Angelalala

An amazing small but bustling town in northern Cambodia, where no one is over the age of 30. I saw the awestruck temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm at sunrise, the history almost coming alive before my eyes. I soon discovered an awesome hostel with a pool, aircon dorms, a buffet brekfast and awesome people and decided to stay longer. We visited a floating village and took a boat ride out to the floating orphanage and floating restaurant with a crocodile pit. We laughed in delight as the local boys tyed a giant live fish to a huge wooden stick and gave it to us to lower into the pit, then pull with all our strength as the crocodiles grabbed it in their jaws. I then discovered a tiny little school out between ... read more

This 2 week tour, organised with g-adventures, was the most fun and stress free part of my trip so far! It was soo good to be able to sit back and let others organise my accomodation, transport and activities etc. We went cycling through the backstreets of Ayuthaya and Kanchanaburi and hiked up in mountains in Chang Mai. We stayed in a raft house and hilltribe house and went camping on our own island in Kong Hong. We kayaked around huge cliffs on the ocean and visited the markets and bars in Chiang Mai. We had a really good group of 14 people and we all got on really well. This was a super fun trip and the best birthday presant! (thanks dad!!)... read more

Located on the Mekongs widest stretch of the river, the emerald green waters welcomed me to days of relaxation in a hamock outside my own bungalow, next to the river. I could have stayed here for days, lying in my hamock with my beer lao sleeping, reading, watching the river, sweating and getting up every hour to take a shower or jump in the cool water. I went and saw the Khon Phapheng Falls (the largest waterfall in south east asia) and Tat Somphamit falls. I went kayaking and cycled around the island visiting the falls and beaches. At night the town came somewhat alive and people came out of their hamocks to chill on the beach and listen to some music next to the fire. I could have stayed here a few more days but ... read more

Known amongst travelors for its 4 day scooter loop, including the famous 7km Kong Lo Cave, we hired some scooters for a couple of days to take on the incredibly bumpy roads and amazing scenery. However after discovering a really awesome german rockclimbing resort just outside of thakeak in between karsts cliffs, we quickly ditched that idea and stayed there instead. We went rockclimbing and swam in a beautiful pool that trickled through this huge cave into a quiet river on the other side. We set out on the scooter and visited caves and swimming holes near by, scooting past amazing scenery of farms and karsts cliffs before watching the sunset on the river. The morning I left on the scooter with my all my stuff, the sky was black with clouds. It wasnt long before ... read more

Tired of catching bus after bus on the dusty, bumpy, windy roads of Lao, I headed down river to Vientiane on kayak. Despite the dry season we paddled down rapids and jumped off a cliff face. Covered in dust from the tuk tuk ride (my white tshirt now brown from the dust picked up on the road), we decided to spend the extra 2 dollars and checked into a really nice hotel. I was soo greatful for the clean white sheets, aircon and my first hot shower in just over a month. I spent the next day going from airconditioned cafe to cafe siping ice-coffee, reading and planning my next travel move. In the afternoon I walked along the river front and chatted to another travelor eager for a talk.... read more

Party Town! I floated through a limestone cave on a tube and kayaked down the river with a group. The river is surrounded by huge jagged, black karsts and beautiful mountains and forests. The second day we floated down the river on tubes. Bars line the 3km strip on the river, all with loud pumping western music, huge slides, rope swings and flying foxes (all of which I had a go at). They all had westerners working at them chatting, dancing, raving and throwing out waterbottles to pull you in. There was over 120 different guesthouses all with hundreds of rooms in town as well as heaps of restaurants to choose from. But the real choice came in what episode of family guy, friends and southpark was playing at each one. Once this important decision was ... read more

A cute small town located on the banks of the Nam Ou river. Karsts cliffs towered over the river on both sides. We walked to the Tham Pha Tok cave where villages hid out during the second Indonesian War. Just as we walked out we became engulfed in a huge storm and we ran back to the cave with some local kids to wait it out. The next day we went down the Nam Ou river back to Luang Prabang on a private boat with some other travelors stopping by a local village and the Pak Ou Caves full of budha statues.... read more

Keen to get off the typical tourist route down the Mekong river, I headed up north on a bus filled with locals, to go treking in Nationally protected Luang Nam Tha park. As it was low season, when I arrived, there was only one trek in town that had people going on it scedualed for the next day. So keen as ever I set off with 5 other lovely girls on a 3 day treck through the dense jungle, rivers, farms, hills and mountains. We stayed at a hilltribe village full of baby goats, piglets, chicks and puppies as well as many cute excited kids who loved to get their photos taken so they could see themselves on our cameras . On the second night we stayed in a village just off the side of the ... read more

Luang Prabang is a beautiful and peaceful town wedged between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Its known for its crepe and fruit shake stalls and chilled out vibe. I easily spent hours on end chilling out, sipping a fruit shake, in a cafe overlooking the river, watching the fisherman down below try for a catch and the young locals swim in its shallows, trying to escape the heat of the sun as its light danced on the rivers surface. In the cool (or less hot) of the morning and afternoon I wondered through the streets, looking at the markets, temples and local school. I went to the Kuang Si falls one day and had cheap drinks in a really cool bar called Eutopia after seeing the sun set over the town from the Phu Si ... read more

What a Journey! My first border crossing was the most strange, unorganized and stressful experience of my trip so far! After almost getting left behind while the rest of the group crossed the river, getting hit on my the immigration officer and trying to find my way with language barriers etc (so much for paying for the convenience with packaged deal), I made my way onto the slow boat headed down the Mekong River for Laos. It was a beautiful 2 day Journey amount cliffs, farms, villages, watching other boats, fisherman and local kids playing in the river as we floated by.... read more