One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. ~ André Gide We were finally venturing from our SE Asia safety net to lands unknown. Mysterious, exotic and perhaps a hint of danger Once again we were mixing it up with a mixture of "organised" backpacking and luxury holidays. I'm becoming an expert at planning these trips to get maximum bang for our buck... while still appreciating we do like to live it up on occasion. R&R in Bali is now behind us, as too are the day to day worries of our normal urban work-a-day lives... A t least for the next four months. We begin this part of our journey in the North African country of Morocco. Morocco is considered one of the most ... read more

The sound of silence... No horns beeping... No bustle of the morning markets... No local shopkeepers shouting to each other as they open for the days tourist trade..... No men shouting "Taxi" or "Transport" to tourists wandering the streets. In fact no tourists. At least not on the streets of Bali. Not today. Today is Nyepi. Nyepi is arguably the biggest festival in Bali. From 6am to 6am the following morning, Hindu Balinese celebrate a day of self-reflection and anything that interferes with that is restricted...no eating (Scott's in trouble) no talking (I'm in trouble) and no having fun (C'mon, it's our holiday). While primarily a Hindu Ritual, non-hindu residents and tourists are expected to, and do, observe the customs out of respect for the locals. When we discovered we would be in Sanur during this ... read more

The "Pre-Holiday" holiday philosophy. Many people have laughed and given Scott and I grief about taking a pre-holiday holiday. There is however "method in the madness" as they say. Our big adventure (or endless summer - as we've nicknamed our five month sojourn around North Africa, Middle East and Europe) is not so much a time out as an opportunity to cram as many of our bucket-list travel experiences as we could into one big trip. And believe me...its crammed alright! I think a little R & R might be called for first - after 20 years of work, study and daily commute to Sydney. Where better than our old faithful - BALI. In addition, I need the blogging practice before heading out on our "real holiday". It's been about 18 months since my last travel ... read more

Having come to the end of our travels with our Intrepid companions, it was time to set off on some more adventures of our own. Any trip to northern Vietnam requires at least an overnight stay on a "junk" in Halong Bay. We decided to book a 2 night/3 day cruise on Jewel of the Bay. Halong Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Dau Go (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, ... read more

It was a four hour trip from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, four hours with our favourite Karaoke guide.  He actually managed to get a few lines of My Heart Will Go On out of Dave.  the rest of us were keeping our mouths firmly shut. The largest city of Laos sit on the northern bank of the Mekong river, looking across to Thailand, the name translating to "City of Sandalwood".   Vientiane is characterised by broad, boulevards and rundown, creaking colonial mansions. Dotted with rustic wats surrounded by coconut palms and a generally sedentary pace of life as well, the allure of the place can be understood.   It is more a town for relaxing in leafy beer gardens, eating and drinking, rather than viewing Museums, Palaces and Temples.  Having said that, ... read more