http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/juvigiller/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from juvigiller en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:31:09 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:31:09 BST From Koh Lanta we made Trang by minibus employing ferry two times in three hours. Having lunch there we transferred to another minibus and travelled another three hours for Hat Yai. Instead of 3 orsquoclock they put us to another minibus at 5 pm to Penang. At around 7 pm we were at the border under heavy rain. Almost no formalities at the border. We reached Penang at 10 pm in George Town. Ge http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Terengganu/Perhentian-Besar/blog-264690.html We were planning to go to The Little Mermaid Hotel on Kata Beach. At the minibus a Swedish lady recommended us the same hotel but she insisted that the hotel was on Karon Beach. By her guidance we dropped at Karon Beach. At the first glance we didnrsquot like the hotel. But we stayed one week at that hotel and it was perfect with western management. Most of the guests were from Scand http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Phuket/blog-261790.html Hello EverybodyWe bought a joint ticket bus and ferry at Koh Samui for Krabi paid 450 TBaht each . When we reached to Krabi the bus left us in an isolated port where it was also a bus station. We couldrsquot move anywhere and they forced us to rent a taxi to Ao Nang 400 TBaht. They tried to sell guest house in the bus station. We refused all and outside we got into a taxi who brough http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ao-Nang/blog-260039.html Sawasdii helloLeaving Chiang Mai we arrived early morning at Bangkok. We locked our luggage at the train station and went to Qatar Airways to prepone our flight early April but unfortinately we could only book for 15th April paying extra 50 euros.Gunay had her hair cut in a beauty salon. She was very much pleased with her hair cut and the price . The care they paid for her was ultimate.In th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Samui/blog-257622.html On arrival Chiang Mai we settled in a very comfortable guest house Mandala House with internet in the room and very clean. In Chaing Mai we took two tours One was full day tour to elephant camp bambu rafting ox cart riding orchid and butterfly farms. As you will see from the pictures our tour members one Chinese two Canadian two from U.S.A. and we two Turks had a lot of fun.As for http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North/Chiang-Mai/blog-255022.html The road between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang has continuing sharp turns going up and down almost 6 hours.We took this road by minibus.Because of the road stress we had pain on our muscles.Luang Prabang is an old capital of Laos with simple architecture and many tens of temples. Every temple has a different name. The city is full of monks and their pray begins at 06 am. The temple on the top of a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-254486.html Vientiane is a peaceful citylittle traffic less people quite quality shopsno insist from sellers no hurry no worry slowly slowly.Lao PDR stands for lsquoPeoples Democratic Republic lsquo has been converted among tourists as lsquoPlease Donrsquot Rushrsquo. We wandered around the city two days.We travelled to Vang Vieng on 3rd March by bus . We stayed at a nice resort Thavonsouk Re http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/blog-252604.html In 12 hours we arrived at Hanoi from Hue by sleeper bus. A very busy and noisy city. But the life is not so difficult once you learn how to cross the busy roads. Most of the touristic activities concentrated nearby the Hoan Kiem Lake. We stayed at Sunshine 2 Hotel at the very center. We took a city tour the first day then we wandered around the lake by cyclo a bicycle like tranport.Shops are http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-250299.html The main reason to visit Hue is the citadel of the old capitol along with the royal tombs scattered around the countryside.In 19th century and untill the mid 20th century Vietnam was ruled by French Authority. In Vietnam war during the 1968 Tet offensive there was heavy fighting in Hue and much of it was concentrated in the area of the citadel. Consequently much of it was damaged.The Imperial Ci http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/North-Central-Coast/Hue/blog-249395.html The sleeper bus was comfortable enough for 10 hours night journey. We spent three beautiful days in Nha Thrang. The first day we enjoyed La Louisiana a beach club with a pool serving western type. We entered our Saigon blog there. The second day we went to Mud and Spring Center on the nearby mountains. They are selling hope there. We thought to have a silky skin after the bath but the reality i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Nha-Trang/blog-247215.html This is the first time we crossed a border by bus. The bus left us at a very convenient place where we easily found our hotel 20 USD per night incl. breakfast and w ifi in the room. Vietnam may be the cheapest country for tourists in the region. As in Cambodia in Vietnam also local Vietnam Dong and US currencies videly used together.Ho Chi Minh City HCMN is very noisy but very frienly city. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-246608.html After five hours bus journey we arrived at Phnom Penh on 12th Feb. Since Chinese new year holiday was over we could easily find a good Guest House Burly Guest House with very reasonable price of 13 USD per night AC TV hot water. In the afternoon we walked through the center of the city and had dinner at FCC Foreign Correspondents Club which was really a nice place on the Riverf http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-246235.html Enjoying every day of Cambodia . We made Siem Reap in 5 hours by bus from Phnom Penh where we stayed only a night and will return in few days. Although it is Chinese new year we could find a good guest house Golden Banana BB free internet available.We were dreaming for years to see Angkor. At last we did it. We got three days entrance ticket 40 USD each. Actually two days might be optimum bu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-244472.html We left Koh Chang under heavy rain bye ferry to Trat. Afterwards we took a minibus to the Cambodia border one and half hour. We have got our Cambodia visas at the border paying almost the double price about 40 USD each as written in internet. From the border to Koh Kong we shared a taxi by a Swiss man. There was no bus no ferry to Sihanoukville in the afternoon. Therefore we had to s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/West/Sihanoukville/blog-243822.html At the last day of our visit to Bangkok we took a Public River Boat to the very South of Chaophraya River . We visited Menam Hotel where we have stayed fifteen years ago.Little changed but more beautiful. By Sky Train we went to the night market Patbong . Almost everything is fake and for good shopping strong bargaining skills needed. All along the market road there stands many sex shows http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/East/Ko-Chang/blog-242027.html Bangkok again.Bus journey from Izmir to Istanbul was almost perfect with Kamil Koc. We got the train from the main bus station Esenler to the Ataturk Airport . It took only 20 minutes to reach directly inside the terminal. Flight was OK to Doha . Qatar Airways provided us a room at Grand Regency Hotel with meals. By this stopover we got the chance of seeing the city. We reached Thailand early http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-240139.html From Varanasi to Delhi 305t was our last and seventh night spent on train in India. We arrived at Delhi early in the morning on 14th Feb.. We could hardly find a suitable budget hotel at Connaught Place because most of the hotels were booked due to the exh305b305t305ons and fa305rs held in Delhi dur305ng the week . The next day we went to the Tourism Office at New Delhi R http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-42607.html We made the road from Khajuraho to Satna by jeep we have hired in three hours. At Satna railway station we spent more than three hrs. There is almost nothing to see in Satna. It is a crowdeed and boring town for us. We spent the on train with a nice friend from Italy. At last we arrived in Varanasi. The train station is about 5km away from the Ghats. Ghats are the downstairs leading into Gange R http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-41336.html We couldn't find confirmed ticket to Jhansi for 8.12 train we traveled by 9.25 train. It reached Jhansi 13.40 hr so we missed the last bus 13.30 for Khajuraho. Then we hired a jeep for 1500 inR. We shared the cost with another friend we met Jaipur. It took 4 hrs including a lunch break on the way.Khajuraho is a relatively calm town. Erotic figures carved on temples impressed us very much. 1000 ye http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Madhya-Pradesh/Khajuraho/blog-40515.html A restfull night we had on the train to Jaipur from Jaisalmer. Jaipur is also a very crowded city. We were expecting the Pink City area calm but it wasn't. We took a fuul day tour from the tourist office at the railway station. Although the price of the tour was very cheap many extras made the bill high. 180 inR for the museum 10 inR for observatory area few other entrances and the lunch we pai http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaipur/blog-40019.html