Sala Done Khong Muang Khong

After a good night lacking vomiting, we decided to enjoy a big breakfast at Pan's before relaxing the day away.

Kythera and the kids slept for a little while, whilst I did some internet stuff and wrote some songs on the uke.

Everyone woke up early in the afternoon and after much deliberation we decided to hire bikes and go for a ride on the eastern side of the Island. It was a nice, relaxing ride and we took a small turn and found ourselves at a suspension ...

This morning we headed back to King Kong's for an English breakfast and to meet up with Ryan, our guide for the day canoeing the Four Thousand Islands. Our breakfast was manageable and we arranged our trip, went back to the room to put on swimsuits and lifejackets and hit the boat for our tour.

Ryan was an excellent guide and took us around a good many of the Islands, explaining that the people of this area ...

An early start by some happy kids meant that we were off to breakfast much earlier than usual. Deciding on what to do today was an early topic of discussion; should we join the multitudes of tourists and head over to Don Khong Island for the annual boat racing (signifying the start of the tourism high season)? Or should we make our own day and hire some bicycles to ride around the Island?

In the end, we thought it would ...

We awoke early after having a nice night with James and Holly playing Uno and swapping travel stories. Ophelia in particular woke up sprightly and full of beans, a great sight after her lethargy of recent days.

Immediately, we made a decision as a group of 6 (including James and Holly) to head over to Don Khone Island immediately to secure accommodation before breakfast. After checking out (and the manager attempting to overcharge us!), we got into a canoe ...

Yet another night of interrupted sleep with Ophelia dry-retching through the night. We had a home-made breakfast of baguettes and fruit and watched cartoons for most of the morning (I think we have seen EVERY episode of Tom & Jerry). Ophelia dry-retched a couple times, but she was well hydrated and her temp was completely normal. Apart from the vomiting she was doing okay so we decided to continue our trip and not go to a ...

... At first they seemed like nice folks to talk with, they were well travelled and the lady in particular was very talkative. But after a while it turned out it was going to be a two hour monologue about where they'd been and what they'd seen there and that I should go there too. Every once in a while she did ask me a question and I answered, but every time she interrupted me and used my answer only to pick up where she'd left off in her ...

... it takes hours to cover a short distance. We’ve been smashed into the back of pick-up trucks for hours with people practically sitting on our laps – everyone so car sick there are poor people throwing up in plastic bags (one handle of each bag tied around each ear). They’ve really got the knack of doing it, and quietly! Thanks to Liv, our lovely Swiss friend I was saved by some ...

... Four Thousand Islands (or Si Phan Don, as it's called in Lao) are formed over a vast area where the Mekong spreads out and braids into hundreds of little channels, forming thousands of islands. It makes for a very charming landscape, and the islands have become a popular place for tourists to kick back and chill for a while. We found a place to stay, walked around the tiny town of Don Khong, and had a pleasant dinner at a ...

... not to everyone you ask, but for Matt and I, DEFINITELY.

We found a lonely little guesthouse on the water, with comfortable beds, and no noise whatsoever, any time of day. The food was fantastic, and the family treated us like they had invited us there. The first day matt and I orientated ourselves with the island, stumbling upon two gushing waterfalls, hundreds of swimming holes, freshwater (Irawaddy) dolphins - which are damn near extinct- and once again this wonderful ...

Irene, Woltjo, Frank and I boarded a lancha to the island of Don Det where accommodation consists of bare bones bamboo huts. Don Det is about as close as one can get to the Cambodian border without crossing over. We saw fresh water dolphins, amazing waterfalls and witnessed first hand the ways of the people who define ...