Day 1 Opting for the slightly fancy slow boat to Thailand (not the public one nor the expensive one) meant we would have a somewhat leisurely cruise along the Mekong. At 7am we set sail with only eight passengers on board: a Swiss couple, a German gentleman, a honeymooning couple from Sydney and us. It all sounds very Agatha Christie...Anyway, having picked up some 95% DEET mozzie repellent in one of Luang Prabang's many pharmacies, I was supremely confident that any mosquito venturing near me would bounce off my shield. I was radiating DEET like a glow worm. The onboard breakfast consisted of croissants, chocolate Danish and strong Laos coffee. Munching on these delicacies, we passed fishermen, buffalo and peanut plants, with mist covered mountains looming in the distance. At times we were passed by the ... read more

Day 1 The driver picked us up in his trusty Camry and ferried as away from the lovely seaside village of Kep. We had a quick stop in Kampot for an ATM and had just enough time there to admire its crumbling facades. It sure looks tired and hot. After three hours of winding our way around the usual obstacles on the road (one chicken played his last game and an elephant was a new entrant) our driver stopped in front of 'Utopia' and proclaimed, "We are here!" Well, Cambodia is pretty cool but this wasn't where we were supposed to be dropped off. Our accents have been misunderstood everywhere on our travels, but this misinterpretation is the best so far. Dean had originally told him, "Royal Pier". Realising his error, the driver pronounced it with ... read more

The car collected us at 1pm and we were on our way back to Phnom Penh. The 314km drive to Siem Reap comprised some very interesting driving strategies and we were pretty sure we would be reliving some of them on the return trip. I think we were all hoping the drive back would be not as stressful. On the outskirts of Siem Reap, the driver pulled over and swapped with someone else, so maybe that was a good start; a fresh driver. No wonder he wasn't very talkative prior to the swap. In the five and a half hours it took to reach Phnom Penh, I think I was calm for about half an hour. The car was silent for most of it, broken occasionally by a little nervous chit chat. It was on par ... read more

Day 1 The boat from Chau Doc in Vietnam left at about 7:30am, so two rickshaws delivered us and our luggage to the dock. I didn't believe the lady at the hotel when she said two rickshaws would be enough, but somehow everything fit. I did feel like I was going to fall off and Eleanor clung to me like a baby koala, so it wasn't exactly a relaxing transit. Arriving at the jetty we didn't have to wait long before we boarded a speed boat. One stop to pick up passengers from the fancy hotel and we were on our way. As one of the crew was handing out visa application forms, I remembered that Dean and Eleanors' visa photos were in my suitcase, which was packed away under the deck. Not to worry, I ... read more

Day 1 Jetstar Vietnam delivered us to Ho Chi Minh city safe and well, although the landing was bumpier than usual. I admit I am a nervous flier, but I'm sure a plane isn't supposed to bounce like it's on a trampoline. A short taxi ride to District 1 and we were checked in to our hotel (no pool, trying to save some bucks! - bad decision...). We were a little peckish at this stage (breakfast in Danang airport was ok, although Eleanor was hungry after dropping half her omelet on the floor), and opted for the market for lunch. Deciding which place to eat at is like a lottery, but we found somewhere which served rice paper rolls. Delicious and refreshing. As were were in the city for only two days, we had a couple ... read more