Just got back from Halong bay and have to say we had an excellent time. Halong Bay is this incredible series of mountains in turquoise water that are almost always partly shrouded in mist. Spent two days and one night on a luxury wooden boat crusing around the bay and exploring a cave or two. Food and accomodation was all inclusive and the whole thing set up back only $27 dollars! I aim to do whitsundays in OZ later in the year, but it will have to go some to bea...

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!!!!!!! After my last journal entry, woodsy and i left Laos on a 24 hr bus journey and have crosed the border into Vietnam and the capital of \'Hanoi\'. As expected the bus journey from Vientiane to Hanoi was a real travellers experience. In vientiane we were packed like cattle into a small coach, and after being told it was a backpackers only coach, we turned up to find we (backpackers) were out numbered 5 to 1 in favour of the ...

Hey everyone, have just arrived in the capital of Laos known as Vientiane. Its very small and i reckon half a day on a push bike and this place will be ticked off. Left Luang Prabang on thursday after a relaxing day swimming in the mekong river with crista and mark and sight seeing on some bikes we had hired. Main tip would be not to ever order the 'meat paradise of Luang Prabang' when in a restaurant here! I mean im up for most things but when hungry a plat...

After a week of thai new years celebrations and the infamous water festival in chaing mai, woodsy and i were in search of a more relaxing land. This would come in the country of laos! After getting a 7 hour bus from chaing mai we arrived at the border crossing of thailand and laos called chiang kong! After an over night stay here we set off on a two day boat trip on a slow boat down the river mekong! On board we met lots of other travellers with similar (sam...

Well what can i say, been in chaing mai for a week now and its been mad! Over here its thai new year, and boy can they celebrate! Here new years is celebrated with a water festival called 'songkran'. Oh my god for 1 week i have been soaked through everyday! The streets are lined with people, some are swimming in the moat but all have water guns and buckets and go around wetting anyone and everyone! Theres a real party atmosphere with bars blasting thei...