Thailand 7/5/09-20/5/09 M writes: Apprehensively we board the Lao Airlines propeller plane to Chiang Mai (every traveller knows about the safety record of LA...and I am still a nervous flyer), excited about seeing more of the huge amount there is to see in Thailand and regretful leaving Laos, where we were happy. An empty, friendly bus takes us into town and after an hour of L searching for something decent we settle on a basic hostel run by annoying American guy who repeatedly winks and calls his Thai clerk "Manuel" (thereby negating coolness of being an American who knows Fawlty Towers [View Full Entry]

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Time to leave Vietnam! After the hectic and sometimes stressful time we had, we don't think it is too soon either. We therefore board an early morning bus from Hue to cross the border at Lao Bao - the easiest border crossing from Vietnam to Laos. We have heard many horror stories regarding land crossing between those two countries but this one goes without a glitch. Sure, the bus is old, not AC-ed and a little dear but the sight of the conductor seating in a plastic garden chair carefully balanced in the bus corridor alongside the driver makes up for [View Full Entry]

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M writes: After introducing Gem to our favourite street caf in HCMC we stroll around Dong Khoi/Nguyen Hue area: posh shops, some French architecture, and opera house. Next morning, thanks to Gem we are able to make some strong coffee in our room before venturing out (ta big sis for the cups as well as all manner of other caring thoughts - vitamins etc, which were a good idea). We've arranged a 1/2 day tour to the Cuchi tunnels - built by the Vietcong as a defensive and protective underground complex: strategically positioned between the Communist North and occupied South. Us [View Full Entry]

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Despite the stern posters in the cafe, we sneakily set aside a few pastries at our all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, true traveller style, and headed off to Phnom Penh port for the ferry to Chau Doc in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Had another interesting chat with a young Cambodian waiter whilst we waited; he told us how with the "financial crisis" lots of garment factories are closing in Cambodia and people are heading back to their rice paddies to survive. Also how to marry he would need an unattainable amount to cash to support the family; then, typically good-naturedly, he laughed at how [View Full Entry]

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L writes: We leave Bangkok behind and enjoy duty free browsing at the airport before boarding a rather turbulent but short Air Asia flight to Phnom Penh. The drive in the taxi from the airport to the town center is totally chaotic. It appears that there is no traffic law in Cambodia. Trillions of motorbikes, scooters and tuk-tuks simply drive everywhere. Both sides of the road are fair play even on one-way streets, and it seems that junctions are negotiated with no formal priority aside for "priority to the largest" where clearly large trucks win and get to go first. We [View Full Entry]

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m writes - Well if you're going to visit one tropical island paradise, you may as well visit 2, non? Anyway, they are very different places, we were to discover. It's a gorgeous 90min ferry to Ko Phi Phi through limpid turquoise waters. Lots of touts and reps to meet us but our Viking Resort guy whisks us away from the frenzy of Tonsai to our beach next door. It's a small cove and Chantal finds it pretty claustrophobic - not the long sandy beaches you might expect; however in comparison to Fiji we find it well-kitted-out with a great bar/resto, [View Full Entry]

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OK - we were really ready for a change of scene! After a morning spent getting rid of heavy books in Sydney (limited success - we never understand anyone's directions in this country, and no-one wants to exchange anyway!) and battling with our insurance re. theft from our hotel, we hop into the "shuttle bus" (it arrives 20 mins early then stops at every hotel despite being a booked service) hungry and moody; the cheapest crap minimart sandwich was $9 which we don't have left! In the Qantas line it's moaning treavellers' heaven - we arrive 3 hours early but it's [View Full Entry]

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The flight from Nadi (Fiji) starts well - stunning view of the Mamanuca islands set in limpid green and blue waters. The landing in Port Vila is similarly beautiful - and with lush forest and unlike Fiji, lots of roaming cows - definitely free-range! And Laurent is to discover later, very, very tasty. We're greeted at the arrivals lounge by a ni-Vanuatu string band: OK, it's for the tourists but we have never seen such grins, and are fascinated by the instruments - especially the big box with a bent strung tree-branch sticking out of it: makes a booming bass! We [View Full Entry]

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ok friends, it has been too long so we're telling you about Fiji now since it isn't too out-of-date. We've been in Oz previously but since a/Queensland didn't blow us away, except Brisbane with Cheryl and Troy and b/ we've been robbed and all our valuables including memory card with Queensland photos, are gone, we'll cover that at a later date. Early start on 5 Feb to return our hire car at Sydney airport - still baffled by Aussie signage after a month, we end up in bus lane being beeped at and getting generally lost, but still manage to check [View Full Entry]

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L writes: Well, actually, this is rather misleading since there was only one cold night probably in Melbourne so far this year, what with the 45C heatwave this year and all, and it was on NYE! More to come on this. As you guys will know by now, since one of our memory cards was stolen from our hotel room in Sydney end of Feb, all photos are courtesy of Nicky (thank you Nicky!) and the blurb is from memory. More feelings than facts therefore.. Well, clearly we had such a great and leisurely time in Melbourne that we found it [View Full Entry]

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