Indochina 2023

October 2023

A 21-day adventure by Dean Read more

19footprints
5countries
21days
122photos
0videos
10.9kkilometers
9.3kkilometers

Follow Calendar Share Bucket list

Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 4, 2023, 6:25pm
- 🌧 21 °C
- Altitude: 10 m
- Australia New South Wales Botany Bay Mascot Curtin Reserve -33.931692, 151.19017933°55’54” S 151°11’25” E
1
1
Day 1–3
Chiang Mai
October 4, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 21 °C
Hop skip & jump to get here. Flew to Sydney the night before -- perhaps presciently as many domestic flights were cancelled the next day due to strong winds. Flew to Singas for another overnight. Then the 3 hr flight today to Chiang Mai. It's Thailand's second biggest city but much smaller than Bangkok. Humid. You don't have to go far if you want a coffee shop, a tailored suit, a temple, a massage parlour or a currency exchange. The travel group seems pretty good -- so far at least.Read more
Traveler Sue celebrates arrival in Sydney
10/6/23Reply
Traveler Good pix
10/6/23Reply
5 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 7, 2023, 8:46pm
- 🌧 25 °C
- Altitude: 315 m
- Thailand Chiang Mai Province Night Bazaar 18.786206, 99.00006618°47’10” N 99°0’0” E
1
Day 4
Still in Chiang Mai
October 7, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 25 °C
Morning excursion was to an elephant park. It was billed as a sanctuary/training ground but was more like elephants doing tricks for humans and for tips. Not quite my cuppa.
Afternoon excursion was to the Wat Phar That Doi Suthep Ro Ma Ha Wi Han; a.k.a Doi Suthep temple. It is touted as the most significant temple in northern Thailand. It was certainly lavish and opulent in a specco setting on a mountain top.
Food here is great - fresh tasty and cheap.Read more
Traveler Going to bring back some of that gold? An obvious surplus.
10/8/23Reply
Pleased to hear you guys have arrived safely - enjoy the trip. Large group? [PetervR]
10/8/23Reply
Traveler Cute!
10/9/23Reply
7 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 8, 2023, 5:53pm
- ☁️ 26 °C
- Altitude: 406 m
- Thailand Chiang Rai 19.90354, 99.83417519°54’13” N 99°50’3” E
1
Day 5–7
Chiang Rai
October 8, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
We bused for about 3 hrs up to Chang Rai to stay the night close to the Mekong River so that we can get there early enough to catch a boat in the morning. We stopped on the way for lunch at a great place by a river. A walk in Chiang Rai suggested it is not that inspiring. As in Chiang Mai you also don't have to walk far to find a cannabis shop. And of course we found a temple.Read more
Traveler Haha
10/9/23Reply
5 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 9, 2023, 5:32pm
- ☁️ 26 °C
- Altitude: 384 m
- Laos Khouèng Oudômxai Pak Beng 19.891936, 101.12017519°53’31” N 101°7’13” E
Day 6–10
A day on the Mekong
October 9, 2023 in Laos ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
An early start -- 4:45am -- to prepare for the bus ride to the Lao border and the Mekong. One thing. The coffee has got a lot worse. At the hotel it was like diluted tar and on the boat it is instant with funky tasting water. Goodbye to the good coffee in Chiang Mai. Anyway, the boat trip was excellent. Long but very relaxing. It's pretty remote with a few villages dotted here and there. We stopped at one village and exchanged gawks with the locals. Lunch was served on the boat and, eventually, we tied up in a small town, Pakbung, where we were surprised to find we were booked into a good hotel overlooking the river. It's still rainy season here which means it's been raining and the river is high, fast and muddy. And if you want to know its pronounced Maykong not Meekong.Read more
5 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 10, 2023, 9:18pm
- 🌙 25 °C
- Altitude: 305 m
- Laos Luang Prabang Province Ban Phônsaat Nam Khan 19.897248, 102.14218119°53’50” N 102°8’32” E
Day 7
Another day on the Mekong
October 10, 2023 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Another early-ish start to get to our destination -- Luang Prabang -- before dark. We did about 380 km in 2 days by boat. Stopped at another village -- a little more prosperous with a monastery/temple. We also stopped at a cave which is said to be the spiritual home of the Mekong. So it was a bit like going to the MCG really.Read more
6 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 11, 2023, 10:57am
- ⛅ 29 °C
- Altitude: 288 m
- Laos Luang Prabang Province Ban Natha 19.891763, 102.13459519°53’30” N 102°8’5” E
1
Day 8–12
Luang Prabang
October 11, 2023 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Luang Prabang used to be the capital of Laos before it was shifted (to Vientiane) due to vulnerability to attack from neighbours. One of its main features is French colonial architecture after the French were invited in around the 1850s to provide stability but also set up a lot of baguette outlets. We did a palace/temple crawl in the morning and finished at a weaving station where we also had a spot of lunch.Read more
Traveler Haha
10/13/23Reply
5 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 12, 2023, 5:45pm
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitude: 1,131 m
- Laos Xiangkhouang Ban Nakat Muang Phonsavan 19.457225, 103.21134619°27’26” N 103°12’41” E
Day 9
Phonsavan
October 12, 2023 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
The stories of the day were picturesque countryside and the state of infrastructure. We moved 300 km inland and into the mountains to Phonsavan. The scenery and the villages along the way were captivating. But it took us about 8 hours of driving. The road was shocking, even though half of it was the main road joining Luang Prabang and Vientiane. We went in 2 minibuses which were more nimble and able to dodge huge potholes and landslides and overtake the phalanx of trucks in spectacular fashion. Laos doesn't have a lot of resources for infrastructure. The Chinese are building stuff but that leaves a loan servicing burden.Read more
7 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 13, 2023, 5:21pm
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitude: 1,128 m
- Laos Xiangkhouang Ban Nakat Muang Phonsavan 19.457306, 103.21162819°27’26” N 103°12’42” E
1 1
Day 10
Plain of Jars
October 13, 2023 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Seeing the Plain of Jars was the main point in coming to these parts. They are hollow cylinders made out of sandstone. They date back to the 5th century or so but are shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows who put them there or why -- perhaps as burial chambers.
It was a bit of an ordeal to get to them, walking along a muddy path through rice paddies. One of our number unfortunately took a dive into the mire but apparently the rice was too raw to enjoy. Again beautiful scenery.
Afterwards, we took in the remains of a temple and an ancient stupa, severely damaged in the American war. Apparently the Americans dropped 2+ million tonnes of bombs in the area, attempting to cut Nth Vietnanese supply lines. They are still trying to clear unexploded ordnance. The Plain of Jars had to be cleared.Read more
Traveler Great pic
10/22/23Reply
Traveler Wow, who’s job is it to dress him?
10/22/23Reply
6 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 14, 2023, 6:02pm
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Altitude: 169 m
- Laos Vientiane 17.966165, 102.59549417°57’58” N 102°35’44” E
1
Day 11–15
More jars
October 14, 2023 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
A trip to the markets started the day. Just about every living thing -- or part of a formerly living thing -- was up for sale. Too many wriggly things. And you would need to get in early because there was no refrigeration.
We then went off to the main site of jars. Many of them. Some bigger than yesterday. In a field pocked by bomb craters.
Then to a silk farm which was a mulberry-to-scarf operation. We got a fascinating tour of the place. Labour intensive but they train/employ lots. Or should they be more productive?
After lunch we took to the skies for a short flight to Vientiane.Read more
Traveler Shame you could not take the bits back for a cook up
10/15/23Reply
Traveler The swallows, hornets, moles and wild cats weren't quite as appealing!!!
10/15/23Reply
Traveler Great pic
10/22/23Reply
Traveler This sounds/looks like a fun day
10/22/23Reply
5 likes
Traveler Indochina 2023
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Oct 15, 2023, 4:31pm
- ☁️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 169 m
- Laos Vientiane 17.966215, 102.5954617°57’58” N 102°35’44” E
1
Day 12
Vientiane
October 15, 2023 in Laos ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
They say Vientiane doesn't offer a lot as a city. They're probably right. It has some monumental government buildings, some wide streets and some parks. We visited the victory arch, the golden stupa that is the symbol of Laos and a couple of temples. Yep, Buddha was there. Went for a walk and found a coffee shop and not a lot else.Read more
Traveler Next trio to Brazil? Lots of coffee there!
10/15/23Reply
Traveler =trip
10/15/23Reply
Traveler Well, you can at least cross it off your bucket list.
10/15/23Reply
Traveler So gold
10/22/23Reply
7 likes