Around all the backpacker accommodation you see adverts for VIP transfers by air conditioned express mini vans. This can include the changes in transport required to get you to the popular tourist destinations. Happy days! The downside …… hmm, where Read more…
We have loved seeing and enjoying a more simple way of life here in Laos. People go to bed when it is dark (unless a wedding or karaoke leads them very much astray) and get up when the cockerals crow. Read more…
So after much deliberation it seemed the best way to get to the 4,000 Islands was to get a sleeper bus to Paxse which left sometime between midnight and 1am. The guy at Wang Wang guesthouse said kindly if we Read more…
With the locals singing karaoke (badly) late last night, an early start wasn’t looking likely. So we chilled, had a late breakfast and headed off towards Tha Khaek. Some great twisty roads and sights to see. We kept passing the Read more…
So The Loop is an anti-clockwise route but the last third of the route (145km) back to Tha Khaek is along a busy highway . Having been on a bus hurtling along that road, beeping and swerving around everything in Read more…
The day started with a great kayak (and free!!!!) on the lake (450 sq miles of it resulting from the huge dam). As you can see there are lots of trees now under water and dying. We then jumped back Read more…
Today we rented a moped for 4 days and set off on The Tha Khaek Loop. It is a 550km loop from Tha Khaek out into rural Laos, close to the Vietnam border but through a lush landscape interspersed with Read more…
So as to not pile on the pounds while travelling, Pete and I packed running kit and trainers. I managed a couple of hill repeats in Thailand but was concentrating on daily yoga more while Pete was getting over his Read more…
And the miracle was …….. we were out sightseeing before 8.30am!!!!! If you know how much Pete loves mornings then you will understand this ground breaking news. We arrived from the “sleeper” bus at sunrise, went to our hotel had Read more…
To get to Vientiane we decided a VIP Sleeper Bus may be the best option leaving at 8.30pm and taking about 9 hours (depending how cloudy it is in the mountains apparently). After a few false starts of being sent Read more…
A stormy morning view from our guesthouse (A Tee Guesthouse) Kuang Si waterfall Moon bears at Kuang Si Sanctuary Stunning! My favourite yoga location Water buffalo calves being fed Just like a cow (apparently) Feeding them napier grass Anything goes Read more…
So we tried a foot massage in Chiang Mai and a back, neck and shoulder massage in Pai and both were fab. I have discovered my tight spots (calves, traps and shoulders) and also had joints clicked that have never Read more…
Yesterday we hired some archaic bikes and cycled 2 miles to the start of a trail to a waterfall. The start of the trail began with a river crossing and in the 14km round trip we must have crossed the Read more…
So the great things about coming to N Thailand in the dry season are the lack of rain, the ability to explore caves and plentiful sunshine. The drawbacks are there is only a trickle water in the waterfalls or rivers Read more…
Pai is a popular backpacker destination in the mountains. It is hot in the day (34 degrees today) and cool overnight (about 13 degrees at the moment). We are staying at Baan Pai Riverside and have a little bamboo hut Read more…
I just love the way that the Thai’s sometimes spell English words on their signs. In Doi Inthanong an official National Park sign stated that the water “dripples” down. I guess a combination of drip and dribbles. Here are a Read more…
Today I went on Fred”s tour with 11 others from our guesthouse “ZZ Guesthous’. Ufortunately Pete missed out as he had been up all night coughing. So we headed into the cool mountains (14 degrees) to see some beautiful waterfalls, Read more…
The old walled city of Chiang Mai is just bursting full of temples (or wats). We went around a handful yesterday but stupid me forgot to take my sarongs to cover up in order to be allowed to enter the Read more…
So whilst travelling I didn’t want to add to the mountain of plastic bottles that our countries can’t cope with. Here you will see a photo taken at the edge if a road in Bangkok highlighting the problem. So with Read more…
Click for photos. So our flight with Emirates was via Dubai and continuing the theme of not really looking like backpackers – we got a free upgrade to something like premium economy. Ooh we were very happy upstairs on the Read more…
Here is Pete as we landed at Liverpool Airport on Monday. “I thought we were going to be travelling light” he said, “I feel like a pregnant snail!” (click to see the photo)
So after a frantic couple of weeks and then a few chilled days in The wirral catching up with friends and family, today we head off with our rucksacks to Manchester Airport. We have dashed around a few bikes shops Read more…