http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Surfboy/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Surfboy en-us Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:42:54 +0000 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:42:54 +0000 Took me 9 hours to ride the bike from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang mainly cos I kept stopping to look at the scenery Almost went over the cliffs a few times oggling the landscape amazing scenery Got a bit worried at one point cos all the men walking alongside the mountain roads appeared to be carrying guns that looked suspiciously like AK47 Assualt rifles But they seemed friendly enough Most http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-456498.html Decided only proper way to see Laos was by bike. Hired a Honda XR 250 and headed north. Stayed few days in Vang Vieng. Unreal scenery Stayed out of town for few days in great guesthouse called SKC right on the river. Think I was one if only two guests Very chilled out place. Most people here are tubing down the river but thats a bit too hectic for me Nightlife is crazy town full of bars and re http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-456418.html Laos at last Wanted to travel here since I can remember. Crossed over the Thai Laos Friendship bridge and caught a bus to Vientiane. In the capital Vientiane and only word that comes to mind is Isnt. Vientiane just isnt like any other South East Asian capital. Isnt big isnt noisy isnt dirty Just very friendly very clean and very French Old French colonial buildings everywhere. And best of al http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-454739.html Moved from far North West of Thailand to Nong Khai on the East. Arrived in the dark and woke up the next morning and the first thing I saw was the Mekong Nong Khai is a very relaxed little town and staying at the wonderful Cycled to the very bizzare Sala Kae Kou sculpture garden huge sculptures of Bhuddist Hindu and Christian figures. Very amazing. Met one of the old men involved in its constr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-East-Thailand/Nong-Khai/blog-454057.html Visited the amazing north of Chiang Mai in the Mae Taeng Valley. As far as I know this is the only Elephant park in the area where you cant ride the elephants and the elephants dont perform at all thats what makes it so good. You just get to see and interact with 40 or so elephants in thier natural environment. The park is committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and mistreated elep http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-453118.html Hired a bike for a trip around the Samoeng loop and the Mae Sa Vally from Chiang Mai. Very easy and picturesque 110Km loop. Visited the Tiger Kingdom where within a few minutes of arriving you find yourself face to face with lots of tigers Inside thier enclosure You can choose baby cub tigers young tigers or the big tigers. I said big ones please Cool but slighty unnerving experience but the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Samoeng/blog-452449.html Last leg was from Mae Hong Son to Pai then back to Chiang Mai. Roads around Pai were amazing hairpin bends all the way Liked Pai very chilled out place but loads going on. Spent day just riding around the countryside doing big loop following the river. Finally back to Chiang Mai. Really enjoyed the loop especially on the Kawasaki missing it allready http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/blog-451965.html Third day was long ride north from Mae Sarieng to Mae Hong Son. Really liked Mae Hong Son and spent extra day there. Found amazing little restuarant and ordered Larb as never tried it before. Wow best thing Ive tasted here yet Spent day on the bike going to see Huai Sua Tao village and its settlement of Padaung Longneck women. Really wierd experience as you try not to stare at thier necks but ca http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-451865.html Second day was ride due West towards Burmese border to town of Mae Sarieng. Day didnt start well as raining up in the mountains and very cold. Sun soon came out and all was well Roads were fantastic and no other traffic apart from 4X4s loaded with cabbages Started to really get to grips with the Kawasaki and was throwing it through bends and roaring up the hills with ease Liked liitle town of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-451692.html Decided to rent a bike and do the legendary Mae Hong Son loop. 6 days 906Km and 1648 bends Bought the loop map and on the front it said North Thailands Rugged northwest frontier Wasnt sure what bike to choose but Kawasaki 250 D Tracker looked good so off I set. First leg was from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park. The park was great full of waterfalls and the summit of Doi Inthanon http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-451588.html 5 hours by bus north of Sukothai to Chiang Mai. Very laid back city famous for its food. Went out to nearest little restuarant and had amazing curry fror 25 Baht City is full of temples dont have to walk too far and find one. Nightlife pretty good too Loy Krathong in full swing so fireworks everywhere got very drunk and persuaded two Thai girls to send up beacon for me for 20 Baht Always mak http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-449635.html Long day getting to Sukhothai from Ayuthaya walked across Ayuthaya river ferry to train station 4 hour train to Phitsanulok walk across town to get a bus 1 hour bus ride to Sukhothai then local bus to guesthouse But great guesthouse TR and really like Sukhothai Historical Park so big and so many Wats Spent very hot day cycling around a few and not Watted out yet http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Sukhothai/blog-448921.html Off to Ayuthaya by train never been on a train in Thailand but how tricky can that be Found Hualampong Station in Bangkok easy checked on my ticket and with the Station Kiosk defintely platform 7 they both said. So there I am sitting on platform 7 and no sign of any train. Waited 15 minutes still no train. I showed my ticket to some Thai guys and they called a Platform Attendant he looked a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Ayuthaya/blog-448765.html Arrived in Bangkok from London and so good to be warm again Got totally soaked in the rain trying to find a guesthouse amongst the never ending alleyways of Chinatown but it was worth the effort 7th floor restuarant overlooking the Chao Praya River was awesome Went to see Royal Palace which was way too big but very colourful Wat Pho was great and Chinatown noisy but enjoyed it all http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-448571.html Made it back to Boracay for the Easter Week but now it was so busy Holy Week is the main holiday in the Philippines and the Island was packed with local visitors from Manila Cebu Illoilo in fact from everywhere Had real problem finding anywhere to stay as everything was fully booked but a nice local lady let us have her room in her guesthouse and she moved in to her basement Stayed in Angol http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Boracay/blog-391213.html Decided to travel from Manila back to Boracay for Easter Week not a very clever idea as this is the busiest week of the year for Boracay managed to get a flight to Kalibo and stayed a few days. Famed for its Ati Atihan festival the town was very quiet. Went to visit the Mangrove Sanctuary just outside of the town which was nice but unbelievably hot http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Panay/Kalibo/blog-390417.html Was in Manila meeting my friend Pelle and needed an escape Nearest beach resort is Puerto Galera in Mindoro so hopped on a bus to Batangas and Banca over to Sabang. Sabang has a reputation for two main activities diving and nightlife but it cant seem to decide which one has priority So here you can have both Had been before and dived here and the diving is very good but this time just neede http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Mindoro/Puerto-Galera/blog-386330.html I had heard so much about Boracay I just had to visit Some people had said it was awful some that it is paradise So I was intrigued to say the least. Boracay is I guess the number one tourist destination in the Philippines famed for its white sand beach. So I flew from Cebu to Caticlan in Panay tricycle to the ferry port ferry across to Boracay then tricycle to the beach Easy All the bad t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Boracay/blog-383297.html Spent a few days on Mactan Island not my favourite place so far in the Philippines Very expensive beach resorts which are isolated from any contact with local people. At least the weather was good about the only thing which was http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Cebu/Mactan-Island/blog-382516.html The weather in Cebu was getting so much better I decided it was time to go diving. Travelled over to Ormoc in Leyte then south to Padre Burgos. The diving was fantastic especially at Panoan amazing soft corals and fish everywhere Limasawa Island was also excellent. So good to be out of the City and wake up to the sound of lapping waves outside the window Really liked Southern Leyte and so goo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Leyte/blog-380714.html