We were picked up at our hotel bright and early to catch a bus to Sa Pa. The bus was a luxury sleeper with 3 rows of seats that reclined nearly 180 degrees with your feet in a little pod underneath the seat in front. Watching Tim try to get in and out of theseContinue reading “Sa Pa”
Category Archives: SE Asia
Scooters Around Sa Pa
Hiring scooters around Vietnam has been a very easy experience so far but Sapa has a bit more of a “let’s get as much money from the tourists” feel about it. So far we had had to pay more for a room with a bathroom and had been told we had to pay more forContinue reading “Scooters Around Sa Pa”
Rice Paddies in Mai Chau
We bused it back to Hanoi and arrived pretty late in the afternoon. After sitting down and trying to figure out our next move we decided to head to Mai Chau before making the long 18 hour trip into Laos. We wanted to just catch the local bus but with minimal time up our sleeveContinue reading “Rice Paddies in Mai Chau”
Cycling Around Mai Chau
We had organised a late transfer back to Hanoi so it meant we could enjoy some more of the beautiful scenery here in Mai Chau. We weren’t sure whether to hire scooters or push bikes but the area seemed pretty flat and was very peaceful so we decided on the push bikes, which incidentally costContinue reading “Cycling Around Mai Chau”
Vietnam to Laos
We said goodbye to Vietnam and caught a taxi to the bus station with a little apprehension wondering what our bus was going to look like for the 18 hour overnight trip. Luckily as the token foreigners we were given the whole back section of 5 seats so we were actually really comfortable. Unfortunately thereContinue reading “Vietnam to Laos”
The Plain of Jars at Phonsavan
The dangers of traveling through this area at this time of year is that a full bodied thunderstorm always seems imminent and sure enough we awoke this morning to thundering rain. We were a little disappointed as we only had one day to explore the surrounds of Phonsavan and we had travelled a hell ofContinue reading “The Plain of Jars at Phonsavan”
Luang Prabang
We had a choice between a minivan and a bus to get to Luang Prabang and were told we should get the bus due to our size. We were thinking it would be a big bus so when we were picked up and dropped off at the local bus station beside a small bus weContinue reading “Luang Prabang”
Monks and Scooters in Luang Prabang
Every morning at dawn about 200 monks take a walk around town and partake in an alms giving ceremony. This involves residents of Luang Prabang lining the streets and offering sticky rice and the monks walking around in groups of about 10 to 15 each carrying a large bowl into which is placed the riceContinue reading “Monks and Scooters in Luang Prabang”
Vang Vieng
Another day another bus journey. This time we were picked up from our guesthouse and soon found ourselves with two other Aussies being driven to the bus station. We were deposited beside a similar bus we arrived in but this one was empty. Thanking our lucky stars we picked the best seats and waited forContinue reading “Vang Vieng”
Arrival in Vientiane
After a fairly painless bus journey it was hello to Vientiane and we were quickly checked in at our hostel right in the centre of town. As capital cities go it is renown for being one of the sleepiest and certainly when we arrived at lunchtime it seemed as though the entire population of 800,000Continue reading “Arrival in Vientiane “