Experiences of a meditation retreat. One of our most memorable and impactive experiences so far has been spending 2 days at a Buddhist meditation centre in Chiang Mai. While we did this together, we had very different experiences and so hope you enjoy hearing from both of us in this post. Ben – I’ve always had a fascination … Read more
They say that you shouldn’t meet your idol as it will only disappoint, and the same could be said of your dream destination. We sat on a bus to Cat Ba island with high hopes, feeling a bit despondent about our travelling so far. On paper Cat Ba was sculpted with us in mind, a beautiful tropical island … Read more
A highlight of Cambodia was meeting a remarkable woman, Sineth, the owner of Alis’ House Homestay. Our host in Siem Reap, who’s name is pronounced with a silent ‘h’, is an inspiring story of passion, charisma and hard work in the face of adversity, and one I feel is worth sharing. Born as the eldest sister of five … Read more
We’d arrived back from our hike up Fansipan mountain (read out last post about it here), and were in the town of Sapa contemplating what to do next. Sapa is famous around Vietnam for trekking between villages and through the rice paddies of its valleys, so we thought we should taste of the rich green scenery. The question … Read more
Driving into the mountains is an exciting experience; whether in Wales, the Alps or Vietnam, when I see peaks on the horizon my heart races and my eyes come alive. On the bus journey from the plains of Hanoi towards the Northern mountains, my smile grows as the distant peaks grow bigger and then surround us. The coach … Read more
Travelling around the world counjures images of relaxing on deserted beaches and bathing under tropical waterfalls. We’ve been learning that this is rarely the case, but for the last week we’ve had a taste of that life around Nha Trang. Nha Trang is a beach resort in South Vietnam, a holiday destination for Vietnamese people and foreigners, (especially … Read more
How we got back to feeling ourselves in the beautiful town of Da Lat… Read more
It is said that Phnom Penh is the ‘Pearl of Asia’. I’m not sure I’d agree with such an elegant description, as Cambodia’s capital city is anything but elegant, though our journey here was certainly worthwhile. Phnom Penh is a bustling capital city in the developing world, so it is hot, dirty and smelly, anyone who says otherwise … Read more
Experiencing the human side of Siem Reap Many people told us to expect Cambodia to be a little rough… A corrupt border, hostile people, scam artists and rubbish food. What we have encountered instead have been the kindest people we have met, great and ample food, beautiful scenery and a rich (if painful) history. I deeply hope that … Read more
Bangkok was our first destination, largely due to it being a convenient big city with facilities, good accomodation and cheap flights, serving as the travellers hub for South East Asia. We’d decided to spend 3 nights there to get over the worst of the jetlag and culture shock, as well as to get a taste for Thailand before … Read more