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Leaving Laos and heading into Thailand

Luang Prabang had been great. A wonderful place to close our Laos travel chapter. And it was time to hit the road again. Return to a country we have previously visited, and both love. For the people, and the food. We were headed to Thailand. 

Despite several trips to Thailand, neither of us had been in the north. Today we would remedy that. Our flight from Luamg Prabang was to Chiang Mai, a city some 700 kilometres from the capital, Bangkok. We boarded our plane at Luang Prabang international airport and before we knew it we had wheels down in Thailand. 

Chiang Mai 

The airport in Chiang Mai is only a very short distance from the city and within minutes we were checking into the Pissamorn guest house, run by the highly talkative and multi lingual Pissamorn herself. In subsequent conversations over the next few days we learned of her history in running large guest houses, her husband getting his PhD in America, and how the maid has an afternoon job making burgers for her sons cafe. Never a dull moment with Pissamorn, not least when we checked in. Now in her 70s, she has downsized and runs a guest house of only four rooms. As she walked us upstairs and showed us our room, she very proudly told us we had the most comfortable bed in the house.

As she left, I bounced on it to check. Before I had even bounced back up again we had a breathless Pissamorn at the door. She had run up the steps to tell us she had made a mistake. The “most comfortable bed in the house” was a double. We had booked twin beds, being the only option when we booked. She had shown us the wrong room and we had to move. Thankfully, I hadn’t stripped off and got between the sheets.

Still smiling, we went to have a wander around the streets of Chiang Mai. It is immediately obvious why it remains a favourite destination for digital nomads. A low cost of living and some very modern co-working (and co-living) spaces, makes it an ideal proposition. I was itching to get my laptop out and earn a few dollars for beer money. In the years since I was last in the region the coffee shop scene has also exploded. There are so many coffee shops that wouldn’t look out of place in Melbourne. Needless to say, I had to try as many as I could.

Checking the watch before buying beer in Thailand

When I am not drinking coffee, I am usually drinking beer. Alcohol in Thailand is more expensive than neighbouring countries. It is often more expensive than a meal at dinner. “Family Mart” and “7 Eleven” remain a travellers best friend, being able to pick up beers much cheaper. As long as you are within certain hours. It was in Chiang Mai that we became aware of an arcane, and slightly bizarre rule concerning alcohol sales. Having visited Thailand quite a few times in the past I am sure I’ve noticed before, but I can’t honestly remember. 

It turns out that, by law, shops are not allowed to sell alcohol between the hours of 2pm and 5pm. Researching this strange law we discovered it was enacted to prevent civil servants going off for lunch and getting drunk. Impairing their performance in the afternoon. How draconian. I wonder if this resulted in people getting drunk before work? All it meant for us was that we kept forgetting and had shop assistants tapping their watches when we tried to buy our Singha beer outside of the allotted times. 

Chiang Mai and the temple of Don Suthep

No trip to Chiang Mai would be complete without a visit to the temple of Doi Suthep. So, one morning we set off walking, stopping for coffee along the way (of course). We knew we couldn’t walk all the way there, due to it being located on the top of a very high hill, quite a number of kilometres away. But, we figured after coffee we would flag down a red taxi van. Which you see dozens of plying the streets of Chiang Mai. These are shared taxis, people jumping in the back, and pressing a button when you want to get out. The cost being almost pennies. 

On this particular day we couldn’t find any going in our direction. So we walked. And walked. And walked. When the sun got too hot and our legs felt they wouldn’t walk any further we flagged down a tuk tuk to take us to where the red vans to the temple go from. 100 baht he said. 50 each. Sounding reasonable, in we jumped. He proceeded to drive us around the corner, to the end of the street, and dropped us off. Yes, we were that close to the vans. 

Night markets and the street food of Chiang Mai 

Around town there are many other temples, even if not as eye catching as Doi Suthep. You can spend a whole day just meandering through the streets and visiting the temples. The old city is in a perfect square, and one can imagine it being surrounded by fortified walls at one point. The entrance gates remain at the four points of the compass. At the South Gate we visited the night markets.

Food is always a massive highlight of a trip to Thailand. We just love so many Thai dishes it would be hard to get bored. And the night markets in Thailand are some of the best places to eat. Visiting at dinner time you are spoiled for choice and you can get some very tasty, very cheap, street food.

The small, local restaurants are also a great bet for dinner. As I always do, I tried the local specialty. In Chiang Mai this is Khao Soi. A yellow curry noodle soup dish. With chicken. Good lord, it was spicy. I couldn’t feel my lips at the end if it. And so delicious. Every mouthful was a taste sensation. Victoria had a minced chicken, basil and chilli dish. And if I thought mine was spicy at least I was still able to talk at the end of it. 

Our step count is always high when we visit cities, and Chiang Mai was no exception. Our poor legs and feet having suffered through another hot day we finally went and had the foot massage we had been promising ourselves for weeks. Only 150 Thai baht each, for a 30 minute massage. It was bliss. Highly enjoyable. And left me wondering why we had left it so long. 

Heading to the islands

With my feet still grateful for the massage, and my senses full of the amazing sights and smells of Thailand, it was time to slow life down a little. We were heading south, to spend a week on the island of Phuket. How much will it have changed since my first visit in 1999?

Laos, the missing jigsaw piece

I first visited Southeast Asia way back in 1994. I can scarcely believe this is now almost 30 years ago. How young and naive I must have been. Over the years, hopefully a little bit wiser, and definitely older, I have been back numerous times. 

And yet, there was always a piece of the jigsaw missing. A piece that I could never seem to find no matter how hard I tried. With this in mind, as we embarked on our big travel sabbatical, I knew that this was my opportunity to complete my Southeast Asian jigsaw. This time I was going to Laos. 

The Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos

The Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Bordered by Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I had travelled fairly extensively through all these neighbouring countries and never once ventured into Laos. How remiss of me.

As our small propeller plane from Bangkok had wheels down in Vientiane there was a slight sense of relief and a smile on my face. I was finally in Laos and in the 49th country that I have travelled to in my wanderlust years. 

The capital, Vientiane, is described as sleepy. I would say this is an understatement. Walking from our hotel, that first morning, and into town I could count the number of travellers on one hand. Where is everyone, I thought. And why are the streets so quiet. Possibly the quietest capital city I have ever been to. I had expected a buzz. Busy cafes. Street side tour operators selling you bus and flight tickets, much like you see almost everywhere in Southeast Asia. 

Yet, there was none of this. We strolled to the river front, taking in the views of nearby Thailand across the river. Ambling along the river it felt as though the town was deserted. What were we going to do for the next couple of days?

Finding excellent craft beer in Vientiane

When you travel you find that life finds its rhythm. Wherever you are you adapt. And so it was in Vientiane. We slowed down and mirrored the pace of life. We did find an excellent brewery. Incongruously situated quite a long walk from the centre of town, on a main road, and amongst a strip of run down shops. Following the blue dot on Google Maps I did think there must be a mistake, but eventually, set back from the road, we found it. 

Core Beer is a very new, very modern building that houses a brewery. A brewery much like the excellent ones we are blessed with in Western Australia. A cavernous place, and yet we were the only customers. Ordering two, excellent pale ales, I mused at how the young man working there filled his day. Much like everyone else in Southeast Asia, it turned out. Glued to his mobile phone. The beer was excellent and priced accordingly. Much more expensive than our new local drink, BeerLao, which cost about 11,000 kip each. Which equates to approx 97 cents, or 54 pence.

Our days in Vientiane were brightened up by food. We afforded ourselves a well earned break from the monotony of rice every day. Whilst in Vientiane, our dinners were an excellent pizza, from an Italian chef, and on the second night a tasty Indian curry, that cost us pennies. Finding good food for dinner becomes a mission after you have experienced the hotel breakfasts in Asia. Some are a lot worse than others and the one at S2 Modern Hotel in Vientiane left a lot to be desired. 

Not tubing in Vang Vieng

Moving on from Vientiane we headed to Vang Vieng by minibus. On a trip that used to take many hours, the new Laos-China expressway reduces this considerably. Less than two hours after leaving the capital we had arrived and were trundling our bags to Jasmine hotel. When you are travelling on a budget, the Jasmine hotel is the sort of hotel you end up at. 

On the way to the hotel my spirits immediately lifted. Vang Vieng had the vibe that was missing in Vientiane. Lots of travellers wandering about. Cafes full of digital nomads on their laptops, and first time travellers updating their travel journals. It did appear that the demographic was about 30 years younger than me. If you can’t beat them, join them. Due to a scheduling issue, which I’ll touch on later, we were only here for two nights but would have happily extended. The Jasmine hotel was friendly, and if we look past the free breakfast, the balcony that provided us with amazing sunset views would have been enough to keep us in town.

Vang Vieng gained notoriety for the “tubing” activities that backpackers flocked here for. After a few deaths, and many near misses, the government clamped down heavily on this in 2012. Plying young people with alcohol and sending them down a fast flowing river on an inner tube suddenly seemed like a very bad idea. 

Diversification followed and now Vang Vieng is a hub for many activities such as hot air ballooning. Cycling. Rock climbing. Kayaking. And still a bit of tubing, of the more sober variety. The tourist numbers that dwindled after the 2012 tubing clampdown have started climbing again and once more there are new hotels being built to accommodate them. 

A Thai German serving schnitzels in Laos

There are some great food options in Vang Vieng and over the two nights we had a good Thai meal, and a schnitzel. A very good schnitzel I might add. From a Thai gentleman who had spent time in Germany and brought the schnitzel to Laos. His “restaurant” was simply his front garden, and his “kitchen” was a simple outside stove, but the schnitzel and potatoes he cooked up were delicious. If you do find yourself in Vang Vieng be sure to look up Viman, the Thai German. 

Luang Prabang

After Vang Vieng we were off to Luang Prabang. By bus. Or so we thought. When the young man on reception at the Jasmine told us the road was unsealed and it could take up to 7 hours to get there, we agreed with him that the train would be a much better option. 

The Chinese had recently finished building a train line from Laos to China and we were going to be one of the first to try it out. I had hoped to be on the bullet train that I saw advertised everywhere. Alas, we weren’t. However, the train was still very new, very busy, and fast. We were in Luang Prabang in under 2 hours. Met outside the oversize train station (as part of the train line the Chinese had built brand new, enormous train stations) by dozens of white minivans, to transport us all the 20 minutes into Luang Prabang town. 

Luang Prabang turned out to be one of my favourite places in Southeast Asia. Small. Friendly. And full of Buddhist temples. There is a peace and serenity to the town that holds a stillness. It helped that we were in a beautiful hotel. After the S2 in Vientiane and the Jasmine in Vang Vieng we slightly increased the travel budget got a whole lot more quality. 

Parasol Blanc hotel in Luang Prabang

Parasol Blanc was welcoming. And stylish. Set in large leafy grounds with a swimming pool and a breakfast area located in the middle of a UNESCO protected lotus pond. Talking of the breakfast, it was excellent. We even had a menu of options to choose from, all freshly prepared by the Indian chef who popped out each morning to have a chat. 

In Luang Prabang we strolled along the Mekong River, having a lazy lunch whilst watching the longtail boats sail past. We visited many of the beautiful Buddhist temples. One day we hired an electric scooter, my first time riding one, and visited the Kuang Si waterfalls, having a refreshing swim in the gorgeous pools. Kuang Si waterfalls are a must visit, it is such a beautiful area. On the way back to Luang Prabang, fretting slightly over the remaining battery life of the scooter (it turns out “range anxiety” is real), we stopped for lunch at a stunning location. Set amongst rice paddie fields, and very reminiscent of Bali, we had a simple and delicious lunch.

Importantly, after a lot of travel, we had some down time. Lazing around the hotel pool and having a cool dip. Being the only ones around the pool it felt like we were in our own private villa. We swam. Read. And I took the opportunity to catch up on the travel blog. 

Trekking with elephants at MandaLao Elephant Conservation Park

However, the highlight of our stay in Luang Prabang, and quite possibly of the whole trip through Southeast Asia was the day we spent at MandaLao Elephant Conservation park. Reading about this a few weeks ago we knew we had to visit. And when we booked, the only day that was available to us meant we would have to cut short an earlier part of the trip by a day. Hence the two days only in Vang Vieng.

To say it was worth the sacrifice would be an understatement. We had a full day trekking with two beautiful elephants. MandaLao work to provide elephant friendly interactions and their elephants, they have 10, have been rescued from terrible conditions. Either from logging factories or from the very outdated, and very harmful elephant camps that still allow the practice of riding the elephants.

As we now know, this causes irreversible damage to the spines of the elephants, not to mention the emotional trauma they are surely being put through. There is no riding at MandaLao. No chains. Just freedom to roam, and hundreds of bananas. The team work hard to educate the other elephant camps in Laos but elephants are so ingrained in the culture of this small Southeast Asian country that it will take a generation or two to change the mindest.

I was sad to leave Luang Prabang and sad to be leaving Laos. The country is truly beautiful. It feels a lot more rustic than its neighbours. And even though there are a lot of travellers, the numbers are a lot lower than other places we have visited. This is good. This helps retain a little of its “undiscovered” charm. Long may Laos remain this way.

Whilst tinged with sadness at leaving Laos, we were both very excited to get back to a country we have visited previously. The Land of Smiles. And fabulous food. Thailand would soon be country 21 of our world trip.

Cambodia’s main event

If Phnom Penh and Kampot were the entree, the entry into this fascinating country, then what was to come was surely the main course. Having travelled across countries, on buses, and terrible, unsealed roads, it was time to slow down and relax. In fact, Victoria demanded it, and it turned out to be just the tonic. One of her masterstrokes. I hadn’t realised how much my body and mind needed it.

Skipping Sihanoukville

And so it was that we found ourselves leaving Kampot on a minibus bound for the coastal city of Sihanoukville. Here we would jump straight on a boat across to the island of Koh Roh Sanloem. The smaller of two neighbouring  islands, this is described as the pearl of Cambodia, and we were soon to find out why. I had stayed in the town of Sihanoukville many years ago and it wasn’t somewhere I wanted to linger.

Arriving at the pier to board the boat, I am always amazed at how many people there are. We are not all going to get on this small boat, are we? If we do, there is no way so many bags will be squeezed on with us. Cue, 15 minutes later, we are all onboard, with our bags, and are chugging out to the choppy open sea. Seeking a sense of safety I searched for the life jackets. How curious that they all had different labels in the back, all by Western brands. How often do Converse, or G Star Raw make life jackets, I absent mindedly thought. I just hope we wouldn’t have to use them as I am not sure they would even float by themselves.

Beach life at Koh Rong Sanloem

It was with a sense of relief that we docked at the pier. A pier that appeared to be falling apart, and the same anxiety hit me again. Right at the moment a small boat arrived to transfer us to the resort. Why such a small boat when we have eight people and all their travel luggage waiting? Where was the second boat, I naively thought? Once again, we all piled into the one boat and had a short, and interesting ride to the beachside bungalow resort we would be spending the next few days at. I tried not to focus on the big split in the side of the boat that was letting in water.

Jumping out of the boat in bare feet, as we were in a couple of feet of water, we all shared the task of transporting our bags from the boat to the beach. And once back on dry land, with my feet on the sand, I immediately felt the anxiety drain away. Life just slowed down. Right there in that moment. Checking into our bungalow, set back from the beach, it was going to be “footwear optional” for the next few days. And flopping down on the very comfortable bed, number 73 of the trip, I knew I was in for some stellar sleep.

Lazy on Lazy Beach

Sara Resort was set right on Saracen Bay, with beach stretching left and right, waves lapping the shore. Many mornings we lay on a lounger, reading, and drifting off to the calming sounds of the ocean. For days the most strenuous thing we did was walk for 25 minutes, across the width of the island, to Lazy Beach. And it is called Lazy for a reason. A picture book, isolated beach, with rustic, thatched bungalows and a restaurant to provide travellers with food. Situated on the west of the island it didn’t take long to see why this spot is so popular at sunset.

Back in Saracen Bay our days passed in a blissful haze. A great breakfast every morning, courtesy of the resort. And dinners were eaten on the beach, the sand between our toes. Each evening there was a great BBQ, happy hour beers, and what island stay is complete without the obligatory “fire show”?

Extending our stay on Koh Rong Sanloem

We were due to stay four nights on the island before heading back to the mainland and flying north to Siem Reap. However, we couldn’t resist staying an extra night. And as luck would have it, it was fortunate that we did. On the day we were due to leave the seas were too rough for the boats from Sihanoukville. It seems that we were to stay stranded on our desert island and witness one last amazing sunset.

Leaving the same way we came, I thought the trip couldn’t be any more fraught than when we arrived. I was wrong. Once on the larger boat, the skipper had some kind of record to beat. He hit the accelerator and we bounced across the sea in a way that convinced me I wouldn’t get to see the end of the day. I was sure we would either capsize, or that the boat would split in two. As the water from the sea poured in, I closed my eyes and tried to meditate. Tried. Thankful that I had escaped the water. Then, I looked across to my left and saw Victoria. Who wasn’t quite so fortunate. I fear she may have been drier had she swam to Sihanoukville.

Getting off the boat, relieved, we were in a taxi and off to the airport. This travel day had only just started, and Victoria neeed to dry off. I am glad to report that the rest of the day was drama free, despite Victoria, now dry, looking a little scared when she saw the small propeller plane we would be flying in to Siem Reap.

Siem Reap

It had been some years since I had last been in Siem Reap. We were to spend four nights at Khmer House Boutique. Only opened in November 2022 it was already seeing a steady stream of travellers. And rightly so. Khmer House Boutique is a wonderful hotel and a great base for what was to be a fabulous stay in Siem Reap. A small pool to laze around. Great breakfast options. And very friendly staff.

Over the years Siem Reap has transformed itself into a wonderful holiday location. Somewhere that has something for every budget. There are luxury resorts and spas that you could lose yourself in for weeks. Mid range options, such as the one we were in that provide everything you need. And lots of budget options. It won’t surprise you to learn that Siem Reap has been firmly on the backpacker trails for decades. There is a reason that a street in Siem Reap has been renamed “Pub Street”. A great place through the day for 75 cent (47p) beers. Less appealing at night when the volume of the music gets cranked up.

Finding the perfect brew in Siem Reap

Regular readers will know my love of coffee. And that southeast asia has some of the best coffee in the world. Siem Reap has heaps of very good coffee shops and I may have found the best in The Little Red Fox Espresso. Located in the Kandal district of Siem Reap, Aussie owned, and Cambodian run, The Little Red Fox pours excellent coffee. Aside from great coffee, the food in Siem Reap is as good as you will find anywhere. One of our favourite restaurants was Tevy’s Place. 

We met the owner, Tevy, and heard her story. She lost her father and three siblings in the Khmer Rouge atrocities of the 1970s. She now supports her mother, and employs local woman in her little Cambodian restaurant. Her signature dish is the national dish of fish amok. Served in the traditional way, in a banana leaf, we both decided this was one of our best dishes of the travels.

Amazing Angkor Wat

It would be remiss of me to write about Siem Reap and not mention Angkor Wat. Although, what can be said that hasn’t already been? One of the wonders of the world. Awe inspiring. The largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat temple complex covers some serious ground. Guide book advice suggests that you spend a few days if you want to see all of it.  It is mighty impressive.

Built by the Khmer Empire between the 9th and the 15th centuries, it is now a UNESCO world heritage site only some 7kms from the town of Siem Reap. Pause, and take it all in.  We hired a tuk tuk for the day and our driver took us around four of the most popular temples. In one of them we were lucky enough to receive a blessing from one of the monks.

Angkor, What?

A less grand, and much newer Angkor Wat is found at Angkor Wat Putt. A mini golf located some 30 minutes out of town. We took a tuk tuk and had a very enjoyable round of golf in the later afternoon heat. The owner advertises that there is a free beer for every hole in one. And would you believe, I sank the little white ball on my first attempt at hole 8. Over on Instagram there was speculation about who won. We both won, in what was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Hole in one. Free beer. And, who wo? What does this matter? We had bigger and better things to consider. Country number 21 was on the horizon. The missing piece in my “South East Asia” jigsaw for many years. Exciting time ahead.

First stop, Phnom Penh 

Our time in Vietnam came to an end. A time that we thoroughly enjoyed. Had we, meaning me, been more on the ball when it came to visa requirements we may have stayed even longer. Whilst back in Tokyo we had our flights booked, and only then did I do a Google search to determine whether we needed a visa to travel to Vietnam.

We did. And they took up to eight days to process. We were flying in two days. Can you see our problem? Thankfully, we are travelling with both our passports and I frantically searched again, but this time for the entry requirements for those with a British passport. And breathed a huge sigh of relief. We could enter visa free, with the caveat that we could only stay in the country for 15 days.

Crossing the border at Moc Bai

Our 15 days at an end it was time to move on to Cambodia. And yes, I had planned early and we had the right visa, allowing us to cross the Vietnam Cambodia border at the Moc Bai international checkpoint. The bus was scheduled to take seven hours, and nine hours later we rolled into Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. We were very hungry, travelling across the border with no local currency. That said, the food looked anything but appealing. On close inspection I could not even work out what it was. Not that Vik was hungry after her first real “asian” toilet experience. Her face was a picture.

Killing Fields

Cambodia has a lot of history. Over thousands of years. But our focus in Phnom Penh was on tragic events that happened a lot more recently. In the 1970s in fact. Knowing that atrocities against the Cambodian people were happening as I was enjoying my childhood sends shivers down my spine. Between 1976 and 1979 the Cambodian dictator, Pol Pot, oversaw the killing of up to 2 million of his own people. His Khmer Rouge government targeted anyone that they felt did not fit into the classless society they wanted. And many were driven to the “Killing Fields”, south of the capital to be executed.

Now known of the Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, the Killing Fields is a peaceful memorial to those that lost their lives. I feel that these monuments are essential to educate people, including the Cambodians, of what can happen in a society, and how we can try and avoid it repeating. A stupa has been built that now houses the skulls and bones that were taken out of the mass graves they had perished in, An excellent audio guide is included in your admission fee and I couldn’t help but feel emotionally drained listening to reports of what happened in those terrible years.

Tuol Sleng prison genocide centre 

Back in the capital, we next visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.A former school, the Khmer Rouge turned this into a prison where people were indiscriminately tortured and murdered. Of the estimated 20,000 people imprisoned here, only seven escaped death. Of those murdered, there were two Australians, two Americans and a Briton. Walking the corridors of this former school, and seeing the photographs on the walls, it was hard to reconcile the two.

Riverside in Phnom Penh

After the history lesson, we needed some fresh air and so we headed to the boardwalk that runs alongside the Sisowath river. Fresh air is never really a thing in SouthEast Asia, and it wasn’t here. It was worth braving the fumes of all the traffic to be outside, processing what we had seen and learned about that morning. We strolled along, past all the street food vendors, and sat on the wall with a $1AUD beer.

Drinking in Cambodia

Most of the beers we had were a dollar. Beer had become our new cost of living indicator and in SouthEast Asia you can drink on the cheap. In fact, you find yourself becoming ruthless. Somebody asks for $1.50AUD for a beer? You walk away, shocked at “how expensive” it is. Yes, I know, my privilege kicking in. You need to take a moment to put everything into perspective. You are getting a good deal, even at $1.50 a beer. Take a breath, pay the money, and everybody smiles.

The confusing thing about money in Cambodia

The money still takes some getting used to. In Vietnam we had the Dong. And now, the Riel. And whilst the beer may have only cost $1.00, in Cambodian Riel this is 3,000R. When someone quotes you 6,000R for two beers it takes some working out as to how much these cost in your “home” currency. 

Just to make matters slightly more confusing, Cambodian ATMs dispense US dollars. Which you can use in most places. In fact, most menus display the US dollar price only. But when you pay, you get your change in Riel. Your wallet will bulge with both US dollars and Cambodian Riel. Are you keeping up? I was confused for most of our stay, trying to convert from US dollars, to local currency, then back to Aussie dollars to see what we were “really” paying.

Street vendors in Cambodia sizing me up

One thing is certain, what you are “really paying” is not a lot, relative to home. And wandering around the many markets in Cambodia there are some real bargains to be had. If shopping is your thing. Always remembering that the first price quoted in the market is double what your counter haggle should be. A t shirt is quoted as 12,000 riel, then go in with an offer of 6,000, still only a couple of dollars. I wasn;t looking for anything but if I had I could be comforted(?) that they had my size. Walking through the narrow market stalls one lady trader stroked my stomach and said “don’t worry, we have your size. We have King Kong size.” I kid you not.

Kampot

Leaving Phnom Penh, still ruminating on the “King Kong” comment, we headed south, to the little town of Kampot. I was last in Kampot 13 years ago so I was looking forward to seeing how it had changed. My memories were of a small, sleepy town that was perfect for kicking back with a good book for a few days. On the minibus down there we were sat next to a couple of missionaries from the US who had lived in Cambodia for the last 30 years. When they got off in Kampot, they told us, “Welcome to the most beautiful place in Cambodia.”

Our impressions after spending three days in Kampot were that it needs a lot of loving and a lick of paint. The old French shop buildings could look so beautiful, as evidenced by the town of Hoi An, in Vietnam. Instead, there were piles of trash, horrible tall concrete hotels, and a river pathway that had been ripped up. Granted, work was ongoing to improve the path and this will look better once complete. Right now, the town is a bit of a mess, and seems to be sliding down the path taken by Sihanoukville, a town by the coast. Lots of older, white males, sat in bars with very young looking Cambodian women. In a country known for sex tourism it is not too much of a stretch to work out what the men were in Cambodia for. It gets a little depressing.

The delicious dishes of Southeast Asia

Putting the depressing thoughts behind us it was time for dinner. Eating in Southeast Asia is a real highlight. The aromas, the flavours, and the spices really do capture the attention and tickle the taste buds. Each country has its own speciality and in Cambodia this is fish amok. A dish I had at the excellent Epic Arts Cafe, a place that runs to support disadvantaged locals. Some of the staff are deaf and they bring you a menu and a pen so you can select your choices.

The fish amok I chose was delicious. Lemongrass notes wafting over the fish. A subtle curry sauce brings the whole dish together. We love to sample new dishes from the different countries and it is also good when you just feel like a change, as there is good western food to be had in each town and city. I have a soft spot for pizza and had a great wood fired one in Kampot, cooked up by an Italian chef.

Pepper and the Plantation

Talking of food, let’s turn to pepper. Kampot is famous for its black pepper, and back in the day, it is said that no self respecting Parisian restaurant would be seen without some Kampot pepper on the table. Whilst we were there we jumped in a tuk tuk for a full day of the countryside. Maybe the oddest tour we have been on, but that is another story.

Bouncing along the unsealed roads outside of Kampot, our tuk tuk drove us to La Plantation. A fabulous pepper plantation that is doing a lot of social good in Cambodia. Not only did we get a free, and very informative tour of the pepper plantation, learning how pepper is grown (who knew?), we also had a full pepper tasting. Set up in 2013 by a French-Belgian couple, La Plantation is now recognised globally and is certified organic. They also support the education of young children, recognising that education is the only route out of poverty for many of these kids. A wonderful place that I would highly recommend that you visit if you are in the area.

A new drinking game

Back in Kampot it was time for a beer. And we found some cans of Cambodia beer for 80 cents, which for those of you in the UK is about 45p. And the best bit was that a traveller at the next table asked us if we “knew about the ring pulls”. Our blank faces told her we didn’t and she went on to explain that under each ring pull, these were the old fashioned type that come away from the can, there is something printed, that means either nothing, or another cheap beer, when redeemed at a local shop.

This became our new favourite game. Ripping off the tops of Cambodia beer cans and seeing if we had “won”. And win we did, a lot. In fact, more than we ever redeemed. When we did redeem them we found out that our new beers were costing 18 cents, which is about 10p.

Making plans to slow down in Cambodia

Happy days indeed. It was over one of these beers that we made our onward plan. Deciding to slow down a little we booked four (which turned into 5) nights at a beach resort on the island of Koh Rong Sanloem. I am really hoping we can redeem a few more of those ring pulls!

VietJet to Vietnam

With the new year it was time to leave Tokyo and head into Vietnam. We started 2023 in SouthEast Asia. A place that our dwindling dollars will stretch a little bit further. If only we had some of those dollars on us for the flight from Japan. The VietJet flight. An international airline. And it was cash only. Yes, I haven’t got this the wrong way around. In recent times, as a result of the COVID pandemic, most flights have transitioned to card payments only. A welcome move away from pesky cash. But here, in the air, between countries, our cards were of no use. And we had no Vietnamese currency. Why would we? We always pick some up on arrival. 

So, despite almost pleading with the stewards on the plane, we could get no food or drink for the next 6 hours. And, we had missed breakfast, thinking we would get it in the airport in Tokyo. That plan hadn’t worked out. Hitting the worst queue for check in I have ever experienced, once we had waited 2 and a half hours to check our bags in, we had to rush to the plane. So, if you are keeping count, this means that we had no food from last nights dinner, until we managed to get somewhere in Hanoi, Vietnam. A total of approximately, well, I was too tired to work it out.

Hungry in Hanoi

We arrived tired and very hungry, which resulted in overpaying for some street food. The smells of roast pork drifting up off the makeshift BBQ, we asked for two bahn mi. Vietnam’s finest sandwich. Walking away, devouring the sandwich, enjoying the heat of the chilli and the fragrance of the coriander, we didn’t pay too much attention to what we had paid.

We never saw the street vendor again after that night. I can only assume he retired and is living at the beach with what we paid him. We will never see that $11 again. Settling down on to a tiny blue plastic stool later in the evening, the $1.50 beers (86p) somewhat made up for it. I was reminded of a refrain I had heard previosuly from a traveller to her partner, “this is Asia, babe.”

Hanoi traffic and the art of crossing the road

Crossing the road in Hanoi is an art form. And it goes something like this. Whatever the situation with oncoming traffic, just start walking. And walk. And keep walking. For your safety, do not hesitate, or stop. It is like a form of magic. Drivers know what is ahead of them, which is you, and start adjusting accordingly. They anticipate your walking speed and drive around you. And it works. Trust me. There are even videos on YouTube explaining this. Crossing is a little easier when it is “only” a train that is due. Although we never did get to see one passing when we visited Train Street.

We were crossing the road to go and buy tissues. Victoria had a nose that seemingly refused to stop running. Tissues were required. The first pharmacy we entered, blissfully chilled from the air conditioning, came up trumps. A pack of 6. The price looked good and so we took them to the counter. However, we found out that the price was per individual pack, and so, for all 6 it would be 49000 Vietnamese Dong. We both sucked through our teeth, “ooh, I’m not sure about that”. And promptly walked out. 

There was no way we could afford $3.05. Not when we needed that same $3 (£1.73) for two beers tonight. Victoria’s nose would just have to run.

Halong Bay

Hanoi is a great place to visit. It feels welcoming. And small, despite its size. Walking around the lake. Wandering the Old Quarter. Drinking egg coffee (yes, egg coffee. It was delicious. You will just have to trust me on this one). And strolling through the French quarter, marvelling at the original architecture. That said, there is more to northern Vietnam than just Hanoi, and so we took ourselves off on a few excursions.

One that should be on everyone’s list is an over night stay in Ha Long Bay. A UNESCO World Heritage site, every hotel in Hanoi offers tours here. We chose a 1 night stay which involved a bus pick up from our hotel in the city, a few hours drive to Ha Long, and then overnight on a boat, sailing amongst some of the most amazing scenery you will ever see. Of course, this is very popular, and you won’t be the only boat cruising the waters, yet, the experience remains tranquil.

That is until later in the evening. When the ubiquitous karaoke comes out. And if you have a mob of drunken Australian backpackers on your boat, as we did, sleep is not guaranteed. I was happy to see how hungover the young travellers were the next day, with all of them missing the 6am Tai Chi session on the top deck of the boat as the sun rose.

Nimh Binh 

A little closer to Hanoi is Nimh Binh. Close enough for us to do a fabulous day trip there. A trip that did not invlove any karaoke. Just beautiful countryside and a river that winds through rice paddy fields that we got to take a boat trip on. I am not sure why we had to stay on the bus and have a separate boat trip to the rest of our fellow passengers, and I am sure they thought the same as we were driven off by ourselves, into the unknown.

After what felt like the shortest bike ride in the world, we were taken for our “included buffet lunch”. We had some experience of these infamous buffet lunches so were not surprised to see cold rice, spring rolls, and instant noodles. Augmented with plates of fruit, and a nod to Western tastes, (fries), you could quite easily lose weight if you did enough trips. 

The delicious food of Vietnam

Whilst the Vietnamese buffet lunches really are a sight to behold, it would be grossly unfair to let this cloud your judgement of Vietnamese cuisine. There are some excellent dishes to be had. You know that the National dish is pho (pronounced “fur”), but did you know there are unlimited varieties of the famous noodle soup dish? 

A lot of the food is regional. Such as Bun Cha in Hanoi. Pork with rice. In Hoi An they have Cao Lau, a pork noodle dish. And everywhere they have the delicious baguettes that I mentioned above, Bahn Mi. What we did find was that these were of varying quality. And our favourite ones were the ones bought off street vendors. Simple fillings of pork, cucumber, coriander and chillies. Yum. And now we know what these should cost.

I mentioned egg coffee earlier. And yes, I pulled a face too. Then I tried it. Oh my, it is delicious. Strong, bitter coffee slowly coming through the sweet, whipped egg yolk. My mouth is watering as I write. If egg coffee is not your thing, try coffee on its own. Vietnam is the world’s second largest exporter of coffee and the options blew me away. From the traditional Vietnamese coffee pot, to some of the best espresso based coffees I have had, and I have had a lot, living in Australia.

Happy in Hoi An

Leaving Hanoi we headed south. Opting to eschew spending 17 hours on an overnight bus with smelly backpackers, we flew. Call us decadent but a 1 hour flight suited us just fine, thank you very much. 

Hoi An was really busy, and this doesn’t surprise me. The place, hugging the river, is beautiful. And so busy, which after 2 years of COVID must be a blessed relief for the locals. Much of their livelihood relies on tourism. Large numbers of tourists also leads to lots of easy going hassling from street vendors and tuk tuk drivers. If you have travelled in Asia you will be smiling now at the memory. 

“Tuk tuk, sir?”, is a common refrain. Very common. A short walk to town can have you fending off dozens of over eager drivers. And if I see another fancy unfolding greeting card I may scream. Crawling spiderman? Flying bird? Over priced coconut? It does get a little tiresome. Do people actually buy these things?

Visiting Golden Bridge in the Ba Na Hills

Set by the riverside, with glorious old French houses lining the streets Hoi An is a delight. Great cafes and restaurants. And when you want to venture further afield take a day trip to the Ba Na hills near Da Nang. A short 1 hour drive from Hoi An is a strange theme park. On the top of a hill. There is a Mercure hotel and loads of amusements that seem incrogruous with the area. To get there you take the worlds longest cable car. In fact you take two of them. And they are very high. 

At the top you get to see Golden Bridge. Which really is worth seeing. In fact, this was the sole reason we were on the trip. There are no options for a half day so we were in, boots and all, to the full day. Golden Bridge opened in June 2018 and I guess will already be one of the most Instagrammed spots on the planet. Go on. Check. Type “hand bridge” into Insta. I’ll wait. 

Impressive isn’t it? And I’m sure it is even more impressive on a clear day. Being the time of year that we visited, we had fog and mist. Still. We managed to get a few shots to join the millions already on social media. 

Ho Chi Minh

Our final stop in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh city. Previously known as Saigon, it was renamed after the revered former leader of Vietnam in 1975. So revered in fact that the Vietnamese don’t want to say goodbye to him. So, the body of Ho Chi Minh now lies, fully embalmed, on open view in a mausoleum in Hanoi. That itself is worth a visit. 

Back in the land of the living, HCM city is a vast urban sprawl. If we thought the traffic in Hanoi was bad, HCM was on steroids. There are approximately 7 million scooters and moter bikes. And don’t you know it. They drive both ways down one way streets. Zip in and out of cars without a thought. And, if the traffic lights are red, they mount the curb and just drive down the pavement, cutting the lights out altogether. You really need your wits about you just walking down the street.

Escaping the sprawling city for the day we had a trip down to the Mekong River. Visiting some small islands down there and meeting locals who live a much simpler life. Growing and exporting coconuts is big business down in the Mekong region and we got to try fresh coconuts and also the candy that they make from it. 

Eating rat in the Mekong Delta

We also got to try other, more exotic foods. I had my first taste of rat. Very reminiscent of the guinea pig that I once had in Peru. Not something I would want to eat every day. Or, ever again. The rat, or the guinea pig. Victoria declined the offer of a rodent lunch and we both had a shot of “happy wine”. Very strong rice wine fermented with a whole menagerie of reptiles. Snakes and lizards galore in the bottle. The shot wasn’t that bad. I am just not sure why I have started growing scales on my body.

In two weeks we had seen a lot of Vietnam. The cities. The countryside. And the very friendly, very smiley Vietnamese people. It is a country that is easy to travel around and somewhere you are always made to feel welcome. Considering the history of this country, and the terrors of the Vietnam/American War in the 1960s, it has rebounded in a very positive way. Walking through the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh is a very sobering experience. Reading of the atrocities caused by the USA through use of Agent Orange brings tears to the eyes. Generations have suffered, and continue to suffer. With a heavy heart we take a moment to be grateful for the lives we have been fortunate to have lived.

Cambodia beckons

Vietnam is a country we would have loved to have stayed longer. However, our visa had only one day left, there is a story there too, but for another day, and so we were booked on a bus out. We were leaving Vietnam, crossing the land border on our way to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Just a seven, which turned into nine, hour journey between us. 

Swapping one continent for another

We left Miami, and behind us a whole continent. We were headed to Asia, and Tokyo was to be our entrypoint. What stood in our way was a short 6 hour hop across to Los Angeles. where we overnighted near the hotel, making for a smooth start to a long travel day to Japan.

ZipAir to Tokyo

Tokyo was a 12 hour flight and in our wisdom we had booked a budget airline. One we had never heard of, ZipAir. And ZipAir turned out to be one of the better budget airlines we had used in our lives. And they range from good, like the ZipAir flight, to pitiful. And this was before we were to encounter VietJet in Vietnam. More on that down the track. The biggest downside to using ZipAir was that there was no in flight entertainment. Nothing. We now had the challenge of sitting through 12 long hours.

A travel oddity of flying from the United States to Asia is that you cross the international date line. We left Los Angeles and at some point over the North Pacific Ocean the date changes. It jumps forward. to the day after. After a 12 hour flight and a 1 and half hour transfer from the airport into Tokyo city it was very discombobulating. I couldn’t work out what time my body thought it was even though my watch was telling me it was 8pm.

Dinner time in Tokyo

And my watch telling me it is 8pm leads to my brain telling me that it is time for dinner. In Japan, this is where the fun starts. Travelling is a little like playing a computer game. There are varying levels of difficulty. Travelling in places like The Netherlands and Belgium you are on level 1. Everyone, like everyone, speaks English. Navigating and eating is easy. No skill required. 

Switzerland and Austria turned out to be level 2. Everyone is very friendly but little English is spoken. German dominates, and you have to look hard to find a menu in English. But you do, eventually. And the beauty of the country takes over, making you forget your minor struggles.

In Tokyo the struggles are real. Not only do very few people speak English, but there are very, very few menus in English. Yes, they do make those cute little plastic plates of food that you can point at. Observing me making chicken and pig noises to try and establish what is actually in the real version of the plastic dish is a sight to behold. 

For those of you screaming, “use Google translate, you idiot”, give me a second to explain myself. I love Google Translate, and when you have data on your phone the app is priceless. With no data, it is useless, unless you can manually type in the Japanese characters for whatever phrase you are looking for. Not easy. 

Exploring Tokyo

And yet, Tokyo is captivating. There is so much to see. Even just visiting the various suburbs, once you have worked out how to use the underground, and seeing the differences is quite startling. Shinjuku, where we based ourselves, is all neon lights and tall buildings. Down the road, Shibuya has the busiest intersection in the world. At its daily peak, there are as many as 3000 people crossing the road all at once. It was a little more sedate when we visited but check out the videos on YouTube.

Not far from Tokyo station there is the Imperial Palace and gardens to explore. And close by is Ginza, well worth a stroll. Streets lined with shops, shopping being something that the Japanese do very well. Another thing we noticed the Japanese doing well is queuing. The Japanese just love a queue. I don’t mean three or four people waiting to get to the counter. I mean lines and lines and lines of people, queuing for all manner of things, including teddy bear shops (note: these were adults), and a K pop band, whatever one of those is.

We visited Itoya. A magical stationery store, spread over 6 levels, packed with everything from high end fountain pens and luxury notepads, to the cheap pens that I am slightly addicted to. I treat myself to one of those that have four colours in one and you select by choosing the one you want around the top of the lid.

New Years Eve in Tokyo

As a quirk of timing we had New Years Eve in Tokyo. Never being big fans of this particular occasion, we are always in bed before midnight, we found ourselves having a couple of pints of good Guinness in an Irish bar, and heading home well before the clock struck midnight. I ended a fabulous 2022 with a nightcap of Japanese whisky.

We both reflected on what 2022 brought, us getting on the road finally, and what 2023 would bring us. Grateful, and tired, we kissed goodnight, and turned the light out on the year. We had an early start for 2023, heading to country number 18.