Pai - Hippy Hang Out Leaving Chang Mai by minibus was an easy and beautiful journey. Jungle and rubber plantations lined the winding route, and it was noticeably cooler the higher up we went. The route up to Pai took several hours and involved 261 hair pin bends. After the first 100 or so our fellow bus members were all feeling a little ropey and when asked if we wanted to stop for lunch there were no takers. Arriving in Pai a few days behind Julia and Simone, we had received word that we needed to stay by the river and it wasn't long before we had checked into a little rustic riverside bungalow. Once settled Steve and Guy set off for a few cold Chang's and returned to enjoy them while watching the setting sun ... read more

Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai via Pak Beng & Huay-Xai Heading for the Golden Triangle We rose early to meet the Tuk-Tuk that whisked us off to the boat dock. Here we found our long boat. Clean and comfortable it seated around 30 people and was open on all sides so that we could truly absorb the beauty of the Mekong banks.Local people also used the boats regular, and ours was stuffed full of supplies bought in town, to be taken to smaller remote villages along the mekong. We passed the beautiful jungle clad hills for hours only occasionally would we see a village of straw huts. It was a peaceful mellow journey, where we all managed to relax and enjoy the view. Unfortunately we witnessed a few illegal loggers clearing the bark-covered gold from the ... read more

Vang Vieng Happy to be on the move again, this time in a small minivan, we set the Ipod to mellow and watched the beautiful jungle scenery roll by, taking us to land of jungle bars and river fun. The only interruption to our otherwise relaxing ride was a small flooded section , where paddy and road were indistinguishable and we soaked some local boys on bikes...sorry. We arrived late afternoon and in the fading light managed to find one of our best rooms of the trip. Vang Vieng in a small town right on the banks of the river, having exhausted expensive, or noisy sleeping options we decided to push our exploration a little further afield.. Crossing a rather homemade wooden bridge we found ourselves on a small island right in the middle of the ... read more

Ban Khoun Kham & Tham Kong Lo Cave Straight off the bus from Cat Ba we arrived in Hanoi, and within the hour we'd organised an overnight sleeper (approx 20hrs) to Laos, swapped our lonely planet, changed money, had a munch and waited at Ling and Annie's guest house for one final suprise goodbye! Then the journey began....first a minibus took us through the heaviest, noisiest traffic we've ever experienced ( we were gridlocked for about 20mins at one point), to the bus terminal. We'd booked a soft sleeper for the long overnight trek, and weren't disappointed at all. (The bus was more like a cryogenic freezer aboard a spaceship- see pic) Three rows of fully reclining seats, double storey, with aircon and blankets.We met up with some Germans from our Mekong river trip and braced ... read more

3 Days 2 Nights on Halong Bay with Bai Tu Long Junks We used the following company for our tour of Halong Bay we were very impressed with their service and highly recommend there services. We staggered out of bed and into a minibus for the three hour drive to the harbour at Halong city. Our bright friendly guide was somewhat disappointed at our lacklustre attempts to be chatty until we explained we'd been drinking homebrew all night, at which point he smiled knowingly and left us alone!!! The journey was over pretty quickly and we arrived at the harbour none the worse for wear. In front of us must have been at least 200 boats of all different shapes sizes and ages. From five star luxury to rat-infested, we waited anxiously to see which one ... read more