Pretty good bus journey from Phnom Penh took us to the border at Bavet on the Cambodian side.   The nearer the border we got the more prosperous Cambodia appeared to be - probably because of the many casinos (loads more being built) for the Vietnamese to come over the border to gamble and spend their money.HCMC (which the locals still call Saigon) was our first taste of a really big city since China and is significantly more westernised (but in a far ea...

Uneventful bus journey from Sihanoukville and an easy tuk tuk ride from the bus station to arrive early afternoon in our hotel - the Billabong in Street No 158.  Really pleased with our choice - good central location, and it has a swimming pool - just what we need in this sticky heat.  So decided to relax around the pool, apart from Margaret heading off on a moto to pick up our bus tickets to Ho Chi Min City, and leave the sight seeing un...

Arrived here on Sunday 26th November after an 11 hour bus journey from Siem Reap via Phnom Penh where we had to change buses.  The bus from Siem Reap was late so we had to make a mad dash by tuk tuk to the other bus station if we were to catch our connection, the last bus for that day.  The tuk tuk driver was great and sped off determined to help us get our bus, and went so fast round corners that one of our rucksacks went flying off.  The mot...

Flight touched down to see the airport prepare for the arrival of the South Korean President who was to visit to consolidate trade between the 2 countries and open a trade exhibition in the town. Police and guards were everywhere but a quick taxi saw us at our hotel.Siem Reap is evidently much busier than towns in Laos but looked interesting … and felt hotter!The hotel (Angkor Saphir Hotel) we'd booked via an internet booking agency (www.ratestogo.com) di...

Down here among the 4000 islands of the lower Mekong River before it flows into Vietnam. Wonderful setting and waterfalls and very hot and sticky. 16 November 2006.  There are only three ways to travel in Laos: bus, boat or plane, and the first two are very slow.  It would have taken us two days to travel overland from Luang Prabang in the north, to Pakse in the south, our stopping off point for onward travel down to Si Phon Don, also known as Four...