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SE Asia, Winter 2025
  • John Dunford
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  • John Dunford

SE Asia, Winter 2025

An open-ended adventure by John Read more
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    🇹🇭 Ban Hua Wiang, Thailand
  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Vientiane 2

    March 26 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Very impressive art space built by a local business man for 50 million USD for his passion for wood carvings. Expensive in Lao terms 14 USD each plus 25 USD for taxis as it's a little out of town, but well worth it.
    Also some photos from the less impressive Lao National Museum (only one dollar fifty )    Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Luang Prabang

    Mar 16–20 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    An easy day to start our week in LP.

    Booked my ticket back to Brussels for the 14th. Flying back on Emerates via Dubai 😱 wish me luck.

    Took a walk through town. Stopped off in a travel agency and booked all our train tickets and the boat ride to Thailand. Cost more than doing it DIY in theory but the difficulty of booking tickets makes handing it over to a professional worth it.Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler
    1

    Nong Khauw to Luang Prabang

    March 15 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Breakfast overlooking the river in our hotel then watch as the boat to take us on the next leg of our journey pulls up to let us board. A 2 hour boat ride down the Nam Ou to where they have constructed another dam. 😡
    The other passengers on the boat are the 4 Poles who were on the boat from Muang Khua.

    When we arrive at the dam we transfer to a spacious minivan for the 2 hour ride to the elephant sanctuary and lunch. The road is in a terrible state, the worst I have been on since Africa in the nineties. Makes you look at the smooth river alongside with envy.

    After lunch and elephant petting it's into a boat for a short trip on the Mekong to the Buddha cave. Only 200 steps to climb.

    Back on the boat for a trip to the Whisky village. Then it's a final sunset boat ride down the Mekong to Luang Prabang and our hotel.    Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Nong Khauw

    March 13 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    A sleepy one street town of cheap guesthouses, cheap cafes, and tour agencies offering hikes up the nearby mountains to camp overnight and see the sun rise.

    We decide to spend the day on our balcony catching up on reading.

    It is very hot, 30C+    Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler
    View from guesthouse balcony
    VietnamLaosDessert in the marketVery wobbly suspension foot bridgeBreakfast view

    Dien Bien Phu -Muang Khau - Nong Khauw

    Mar 12–13 in Laos ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Up at 5am to catch 6am bus to Muang Khau in Laos. Minibus full of freight and people, but no chickens. Other foreigners on the bus included 2 Japanese, and a German.

    On the bus got a phone call via the driver from our hotel in Dien Bien Phu. We had left without paying! Arranged to pay the money owed to the driver.

    First a ride up wooded mountains in the mist to get to the Vietnam border post, straight through.

    Then a 5 km ride to the Lao border. Again straight through no problems. Had to pay 20,000 dong (about 60 cents). Teresa changed our remaining dong for Lao kip with tourists who were going in the opposite direction.

    Then down wooded mountains in the mist until we reached our destination on the river where the sun came out ☀️

    Found our lodgings, a working ATM, and a place for lunch and a beer. 😁

    The next day breakfast at 8:30 and set off at 10 on the first of 3 boat rides today.

    First on a cramped, uncomfortable boat through wooded mountain scenery. A bit dull. Also in the boat the 2 Japanese, an Italian, a Canadian, 4 Russians, and an unknown couple.

    Then round a dam in a pickup to a more comfortable boat through much better scenery.

    Finally transfer to a third boat for the last half hour to Nong Khauw.

    Arrived about 16:00. Cost 400,000 kip each (about 16 euro).    Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Dien Bien Phû

    March 9 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    War history and another annual festival.

    9 am bus ride from SaPa to Dien Bien Phu. Up and over wooded mountains in the mist.

    Sunny and warm when we arrived at Dien Bien Phu. Discovered our hotel is right next to the central plaza where a large podium is set up for this evening's annual flower celebration! Also a procession and large festival site selling lots of street food.

    Very quiet town. Hardly any traffic on the streets. Such a change.

    Next couple of days spent exploring town. Mostly sites commemorating the battle against the French.    Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler
    Almost China

    Bac Ha Sunday Market

    March 8 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Long day trip from SaPa to Bac Ha for the Sunday market.

    Not many foreigners about.

    After the market drive to Lao Cai and a look at the Chinese border. With my Belgian passport I don't need a visa to visit China, so I could just walk over the bridge.
    Unfortunately Teresa only has her American passport so she would have to pay 200 dollars and wait 10 days for a visa
    Decide to go to Laos instead.    Read more

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Ta Van

    March 7 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We didn't know about this before we arrived in Sapa but today is annual festival in Ta Van. Very crowded with local people all dressed up in their best traditional outfits.
    Not many tourists about.

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Sapa

    March 6 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Sapa is known as the city in the mist and you can tell why. From the moment we arrived until the minute we left the cloud never lifted.

    Sapa very crowded and very touristy.

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler

    Ninh Binh

    March 2 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    First a 500 stair climb to the top of a mountain 🫣
    Then a 4 km bike ride to a temple where we managed to lose our guide.
    Lastly an 18 km boat ride rowed by a little Vietnamese woman.

  • John DunfordSE Asia, Winter 2025Traveler
    1
    Vietnamese RV

    Saigon and on.

    February 15 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    First a 7 hour Giant Ibis bus from Phnom Phen to Ho Chi Min crossing over the Mekong river on the way. Then after a 2 hour wait in Saigon station VIP waiting lounge (66 cents including free bottle of water. It's on to the SE4 overnight sleeper train to wake up bright and refreshed in Da Nang 🤞Read more

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