6 go mad in asia

So, we have found paradise, (again? I hear you say) and are in Kep on the south Coast of Cambodia. We had a great time in Siem Reap and would love to go back again in the future, our heartstrings have definitely been pulled by our visit to the kids at the Childrens Light Foundation and by Siem Reap in general. There is definitely a touristy feel to the town but in general it is tasteful and the local people remain friendly, fun and hospitable. Unfortunately we left Siem Reap with our second muffler trip burn of our Asian adventures, Finn was a little luckier than Olivia though and his has healed quickly (and quietly!). Our friend Seng arranged a van from Siem Reap to Battembang and what a different trip this was from March, ... read more

Well we have finally found the energy to head out of Laos and into Thailand ready to go through to Cambodia. We dragged ourselves away from the Nam Song River to head north to Luang Prabang. Having now done the Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang road four times, we actually managed the return trip without anyone losing their breakfast, a great achievement! Although the trip is six hours of winding steep road it is an absolute must, perhaps not four times but definitely once; it gives an amazing view of life for many of the Laotian people. Sights along the road makes the winding back and forth worth it: beautiful bare bottomed babies; flame red chillies drying on roadsides and rooftops; water buffalos on the side of the road,; piglets, chicks and calves meandering along the ... read more

We have been constantly surprised by China (mostly good, some not so good) and the final part of our trip was no different. We arrived from Xian to the tree lined highways and blue skies of Beijing. We made an easy exit from the airport on a cheap bus out into the suburbs, not really what we had expected but definitely a pleasant surprise. Beijing has proved to be a clean, easy place to get around with a nice vibe, the hosting of the Olympics has obviously been a real benefit to the city and the experience that it now offers to tourists. We found the subway a great way to move and surprisingly didn’t end up heading in the wrong direction at all (not thanks to my subway skills however). We visited The Forbidden ... read more

“Hey, we’re still in China!’, having a great time but still can’t believe we are here. Dali was a lovely place and we spent two days there and are now in Lijiang about three hours north. We are having a great time and finding China a friendly, warm, hospitable country. We did however have our second accommodation disaster in Dali after our Bangkok experience (we won’t ignore Trip Advisor again). We stayed in one of the main streets at a well known guest house. Unfortunately the rooms were grubby, rickety and had a smell from the bathroom that even a mother of four and nurse could not tolerate. Luckily we survived one night and then found Sunny Lodge which was brand new but great! The owners are originally Mongolian and so we ate some great authentic ... read more

So we have finally left Luang Prabang after three weeks, we stayed longer than we had planned but there are worse places to be ‘stuck’ (with visa, transport and Thailand unrest issues although none of them serious for us)! So in between being hot and eating we managed to fit in some more active pastimes although all done very slowly and with regular snacks… We walked to the top of Mount Phou Si which is in the middle of Luang Prabang and gives you a great 360 degree view of the city. We bumped in to a monk who spoke really good English and wanted to chat so we were able to ask him about Buddhism and the experience of being a monk. On the way down we saw the ‘Buddah footprint” which I must say ... read more