No more sunshine!!! Well, we’re nearly there. Our final country, our final journey, and now our final blog!! After a long but uneventful overnight train journey from Vientiane to Bangkok, immediately followed by a posh mini-bus from Bangkok to Ko Samet, we were looking forward to our final 2 weeks of globe-trotting, which would be spent topping up our tans, and getting well and truly sickened by Thai food! We weren’t immediately impressed by Ko Samet. After rave reviews by friends and travelers we were expecting another postcard perfect desert island (ala Ko Lipe), when w [View Full Entry]

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Well, we made it to the capital city with little or no trouble. Booked into the Riverside hotel, which is about 100m from the river, but a nice place... never saw the river!!! We don't really know what to say about Vientianne. Seems like they have not actually finished it yet. Building works everywhere, dodgy roadworks where there are actually roads. However, this was the location for James' birthday so we were going to make the most of it. Birthday itinerary was as follows: Continental breakfast in bed followed by present wrapping, and birthday-cake style croissants with candles. I [View Full Entry]

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Ever been on a bus for 6 hours over mountains with steep winding sides holding onto your stomachs, with armed 14 year old militia with AK47s waving at the bus as you go past? We have!!!! We had a lovely time!!! Arrived in Vang Vieng, a typical tourist spot lodged between beautiful carst limestone valleys. Booked into one of the best value and well furnished guest house/hostels we have stayed in, for the equivalent of 2.50. Well comfy bed, air conditioning and a HOT SHOWER!!! Nothing much to do in the town except watch movies in one of the generic [View Full Entry]

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Slow Boat down the Mekong Ok, so we made it to Laos alright, with one of the most lax border crossings we have seen so far, as well as one of the most novel. Arrived off our minibus, and had our visa taken care of whilst we sat and had a rest, then a longtail boat across the Mekong River, then checked in on the Laos side, without anything so much as an official in sight, except behind the counter asking for an extra 2000kips of "overtime money" (about 20p). After some bad advise by a Thai person, on the Thai [View Full Entry]

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So as previously mentioned, we made it up to Chiang Mai on another sleeper train, and another 18 hour journey. Seems easy now! 2 hour European flights will be a breeze... Spent the first day getting our barings in the city. We quite like Chiang Mai, for a city of its size, its fairly relaxed. Not quite as manic as Bangkok! A moat envelopes the old town district, with more of the commercial markets and businesses further out to the east. Made a quick scout of the tailor shops to see where James was to get his suit made, before visiting [View Full Entry]

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So, as we left in the last blog, we headed up from our paradise at Ko Lipe, via an overnight sleeper train, and some more random methods of transport, up to the town of Kanchanaburi. A favourite with travellers for its close proximity to 'The Bridge over the river Kwai', and the Thailand / Burma "Death Railway". Without going into too much of a history lesson, for those of you that don't know about these things, the basics of the story are... During the war (as Uncle Albert used to say) the Japanese (who had invaded and occupied much of Thailand [View Full Entry]

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Well, we both had big smiles on our faces when we arrived in Lipe, we found our paradise!!! The longed for white beaches, clear green waters, and Thai hospitality which we so loved last time we were here, were evident minutes after crossing the border from Malaysia... An ill James, and an eager to leave Karen got the minibus from Penang - Malaysia, across the border to a hub city called Hat Yai, where we changed and journeyed on an open back taxi, followed by 3 hours worth of local buses, followed by another open back taxi to a port town [View Full Entry]

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So... After overnighting on the train from Singapore, we arrived in Kuala Lumpur reasonably fresh and ready. Took a taxi from the train station to the highly recommended Number Eight hostel. Really nice boutique style hostel in a decent central location. What more could you ask for? Went on a mission to the central market area and Merdeka Square, which is a preened procession/ festival area and gardens. Went to a typical tourist market and bought some typical tourist tat, then went to the Lake Gardens, which would have been lovely had they not been in the middle of renevations so [View Full Entry]

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Welcome readers... we aint to sure where January went to... hmmmm. So after our trip down the east coast of Australia, its nice to get somewhere a little more culturaly different. Arrived in Singapore after an easy 9 hour flight, caught the MRT (tube) to our rather bizarre hostel called 'Hawaii Hostel'. Strange place, no hot water, full of chinese and Asian families who all seemed to share on room. Asian ladies in full Sari type outfits happily sitting chatting on the stairs, and topless old fat chinese men watching tv... not quite what we had become used to in Oz, [View Full Entry]

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SO, after a sandy few days on Fraser Island, it was nice for a change of scenery and pace. We spent a couple of days with our friends Mark and Cheryl, whom we met when doing the Inca trail in Peru. Was really great living for a couple of days in a typical Aussie "Queenslander" style house that was gorgeous. Wooden framed, airy spacious rooms, great back deck and garden. Really comfy. Many thanks Mark and Cheryl for a lovely couple of days, and your hospitality!!! We really appreciate it! We even managed to get our washing done!!! Spent on of [View Full Entry]

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