Al & V's Travel Adventure

Singapore - Photos

2010-03-18T22:43:00.017Z

FINAL NIGHT IN KUALA LUMPUR AT MEDESTO'S

Our favourite restaurant in KL, Medesto's - our Italian host Medesto at the head of the table

My dad, Lorna and I

Group photo

Leaving the restaurant and about to hit the KL nightlife

Candace and I tuck into some Hoegaardens

The girls enjoying a final beer for the night

The end of another great stay in KL

SINGAPORE AND CITY WALKING TOUR

Arriving and catching a taxi to our hotel

The Perak Hotel in LIttle India - perfect!

We meet up with our travel buddies Greg and Shandy - Shandy and V tucking into a pre walk drink

We cab it to Raffles Hotel - Greg gets a nice fan to cool down in the front seat

The famous Raffles Hotel

Shandy and I making our way to the Long Bar

Check out the prices of those cocktails - we won't be staying here long ;-)

V tucks into a Singapore Sling - not much for US$30!

The Long Bar

We carry on walking the streets of Singapore

St Andrews Cathedral

The Singapore Cricket Club

The stunning skyline in this beautiful city

The new casino and hotel complex being built - huge and impressive!

We make it to the river

Greg plots our journey to Clarkes Quay

Time for a rest...

... and a jug of Tiger Beer

Clarkes Quay is amazing, full of bars and restaurants

Time for dinner at Marakesh

V and Shandy tucking into some wine and toasting our second last night on tour

A big party and fashion show kicks off

We decide to cab it back to Little India

Our local bar in Singapore - The Prince of Wales

The boys are getting smashed

The girls enjoy some cocktails

We are even treated to some live entertainment
A DAY AT SENTOSA

Making our way to this adventure island

The sky train crossing the water to the island

Shandy and V enjoying the ride...

Crossing into this amazing adventure island which is still being built

First stop the Luge ride - Greg and Shandy catch the cable car for their "race"
And there is no doubt Shandy is the clear winner, despite Greg's later protests ;-)

Next stop the Wavehouse

The wave machine and how you are supposed to surf

Shandy and I prefer to relax in the shade!

Greg is up and away and looking good

Before finally wiping out! Still lasted much longer than I would have

After all that exercise it's time to hit the beach

Looking for a good spot to relax

Another scorching day in Singapore

Our beach is lovely, despite all the tankers cruising past

Time to leave and we pass this huge lizard

V bids a final farewell

We are back at our local enjoying the Super 14 rugby

The start of another big night

Making the most of the last night of our trip!

The bustling streets of Little India at night

Greg is challenged to finish a pint through a straw in 15 seconds - we think it's impossible!

Until they whip the chef out the kitchen who does it in 14 seconds - wow!

Goodbye to our amazing friends Greg and Shandy who have been such fun to travel with - it's back to London tomorrow as our trip finally comes to an end!

Bali - Indonesia

2010-03-16T12:34:00.001Z

After a long day of waiting we finally arrived in Bali late on Sunday 14 February. After a lengthy queue at immigration we swiftly picked up our bags off the carousel and headed for the taxi desk. We weren’t in the car long before we realised that our cab driver had no idea where he was headed and after stopping numerous times to ask for directions we eventually got out and waited for Greg and Clyde to come and find us.

We arrived at our stunning villa and were greeted by the girls who were cooling off in the heat (Bali is super hot in February). After dropping our bags, we (the Bali 7) had a few welcome drinks (Bintang Beers) and a game of Marco Polo in the pool (in total darkness so no cheating) before jumping into bed in the early hours of the morning.

We all had a bit of a sleep in the next morning and then Ali opened his birthday pressies before we made our way out for breakfast. Once our tummies were full we headed back to the villa for a day in the sun. As the rain clouds developed we got ready for our evening out and jumped into cabs for sunset drinks at Ku De Ta. After some lovely evening cocktails we were met by Greg, Angie, Aiden and Dillon and we headed to a great Greek restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed some great Greek salads and tatziki before heading home to bed.

The next morning we woke and headed out for breakfast. The heat was so incredible that we were all sweating before we even reached the top of our street. After breakfast Shands and I headed to the grocery store to do a shop for the house while the others spent the afternoon in the pool to escape the soaring temperatures. Once we were back we all prepared a divine steak dinner as a farewell to Clydo. After a tasty supper we played a few rounds of cards as well as a game of Marco Polo in the pool, and finally charades in the wee hours to finish the day.

Clydo was leaving Bali early on Wednesday so we woke to say our goodbyes before jumping back into bed to catch up on some extra sleep. Once it was a more reasonable hour, we got up and made steak rolls for brunch (very healthy). We then spent the rest of the day chilling in the sun and swimming in the pool. We decided on a movie night that evening so after another lovely dinner of pasta we each found a spot on the couch in the outside lounge and settled in for “The Blindside” Just minutes into the movie we were suffering from the heat. As the villa was built traditional Balinese style , the common areas of the house all sit in the open air, but without any fan which means SERIOUS temperatures. We then came up with the bright idea of popping wet towels into the freezer which we later draped over ourselves for some cool relief.

On Thursday morning we had yet another sleep in.....the heat was making us terribly lethargic and Lorna made us French toast for breakfast which was delicious! We then made our way to Seminyak beach where we spent the day swimming in the sea , body surfing, and catching some serious rays. Once we made it back to villa, we began preparing our prawn dinner which was delicious! Once again we settled on the couches with our cool towels to a movie night.

On Friday morning we jumped out of bed and took a walk through the town before we settled on a lovely Mediterranean restaurant for brunch and then took a long stroll back stopping in the many shops to make various purchases. We then all boarded taxis and made our way to the bar to watch rugby before being collected by Greg who took us back to his and Angies stunning villa for a great pasta dinner – so good we were up for seconds and thirds. After a really good night it was time to make our way home and to bed, although not before flopping into the pool again just to cool down a little.

Saturday was a very relaxed day but that night we made our way into Kuta for an excellent sushi dinner. We then strolled along to a massive sports bar which was showing some football, but most importantly for the boys some Super 14 rugby. The Bulls smashed the Brumbies much to our joy as there were plenty Aussies around cheering for the enemy. The bar suddenly closed so we had to rely on Shandy and Greg to lead us though the streets of Kuta to find another sports bar they had been to. We made it just in time for the Stormers rugby game which started at 1am. After another great win and many many beers it was time for a couple of games of pool before staggering home. Greg and I picked up KFC on the way for a late night snack!

Sunday was another of those tough days of relaxation, with plenty time in the pool trying to keep cool. The girls then cooked up a surf and turf diner which was a great final dinner in Bali. We finished the night with a few drinks and some cards before getting a good nights sleep after Saturdays big one!

We woke up on Monday feeling a little blue as we were leaving this wonderful island. We checked out of our villa and then made our way to Greg and Shandy’s villa to relax for the day as we were only leaving that evening. We chilled at the pool and soaked up the last of the sun before tucking into a very tasty lunch at the resort. It was ten time to say our goodbyes to Greg and Shandy who luckily had an extra couple of days in Bali. Fortunately we would be seeing them in a few days in Singapore so there were no tears yet!

After an amazing week on this stunning island here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Although a lot more commercial than last time we were here, this is still a stunning part of the world with lovely beaches and no shortage of things to do
- Our gorgeous villa which was picture perfect with a gorgeous pool
- Bintang Beer, hugely popular and our best beer on tour
- Nice home cooked meals for a change
- Plenty of time to chill and read in the sun
- No negatives, although it was ridiculously hot and almost unbearable at times!

Bali - Pictures

2010-03-04T14:12:00.023Z

We arrive in Bali and meet up with the gang - and boy is it hot!

It'sback to the villa and the pool to cool down!

Some bat and ball in the pool between Candace and Shandy

Our stunning villa

Frisbee time

V enjoying a read in the water

Good catch clyde

Family portrait before heading out for drinks and dinner

BIRTHDAY DRINKS AND DINNER

Cocktails at Ku De Ta

Right on the beach

Shandy and V warming up for the night ahead

Sunset at Ku de Ta

Holly and Aiden chilling out on the bar

Not sure Greg is ready for fatherhood ;-)

We head to a Greek restaurant for dinner

Nicky and Angie

Clyde, Greg and I enjoying the Bintang Beer

Best beer in the world!

The kids have clearly had enough!
A NIGHT AT HOME

Some cards after a tough day in the pool

Clyde and Greg cook up some amazing steaks

A real feast!

Relaxing in our lounge

About to start some drinking games on Clydes last night

And the boys have to consume...

Midnight games in the pool

Back inside for more drinking games

followed by charades

Clyde picks a tricky one!

No idea!

Greg goes last and then it's bed time

POOL DAY AND MOVIE NIGHT

Another day at the pool

And it's another scorcher in Bali

Shandy and Greg catch a nap under the thatch

It's so hot at night we have to stick wet towels in the freezer and then on our heads to cool down!

You do whatever it takes to try and cool down!
SEMINYAK BEACH

Beautiful stretch of beach

And great waves

Frisbee in the sea

Greg about to dive for this one

Shandy lapping up the sun

Another great dinner at home

The prawns are awesome!

Another hot night

Greg is overheating!
SHOPPING DAY

The streets of Seminyak

The girls are loving the shops and stalls

In the taxi heading to Angie and Gregs for dinner

Our brilliant hosts

It's a great night of food, drinks and catching up

SATURDAY NIGHT IN KUTA

A quick drink in Seminyak before heading to Kuta

Straight to the BlueFin for amazing sushi

We head to the Sports Bar to watch Super 14 rugby

The boys are fully tuned into the game

V sports a Bintang tattoo

Candace is a big fan of this great beer!

We head off to find another bar

And finish the night with a pool challenge

Candace the hustler

LAST NIGHT IN BALI

Greg cooks up a feast

Our last day and we spend it at Greg and Shandy's new resort

And stay in the pool most of the day

Sunset at the airport - stunning!

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

2010-03-04T14:06:00.002Z

We arrived in Malaysia nice and early on Tuesday 9 February and Tommy picked us up from the airport. Lorna and Candace were due to arrive later that afternoon so we checked into the stunning apartment which Tommy had organised for us and caught up on a few winks, before a short shop at KLCC and a session for me in the gym (it’s was urgently needed).

At last the girls arrived and we caught up over a glass or two of wine. With plenty more to discuss we then all headed out to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. We had a lovely evening of food, wine, music and chat and of course we still weren’t done so the girls came up to our apartment for cards and more chats.

The next day after some time at the pool we jumped in a cab and headed to China Town. After a little lunch at Nando’s we hit the market for some serious shopping. As it was Chinese New Year we were treated to a show of Chinese Dragons while we made our purchases. After our bags were fully stocked we then made our way to Bangsar Village where we were meeting Tommy and Jen for a Thai dinner. After dinner we did a little more shopping for Dvds and Cds and then headed home.

On Thursday we spent most of the day at the pool before Alistair headed out for a game of night golf and Lorns, Cands and I went out for Sushi dinner before a quick night cap at the Beach bar.

On Friday 12 February (my birthday) we started the day in the sun with a little lunch by the pool and a little session or two at the spa with manicures, pedicures and facials all round. Once we’d had enough sun for the day we had a short present opening session (my husband spoilt me rotten) and then an afternoon chill before Champagne and more presents in Tommy’s apartment. Later that evening we went to a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner. After a stunning evening we finished back in our apartment with cards and more catching up.

The next morning Ali was up and out of bed early for another game of golf. I headed off for a bit of shopping before meeting up with the girls for lunch. After that they headed off to get their flights to Bali, while I spent the afternoon catching up on admin. Once Ali arrived back we headed out for a casual dinner at Chilli’s with Tommy and Jen before we headed back to the apartment for an early evening of chilling.

On Valentines morning we were up and at the airport in time for our 11.00 am flight, only to be told that Air Asia had kindly moved us to the 9.00 am flight without letting us know. So we were swiftly added to the later 3.50 pm flight which meant a very long wait in the airport.

We had a great time in KL catching up with the girls, here are our highlights and lowlights:
- A lovely girly sushi dinner with Cands and Lorns
- Shopping in China Town is always great fun
- Had a lovely birthday and was spoilt like mad!
- Golf at the KLGCC club which is hosting the Malaysian Open soon was amazing!

Kuala Lumpur - Photos

2010-03-01T20:06:00.008Z

Hard Rock cafe KL for dinner on our first night

Candace and I get stuck into a couple of Hoegaardens

V and Lorna go for the wine

Now that's a dessert!

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Traditional parade through Chinatown for Chines New Year

The girls enjoying a drink before dinner

The best Thai curries in Malaysia!

My dad and Jen treated us to a great meal

V's BIRTHDAY

We spend the day relaxing at the pool

Candace and V enjoying the view from their 22nd floor sun loungers

V opens her birthday presents

I get to open a pre-birthday present

Some champagne before heading out for V's birthday dinner

We got to an excellent Italian restaurant with the funkiest decor

My dad and Lorna catching up

The girls are obviously happy with the great food

The restaurant spoil V with a tasty dessert

Our friendly waiter who managed to charm all the ladies!

The end of a great night out!

Our last night in KL on the eve of Valentines day - we were off to Bali in the morning

Kerala Backwaters and Varkala - India

2010-02-28T11:17:00.001Z

On Thursday 4 February we set off on a long travelling day by taking the 5 hour public bus to Kottayam and then a 3 hour boat ride through the backwaters. These waters are stunning and include 5 large lakes connected by canals. The waters are also strewn with some of the most amazing houseboats you ever did see. After an amazing 3 hour trip through this area enjoying the amazing scenery, we ended the day’s travels with a train ride to Varkala as the sun was setting which made for beautiful views. We arrived pretty late in the evening and were shown to our gorgeous little bungelows on the beach. We dropped our bags and popped into the nearest restaurant for a very average dinner food wise.

We woke up the next morning to a stunning day, so we took a walk along the scenic cliffs and enjoyed the views over the sea. We were treated to a wonderful sight of fish eagles swooping in the air and dolphins diving in the ocean. After a lovely breakfast we checked out of our beautiful bungalows and headed to a hotel which Sheeba had recommended, unfortunately it was only after we were all checked in that we realised we’d downgraded somewhat for a higher cost.... schoolboy error on the travellers front. Anyway we headed to the terrace bar for a few cold cokes and some cards before we made our way to the nearest beach for a quick swim.

The closest beach to our hotel was quite small and private which is nice as there is a reputation for the locals to tend to gawk at the scantily clad ladies in their swimmers. Luckily none of that where we were. We spent most of the time in the sea as the beach sand is volcanic and black which makes for very uncomfortable hot tanning time.

Once we’d had our swim we made our way back to freshen up before heading out. The girls made their way in search of a beauty salon and the boys headed to a bar.... surprise surprise! Lara, Shands and I eventually found a lovely little place run by a sweet lady and her husband and we were soon treating ourselves to pedicures and eyebrow threading! After a short session, we came out looking like new woman and managed to get back to the boys in time to catch the last glimpse of the sunset.

We then made our way to a lovely restaurant on the corner cliffs were we got stuck into some amazing tandoori dishes. All cooked in front of us in a big tandoori oven. As it was the Leisegang and Van Alvin’s last evening together on tour we then made our way back along the path in search of a spot for some goodbye beers. We finally found a great place and settled on the terrace for just one or two drinks as everything shuts down in this sleepy little place at around 11.00 pm.

The next day we woke up and decided over breakfast we wanted to move back to our lovely bungalows so after establishing that they had availability we packed up and set off to check in. Once we had dropped our bags we made our way to the main beach which was a little further up the path. The main beach was a lot bigger and covered with white sand so Lara and I hired an umbrella (the first time on this tour) so that we could chill there for longer than five minutes (it’s hot hot hot there). After a swim the boys went back to the hotel so that they could catch the cricket and leave us girls to lap up the sun.

After enough sun we headed back to the hotel for some shade time before we popped out for sundowners and dinner which was to be our last of the tour with the Leisegangs. We ended up back at the same restaurant as the night before to enjoy those tandoori dishes again, that’s how good they were!

The next morning we had a quick breakfast and headed to the train station to catch our train to Trivandrum. When we arrived we were told our train was delayed by an hour and a half so we settled in and read our books to pass the time. Once the train arrived it was of course packed...... as we had no pre-booked seats we had to squeeze onto the door way and that’s where we stood for the 45 minute journey, wedged between the toilet and the open door.

Once we arrived in Trivandrum we said quick goodbyes to our travelling buddies who were then flying to Mumbai while we made our way to our one night of 5 star luxury in the Mathoot Plaza hotel. We stayed a short night in Trivandrum, which only allowed us a little walk through the town (where we met the world’s cutest kitten) and a lovely dinner before bed. We were up very early the next morning for our flight to Mumbai where we spent the day before bidding farewell to India and flying out to Kuala Lumpur.

Varkala is a lovely little Hippie beach town. These are the lowlights and highlights:
- The litter here is terrible, one view shows you the seaside in all its stunning glory and a glance to the left you can see the Cliffside strewn with rubbish of all kinds
- Great place to stay if you just want to unwind, there are a variety of yoga courses offered in the town and all shuts down after 11.00 pm
- The sunsets are beautiful if a little disappointing due to the haze of pollution which sits above the sea makes it a little unclear
- The beach here is stunning and the water clear and refreshing

Kerala Backwaters and Varkala - Photos

2010-02-27T01:30:00.014Z

KERALA BACKWATERS

About to board the local bus from Kumily to the Kerala Backwaters

The crew are all aboard

We arrive at the Backwaters and board our ferry for the trip
V enjoying some fresh air on another scorching day!

The Backwaters are made up of multiple canals linking 5 large lakes

Enjoying the amazing scenery from the top deck

Some of the locals carrying out their daily tasks on the canals

Greg and I have a chess challenge below deck

One of the many house boats cruising this area

Arriving with our bags at the train station after our enjoyable ferry trip
Another adventure on a packed Indian train

A stunning sunset on our train trip

Watching movies on the laptop to pass time

VARKALA
A new day and our cute resort in Varkala

One of the local beaches near our resort

Beautiful beaches and water

The main pathway along the coast, packed with bars and restaurants

And what a stunning view

A Fish Eagle on the hunt

We tuck into lunch and enjoy the view

And what a view!

Late afternoon and V hits the hammock!

This is the main beach in Varkala, one of our favourites!

Leise and I enjoying the sunset

A quick beer while waiting for the girls

A beautiful end to the day

The girls arrive and its dinner time

Our chicken being prepared in the Tandoor oven

Shandy, V and Lara are ready to eat!

Our farewell dinner with Greg and Shandy who leave in the morning

The locals out fishing and picking mussels

V and I about to hit this amazing beach

The climb down to the beach

The only negative thing about Varkala - the litter!

Setting up camp on the beach

Leise and V enjoy another sunset in Varkala

Our final dinner and we return for the Tandoor feast!

The food is outstanding!

Checking out and leaving Varkala

Heading to Varkala train station - this is very traditional dress in this part of India, no trousers or shorts!

Scary signs in the middle of nowhere

Lara and V head to the platform

We arrive at Trivandrum for our flight to Mumbai and our departure from India

Kochi and Kumily - India

2010-02-24T15:43:00.006Z

KOCHI

After a full days travelling beginning with a 6.00 am train to New Delhi and then a four hour flight to Kochi via Mumbai we were thoroughly exhausted so it was a welcome treat when our driver which was arranged by our hotel picked us up and whisked us off to our hotel, no haggling, no hassle! Kochi is a small city situated in the southern province of Kerala. It is one of the main seaports of India, and was the centre of the Indian spice trade for centuries.

After a hectic 1 hour driver we arrived at Green Woods Bethlehem which was to be our hotel for the next two nights and were greeted by the owners Sheeba and Ashley with great big smiles and copious amounts of the traditional head wobble. After a quick cup of tea, we dropped our bags and went to dinner at Dal Roti just down the road – the food was amazing! Already we were beginning to feel like the North and South of India are two completely different places. The streets in Kochi are clean, quiet and there is no overcrowding.

After our lovely meal at a Dal Roti which was packed with travellers and locals alike (always a good sign) we headed back to the hotel to bed. We had to be separated due to the popularity of the hotel, but Lara, Leise, Al and I were whisked off to a nearby neighbour who would host us for the next 2 nights in his beautiful house. He was so delighted to welcome us he dragged Al up to the roof terrace straight away to share the view.

We woke up on Monday 1st February and headed back to the main hostel for breakfast. The owners of our homestay put on a lovely spread in a pretty little rooftop terrace. Once Ashley had given us the full run down of what was to see in the town and a lengthy catch up with Sheeba (this wonderful lady LOVES to chat) we headed out. We walked as far as the first corner where we could see the sea and two auto rickshaw drivers convinced us doing the sights by motor was a much better idea. So from there we went to the Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church and Mattancherry Palace. Then we were taken to the lovely spice markets, the colours and smells were to die for. We finished off our tour with lunch at Solar Cafe.

After lunch we made our way back to our homestay to chill for a little bit before it was time to head out for dinner. That evening we took a walk into town and had dinner at Oy’s restaurant which was great. After a few rounds of cards we then headed off to do some flight and train bookings before home to bed ahead of our long drive to Kumily.

Kochi is a lovely little sleepy town and our hosts Sheeba and Ashlee were possibly the loveliest locals we have met on this trip. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Beautiful quiet town
- People are lovely, and Sheeba and Ashley are the most caring hosts you could possibly meet

KUMILY

After breakfast and another lengthy catch up with Sheeba (including some cooking tips for me) we said our sad goodbyes (we’d found a truly beautiful friend in Sheeba) and set off for our five hour journey to Kumily. It was an incredibly hairy ride! We thought we had taken the safer option by booking a private driver but it seems all drivers in India are nothing short of crazy. They drive at a ridiculous speed and over take on blind corners with nothing more than a toot toot on the hooter as warning for oncoming traffic. As we saw the sign for our homestay up ahead we all breathed a sigh of relief to have made it in one piece.

Once we had all checked in and dropped our bags we took a leisurely stroll through the town which is rather tiny. It’s incredibly peaceful though so we loved the place straight away. We then found a little spot called The Jungle Cafe for a late afternoon lunch and were offered Kingfisher beers served in tea pots and mugs as a disguise as the restaurant apparently didn’t have a license to sell the stuff.

After a lovely lunch for some (Greg and Leise made the mistake of ordering non local and were horribly disappointed) we made our way to the internet cafe to make a few onward bookings and enquiries. Once we had finished with the admin the others headed back to the hotel while Lara and I found a little spot for a traditional Ayurvedic massage.....hmmmm! This massage is not for the faint hearted or for anyone that’s a little shy of their nakedness! I was told to strip down to my birthday suit without even a hand towel for cover.

Once we had had a good shower to rid ourselves of the litres of oil still sticking to our skin we all headed off for dinner. We were so excited as the spot we had chosen was listed in the Lonely Planet as a great place for pizzas and pastas, something we hadn’t had in some time. But to the boys dismay they opened the menu and it was all vegetarian....AGAIN! Luckily we all found something we thought we would enjoy and the food and drinks did turn out to be fabulous! Then after a few rounds of cards it was off to bed to prepare for our early morning start the next day.

We were rudely awoken by our alarms at 5.00 am as we had to be ready for our driver at 5.30 am and as we stepped out the door it was cold and dark. We took a lengthy drive in our jeep to the gate and beyond at the Piriyara Tiger Reserve where we were convinced this was the day to spot a Tiger and Elephant. We were then dropped at the starting point for our trek just as the sun was beginning to warm up. After a simple breakfast and a quick cup of tea we were greeted by our guide, and with snacks and water stocks packed we were ready to go. It was a reasonably disappointing walk of about three hours as we spotted nothing more than a few birds and some squirrels but the jungle itself is very pretty. Once we reached the end of the trek we were popped into little rowing boats and taken to the other side of the dam for lunch. After lunch it was back in the rowing boats for a trip to a little waterfall before we made our way back to dry land for the drive back to our hotel.

That evening before heading out to dinner we got to witness a sky full of bats silently swarming from one end to the other, it was really amazing to see. After enjoying that sight wwe made our way out for dinner and found a great restaurant which was packed with people (always a good sign) and tucked into some fabulous curries and cards. After a few beers it was time to head home so that we could pack our bags for the next Indian adventure.

Kumily was lovely and the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary was like being back in the South African countryside. Here are some highlights and lowlights:
- We realised how lucky we are to come from Africa, when the guide at Piriyara got all excited over squirrels and a few deer in the distance
- The massages are a little scary and not for the feint hearted
- The people, and especially the kids are super friendly, such nice people!

Kochi and Kumily - Photos

2010-02-24T08:30:00.021Z

KOCHI
Boarding the train from Agra to Delhi to catch our flight to Kochi in the southern Indian province of Kerala

Have to make sure you find the right carriage on these trains - cattle class is not much fun!

We get our seats and are happy

After an early start we arrive late in Kochi and head out for dinner at Dal Roti

V and Shandy looking forward to another excellent meal in India

Breakfast the following day at our hotel

Our amazing hosts really looked after us - Ashley gives us some pointers for our sightseeing trip

Sheeba is the owner and instantly became our mother for our stay - an amazing woman!

Off we head to explore

The beach in Kochi

This guy just happily relaxing at the side of the road

The local fishing harbour

They still use these Chinese fishing nets

A picturesque river running through Kochi

A history of this town

We stop off at the Santa Cruz Basilica

A stunning view of the inside as Lara looks around We head to a Spice Market

Here the floor is covered in ginger drying out in the sun
Then packed ready for export

Jain templre where the birds swarm around before feeding time

Greg feeding a pigeon while the rest tuck into the food on the ground

A Hindu temple

Opposite this beautiful temple sitting on the water

There are some stunning buildings in this beautiful town

After a tough day it's time for lunch at Solar Cafe

After an afternoon rest we head out for dinner later

With a customary card game before our meal

Greg and Leise happy after a great dinner

KUMILY

Our guesthouse in Kumily

We take a stroll around this tiny town - Greg picks out some interesting sights from the Lonely Planet

After a very short walk we stop off at The Jungle Cafe for lunch and a drink

Water Buffalo right behind the restaurant

Most restaurants don't have a license to sell beer so some sneakily serve it in teapots

That's a lot of tea ;-)

What a great view!

A quick stop off at this Internet Cafe to sort out future travel plans and accommodation

A quick dinner and cards before our very early start the next day

PERIYAR WILDLIDE SANCTUARY

It's dark and early as we head off to the wildlife sanctuary

The drive is beautiful and reminds us all of parts of South Africa

Stunning scenery

It's early and still a bit chilly - Shandy and V are well wrapped up though!

We stop to enjoy the view

Then it's back on board again

Breakfast and cards

Then it's time for our Jungle walkOur tour guide for the walk

Lara descends the ladder as we have to cross this dam wall

Some beautiful rivers and water features on the walk

Time for the crew to have a breather and it's hot now!

Lara, V and I working our way through the bush...

We have to cross the dam for lunch

Lara kicks back after a tasty lunch

We all relax and enjoy the surroundings

Then we head off for a boat trip on the dam

Fortunately our guide does all the hard work...

Water Buffalo drinking in the heat

We stop off at this beautiful waterfall

This stunning blue Kingfisher relaxes on the waters edge as we make our way back

A local villager collecting bamboo - many locals make their living this way

Jaipur and Agra - India

2010-02-21T16:47:00.004Z

Jaipur
We arrived in Juipur late on Thursday 28th January and were soon being whisked away from the airport in a taxi on the way to the hotel. Our first impression of the city was really good. It seemed a lot quieter than Mumbai....not a horn hooting could be heard for miles, the streets were well maintained and clean, there were no homeless sleeping on the pavements or in doorways and rubbish was minimal, so we were excited to see what the other side of India looked like when we were finally checked in and warm in our beds.... little did we know what was to great us the next day!

We woke up well refreshed after a good nights sleep and met the gang in the beautiful gardens at the front of our hotel for breakfast. The hotel building was very colonial and we felt like we were in a scene from an old movie. As the sun beat down we ate our delicious spread and drank cups of chi. Once we were finished we made our way back indoors to do a few bookings for our onward journey, checked into our new hotel and headed off on the walking tour of the town which our tour guide Greg led. Wow! Jaipur by day and Jaipur by night are two completely different places! We took a walk through the old town and had chosen one of the busiest days of the week... market day. The streets were crammed with auto rickshaws, cars, trucks, buses, horse drawn carts, camels and ox wagons. On our walk we were taken through a number of bazaars’ all plentiful with fragrant spices and teas as well as bright fabrics and flowers.

The people of this town are wonderful, they offer help without being asked and children are desperate to have their photo taken and want nothing in exchange. We made our way past the Iswari Minar Swarga and the Tripolia gate where we saw our first snake charmer doing his thing. This all took a huge amount of time because the town is so incredibly over populated! Between the people and the traffic and let’s not forget the sacred cows that are allowed to roam freely it’s difficult to move at any kind of pace.

After a stop at the Water Palace and a drive passed the Red Fort, we ended the walk with a late afternoon lunch at a lovely restaurant called Natraj. There we had the tastiest vegetarian curries before heading back to our hotel for a little nap. The sights and sounds of the day had truly drained us!

We met a little later and after a few attempts to get a taxi or an auto rickshaw to take us up to Tiger Fort to see the view of the city by night, we were disappointingly unsuccessful so we made our way back to the hotel for a few games of cards before bed. It was to be an early start the next day with our train leaving for Agra at 6.10 am!

Juipur is another one of those crazy busy cities in India. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- The people are lovely and super friendly without wanting anything in return
- This city is riddled with poverty, it’s just too sad to see
- Beautiful bazaars
- Litter and waste lines the streets of this town

Agra
We were dropped off by our taxi at Jaipur station just before 6.00 am for our 5 hour train to Agra. The floors of the station made a resting place for passengers and homeless alike and bodies were strewn all over the concourse. Unfortunately, every corner was also used as a toilet and the smell could at times be unbearable.

As we stood at the platform our train pulled into the station.... Our HA1 2nd class carriage approached us...... it was packed to the brim, people filled the seats and passageways and bodies were hanging out of doors.....I wish I could describe the look on our faces! Luckily that’s not where we had to sit for this five hour journey, rather we were a little further up the carriage were the sleeper car was to be turned into seats. This however didn’t happen. It’s not like Thailand were you are chucked out of your bunk as you near the station stop and a super fast train attendant removes all the bedding and makes up the beds into seats for the new oncoming passengers, nope..... we had to make our way through sleeping passengers in the dark and dispose of used bedding before we could settle in our allocated seats. We also struggled to fold the beds into seats, though this wasn’t too much of a problem as we were only too happy to catch a few winks.

We finally arrived at Agra Cannt train station and it was just as we had been warned..... hell! Hoards of taxi and auto rickshaw drivers bombarded us with offers to get to our hotel. The people are incredibly pushy in Agra and their persistence can be infuriating at times. As we got into our auto rickshaw, I remembered the juices and sandwiches which we had left in my bag and reached in to give to one of the little girls who had approached us for some money. In seconds there was a hoard of little raga muffins desperately grabbing in the hope to get something to eat for the day.... it’s a very heart sore thing to see.

Once we were at Hotel Sheela and checked in, we had the most average curry lunch in all of India at the hotel restaurant. Thoroughly disappointed at the lunch as well as the hotel in general we headed off to see the Taj Mahal and hoped we’d have better luck there and boy did we....! As we entered via the South gate, through the inner compound and under the red sandstone gateway we could see the Taj in all her glory. No image of this palace could ever prepare for the true beauty you see for yourself. It’s quite simply incredible!

Once we had walked the gardens as well as the inside of the memorial we jumped into our auto rickshaw and headed to Agra Fort, Mahal, Itimad-Ud-Daulah (baby Taj) and the Chin Ka Rauze monument (where I met the sweetest, shyest, lovely little local boy of about 5 years old) before heading to the North side of the Taj Mahal across the river so that we could catch sight of this beautiful monument at sunset.

After a packed day of sightseeing we were ready for some dinner and we decided on a recommendation in the Lonely Planet. When we asked our drivers to take us there, they were incredibly insistent that they had somewhere far better that we should try and along the way we should stop at a few shops. After a huge amount of aggravated discussion we convinced them that we were not interested in their recommendation for dinner or for shopping. Needless to say after a short drive the drivers pulled into a parking that showed no sign of being a restaurant and we were ushered into a Persian rug store. Once we made it out of the store and were thoroughly irritated the guys finally got the idea and took us to our restaurant, where we said goodbye and good riddance!

Dinner was fabulous despite the constant power cuts and being plunged into darkness for a couple of minutes at a time! We even managed to have a beer with our meal. As the majority of the locals do not drink we had not had a beer in a while and were thrilled when our waiter told us they had bottles of Kingfisher as cold as ice in the fridge. After dinner it was home to bed as we had another early morning start the next day.

Agra is not a pretty city, and the people have an incredibly hard life in this poverty stricken town here are our highlights and lowlights:
- The Taj Mahal is quite possibly the most beautiful sight
- The people are very pushy in this part of India – we were warned by the locals in Jaipur before we even arrived!
- Apart from the few stunning monuments there is not much else to see in this town

Jaipur and Agra - Photos

2010-02-21T08:58:00.019Z

JAIPUR
An early start as we enjoy breakfast on the front lawn of our hotel
We could only get 1 night there so are quickly packed off to their sister hotel around the corner - Greg and Shandy squeeze into the back of our taxi with the bags!

Our new hotel which is lovely

Unloading and relaxing before our tour of the city...

Jaipur is full of litter on the streets, and goats everywhere!

A couple of local kids walk past us and are obviously the best of friends

Cruising the streets of the city...

Cows relax when and where they like - they are sacred in India

Some local workers in one of the many markets we pass

The old fort on top of the mountain looking over the city

The local kids all want to have their photos taken with any Westerners You see traffic of every kind in this city

The people are so friendly - this market stall owner was keen to have his picture taken...

The old city walls in the background - and another cow just chilling out!

This main road is just a huge market all the way down...

A camel hard at work...

Followed immediately by an ox

This lovely local guy gave us a mni tour and took us to this rooftop to enjoy the view of the city

The outskirts of the Royal Palace

Leise gets up close and personal with a snake charmer...

A glimpse of the Royal Palace

We catch a tuk tuk to go and see more of the city

The Water Palace - built centuries ago to keep the Maharajah cool during the hot season

The travel crew

An elephant cruises along the main road...

Time for a late lunch and we go to an amazing vegetarian restaurant

A great end to a tough day of exploration!
AGRA AND THE TAJ MAHAL

Check the clock, another early start in India. Greg and Shandy look surprisingly fresh as we arrive at the train station for our trip to Agra

The station is full of locals sleeping on the floor

We finallyt jump on board

Our cosy sleeper bunks for the 6 hour trip

We arrive at our hotel in Agra just in time for lunch

A quick snack before heading to the Taj Mahal

And a quick game of cards which Greg loses badly!

And off we go...

Our tuk tuk tour guides for the day

We arrive at the world famous Taj Mahal...

The outside gates...

And there it is - magnificent!

Pictures don't do it any justice - it really did blow us all away!

The grounds are huge and stunning

You have to hand your shoes in before entering this monument - and it's smelly!

The Yamuna river behind the Taj

A mosque sits beside it

We take a quick tour of Agra - this is the old fort

Chin Ka Rauza - another important monument in Agra

Then we head to Itimad-ud-Daulah - this is the outside gate

This is commonly referred to as "The Baby Taj"

Some local workers inside

It is full of beautiful artwork inside
The beautiful river behind it
V researching some history on this monument

Lara heading for a look inside the temple - gotta get your shoes off!

Heading back to the river to watch the sunset over the Taj Mahal. You see this sight everywhere in India, they love their cricket!

The view from the gardens across the river

The crew enjoying a relaxing end to a great day

Such a spectacular setting!

Took a lot of attempts to get this shot - the people around us clearly thought we were nuts!!

The sun about to set and it's time to head off

A final look as we leave the beautiful gardens

Time for dinner at Mehfil Restaurant - despite the power cuts the food was amazing!

A good Indian beer to finish our day and our stay in Agra. Tomorrow is a full day of travel as we make our way to Kerala in the South of India

Mumbai - India

2010-02-18T15:59:00.001Z

EARLY ARRIVAL
Mumbai is the capital of the Indian state Maharashtra and lies on the east coast of the country. It is the most populated city in India with approximately 16 million people and is known as Bombay by the locals. We arrived at 4.30am on Wednesday 27th January after a midnight flight from Bangkok. It was a bit of a hairy landing and as we made our way along the landing strip we noticed that a large slum ran the length of the tarmac on the right hand side, it was massive! After we waited for the hoards to fight each other off for their bags on the carousel we finally popped our rucksacks onto our backs and headed for the taxi booking counter.

We booked our car and were herded out to our taxi which was a tiny little heap of metal with only space on the roof for our bags. Once we were tightly tucked into the car we headed to The Grand hotel in the hope that they would check us in early so we could catch a few winks. The journey was about half an hour’s drive and luckily there was no traffic at that time. The most heart breaking sight along the way is the huge numbers of people sleeping on the streets, in every doorway and around every dark corner among mounds and mounds of waste and litter.

We arrived at our hotel and were greeted by the reception manager. It was a lengthy check in process as there was not a computer in sight. Rather every detail of our booking was carefully written in the neatest of handwritings in large thick leather bound books. We initially weren’t able to check in so early without having to pay a large fee, but after a few minutes of sitting in the lobby the manager took pity on us and sent us off to bed as we experienced our first traditional Indian head wobble from the man. Once we were all rested and out of bed we took a short stroll down the street to see if we could find somewhere for lunch, but the boys weren’t all that keen on the only vegetarian option (it’s hard to find meat in a country which has the largest vegetarian population in the world) in our vicinity so we headed back to the hotel where we ordered room service while we planned our walking tour for the day. Shortly after lunch Lara and Leise arrived. Once they had freshened up and grabbed a bit to eat (while we watched a Bollywood movie being filmed outside our window) we set out to explore.

CITY WALKING TOUR AND LEOPOLD CAFE
We started off with a bit of shopping on Fashion Street. As us girls needed to do our best to cover up and not offend any locals we took the opportunity to buy a new top or two and a head scarf each. From there we walked along through crowded streets to see the Oval Maiden, which is a large playing field which sits in front of The High Court and is filled with locals young and old, mostly playing cricket but there was a bit of football and we even spotted some rugby. Across from the Oval Maiden we saw the University of Mumbai. This along with the High Court are two incredibly impressive Victorian buildings which tower above passersby.

We then carried on to the Flora Fountain and then Horniman Circle. Along the way we stopped at St Thomas’ Cathedral, Town Hall and Maharashtra Police Headquarters and finished at the Gateway to India. The Gateway is an incredible monument which stands right on the edge of the Mumbai Harbour. Across from the Gateway was the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, which was the hotel which was seized a few years ago. It is now undergoing massive reconstruction following the fires that resulted but it is still a sight to behold. A mention must be made to Leise who was approached half way through the walk and asked whether he would like to appear as an extra in a Bollywood movie which was being filmed the next day!!

We ended our walk with a few drinks in Leopolds. For anyone who has read the book Shantaram, this is the spot Gregory David Roberts mentions on a number of occasions in his writings. Once our tummy’s started to rumble we popped around the corner to a restaurant which was a top pick in the Lonely Planet called Baghdadi Cafe. It looks awful from the outside and we even considered turning around and looking for something else, but we decided to be brave and were so glad that we did. We had some of the best curry ever in this great friendly establishment, and tucked in happily with our hands in the traditional Indian way of eating!
After dinner we popped back into Leopolds for a quick night cap and then headed home in a little cab for a well earned rest.

CHOWPATTY BEACH AND MANI BHAVAN MUSEUM
We woke up on Thursday morning and the priority on the breakfast meeting agenda was how we were going to get to Agra. We were currently wait-listed on the overnight train from Mumbai to Delhi and then we hoped to get to Agra from there but with an estimated 18 – 20 million people that travel on the trains a day we weren’t hopeful that we would get on. So after much discussion and research we settled on a flight later that evening to Juipur.

Once we had made the necessary bookings and checked out of our hotel we had a few more hours of sightseeing available to us so we jumped into a taxi and headed for Chowpatty Beach. This is a massive stretch of beach with fantastic views over the Mumbai Skyscrapers to both your left and right but we had to beware of the sea water..... It’s pure toxic. We watched with heavy hearts as the shallow surf churned up a black sludge onto the sand.

From the beach we then took a short walk through the crazy city traffic to the Mani Bhavan Museum which was the home to Ghandi when he visited Bombay on his missions. It’s a great little tribute which features photographs and writings from Ghandi’s birth right through to his death in 1948. What an incredible story... a man I certainly would have loved to have met.
By the time we had finished in the Museum our tummies were rumbling....surprise surprise! Greg who is another fabulous guide on this trip walked us to a great little eatery which was on the first floor of a massive book shop. There we tucked into all sorts of treats and ended the afternoon with a browse through the bookstore....you can never have too many books to read on tour!

From there we jumped into a taxi back to the hotel to make our transfer to the airport. Along the way our driver not only had to contend with the usual all day manic traffic but had to ask at least four passersby where our hotel actually was....seemed everyone else knew except him!! On our way to the airport we passed through some of the Mumbai slums which are huge and leave you with a feeling of sadness for the millions who live in these conditions – 60% of the Mumbai population live in slums.

Mumbai is a crazy amazing place. It seems time has stood still in this vast city. We’ve had a great stay here, though it was far too short. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- The slums are vast, though it must be noted that a number of them are large industries generating huge sums of money through the trades that take place there and most homes are now equipped with water and electricity
- The poverty is extreme but the begging is certainly nowhere near as bad as some that we have experienced previously
- Some of the most beautiful architecture throughout the city, especially the Government buildings and Bombay University
- This city is dirty! Chowpatty Beach is a prime example and such a waste of a beautiful stretch of sand and sea
- The best curries ever!

Mumbai - Photos

2010-02-18T08:30:00.016Z

Welcome to Mumbai

V and Shandy outside the airport waiting for our taxi...

Your chariot awaits! Taxi Mumbai style

The boys looking tired and grumpy waiting for our hotel room...

Nice big rooms though!

We hit the city - V and Lara ready for some shopping

The rest arriveing by taxi...

The girls get stuck in!

Traditional Indian dress everywhere..

The Indian flag

Greg prepares the route for our walking tour...

The massive Maiden Oval - full of locals playing cricket, football and even rugby!

V and Shandy taking a leisurely stroll on the tour...

Some stunning architecture in the city

The High Court is impressive - and plenty of armed guards for security

The Flora Fountain

St Thomas' Cathedral is a stunning building!

No spitting please!

Some roadside toasted sandwiches - Indian style!

Leise gets offered an extra role in a Bollywood movie - they must be desperate ;-)

The hugely impressive Gateway to India

The Taj Mahal hotel which is still being restored after the terrorist attacks in 2008

A great finish to a fascinating tour around this crazy city
Mumbai harbour which lies behind the Gateway to India

Horse and Cart for those who like a different form of transport

After a tough tour we head for a drink at the famous Leopold Cafe & Bar

Shandy tucks into a well earned beer!
We're very thirst ;-)

A well earned rest!

Time for diner and we head to the recommended but not so inviting Baghdadi Restaurant

Luckily we didn't stay too long at Leopold's

Brilliant curries all round - and no utensils, proper Indian style! A great finish to our first night in Mumbai

CHOWPATTY BEACH AND MANI BHAVAN MUSEAUM

Greg bravely takes the front seat for this taxi ride!

Off we head to the beach

Beautiful garden along the beachfront

Welcome to Chowpatty Beach

The high rises in the background

The beach is shamefully polluted - the water described in Lonely Planet as "Toxic"

It's hot and time for a rest in the shade!

The sign says it all - there is a non stop blasting of horns in this city!

A motorists view ;-)

We arrive at the Mani Bhavan museum - Ghandi's residence when he stayed in Mumbai

A sculpture to the great man himself

A small part of his extensive library

These puppet displays of key moments in his life are brilliant - here Ghandi is kicked out of first class on a South Africa train for being a non white!

His famous Salt March

There are loads depicting his life

His funeral - a sad day in Indian history!

His living and working area in the house

After an enjoyable tour round the museum Lara takes a breather - it's also time for lunch

We have a great lunch at a bookstore and then browse for an hour

On our way to the airport we pass through some typical Mumbai slums

Chilling on the side of this busy road - cows are sacred here and move for nobody!

Sunset over Mumbai as we approach the airport

We arrive and are about to head off to Jaipur in the North for the next stop on our Indian adventure...

Sihanouk Ville - Cambodia

2010-02-14T04:48:00.000Z

After a better than expected short stop in Phnom Penh it was time to wrap up our Cambodia trip in Sihanouk Ville, a port city in the south of the country and a holiday retreat for Cambodians. We arrived on Sunday 24th January after another early start and roughly a 5 hour trip on the bus. After checking into our resort, the Orchidee Guest House, we dumped our bags and headed to the closest beach for some sun and maybe a swim to cool down from the heat. We took a leisurely stroll along the beach, which wasn’t one of the prettiest we had seen on tour, but was still full of swimmers and water sport activities.

We settled on the Banana Restaurant and Bar where we made ourselves comfortable on their big comfy chairs overlooking the sea and enjoyed some people watching. This area is packed mostly with Israeli and Eastern European tourists. There are two downsides to this beach, it’s been spoilt and is quite dirty and it’s a local spot for hassling, from begging to selling goods and services and all were extremely slow to take no for an answer. Anyway we enjoyed our lunch but decided to make our way back to the hotel and swim in the pool, which looked a lot cleaner and more inviting that the sea water! We enjoyed a great late afternoon splashing session, much to the irritation of the holiday makers relaxing on their deck chairs. This culminated in a competition on who could swim the most laps underwater. After a couple of the boys almost turning blue it was “iron lung” Greg who won by a mile – he must be half fish!

After a quick nap in our rooms we all congregated outside our bungalows and made our way out for dinner, we caught a ride with the local tuck tuck drivers who congregate outside the hotel and barter for a decent fare. We settled on Mike and Craig’s Restaurant for dinner, a recommendation from the Lonely Planet and something a bit western for a change. Being a Sunday night they had a special on roast dinners and every one of us dived straight in for either roast chicken or pork – it was like home cooking which we hadn’t experienced for a long time! The food was pretty good and after a few beers and some wine for the ladies it was back outside to grab a tuck tuck and head home.

We stopped off at the local shop outside our hotel for an ice cream dessert, which involved every one trying to dive into the freezer to get the best choice first. Once we were all stocked up it was home to bed.

We woke up nice and early for breakfast on Monday which was an interesting assortment of breads, pastries, eggs and bacon. Kath arrived to join us for the day and we jumped on a couple of tuck tuck’s to make our way to Sokha Beach, a private resort beach which came highly recommended. We were not disappointed – the squeaky sand was stunning and the water crystal clear! We quickly unloaded our stuff and grabbed some sun loungers to lap up the very hot sun. We were all in and out of the water regularly to cool down, and then the boys tucked into a game of Frisbee which was very competitive as per usual. The resort also had a lovely swimming pool and bar area, so after a few hours of beach we hit the pool and enjoyed a swim and some lunch – the tastiest burgers we’d had in a while.

After a great day at this lovely resort we made our slow trip back to our hotel to swim a bit more and grab a customary nap. We met up later for our last dinner in Cambodia. We took a walk up and down our road to pick the best restaurant, all of which offer barbecues right on the road, and display their fish and meat for you to choose from. After much deliberation we finally settled on one, and tucked into everything from chicken, fish, prawns, and beef – all succulently cooked on the barbecue. It was a great dinner and farewell drink to both Kath and Clyde who we would be leaving in the morning. After dinner we did yet another ice cream run on the local shop and then hit the sack for an early start the next day.

We all met for breakfast at 8.15am on Tuesday to say our farewells and catch our bus to Phnom Penh – we would be catching our flight to India.... a long day of travelling lay ahead. Leise, Lara, Greg, Shandy, V and I then said our final farewells to Clyde and Katch who would be staying a little longer in Cambodia, and jumped on the 5 hour bus ride to Phnom Penh. We arrived there just before 2pm and caught the slowest tuck tuck from the bus station to the airport, which was another eventful ride amongst some of the craziest drives in the world. On arriving at the airport it was a frantic session on the Internet trying to get a hotel sorted for Mumbai.

With a hotel booked we made our way to Bangkok for a change of plane. Lara and Leise were spending a night here and joining us the next day so we said our brief farewells and then the Greg, Shandy, V and I tucked into some curries, sushi, and beers at the excellent Bangkok airport. Finally we checked into our flight to Mumbai with the thousands of Indians returning home from their electronics shopping in Thailand – there were plasma’s and all sorts of electronic goodies all over the place!

And so after just a couple of nights in Sihanouk Ville we were leaving Cambodia – here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Sokha Beach, a stunning beach and lovely resort to relax at for a day
- Our last night barbecue dinner, great food all round
- There is a lot of hassling in certain parts of this town which gets a bit much after a while

Sihanouk Ville - Photos

2010-02-13T15:22:00.008Z

Our home for the next few days in Sihanouk Ville

We head straight to the closest beach... We quickly stop for lunch

And enjoy the view

Then it's back to our resort for a swim to cool down

We head out for dinner on our first night

It was roast dinners all round!

Waiting outside for a tuck tuck

Our favourite form of transport

V and Lara enjoying the ride home in luxury...

We stop at our nearest shop for ice creams - no shoes allowed inside here!

V makes friends with this cute little guy

Leise dives in first!

A new day and we head to Sokha Beach

This beach is beautiful

The girls take a swim...

We all soon follow

Then it's time for the boys to play Frisbee

It's another competitive game on tour After all that exercise it's time to take a break

And catch some sun

We head to the swimming pool at this resort....

Leise, Al and Clyde taking it nice and easy under this palm tree

Love this sign!

Phnom Penh - Cambodia

2010-02-12T08:11:00.000Z

After a lengthy journey of 6 hours (was supposed to take 5) we arrived in Phnom Penh on Friday 22nd January. Our trusty guide Clyde had mapped out the route to our hotel from the bus station so after hauling our backpacks onto our backs, and avoiding the taxi drivers fighting for our business, we began our walk 4 blocks down the road to find our home for the next few days. We stopped briefly at the second corner just to confirm we were heading in the right direction and a very helpful security guard stepped out of his post and kindly helped us on our way. This is the kind of friendliness we were to get used to during our time here.

Once we had arrived and checked into our rooms, we headed out for dinner as our tummies were grumbling quite loud! Our trusty guide already had it covered and Clyde managed to find us a great little spot a few blocks down which was filled with a number of bars and restaurants. We settled on the Herb Restaurant and tucked into some lovely meals served to us by a great local who was clearly in training. He was so softly spoken and the most apologetic when Lara’s meal got taken to the wrong table, one of the many Cambodians to steal our hearts in this town. After dinner and some cards the team were pretty shattered from our 5.30 am rise so we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep in preparation for our day ahead.

We woke up nice and fresh on Saturday morning and made our way to Penny Lane for breakfast. Once we had taken in the days newspapers and eaten ourselves full we found ourselves a pair of tuk tuk drivers and negotiated a rate for the various spots we wanted to see. The first of which was the S-21 museum. This used to be a grand old school which was converted into a prison and torture centre during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. It’s a heart wrenching exhibition and brings to life the incredible pain and suffering which the Cambodian people suffered at the hands of these extremists not all that long ago in our history.

After a weary walk through the museum we took our tuk tuk to the Killing Fields. An area just 16 km’s outside of the city centre were Khmer Rouge soldiers took men woman and children to be executed. Over 100 mass graves were found at this spot and now an incredible monument stands in their place to commemorate those who died so needlessly there.

Once we had paid our respects we left with heavy hearts in search of a lighter sight and were thrilled when our fabulous tuk tuk drivers dropped us outside the Royal Palace. This was the point at which we said goodbye to this lovely pair of locals and Mr Wyt and his friend were ever so grateful for the tip we left them (every cent is so important to the people here who literally have nothing) and left us on the side of the road with beaming smiles and big waves as they drove off.

The Royal Palace is just incredible, it’s used to house the current King and sure is as sight to behold. Once we’d marvelled at the spectacle, we decided it was time for a snack and to rest our weary legs, so we set off along the river in search of a restaurant. Once again our team tour guide Clyde found us a lovely spot on the first floor which had incredible views over the river and down the street and some pool for the boys.

After a little rest back at the hotel we found our favourite tuk tuk driver and another one of his friends and headed for the famous “Gym” bar. While the girls enjoyed a bottle of wine and some dinner the boys got stuck into what eventually turned out to be a mammoth pool game. We ended up only leaving the bar at 2 am once the final victors where decided (If you guys didn’t hear Ali and Leise gloating about “The Greatest comeback of all time” from here I’m surprised..!!!) and were thoroughly exhausted and fell into bed.

Our stay in Phnom Penh was eye opening to say the least, here are our highlights and lowlights:
- What fabulous people, despite their desperate state of poverty you are never far from a smiling face happy to help
- This city is a little unsafe (not that we experienced any troubles ourselves) so we were a little nervous in the evenings and kept our bags and cameras close at all times
- The S-21 museum and The Killing Fields are an excellent history lesson on a fairly recent event which few of us knew that much about
- Riding the tuk tuk up the wrong side of the road in heavy traffic – these guys are crazy!

Phnom Penh - Photos

2010-02-11T04:49:00.014Z

ARRIVING IN PHNOM PENH

Just arrived in Phnom Penh and it's time for dinner

A new day and time for a quick breakfast at Penny Lane's

S-21 - TOUL SLONG PRISON The gates to the prison which is now a museum left almost exactly as found

Memorial graves for the 14 unidentified bodies found when the prison was abandoned

One of the torture cells

This prison was originally a school

Building B is where the prison cells were

This structure was used to suspend prisoners for torture

Pictures are scattered throughout the prison to commemorate those who died here

The head of the Khmer Rouge - Pol Pot. Pure evil

Some of the brick cells the prisoners lived in - these were better than the wooden ones! THE KILLING FIELDS
Back aboard our tuck tuck and off we go to The Killing Fields on the outskirts of the city
We are driving on the WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD! Doesn't seem to bother the drivers here but look at the traffic we are driving through. Best to close your eyes ;-)

The gates to The Killing Fields

The Cambodian flag

Some of the many mass grave sites

This tree is probably the sickest part of the whole thing - not for the squemish!

This monument is the centre piece of the Killing Fields

Paying tribute

The inside of the monument is full of skulls and bones from those who perished here

ROYAL PALACE AND RIVERFRONT

On our way through the city centre to the river front and Royal Palace

A quick pose with our tuck tuck driver who looked after us all day
The entrance of the Royal Palace

Some stunning buildings around the Palace

Off for a drink along the river

Lara enjoys the view from our bar balcony
THE GYM BAR

Time for a big night out at the Gym Bar

Shandy, Lara and V tuck into some pub food

The boys hit the tequila

Such concentration...

From both of them - they still lost though ;-)

The last ice cream on the desert menu so Leise and I have to share!

It's late and all too much for Lara who passes out on the couch

Siem Reap - Cambodia

2010-02-08T16:50:00.001Z

After a fantastic time in Laos with so many friends it was time for Greg, Shandy, Clyde, Laise, Lara, V and I to make our way by minivan to Vientiane for our flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. After a coffee and read in this very pretty part of town we hit the airport by tuck tuck and boarded our flight, arriving in Siem Reap in the early evening of Wednesday 20th January. The airport itself is beautiful and is designed in traditional Cambodian architecture; unfortunately it was a little too dark to get any photos. We made our way by minivan taxi to our hotel, which as luck would have it was actually full. It was up to the boys to wander the streets of this town to find a decent hotel or hostel for our 2 nights here. This was no easy task as most were full and some that weren’t were pretty undesirable, but undeterred and while the girls relaxed and sipped wine, we managed to find accommodation at the aptly named Popular Guesthouse. At £10 a night including aircon and hot water (the hot water was rejected by Greg before we mentioned that Shandy might not be too happy about that!) it proved a bargain.

We then went back to find the girls and helped ourselves to the local beer here called Angkor Beer – not too bad. Then we checked in and quickly made our way out to find a nice restaurant in the picturesque centre of this town. The place is packed with tourists, which is why most of the hotels and guesthouses are so busy. The main attraction is Angkor Wat and the various other temples nearby, which we were to find out later are absolutely stunning! After a brief walk we settled on a lovely Indian restaurant called Samsara – the food was excellent and after a few games of cards it was bed time for a busy day of exploring the following morning. On the way home Greg and I were completely suckered by a little boy begging for milk instead of money. We were duly dragged into a shop where he selected the most expensive baby milk powder available – once we made our way home we turned to see him run back into the shop and swap it for the cash – a huge scam here and one we were sure to avoid in future!

We woke up nice and early on Thursday morning and caught our private minivan tour around the temples. It is an incredible sight which was a result of ancient rulers trying to outdo their predecessors by building larger and more audacious temples. The Khmer civilization was a dominant one in this part of the world at their peak, and the scale of their work is hugely impressive! The day was spent visiting as many as we could, although most people spend several days here so we had to be a little selective. One of the highlights was an old temple which has been overgrown by trees, whose roots lie over the of it – spectacular. We stopped for a quick lunch and then made our way to visit 1 quick temple before the main attraction – Angkor Wat itself. This giant structure is surrounded by a massive moat filled with water, and an outer wall and gates which are all impressive in their own right. Once you enter though you are blown away by the temple itself. Built in the 12th century for King Suryavarman II, it is the definitive symbol of Cambodia and even appears on its flag.

A lot of the temples and ruins here are being maintained by foreign aid, and each project has a board highlighting which country is sponsoring this work – it’s amazing how many countries are involved in this area. We walked around the huge temple and stood around just soaking up the rock sculptures, Buddhist statues, and architecture. After an excellent finish to the day it was time to head home for a rest before making our way out that evening. The only negative about the day was the constant haggling and begging. There are lots of children haggling for money or to sell you goods and most are such a pleasure, desperate to know where you are from and all about you – a great way for them to practice their English. Unfortunately like everything there are some who go too far and you are relentlessly hassled by them. Anyway you soon develop a thick skin and it certainly doesn’t ruin the day.

That night was a very relaxed affair as we went out for pizza and a few beers, followed by the usual game of cards. Then it was home for a very early night as we were up before 5am to get to Angkor Wat for the sunrise, a recommended highlight.

The alarm went off at 4.50am and as usual there was a real struggle to get out of bed. Anyway we all made it down in time for our tuck tucks which took us out to the temple. We passed plenty of market traders getting ready for their day so we weren’t the only ones up! We arrived while it was still pitch dark and navigating our way through the steps and corridors of the temple was a nightmare, resulting in much tripping and laughing – no lights or mod cons here! Finally we made it to the best spot to wait for the sunrise, and couldn’t believe how packed it was with tourists. It was a cloudy day so there was no magical sun rising over the top of the temple, but it was still amazing just to watch it come to life as the light dawned. There were plenty of local entrepreneurs offering chairs, coffees, teas, and milo’s – all for the right price and we were quick to accept.

After a great start to the day it was back to our tuck tuck (a father and son combination) and back to the Guesthouse for a quick nap before checking out and making our way by bus to Phnom Penh

So it was a quick couple of days in Siem Reap, home of the famous Angkor Wat. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples are clearly the major attraction here, and are unbelievable
- The centre of Siem Reap is really pretty, with a very French feel to the place
- Watch out for begging scams, they are rife!

Siem Reap - Photos

2010-02-06T19:53:00.017Z

Boarding another prop plane for our flight from Laos to Cambodia

Popular Guesthouse, our new home for our stay in Siem Reap

It's a late arrival so we head straight out for dinner...

And immediately sample the local beer

We have amazing Indian for dinner - then it's home to bed for an early start

DAY AT THE TEMPLES AND ANGKOR WAT

The amazing statues at the main gates

Clyde, Shandy and Greg about to head in

Some people prefer elephants for getting around

Our first temple and the place is already packed with tourists...

Our first Buddha of the day

Clyde checks on where we are headed next...

Stunning sculptures and artwork adorn all the temples

Some local traditional dress

There are a few steep climbs to get to the top of some of these temples

V stops to pick up some fresh fruit refreshments...

Back on board our mini van tour as we head off to more temples

Elephants are sacred in this part of the world

V tackles another steep climb...

And we make it to the top...

The hard part is getting back down!

Group shot

The trees have overgrown some of the temples

The tour involves beautiful walks through the forests...

We were hugely impressed with these guys!

Much better than begging!

A quick stop for lunch near the water

Stunning scenery on the walk

Outside the incredible Angkor Wat

About to enter the main gate...

Angkor Wat - unbelievable!

Enjoying the walk and the impressive wall carvings and murals

Ancient and stunning!

Enjoying the walk around the outside of this giant temple

A typical Buddhist monk

After a long day of walking it's time to head home

SUNRISE AT ANGKOR WAT

Up at the crack of dawn hoping to catch a great sunrise at Angkor Wat

Tuck Tuck number 1

Tuck Tuck number 2 looking a bit more awake!

We are not the only ones up at this time - plenty of locals picking up produce for the markets

Dawn starts to break

Not the clearest sunrise but still a spectacular experience!

The hordes of early risers waiting for the perfect photo

Including us!

Definitely worth the effort - a great start to the day!

Taking in this impressive place for the last time

Heading back to our hotel...

One last look!

Home for a quick nap before our afternoon bus to Phnom Penh

Vang Vieng - Laos

2010-02-06T18:00:00.003Z

FROM LUANG PRABANG TO VANG VIENG
We took a bumpy five hour drive through rolling hills and deep green valley’s until we arrived in Vang Vieng on Friday 15th January. There was a little confusion with regards to the name and location of our hotel but eventually we worked it out and were greeted at the entrance by Craig and Sash. It was great to see them after so long so we quickly dropped our bags in the room so that we could catch up at the hotel bar which overlooks the Nam Song River. After a quick bite to eat and a beer, we took in the minor solar eclipse before making our way to the Aussie bar on the main strip where the boys were keen to watch a bit of cricket. The main road of this town is more than surreal, full of bars, restaurants, Internet cafes etc. The bars all seem to be screening continuous re-runs of Friends, Family Guy, and The Simpsons to keep the Western tourists engaged!

We spent the next few hours catching up on stories and planning what we wanted to do the next day before taking a short stroll down the road where we found a great spot to eat. Unfortunately we were a pretty big group so we ended up sitting with the girls around one table and the boys around another....sounds similar to the braais we have in SA! After a tasty meal yet again we made our way to the party spots which sit on the river. Unlike Luang Prabang this place does not shut everything down at 11.30 pm but rather it caters to the tourists who flock the town and the place rocks all night long.

Our first stop after walking across a dark and rickety bridge was the Rock bar. Each of these places blasts out it’s tunes played by their resident DJ and they set up great big bon fires that you can sit around to keep warm (it gets a bit chilly at night). After a few beers at the Rock bar and a small incident with a power failure which plunged the entire area into pitch black darkness, we moved on down the road to the next cluster of party spots which were packed to the brim with people. Eventually the days long journey had taken its toll and we made our way back to our beautiful little hotel for a great night’s rest.

SCOOTER RIDE AND BLUE LAGOON
We woke up on Saturday morning and hired motorbikes so that we could make our way to the Blue Lagoon. It was a fair ride over some very rocky, sandy and dusty roads but we made it in one piece. Our first stop was a very small lagoon which was surrounded by lovely little bamboo structures where you can take a little nap in the shade. While Craig braved the water, Clydo, Al, Lara and Leise caught a few winks and Shands, Greg, Sash and I made friends with one of the local boys who was very excited to show us his drawings with his new set of coloured pencils.

After a little while we then jumped back onto the bikes and made our way to the real deal. When we arrived we could see why this spot is a favourite place to visit. The beautiful lagoon was as blue as the sky above us and the gang jumped in as soon as they could get their t-shirts off! We lazed around the lagoon for the rest of the afternoon and soaked up the beautiful surroundings. Jungle covered mountains as a backdrop; crystal blue water and grass so green and thick it felt like we were lying on a soft mattress!

On our ride back we were a little more confident on the bikes so were able to take in the gorgeous mountains and valleys. We passed herds of cows with their pretty calves and smiling little children and their parents working hard to get wood home for their evening fires. It was a spectacular drive that showed us the beautiful landscape of Laos.

Once we got back to the town centre we dropped off the bikes and headed back to the Aussie bar so that the boys could catch the cricket. Shev, Geoff and Kath then arrived and joined us for a tasty burger dinner. After a few beers and some rounds of cards we all made our way back to the hotel for an early night as Sunday was tubing day!

TUBING ON THE NAM SONG RIVER
We woke up bright and early on Sunday and Ali was not well. After being up most of the night he decided to stay in so we sadly left him behind and headed out for a hearty breakfast at the nearby bakery to set us up for a fun filled day on the river. Once we’d booked our tubes we were herded onto the back of a tuk tuk and driven to a point further up the river. There we were dropped off with our tubes and left to fend for ourselves!!! The “get in” point is a bar which offered us our first local drink and then sent us on our merry way. As we jumped into our tubes we began to float down the river. As we went, the various bars on either bank offered all sorts of freebees to get you to stop in and have a drink or a bite to eat. Once we showed a bit of interest they would throw out a rope which we would have to grab onto and they would pull us in. Some bars also had monkey ropes and slides which you could use, so of course it didn’t take long for the boys to get stuck in.

It’s a little hair raising as it’s quite evident that health and safety are not a priority here so we ensured at least one of the boys checked the depth of the river at the entry point before recklessly making any swings or slides. Even the girls had a go on one of the slides but the landing was pretty hard and we vowed not to do it again. So after an afternoon of fun in the sun we approached the last two km’s of the journey, it was getting pretty chilly at this point and as the river doesn’t flow particularly fast it was taking some time to get to the finish point so Sash and I managed to catch a lift with a couple of guys who were kayaking. While Sash clung on for dear life we reached our destination, jumped off the tubes and headed back to the hotel to check on Al and have a well deserved warm shower.

That evening we headed out to one of the local BBQ restaurants and enjoyed a great dinner over cards and beers. Some of us finished early and headed home stopping at the pancake stall for take away dessert while others continued to party down on the river.

DAY AT THE POOL
The next morning we woke up and left those feeling a little worse for wear in bed while the rest of us made our way out to breakfast at our favourite bakery. After breakfast and a short catch up at the internet cafe we made our way to a hotel resort that had a pool. For a small fee we were allowed to enjoy the pool and the volleyball so that’s what we did to pass the time for the day. Once the team had re-grouped the girls left the boys to finish the all important volleyball tournament and headed out for a late lunch and massage. The boys followed a little later and made their way through some tasty pizzas before heading back to the hotel. That evening we decided to stay in. With tummies full and very relaxed from the massages we took the opportunity to watch DVDs or read our books.

SASHA'S BIRTHDAY AND TUBING THE RIVER
The next morning was Sasha’s birthday so we woke at a reasonable hour and gave our wishes. After a quick breakfast at the bakery we were ready for day two of tubing. The process was all pretty much the same as before however this time we knew we didn’t need to rush through any of the stops as there are not as many as you would expect. So we enjoyed a few games of beer pong, swings and slides as the sun beat down on our shoulders.

That evening after a quick shower, we did a bit of exploration and found a great little spot for dinner. We sat down and enjoyed a lovely meal and some drinks at which point the girls were thoroughly worn out and headed off to bed leaving the boys to play cards.

On Wednesday morning we had to be up and at em as we had an early morning bus which was taking us to Vientiane where we were to catch our flight to Cambodia. After our sad goodbyes to Sash, Craig, Geoff, Shev and Kath we headed to our collection point.

Vang Vieng is a great town and it was such a treat to be able to spend Sasha’s birthday with her. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Great town but being slightly tainted by the number of tourists who are flocking to the area. There is always the handful that are a bit disrespectful to the locals.
- Tubing!!!! So so so much fun.
- Don’t go to the Aussie bar. On our last night there we noticed on a number of occasions how horrible the owner is to his staff.
- Some of the best pancakes we ever did taste.
- The scenery here is spectacular, a beautiful part of the world!

Vang Vieng - Photos

2010-02-06T09:02:00.020Z

All aboard the minivan for our trip from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng

Clyde trying to get some sleep on the trip - it was like a washing machine in the back!

Arriving in Vang Vieng and catching a tuck tuck to our hotel - which managed to drop us off in the wrong place!

The beautiful Nam Song river running past our resort

Meeting up with the gang for Sasha's birthday celebration

The scenery is spectacular!

Some off road driving by the locals...
Our cute bungalows at this resort

We head to the Aussie Bar for late afternoon drinks - V, Sasha, Shandy and Lara enjoying an ice cold drink to start!

Leise, Al, Clyde, Greg and Craig tuck straight into ice cold beers!

Some pool for the boys...

Late night at The Rock Bar
More jugs - and they are also potent!
The night turns into a serious party!

Greg and V enjoying another jug...

A great first night in Vang Vieng

Smashed!!

A DAY ON THE SCOOTERS AND THE BLUE LAGOON
On our bikes and off we go to explore...

The countryside is beautiful...

Clyde leads the way...

We stop for a break on the way...

And soak up the views

Al and Lara take the opportunity to rest those hangovers...

Sasha fetches ice cold cokes for everyone...

Almost time to move on

And off we go - Greg and Shandy lead the way this time...

Craig and Sasha

The Leisegangs and their funky helmets!

We arrive at the Blue Lagoon which is beautiful

The swings are great fun!

Greg takes the plunge...

Then it's time to relax

And enjoy the sun
Stopping off later that night for pancakes on the way home - yummy!

TUBING DOWN THE RIVER

Arriving at the top of the river...

About to head off down the river

The river is full of swings and slides - alongside all the bars

Mudpit tug of war anyone!?

The girls enjoy a cocktail and a break

Greg diving off a swing

Ramping off the slide into the river

Full marks for this dive!

Back on the river...

Last rounds...

Heading home in formation...

Time for dinner
And a party!

A DAY AT THE POOL AND BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Clyde, Al and Greg relaxing at the pool...

Before some competitive volleyball

Stunning scenery at this resort

The girls lap up some sun at the pool

The boys take a swim after some sweaty exercise

Geoff, Craig and Al smashing some seriously large tequilas for losing the volleyball

SASHA'S BIRTHDAY AND TUBING DOWN THE RIVER

A quick local whisky shot before hitting the tubes...

The boys getting ready for the water

They keep trying to load us up with more shots!

Another stunning day in Vang Vieng!

In we go...

First stop and time for some Beer Pong

The girls challenge the boys...

V and Shev have to drop their shorts and run around the table after getting whitewashed!

Next bar and time for a rest

Some of the local kids showing off their tubing skills

V about to jump off the ramp on this swing...

The rest of us shout encouragement from the safety of the ground!

Another round of cocktails for the girls...

The boys swim across the river to go and play volleyball - with their beers above their heads!

They return to relax - Al and Geoff enjoying a beer on the water

Launching off the river slide

Last rounds on our last day in Vang Vieng - what a great few days!!

Luang Prabang - Laos

2010-01-27T17:39:00.001Z

After our version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles (plus Ferry) which involved a 3 hour ferry , an overnight train and a short flight from Bangkok we finally arrived in Luang Prabang on Tuesday 12 January. This town in Laos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and literally means “Royal Buddha Image”. This beautiful town is so peaceful as it is protected from heavy traffic and industry, and only has a population of 105 000 which maintains its relaxed charm.

Once we had settled into our rooms, Clyde, Lara and Leise came to pick us up and took us to a great bar / restaurant which they had found the day before called Utopia. The deck had fabulous views of the Namkong River as it slowly flowed passed and was a beautiful spot to have a light lunch before we hit the beach volleyball court which was also on the premises. After a gruelling battle the Leisegang/Ali team beat the Van Alvin/V/Clydo team, and each player had some kind of bruise or scrape to show for it. After the 5 hours of volleyball we headed to the Hive bar for a quick bite to eat before heading back to the hotel in a tuk tuk. Everything in Luang Prabang shuts at 11.30 each night which helps to conserve the authenticity of this beautiful town.....everything apart from the ten pin bowling that is.....

We woke up well rested on Wednesday morning and headed off for a short walk to find breakfast. There is still a strong French influence here in Laos and you can mostly see it in the architecture as well as the menus filled with tasty baguettes and pastries. So after some fresh baked goods to fill our tummies, Shands, Greg, Al and I headed off for the walking tour of the town. We started with a walk up the main hill where we were not only treated to great views over the beautiful town, it’s stunning gold temples, the Mekong and Namkong rivers and the rolling hills which surround the area but also given the opportunity to enjoy a large temple situated at the top of the hill and Shands even got to know a monk a little better. To show respect to the monks you are asked not to speak to them, not to take photos of them and always remain below them in height but this monk called Vincent was keen to get to know all about Shands and was enjoying practising his English with her. We then continued through and around the town which is among one of the prettiest that we have seen and more often than not we were greeted with beautiful smiling faces of the towns people.

After our walk we headed back to the hotel for a chill before heading out for dinner at a restaurant which was situated right on the river and beautifully lit with pretty coloured lanterns. After a few drinks and a tasty meal we then jumped into a tuk tuk which comprised of a little 50 cc motorbike which literally crawled along with the weight of 7 people on the back and headed to Ten Pin Bowling!!! One of the highlights was Al needing 3 strikes in the last set to beat Greg and he managed to do it (no idea how!). This resulted in great celebration from him and plenty comments like “Jammy B*st*rd” from the others! A great night was had by all and after 3 rounds and a lot of giggles (and nearly beating my husband to first place in the last game by a mere 5 points) we were well and truly tired and headed home to bed.

We woke up nice and early on Thursday morning and Alistair was not feeling well. Opting not to be too far away from the bathroom he decided to stay in while the rest of us headed out to the [] waterfalls and bear sanctuary. We started off with the bears and watched as they rummaged for their breakfast (as it’s a sanctuary the goal is to re-introduce the bears into their natural habitat so the carers hide their tasty treats in the trees and the under the rocks etc. So the bears have to seek the food out before they fill up). Once we’d taken some good shots of the bears we then took a walk to the waterfall which was just stunning. The sound, of the water combined with the beautiful vegetation and clear blue water was just breathtaking....not to mention the temperature. Clyde and Greg couldn’t resist the monkey swing into the bottom and it was not the warmest water they had ever swum in.

We browsed the area for a little longer and then headed back to the town for a tasty lunch. As it was a little chilly we opted for a lovely French deli for some comfort food. With a snack pack under our arms for Al, we headed back to the hotel to do a little admin etc. before a quiet dinner at a beautiful restaurant which treated us to a traditional dance show and music. Then it was time for bed as we had an early start to make our way down to Vang Vieng and meet up with more friends to celebrate Sasha’s birthday

Luang Prabang is a stunning little town full of character and beauty. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- The monks are a sight to behold, in their bright orange and yellow robes they have a quiet disposition that can only be highly respected.
- This town is as picturesque and peaceful as you could wish for, one of our favourites
- The local people are so friendly, helpful, and happy to see you – you are made to feel really welcome here

Luang Prabang, Laos - Photos

2010-01-27T07:59:00.016Z

At Bangkok airport about to board our twin prop plane to Luang Prabang

We meet up with the Leisegangs (and Clyde)

On our walk to the Utopia Bar on the river

Group reunion

Stunning view over the river

Time for some beach volleyball...

It gets very competitive!

Time for another refreshment break...

It's sweaty work!

The girls all ready for the final set - unfortunately for them Lara, Leise and I won ;-)

Dinner and drinks on our first night in the beautiful Luang Prabang

WALKING TOUR OF LUANG PRABANG

V and Shandy ready for a walking tour of the town

Which is full of beautiful temples everywhere you go

Lara outside the National Museum

A quick stop for breakfast - we need the fuel ;-)

Greg, Shandy and V at the steps leading to the temple on top of the hill in the middle of the town

Not even halfway yet!

We finally make it - lovely view of the river from this side

Greg, Shandy and I take time to catch our breath...

What a picturesque town

Greg, Shandy and V soaking up the view

The temple on top of the hill - it is lit up at night and can be seen from everywhere in the town

Time to make our way back down...

There are Buddha statues all over the hill

The views on the way down...

The chilled out Tueday Buddha, our favourite ;-)

One of the many monks walking around the town

Back down to the river and this small farm on the side

We continue walking the rest of the town and admiring the beautiful temples..

Funky and immaculate old car

Some typical buildings in Luang Prabang which has a huge French influence

Plenty of Hammer and Sickle flags around the town

One of the main temples in the town, it is huge and stuning

Tough day - this tuck tuck driver taking a nap

Boats on the Mekong River

More streets on the walk home

Almost home...

NIGHT OUT AND TENPIN BOWLING

Heading out for dinner through the night market

The night market in full flight - streets are closed to traffic in the evening for this market

Dinner on the river - another great meal...

Shandy, Greg and V on the tuck tuck on the way to late night tenpin bowling, which only opens at 10pm

Leise and Clyde enjoying the ride...

We pose with out tuck tuck driver who was good fun

The best kept secret in Luang Prabang!

Shandy and Greg are raring to go!

V whipping one down the lane

This was competitive as always and a fantastic night out!

WATERFALL AND BEAR SANCTUARY

Another day and time for some exploring...

We head to the Waterfall...

...and Bear Sanctuary...

So cute!

The gang at the stunning waterfall...

Time for a break

Beautiful

Last dinner in Luang Prabang which we have all loved. An early start the next day for our trip to Vang Vieng

Koh Tao - Thailand

2010-01-27T05:32:00.000Z

We left Koh Phangan for Koh Tao on Friday 8th January and arrived after a 2 hour ferry. Koh Tao is another stunning island in this part of the world, with the perfect balance between having the peace and quiet of a tropical island, but also with enough of a life to really enjoy oneself. We quickly made our way to our hotel to unload our bags before heading to the beach. The beach here was stunning, with crystal clear waters and absolutely no waves. Never mind the fact the temperature was nice and warm so Greg and I were able to play Frisbee for hours at a time in the till our fingers turned to wrinkles. After a nice relaxing afternoon on the beach we made our way back to our hotel to shower and get ready for a big Friday night. Our friends Geoff and Shev had arrived from London for a 2 week holiday so we made our way to the Vibe Bar to meet up with them and enjoy the sunset over a few beers.

The Vibe Bar was a perfect location to enjoy the sunset over the water. We got to lay about on bean bags with the rest of the patrons and enjoy a spectacular sunset as the sky filled up with beautiful colours. After this we took a stroll along the beach and finally Geoff and Shev arrived. From there we made our way for dinner which was great as always in this part of the world. Then it was time for a party and after some investigation we found the right bar (they are lined up one after the other with music blaring). We settled on The Lotus Bar and managed to find a spot to sit on right on the beach with the water lapping just a few feet away. We tucked into “buckets”, which are a local whisky mixed with either Coke, Sprite, Red Bull, Tropical juice or whatever your preference. We ordered 3 to get started and they were potent.

The Lotus Bar was packed, and at one stage we had a group of Swedish girls join our circle just to chat with us, something we were quick to rub in with the single guys back in London who would have loved it here. During all of this there are locals who do fire shows right on the beach, so close you can feel the heat – they were brilliant and were well tipped for their efforts! At one stage an Irish guy so drunk he stumbled past us and fell into the sea. Shandy quickly went in to rescue him as every time he tried to walk out of the water he would stumble into a full circle and fall back in. Well done Shandy for saving a life, his hangover the next day would have been huge but at least he was still alive! After a couple more buckets we were well on our way and hit the dance floor to enjoy the music and attempt a dance. After a great time it was finally time to call it a night around 2am and enjoy a short walk along the beach with the stars in full glow – we were already totally in love with Koh Tao!

We woke up on Saturday morning and after a quick breakfast it was time to hit that beach yet again. After spending several hours lapping up the hot sun and throwing the Frisbee for several hours in the water we headed back in for a late afternoon rest. Greg and Shandy went off to explore with Geoff and Shev and then came back to pick V and I up. We hired a scooter and off we set, 3 couples whizzing around the island on our scooters. We made our way to a beautiful restaurant called the New Heaven Restaurant right on the beach on the other side of the island and tucked into amazing curries, seafood and deserts while enjoying the peace of our surroundings. Then it was another enjoyable ride back through parts of the island to get a decent night sleep before our dive the next day.

Sunday was another sunny day and we jumped on our scooters and made our way to meet up with Geoff and Shev who were doing their discovery courses before our afternoon dive together. We relaxed on the beach and then it was time to sign those indemnity forms and hit the ocean for our dive. We had 2 dives that afternoon at Japanese Gardens and the Twin Peaks (which are actually 3 peaks but there you go!). The boat was packed with divers but we had a great time out there and the marine life and corals were beautiful. We then made our way back to shore as the sun was setting which was a treat, and then hit a great pizzeria to tuck into some large pizzas – they were awesome! The diving had taken it out of us by this stage but we managed to all stop into the pub and play cards over a few beers and tequilas before bed.

Monday morning was our final morning on this stunning island, our favourite in Thailand for sure. We rode our bikes for the final time to meet up with Geoff and Shev. We enjoyed a bit of a western breakfast which was really good, and then bid our farewells to our friends who we would soon be seeing in Laos. Then it was a quick ride back to our hotel to check out and have a quick massage for V and I – at £5 for an hour you can’t miss out! We quickly packed and then made our way to the harbour for our 2 hour ferry to the mainland. We arrived on the mainland at sunset and jumped on a minivan taxi to Champion Station for our overnight train to Bangkok. The train was an adventure in itself as we crammed into our small bunks for the 9 hour journey.

On this journey I had a serious attack of the stomach cramps, which was not fun on the train toilet which was a long drop straight onto the tracks – no western luxury here! After a rough sleep I was rudely awoken at 4am by the conductor who opened my curtain and screamed in my face to wake up, I almost whacked my head on the roof I jumped so high. We were hustled out of our beds so they could be converted into seats before we arrived at Bangkok station. We arrived at 5am and then began our bartering for a taxi to the airport, a task we had become expert at by this stage of our travels. We got to the airport and had several hours to kill so made ourselves at home at Starbucks, where I had quick access to the toilet for a heavy throwing up session. It was not a great morning for me but finally we got to check into our flight and make our way to Luang Prabang in Laos to meet up with lots of our friends, a part of our trip we had been so looking forward to!

And so after a fantastic few days in Koh Toa here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Our favourite island in Thailand by far, a perfect blend of peace and stunning beaches with a great party atmosphere
- The Lotus Bar, a fantastic night out right on the beach with great fire shows
- Our scooter trips which were a great way to see some of the island
- 2 great dives which were amazing
- No lowlights here could easily have stayed here for 2 weeks alone!

Koh Tao - Photos

2010-01-25T08:55:00.013Z

Ferry time, on our way to Koh Toa...

Shandy and V get some air...

Arriving at the island...

We catch some beach time before sunset

Time for sundowners...

A beautiful end to the afternoon...

Shev and Geoff arrive from London and join us. Shev and Shandy enjoying dinner here

We head to the Lotus Bar for friday night drinks...

Free fire show by the locals on the beach included

These buckets of local whisky and coke, red bull, sprite etc are lethal. Geoff, Greg and I tuck in!

Some random Swedish girls join us for a few drinks...

Getting smashed!!

The fire shows are amazing, even if they do come a bit close!

Shandy and V stumble home after a great night!

A quick breakfast on Saturday morning before spending the day at the beach

One of our favourite beaches in Thailand

Shandy mixing with the locals...

Dinner on the water

It's a gorgeous restaurant

Another day and time for some diving...

Greg, Shandy and V ready and waiting...

Another glorious day on the island!

Shev and Geoff back from a morning dive

Heading out to our dive spot...

V enjoying another beautiful sunset on the boat

Back on shore

Our last morning and we head for breakfast...

Shandy and I ready for some grub...

Packing up and getting ready to go...

Waiting for our taxi to the ferry...

The streets of Koh Toa

Our taxi arrives...

After a 2 hour ferry we hit the mainland...

Now to get to the train station for our overnight trip to Bangkok...

We get to the station to catch our train...

Greg ready to catch anything to get there!

Shandy gets comfy on our overnight sleeper!

It's a tight squeeze!

After an early 4am rise the beds are turned into chairs. Next stop our flight to Laos...

Koh Phangan - Thailand

2010-01-24T15:32:00.000Z

We took a short ferry trip and a rather bumpy drive to reach our gorgeous bungalows at Baan Panburi. As soon as we had settled into our little huts we headed down to the hotel restaurant where we had a quick tasty lunch so that no time was wasted on the beach which was less than a hop skip and a jump away. The waves were so big and blue we were all dying to jump into the sea, so with not a minute wasted we lay our towels out on the sand and headed in for a late afternoon swim. It was so nice to be in big Durban like swells again that we stayed in the water till our eyes burnt from the salt and our fingers and toes were all wrinkly.

Once we had showered and emptied our cosies of all the sand we freshened up nicely and while the boys did some travel booking for us, Shands and I did a little research on India and Bali over a cocktail or two. Once we had all done enough work for the day we stepped into the hotel restaurant for a lovely dinner on the beach where Shands and I managed to rack up a hefty bill because we were so in the mood for a bottle of wine which doesn’t come cheap on these islands. After dinner we took a quiet stroll along the beach under a moonlit sky before we headed to bed for a peaceful nap under the mosquito net.

We woke the next morning to another glorious day on the island and after a tasty breakfast we pulled out the deck chairs and found a prime spot on the beach. The day consisted mostly of swimming, tanning and reading our books until there just no more sun to be had. That evening we headed to Luna bar and restaurant for dinner and cocktails. It was a gorgeous setting, beautifully lit with fairly lights and candles and the decor was traditional Asian with low seating and heavy wooden tables. The boys enjoyed a Lamb Massaman curry which they rated as one of the best! Al’s pinocolada was a winner too. After a lovely dinner we headed back to the beach with some whiskey and the remainder of our Jagermaester in hand and sat and chatted and laughed with our friends under the moonlight until the early hours of the morning.

Needless to say we were not feeling all that well the next morning so we had to grab what we could to eat in the hope that it would cure our aches and pains. The weather wasn’t all that great so we spent the day juggling between swimming, dosing, reading our books and checking out what was happening in the world on the internet. Once we’d managed to pull ourselves together we headed to the Reggae bar for a great dinner and soft drinks before heading home for a well earned rest.

Koh Phangan is a stunning island and one of our favourites in Thailand . Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- The waves in the sea are great, it’s like being in Durban!
- Our own little full moon party on the beach with Shands and Greg, what a great way to spend time with friends.
- Baan Panburi village, a beautiful resort away from the hustle and bustle

Koh Phangan - Photos

2010-01-24T07:00:00.010Z

On the ferry on our way from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan

Arriving at Koh Phangan island

After a very bumpy taxi ride we arrive at our resort in Baan Panburi

Straight away we head for lunch at the Beach Bar right on the beach

Our beautiful resort

Shandy already at home in our new huts

The stunning beach at our resort

Dinner and cocktails on the beach

The girls enjoying some wine...

A great dinner on the beach on our first night

After dinner we take a walk on the beach

These bowls of water are provded to wash the sand off your feet before entering your hut - we also used them for water fights ;-)

Dinner at Luna restaurant and bar on our second night

And some cards - V must be cheating ;-)

Then it's time for our own party on the beach...

A beautiful night under the stars...

The Beach Bar in the distance

We managed to polish off our whisky and Jaegermeister

Another late night stroll along the beach...

Time to head home for bed - we are pretty wasted!

Shandy feeling very hungover the next morning!

Time to hit the beach on our last full day on the island...

We grab deck chairs and after a hearty swim it's time to relax and do some reading...

And what a view!

Koh Samui - Thailand

2010-01-21T10:32:00.000Z

We left Lara and Leise in Ao Nang on Saturday 2nd January and made our way to the island of Koh Samui off the Eastern coast of Thailand. This involved a quick minivan trip, followed by a long coach journey to the opposite coast, and then a couple of hours on the ferry. The ferry trip was rocky to say the least but we all managed to avoid throwing up thankfully! As we closed in on the island it was beautiful to see, as the sun was just about to set. We unloaded our bags and then after a quick haggle with a taxi which we lost hands down, we made our way to the Baanrommai Resort (our home for the next few days) sharing our ride with a lovely Swedish couple.

After a quick check in it was time to explore the nightlife and go and have some dinner. After walking almost the entire length of the main road looking for the Ocean Basket restaurant which Greg and Shandy had been to before, we finally realised that it must have closed and so set about looking for a good alternative. We settled on a restaurant and we all had an enjoyable meal except for Greg who risked the Calamari and was bitterly disappointed – especially when my Thai curry was a beauty! From there we strolled down the street which was packed with tourists and travellers – this is by far the most touristy island in Thailand and is a bit too hectic to be honest. It doesn’t feel much like Thailand either as it caters completely for the holiday makers and has 24 hour Burger Kings and McDonalds, Boots chemists, Australian bars etc.

On our walk home we found a bar with a pool table (any good bar has one which is a good way to entice customers). We settled into a doubles pool challenge where the Herriott’s took on the van Alvin’s – we were pipped 2-1! Then it was time to sit down and enjoy some cards and a few more beers. From there we staggered home, using all our willpower to avoid the McDonalds ice cream on the way, and quickly hit the sack.

We woke up at a respectable time on Sunday and made our way straight to the beach. We found a perfect little spot and made ourselves at home. The water was nice but nowhere near as clean or blue as the islands around Ao Nang and again you are left with the feeling that this is mostly down to the tourists! Anyway we enjoyed plenty of swimming, bat and ball, and Frisbee throwing for several hours and of course the girls tucked into their new favourite lunch, barbecued mielies! Unfortunately it started to rain later that afternoon so we had to make our way back to our hotel to relax and catch up on some reading while the downpour continued outside our window. Once the rain cleared we headed out for dinner.

On our long walk the night before we had seen plenty of restaurants that appealed to us, one of which was a Wiener Schnitzel House. Greg was determined that we would head there for dinner and after another pretty long walk we finally found it. We all ordered our Schnitzels and waited with bated breath. Unfortunately their idea of a Chicken Schnitzel is nothing like ours – in fact it was basically just a grilled chicken breast with some average sauce. There was great disappointment all round and 2 bad dinners in a row for Greg had not made him happy. Anyway we paid up and then found a large Aussie bar which was showing the SA v England cricket so we popped ourselves down on a comfy spot and settled in. Cards, beer and cricket were a perfect way to finish the day, although Greg and I topped it off with a stop on the way home to watch the end of the West Ham v Arsenal game which was a cracker! Shandy did try and bring us back down to earth by making us weigh ourselves on an electronic scale outside our hotel before bed – the results were not good and some of us are at record weight levels!

On Monday we decided to explore a little more of the island and so we hired some scooters from our hotel. This was an inspired idea and with our retro helmets on (safety first) we set off to see what we could find. Our first stop was the giant Buddha, a beautiful statue and some temples just 15 minutes from our beach. After enjoying the sights and the view from the top we then made our way along the coast to see if we could find some nicer beaches which we did in no time at all. We stopped off at the Silver Beach resort for a quick drink and then rode a bit further down the coast where we came across Republic Beach. This was a stunning resort with a pool, serious luxury for us backpackers!

We were allowed to stay and enjoy the facilities if we had lunch there so we jumped at the chance. The girls relaxed on the sun loungers while Greg and I hit the pool to enjoy the water and the stunning view of the beach. This was real paradise! We tucked into a hearty lunch and then as the rain hit later in the afternoon we moved inside to enjoy another drink and play some chess. Greg was the master this time but a rematch has been planned! The rain died down and after a quick final swim we jumped back on our scooters and made our way back home through the manic evening traffic........scooters and vans whipping past you in all directions. Anyway we made it safe and sound just as darkness descended.

From there it was a quick change as we headed out for our last dinner in Koh Samui. After the last 2 nights being a little average we decided to go local and found a lovely Thai restaurant on the main road (you would be surprised how rare these actually are on this island). We tucked into some curries and were all very happy with our choices. Then it was back to our new favourite Aussie pub so we could enjoy some more beers, cards and of course the cricket. Tired after a busy day we made a quick stop at the Ark Bar on the way home where a full beach party was on the go. We found a nice area to relax and enjoy a couple of beers. We were then challenged by some local kids no older than 7 or 8 to a game of Connect 4. If we won they would pay 500 Baht and if we lost we would pay them 100 Baht – so 5 to 1 odds and worth a go although they cleaned us out in the 3 games we played them. They clearly have a system, but it was good fun anyway! Then it was home time as we still had to pack and get some sleep as we were off to the island of Koh Phangan in the morning.

So a quick 3 nights in Koh Samui which we really enjoyed and here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Scooter ride around part of the island, a great day out and a perfect way to see some lovely beaches
- Our afternoon at Beach Republic was perfect
- Far too touristy with rude drunks everywhere!
- This little island is also a little dirty and smelly.