Destinations – Travelling Pole

Santorini, Greece

So here we go, first trip out of the UK after what feels like an eternity. The nervous feeling I normally get before flying was multiplied by a hundred, mainly due to having to complete so many steps before getting on the actual flight and the fear of “what if”. What if my test comes back positive, what if my QR code doesn’t come on time, what if my taxi doesn’t arrive, what if they test me again in Greece and I’m positive, what if I’m positive in Greece before I’m due to fly back etc. The “what ifs” turned me into a nervous wreck but somehow everything seems to have worked out in the end. Looking around the terminal at Gatwick I got emotional more than once, same when boarding the plane. Seems ridiculous to be so emotional at the sight of an Easyjet plane but who cares, this is clearly the effect of the pandemic. Something which seemed so normal before is now a pretty big event. I also can’t help but think that the government handling of the travel aspect of the pandemic has been so chaotic, the constant changes, the traffic lights, quarantine requirements, tests, all of this has done so much damage to us as mentally and I can’t even begin to understand the impact it must have had on the travel industry. I have to say I was so impressed with the airport staff and the Easyjet crew on this journey, so polite, smiling, professional at such a testing time for them all.

At the time of my trip Greece was on the amber list. Let’s not even discuss what this actually means because even the government doesn’t seem to know. Go but don’t go is the message and it certainly does the job as my flight was pretty much empty. This was a first for me! Having the whole emergency exit area to myself at no extra cost felt like a luxury. I had to check my seat number twice to see if they made a mistake!

EZY8765 London Gatwick to Santorini, 29th May 2021

Arriving in Santorini felt unreal and totally liberating. I honestly felt like I escaped from prison, very dramatic, I know, but that’s how it felt. Given the limited number of people on board, going through security on the Greek side was rather quick, the authorities checked the PLF and the QR code as well as my negative test result and I was free to start my holiday.

Landing in Santorini and the view of Kamari

I spent the first day of the holiday on my own which was quite strange after having been with someone 24/7 for the past year and half. I opted to stay in the resort of Kamari which incidentally was the first thing you see when you come to land in Santorini. It is super close to the airport and has a beach, quite a rarity in Santorini as it’s mostly a rock. My hotel offered to book me a taxi and I hesitantly agreed, hesitantly because they quoted 20 euros for a 10 minute ride! After some research I figured out that this is normal in Santorini so not much I can do. The lady driver was super nice and helpful with advice and suggestions though and I used her services a couple more times afterwards (I can recommend her for sure – Eleftheria +306982780842, responds to Whatsapp very quickly).

The hotel I had booked for the first night was called Thousand Stars Suites & Rooms https://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/thousand-stars.en-gb.html. I had a really nice room overlooking the pool and the beach which cost approx. £75 per night which I thought was very good value. They didn’t serve breakfast but that wasn’t a problem as there were plenty of places open.

The beach is pebbles so you need water shoes otherwise it will be impossible to walk into the sea. The hotel has sun loungers on the beach so no extra cost for using those, bonus! The weather at this time of year is really nice, not too hot however the evenings were chilly and you needed long trousers and a jumper or a jacket to sit outside, something to bear in mind! I had dinner in Vinsanto restaurant along the beach road and it was delicious as was my “on the house” second glass of wine. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and a nice setting right on the beach. The tourist numbers should normally be fairly sizeable at this time of year but I was told that this is what it normally looks like in the beginning of April so it felt pretty special to be able to explore the place without the crowds.

The next day I was joined by a friend and using our tested taxi driver we made our way to the village of Pyrgos which was to be our home for the next 7 days. Pyrgos is located up on a hill so has incredible views from all sides. It is also a traditional village, with a nice old part and winding alleyways as well as lively tavernas you can visit in the evening. It is a perfect place to use as a base and we were very happy with our choice. The hotel we picked was Skyfall Suites (https://www.skyfallsuites.com/) which is just a short walk away from the village square. The holiday was our belated 40th birthday celebration so yes, we did go all out and the hotel was a pretty luxurious affair. We arrived on the first day the hotel was open and after toasting our holiday with a drink on the restaurant terrace (on the house of course!) we were shown to our room. It was the Cabana room which was beautiful, had 2 huge beds (one in a separate room) and a lounge but the star of the show was obviously the terrace with our private pool, sun loungers and the view to die for. I think as soon as we sat there we realized we may see very little of the island, it was impossible to leave! Shortly after we received a bottle of sparkling wine and a snack platter with a “happy 40th” card from the hotel which was a really nice touch. I’d highly recommend this place if you are in the market for a special occasion place.

Another huge highlight was the hotel breakfast. You are given a menu the night before and you drop it off at reception before 10 pm the previous night and the breakfast appears in your room the next at the specified time. It was such a well crafted and beautifully prepared meal and despite our best efforts we never managed to finish it, there was so much on offer! We were particularly fond of the Greek breakfast which came with freshly baked pastries, jams, Greek salad, sweet rice pudding, a spinach pie and then you could pick eggs however you like and other things like extra cheese, ham or bacon plus the coffee, tea, juices etc. It was simply delightful although my body was probably glad that the indulgence only lasted for a week, I’m sure I put on a few kilos from breakfast alone!

When we finally emerged from the hotel and went to explore the village we fell into another trap which was our local taverna called Kantouni (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1097549-d4470011-Reviews-Kantouni_Traditional_delicacies-Pyrgos_Santorini_Cyclades_South_Aegean.html). The food there was just unbelievably delicious and we ended up eating there 5 times, it was just impossible to go anywhere else knowing what we would be missing out on. The prices were very reasonable too and the staff very nice and chatty and clearly really knowledgeable about the food too. We tried 2 other places in the village, restaurant Pyrgos which was a more upmarket choice (very good nevertheless) and Penelope up on the castle hill (more about the view than the food but also a pleasant place to hang out) but somehow we made Kantouni our home for the evening and were never disappointed. Whoever is the chef behind this operation should get a pat on the back, what a gem! We tried so many things there but the calamari (which also featured a deep fried lemon, yes, I know, weird but it worked) and the pork skewer were simply out of this world. I’m literally still salivating thinking of it.

The calamari to die for at the Kantouni taverna in Pyrgos

At this point I feel like I need to stop going on about the food in case you think I went to Santorini and just sat eating for 7 days and didn’t see anything else!

Our immediate vicinity provided plenty of sightseeing opportunities in the form of the old town of Pyrgos. It’s all located on a hill and has lots of little alleyways and small souvenir shops to explore. At the top, there is a big church you can climb up to and the views are amazing as you can see both sides of the island. It is also a lovely spot to watch the sunset if you don’t fancy visiting the tourist hotspots of Thira or Oia.

Far reaching views from the top of Pyrgos

After a few days in Pyrgos, we finally ventured out and decided to visit Thira which is the main town on the island. As the taxis were pretty expensive, we decided to give the bus a go and with the fare costing 1,60 euros it was extremely good value for a comfortable, air conditioned ride or about 20 minutes or so. The buses are not frequent but if you’re not in a rush they do the job perfectly. Your hotel will be able to provide you the latest timetable.

Thira old town starts a short walk from the bus station. It is a delightful maze of cobbled streets, all clustered around the slope of a hill overlooking the caldera which is essentially the submerged volcano top. It is super picturesque and of course you can see immediately why it draws the crowds in. There are plenty of souvenir shops, bars and restaurants to visit and a lot of them have fantastic views to enjoy. The town was pretty empty and having watched youtube videos of it looks like normally I felt pretty lucky to be there and have all this to myself. Everything is of course overpriced as you’d expect but still it makes for a great day out.

Oia is another town in Santorini, right at the end of the island, and hugely famous for its sunsets and white domes. Well, we didn’t go there and I don’t feel bad about it. The views in Santorini are spectacular no matter where you go and the opportunities to watch the sunset literally endless so I didn’t feel the need to go there at all. Did I miss a good photo opportunity? Maybe, but am I disappointed? No.

Another thing that we did do though was to go on a catamaran trip round the island. I booked it through TripAdvisor and the company was called Spiridakos Sailing (https://www.santorini-yachts.com/). It costs around £90pp and includes pick up and drop off from/to your hotel, about 5 hours of sailing with multiple swimming opportunities and lunch. We were picked up on time and drove to the port where we were taken on board the catamaran. It wasn’t crowded at all, plenty of space on board for everyone to have room to spread. Nobody wore masks although at the time they were still mandatory outdoors. They only made us put them on when we returned to the port. The crew provided drinks whenever you wanted one, this also included unlimited beer and wine. During one of the stops, we got served lunch in a form of a buffet (they served you) which was simple but delicious: Greek salad, grilled chicken, tzatziki, bread and pasta. Overall, it was a great day out and I would really recommend doing it when you’re in Santorini.

After the sailing trip, we felt like we reached the limit of adventures we want to have and chilled at the hotel for the remaining few days. Again, no guilt about it whatsoever, the hotel was simply wonderful!

Going on this trip during the pandemic has certainly been challenging and stressful but you forget about it all the moment you land and it is all totally worth it. It felt amazing to travel again and I hope that, with the increased vaccination rates in many countries worldwide, travel will open up and we will be free to explore again. Until then, stay safe all.

Koh Chang, Thailand

Koh Chang is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, close to the border with Cambodia. We came here back in 2015 and really enjoyed our stay so when our original itinerary for this trip got cancelled due to the spread of coronavirus and Thailand was the only viable option, we didn’t hesitate and left Cambodia to spend what turned out to be our last few days of the trip in this beautiful place. The island is very accessible from Bangkok too, if you have a good driver you can be at the ferry port in about 4 hours after leaving Bangkok airport. The ferries leave every 30 minutes to an hour, depends which one you happen to get. Because of this, the island looks a bit more developed now but there is still plenty of unspoilt scenery to enjoy.

If you’re coming from Cambodia, you can buy a van or a bus ticket that will take you all the way to the island however the transport on the Cambodian side involves cramped minibuses and bad roads so when you add a very arduous border crossing and the delay there having to wait for other people in your van, it may be easier to rest in Trat and then make our way to Koh Chang the following day which is what we did. The journey was one of the hottest ever, I’m surprised the thermal scanner at the border didn’t kick off when I was going through as I must have been about 8000 degrees. The van which drove us to the border didn’t have air con either so all things considered I was pleased we stopped in Trat and enjoyed a shower and a cold room for the night. We bought the ferry ticket as well as the taxi to the port from our guesthouse in Trat (Residence House, £16 per night, good location, clean and with a small balcony). The ferry ticket plus the taxi was approx. £4.50 per person so very reasonable.

We were promptly picked up the next morning and driven to the port. After a short wait we got on the ferry and departed for Koh Chang. The ferry takes around 45-50 minutes to reach Koh Chang. The only transport available on the island are shared pick up trucks. The fares are fixed depending on where you are going. We were staying in Kaibae beach and ended up paying about £2 each for about half an hour ride. The drivers know most of the hotels and we got dropped off right in front of ours which was handy.

The hotel we picked was Awa. Given the dwindling tourist numbers and the virus crisis we got an amazing deal, it was just over £40 per night in one of the best (if not the best) hotels on the island. The design, the service, the quality were all incredible and I can really recommend it as a great holiday choice. The only downside was the beach which was a little rocky but there were plenty of proper beaches nearby you could walk to.

Steve taking a dip in Awa’s beautiful pool

We came to the island with no firm plan, just hoping to relax and escape the developing news stories and while the news turned out to be unavoidable, it is a perfect place for relaxation. There are plenty of beautiful beaches all around the island and you can take your pick where to spend your time. There are bars and restaurants on the beach but also many places to eat, drink and shop just behind the beach on the main island ring road (these tend to be a little cheaper).

We ended up visiting two beach areas: Klong Koi in the south and the Klong Prao which was a walking distance from our hotel.

Klong Koi was about half an hour’s drive away from where we were staying. We got there just after a huge downpour of rain so the beach was quite empty which was lovely. There are no upmarket places on this stretch, most places were guesthouses or small hotels situated on the beach. Lots of eating options along the beach too. The beach is really long and the water good for swimming (not too many tocks). It was a really nice day out 😀

Klong Prao beach was very close to where we were staying, took about 20 minutes to walk over there through Dewa Hotel. This is definitely my favourite beach on Koh Chang. The sand is lovely and white and the beach long and pristine. There are a couple of upmarket hotels at the southern end of it (Dewa and Vayna) but the rest of the beach is pretty much just beach restaurants and small guesthouses. We spent the day in the Family restaurant and in Mandalay. We also had two seafood dinners in the Family restaurant. The food was delicious every time and you get to see an amazing fireshow there too if you come for dinner. During the day, you don’t have to pay for chairs as long as you buy food or drink.

The best squid Pad Thai in Mandalay restaurant

Other than the amazing squid Pad Thai we had a lot of delightful meals in Koh Chang. We particularly enjoyed the food in a little restaurant on the main road called Khow Jaw. The prices were very reasonable and the fishcakes out of this world!

Kampot, Cambodia

Kampot is a relatively small town on the banks of the Tuek Chhu river, southern Cambodia. It is only an hour or so away from the Vietnam border which was the only reason we ended up there in the first place. However, the town was a real surprise and we really liked its laid back vibe. It is also rare for an Asian place to have a pedestrian area and Kampot had this really nice riverside area where you could walk without the fear of being run over by a motorbike, huge plus!

The minivan ride from Phnom Penh took about 4 hours and cost $12 each, this time no overcrowding and no overheating, thank God.

We booked the Two Moons hotel as it had a pool and in Cambodia the pools are essential. Trust me, it is the hottest place on earth and it is impossible to survive the day without cold room breaks or pool dips. At times, I even considered not showering before going out. As soon as you step out it’s like walking into an oven and before you know it you’re sweltering. It is a reality, especially towards the end of the dry season in March and April so if you can’t stand the heat consider visiting at another time.

The Two Moons is located a short walk from the town centre. The rooms were basic but did the job. They have a bar and a restaurant onsite and can arrange transport as well, so pretty convenient if you just want to lie by the pool. If you’re up for a party, there was one going on pretty much every night in the nearby Mad Monkey Hostel 😂 We spent a couple of days being lazy since we had 5 days there. Apart from being at the pool we should have got a loyalty card from Simple Things, a vegetarian restaurant in town centre. The food there was truly incredible and I think we went there in excess of 5 times for sure. Cambodian food standards can be hit and miss so when you do find a good place you kind of stick to it for safety.

Kampot is famous for salt and pepper production and we felt it would be rude not to see how the world’s most famous condiments are grown and made. We hired a tuk tuk driver to take us to these sites as well as others in the area. The driver who called himself Ian (Eang) was such a nice person and we even ended up going to his house for some refreshments as a part of the tour. When I say refreshments, I mean refreshments Cambodian style – fresh coconuts collected from a tree right in front of us! It was amazing.

The visit to the salt fields was really interesting. Kampot is very close to the sea and has an abundance of salty water and the ever hard-working locals made a viable business from it. However, it is a hard slog, the heat is relentless and you only get $2.50 per field! Sometimes it is shared between 2 people too.

There are a number of pepper plantations in the area, some are big operations like La Plantation and some are small family run businesses. We went to La Plantation and got a free tour of the farm as well lots of information on different types of pepper and how it is used. They also give you a free tasting session which although a nice touch won’t be to everyone’s taste. How many peppercorns can you feasibly eat on their own without it all just tasting like pepper? Turns out I can’t do as many as the tour guide wants you to. He also accidentally threw some ground pepper in my eye (probably showing his disappointment in my pepper tasting skills) which was the final straw for me, I was truly peppered out and didn’t buy any pepper to take home.

We also saw an ancient cave temple thing and a man made lake which is called a Secret Lake (it’s called this because it’s a secret how many people died building it…). Both nice, however my highlight was the last stop – Kep crab market. There was a lot of seafood on offer but the guide suggested we should only eat there if we have a strong stomach. That’s a no then 😂 He took us to a crab restaurant instead (called Kimly) where I ordered a whole plate of the little fellows and it was truly delicious, I could have eaten several portions easily. Kep is actually on the seafront and it was so lovely to finally see the sea after travelling inland for the past 2 months. The beach is not amazing though so if you are wondering if you should stay in Kampot or Kep, Kampot gets my vote for sure as there is more going on there. There is an island near Kep called the Rabbit Island where apparently the beaches are really nice if that’s what you’re after but we haven’t made it there so can’t comment.

Another thing which I would definitely recommend in Kampot is a sunset cruise (turns out I’m a cruise fan, clearly getting old is taking its toll). There are a number of boats operating the cruise and you can book any of them through one of the travel agencies in town. It costs only $5 and we got 2 cans of beer each included in the price, bargain! It’s a very relaxing experience and you get a bonus attraction too – fireflies! The boat sails out of town to a more jungly part of the river and just stops by the shore. As the light slowly disappears you can see tiny lights flickering. 2 hours well spent 😀

As mentioned, we were obsessed by the vegetarian restaurant in Kampot, to the point we barely had any actual Cambodian food. But hey, sometimes you just need to give your body what it wants, right? In my case it was a giant aubergine pizza, oriental pesto pasta, mozzarella eggs and falafel.

Raw cheesecake, walnut base, mango layer and coconut shavings, pure delight

Kratie and Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This is another double destination post as Kratie is only worth stopping at for a day and only if you’re passionate about animals. Kratie is a home to a small population of a rare species of river dolphins and while you can also see them in Laos, the population of the Irrawaddy dolphin is much bigger on the Cambodian side and it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will see them.

First of all, if you plan to cross the border from Laos to Cambodia and like us you want to make the journey from Don Det to Kratie, there are a few things worth highlighting here. To say that the journey was an experience would be an understatement. The tickets to Cambodia are advertised by all travel agents in Don Det and it says the journey will start at 8am and you will be in Kratie by 14.30. We were also told we will need to change the vans on the Cambodian side which is also understandable. Well…the journey was a nightmare! The boat transported us from Don Det to the mainland first of all, where we had to wait for the van for over an hour. The van was packed, 4 people per 3 seats, bags squeezed between your legs etc. After an hour or so we made it to the border and cleared it fairly quickly (apart from me having to redo my Visa as they liked my Polish passport better!). Once on the other side we waited a further hour or so for a new van to pick us up. At this point, it got to midday and the temperature was about 38 degrees. Once in the new van we were told that it will take us to Stung Treng where we have to change again. Upon arrival in Stung Treng – which I can diplomatically describe as a very dirty place – we had to wait a further hour for the next transport. When it eventually arrived, it was impossibly hot inside and the seats were half the size of normal ones, so by the time we reached Kratie 9 HOURS after leaving Don Det, I must have lost my body weight in sweat. In addition to all of that, the last leg of the journey also featured the most awful local music being played very loudly. The worst thing of all was that some people had to change again in Kratie to continue to Phnom Penh for another 4 hours! With my limited patience I probably would have cried at that point 😂 Oh, did I mention the state of toilets on route? They were non existent, literally some places had no running water. All in all, very memorable journey but for the wrong reasons. The joy of travelling! The whole thing cost $16 and it is the budget option for sure. If you have more money to burn I’d advise to fly from Pakse to Phnom Penh and save yourself the drama and some time.

We only had one day in Kratie and decided to go for a day tour which included the dolphins. The town itself is nothing to shout home about in terms of sightseeing, and our hotel (Mombrocheabrey Hotel) was not the kind of place you could hang around in, so it made sense to escape the dust and get out of town. I found a driver on Trip Advisor for $30 which is very reasonable I think (you do need to pay for the dolphins on top of that though). The tour stops included a visit to the local village to see how “krolan” (sticky rice in a bamboo tube) is made, boat trip to see the dolphins, 100 pillar pagoda stop, another village stop to see palm sugar being made and a quick visit to a local viewpoint with a temple on top.

Palm sugar being made in a local village

The driver was lovely and spoke good English. He gave us a lot of information about the local area and Cambodia in general. If you don’t want to do the tour you can just get a the tuk tuk to the dolphins and back, it’s easily done. We saw loads of dolphins but it’s impossible to catch them on camera so I haven’t got much evidence however Steve managed to catch a glimpse of them:

The dolphins were definitely the highlight of the day but I also enjoyed the village visits as I’m always curious to see how the local people live. It’s obvious that people have to be very creative to make money here as the area is very visibly poor. Many, like our driver, hold multiple jobs like make palm sugar as well as rearing chickens to make ends meet. Healthcare is seemingly non-existent and hygiene related diseases are reportedly rife. I have a huge amount of respect for the people living here, who not only had to endure one of the bloodiest regimes ever but now also face serious economic hardships.

Weary from our previous van experience we were sold another van transport to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. The promise of only 4 hour ride in a good quality van seemed too good to be true and we got in the nearly empty van at 7 in the morning expecting an awful journey. To our surprise, we were the only passengers and had a very comfortable, timely journey. The driver was super nice too, all for $10 each! It goes to show you have to take the rough with the smooth.

I have to admit, I didn’t expect much from Phnom Penh. We purposely booked a nicer hotel thinking that the city won’t be amazing and we will need a comfortable retreat. To our surprise, Phnom Penh turned out to be a rather nice destination with plenty to do and see. It is way more developed than I imagined and a lot more European somehow than Bangkok for example. It has the obligatory high rises of course (and more being built by Chinese investors) but it doesn’t feel oppressive. The main tourist areas are full of nice bars and restaurants which will keep you busy for a while. Tuk tuks are the main transport in the city and are very inexpensive. They also have Grab there now too which means you don’t have to haggle with the drivers.

Our hotel was one of the best we have had on this journey so far. Located conveniently just round the corner from the Royal Palace it consists of two parts, Penh House and Jungle Addition. Penh House is a modern block with an incredible pool on the rooftop and lovely views over the city. The Jungle Addition is this beautiful villa set in tropical gardens just round the corner from the main hotel. This is where we stayed and loved it. You can also choose to have breakfast in either part of the hotel and both were really good.

The most comfy bed ever – Penh House and Jungle Addition Hotel

After settling in, we started making a sightseeing plan and we ended up using Trip Advisor to book a couple of tours. It is really handy to be able to book things online and you can also see the reviews of the tours which is super helpful.

One of the main things to do in Phnom Penh is to visit the Killing Fields which is an example of the places where millions of Cambodians were executed during the Pol Pot regime. We knew it would be a tough thing to do but we felt it was important we see it and remember those who lost their lives there. There are no words to describe how sad the experience is, I cried multiple times during the tour. The guide was excellent though and gave a lot of information (perhaps somewhat too detailed at times). You also get to visit the S21 which is where the regime tortured its citizens and that was perhaps even more disturbing than the Fields because you can see photos what the Vietnamese army found there when they liberated Phnom Penh. The whole thing will test your emotions big time but it needs to be done. We booked the tour through Trip Advisor for about £15 each. It includes pick up and drop off from your hotel, English speaking guide and cold water. You need to pay the entrance fees yourself but they were pretty cheap. You should take the morning tour, especially if you go in March or April due to the heat.

Guaranteed you will need something to lighten your mood afterwards. Seeing a traditional dance performance could help with that. We went to see it in the Cambodian Living Arts Centre and paid about £15 each. The show lasts an hour and is really good. It features some incredible dancing and very exotic music, what’s there not to like? You are then in the main area of bars and restaurants so it will be easy to find a dinner or drinks venue afterwards.

Another leisurely activity would be to go one sunset cruise. You get picked up about 4.30 PM and the boat leaves at 5 PM. We chose one with free flowing beer included (it really was free flowing, the guy was constantly refilling our glasses!) and we also got some complimentary fruit too. It’s a nice way of seeing the city plus the host also gives you some extra facts as you go along. It was really nice also good value for money (about £12 each). Both the show and the cruise can be booked on TA.

If you need more culture then head to the National Museum and the Royal Palace. The entry is not cheap ($10 to each) but it is worth a visit if you have time to spare. I personally skipped this but Steve went and enjoyed it.

There are a number of beautiful rooftop bars around the city and you should definitely enjoy a cocktail or 3 on one of them. The bar in our hotel was one of them for sure but we also went to Le Moon Lounge which had nice river and city views.

I’m sure the choice of the hotel had some influence on how I feel about Phnom Penh but that aside I think it is a really good spot and one where I could easily spend 5 more days exploring different areas and drinking cocktails 😂

Pakse and 4000 islands, Laos

Located in the Southern part of Laos, Pakse was our penultimate stop in this incredible country. We arrived on an overnight bus from Vientiane which we booked through 12go Asia (very useful site by the way). The bus was actually really comfortable but you need to remember to book 2 tickets if you are a normal sized foreigner. The bus has proper beds but they are rather small and meant to fit 2 people hence why the 2 tickets advice. If you book just one, you can end up sharing a bed with a stranger, or a monk, for 10 hours or so…

Pakse has an airport too so if you don’t have time you can opt in to fly instead. Our hotel was just a short stroll from the bus stop and we got a room immediately despite it being 6 am! The hotel is called Pakse Hotel and is actually one of the nicer ones around but costs very little (about £25 per night). It also has a great rooftop bar and a restaurant from where you can watch the sunset and take advantage of the happy hour (3 large beers for £3.50).

The town itself is pretty small and doesn’t have any attractions as such. The main reason why people come to Pakse is to visit the Bolaven Plateau. The Plateau is fairly large and there are a number of attractions there like waterfalls, coffee plantations and ethnic villages. You can join a shared tour and tick off all the attractions this way (the cost is approx £15) or if you’re unlucky and there are not enough people you can hire a driver to take you to all the spots. You’re guessing correctly that we fell into the second option. It was of course more expensive (double the price of the tour) but the driver turned out to be a lovely guy with quite a good grasp of English which made the day very enjoyable. It was also nice to have an air conditioned car to yourself. We booked it through one of travel agencies in town. It is worth shopping around though as they don’t all have the same prices. The trip was really nice and we got to see some beautiful scenery and 3 waterfalls, we saw local villages and had a great coffee at the plantation.

Lush green jungle surrounding Tad Fane waterfall

With the main attractions crossed off our list in Pakse, we took a shared minivan to an area called 4000 islands or Si Phan Don, just by the Cambodian border and about 3 hours away from Pakse. A lot of people combine the two areas or base themselves in one of the two so we were quite lucky to be able to spend time in both. 4000 islands is a stunning part of Laos where the Mekong is very wide and lots of islands have formed there. It is an area known for being a backpacker paradise with a very laid back vibe and lots of bars and cheap hostels. The promise of it being cheap was quite attractive to us as the rest of Laos actually turned out to be more expensive than Thailand and we needed to reign the spending in a little.

The ticket from Pakse to Don Det (the island we chose to stay on) also included the ferry. We got dropped off near the ferry, and had to walk a little to get on the boat. Once on the boat, the beautiful scenery opened up everywhere and I immediately felt so happy we allocated 5 nights to this place.

We chose to stay in Little Eden Hotel. One of a few hotels with a pool. Most guesthouses on the island just assume people will jump into the river to cool off but since I’m not a great swimmer I thought it may be good to have a pool in case the river is too much for me. The hotel is definitely one of the more upmarket places on the islands but cost us just £23 per night. The room was basic but functional and we hardly spent any time in it anyway. The pool was amazing and when the temperatures went up to 38C we were so happy that we chose this place.

The island of Don Det is really small and very rural with a laid back atmosphere. Think reggae music, sitting on the floor, cheap booze and other delights if you are in the market for them. Also, judging by the state of some foreigners here, they came in the 90s and never left 😂 It’s all part of the experience and what makes the place very unique and feels a million miles away from the manicured streets of Luang Prabang.

There is a lot to do here for the adventurous like kayaking, ziplining, dolphin spotting or cycling. The kayaks were out of the question for me since they take you through some big rapids. We did ziplining in Costa Rica a few years back so we weren’t that bothered about it either. Dolphin spotting was on our agenda however we found out they only have 4 specimens on this side of the border so we decided to do it while in Cambodia where it is pretty much guaranteed we will see them. So we were left with cycling. I have to say that cycling around this lovely island (and its bridge-linked brother Don Khone) is truly idyllic. The bikes are in good condition and cost less than a £1 per day to hire. We took them out twice, went to see a waterfall the first day and then went to a wild river beach the second. The best part is cycling through the village and observing the local life. Such a nice experience and one I will always remember. The shores of the Mekong here look so exotic, makes you think you’re in a film!

Being on a backpacker islands, we couldn’t help but participate in the lifestyle a little so we went on a booze cruise organized by one of the hostels nearby. It was a lot of fun, we got taken to a lovely beach not far away and plied with booze of course. The music was playing and there was a lovely sunset in front of us. Really nice experience and we got to meet some like minded people to exchange some travel stories with.

It was also going well on the food front too, we went through the majority of the stay with no issues until Steve was struck with a bug on the morning we were due to leave for Cambodia and we had to change the plan and stay one more day here for him to recover (travelling 6 hours in a cramped minivan is not something you want to do when I’ll, especially not in Laos with the bumpy roads and non existent roadside toilets). The restaurants all seemed fine though and there is a good variety of places here including some decent Western food. Who knows which place gave us the bug, could have easily been the Lao whiskey too 😂 Nevertheless, my favourite meal on the island was the pineapple fried rice and watermelon/coconut shake at Emily’s Noodle Restaurant on the other island. So exotic!

Vang Vieng and Vientiane, Laos

These two places are fairly close to each other so you can visit both in a single trip easily. Also, we didn’t explore everything Vang Vieng has to offer because we stayed out of town so our experience of it is pretty limited.

We arrived in Vang Vieng in a minivan from Luang Prabang. It is a pretty uncomfortable ride as the roads are very bad but it only takes around 4 hours so it is bearable. We paid £8 each for the journey and booked it through one of the travel agents on the main street in Luang Prabang. After the fact, we were told by our hotel that you can do this cheaper but it seemed a fair price to us so we didn’t change the plan. The VIP bus was double the price and more comfortable (it avoids the bad roads) but it takes 2 hours longer I’m told.

We booked to stay in Green View Resort which we saw in YouTube videos. The hotel is located on the shores of the Nam Ngum Lake which is around half an hour drive south from Vang Vieng. We were aware of the location and picked it so that we can have a relaxing time but if you wish to be close to the action I would recommend staying in Vang Vieng centre. It was a bit difficult getting in and out of the resort and it cost a lot too.

The town of Vang Vieng itself isn’t amazing or particularly big but it became very famous a while back for raucous backpacker parties along the river. Tubing on the river used to be huge business here. You basically got a giant tractor tire and you floated down the river in it stopping in various bars. But all good things must come to an end and after a year of over 20 tourist deaths on the river, the Lao government shut down the tubing and the bars. The town needed to reinvent itself and now you can do tons of other activities here like kayaking and zip lining. Tubing was eventually reopened and lots of the death traps were removed but only 3 bars can be opened on any given day and no drugs are advertised openly either. I’m guessing the fact that the activity was toned down, coupled with the modern, health conscious backpacker profile, is the reason why tubing doesn’t attract as many people today as it did in the past. Nevertheless, we liked the idea of floating gently in the river for a few hours so we decided to give it a go. It was really nice and we thoroughly enjoyed it, we even stopped in one bar and got slightly tipsy but decided to move on once the owner started offering us some dubious looking opium vodka shots… The river is really shallow and it was slow in parts so we had to get out of the tubes to try and push ourselves along. A good piece of advice would be to wear water shoes as the bottom of the river is covered with stones. We had a lovely time and including the bar stop it took us just over 5 hours to get to the end. The tube hire is just under £6 per person and the tuk tuk to the starting point is included. Overall, a very good value activity. You end up right in town and leave your tubes there.

So that was our Vang Vieng experience! We stayed in the resort for 5 nights and were largely super lazy but the hotel offers free kayaks so we explored the lake a little which was fun and my first time in the kayak too! As some of you know, I can’t swim so this was a big deal. The hotel is just a few chalet type rooms overlooking the lake with your own private terrace. They also have a restaurant on site and the chef makes really good food, the curry and larb were superb. The swimming pool is a big bonus too. The views were beautiful and sometimes you felt like you were in a nature program when the water buffaloes came to graze on a nearby island and were swimming in the lake just in front of you.

Once our lazy time was over we took a minivan to Vientiane, the capital city. It took just over 3 hours to get there in a minivan and cost £5 each. There is of course an airport in Vientiane too if you were flying in to this part directly (no direct flights to Europe but you can easily connect from Bangkok or Hanoi). Vientiane is a small capital city, with less than a million people and no major high rises. It certainly feels like a local town more than a capital. We stayed in Vientiane Garden Villa Hotel, great location near to the night market and many bars and restaurants. We didn’t have a long list of attractions to tick off here so wanted to be near a pool and the hotel offered this too (about £30 per night).

The first thing we saw was the Cope project centre. It is a charity which helps people who lost limbs to get prosthetic replacements. This is actually a big issue in Laos and one I wasn’t aware of. Due to tons of unexploded bombs scattered around Laos accidents involving these bombs are actually fairly common. The charity helps to raise awareness of the situation too it was very eye opening to find out how badly Laos suffered during the Vietnam war. Highly recommend a visit here.

The next day we went to see the Buddha Park which is located out of town, 30km away. The hotel quoted some outrageous price for a return journey so we were a bit put off but we noticed an ad for a tuk tuk tour on a tree in town and decided to try it out (it was about £7 pp). Simple advertising works it turns out! The driver was a bit of a character and spoke decent English. He stopped at a temple before getting to the park and told us a few interesting stories.

The entry to the park is about £1.50. The park has over 200 Buddha and various Hindu statues scattered all over beautiful landscaped garden. It’s a lovely place to hang out and enjoy the green space (there aren’t many of those in the city). As a part of the tour you could also go and see their most impressive temple and the Patuxai monument but we chose to call it a day and see them the next day.

We explored Vientiane further on our second day. First we went to see That Luang temple, supposedly the biggest one in town. It was all gold and nice to look at but didn’t have the grandeur of its Myanmar equivalent, Shwedagon Pagoda. Still, it’s worth a quick visit and you can also see a reclining Buddha in a nearby religious complex too.

Our final stop on the sightseeing tour of Vientiane was the Patuxai monument which is also called Arc de Triumphe since it bears some resemblance to the one in Paris. The area around it feels very European and it’s a nice square to hang out in and have some ice cream.

We also had a brief stroll around the riverside and the Night Market which predominantly sells clothes and tech from China so unless you need some new tshirts or shorts can be skipped altogether I think. The area around the market has a lot of nice bars and restaurants though, so should definitely feature on your agenda. We had a few beers in the Bor Pen Yang bar, very lively atmosphere and decent music (well, apart from the 15 minutes they played Ronan Keating’s biggest hits). Tired from the Asian food, we used Vientiane to fill our bellies with as much Western food as possible and if you fancy a change from the endless rice dishes please visit Tyson Kitchen. The owner is Canadian but of Lao descent and is super friendly and attentive. The food is amazing too.

Steve enjoying a Beerlao in the Bor Pen Yang bar

To sum up, I think Vientiane is good stop over place if you need to break up the journey around Lao or rest after a long flight but I wouldn’t recommend more than 1-2 nights here as the attractions are far and few in between. Also, being any longer in a city where there are no proper taxis and you have to haggle with tuk tuk drivers would drive anyone mad.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang was our first major stop after we crossed the Thai border with Laos. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and for that reason it attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. It has some well preserved cultural and religious monuments and the city itself is very visually appealing due to lovely French colonial architecture. It was a no-brainer that we had to visit it on our journey through this part of the world.

First of all: logistics. Luang Prabang can be easily reached by air from the neighbouring countries making it a very accessible destination for most people. Since we tried to reduce the amount of flying on this trip, we decided to get there by boat on the Mekong from Thailand. There are a number of companies running cruises and there is also a slow public boat you can take if you’re on a smaller budget. The journey takes 2 days and you need to stop for the night in Pak Beng. I researched the options and decided to go for a slightly more comfortable option using the Nagi of Mekong tour company. They were super helpful on email and provided a lot of information and pictures which ultimately helped us decide on who to pick. We got to Chiang Khong on the Thai side the night before the cruise and the tour agency gave us all the Laos immigration forms so that we could fill them in ahead of time. They then picked us up in the morning and escorted us through the border which was very helpful and took us to the pier on the Lao side where we boarded the boat. There were around 30 people on board and each couple or group had two benches and a table (a booth) to themselves. There were also beds you could nap on and tons of extra space. The lunch was cooked by the family who owns the boat and both days it was delicious. Coffee and tea were available all day as was some fruit. The cruise was really lovely and we spent the time watching the scenery and chatting to fellow passengers. The price of the cruise also included a hotel for the night in Pak Beng in the Mekong Riverside Lodge which was awesome (think bamboo huts overlooking the Mekong). We made a couple of stops in local villages and in the Pak Ou Cave near Luang Prabang which was great since the cave is one of the attractions in Luang Prabang, so we got to do this before we even got to town. Throughout, we had an English-speaking guide and at the end of the journey they organized vans to take us all to our respective hotels – amazing service. All of this cost £115 pp which I think was great value given the comfort of travel, great food and the excellent service. I would definitely recommend doing this as it’s an unforgettable experience.

Lunch on board: chicken curry, stir fried veg, fried fish and rice

Now for the main event – Luang Prabang. It is a lovely little town and I can see why it draws the crowds in. It has a beautiful riverside location, Mekong on one side and the Mekong’s tributary on the other, so you are never far from a river stroll. There are of course numerous, well-preserved temples to visit but the architecture and the whole vibe of the town is the most charming aspect of it. It feels as if you were transported to the French colonial Indochina you see in films. The town itself is pretty small and you can see most sights within town in a day if you wanted to, that is if you have enough stamina to walk or cycle in about 35 degree heat all day! We allocated 6 nights for it so we had a lot of time to spread out the sightseeing a little.

We started off by climbing Mount Phoussi which is directly in town. It’s best to go really early when the heat is not too oppressive. It’s not a big hill and won’t take longer than half an hour to reach the peak. There is a pagoda on top but the best part is the 360 degree view of Luang Prabang and the surrounding areas. I believe we had to pay a small amount to enter but it’s definitely worth it (less than £2 pp).

View of Luang Prabang from Mount Phoussi

We also visited the Wat Xieng Thong, the most famous gilded temple and the Royal Palace, where Laos’ monarchy resided until it was abolished in 1975. The Palace is now a museum and you can have a look through the actual rooms where the kings lived. The temple had a small entrance fee and so did the museum. If you wish to visit the museum you need to take notice of opening hours – they are closed at lunchtime.

One of the biggest attractions lies outside of town – it’s the Kuang Si Falls. There are lots of shared vans that run that route and you can easily arrange a ticket through one of the numerous tour agencies in town. We chose to go early to avoid the worst heat. The van cost approx. £3.50 pp return. It takes about 45 minutes to get there and they give you 2.5 hours before returning to Luang Prabang. You also need to pay the entrance fee to the falls which is fairly small, less than £2 I believe. By the way, the reason I keep saying “less than” is because of the awkward conversion rate: £1 = 11,500 kip. Most entrance fees, tickets etc. are 20,000 kip or 30,000 and it’s too time consuming to say exactly what this means in £ 😉

As you go in to the falls, you first have to go through a sort of a mini zoo I guess where they keep bears. The bears have been rescued (apparently the Chinese capture them to extract their bile for medicinal purposes, so awful) but I couldn’t help thinking that the space they have been given here is very small so the word rescued seems a bit ironic to me but hey, everyone can have their own opinion on this. Anyway, you can see the falls at different levels and if you feel adventurous you can even climb up to the top however you can’t see the drop from there so it’s worth it but from an exercise perspective only :-). It is a very beautiful place and you are allowed to swim there too if you want. Overall, a great half day out of the city and very worth it.

Another attraction out of town is the Pak Ou cave. It is right on the Mekong river and we visited it as a part of the cruise but you can catch a ride their from town too. You can reach the cave by climbing up steep steps and once inside you can see lots of buddha statues. You can also climb further and see another cave. It was a nice stop but having seen the Sadan Cave in Myanmar which was enormous and really cool this one failed to make an impression on me to be honest.

Our activities in Luang Prabang also included cycling. Our hotel had some available free of charge so we took them out one morning and did a bit of cycling around villages on the other side of the Mekong. You can get a car ferry over there which departs every 20-30 minutes and costs less than £1 pp with a bike. There are cycle friendly paths there which are really easy if you have some basic gears on your bike and a comfy seat. Sadly, our bikes turned out to be too basic so we gave up after a while but nevertheless it was good to get out of town and see some surrounding areas.

One final activity we did here which I definitely recommend is the sunset boat cruise on the Mekong. SaSa bar runs these daily and the cost is £8pp which includes a Lao mojito. You can also get some other drinks on board if you like. The cruise takes 2 hours and we really enjoyed it. There are some great photo opportunities as the boat goes quite slowly. We liked the vibe so much that we returned to the bar itself the next day. The bar is located on the Mekong side and has comfy sun lounges from where you can watch the sunset.

The rest of our time in Luang Prabang was spent on eating our way through various restaurants and enjoying the nice vibes. Lao food really surprised us actually. It is heavily influenced by the neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam but they seemed to have taken the best bits of both to create something new and very tasty. The best part for me is the sticky rice. It is served with pretty much anything in cute little bamboo baskets and is slightly chewy. Great texture! The curries are flavoured with a lot of coconut and lemongrass and are less watery than the Thai ones. The stir fries are more saucy and thicker than their counterparts from Thailand too. The Vietnam influences come from the heavy use of herbs and more of a clean composition of dishes. A great example is lab or larb which is minced chicken or pork mixed with herbs and spices served as a sort of a salad. Sounds weird but it is delightful served with some crunchy shredded cabbage for example. The beer is better too and reminded me more of Central European beers than the usual weak Asian varieties. If you fancy something European, Yuni restaurant had a great European menu and the mezze platter was particularly delicious.

There are a lot of hotels and hostels to choose from in Luang Prabang including some fancy options like Sofitel or Avani. We went for a more budget-friendly option and stayed in Villa Ban Phanluang. It is a little out of town but we had the benefit of visiting in the dry season so could make a shortcut to town by a bamboo bridge which doesn’t exist in the rainy season. We had to pay a little to cross but it didn’t bother us at all, was a fun adventure each time as the bridge is a little bouncy and rickety. The best part of our guesthouse was having your breakfast delivered to your balcony each morning, a delightful start to the day!

Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second biggest city and there is a lot to do there and around the city itself. However, this is where I must confess that we didn’t do a lot there. There are reasons for this of course! This wasn’t our first visit to the city. We first came here back in 2014 as a part of our honeymoon trip and we did a lot of sightseeing back then. Secondly, this was always meant to be our retreat where we recover from the month-long Myanmar trip. I’m glad we planned it this way because by the time we got there I was shattered and needed a few days of doing absolutely nothing.

We arrived in Chiang Mai by bus from the Myanmar/Thai border. It was a very comfortable ride on board the Greenbus and took approx. 6.5 hours and cost £19 pp but we took the VIP option, you can go for half price on the standard coach. Chiang Mai also has an international airport and flights from Bangkok are very cheap and it only takes just over an hour or so.

If you are in the market to just have a nice and relaxing time in Chiang Mai, I would really recommend the i River Hotel. It is located on a riverbank and has a lovely terrace from which you can enjoy the peaceful view. It also has a swimming pool (huge bonus!) and is conveniently positioned very close to the Night Bazar and the old city. You can pretty much walk to most places and you also have great supermarket nearby if you need supplies. All for £35 per night! We spent a few days just chilling by the pool which was wonderful and felt like a proper holiday.

The first thig we embarked on in Chiang Mai was eating. Yes, I know, it sounds weird but we were so fed up with the food in Myanmar where we were pretty much vegetarians and had to watch what we ate that when we got to Thailand we were like animals let out of the zoo and started eating our way through the city. Thai food is so delicious, and it was so liberating to finally be able to have all the fish & prawns and street food we wanted. The street food is truly wonderful, and you can find all sorts of things at the stalls as you walk through. Pad thai is a must of course but there is so much more, all the BBQ meat (the Chiang Mai sausage was full of Thai herbs and spices and was so tasty), all the seafood you want, various dumplings and buns and sticky mango rice for pudding. You can go to the stalls every day and find something new every time. And the best part about it is that Thai hygiene standards are pretty high so it’s unlikely that you will end up with an upset stomach.

Crispy scorpion at the Chiang Mai food market

If you are into food like we are I would really recommend doing a cooking class. You can do those all over Thailand of course but there are a lot of them here, so you really have a huge choice. When we were last here in 2014, we did a cooking course with Baan Thai Cooking School and we still cook a couple of dishes from their cookbook today. We thought it would be nice to go back to the same school and practice other dishes we didn’t do last time. The evening course costs around £20 pp and includes all the ingredients and the best of it all is that you get to eat everything at the end! We were picked up around 4 PM and after picking up a few others we went to see a local market and were shown some nice ingredients we were to use in cooking later. We were given a card with 5 different courses and everyone had to pick what they wanted to cook. As last time, Steve and I picked different courses so that we get to try 10 different dishes (I know, pigs, right?). They divide you into groups based on what you pick and off you go cooking. It’s super easy so even if you’re not a confident cook it will be 100% fine and come out perfectly edible. All the ingredients are prepared for you so all you do most of the time is throw them in the wok or pan and transfer to a plate at the end. You eat them as you make them and by the time class finished at about 8 PM we were so stuffed we had to go back to the hotel and lie down! We made Kao Soi (Northern Thai curry with crispy noodles), chicken with cashew nuts, chicken and seafood coconut soup, papaya salad, fishcakes, green curry and possibly other things which now I don’t remember. A real feast for the senses and the belly of course.

Another thing worth doing is the Thai massage of course. There are so many massage shops around that you will have no trouble finding one, there is literally one every 5 meters! It’s best to research it a little though and go somewhere highly rated and where they speak English and do a health check on you before you start. You can also choose the level of pressure you want applied. Thai massage is famously painful so I was very relieved that I could choose “soft” although it didn’t feel that soft in places, but this is just what it is like, so some pain is expected. I really enjoyed the massage and would recommend Fah Lanna place in Chiang Mai if you’re in the market for a bit of stretching and pulling. The cost was £10 for an hour so very reasonable by English standards and totally worth it.

There are tons of attractions in Chiang Mai and you could easily spend a week or more here. For reasons mentioned earlier, we didn’t get round to doing them but if you are coming here for the first time you should definitely explore a few temples (Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Pra Singh), perhaps consider visiting an elephant sanctuary (please make sure that this is an ethical place and the animals are not made to carry people etc.), do some trekking in the mountains or even zip lining. There is also the 3D Museum called Art in Paradise which we visited and enjoyed. If you want to base your self in Chaing Mai and have no other stops in the area, then you should also consider a day trip to Chiang Rai.

We were passing through Thailand on our way to Laos so decided to make a separate stop in Chiang Rai as it was on the way. I was under the impression that apart from the main attractions there won’t be much in there, but I was very wrong. It’s a charming little town and I think we could have stayed there a bit longer had we known what it was like. The bus ride to here from Chiang Mai was very quick, took just over 3 hours on the VIP bus and cost £9 pp. It’s a small town and you can get to most places on foot. We stayed in Baan Jaru guesthouse for just over £20 per night, very good value. The room was clean and spacious with a private bathroom and the owners spoke very good English and were on hand to advise you and suggest things to do. They even posted our postcards for us!

The main draw of Chiang Rai is the famous white temple or Wat Rong Khun. It was designed by an artist and built recently so don’t expect any ancient monuments. It is very impressive, and the detail is incredible. The brilliant white with the mirror flecks reflects beautifully off the blue sky and you can really take stunning pictures here. Inside the temple itself the artist seem to have played on the idea of modern idols and you can see large paintings featuring Batman for example which is very amusing. You can’t take photos inside though. Other things to see in the area are the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Seur Ten) and the Black House Museum. You can tick them all plus some others on a daily tour which costs around £25 pp and takes whole day but we only had one day there so decided to just see what we wanted instead of being dragged through some souvenir shops on top of it. Grab is the best way of going about it, we spent just under £20 in total and took Grabs to the white temple, from white to blue temple, from blue temple to Black House and back home from there. It worked perfectly for us; we were back in Chiang Rai by 4 PM just in time to take some photos of the lovely murals inside the bus station.

Both Blue Temple and the Black House are also modern creations and are very refreshing to visit if you are a little tired of the traditional old temples. I found the Blue Temple nice and peaceful although the colors are very vivid and a bit cartoon like. The Black House is a rather bizarre place. It’s a collection of buildings all carved from black wood and furnished with animal skins, horns and alligator skins. Lots of the rooms look a bit like some sort of satanic cult is about to meet there. All a bit odd but interesting to visit. Admittedly I think I need to read a bit more about the artist’s intentions here and what it is supposed to be exactly. Anyway, it is worth popping in.

You can also visit the Golden Triangle area here which is essentially the little corner where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet. From what I could see advertised, there are lots of tours offering treks with a homestay and cooking classes which we would consider if we were staying longer for sure. But our time in Thailand came to an end here and we made our way to the border to explore a whole brand-new country – Laos.

First glimpse of the Mekong from the Thai side

Myanmar: my final thoughts

Having spent nearly a month there, I thought it may be a good idea to sum up our experiences in Myanmar in a straight forward, pros and cons format. It is also good to reflect on that part of the trip with the benefit of hindsight. Anyhow, here we go:

GOOD BITS

Value for money – it’s definitely one of the cheapest places to visit. A month in Myanmar cost us £1800 in total including all travel, food and accommodation. We didn’t really deny ourselves anything and mostly stayed in hotels of a very good standard averaging £30 per night. If you are willing to rough it a little it could cost you considerably less.

Attractions – Myanmar is such a diverse country, not only ethnically but also geographically and it’s this diversity which makes it an exciting destination. It has pristine beaches, lakes, mountains, caves, waterfalls as well as bustling cities and towns, there is something for everyone! With the addition of Bagan to the UNESCO heritage list in 2019, Myanmar is set to become more and more popular in the coming years.

Climate – if you’re looking to escape dull winter in the Nothern hemisphere Myanmar will reward you with warm and dry climate in the winter months, very similar to that of the Med in summer.

Safety – this is something I always look out for, being a rather cautious tourist, and I have to say that Maynmar has really surprised me. We travelled far and wide and I didn’t have any concerns anywhere. As a woman I am always aware of my surroundings but here people just don’t have any ulterior motives and have this sort of innocence about them which makes you feel at ease. Nobody will try and scam you or cause any harm, it’s simply not in their dictionary. Quite the opposite, they will go out of their way to help you even if using sign language!

Ease of access – since opening its gates to tourists, Myanmar has introduced an e-visa system (valid if you arrive through the major terminals and entry points) which is super easy to apply for online before you travel and no embassy visits are required. You get an approval letter within a day if not faster and you simply present it at the border with your passport when you arrive. Myanmar is also conveniently located close to all the major airports in South East Asia so you can get there easily connecting through one of them like we did in Bangkok for example.

NOT SO GOOD BITS

The majority of things I’m about to mention here stem from the fact that this is a country in a very early stage of development and, with time, all of these things will improve for sure. However, best to consider them before you go.

Hygiene – the standards are considerably lower than in neighbouring Thailand for example, so it’s almost certain that you will get some sort of stomach upset during your stay, even if you are very careful like we were. Take medicine with you to help alleviate the symptoms. Most people just seem to get a 24 hour upset which although annoying, doesn’t fully ruin your holiday. Use bottled water only, eat in highly rated places, avoid fruit sold on the street or any cocktails made with unknown spirits and ice. We drank bottled beer and were largely vegetarian throughout our stay and that definitely reduced the opportunity to get sick (we still got sick though). You may struggle if you have any allergies or dietary requirements as most places didn’t include this sort of information in the menu. A good solution would be to have a sentence translated asking if the dish has peanuts etc. The toilet facilities in places other than hotels are likely to be incredibly basic, I’m talking hole in the ground basic – and no toilet roll. You should always carry some toilet roll with you and a hand sanitiser in case there is no running water. Electricity can also be temperamental and power outages are common (we only experienced two). Surprisingly, the internet was actually pretty ok in most hotels we stayed in.

Infrastructure – the roads are in a pretty bad state so small distances can take a very long time to travel (one of our journeys took over 3 hours in a car for us to cover 120 km!). Check travel times and try and pick the VIP options if you can as they will be slightly more comfortable. The trains are even slower apparently, so if you are in a rush and only have a couple of weeks, flying will probably be easier, however it is expensive, approx $200 per internal flight but it will cut some travel time for sure.

Communication – English is not widely spoken so be prepared to point and act out what you need! It’s almost like playing charades which can be amusing. My most memorable moment has to be acting out diarrhoea in the pharmacy 😂

Betel nut chewing – it has to be one of the most annoying and disgusting things in Myanmar for me personally. Not only is the product extremely dangerous for your health (it causes cancer), it stains your teeth red and what’s worse makes people spit and cough up their insides in public. Imagine having a meal and someone walks past doing that, that is Myanmar reality. You will most likely see this only in the street, nobody does it in hotels for example. People who deal with tourists are aware of this and tend to be very discreet so that you are not put off. It’s a very big problem in Myanmar and not a surprising one given the very low health awareness. I doubt it will disappear overnight and I imagine visitors are likely to experience it for sure at some point.

Hpa An, Myanmar

Hpa An is a small town located about 6 hours drive south from Yangon. We got a VIP bus again to have enough leg room. Mi Ba Gone is not as good as JJ Express but they got us there safely nevertheless.

The town of Hpa An has a laid back vibe and is easily seen on foot. It is less sophisticated than Bagan or Nyaungshwe in terms of tourist resources but this is also its main appeal. We were drawn here by the surrounding attractions too which you can get to by hiring a motorbike or if you are lazy like us, by hiring a pick up truck to drive you there.

The accommodation in Hpa An is on the basic side as the tourism is only starting to flourish. We stayed in Galaxy Motel which is conveniently located in the centre of town and had great reviews. It was super basic though, I’m talking diarrhoea colour walls, smell of drains in the bathroom and barely enough room to move around… but we only slept there really and the hospitality and kindness of the owners as well as the value for money and the amazing surprise breakfast more than made up for it.

Breakfast in Galaxy Motel: watermelon, coconut pancake, rice pudding, samosa and noodle soup

We arranged the truck driver through the hotel and the cost of it was £17 for the whole day (we started at 9.30). The roads in the area are very bad and the truck has no suspension so you will feel the sightseeing in your back at the end of the day! It is all worth it though as the sights are truly amazing. The first stop on our journey was Taung Wine Mountain. We didn’t want to do a full blown trek as my foot was still full of blisters from the Kalaw trek and we read this hill only needed 45 min climb hence why we decided to to go there instead of the more popular Mount Zwegabin which needs several hours of climbing. I think it took us maybe an hour to go up but it was a very intense hike, very steep steps pretty much all the way to the top. I nearly died at the end but it was so worth it for the insane views and a sense of achievement.

After the hike, we went to Sadan Cave which is the longest one in the area. It is also a temple so you will need to take your shoes off for the walk through. It is really peaceful inside with lots of buddha statues and bats flying around. Make sure you take your shoes with you as at the end of it you can take a boat to take to nearby rice paddies and you can walk back to the entrance that way rather than walking back through the cave. I suspect it must have been very dry season over there as a large part of the river was dried up so we actually walked back for the best part of it. Nevertheless it’s a nice experience and you get to see lush green rice paddies and beautiful mountains on the horizon. There is a small entrance fee to the cave and the boat costs £2. All very worth it for the experience.

Our final stop was the Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda. I have to say that we were pretty much done with the pagodas by that point but wanted to see this one because of the setting. It is located in the middle of a lake and makes for a nice sunset spot.

Back in town, we also took a walk along the river and through the daily night market. The area is a bit of a work in progress but I think it will be nice in a few years’ time.

Due to the proximity to the Thai border, there was a lot of Thai inspired food on offer in Hpa An. We ate twice in a place called Wadee (once by candle light due to power outage!). Both times the food was delicious and we felt fine afterwards which is a big achievement in Myanmar! We also had lunch in the Verandah restaurant which also serves as a travel advice hub and helps young people in the area get hospitality experience, definitely worth a visit.

Thai green curry with rice and fried morning glory in Wadee restuarant

Hpa An should feature on any visitor’s itinerary in Myanmar. It is very accessible from Yangon and if you don’t mind roughing it a little there are a lot of amazing sites to visit here.