Blog
It's a four hour boat journey. This boat has car seats attached and I get one. This makes the journey much less back breaking than the ones with planks.
The views of the mountains for the first hour are amazing
Leaving Muang Ngoi
We stopped on the way several times to drop off things and buy some fish
Muang Khua is nothing to rate about, I think I'll only stay one night and start making my way back to Luang Prabang slowly.
Muang Khua
Today I did absolutely nothing.
I swung around in the hammock looking at the scenery and reading. I took a stroll to a nearby Hong village, ate Papaya salad and Khao Soy a d that was about it.
A very relaxing day in beautiful countryside
Gecko Bar
Rose early again and had a wander around town in order to find some breakfast. Had a very good egg baguette by the boat dock.
I caught the 11:00 boat to Muang Ngoi Nuea which was 25,000 kip and took about an hour up the Nam Ou.
Muang Ngoi is in a fantastic location on the banks of the Nam Ou surrounded by towering line stone karsts. It's only got one road about 400 metres long. That's it
Spent the afternoon in the hammock reading and taking in the views.
This really is a wonderful part of the world. Had an egg but tie for breakfast and decided to go to the viewpoint overlooking Nong Khiaw. I left about 08:45 to avoid the sun, it was a good idea. It took one hour and a half to reach the summit but boy was it worth it.
Looking down on Nong Khiaw
Everything was shrouded in mist but soon cleared. It was special.
Went for a post climb beer across the bridge at about midday.
My bungalow is the third from the right of the ones overlooking the river
Civilised start at 08:30 from Luang Prabang for the four hour minivan journey to Nong Khiaw. Noodle soup for breakfast and a tuk tuk to the bus station
Four hour minivan was the slowest ever. Soon cottoned on he was a learner driver being instructed by the other guy in the front seat.
Nong Khiaw is stunning.
This was why I travelled all this way the next week is going to be amazing.
I decided to book an all day Kayaking trip for five hours down the Nam Out river. We took a tuk tuk for about an hour to the launching point. There were four of us in two double kayaks a French man a Canadian man the guide and me
The scenery was absolutely stunning. The river was quite low but there was plenty of water.
After about two hours we stopped at Pakistan Out where there are thousands of buddha statues.
We had lunch here of tilapia and sticky rice and spicy bamboo shoot
Three more hours Kayaking in the now scorching sun through dramatic limestone scenery and a short tuk tuk ride to Luang Prabang. I spent the evening eating tom yam and barbecued chicken on the banks of the Mekong washed down with the obligatory Beer Laos
Earliervin the day I visited the morning market just outside my guesthouse
It was a tiring day. There are no flights on this route so its either a six and a half hour minivan or an eight hour bus. I took the minivan which was 110,000 kip.
The road was all hairpin bends through the mountains and there are no flat straight bits. It's the Maehongson loop on steroids.
Stopped for noodle soup lunch and arrived at Golden Lotus Place guesthouse in Luang Prabang at about 15:00
The night market was just settling up so had a look around but mainly tourist tat.
Few beers at Tangor followed by filet mignon with fries and veg and a lemongrass cream sauce. The wine is good here in Luang Prabang so had a couple of glasses of nice redon the balcony.
The main thing to do in Phonsavan is to visit the mysterious Plain if Jars. These date from about the second millennium BC.
They are thought to be funerary jars associate with cremations and bones and teeth have been found in them.
Many of them have been damaged by Chinese raiders and the cluster bombs dropped by the US in the Secret War.
There are three main sites the furthest being Site 3 which takes about an hour to get two. We took six hours to see all three.
There are hundreds scattered around the sites and a cave in one with hand made holes in the roof which is reckoned to be a crematorium.
Today is all about getting to Phonsavan in the east of the country
Had a lie in this morning until about 07:00 before search some rice soup with pork for breakfast. Then jumped on the bike to try and find the little cafe near Pha Ngum fountain were I uses to have Lao Coffee each morning when I was here last in 2005. It was still there.
After a couple of headed of to take the bike back to the rental shop and pack for the journey to Phonsavan
The journey is a 10 hour bus ride or a half hour flight. The airport is only 5k outside town so taking an 80USD flight Was the obvious way to go. I didn't need to be at the airport until 14:00. So a couple of Nabgkhom special brew at Chokdee Belgian beer bar.
The tuk tuk to the airport was 40,000 kip and check in easy.
I was the only westerner and half an hour later I was in Phonsavan.
Another tuk tuk into town for 30,000 kip and I checked into Nice Guesthouse for 80,000 kip.
I had a wander around this small town only one real road. I needed to book a bus ticket to Luanda Prabang and on Monday and a tour to the Plain of Jars for tommorow. The bus was 130,000 kip and a day long tour of the three jar sites 200,000 kip.
I took a couple of Beerlao at Craters before heading out to find some dinner.
There was a little Indian place called Nisha just up the road from the guesthouse. The food one of the best currys I've ever had.
Between 1964 and 1973 the US army dropped over two million tons of ordnance on Laos, making it the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. Of the more than 270 million sub-munitions, 80 million failed to explode. The nightmare continues to this day: one person is killed or injured almost everyday by unexploded ordinances (UXO) in Laos. The Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) is a non-profit based in Vientiane that runs rehabilitation centres aiming to provide care and support to UXO survivors, including orthotic and prosthetic devices and physiotherapy. (text from Travelfish)
Walked home last night through the middle of a drugs bust in the house next door to my guesthouse. The boys in brown had five kids on the floor with guns trained on them. Yaba, a type of methamphetamine apparently. Exciting times in Nong Khai
Guesthouse owner gave me a lift to the Friendship Bridge on his motorbike which was very kind.
Got stamped out of Thailand and took the 15 baht bus across to the Laos side.
Three windows 1, 2 and 3. Collect immigration forms by knocking on window 2. Fill forms in and hand in with passport and 35USD at window 1. Collect passport with Laos visa at window 3. Laos logic!
Took a 250 baht tuk tuk to Vientiane Star Hotel. About 20 kilometres.
Arrived at about 09:45 too early to check in.
Decided to go for a wander along the Mekong. Went to Ban Vilaylac for lunch. The spicy Lao sausage was great.
In the evening I went to Bor Pen Nyang a great rooftop bar for a couple of G&T's. It's got a great view over the night market and the Mekong river.
Eat pork and ginger stir fry at a no name restaurant on Quay Pha Ngum and finished off with a couple of Lao black rice beer at Chokdee cafe chatting to a couple from Chiang Mai over for a visa run
Today I rose with the sun at 06:00 and took breakfast at a street food place by the Wat overlooking the Mekong. I had Joke (congee) sitting on a little stool.
The owner of the guesthouse lent me a bike and I cycled to the sculpture about 3k away. It was 08:30 when I left but it was 32C already. Thankfully it's flat as a pancake so the heat was the only problem.
I spent a couple of hours there and fed the fish
Afternoon was spent lazing on the banks of the Mekong, eating and reading. My first really relaxing day with no travel
After twelve hours sleep and a leisurely breakfast the minivan picked me up and it's off to the low cost carrier airport Don Muang for the 12:20 one hour Nok Air flight to Nong Khai in Issaan in the North East of the kingdom.
Nong Khai is a sleepy town on the edge of the Mekong with views across to Laos.
The bus dropped me off at Mother and it's a five minute walk along the cycle path on the edge of the river to The Rim Guesthouse
My room overlooks the Mekong and the old gent who owns it is very kind and chatty
A few beers on the afternoon and a noodle soup. Tommorow I will hire a bike but today is all about relaxing and acclimatisation.
Today is Loy Krathong, a Buddhist festival when Krathongs are lit and floated down the river. Here the main floating spot is a Wat near my guesthouse.
Once the festivities have finished I walk back into town to Mackys on the riverside and eat Moo Pad Krapow and a few more beers.
A very relaxing day.
Travel and first day in the Big Mango
After a 3am start and a nightmare journey to Manchester airport with the M6 junction 20a onto the M6 closed I eventually got on my China Southern flight to Amsterdam. At Schipol I was upgraded to premium economy with loads of legroom for the eleven hour flight to Guangzhou. Another two and a half hour flight to Bangkok and I was in south east asia.
I was completely shattered as it was a day flight and I couldn't manage to sleep. Taxi from airport was 350 baht plus 75 baht highway tolls. Checked onto Samsen Sam place. It was 12:00 when I arrived and I decided it best to stay awake until the evening to ease the jetlag.
I consumed a few large Beer Leo and people watched and relaxed. At about 18:00 I found a little Thai restaurant called Jen noodle and had a very tasty fried duck with crispy holy basil, chilli and onions.
I was in bed with the AC on full blast at 19:30
Laos flag
I'm off to Laos on the 12th November for a three week solo trip. I've been looking forward to this for some time and only two weeks to go now.
Several months ago I managed to bag a flight with China Southern Airlines from Manchester to Bangkok, via Amsterdam Schipol, for the amazing price of £319 return.
I have three weeks. I've been to Laos several times before and have decided to cover some ground I haven't before. Particularly Phonsavan for the Plain of Jars and a trip up the Nam Ou river north of Luang Prabang.
So the itinerary looks some thing like this
View from looking over the Chaophraya river towards Wat Arun
I leave from Manchester on the 12th November at the ungodly hour of 05:55 routing via Amsterdam and Guangzhou to Bangkok arriving at 10:50 the next day.
I’ve always liked the area around Samsen Road, Pom Pra Sumen and Phra Athit Road so I’ve decided to stay at Sam Sen Sam Place for the one night I plan to spend in the Big Mango.
Nong Khai promenade by the Mekong
Monday morning I’m off to Nong Khai, a small riverside town in Isaan , in the North East of Thailand. Nong Khai is a town I like, with a nice riverside promenade and good choice of restaurants. It’s a great place to spend a couple of days.
I leave Bangkok from Don Muang airport at 12:25 arriving at Udon Thani. From there I will get a minivan for the fifty-minute drive to Nong Khai.
I am staying at the Rim Riverside with a view over the Mekong River.
Tai Chi in Vientiane n the banks of the Mekong in the morning
Two days later on the 16th November I’m off over the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane the capital of Laos fo a couple of nights. No real plan for my stay here just wandering around the markets and a few drinks on the bank of the Mekong in the evening.
Staying at Vientiane Star hotel which seems ideally located.
The Plain of Jars
Next up will be Phonsavan for a visit to The Plain of Jars. I’ve decided to fly to fly wit Laos Airlines rather than the ten-hour bus journey. They’ve messed around with the flight times and rather than a 10:30 morning flight it now departs at 15:00 but the flight time is only half an hour so I will still arrive in daylight. I just hope I can book a tour of the Plain of Jars for the next day otherwise it will be scooter time!
Accommodation will be Nice Guesthouse right in the centre of Phonsavan
Luang Prabang
Onwards toward Luang Prabang on the 20th November at 09:00 for an six to seven hour minibus journey. There’s no flight so it’s the only option other than a “big bus” that seems to take another couple of hours.
Will be staying at Golden Lotus Guesthouse for a couple of nights. Not planning much here apart from a bit of kayaking and cycling.
Nong Khiaw
After a few days in town I’ll be getting a four-hour bus to Nong Khiaw on Nam Ou river. It’s a small town set amongst dramatic limestone karsts and a place I am looking forward to. You used to be able to get a boat from Luang Prabang to here but the joint venture dam building with the Chinese has stopped that along with god knows what environmental impact.
My two days here will be at Sunset Bungalows in a hammock overlooking the Nam Ou river
Muang Ngoi Nua
It will then be time to move on up the Nam Ou by boat to Muang Ngoi. Its only a one hour journey. A tiny riverside village that has become a bit of a backpacker thing. Not sure how I will find it but will probably stay a couple of nights at Riverview Guesthouse and walk to local villages and caves. There’s always the hammock and a good book along with a never-ending supply of Beer Laos.
Muang Khiaw
From Muang Ngoi it will be five hour boat trip further up the Nam Ou to Muang Khua another small town on the Nam Ou. Muang Khua is usually just an overnighter for people coming from the Vietnam order near Dien Bien Phu. I will give it a couple of nights before making my way back to Nong Khiaw by boat and from there back to Luang Prabang by minibus.
Another couple of nights in Luang Prabang at Golden Lotus then a 15:50 Air Asia flight back to Bangkok on the 1st December
Bangkok
Once back in Bangkok it’s a couple of nights at Tara Place and perhaps a day trip to Ayutthaya to former Thai capital and a half day trip to the Golden Mount.
My China Southern flight leaves Bangkok at 18:55 and arrives back n Manchester on Sunday the 4th December at 08:20
This is my first attempt at editing the Go Pro Hero 4 video of our week long break in the Maldives earlier this month. It is in fact the first time I have ever taken a video and edited it. Its a bit shaky and amateurish I've now sorted the soundtrack and it gives an idea of our week in the Indian Ocean.
It's our last day on this island. Its really been a treat. I think seven days is just about right. The islands are small and it begins to get a bit like groundhog day even though it's a good groundhog. Speedboat picks us up at 17:00 for an 20:20 flight from Male to Manchester via Doha with Qatar Airways.
Looking across the football pitch
Today it's blisteringly hot with virtually clear blue skies. Snorkeling, sunbathing and eating curry is all there is to do. Its a hard life. This afternoon much of the same for us maybe mixed in with a few Mojitos.
Walking to lunch
Along the beach to Ocean villas
Cathy walking to the beach bar
Today we went on a snorkeling trip. Two reefs absolutely fantastic like swimming in an aquarium. Saw two reef sharks and so many other fish too numerous to mention. The snorkeling off the beach here is great but this was on another level
Dhoni bar from the beach
Surfers at the Lohis surf break
Today was a lazy one. Snorkeling, sunbathing and relaxing. More curry! It's hot hot again. Surfs not great today. Tommorow we're off on a half day snorkeling trip. Its an early start so less gin and tonics tonight.
