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SOLO TRAVELS 2019
  • Stephanie Bourke
  • Stephanie Bourke

SOLO TRAVELS 2019

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take Leer más
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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    The streets of Hanoi

    26 de octubre de 2019, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    It's amazing the things you notice when your out of your comfort zone. Riding on the back of Phuong Ann's scooter around the streets of Hanoi each area even street had a distinct smell. Partly as each of the streets are designated to one particular thing. Some streets smelt intensely of meat from the roasted pigs being sold, some the fragrance of flowers, some the smell of burning metal being welding.Leer más

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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    Cat Ba Island

    28 de octubre de 2019, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We started the day in a sea of motor bikes as we set out on the 4 hour journey to Cat Ba Island in what I can only describe as the slowest journey I've ever had. Im surprised the mini bus even made it despite it looking lovely on the inside the engine definitely couldn't cop doing the speed limit of 100 (measure unknown).

    After a pit stop we arrived at the ferry terminal to take the ferry to the island. Here we encountered a "ferry" which is hard to believe could still float as it was the shell of a ferry with no windows. We took the short journey of 15/20 minutes from the mainland to the island. Whilst on the ferry we saw multiple smaller fishing boats sail.uk to the back of the ferry to drop off fish, shrimp and clams they had caught to be delivered to the dock for the women to clean and sell to those boarding the ferries or in fuel local area. When we arrived we continued onto... tbc to take a private boat for the afternoon around the caves.

    The second boat was like an old fashioned pirate ship and all who worked on it lived in fishing island a floating town made up of rafts and boats in the middle of the sea. Fishing Island and Cat Ba are said to be extremely lucky as if there I'd a storm boats can come and dock their boats in amongst the floating peaks for protection.

    Our local guide had a voice like Mr Chow in the hangover movies and was a tiny man. It was a surreal experience. After 30 minutes of sailing out amongst the mountains and caves we focked the boat and they prepared us a feast of pork spring rolls, freshly caught fish, salted peanuts, rice, tofu (which I do not like still), spicy chicken and squid to name a few. It was a lovely meal but far to much food for put group of 10.

    After lunch we took kayaks out for a 40 minute intense workout around the mountains and into a cave. The sky for the first time in Vietnam finally decided to show some blue.    Leer más

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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    Urban adventures in Phang rang

    7 de noviembre de 2019, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Our tour guide Hoi was the sweetie tour guide we have had but one of the most knowledgable and so eager to teach us her culture. Today she took us 2 hours south of Ho Chi Minh city to the Mekong Delta River to experience local life. Our first stop was to a honey farm where the locals gave us a seet honey drink and snacks to taste. We then moved onto Coconut Island where the island lived up to its name, we were shown a coconut candy workshop and again got to taste the product and a coconut liquor the locals make, next stop was exotic fruit tasting whilst locals sang traditional songs to us, followed by a feast on another island.Leer más

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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    Supporting local children's development

    8 de noviembre de 2019, Camboya ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Yes we did make cocktails to support the development of children. In Phenom Penh there us a children's charity called friends it was set up to help destitute children learn life skills to help with employment. It is a collection of buildings that houses a restaurant where trainees learn to cook, clean, serve and bartend. As well as having some shops that sell creations from the young adults like bags, wallet and rings that they make.

    We did a cocktail making class with a local trainee for about an hour and later returned for one of the best meals we have had so far.    Leer más

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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    Dika ❤

    8 de noviembre de 2019, Camboya ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today on the bus to Campot our tour guide shared some information on the economy in Cambodia. The houses in Phenm Penh cost about $250,000 for a city apartment to $500,000 for a river view or work premise. But the average salary in Cambodia is $2500 a year. Silas family lives in Siam Riep which has similar house prices. His wife is a teacher and she earns $2500 a year this is a major increase as 5 years ago it was only $600 a year.
    Dika says he has a very good job he earns between $6000 - $8000 a year.
    You really feel the white privilege and guilt when you hear things like this as my 7 week trip is properly going to cost as much as he earns in a year after everything and to me yes its expensive but it's hard to imagine spending a years salary on a holiday.

    He also shared some facts about the average yearly wages in asian as follows
    Vietnam $2,800
    Singapore $66,000
    Thailand $4,000    Leer más

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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    Phenom Penh killing fields

    8 de noviembre de 2019, Camboya ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today was a day of contrast we are testing out a new iternery in Cambodia with Intrepid but this was a jarring day. We started the day out with a trip to the killing fields which is something I knew very little about before today. It was quite upsetting as we walked through the fields you can still see the bone fragments and clothes of those who were ruthlessly killed by the Pol Pot regime.
    Dika our tour guide told us that his father was taken from the family during this time and they never saw it heard from him again and they never found out where he ended up. His final resting place is in one of the many mass graves across Cambodia.

    We then continued onto the Phemon Penh jail where prisoners who were accused of being traitors to the regime were kept before being brought to the killing field. Some where taken here for being accused of not working hard enough in the fields. There was 4 survivors of this prison 4 kids hid in dirty laundry. We had the pleasure to meet the oldest of the kids he was 9 and took his 6 year old brother and a 3 year old girl her younger 18 month old brother and a 6 month old baby to hid in the washing. They hid for so long that the 6 month old baby died of dehydration. The remaining 4 are all still living. The 3 year old girl was adopted in Germany but the whereabouts of her younger brother is unknown.

    Its hard to believe this happened so recently.

    I didn't feel comfortable taking photos here but one of the trees growing at the site. They were such big trees and i thought it was nice to think that all these people have nourished the growth of these trees so there death wasnt completely in vain.    Leer más

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  • Stephanie BourkeSOLO TRAVELS 2019Viajero

    What rules? There are no rules

    9 de noviembre de 2019, Camboya ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Private coach to Campot

    On thing I have learnt to appreciate is that we follow the rules of the road in both Vietnam and Cambodia the rules of the road seem to be there are no rules and in Cambodia in parts there is no road! 😂

    One word to take from thing experience is bumpy.

    One thing to be grateful for ... Seatbelts    Leer más

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