The journey from Ko Chang to Phuket was the first uneventful journey of our trip. Good mini bus good driver, friendly travelling companions, nice ferry crossing, nice flight. 12 hours travelling and we arrived at our destination; Patong beach, Phuket. Against all advice we decided we wanted to see Phuket, we were expecting sleaze, we were expecting tat and we were expecting expensive and we got the lot, plus being ripped off and ending up shouting 'we're back ...

We are now in our 'budget bungalow', near the beach, on the island of Ko Chang, Thailand; which, for a 'budget bungalow', really is rather splendid. We have a little veranda on which to sit, our own nylon washing line, nicely tiled floor, hot shower and a comfy bed with a bright pink mosquito net which did have a big hole in it but luckily I packed an emergency sewing kit and, low and behold, if the mosquitoes get inside it now, they can no longer get out and w...

I am writing this blog from our hotel room in Siem Reap. I can hear birds twittering in the palm tree outside our window and Buddhist Monks chanting in the distance. We have had the fortunate misfortune of being trapped here for 4 days more than we expected. [Something to do with our visas for Thailand, don't ask!] At first we thought we were going to be bored here but, due to our enforced extended stay we have found Siem Reap has so much more to offer besides th...

Cambodia. Our mini bus trip to Phnom Penn was cramped, hot and uncomfortable. The countryside was dry and dusty. We went through some very poor looking villages with children playing in the dirt and running around with no shoes and matted hair. There is a lot of litter and everywhere looked, felt and tasted dirty. Cambodia has recently suffered terribly at the hands of the Khmer Rouge movement, the population had to endure genocide in the 70's then a guerrilla...

Cambodia. Our mini bus trip to Phnom Penn was cramped, hot and uncomfortable. The countryside was dry and dusty. We went through some very poor looking villages with children playing in the dirt and running around with no shoes and matted hair. There is a lot of litter and everywhere looked, felt and tasted dirty. Cambodia has recently suffered terribly at the hands of the Khmer Rouge movement, the population had to endure genocide in the 70's then a guerrilla...