http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/OllyandKaty/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from OllyandKaty en-us Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:15:02 +0000 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:15:02 +0000 Borneo SabahSempornaMabul island SipidanSandakanSepilokMount KinabaluKota Kinabalu Island 1 2After taking our first Air Asia flight to Kota Kinabalu we realised that really we needed to be on the other side of Sabah and so took another flight to Tawau. This was an amazing flight as we could see the whole of Sabah from the air rainforest mountain ranges and gorgeous coastline. After clim http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/blog-416847.html ButterworthPenangPerhentian Islands Cameron Highlands Tanah RataMelakaKuala LumpurForget Thailand come on Malaysia. We departed on the sleeper train from Chumphon and arrived at Butterworth the next morning. We then got a ferry to Penang an island with a great colonial feel mixed with Malaysian Chinese and Indian notes. On Kate and Lee's recommendation we stayed at the amazing Penang Guest H http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/blog-413055.html Chiang RaiChiang MaiPaiBangkokKoh TaoChumphonFrom the LaosThai border we took a bus to Chiang Rai. Moving into Thailand felt like stepping into the future. We did a little bit of sightseeing and the draw of a 'brit bar' with a pool table pulled us in The bar was run by two brothers from Bolton. They were aged about 60 and one of them was proud to tell us that he was in the process of becoming a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-408417.html PhongsaliBon NeuaUdonxaiLuang Nam ThaHouay Xai Thai BorderAfter the monster boat journey up the Nam Ou We spent a few days in quiet Phongsali. Whilst we were there we met Peter a very tall Austrian who also wanted to go trekking and so the three of us set off on a Ray Mears adventure. After chartering a tuktuk we arrived in Bon Neua where we met our guide Som Sak. From here we boarded a tra http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/North/blog-400357.html VientianeVang ViengLuang PrabangNong KhiawMuang NoiMuang KhuaPhongsaliWe spent two days in Laos capital city Vientiane. A nice city on the river ... the most chilled out capital city in the world. We took in most of the sights by foot and spent a whole afternoon in the bowling alley. Two pairs of socks and three games later we had spent our 'fun' money and had to drag ourselves away. Opposite the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/blog-400120.html Siem ReapLao AirlinesFinally left Benidorm and took a 10 hour bus ride up to Siem Reap in north Cambodia. Spent two days exploring the temples of Angkor and bummed around Siem Reap for another three. The temples were well worth the bus ride up here. We saw the impressive Angkor Wat the Tomb Raider temple that nature had completely overrun Bayon the temple of 54 faces and many many more. After a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-394889.html Phnom PenhKepRabbit Island Koh TonsayKep Khmer New YearKampotSihnoukville After arriving in Phnom Penh we spent a couple days just mooching about with Jim. He opened our eyes a bit and introduced us to the 'roaring temple' cocktail which neither of us sampled I hasten to add. See pic. Jim then went of radar we think he fell in love again and we decided to leave the capital for something mo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/blog-392609.html NanningVietnam Cross Border HanoiHalong BayCat Ba Island Halong BayHanoiHueHi Van PassDanangHoi An My SonHueSaigonLeft Nanning on the bus and headed for the Vietnamese border the craziest border crossing ever. After dismounting the coach you are taken to the Chinese border by golf cart then through no mans land to the Vietnamese border by golf cart before finally getting on board the bus http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-390176.html Hong KongMacauSleeper TrainGuangzhouGuilinYangshouNanningArrived in Hong Kong and set up base in a room that was 3m by 3m ... Tommy's place. We stumbled across a Japanese restaurant and met the owner who then took us to his Karaoke bar. We were then serenaded by a random American who loved a bit of Paul Young. Spent 5 days in Hong Kong soaking up the highlights ... the Victoria Peak Tram the Sp http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-382407.html Final Map of locations http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-356635.html FlorencePisaTorre del Lago PucciniSan Gimignano Siena Aire at Massa MaratimaRomePompei Mt VesuviusVico Equenseamalfi coastMarina di CamerotaSeven nights in Choggia and another trip to Venice. No sign of Major Ingram this time which was a dissapointmentWhen we finally managed to drag ourselves away from the campsite in Choggia we headed through amazing Tuscan scenery up into the mountains http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-327590.html SalzburgBledLjubljanaLignano SabbiadoroVeniceChoggia SottomarinaSalzburg ... to Slovenia ... to Venice. All alone again we headed back into Austria to Salzburg where Maria Von Trapp skipped around the hills singing her heart out. We saw the Von Trapp family home which is actually a palace and Olly had to put up with me singing my heart out like a nun. Barry was leaking a serious amount of c http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-327588.html Annecy SevrierLake Garda BordalinoNatters Austria InnsbruckSt Johan in TirolZell am SeeKonigssee Well the Hymer arrived in Annecy and Barry was no longer alone. Four Fartarses arrived laden with fine chocolate biscuits and enough tea to fill a swimming pool. Annecy was beautiful however it never stopped raining and so after a week of failing to dry the washing we headed to the Italian L http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-327587.html St TropezSte MaximAntibesMonacoGreolieresGrenobleSt Hilaire du Touvet paraglidingLe Bourget du LacChamonixFound Pampelonne beach and 16 Avenue Berthie Albretch where mum and Gail lived which was brilliant to see. In Ste. Maxim We met John Ex AA Patrol man Jo and their dog Whisky ... which they insisted we fed chews to over and over again until we could master the technique of making Wisky http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-327583.html Andorra Barcelona...via lloret de marSant Pere Pescador SpainLes Stes Maries de la Mer FranceArlesPort St Louis De RhoneSt TropezSpent a few days in Andorra. Loved the mountains and went xcountry mountain biking which was wicked Stocked up on cheap booze including some pear vodka mmmm and 2 litres of pastiche. We then rolled all the way down to Barcelona where we found our abode ... a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-307129.html Day 15 to Day 20 Vieux Boceau We do not know how we stumbled across this place we just stopped for a brew and ended up staying for 5 days. An English chap called Mike said it was a really good place to stay and that he had lots of vin rouge and pastiche in his mega bus to drink.....get in Spent most evenings with Mike and Anne getting hammered days were spent on a huge beach watching the su http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-301755.html Day 7 Echillais Aire An Aire is a cheapy motorhome stop ... Olly worked out that Barry is as greedy for fuel as he is with booze. It's going to be an expensive trip to keep these two engines running Day 8 Went back to La Rochelle to get Barry fixed. All he needed was a good greasing medium style greeeease Which was free Went to Bordeaux where we bought the first bottle of vino of t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-301529.html Day 1 We set off from Poole and headed to St Malo. Thankfully Olly found his sea legs and so we didn't have to spend four and half hours clinging to the railings of the upper deck. Found our first Aire a nice car park our new hang outs close to the marina and had a walk around the walls of St Malo drooling in the windows of the creperies. Barry started to play up and so we now need to find a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-301524.html At home setting up the Blog Let it begin http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-Manchester/Didsbury/blog-286288.html