This was a journey and a half. We left Don Det (all 30 of us) at 8am, eventually getting on a bus to take us to the Laos-Camodia Border. We were able to get our visa at the border, however instead of paying the 20$, we payed 2$ to leave Laos, then another 4$ for other random reasons, most definately going into their pockets, ah well we half expected it! From there we got on another bus to Phnom Penh which was suppose to get us there for 6pm, but no, we arrived at 11pm!! This journey was "interesting", theyd [View Full Entry]

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Not really sure if there is precisely 4 thousand islands, but this place is right at the bottom of Laos where the Mekong River spilts breaks up the land and is one of the places you can see the rare Irrawady Dolphins. After the bus journey from Vientiane we stopped in Pakse for some breakfast, seemed like an alright place but you wouldnt want to spend too long here, more of a base for day trips or a stop over if you have to. From Pakse we negotiated our own minivan which was luxurious until we picked up 3 others [View Full Entry]

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Every single person I spoke to that had been to Vientiane had not rated it atall, so made the call to not stay the night. We spent the day/afternoon in Vientiane going for lunch and finding the Temple with the Herbal Sauna/Massage and it was well worth it. Its the one listed in the Lonely Planet but when we got there it wasnt very busy and a nice mix of Locals and Backpackers! The tuktuk took us around and showed us the main sights so we were able to get a feel for the place (which I didnt think seemed [View Full Entry]

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After a great few days in Luang Prabang I was ready to move to the place Id heard so many mixed reviews - apparently its like marmite - you either love it or hate it! The main thing to do here is Tubing along the river and sitting around watching Friends in any of the many Tv bars. The journey from LB was a nightmare (for me anyway!) I got seriously motion sick, and actually pucked out the window - nice! The roads were extremly whindy and what can I say, I obviously prefer to be in the driving seat [View Full Entry]

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On 10th May I fly from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang which only takes about an hour! When we landed we were able to buy a Tourist Visa for 30days on arrival, which cost 35$. In Laos there are 3 currencies used - American Dollars, Thai Baht and Lao Kip! This makes it very confusing when working out costs, but im slowly getting the hang of it now - at least its a little exercise for my brain!!! Found some great accommodation in Luang Prabang which was recommended (thank you Patrick!) It was 6$ per night for a gorgeous room [View Full Entry]

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Bye Bye Chiang Mai Asia » Thailand » Chiang Mai By Sophia C May 10th 2007 Around the World After returning from Meditation Retreat on the 9th I decided to treat myself by going to the hairdressers and getting my hair washed and straightened (girls will apreciate how good this was!), I also had a pedicure! Hair only cost 1pound and Pedicure 1.50 - s [View Full Entry]

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I was really interested about doing this retreat after hearing about it. I thought it would be great to learn to meditate and learn about buddhism in general (especially after attending the Monk Chat) You can check it out online www.monkchat.net. The photos from our time there will be online soon, as it was a little difficult for me to take photos when we were suppose to be chanting or meditating! Unfortunately I was ill from the dinner the night before so nearly didnt go. Managed to rest a little before we had to leave so felt better, but still [View Full Entry]

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Today I did a Thai Massage course, and it hurt! It was very intense and physical. We did have fun though, as we had to take it in turns "massaging" eachother. Its definately harder than it looks! Our teacher had a great sense of humour, especially when Kal was practicing on him - he'd make groaning noises and say "yes Kal, that feels goooood!" Our course started at 9am and finished at 4pm. After that we went to a "Monk Chat", something Patrick recommended. It was really good, just sitting around and talking to Monks (mainly novice monks training at [View Full Entry]

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Well I started today off with a Thai Massage which was so nice - and so cheap up here 3quid for 1 hour. Have decided to do a massage course at the same place tomorrow. After lunch the rain finally stopped and the sun started to show its face. So took the opportunity to go for a wander and check some of the mant Temples (Wats). Iv met a lovely couple from Leicester - Kal & Pauline, and a guys from Switzerland - Patrick... we all went out together. Chiang Mai is very historical, the architecture is stunning, I especially [View Full Entry]

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04/05/07 - Well after 12 hours travelling, by minivan, coach, bus, coach, another coach, plane, another plane and finally taxi I arrived in Chiang Mai. Have been so looking forward to coming up to northern Thailand as have heard sooo many good things! Unfortuantely the weather is bad here too! However there are lots of courses you can take and overall the cost of living is soooo much cheaper than the Islands. After finding a good guest house, after only 10 minutes I was invited out with a group of people going to a kickboxing match. Friday nights seem to [View Full Entry]

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