SniffandSnore

I'll start by putting this trip and its experiences into context... I've completed almost 800 dives in 50+ dive locations around the world and one of the dives we did on this trip ranked up there in the top 10! As Ali says in his blog Awesome, Awesome, Awesome! This is the second of our forays into East coast Penninsula Malaysia diving. The first was Pulau Tioman a larger island with the mass tourism that makes things comfortable yet a bit inefficient. The diving was 'Ok lah' but nothing special... maybe we were a bit unlucky with the weather we thought but the general experience was a fun time. Some of us drove to Mersing over night some took the bus. The drive took 4 hours, the bus 5hrs. The ferry then took over 2 hours ... read more

No soon were we back from our travels we were planning a short dive holiday to recuperate from the big holiday. As soon as we set foot in Singapore, our transit location with Silkair from Kathmandu, Eric suggested a Christmas in the water at Lembeh Straits, the undisputed muck diving capital of the world. Having not been in the water since Thailand back in August we were itching to get wet and took all of a few seconds to agree. The 14th December came around very quickly with us busy sorting out our lives in KL and the flat renovation. Off we trotted on a luxury coach to Singapore on 13th December, staying one night with Kevin before winging our way to the familar airport of Manado. Choobs had already been at Bastianos on Bunaken Island ... read more

Journey through the clouds After the manic arrangements of the earlier few days, it felt rewarding to jump onto the T24 Lhasa bound train (Hard sleeper, top-bunk 524 yuan). Although a little put-off by the unchanged sheets in the hard sleepers on this Beijing originating train and not being in the same compartments, we each clambered up to our top bunks and tucked away our goody bags consisting of "pao-pao mien" (instant noodles), oodles of fresh fruit and titbits to sustain us on the train ride of a lifetime, a ride that would take us across cloud touching ranges, glorious plains that had seen their fair share of bloodshed yet fight on to retain their spirit. A ride which defied construction difficulties to cross over the highest pass at 5072m, yet further scars an already fragile ... read more

We both agreed (a rare thing I know) that to travel in China is a mission, one with chances of significant higher success if there is either a) the ability of speaking some of the language or b) paying for an interpreter. San chose the former whereas Rich chose the latter (gratuitously!)....Both of us had short scourges before into China, Rich in Shanghai for a few days with John and Siti a few years back and San with her Mum in Beijing 2000 but these short trips were like smelling the cork without tasting the wine. Four weeks of self-arranged travel, what luxury! As an aside, for the uninitiated, or for those who's knees do not bend beyond 120 degrees, China can be split into two camps.... comfortable sit-as-long-as-you-like-with-a-book toilets and squat holes in the ground. ... read more

Satisfied with the touch of quaint, small city hospitality afforded to us by Vientiane, we hopped on a tuk-tuk to the Southern Bus Station for the 7am bus towards Lak Sao but alighted at the market in the small and simple village of Ban Na Hin, SE of Vientiane. This 1 road town is an ease to navigate and we walked back along the road amongst Buffalo, Cows, Chickens, Goats and Pigs to one of the two available guest houses - XokXai Guesthouse is a comfortable, clean yet basic abode a little out of town run by a local family - we got a sizable double for 40,000kip (4USD). Desipite San's onset of a pretty serious dogdy tum, we chose to make the 2 hour walk through the rain forest to Tamsanam waterfall (5000kip entry payable ... read more