Ha Long Bay

Halong Bay had long been on our list of travel dreams. This UNESCO World Heritage site boasts 1969 islands (remembered by the year that Ho Chi Minh died) set in the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. "Halong" translates to 'where the dragon descends into the sea'. Many stories exist about how the islands were originally formed, including from the fire breath of the dragon. An ethereal mist hovered around the limestone cliffs of the islands.

Halong Bay

Hundreds of tourist filled junks float around the bay. Ours was named Sunrise and was beautifully decked out with all the luxuries necessary for our three day cruise.

Our Luxury Room on the Boat

Our Vietnamese tour guide, Ting, taught us about each of the places we visited in his broken english accent. In the two large caves we visited (Amazing Cave and Me Cung Cave) Ting pointed out hidden shapes created by the stalactites and stalagmites, encouraging us to use our fantasy (or imagination, Fantasea was the name of our tour company) to spot them.

We spent most of our time kayaking isolated coves, sometimes passing under limestone arches to reach them. When we grew hot in the sun on the deck of the boat, we jumped off the top to cool off in the water or swim to sandy beaches (although these were very scarce).

Kayaking Around the Bay

Wherever we travelled in the bay, even when swimming, we were followed by Vietnamese ladies in small paddle boats trying desperately to sell snacks for a living. 

Mobile Food Supply

This didn't tempt us because apart from the breathtaking views, the highlight of our Halong Bay Boat trip was the incredible food that was served onboard. We were spoilt with plates of steaming cockles, whole fish, prawn cocktails with hand carved vegetable flowers, crab cakes in their shells, endless vegetable dishes, salads and fruit. We ventured down to the ships hull to take a peak at the kitchen (a tiny basic affair with wok and limited counter space) and were amazed at how they prepared so many delicacies with such basic facilities.

Prawn Cocktails

We took our exercise opportunities where we could, scrambling to the summit of Dao Titop (Titop Island) for a priceless panoramic view of the bay.

View From Titop Summit

The sunsets on the bay were otherworldly, both nights glimpsed briefly before our boat stole away into a sheltered cove for the night. Once dark descended at 6pm, our boat didn't move again until daylight. 

Halong Bay Sunset

Our evening entertainment included fruitless squid fishing off the back of the boat with a large spotlight and loud karaoke inside (perhaps an explanation for why we never lured any sealife close enough to catch).

On our last evening we visited a pearl farm and learnt about the fascinating process of pearl culturing.

Halong Bay Pearl Farm

Pearl Ready for Harvest

Nam Phao/ Cau Treo Border Crossing - Laos to Vietnam

(We've put a bit more detail into this post to help other travelers through this tricky border crossing. We had met people along the way that were planning to cross by motorbike!  Read on to see why this would not be a good idea.)

We had read that Lak Xao was a popular stop-over town for tourists making the Laos Vietnam border crossing from Vientiane to Hanoi. After our 7 hour ride on a local bus (85,000 kip each from Don Dok/ Southern Bus Station) we arrived at a small almost deserted and certainly not tourist friendly settlement at the foot of a towering mountain.

Lak Xao

We were actually surprised to stumble across a visitors' centre. The last entry in the log had been 6 weeks prior. The staff spoke limited english and could offer little advice for ongoing transport but they were certainly pleased to see us and practice their english. They directed us to one of the few guesthouses, which gave the impression of an old logging mansion with ornate wooden floors, ceilings and a sweeping staircase. We seemed to be their only guests.

The following morning we attempted to travel the final 34km (1 hour) on towards the border and we were forced to take a tuk tuk (bartered down to 60,000 kip for two) after we were told that buses could not pass. This made more sense when we discovered that further along the roads were wrecked by hundreds of slips, the ground saturated and on the move. We had transitioned from dry plains to misty mountains. The Laos exit and Vietnam entry points (only a few hundred meters apart) were isolated and staff also spoke little english. The exchange rate at the Laos immigration office was better than expected and we swapped the last of our kip for dong, acutely aware that kip could not be exchanged out of the country. We waited in queues of locals to get our visas checked and stamped (our Vietnam visa was pre-purchased in Bangkok) and paid a small extra fee of 20,000 dong each on the Vietnamese side for what we assumed to be administration.

Despite the language barrier, we stuck with some local boys and were hustled from vehicle to vehicle while we traversed the rougher terrain (at no cost, some sort of temporary shuttle service it appeared). We completed the worst areas on foot, climbing down muddy sections whilst helping the local travelers carry their heavy bags of rice (along with our backpacks!). The risk of further slips seemed imminent and in some parts we could see the slopes moving beside us. Despite this, lots of official looking Vietnamese men stood around in trenchcoats and green pith helmets. 

Marc Helping the Local Boys 

Damaged Roads, Nam Phao Border Crossing 

We then faced a 4 hour long drive (US$10 each) over some of the roughest roads we had experienced (yet more evidence of recent heavy flooding), to reach Vinh (pronounced Ving). Whilst the van drivers seemed a bit rough, smoked heavily and drove with disregard to the road conditions, we felt safe enough and the locals appeared to pay the same rate as we did.

Vinh city has been dubbed "grim Vinh" for it's bleak appearance and artless concrete buildings. Vinh was so heavily bombed during the American War that it was reduced to two buildings and a population of zero in the year 1972. Considering this, it still gave an impression of a substantial city with it's fair share of high rise hotels and extreme noise pollution (which we soon learnt was standard in Vietnam where hooters are used at every opportunity). Not appealing for longer than a quick stop-over, we spent only one night before hopping on the train for a long ride north to Hanoi.

Vientiane

Vientiane is the bustling capital of Laos PDR. We had arrived at the start of the Boun Ok Phansa Boat Racing Festival which celebrates the end of Buddhist lent and the wet season. We found ourselves amongst huge local crowds swept along the streets with the noise of extreme product selling techniques (think lines of loudspeakers!) to the edge of the Mekong where stages showcased some of the best Laos had to offer. This included Lao pop stars grinding provocatively on stage, an odd sight in a very conservative country where tourists are notified that public displays of affection are frowned upon. We joined the masses to cheer on Muay Lao fighters in an outdoor ring framed by fireworks and rising lanterns. The local people were particularly festive and we were invited to join them for Beerlao on the street sounding repeated "dam jook" (cheers in Lao) throughout the evening. 

Muay Lao Fighters, Vientiane 

We spent some time at the COPE Visitor Centre, at the Vientiane Centre of Medical Rehabilitation, where free rehab services are provided for UXO survivors (as well as treatment for other congenital problems such as clubfoot). Sadly volunteering was not an option due to current government regulations, but there is hope this will change in the future. Therapists work in conjunction with orthotists and wheelchair specialists to create suitable ambulatory options for amputee patients, no small challenge! A standard wheelchair is not much use in a country where roads are littered with potholes and living spaces are difficult to access. The teams at COPE are doing wonderful work to help people get back to their lives, often as sole providers for large families. We read an amazing tribute to a lady who had lost all fingers but one and had relearnt to sew intricate traditional textiles for a living. A carpenter who had lost his arm to a UXO (unexploded ordnance) learnt how to make a mirror box for himself so he could gain relief from his terrible phantom limb pain.

Examples of Modified Wheelchairs at COPE Visitor Centre, Vientiane 

Old Prosthetic Limbs Hang at COPE Visitor Centre, Vientiane 

Inspired by the Arc de Triomphe, Patuxai (Victory Arch) is a dominant Vientiane landmark. Made with cement  and funds provided by the USA and intended for a new airport, it is appropriately nicknamed "The Vertical Runway".  You can climb to the top for sweeping views of the city and the Presidential Palace.  We chose just to sit on the park benches in the shade below.     

Patuxai (Victory Arch), Vientiane

We escaped the noise of the city to Xieng Khouan (Buddha Park) for a relaxing afternoon in a lush green park filled with huge stone Buddhas and Hindu sculptures.  Just across the Mekong River from the park is Thailand.  

Xieng Khouan (Buddha Park)

The morning we left Vientiane we felt like we had joined the Amazing Race. We were at the central bus stop at 5am to try catch a bus 9km to reach the bigger intercity terminal. An entrepreneurial tuk tuk driver negotiated a ride as the first bus didn't seem to be leaving on time. He took us 38km in the wrong direction until we corrected him. He seemed apologetic and started driving in the right direction but things got fishy when he kept stopping and trying to renegotiate a price more than ten times what we had initially agreed on. We were racing against the clock to reach the right terminal and the only bus that day that could get us to our next town. An hour later we ended up back at our starting point, the tuk tuk driver still demanding an exorbitant fee to take us to where we actually wanted to go. We quickly got off the tuk tuk without paying and boarded the bus which now seemed to be running. We got to the right terminal with only 5 minutes to spare before our next bus left! A pressure cooker morning.

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. Our very first impression of the city was food heaven! After about 8hours on the slow boat, we were starving. Our tuk-tuk driver dropped us at the Hmong Night Market where we discovered piles of fresh buffet food down a little alley. There are no fast food takeaway chains in the whole of Laos, definitely the first country we had encountered without McDonalds. What you can find instead is fresh filled baguettes, bamboo sticks stuffed with sticky rice cooked in coconut milk, coconut milk tarts, street grilled chicken or crumbed Mekong fish. Once we had eaten our fill, we walked a short distance and picked out an affordable French style villa, dropped our packs and headed back to explore the markets where endless handwoven textiles, silver jewelry and paintings lined the streets.

Hmong Night Market Buffet, Luang Prabang

We spent some time at the Laos UXO Visitor Centre learning about the devastating ongoing effects of unexploded ordnance. Everyday someone is killed in Laos by exploding bombs left littering the country from the American Vietnam War. Laos holds the very sad title of the world's most heavily bombed nation. Cluster bombs (see picture below) containing hundreds of smaller bombs were heavily used during the war.  Specialized teams work grueling hours to clear some of the poorest land in the country, but resources are extremely limited and it is estimated that it will take over 100 years to find and clear all the bombs. Farmers working in their fields and children attracted to the colored bombs are the most common victims.  Sadly due to the value of scrap metal, some people take the risk and search for bomb remnants as a form of income.  The UXO teams also work to educate school children and village people about the risks! 

Cluster Bomb, UXO Visitor Centre, Luang Prabang 

Big Brother Mouse is a recent venture to introduce books into Laos. This organisation publishes and distributes books written in both Lao and English to schools around the country. Before Big Brother Mouse existed, reading skills were virtually non existent throughout the country. To this day in isolated rural villages, many children have never seen or owned books. We were lucky enough to visit the Luang Prabang branch and spent a morning conversing with local people including monks, school children and college students, helping them to develop their English skills. This was a very rewarding experience and we learnt lot about the local culture.

One evening we climbed the hill to Phou Si to watch the sunset across the city and the Mekong. The temple on the top of Phou Si can been seen all around Luang Prabang and serves as a guiding landmark. 

 

Sunset from Phou Si, Luang Prabang

We left the city for a day to visit the stunning aqua limestone terraced pools of Kuang Si Falls.  It was quite a climb to the top of the falls! Along the walkway is a Bear Rescue Centre, home to some rather large Asiatic Black Bears.

Kuang Si Falls

Asiatic Black Bear, Bear Rescue Centre, Luang Prabang

Close to the end of Buddhist lent, celebrations were getting underway and the town was lit in beautiful colors at night.  

Fountain, Luang Prabang 

Mekong Slow Boat Trip

To reach Luang Prabang from Houay Xai, we had two options. The faster but more dangerous bus route or a leisurely two-day trip on the slow boat. We chose the latter. The Mekong is a vital artery running through the country supplying both transport and livelihood. Very basic rural villages are scarce and often hidden from sight along the journey but signs of life in the form of fishing nets, traps and river side farming can be seen all along the river. Occasionally we spotted village children swimming at the rivers edge.

Due to the length of the boat trip, we made a compulsory stop at Pak Beng Village, to find food and a bed for the night. Many of the guesthouses a were already full when our boat arrived. Business was booming in this tiny tourist driven village.

Slow Boats Lined Up at Pak Beng Village

When we rose early in the morning to catch the boat again, the local Monks were collecting alms along the street.  This daily ritual of food giving is a sign of humbleness and respect, and it is considered that the more you give without expecting in return, the 'wealthier' you become as a person.

Alms Collection, Pak Beng

While we waited to board the boat, we watched elephants bathing with the mahouts on the other side of the river.  The scenery on the journey from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang was spell binding, the river framed by steep hills scarred by landslips.  We stopped at local villages along the way to drop off people and cargo to eagerly awaiting families.

We arrived in Luang Prabang feeling relaxed but in need of a good stretch and a walk!

Thailand to Laos, A Land Crossing

Just before our exit out of Thailand we stopped briefly at Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple). Far from conventional, this artistic buddhist temple is more of a tourism venture than a religious structure. Both a riveting and blinding sight, the magnificent building is still heavily under construction with local artists painting and sculpting, seemingly oblivious to the masses of tourists that pass by them each day. Inside the ceilings are ornately painted akin to the Sistine Chapel.

Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple)

When we reached the Mekong River it was a surreal experience looking across at Laos whilst still standing on Thailand ground. 

View of Laos from Chiang Khong, Thailand 

After little more than a two minute ride across the water and a very informal border control experience at Houay Xai, we were relaxing with a Beerlao enjoying our first of many sunsets over the Mekong River. 

Sunset over the Mekong (View of Thailand from Houay Xai, Laos)

Laos (Lao, the 's' is not spoken), now a communist country, was twice under French rule and the European influence is ongoing. Baguettes and croissants became part of our staple diet. Buildings and guesthouses had distinct French Colonial style. We also noticed quickly that vehicles drive on the right hand side of the road, valuable information for safe road crossing. Lao people are friendly and proud and always impeccably dressed. We later learned that this is fostered in youth with strict rules for neat appearance at school. Kids played freely on the streets, often keeping themselves entertained with handheld fireworks and badminton.

Laos is completely landlocked and shares a very close relationship with Thailand. Borders crossings are easy going, friendships bridges for those who opt for road travel. Dual currencies are accepted (although you need sharp conversion skills to make sure you're not over paying). We found the language (in our case, extending only to very basic greetings) very similar - same same but different.

Trekking in the Mae Tang District

We spent three days trekking through the mountains in the beautiful district of Mae Tang.  Our adventure started with panoramic views riding on top of an elephant's back at the Kaeng Kued Elephant Camp.   

Elephant Ride, Kaeng Kued Elephant Camp 

Our three hour ascent to the Lahu Village (one of the six hill tribes in Northern Thailand) was gruelling in the sweltering heat.  Once we reached the top we were rewarded with amazing views over the forest and farmland.  We slept in bamboo huts on the floor and ate Thai food cooked by our guide Ping.  Ping had a great sense of humor and kept us entertained with his stories and singing around the campfire. The local village ladies offered massages and handmade bags and jewelry, quite persistently! 

Valley View from the Lahu Village

On the second day we woke in the morning to rooster calls and fresh coffee.  A local farmer lead us through the valley to some beautiful waterfalls where we swam in the river to cool off.  Our second camp seemed more like a farm with all the animals around.  Upon arrival a tiny baby monkey surprised us, and made an instant connection with Marc.  He clambering over everyone else to nestle into his shirt and sleep.  Once he was awake he was a real handful climbing all over us, and even riding on the cat's back!
 

Baby Monkey Asleep on Marc's Lap

An Unlikely Friendship

On our last day we got soaked white water rafting down the Mae Tang River, followed by much calmer bamboo rafting to reach our final stop.  While we waited for our ride back to the city, Jo got to model the the Akha Tribe traditional dress, much to the delight of the locals and other tourists.

Akha Tribe Traditional Dress

The trek was a fantastic experience where we really got to know the locals and their way of life.  Look forward to another awesome video!

Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

We travelled north by train and bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, passing green pastures and rice fields, mostly flooded by the recent rains.  The train line terminated early due to railway works and we were hustled off the carriage in an unknown town to search for a bus in the middle of the night, an exciting but tiring experience.  

We stayed in the older area of Chiang Mai, a central square surrounded by a moat.  We explored the close-by weekend markets which were filled with colorful local crafts, foods and entertainment.

Sunday Night Walking Street Market, Chiang Mai 

Street Food, Chiang Mai Markets  

We spent a day at a country farm learning to cook Thai food.  This included selecting our own ingredients at the local markets and picking fresh herbs in the garden.  We bought freshly pressed coconut milk and cream, and learnt about different rice grains and noodles.

Curry Pastes at the Local Market

Market Items 

Our instructor Neung taught us ten different recipes.  We were surprised by the meagre number of ingredients required to create delicious authentic dishes!  We discovered just how easy it is to make curry pastes from scratch.  In Thailand a woman who can pound curry pastes with noise and speed is considered a good candidate for marriage.  In the heat of the day and the gas burners, this is not an easy task.  We tasted everything we cooked and took the left-overs home wrapped in banana leaves. At midday we rested in hammocks in the shade with very full bellies.

Traditional Pad Thai

Mango Sticky Rice 

Leftovers 

Bangkok

Despite our late night arrival into Bangkok, we still managed to get stuck in heavy traffic on our way from the airport to our guesthouse. The taxi driver kept us on the edge of our seats as he used his brakes heavily to avoid tail gating cars in front. He wasn't sure how to get us to our destination but somehow we spotted the glowing guesthouse sign in a maze of dark alleyways. The morning light gave us confidence to start exploring what had seemed a pretty ominous place the night before. Staying close to Khao San Road (backpackers haven), we were within walking distance of many temples and attractions. And also the highest concentration of Thailand scam artists! The first tuk tuk scam was so convincing we almost fell for it! We learnt pretty quickly and have put together some tips for those of you planning to visit the Thai capital:

• Avoid anyone who actively tries to get you into a tuk-tuk
• An over friendly local usually has an ulterior motive, it's okay to be cynical in this city
• It's probably not a public holiday promoting tourism and tuk-tuks never cost 20 baht for a decent trip
• Don't get into a taxi that won't use their meter
• Taxi's don't have seat belts and most drivers think they are rally car racers...you just have take your chances (or the trains if you can!)
• Avoid street grilled fish, the local (filthy) rivers are suspiciously full of life
• If you're looking for the highly rated Raja's Fashions, avoid the fake replica across the street. Ask for Bobby or Raja.  And do your research on suit styles before you go so you don't get absolutely overwhelmed by the choices 





Tuk-Tuk on Khao San Road 

After our first giant Budha (standing a whopping 45m tall) at Wat Intharawihan, we wound our way up the steps of the Golden Mountain for a sweeping view of Bangkok city, both old and new. Then onto Wat Pho to realise a childhood dream of seeing the giant reclining Budha.

Reclining Budha at Wat Po 

Reclining Budha at Wat Po

Amongst the smells and dirty streets of Bangkok we found food to fill our bottomless bellies.  From instant pad thai cooked in front of us to sidewalk barbequed meats (often unknown variety), to restaurant panang and massaman curries and our all time favorite sticky rice and mango pudding.  

Pad Thai on Khao San Road

Travelling around the city proved a test of patience.  Finding a taxi driver that agreed to use the meter rather than charging inflated fixed fares wasn't always easy.  The same applied to tuk-tuks, which we tried anyway for the experience.  We also used the metro which was great for avoiding the traffic jams but didn't always suit our destination.  We travelled to the newer city area to reach the Vietnamese Embassy for our visas and to search out a highly reputed tailor - Raja and Bobby at Raja's Fashions. Here Marc was measured and fitted for a flash new suit to be picked up on our way home later on in the year.  

Traffic in Bangkok

There were endless shopping malls in Bangkok.  Most accentuated the disparity between the rich and poor.  Stepping off the dirty beggar-lined streets into air-conditioned designer stores was a big eye opener.  In this huge capital known as the big mango, it appears that if you search hard enough, there is something for everyone.      

Golden Budhas at Wat Po