Pete and Toms Excellent Adventure

After the party that was Vang Vien it was nice to find that the next place on our itinerary (and where we would take our next flight since landing in BEIJING!) was a bit more relaxed. Luang Prabang definitely catered for the more upmarket traveler/holiday maker with a lovely un-intimidating night market, boutique hotels, western "standard" restaurants and a location making it the perfect hub for day trips into the jungle. I had cut my foot in the river (I add a very innocuous and what appeared small injury), which after a days travelling was showing the first signs of infection (which for anyone who knows me is becoming a bit of a regular problem with my feet). So one of our stops was to the hospital to get it cleaned by medical professionals and collect ... read more

With all the hype this place had been getting from other party going travellers our expectations were pretty high, so much so that when we got of the night bus at Vientiane we chartered a mini bus straight for the place, which is about 5 hours north down the bumpiest, shockingly maintained roads we have seen. Once there a quick change later, some lunch and we were on a tuk tuk bound for the start of the tubing section of river, tubes stepped precariously to the roof. If you can imagine a strip of bars on a Saturday night combined with a river set in beautiful jungle countryside with a water park attached then your pretty much there. Two days later and two afternoons tubing interspersed with numerous Friends episodes we were ready to take a ... read more

We Spent three nights on Don Det the more backpackery of the two main islands by the largest falls in Asia, called Khong Phopheng Falls. Here we were able to spot the very rare Irrawaddy dolphin on one of the fast boats which race up and down the river, cycle the quite paths which criss cross the adjoining islands and chill out at the local reggae bar after enjoying the sunset on a deserted island.... read more

After a 5 hour bus journey discovering that indeed the guest house you had been recommended was worth the hype felt pretty good. The roof top pool being a particular highlight with dedicated massage zone on the floor below. It was also pretty nice to bump into friends we had met back in Vietnam, so we knew what we were doing that evening and that was to discover Siem Reaps night life! The first temple we discovered in Angkor was that of a bar/club called Temple Club with the loudest sound system I have ever experienced and free t-shirts with every bucket. The next day was a leisurely affair as we had decided to only watch the sunset later in the day at a popular spot on one of the hill top temples. That meant most ... read more

After finding out that the bus to Phnom Penh wasn't allowed into the centre of city due to the water festival we jumped in a tuk tuk with a couple of kiwis and headed for the hostel we had decided on. It turned out we had found the only tuk tuk in Phnom Penh with a sound system and accompanying music video player. After enjoying the journey we decided to hire the tuk tuk for the next day. It was a great decision. The next morning we were picked up from our hostel and taken to the Killing Fields, which I think is a must if your ever in Cambodia. A very well narrated audio tour accompanies you as you wander through one of the many places across the coutry where terrible acts of genercide took ... read more

This morning we got the bus to Cambodia. It turned out the bus company or staff were running an extra cheeky flip flop cargo to make some extra dong. Stuffed into every footwell and luggage compartment were Bags full of flip flops. I can only hope it's some sort of aid for those effected by the flooding, but think its more likely aid for the staffs wage. The journey was fairly good the view consisting mainly of street side communities dotted between flooded paddy fields running into the horizon.... read more

Hanoi compared to Saigon is quiet. This place is non stop 24 hours a day with the constant flow of traffic and the never ending sound of horns. Never do you get a moments piece. We sat having dinner one night on the corner of the main street and not for one second were we able to focus on something, the surroundings were constantly changing. As to be expected with any major city they cater for westerners very well, however, for the best food the local Vietnamese stalls are the place to go. Our time here has been spent sightseeing the Cu Chi tunnels and the War museum. The tunnels were great to see and to experience how small and compact they were. Both Pete and I are not great fans of museums but the war ... read more

Other than being physically assaulted by hookers after leaving the bars late at night and the constant bombardment to buy tourist crap from the street vendors, Nha Trang was a great place to spend a few nights. The resort is very Westernised and home to some lovely sandy beaches. Other than sun bathing all day and playing football on the beach with the locals, we pretty much chilled out here and enjoyed the various western style food which did not consist of rice and beef noodles- a pleasant change to the last few weeks. After 3 nights in Nha Trang we travelled to Mui Ne for yet more sunbathing and even more beautiful beaches. Food here has mainly been fresh seafood. Again, we didn’t really do much here other than enjoying the beaches, however, today I ... read more

A total of 3 nights were spent in Hoi An, a very busy but small coastal city in central Vietnam. Other than getting suits made up we did very little other than chilling out on the perfect sandy beach and eating and drinking. Our last night there coincided with the end of the month in the Vietnamese Calendar. This meant the hole city was lit up and had the pleasant smell of burning incense. At the tailors both myself and Pete had a pimped suit, shirt and tie made up. Whilst Pete was getting measured for his suit I went back to the room to wait for him before going to eat. 1 hour 40 minutes later Pete finally returned to the room having got slightly carried away and bought another suit, 3 pairs of shoes, ... read more

So the last few days have been spent travelling by various means from Hanoi to Hue. The first stop on the way was Mai Chau where we stayed in a quiet and friendly little homestay right in the mountains and jungle of Vietnam(Malaria tablets are now being taken). Several days later we arrived in Phong Nha which was our first tourist stop along the way to Hue. Phong Nha is home to the biggest caves in Asia and used during the American war as a storage point for the Vietnamese weaponry. Even knowing that the caves were the largest in Asia, we were still not expecting to see how big they actually were!! A very impressive sight for anyone thinking of coming to Vietnam. Other than the homestay in Mai Chau the accommodation along the way ... read more