Vang Vieng is the adventure capital of Laos. Located on the Nam Song River, and surrounded by limestone karsts jutting out of the ground to create a stunning landscape, this town is the starting point for many adventurers looking to go caving, rock climbing, kayaking and more. In recent years however the party scene...
What I did in May
The first month of my round the world trip went amazingly fast. I hope it doesn’t continue this way because it will be over before I know it! That said, looking back on the amazing things I experienced over the month of May has me feeling pretty satisfied, and completely at ease with my...
What to do in Charming Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is top of any travelers list when visiting Laos, and for very good reason. The old town, located on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a beautiful, charming and sleepy town filled with temples and monasteries, and old French influenced buildings along...
Tak Bat – Monks collecting alms in Luang Prabang
The daily dawn ceremony of monks collecting alms (food offerings) from locals is one that occurs throughout Buddhist areas of South East Asia. The alms givers sit or kneel by the roadside in preparation for the monks, who walk, in a meditative silence, single file to collect the sticky rice in their bowls. The...
A visit (or two) to Kuang Si Falls
Kuang Si Falls are located approximately 30km from Luang Prabang and are the most popular day trip from town, for a very good reason. The calcium in the limestone rocks causes the water to appear the most beautiful aqua blue, and a dip in one of the many levels of rock pools is the...
A slow boat down the Mekong
There is something inherently romantic about boat journeys. Whether it’s Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart falling in love on The African Queen, or the weekly romances on The Love Boat, voyages over water seem to conjour some feelings of nostalgia. I enjoy boat journeys for the simple reason that it’s usually a slow and...
Chiang Rai – a bizarre temple and dancing with the locals
I had originally only planned on staying in Chiang Rai for a night on route to Laos, but once there extended to two, as there were a few things I wanted to check out. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon, and quickly realised that I’d forgotten to write down the address of the hostel...
Wat to do in Chiang Mai
I last visited Chiang Mai fifteen years ago, and on the overnight train up there I tried to conjour some memories of my last visit. I drew a blank. Although I recall the trekking through the hilltribe villages, the shopping for silver, and riding an elephant, I couldn’t recall a single thing regarding what...
22 things to do on a 22 hour train journey
The journey from Penang to Bangkok started with a pleasant ferry ride from Penang wharf to Butterworth, a free ferry that takes about 20 minutes and provides a pleasant break from the heat and humidity of the island. It was easy to arrange the transportation, the small KTM ticket office at the ferry wharf...