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Knightsontour - Sally & Jason Knight

"Following the light of the sun, we left the old world.", Christopher Colombus
After 15 years combined service at Philips, it was time for a couple of qualified management accountants to have an adventure that didn't involve spreadsheets. Above all, it was time for a new challenge - no, not getting home in daylight, but seeing a bit of this beautiful world we live in. After promising ourselves countless times, this would be the year we did it, we eventually headed off on our hard earned career break on 19th January 2007 to travel for 4 1/2 months, taking in :
6 wks Australia
4 wks New Zealand
4 wks Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand
4 wks Cambodia/Vietnam

As well as keeping our family and friends updated on what we're doing, we have tried to include details that will be helpful to fellow travellers - particularly any hostels that should be avoided at all cost!

And what an adventure it is proving to be. Log in at anytime to keep up to date with our blog-fest...but don't blame us if there aren't any new blogs since the last time you looked.

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Joined on: January 29th 2007
Last Login: October 28th 2009

Blog Entries: 60
Photos: 796

TB Code: [blogger=31156]
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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Knightsontour, order by Date newest first.

By Knightsontour
May 26th 2007

Thai Cookery Class Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok

Thai Green Curry
As cooked by Jason at thai Cookery School, May Kaidee

A sort of Homecoming It was very fitting that Bangkok was the last stop of our 4 1/2 month adventure; this place felt like a second home to us after our previous visits (blog: ). After the often unwelcoming Vietnamese (blog: ), it was like coming home to an old friend. And despite our previous visits, there was still plenty more we wanted to see and do in Bangkok. Enjoying the last of our backpacker's budget with plenty of shopping was high on the agenda, as was a Thai Cookery course and catching those last rays of holiday sun before returning [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 24th 2007

Halong Bay and a likeable nutter on Cat Ba Island Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Halong Bay

The pier at Hang Sung Sot cave
Halong Bay

Halong and Hang Sung Sot cave Leaving Hanoi early (Blog: ), we headed by road for the 100km+ journey to the coastal Halong City, taking in the views of daily Vietnamese life along the way. We stopped for a break at a slightly tacky/touristy shop along the way (along with several other bus loads) which sold various Vietnamese arts and crafts; I wouldn't exactly save your Dong for this visit if you are on the same Intrepid Tour that we were on! As we closed in on Halong, we passed countless stalls all selling pineapples. In fact they all looked so [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 23rd 2007

Hanoi Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi

Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower)
Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter of Hanoi

Arriving from the last of our 3 overnight train journeys from the south to the north from Hue (Blog: ), Hanoi would be little more than a brief encounter. This was because our two nights here sandwiched a night in Cat Ba island, with much of the day before spent cruising in the shadows of the hanging limestone cliff's of Halong Bay. We knew we needed to make the most of our short stay in Hanoi but, after waking up at 4:15am in readiness to hop off the train, we waited patiently for our hotel rooms in the Old Quarter of [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 20th 2007

Hue: Seven cyclos, two Catfish and a case of the missing Forbidden Purple City Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Hué

Our lunch stop
On the road to Hue. Sadly, the food did not live up to its setting.

The road from Hoi An to Hue Leaving Hoi An (Blog: ) by mini-bus, we had the option of a scenic coastal drive past China Beach, Marble Mountains, through Danang and over the Hai Van Pass. New Zealand had taught us that any road with "Pass" in its name tended to be spectacular, so I barely listened to the alternative route our guide (Quan) offered, but hearing the word "tunnel" was enough for me! I hadn't come all this way to see the inside of a tunnel and couldn't believe our guide was even offering it as an alternative. Fortunately the [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 17th 2007

Hoi An. Suits you, sir... Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Hoi An

Beautiful Hoi An streets

Arriving by overnight train from Nha Trang Hoi An was everything I had expected Melaka in Malaysia to be (Blog: ) and so, so much more! A historical town with architecture reminiscent of old European towns, with a bustling market, waterways, many great restaurants and the ultimate place for tailoring. Then, if you have time with all there is to see and do here, between fittings at the Tailors you can escape to the beautiful surrounding countryside by hiring a bike - no doubt, with man carrying tape measure running after you! We arrived in Danang far too early in the [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 15th 2007

Nha Trang Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Nha Trang

Village just off Nha Trang
Crystal clear waters and beautiful colours.

The Overnight train from Saigon This was to be our first of 3 overnight train journeys, travelling from south to north Vietnam. We waited at the station with some trepidation at what our bed for the night might look like and, more to the point, how bad were these trains going to be? We'd come fully armed with snacks, drinks and our new gastronomic discovery, the fresh spring rolls from Saigon (Blog: ). We'd been warned off the on-board food...the tone of our local guide's warning was enough for us to heed it. The last thing you want is to have [View Full Entry]

The night train from Saigon to Nha Trang

By Knightsontour
May 11th 2007

Playing chicken with the traffic in Saigon Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City

Reunification 'Palace'
Looks more like a Council office or former Polytechnic building!

Leaving the real land of smiles Before heading into Vietnam, we had to contend with one last, early morning tug of war at Phnom Penh bus station (we were the rope). No matter, the same rucksacks that hindered our progress to the public bus, as Tuk Tuk drivers and various vendors tugged in demand of our dollars, made useful battering rams where several smiling "No thank you"s clearly were not going to be enough. Nonetheless, Cambodia had been amazing. Ten days had not been enough. We were saddened to be leaving behind the most incredible, friendliest, smiley people we'd ever met [View Full Entry]

One of the tanks to burst through the gates

By Knightsontour
May 9th 2007

Phnom Penh - city of stark contrasts: from the darkest of mornings, to teaching kids English Asia » Cambodia » South » Phnom Penh

One of many torture cells at S-21
With prisoner's toilet on the bed. The photo on the wall is the gruesome discovery uncovered in this cell by the Vietnamese when they over-threw Pol Pot.

Again, travelling by public bus, after a 5 hour journey from our beach getaway Sihanoukville (Blog: ) we arrived in Phnom Penh in time for lunch. Of course, there was the usual mayhem at the bus station as we forced our way off the bus, with Tuk Tuk drivers jostling for business. Arriving at the bus station, you can't fail to notice what I think is probably a defining building of Phnom Penh; an art-deco, crumbling central market. Sadly, I never got the opportunity to get a good photo of it for being harassed by locals after my money. The Russian [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 6th 2007

Sihanoukville Asia » Cambodia » South » Sihanoukville

Hill temple
The monks were in a hurry

Some beach side action We were pretty much awake at the crack of dawn, not long after the family we were staying with started their working day by taking the Ox out. Feeling a little jaded from a lesser night of sleep at the homestay (Blog: ), we were bound for the beach side city of Sihanoukville. We were all keen to arrive and have a shower. After another bumpy road (although nothing like Highway 6 from Poipet to Siem Reap), we eventually arrived just before lunchtime, so swifty headed to check out Occheuteal Beach and a beach side restaurant bar. [View Full Entry]

By Knightsontour
May 5th 2007

The Homestay Asia » Cambodia » South » Takéo

Our family's home...
...and our home for the night.

The journey from Kampong Cham to Takeo Again, we were pleasantly surprised by the condition of the public buses - they were good, we even had aircon. However, there would be little chance of any sleep on this journey from Kampong Cham (Blog: ). I don't think the driver ever gave his horn a rest for any longer than 30 seconds. It was quite a violent, loud beep at that too - a very rude reawakening if you did manage to drift off. We'd had another early start, so really weren't in the mood for his incessant beeping. All of us [View Full Entry]

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Knightsontour - Sally & Jason Knight

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