We were looking forward to a restful time in Phuket following on from our whirlwind tour of India. We certainly got that, although Patong Beach was probably our first experience of a very un-Thailand like resort. It is very much an international beach destination and you could really be anywhere in the world. There were…
Jaipur – Bollywood in the Pink City
Jaipur was the final book in our trilogy of India. We had become used to the madness of the country and also had got to know our fellow travellers, so in combination this probably made it the most enjoyable city. Jaipur was painted pink for the visit of Prince Albert and they liked it so…
Dhula Village Camping or Glamping?
So this was the question we were all asking ourselves before arriving at Dhula village. Having not been told that there would be a camping experience on this tour we were a little unsure. Dhula village is about a three hour drive from Agra and would be home for one night. The actual camp site…
Agra – Taj Mahal and Diwali
The 30th October was the day we went to the Taj Mahal, memorable for that as well as being Diwali and most importantly my mum’s birthday! It was an early start, we left the hotel around 4 in the morning to get to the head of the queue before sunrise. Although the entry was chaotic…
Delhi
We arrived in Delhi just before Diwali, it is celebrated in a very similar way to how we celebrate Christmas ; with the exchange of gifts and half price sales in furniture shops. Oh and fireworks, there are whole streets of Delhi where all the shops sell are fireworks. I’ve no idea what they sell…
Koh Chang – elephants and beaches.
After a fairly hectic few weeks in Vietnam and Chiang Mai we decided to head for the island of Koh Chang for a bit of relaxation. Koh Chang is the second largest island in Thailand and is about 6 hours on the bus and ferry from Bangkok. Unlike most well known Thai islands it is…
Chiang Mai – Temples, massages and Flying Gibbons
After flying back to Bangkok from Vietnam we headed straight to the train station for the sleeper to Chiang Mai. The sleeper was certainly an authentic Thai travel experience, we were actually really cold for the first time in ages because the air con was so effective and the 2 guys in the (seperate) bunks…
Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City and farewell to Vietnam.
Firstly the name, we weren’t sure if Saigon may be politically sensitive but for most Vietnamese they are interchangeable and they aren’t precious about it at all. From all the places we have been so far this was probably the friendliest in terms of the number of people who came up to talk to us….
Nha Trang – taxis and sunsets.
The start of our time in Nha Trang was also the first time we had any real problems on our trip. Arriving anywhere at 4 in the morning after an overnight bus trip means you are a bit tired and disoriented. Perfect for the unscrupulous taxi drivers as you try and grab your luggage from…
Hoi An – Lantern town
Despite the storms in Hue resulting in our street being turned into a canal the previous night, by morning the tide had gone out and we could catch our bus to Hoi An. The bus took about 4 hours and it was nice to spend it awake on the bus for a change and be…
Hue – Honeymooners, DMZ and some Kung Fu fighting!
Our time in Hue was the subject of a lie, not a deliberate one or a nasty one but an untruth none the less. Let me explain; when I was booking our accommodation we got a great deal in a lovely new hotel. Only room they had left was the honeymoon suite so I booked…
Cruising Halong Bay
I must admit that I wasn’t really aware of Halong Bay until recently. It is listed as a world heritage site and as one of the modern wonders of the world but it probably got more publicity from an episode of Top Gear! We booked up as an excursion from Hanoi, 2 days and one…