Koh Lanta, Thailand
Ahhhh…. After a month of trains, planes, buses, boats and scooters through 3 countries, it’s time for a little vacation. A week on the beach is just what the husband ordered. Koh Lanta Koh means island in Thai. Lanta is in the middle of the Andaman Sea, accessible only by boat. It’s a relatively large […]
Adventure on the Andaman Sea
Not everyone enjoyed crossing the wild Andaman Sea on a long-tail boat as much as I did. The wild rocking and rolling of the old wooden boat and the walls of water pouring over the side and over our heads was more adventure than we’d paid for. Some of us, maybe 6 of us were […]
The Killing Fields – Cambodia’s Bloody Legacy
We are travelling into Cambodia from Ho Chi Minh City by road, a five hour drive, so we can stop in Phnom Penh and visit The Killing Fields. Our “luxury” van Is filled with an interesting group. Murray is a travelling Brit and Yo and his son are currently exiled from China because of the coronavirus. […]
Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam’s cosmopolitan centre Saigon, renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976 is the country’s largest city. 13,5 million people call it home. On first impression, Saigon appears modern, clean and orderly, but spend a few days here and pretty soon the Vietnam will shine through. Traffic The roads in Saigon’s downtown are wide and pretty, […]
Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An, I don’t want to leave you yet. Thank you for your hospitality. Ho Chi Minh is calling, but only because I have flights booked. Even our arrival here is something to write about. We got off the train in de Nang dirty and tired and hopped on the back of a couple of […]
Vietnam’s Reunification Train
There’s no one train in Vietnam called the reunification train, the term refers to the north-south track itself. The express train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is not a tourist attraction. Expect to feel the life of Vietnam if you spend time aboard. History This rail line was built by the French and […]
Halong Bay, Vietnam
I’m using the gentle ocean breeze wafting into our private cabin aboard the Glory Legend junk boat to dry my laundry. We’ve blown off the morning activities to instead relax and catch up. We’ve left the noise and congestion of Hanoi for this incredibly peaceful sanctuary. Last night we slept with the door cracked open, […]
Hanoi
8 million people,and at least as many scooters call Hanoi home, “beep, beep, beep … “ a walk through this beautiful, noisy chaotic city is a travellers dream! There’s a beautiful lake on the edge of old town, with a wide walking boulevard built for strolling. We joined in with throngs of people all enjoying […]
Hiking Doi Inthanon National Park
Nicknamed the rooftop of Thailand, Doi Inthanon National Park is a 2 hour drive south east of Chang Mai. No trip to Thailand could be complete without a little trail action. The tour we bought included sight-seeing stops along the way at the Twin Pagodas, Wachirathan waterfall and lunch at the White Karen Hill tribal […]
Elephant Sanctuaries, Changmai, Thailand
The life of a Thai elephant is hard. Sometimes they’re even worked to death hauling logs for the forestry industry. My whole idea of visiting an elephant sanctuary here was to support financially the rescue of these beautiful animals. My visit to the Ran-Tong Elephant Sanctuary left me conflicted, jaded and really pretty sad. There […]
Leaving Tucker
It’s 7 AM and Tucker has just noticed I’m not in bed any more. I hear his nails on the hardwood as he nonchalantly moves his sleepy self from the bed to the couch. He likes to be in the same room as me. Tucker takes me completely for granted. He is over the moon […]