These are the steps we took to extend our tourist visa. I don't advise following them exactly: 1. Book slow boat from Bali to Mataram. 2. Hold on for dear life as late taxi driver pummels down the road to catch boat. 3. Die a little inside as taxi driver runs over small fluffy dog. 4. Climb on cramped but cheap slow boat and console one another ($4USD, 4 hours). 5. Let boyfriend who was up all night watching Man United lose to Real Madrid in Champs League sn...

The Khmer Rouge led by communist dictator Pol Pot slaughtered millions of people in Cambodia in the 1970's. We visited a converted school-turned-prison 'S-21' where they held and tortured prisoners. They explained how an apparatus used for PE had been turned into a torture chamber. The walls of the cells were posted with mug-shots of those imprisoned and later killed. Like the Nazi's they were ruthless in monitoring their prisoners to ensure no one escaped. W...

We were almost a little stunned by the time we'd returned from the Killing Fields and S-21. Not really knowing what to say to each other we gravitated towards the bar of the hostel, the lovely Velkommen Inn. After a couple of glasses of the local beer our tongues loosened and we started sharing stories with the other travelers in the bar. The fun really began we introduced ourselves to the small group of Poles. Fancying something a little stronger then Ankor b...

The first thing you notice about Cambodia, is their complete disregard for the highway code. Driving on a designated side of the road seems to be optional rather than mandatory. There are very few traffic lights and a persons right of way is played out through a continuous game of chicken. That becomes a very real game when it's you and your nearest and dearest on the back of a tiny tuk tuk, and the opponents a two tonne lorry. With eyes tightly shut was how we...

We trekked for hours over mountains and through the forests just north of Chaing Mai before reaching the Karen Tribe who were our welcoming hosts. The local children arrived to sing us their songs before they introduced themselves: "HELLO TOURIST... WELCOME TO OUR VILLAGE" After 20 minutes of thai song the focus turned to us. Their teacher asked for a song. We panicked. Our fellow German and Dutch tourists looked at us blankly and after a feeble rendition of Ha...