Songkran in rural Laos

Months ago we planned out a rough intinery for our 6 week trip through Thailand and Laos to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Then I looked at our dates and realised that we would be riding round the Laos countryside during Songkran. The Laos (and Thai) New Year festival is celebrated by pouring water over friends and family, to symbolically wash away the strife of the last year. Somewhere along the way, this has turned into soaking anybody you see with as much water is possible. Including those riding past you on motorcycles. We knew we’d be a big target for those with buckets, hoses and super soakers…was this a good idea? We decided to go for it, the attraction of Konglor Cave was too much to resist, and so we rented a couple of bikes and headed out into the country.

Thailand to Cambodia in 6 weeks

Starting on the sunny shores of Koh Phi Phi and ending up at the ancient ruins of Angkor; we spent 5 and a half weeks making our way through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia with Matt's sister Lauren and her boyfriend, Tom.

When we leave each place we always ask each other 'best and worst?' so we thought we'd share our highs and lows with you...

Slow boat on the Mekong

We were in Chiang Rai and we wanted to get to the UNESCO Hertitage Site of Luang Prabang. We could take a long and windy bus journey, race there on a dangerous speedboat or spend two days drifting down the Mekong on the ‘slow boat’.

There was no contest; we chose the latter option.

Here in Luang Prabang

In all honestly, we probably didn’t make the most of Luang Prabang. One of our group was really sick and morale suffered. An action packed stay was out of the question. However, if it had to happen anywhere in Laos, Luang Prabang was probably the best place for it; it’s certainly a very attractive spot. The mixture of Buddhist temples and colonial architecture sandwiched in between two rivers make the streets an ideal place to stroll with a fresh fruit shake. There are plenty of markets, shops and cafes to keep you occupied as well.

Here in Chiang Rai: The Motorcycle Diary

On our third day in Chiang Rai we hired some twist-and-go scooters and headed for the hills. 

We’d asked our friendly guesthouse where would be a good place to drive and they’d recommended heading for Doi Maesalong. Doi is the Thai word for Mountain, and our host told us it was a nice road, with scenic views of the Northern hills which dominate the border regions between Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. 

It’s a really liberating feeling riding out to somewhere new with no specific destination in mind. As soon as we got off the main Highway, the road became more rural and certainly more windy! 

We saw some signs for Choui Fong Tea Plantation and decided we’d check it out. The small road which wound through the forest was very quiet and peaceful and it soon opened up into rolling hills covered in neat lines of tea plants. We followed the little winding road to the Plantation HQ and had a little wonder among the bushes. It was very quiet and very beautiful. 

Here on Koh Lanta

Stepping off the ferry at Koh Lanta after 3 days on Koh Phi Phi felt like returning to Thailand and 'real life'. There were motorbikes and songtaews on the roads (there were roads!) and we could smell grilled chicken from the road-side stalls. 

You can see local life; children playing in the street, schools, hospitals, people's homes and the places they eat. Don't get me wrong, there's tourism in abundance but in amongst the sports bars and neon lights there are rice shops with tin tables where you can eat and chat with local people.

How to stay cool in 38 degrees

I've never been someone who loves hot weather, sure I love to get my shorts out on a summers day and cool down with an ice lolly but 24 degrees is quite enough for me thank you. Then we fell in love with life in Thailand and right now are sweating away in 38 degree heat. 

Whenever we speak to someone from bcd home, they always ask how hot it is and how we cope with the high temperatures over here. So what's our secret? How do we survive? Well firstly we accept that it's hot and we will sweat; my hair straighteners and makeup bag are redundant and we drink our coffee iced.

But we do have a few tips for surviving the heat:

Here on Koh Phi Phi

I was slightly apprehensive about going to Koh Phi Phi. I had read and heard a wide range of opinions - from 'you HAVE to go there, it’s the most beautiful place in Thailand’ to 'don’t go there, it’s totally ruined’...who was I supposed to believe? 

So I stopped reading, we packed our swimsuits and hopped on a bus with an open mind...

We were reunited with family.

School's out!

The kids have aced their test, reports are written and all that's left between us and a 9 week holiday is English Camp!

This time in 7 days we will be walking the soft sands of Koh Phi Phi with Lauren and Tom who will be our travel buddies for the next 6 weeks.

This our rough plan although very little is set in stone so we'll just see how we go :)

February roundup

January

Well 2015 is flying by so far, I feel like I've barely had time to sit down this month but it's been great - no January blues here! I thought I'd share what we've been up to it a bit of a monthly roundup :)

• New Year with family

We spend the first few days of the year sharing the sights and tastes of Nakhon Sawan with Darryl, Emma and Selina.

We are couch surfers!

Well actually we haven't 'surfed' yet but we hosted for the first time last week and it was an incredible experience. Opening up your home to complete strangers is a fairly daunting prospect and I admit that we were a little scared about the whole thing.

Of course we had no need to fear and we were blessed with truly wonderful guests. Jon and Coco are very special people and being able to eat, drink, chat and laugh with them was a real pleasure.

Couchsurfing is not just about a place to stay, it's an exchange and this was demonstrated to us perfectly. We gave two people a bed for a couple of nights but I came away feeling that they had given us so much more in company and friendship.

Maybe we peaked early but we are looking forward to meeting many more people in this way. If you have ever thought about getting involved or are interested in this idea I would urge you to take the plunge - you never know who you'll meet!

www.couchsurfing.com

P.S. How awesome in Jon's beard? Well of course it is cos he produces Beard Balm for a living. Go check it out - I don't have a beard but it sure smells good!
www.beardbalm.us

Here on Koh Samed

About a month ago, a lucky combination of public holidays and other days of school gave us a surprise week long holiday. Making the most of the time off work, we decided to hop down to Koh Samed with our friends for a bit of beach action.

Sawatdee Pi Mai

This a rather late New Year post but frankly we've been far too busy eating our weight in chocolate and cheese with friends and family to notice how quickly the New Year is already running away from us!

2014 was quite a year for us, it saw us both quit our jobs and move to Thailand to teach. For the first few months, everything felt new, scary and exciting and it definitely took us a while to get used to the jobs and culture - not to mention the heat. We are still learning all the time but we feel very settled in our new home and love our jobs and our life here. Over the year we visited Hong Kong (twice!) and Malaysia as well as countless beautiful places in Thailand. All of that was after taking in our favourite parts of the UK before we left in the Spring.

Christmas in Nakhon Sawan

The roaring fire has been replaced with a fan and I will be eating vegan duck instead of a stuffed goose but don't worry, we know it's Christmas time...

Here in Nakhon Sawan Christmas doesn't happen unless you make it yourself. So that's exactly what we've done. We've filled our flat with fairy lights and paper chains, the fridge is full of chocolate and cheese and I am listening to Carols from Kings as I type.

Here in Hong Kong #2

Back in Hong Kong six months down the line and at the end of a three week holiday we saw the city through very different eyes. The sea of sharp suits seemed strange and unusual. The duvet and soft mattress seemed a luxury (as did the wine and the black coffee). The endless choice of cuisine was amazing but overwhelming and we couldn't even begin to keep up with the nightlife (in fact we didn't even try).

Here in Nakhon Sawan: Loi Krathong

Apologies for being lax on the blogging front lately, being back at school has kept us busy but I promise there is a Hong Kong post and a video from way back in July coming your way.

Our first week back in Nakhon Sawan coincided with the Loi Krathong festival which celebrates the end of the rainy season. Thais Light 'krathongs' (traditional made from banana tree and leaf but these days can be anything from plastic to bread)  and set them off on the river along with all their bad feelings. Some people also set off lanterns and in Chiang Mai, where this festival is a much bigger occasion, it can be quite a spectacular sight!

Here in Kuala Lumpur

We had bought our bus tickets from Penang to Kuala Lumpur the previous day, so full of optimism we turned up at the advertised time of 1130. We waited a bit and just after 12 we were ushered into a mini-bus which was to take us to the bus station.

It actually took us just down the road from the bus station, where we clambered onto an amazingly comfortable bus with huge reclining seats and bags of leg room. Feeling excited, we got to the bus station about 12.30pm for our fellow passengers to hop on. 

But they didn't. Or rather they did, but soon realised they weren't actually supposed to be on our bus and got off again. Or they got on and quibbled over who's seat was who's. The staff had about as much idea as the rest of us but eventually we departed just after 1.30pm

Here in Penang

A big highlight of Penang for us was the food but I’ve written about that here so I won’t repeat myself.

Our visit did not start very well. After a 12 hour trip which involved two mini-vans and a car (luxury!) we were dropped right in the heart of backpackers-ville on Penang.

In colonial times, Penang Island was an important outpost of the British Empire and the bustling city which sprung up has kept it's colonial name: Georgetown. These days Georgetown is a UNESCO heritage sight. However, none of this rich history commands that money exchanges must stay open beyond 9pm. So, we found ourselves in the middle of the hustle and bustle with no Ringit (Malaysian currency) and our preferred guest house full to the brim.

Here in Khao Sok

After a week lying on the sandy beaches of Koh Phangan, we are all beached out and ready for adventure. So we headed back to mainland Thailand and to the striking limestone cliffs and jungles of Khao Sok National Park. Arriving in the dark and rain, we briefly missed our warm, sandy bungalows but soon we grabbed some dinner and booked ourselves on to a two-day guided trip to Cheow Lan Lake, starting 8am the very next morning.

Cheow Lan is a man-made lake which is used to produce hydro-electricity. Damning the Klong Saeng river created the 165sqkm lake and more than 100 islands. The limestone cliffs jut out from the still water, dwarfing the long tail boats fishing for dinner or ferrying tourists.