TravelStream™ news feed for member nathankw on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/nathankw en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Mon, 13 Feb 2006 02:10:10 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1139554920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1139554920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1139554920/tpod.html Mon, 13 Feb 2006 02:10:10 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Hong Kong, Hong Kong

I'd been to Hong Kong before but it still had the power to leave me open mouthed. Looking back across the harbour at Hong Kong island at night is a truly breathtaking sight. It's been made even more impressive by a nightly sound and light show which using the buildings of the whole waterfront as the stars. Lasers pulse and lights shoot up the skyscrapers in time to music. It really was rather impressive.

Other fun activities in Hong Kong included the History and Science museums which were very good, a trip out to one of the outlying (and surprisingly green) islands, a giant seated buddha and of course lots of shopping.

Hong Kong was a good preparation for coming home being cooler, more cosmopolitan and more expensive than the other places I'd been.

And then, all of a sudden (or so it felt) my time was up. I'm glad to say that the thought of home was now quite appealing. So I boarded the surprisingly pleasant 13 hour flight home to the London winter!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1139550840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1139550840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1139550840/tpod.html Mon, 13 Feb 2006 02:02:18 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Ko Phi Phi, Thailand

I took the overnight train and passed through lovely Surat Thani once more (didn't get ripped off this time though) before taking the boat to Phi Phi Island. Phi Phi is now equally (in)famous as the location where The Beach was filmed and as one of the worst hit areas by the tsunami. I was therefore expected, like Khao Lak, that it was have the feel of somewhere only just getting back on its feet. In fact, it seemed very built up already and there were very large numbers of tourists. Some people I met who'd been there pre-tsunami said it wasn't as built up as it had been but it wasn't exactly empty.

That said, it is a stunningly scenic island. Sheer limestone cliffs tower over a beautifully clear sea and long white sand beaches. Even more scenic is the smaller Phi Phi island which you're not allowed to stay on - apparently even more profitable than tourism is collecting birds' nests for chinese birds nest soup and hence no development is allowed there. I took a day trip round the islands which let us snorkel in various bays which was superb.

Another day of just lazing around and it was time to head for Ko Samui from where I was flying out. I was expecting not to enjoy Ko Samui that much given the huge amount of tourism on the island. In the end, though, I struck lucky and manage to rent a little house for a couple of nights. It was away from the resorts in a little residential area so actually felt one of the least touristy places I've stayed.

I did rent a motorbike and head over to Chaweng, the most developed beach, which was indeed full of British Pubs, Pizza Huts and upscale European restaurants. That said, it did have a good beach including some fun waves which I realised I'd been missing on all the other beaches.

I'd decided a few days of beach was enough so I'd moved my flight to Hong Kong a couple of days earlies. It was time to head for the charmingly tiny Ko Samui airport to fly to Hong Kong
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1141969680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1141969680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1141969680/tpod.html Mon, 13 Feb 2006 01:46:12 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Bangkok, Thailand

Apologies for the lack of updated this last couple of weeks. Whether it's sloppiness near the end of my trip or the lack of solid internet connections, I just never seem to have got round to blogging. I'm now waiting for my flight home in Hong Kong airport so I'll see how much I can fit in.

The journey from Siam Reap to Bangkok wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Check out www.talesofasia.com for some horrific tales. I got a shared taxi to the border rather than a bus and paid extra to get the front seat. That was definitely a more comfortable way to do it and the driver clearly new where the potholes were and did a good job of avoiding them.

Back in Bangkok I had a couple of days to mop up the sites I still hadn't seen. One of the highlights was the Snake Farm where they breed snakes to extract the venom in order to treat snakebites. Given that they had some very toxic snakes, they seemed quite blaze about safety and did regular shows where they got them out and handled them in front of visitors. Accidents do happen and one of the handlers was missing fingers to prove it!

Then it was time to head south the the beaches...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138444920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138444920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138444920/tpod.html Sun, 29 Jan 2006 10:34:13 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Siam Reap, Cambodia

For the past 3 days I've been working hard - getting up at the crack of dawn for a full day seeing the temples of Angkor. The authorities here make you buy a fairly pricy pass (fair enough) but annoyingly you have to decide in advance how many days on your pass with no extensions. I went for the 3-day which was enough but did make it feel like the pressure was on. There are actually dozens of temples here, some of the vast - it's not just Angkor Wat.

It's hard for any monument to live up to the kind of reputation that Angkor Wat has and I would have to say the Angkor Wat itself I found a bit of a disappointment. Fortunately many of the other temples do not dissapoint. My favourites were Bayon (for its many spooky faces), Ta Prohm (for the trees growing out of the stones) and Bang Malea (a more distant and almost completely unrestored temple which really feels like you're discovering a lost temple.)

I won't bother describing them in too much detail but will upload a selection of the 250 photos I took!

For a bit of variety I varied my method of transport using a pedal bike, a tuktuk, a motorbike taxi and even an electric bike. The latter is a new innovation and is very well organised with station all round the area where you can swap your battery.

Now my temple pass has expired its time for a day off relaxing in Siam Reap before I make the supposedly arduous trek back to Bangkok by road.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138163940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138163940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138163940/tpod.html Sat, 28 Jan 2006 05:40:24 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Well this certainly ranks as one of my more unusual birthdays. I woke up early to watch the alms giving ceremony. This is when all the monks of Luang Prabang parade through the streets accepting alms (mostly clumps of sticky rice) from the public. After a little more wat viewing and climbing to the top of the hill in the centre of Luang Prabang for a good view, it was time to head for the airport.

I managed to bag a window seating hoping for a view of either the Plain of Jars as we flew over it or of Angkor Wat as we landed but saw neither. It was a scenic flight though.

Now in Cambodia I was kindly picked up at the airport by Stephen, the Alaskan beekeeper I'd met in Khao Sok. He took me into town and once checked in there was just time to hop on a bike and get my first look at Ankor Wat. Of course, being at Angkor Wat for sunset is hardly an original idea and the place was pretty heaving. But it was still neat to be able to say I saw Angkor Wat on my birthday. More on the temples themselves later.

Then it was time to freshen up before meeting for a beer with Stephen and a friend from London, David, who is here taking photos.

Not a bad way to see in my 36th year!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138022160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138022160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1138022160/tpod.html Mon, 23 Jan 2006 08:31:02 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Muang Noi, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

At last, I've found somewhere with no internet, no mobile phones. Also no mains electricity, no cars or motorbikes and no paved roads. Bliss! (for a few days anyway.)

The place is Muang Noi and getting there was quite a trek. First a long (though scenic) 7 hour bus ride to Luang Prabang. I spent a day there which was very pleasant though perhaps not quite as amazing as I expected. It's billed as Southeast Asia's best preserved city and it certainly has plenty of old wats (temples) and some nice colonial architecture. But I have to say, once you've seen one wat you've sort of seen them all. Also Luang Prabang is extremely touristed and probably the only place in Laos where the tour-group crowd are everywhere. That said, crossing over the river was lovely and largely tourist free. I hired a bike there and cycled round some ruined wats and villages and also saw a large (at least 4 ft I think) snake scurrying off the path!

Then it was a 3 hour journey in a converted pick-up truck followed by an hours boat journey to Muang Noi. But arriving I instantly knew it was worth it. The village has a spectacular setting, simple but lovely guesthouses (mine had a wonderful balcony overlooking the river - for one dollar a night!), and an ultra laid-back atmosphere. Although there are a fair few travellers here they don't dominate the village and so you can watch Laos rural life happening around you: fishing, building boats, farming and the odd wedding. I spent a happy couple of days strolling around the nearby countryside, visiting caves and tubing down the scenic river.

Then it was time to take the slowboat back to Luang Prabang (and back to internet access) to catch my flight tomorrow.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137593220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137593220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137593220/tpod.html Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:22:03 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Vang Vieng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

I'd been in two minds about coming to Vang Vieng. It's supposed to be very beautiful - but also has a reputation for having become too much of a traveller hangout. Stories of being able to stand in the main street and hear 4 different episodes of Friends simultaneously playing in different bars sounded ominous. In the end I decided to stop there and I'm glad I did. Like Dahab, Ubud or many similar places round the world, it is a bit of a backpacker theme-park, but it's all done so well that I couldn't help but love the place (except for the Friends bars that is).

The setting is indeed stunning - sheer limestone cliffs rising above meandering rivers and lush green forests. And everything has been done to make enjoying that setting easy: from bamboo platforms covered in cushions where you can drink cold beer and watch the river, to the whole industry of "tubing" where you float down the river on a giant inner tube. After a very relaxing first afternoon just watching the river go by, I decided to go for a more adventurous option and booked onto a 2 day white water rafting trip. The river that actually flows through Vang Vieng is pretty gentle, so for serious rapids we had a 3 hour drive along a very rough road to get to the Nam Ngum river. This is in an area called the special zone which was for many years the scene of fighting between Hmong tribespeople and the government. Until recently no foreigners were allowed in and even now the company had to organise special permits for us.

Once at our destination we were given a briefing on white-water rafting which was pretty terrifying - all about what to do if you fall into the rapids and are sucked under-water or are heading for a rock. It didn't help that one of our group of 5 was an older New Zealand gentleman who turned up with fresh scars all over his face and legs. It turned out he'd had a motorcycle accident the day before but was doing the trip anyway. Even worse, this wasn't his first such accident or even his first this holiday (he'd also fallen off a bike in Vietnam). So we had possibly the most accident prone tourist is Asia in our boat with us who also proved very bad at following even basic instructions! The signs didn't look good.

Fortunately our guide, Sek, was excellent and somehow he managed to take us down a series of increasingly dramatic rapids with flipping over or even having anyone go overboard. Going down a big rapid feels like riding some immense and powerful beast that's trying to throw you off. It's exhilerating and terrifying at the same time. Ther river was very scenic and totally wild - we saw almost no human habitation. We spent the first night in a pretty basic fisherman's camp along with some fishermen, who joined us in some Lao drinking games.

By the second day we were up to grade 4+ (5 is the highest it's possible to navigate) again, amazingly, without mishap.

On my last day in Vang Vieng I spent the morning visiting a couple of caves 10km north of town, one of which you could float into on a tube - an unusual experience. Then I went kayaking down the river back to Vang Vieng. This was the same route that you float down on the tubes, but whereas the tubers are limited to a very leisurely pace, we kayakers could cover a bit more ground. On the way, we stopped off at one of the bars setup to service thirsty tubers. This one had a gigantic swing set up over the river. Eventually I plucked up the courage to have a go. Standing on the rickety bamboo structure a good 15m above the water was frankly terrifying but by then there was no turning back. Someone took photos of me doing it so I'll post them when I get them.

Lovely though Vang Vieng is, it's now time to rejoin Laos and head for Luang Prabang.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137157740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137157740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137157740/tpod.html Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:27:52 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Vientane, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

I am now in the capital of Laos, Vientiane. At least Im told its the capital but its looks and feels more like a small provincial town. My guesthouse is right in the centre but even here most of the roads virtually empty and the main shopping street has only a small cluster of modest shops. There are no highrise buildings (virtually nothing above 3 stories) and (fortunately) no sign of KFC, starbucks or their ilk.

Being flat as well as quiet its a perfect city to cycle round so Ive been sightseeing by bike. Of course, this begs the question of how, since this city is supposed to be the seat of government for the whole country, does anything get done? Im beginning to suspect that the answer is that it doesnt. For instance, theres a large cultural centre near here that is supposed to put on music, dance and theatre. But the place is all locked up, there is no box office or information desk, no sign of a schedule. According to the guidebook the centre doesnt even have a phone number. The tourist office had no idea when or what the next performance there would be. Indeed the tourist office didnt know of a single cultural or performance event of any kind going on anywhere in the city!

Just when you think the place cant get any more chilled, its 5pm and rows of tables and chairs spring up on the banks of the Mekong so you can sit back and drink a chilled Beer Lao as the sun goes down over the river. Lovely!

As for sights, there are a number of temples including the striking gold stupa of Pha That Luang, and another sculpture park by the same guy who made the one in Nong Khai. But mostly Vientiane is about soaking up the atmosphere and eating good food (the french influence means plenty of nice bakeries and restaurants plus theres good indian food too.)And, surprisingly enough, there are plentiful and cheap internet cafes!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137071040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137071040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1137071040/tpod.html Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:21:05 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Nong Khai, Thailand

After Lucy left me (just for now you understand), I had an enjoyable day in Bangkok doing
some of the things that Lucy wouldnt have enjoyed. First I went shopping for a new mp3 player (my previous one having been swiped by an evil Surat Thani travel agent). I went to a massive computer and technology shopping centre which was like 10 Tottenham Court Rds all under one roof. Then I went to see a block buster movie at a spectacular cinema the size and comfort of which would put any West End Cinema to shame. Then after a bite to eat it was time to catch the night train to Nong Khai on the border with Laos.

In Nong Khai I stayed at the lovely Mut Mee guest house, a verdant oasis on the banks of the Mekong. Its one of those guesthouses that is as memorable as the place itself. The one real sight in Nong Khai is an extraordinary sculpture garden created by an eccentric mystic and his followers. The place is filled with buddhist and hindu gods, some of them as high as a 7 story building. There is also something of a snake theme (the mystic apparently believed himself to be half snake) making the palce quite surreal. He died 10 years ago and his body is kept under a perspex dome where it apparently hasnt decayed despite no use of formaldehyde.

Other than that, the thing to do in Nong Khai is sit back and watch the Mekong drift slowly by, to get you ready for the pace of life in Laos!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1136808900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1136808900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nathankw/asia2005/1136808900/tpod.html Mon, 09 Jan 2006 07:21:53 -0500 Nathan's South East Asia trip, 2005-6

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Bangkok, Thailand

Lucy:
So here I am on my final evening in Thailand, just a few hours from catching my 3am flight back to chilly London.

Had an interesting last day taking a cookery class with the exhuberant lady who owns the veggie restaurant and hotel at which we're staying. Learned to cook no less than 10 vegetarian Thai dishes in one morning, and to sing a Thai cooking song while waiting for things to cook! How much we'll remember when we get back I don't know, but we'll certainly give it a go and try singing to our wok for luck.

Spent the day yesterday in Ayutthaya, about 1 and a half ours from Bangkok by train- a real local train too with floor space only on the way back! It's an interesting place with just masses of ruined temples, one around every corner. The best way to see it is by bike so this is what we did, just cycled along between the ruins stopping where we fancied. In spite of the historical interest the highlight had to be the elephant kraal- a place where the king used to have the royal elephants tamed and trained, and which now serves as a sanctuary for abused elephants, who all seemed quite keen to meet us once we bought some of the food pellets on offer. We hadn't realised quite how elephants suck food up like a hoover before- nor how powerful a trunk a baby elephant has when it wants to pull your arm close enough to access some food!

On our return we summoned enough energy for a quick look at a night market- but not too long as we'd shopped till we dropped the day before at a huge open air weekend market- a vibrant and colourful place.

On Saturday evening we finally managed to meet up with our friends Fionnbar and Rita who we had been chasing around the country for the past week or so, and stayed up beyond midnight for almost the first time in our trip. Fun to be exchanging travel stories over a cold Thai beer in a Bangkok restaurant.

So now I'm signing out, and leaving it all to the long- term traveller Nathan!
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