Though Bali is an awkward shape, and it would be hard to figure it out, you can safely consider Ubud as the ‘center’ of Bali. It is surrounded by picturesque rice terraces with farmers working, but also where you will find some of the fanciest villas and 5-star dining. It is a mecca for vegans and yogis, with many retreats and cafes dedicated to this growing breed, and prices to match! Despite its huge popularity, Ubud still has a lot of charm and is definitely one of our favourite areas that we keep going back to. After 4 weeks here, we’ve now found some of the best day trips from Ubud. Transportation…
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Songkran! An Epic Waterfight on Koh Tao
What is Songkran you ask? I asked the very same question and got two answers from various people regarding the 13th of April. 1. It’s the Thai New Year according to the Buddhist calendar. 2. It’s the one day a year on Koh Tao where everything is shut and you get drunk and there’s an epic water fight on the streets. Prior to this day we were advised to buy some water guns to use at Songkran. However, due to Songkran all of the stores were now charging hundreds of baht for cheap, plastic water guns. We’re cheap. We refused to buy them of course. So we woke up on…
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COPE Rehabilitation Centre – Vientiane, Laos
Cost Free A tuk-tuk will cost about 50,000 kip each way from the centre of the city. We hired a motorbike for 24 hours for 60,000 kip and rode to COPE. What A FREE museum where you can learn about ‘The Secret War’ that America conducted against Laos a few decades ago. You also learn about the type of bombs that still remain in the country, hindering economic progress, and read/watch/listen to stories about people who have lost limbs and livelihoods thanks to these horrible bombs. Where Boulevard Khouvieng, Vientiane, Laos View COPE Visitor Centre in a larger map Comments We first visited COPE in Vientiane a couple of months…
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Off The Grid In Northern Thailand
There’s a reason why the blog has been quiet. We have been heading further north from Chiang Mai after saying goodbye to our friends Scott and Sarah. It is a very special little world up here. Sometimes we go days without spotting another tourist or meeting anyone that speaks English. We order food and bargain room rates by pointing at things and using our little Thai which consists of numbers and “thank you”. The people here are very honest, open and most welcoming. Most places require a bike to get around and it’s best not to expect or research and just go. It is a great adventure. So here’s a…
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1864 Corners In North-West Thailand
The Mae Hong Son loop in north-west Thailand is known for its many bends. It is claimed there are 1864 of them. In Mae Hong Son itself there is a shop dedicated to 1864 branded souvenirs! I didn’t count them, however I can confirm that there are many, many corners. Some are very sharp and steep. Unfortunately, the benefit of less tourists during the low season means that we got caught in the rain every riding day. Here is how we broke up the ride. Day 1 – Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang The roads are very good during this leg. The main danger being the first half of highway…
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Mae Sa Valley Loop – Take One
After our 10 day motorbike adventure in Mae Hong Son, we returned to Chiang Mai yesterday. We still had our bike today and decided to do the 100km Mae Sa Valley loop, before we return our trusty Honda Dream. This is apparently one of the most picturesque 100km you can ride in northern Thailand. So, after an early breakfast, we set off. Unfortunately for us, the weather had other ideas. It was raining the entire time and it got quite cold. That meant that the stunning views of the valley were lost on us. It didn’t help that both our ponchos have been ripped to shreds over the past weeks…
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A Three Day Trek; Water Bombs, Leeches & LaoLao Whiskey
So we booked a three day trek with Jewel Travel Laos to trek around Nong Khiaw starting from Ban (Village) Houy Khong, through Ban Vieg Hinh and Ban Payong and down to the river where we would catch a boat back to Nong Khiaw. As we had met up with the Aussie couple from Sapa, Sarah and Scott, we decided to do a trek together. Day 1 was pretty crazy. We walked through some rice paddies, up through the jungle and then came to a waterfall where we assumed we would eat lunch and have a swim. How wrong we were. Turns out our path WAS the waterfall. Upstream. For…
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Ma Pi Leng Pass: Riding A Motorbike From Dong Van To Meo Vac
The Ma Pi Leng pass is quite possible the single best kept secret of intrepid travel in Vietnam. A fellow traveler had told me about these very remote towns deep in the north of Vietnam. One called Dong Van and the other called Meo Vac. I had never heard of either of them. Of course that fact alone peaked my interest. It was not so much the towns themselves, but what lay between them. What connected them was the Ma Pi Leng pass. The single best bit of road in all of South East Asia in my opinion. This drive was so special that we did it twice. Yes, two…
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What To Do in Hanoi Blog Journey in 25 Days
Hanoi is a fascinating city and we chose to take a break from ‘backpacking’ to spend nearly a month in this place. (Though mainly because I needed to get my stitches out and fix my teeth from my bad motorbike accident in Danang!) We met expats, went on walking tours with uni kids, and visited some interesting museums. Below is our what to do in Hanoi blog post in case you need inspiration or want to know what else to do in this bustling city! Hanoi, Vietnam Hanoi in Vietnam is a pretty cool place. I actually prefer it to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon). The Old Quarter in the…
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Top 10 Things To Do In Cambodia
In the order that I remember them. 1. Get a Blind Massage This is definitely an experience. No pampering, no fuss, just exactly what it says on the sign. A massage by a blind masseur. 60 minutes for $5. A few dollars for a good cause to help the blind make a living working instead of on the street. Don’t let the dirt road alleyway entrance or lack of English deter you. Where: Seeing Hands 4 in Siem Reap. There are Seeing Hands franchises in Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville too. 2. Visit Angkor Wat at the Angkor Archaeological Park. These 900 year old ruins are a spectacular sight. You can…
