The Muezzin wasn't even warming up his vocal chords when I started for the border at 4.30am. Lots of sad looking wrecks making their way back to their hotels from khao san rd as I hopped a taxi to hualamphong railway station where I paid the princely sum of 48bht for a ticket on the 5.55am to Arranyapathet. Despite dire warnings to the contrary in various travel blogs the train left on time. All carriages are 3rd class but clean and comfy enough once I had fixed the seat with the help of the guy across the aisle. My travelling companion for the day turned out to be a young English girl taking a year's break from University to study in Bangkok, and a fine travelling companion she was. We had the idiocy of Brexit resolved ... read more

Woken this morning by the Muezzin's call at 5am. Who needs sleep anyway. By the time I've got the shower figured out and got myself sorted it's time to hit the buffet. And a substantial one it was. Just the thing to set a bloke up for a long day's sight seeing. Headed for the Grand Palace and hadn't gone more than 500m when I saw a couple of young guys looking lost and staring at a cellphone, so looking my authoritarian best I said "Grand Palace", they responded in the affirmative so I pointed out a large sign with an arrow on it that said Grand Palace 800m, so Lance from Beijing, Kaliong from Jakarta and I teamed up for the day to take in the sights. After a couple of hours taking in the ... read more

Azure blue waters, blinding white coral sand that is so soft it's like talcum powder, coconut palms swaying in a gentle breeze, a hot tropical sun, a room with a king-sized bed that stands 3 feet high and you literally have to climb into which has views of all of the above - travelling in Africa can be tough sometimes. This is the perfect place to end my travels. Have been snorkelling in the lagoon a couple of times, it's not The Red Sea or Sipadan but have spotted Lion Fish, Clown Fish, Puffer Fish, Sea Snake, Eel, Lobster and the usual array of fish usually associated with a tropical aquarium. Organised a car and a party of 4 of us to go to the Rock Restaurant about 20km up the coast on Tuesday night. Visually ... read more

One more early start, hopefully this is the last one. Joined the crush to get aboard the 7.00am ferry and 2 hours later I'm fighting my way through the touts on the Zanzibar wharf. The Princess Salme Inn is only 100 metres from the port, built in the old Moorish style with an open courtyard interior and loads of stairs. Zanzibar is a lot more laid back than mainland Tanzania, even the touts don't push as hard, I think I'm going to like this place. Spent a couple of hours wandering around the narrow winding streets of the old town and found myself going past the same shops time after time, the place is like some sort of crazy maze. Took a $10 2 hour walking tour of the town in the afternoon so I'm slowly ... read more

We are up at 5.30am the visit the Hadzabe bushmen and go hunting with them. We pick up Christopher our guide, and head into the widerness. We find the Hadzabe men gathered round a small fire under a rock overhang smoking what smells suspiciously like electric puha. On the other side of the rock the women and children are gathered. Once they have finished their smoke we set off with the men on a hunt. We are apparently looking for a Dik Dik shot the previous evening. After about an hour we find an arrow with blood & hair on it and 30 minutes later the Dik Dik is found. Yours truly is assigned the task of getting a fire going with a drill stick which, surprisingly, I manage to do. The dikdik is then thrown ... read more