Laos

Out of the Asian countries we've travelled in so far it was apparent that this was the poorest. Being one of the 20 poorest countries in the World Laos has had a lot of aid poured into it and even though you notice water pumps in some villages, most locals still have to walk to their nearest river or mountain stream to wash and use fiewood to cook their food. Despite the countries condition, Laos has been a pleasure to visit. If you want a place to kick back with a beer over looking the river and rugged green moutainsides then Nong Khiaw is the place for you. Walk through the village to be greeted by children running out onto the streets waving and shouting "sabaidee" (hello)! Enjoy watching the local men fish at dusk and relax in the hammock on your riverside hammock as you let time go by.

The tasty delights of Luang Prabang were much enjoyed by us as we sampled doughnuts, pot stickers and banana leaf wrapped eggplant. At 5.30am every morning hundreds of monks from surrounding monestries gather silently in town for the daily almsgiving where locals offer food to make merrit and show humbleness. We watched this tradition one morning, a spectacle in such a small town. This UNESCO World Heritage town is a good place to watch sunset from over the Mekong river and to marvel at the French era architecture, adding a touch of glamour.

Donning a large rubber tube we were set for our days tubing in Vang Vieng down the Nam Song river. After 4hours of playing volleyball with people from about 5 different nations and making the most of the cheap Lao beer at the riverside bars we drifted off down stream back to town, a good way to spend an afternoon.

You have to remember that this country along with its people are very relaxed, everything is done accourding to Lao time, so when your bus is due to leave and it is then that the driver decides to check the oil and change the battery you just have to sit back and smile. There's no urgency here.

Before we came to Laos we didn't know what to expect, but this lovely landlocked country has surprised us in every aspect, a country not to be overlooked!

Northern Vietnam

We didn't realise how green Vietnam was until we made our way North. Here is is very obvious, making a lovely contrast to the beaches of the South. In Ninh Binh we made our own way on motorbike to Tam Coc "three caves", this is what the vietnamese call "Halong Bay on land". Just as stunning as Halong Bay, we took a 2 hour row boat along the Ngo Dong river which weaves it way between limestone kasts and narrow caves. We were very impressed by the unsual rowing technique where they use their feet.

Spent a few days in Vietnams capital Hanoi where we ate our way through the old quarter, a maze of narrow streets where food stalls and craft shops spill out. We saw Halong Bay by doing a day trip from Hanoi where we discovered one of the Worlds natural wonders. Had a local Vietnamese lunch on the boat and then took to the emeral waters on kayaks to get a closer look.

Our favourite place in the North was Sapa. A hillside town at 1,600m and home to many ethnic minorities, it's surrounded by green peaks and rice paddies and at night becomes shrouded in mist. Sapa never fialed to be beautiful. Made some great friends in Vietnam, Hedley and Rosie especially who we kept bumping into along the way, lots of fun memories and dinners spent together. The four of us had a good day out on the bikes to a local market in Coc Ly, which thanks to Hedleys' iphone and google maps we actually managed to find! Lovely seeing the colourful flower H'mong people which gather at Coc Ly once a week from nearby villages. Even the ride there was beautiful with dramitc scenery through the valleys. A great end to a great month in Vietnam!

Hoi An, Vietnam

Prepare to be charmed...

This town has tradition in the bucket loads. As we cycled along the bumpy tracks weaving through the rice paddies men and women in conical hats (non la) could be seen tending to the fields, ploughing land and hearding ducks. Back in town motorbikes past by with pigs and chickens loaded on the back for market. At night the streets really come to life, with beautiful silk laterns, which Hoi An is renowned for making, lighting up every surface. We liked eating on the river bank where you can be served cao lau (noodles, pork, bean sprouts and mint) for 60 pence and then strolling around the night market across the river. Our favourite place in Vietnam so far.

Southern Vietnam

The roads in Ho Chi Minh lived upto all the stories we've heard. Chatting to some students who wanted to practice their English with us. We mentioned the busy roads and one said quote "dont't try to avoid them, just walk and let themavoid you, what will be will be". So as you can imagine that put our minds at ease. From Ho Chi Minh we took a day trip to the Mekong Delta where we tasted freshly made coconut candy, had a ride down the narrow canals in a traditional canoe and met some lively Filipinos along the way. Had a fun day heading out in a jeep to the great sanddunes at Muine, what a rush hurtling down the them on sandboards, less fun walking back upcovered in sand. Using coaches and sleeper buses to travel up the coast we stopped at Dalat and Nha Trang where i spent my birthday on the beach with pinocoladas.

Cambodia-towns

Eating noodles from a street vendor in Siem Reap, surviving a ride on the bamboo train in Battenbang and sharing the beaches with food sellers in Sihanoukville...lots of local flavors and experiences to be had around Cambodia.

Street stalls have been our restaurant of choice these past two weeks, cheap, tasty and always cooked fresh in front of you whilst you wait on the pavement, you'll be eating within a couple of minutes. The bamboo train was quite an experience, originally built by the French  70 years ago to transport people and food between Battenbang and the capital Phnom Penh, the single track rail is now overgrown and used only between local villages. Scarier then the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, we endured a bumpy and noisy 14km journey having to disassemble our train (norry) when we met another oncoming train. Kicked back on the beach on the south coast for a few days before crossing the border into Vietnam.

Cambodia-Temples

Of course a trip to Cambodia is not complete until you visit the temples at Angkor. A 5am start to the day, we traveled in the dark in our tuk tuk (motorbike taxi) to see the glory of Angkor Wat as dawn broke behind it. It was truly magical as the temple became bathed in pink hues. From there we spent the rest of the day temple hopping, seeing The Bayon, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm (where Tomb Raider was filmed), although at one point we though we might be left there as our tuk tuk had deserted us and we had to flag down another.  

Northern Thailand

Northern Thailand, where locals, businessmen, travelers and monks share the streets...

Times spent in the north was very different to that of the south. With no beaches to spend our days we got on our bicycles and set our exploring the many temples dotted around the cities. It can be unbearably hot walking around at times, with no way of cooling off apart from taking three showers a day (no such luxury of air con or swimming pools), bikes were definitively the way forward. 

In Ayutthaya; one of Thailand's early and most revered kingdoms, we discovered the ruins of ancient Khmer temples from the 14^thC hidden amongst the sprawling urban center. We visited the Karen Longneck tribe, immigrants from Burma they now reside in the Thailand's hillsides. Was interesting to see their villages and hear their story. Really enjoyed the north, felt a real sense of culture here where monks are offered food every morning and people pray in the streets.