy relaxed atmosphere was infectious. We headed back to Kratie, before the heat of the day struck, for what we felt was a much needed Siesta!

Kratie also saw us briefly meet the ‘Springford Family’ from Whangarei, New Zealand. Manuel & Niki are taking their 4 children (Kelsey, Jerym, Zak & Ben) around the world for a year. They had already travelled through Singapore, Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia and were planning to head up through Laos like us. They were heading off to Rantanakiri in North Eastern Cambodia, but we suspected our paths would cross again somewhere in Laos.

Our plans to leave Cambodia almost came to a halt on the morning of our departure, due to some wheeler-dealing from a couple of locals. We had organised and paid for transport all the way through to Don Det in the 4000 islands of Southern Laos, so were surprised when we were told that our minivan driver was not prepared to leave. Apparently he did not have enough people and wouldn’t leave until he did! Along comes a local who was also booked in our minivan, and in ‘very much of a hurry’. He said that if we all paid $5 more the driver would leave immediately. Ania & I along with another fellow traveller from Switzerland, Stefan, ardently negotiated with this local. We stated we had purchased our tickets in good faith, and on that basis the driver should leave. As it was the minivan only had 2 seats left, and they seemed to be filled with bags of mangoes! After some heated debating, Stefan agreed to pay $10 for the van to leave ASAP, and we were soon on our way, with the ‘local in a hurry’ nowhere to be found! Such are the negotiations of SE Asia!!!

Once we had paid the border bribes to both Cambodian & Laotian officials, we were allowed into Laos. Our first destination was about an hour away, and we were eager to get there for some R & R, and a much needed beer!

Sorry, this entry is only available in Polski.

Howdee Hippy Happy Travel Hawkers!!!

Greetings from Phnom Penh! We’ll be here for the next few days awaiting visa endorsements & celebrating special occassions! Below you’ll find the next riveting segment in our jaunt through SE Asia! We hope you like it!

Our trip back to Bangkok was relatively uneventful, another bus journey among those that we’ve taken, and no doubt many more to come! We arrived at the North Terminal & much to our surprise caught a free local bus back to our accommodation! Printing off our Cambodian visas, and some postage were our first tasks. We also decided to book ourselves onto a River Kwai experience, before heading off to the city viewpoint of the Golden Mount.

The Golden Mount is a reasonably tranquil spot, despite the number of visitors, and it offers a great panorama of Bangkok! From the viewpoint you can see the financial dichotomy of the city – the tall skyscrapers of the CBD in the background contrasting with the visible slums in front of you! After further wanderings around the district, we retired for some much required sustenance, and believe it or not, a free showing of ‘The King’s Speech’!

Early morning saw us join a group set to visit Kanchanaburi & the River Kwai. Our first stop was the War Cemetery followed by a walk through the JEATH Museum. Both of these stops made you start to appreciate the hardships that were suffered, not only by the POW’s, but also many locals and other Asian prisoners. The bridge over the River Kwai is obviously not the original, it has been replaced with an iron structure, however much of the track through the Hellfire Pass is! Along with many other tourists, we walked the length of the bridge, before catching the Death Railway to experience the ride in Hellfire Pass!!! The views are incredible. With such a beautiful setting, it’s hard to imagine the atrocities that were committed here. A rather reflective train journey. We opted for a relaxing evening, good food & another free movie – Black Swan!

Rising early, it’s becoming a habit, we caught our minivan transport to the Cambodian border. We’re getting used to the kind of highway driving style they employ over here, but every now & again you have to hold your breath! Trat Ferry port was our first destination where we had to wait for another onwards minivan. Eventually it arrived and a small group of us proceeded to the border. Border crossings are an interesting exercise, as some are relatively pleasant, others are not so pleasant. The less said about this crossing, the better! However, because we decided to cross on the day we did, we met a Fantastic French Couple – Sophea & Sam – and we have been pretty much travelling with them ever since!

Koh Kong was our initial stop after the border. Upon checking into our guesthouse, we set out to find some food! The streets were rather dark because there were no road lighting, but this proved to be only a minor problem. We soon found ourselves walking along the waterfront, and ended up trying some small strongly flavoured shellfish. After the seafood snacks we decided to retire early, as our bus left early the next morning for Sihanoukville.

The 4 of us were raptured with the beautiful landscapes we saw as our journey took us past mountains, over rivers and through farmland. Every so often we caught glimpses of the beckoning sea, and were tempted for a swim! Once in Sihanoukville, with rooms sorted, we indulged our eager desires, and raced to the beach for a long awaited dip in the ocean! It was wonderfully warm, although a bit salty. Frolicking finished, it was time to full our famished stomachs, & quench the thirst!

Evening was a relaxed affair, while the next morning saw us all decide to transfer to another beach. Before such wanton activities could be achieved, Ania & I had to apply for our Vietnamese Visa. The consulate office was not busy, and as luck would have it, we had our passports back with visa endorsed inside, all within 20 minutes! That would have to be one of the quickest visa applications we’ve experienced, and it was cheaper than expected!!! Brunch & Beers were awaiting our arrival at the next beach in celebration!

Kampot, and it’s famed Pepper Plantations & Salt Fields was next on the list. A short scenic 2 hour minivan ride saw us arrive in this stunning little colonial retreat. Much of the architecture in the town centre is quintessentially French, and it has a charming relaxed atmosphere. A quick bite & check in, then we acquired the services of a local Tuk Tuk driver – Phary – who took us around the Kampot area visiting its famous Pepper & Salt sites, along with a small township cave temple, and finally a tasty dinner (Fresh Crab & Local Pepper) on the Beach at Kep!

A cool morning allowed us to wander the streets & walk the old bridge. Watching the town come alive was indeed a pleasure & a privilege. We happened upon a funky little cafe called ‘Kampoccino’, where we had to try the obvious coffee! A rushed brunch was arguably one of the best pumpkin soups we’ve ever had! Before we knew it, our bus to Phnom Penh was awaiting.

The capital greeted us like many other cities, with traffic jams & impatient people. The previous few days we had experienced easy-going negotiations with Tuk Tuk drivers, however upon arrival at the central bus station, we were swarmed with pushy, over eager & over priced drivers. We soon made the independent decision to walk to our guesthouse, which proved to be a good option. Whereas the drivers were saying it was to far to walk – at least 5 km – we found it only to be just over 1 km!

Enjoying some of the finer pleasures of life occasionally while travelling is not a bad thing, as we discovered on our first night. Dinner was throughly enjoyable, at a restaurant which has become our favourite in Phnom Penh. We followed this up with chocolate fondue, fruit & ice-cream! The next day saw us wandering the streets of the city, where we also happened across a great cafe & chocolate shop! Need I say more! A taste of home is sometimes quite refreshing!

Unfortunately Phnom Penh saw us part ways with Sophea & Sam, with the hope we would meet up again on our return to the city. We’d had such a brilliant time together, that we sincerely hoped our paths would cross again! Siem Reap, with the allure of Angkor Wat was enticing us, and there we would meet another friend who had flown out to meet us – Fi!

Another local bus journey over the Mekhong and up past the Tonle Sap lake took us to the staging point for trips into the Angkor Archaeological Park. We were met by Thim, who was our Tuk Tuk driver from our booked accommodation, and eventually became our guide for the next 3 days. Soon after dropping off our packs, we went to meet Fi, and have some food! Siem Reap is very touristy in feel, as to be expected. There are tourist markets & stalls, various massage vendors, and would you believe an area called ‘Pub Street’! It is tempting, as many of the establishments offer draught beer for 50 cents a glass!

Dawn broke with the promise of adventure, amazement & excitement, and they were delivered in full measures!!! The first temple we saw was the sun-rise silhouette of Angkor Wat. Nothing prepares you for the magic or the majesty of such a sight! We had all brought a 3 day pass to the park, and would be visiting this temple everyday! The Angkor Thom complex was the first site we investigated. These ancient constructions are a kids dream when it comes to investigating! There are so many passages, stairs, rooms & viewpoints to see! Each temple visited provided us with its own very special flavour & atmosphere, not to forget some of the most amazing bas-reliefs you’ll ever see! We could describe our experiences in detail, but we feel the photos show the highlights, and we don’t want to destroy the magic for those wanting to one day visit this Impressive Park. We would recommend you get a 3 day pass, because the temples you have the ability to see are some of the best on offer, and you wouldn’t be able to achieve them all in 1 day. Our favourites though, were Ta Prohm, Banteay Srey, Banteay Samre, Preah Khan & Angkor Wat.

We also made an interesting excursion to visit a floating village on the Tonle Sap. Negotiations at the small port for a boat were rather uncomfortable, but the village is unbelievable. We spent over an hour within the village, be it on the waterways, or within commercial establishments. It was a pleasant diversion from temple trekking, but we could hardly pass up the opportunity of a sunset at Angkor Wat, considering we had already experienced a sunrise!

Phnom Penh was again featuring on our itinerary, with Fi joining us! As luck would also have it, we would be meeting Sophea & Sam! After our bus trip, another walk with packs, we took Fi to our favourite restaurant. A good sleep, & cool morning saw the 3 of us wandering to a cafe for breakfast and then onto the Laotian Embassy for Ania & I to apply for another visa. We followed this up with a visit to the Russian Market, which was so named apparently, because it was where all the tourists used to shop! Minor purchases made, and we decided to walk back to our guesthouse before the heat of the day really kicked in.

Surprisingly Sophea & Sam had arrived, and we all sat down for an extended lunch, before making the decision for a visit to the Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda! Each Royal complex has its own special monument, and this one had the Silver Pagoda, which has an entire floor in plate silver! Because we couldn’t afford such opulence, we all opted to indulge in more sweet temptations at the Chocolate Shop!

Yesterday, we had a lovely breakfast together, followed by a riverside amble, which in turn lead us to some street markets and finally to the main central market. Some erratic market meanderings along with heavy humidity, tired us enough to locate a air-conditioned shopping mall where we had some lunch at a local flavours food court. Attracted by an Artist Alleyway we had seen earlier, we decided to return and peruse the artwork. There were paintings, sketches, sculptures, and craftwork on offer, and although we didn’t make a purchase, it was a satisfying way to spend an afternoon. Early evening was spent having a few quiet beers, before a leisurely waterfront stroll, stopping at an interesting ‘pizza’ restaurant for dinner!

Well, that’s our travels pretty much up-to-date. Today we’ve had a rather chill-out day, but we hope to have a Fantastic Day tomorrow, as we will be celebrating Ania’s 30th Birthday!!!

We hope this email sees everyone well & safe! We have been following recent world events, and send our thoughts, wishes & hopes to all those who have been affected!

We’ll next be in touch most probably from Laos! Until then… Much Love Always!!

G’Day Gripped Gallivanting Gurus!!!

Here is the next extended chapter of our adventures! We hope you revel in the madness that is sometimes travel! Sorry for the length!

We’re here in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) which is the main city in NE Thailand. We’ve had a rather busy couple of weeks, and are currently having a little chill out time before returning to Bangkok & onwards to Cambodia. This city, although similar to other big cities, does have a certain relaxed charm about it. It’s not as fast paced as Bangkok, no real skyscrapers to speak of, but the people here are Fantastic! There are no abundance of tourists despite the local sights on offer, and the Day Market & Night Bazaar are very much of local flavour!

We left you in Chiang Mai before we departed to Pai & the West. The following day saw us catch an early minivan for a 4 hour journey. Pai is rather a hippie town that has an infectious ‘No Worries’ atmosphere. We found some great accommodation down by the river, and off the main street. It was a small bamboo bungalow, with just a mattress, but has probably been our most favoured room so far! We had some stunning views of the the surrounding mountains, and an outside bathroom that reminded us of our trip through Africa!

Our first order of the day, after organising our bungalow, was to check out the local eateries. After a Mussaman Curry & a Pad Thai, we investigated the local market & looked for possible activities for the next day. We soon decided on a Cooking Course, yes that’s right, a whole day learning how to cook some Thai Dishes! Our Brilliant Teacher was a local lady called Dao, and she was a True Marvel! Ania & I were her only students for the day, so we got her complete and undivided attention. The day started with a visit to the local food market to procure our ingredients for the dishes we were to create. We both were to cook 5 separate dishes, as well as enjoy the taste of them after cooking! Making Curry Paste (Jam) was our first task, which, I must say, was an interesting exercise. We then prepared the ingredients for our respective initial dishes – Ania -> Thai Green Curry, Kelvin -> Khao Soy. Indulging in our creations afterwards was confidence boosting & very tasty! That was how the rest of the day progressed – we would each cook a dish, then sit down and eat them! In the afternoon we took a break for a few hours, as our stomachs needed a break! We returned in the early evening to prepare our last 2 dishes. This experience has probably been our most enjoyable Thai experience so far, the cooking, the eating, and spending time learning from Dao. Her patience & skill, not to mention her personal charm were AMAZING!!!

The following day saw us embark on a local minbus trip to our next destination of Mae Hong Son, and what a ride it was. The road between Pai & Mae Hong Son is up & down, full of switchbacks, and some of the most Exquisite Scenery Northern Thailand has to offer! Not great for those who suffer from motion sickness, but despite this, it’s definitely worth the drive! Mae Hong Son has been described as the ‘Switzerland of Thailand’, and after a walk upto the viewpoint of Doi Kong Mu at sunset, you can see why. It’s a rather sleepy town, and a great place to relax as well as visit the World Famous Long-Neck & Long-Ear tribes.

We hired a Scooter, and spent the day riding around the area. Our first stop was the tribal village of Ban Nai Soi, and along with a Russian couple, we were the only foreigners there. The village is within a few kms of the Burmese border, and the reason for it’s existence lies within the fact that the practice of the women, (who are willingly continuing their tribal tradition of wearing brass rings around their necks), has been outlawed in Burma. We wandered around the village speaking with various local people as they were going about their daily chores. We were even able to visit the local school, where the kids were quite excitable at having ‘different’ people entering their classrooms! After an hour or so engaging in pleasant hand signal & broken dialogue conversations, we decided to leave the village for some more rides around the beautiful local scenery! The day ended with us tasting the various flavours of another local night market!

Now for a comment about the Thai transport system. We had heard it was quite good, but didn’t completely realise what that may mean. We had so far experienced River Boats, Local Trains, Sleeper Trains, Minivans & Tuk Tuks, and more was to come. It has been great travelling around this country, and the variety of mode of transport is quite amazing. As long as you spend the time to acquire the right information, travel from place to place is relatively easy. Sometimes you get an added adventure thrown in for good measure! Our next journey was from Mae Hong Son to Mae Sariang, and our choice of travel was a local ‘Fan’ bus. An earlish departure meant a cooler temperature, which was most desirable. We boarded our bus for the 4 hour journey, and if we thought we’d seen the most beautiful scenery these mountains had to offer, we were wrong.

Our bus journey was an education on what locals do everyday. It’s a stop-start route, hence why the journey time is longer, but a fascinating view of how local communities interact. The local forms of transport act as, not only a taxi service, but also a postal & courier service. People use them to deliver produce, important information, presents & gifts. A small fee applies, but your parcel, whatever it is, gets to it’s destination. It’s a nifty idea, and costs next to nothing compared to other such services!

Mae Sariang was to be an overnight stop, which again allowed to indulge in more local restaurants, before a 5 hour journey on a ‘Songthaew’ to Mae Sot. This ride was to take us within sight of Burma and the many Refugee Villages that line the Thai-Burma border. These people have escaped the civil unrest in their own country, but are not allowed to actively participate in Thai society. They have built their own communities along the main road & the river which acts as the border between the 2 countries. Respectfully, it is a rather difficult situation for Thailand, and we don’t completely understand the whole situation. However, these people seem to be well protected, even if there is a element of governmental monitoring.

Our arrival in Mae Sot was to be followed by a rather longish walk, in hot & humid temps with our packs to the nearest bus station for a ride to Old Sukhotai. Luck seemed to be on our side, because as soon as we arrival in the ‘Songthaew’ terminal, there was a Air-conditioned/Comfy Seat minivan leaving for our destination in 20 mins! We couldn’t believe it, and were incredibly thankful! After a few police stops, due to border control, we were on our way to one of the oldest cities of Thailand!

Sukhotai is similar to Ayuttaya, but older & appears to be more touristed. Our accommodation was the ‘Old Guesthouse’, and was very close to the sights of the city. We gladly refreshed ourselves after an 8 hour journey before setting off to investigate the local night market. Early morning saw us up and about, having breakfast, an organising a couple of bicycles for the day! We were keen on walking around as we had done in Ayuttaya! The city is split into different zones, and you have to purchase tickets for each one. We decided to concentrate on the Central zone, which appeared to have some of the most impressive temples. We spent a few hours admiring various Ancient Wats & savouring the lovely park-like atmosphere. Retiring for a couple of hours during the heat of the day, we went out again for a few hours in the mid-late afternoon to view sites in the other zones. We seemed to have made a good decision, as when we reached these areas, there was no-one asking us to purchase tickets. Apparently this is a regular occurence, as we discovered from other travellers later on. The ticket officials stay till early afternoon, and as it heats up, they disappear to cooler temps as well!

Leaving Sukhotai saw us venturing to the NE, catching transport all the way to Udon Thani. Although it was another long travel day, we were blessed with only our second rainy day, and some more Awesome Mountain Scenery. Udon Thani is more off a stop off point for those making their way to Laos via the Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai, or heading to Bangkok. We were there to visit Ban Chiang, and to pamper our taste-buds with the local delicacy of ‘Salted BBQ Fish’! The trip to Ban Chiang proved to be more about the journey than the destination. Although Thailand has a great transport system, it sometimes fails to reach various important sights. Ban Chiang has been described as the most important archaeological discovery in SE Asia, however there is no local buses that stop in this village! We eventually arrived, and only spent a little while there before meeting a character of a local woman, who dropped us at our required bus stop while telling us of her world travels! The local fish delicacy was more enticing!!!

Suckers for long travel journeys, we again embarked on a 7 hour bus trip to Ubon Ratchathani, close to Cambodian & Loatian borders. We made yet another visit to the local TAT office after some much desired lunch at another Chinese-Thai fusion restaurant. And after a walk around the inner city & the lake, we were drawn to the local night market. These are the best places to try the local foods, and meet the people. Ubon’s market did not disappoint, and we tasted some of the best food we’ve had so far!

Our second train journey greeted us in the early morning as we departed for Buri Ram, the gateway to the most impressive Khmer ruin in Thailand – Phanom Rung! Although it was another interesting journey, Phanom Rung is a ‘Must See’! It is located on the top of an extinct volcano, with incredible views of the surrounding area. There were very few other visitors, and the site was a joy to walk around. A very peaceful & tranquil place.

Buri Ram was our springboard to where we are now – Nakhon Ratchasima, and our last stop before returning to Bangkok. Yesterday saw us make another local journey to the town of Pak Thong Chai & the village – Ban Do. This area is famous for it’s silk production, and we were keen to visit to view the process. First stop was Ban Do, where we meet some locals and were shown how the silk was spun, before being woven into various products. It wasn’t the season for the silkworm, however we enjoyed the experience just the same. Pak Thong Chai is a town based around the silk industry. We nourished the ‘Retail Therapy’ side of ourselves, and looked around some silk shops, before purchasing a couple of gifts. Hey, you’ve got to support these local industries – well, that’s our excuse!

Now, you may think that when you leave something on a bus by accident, you are likely never to see it again. Well, we made the error of leaving our new purchased gifts on the bus, and upon realising this, we reported it to the bus station staff. However, because we couldn’t speak much Thai, we thought that the message was not conveyed. Much to our surprise, this morning, the bag we had left was at the bus station’s office! We were very happy, and have vowed to spread even more travel kama!!!

Bangkok is beckoning, and we hope to spend a couple of active days arranging onward travel, and hopefully visit Kanchanaburi & the River Kwai! Who knows what adventures Cambodia will have in store for us! Please keep tuned to our channel!

We both hope this rather-long entry sees you well! Thanks Again for Reading!