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Indochina
  • Bear 1971
  • Bear 1971

Indochina

A 90-day adventure by Bear 1971 Read more
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  • Trip start
    February 12, 2025
    Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler
    1

    Friends

    Feb 12–14, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    Bangkok baby!
    A lovely bit of familiarity, the lovely Welander arrives from Heathrow and I arrive from Kathmandu! The biggest hug ever and only 1 full day in Bangkok before we move to island life!
    A wander round Bangkok, no real plans and a lot of catching up, chatting and planning part 1 of Thailand!
    A wander down Khao San Road, amazing food at Wang Lang Market, beers on the river, a little ferry across the river, a wander home via Thannon Ram Buttri to have the best manicure ever (it was needed after trekking and working for the past 3 months!!) and home to prepare for our journey to Ko Samet!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Thailand islands

    Feb 14–27, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ 🌩️ 28 °C

    What a lovely way to spend a few weeks! Relaxing on beaches, swimming in a glorious sea and catching up with a dear friend or three!
    First 5 days on Ko Samet. Small and perfectly formed then a move to Ko Chang, livelier and lots to do but the beach kept us from exploring! I can do my exploring after the island life!
    Meet some crazy, lovely people, had lots of fun and a lot of sun!
    Last 2 days in Pattaya with Ruth and Chris.... An experience that I will never forget and maybe not one for sharing within these pages, if you want to know more, I'm happy to tell!
    A farewell to lovely Lisa and a see you soon to Thailand as I'll be back!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Cambodia - bye Bangkok, hello Phnom Penh

    Feb 28–Mar 1, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Just day one! Well, day minus one and day 1!
    After spending some time in a different area of Bangkok, wasting time in a beautiful city garden, I waited for my bus to Cambodia, not knowing what to expect at all!
    The funniest trip happened, minibus to the border, accompanied by Cambodians, one in particular became a tour guide, giving me so many great tips on visiting his country. Kimlong had been in Bangkok buying animals for his pet shop in particular sugar gliders (look them up!) whose squeak sounded like they were giggling and tiny little hedgehogs! He was great company and along with lonely planet, this part of the trip has been designed mainly with their help and guidance.
    The minibus dropped us all off, me being the only foreigner, was shown the border control and waited to be let in! All good but then I was popped into a motorbike and delivered to the bus stop and onto a sleeper bus!
    An amazing experience but firstly, motorbike and no one told me that Cambodia drive on the right! After 4 months of driving on the left, I almost screamed!
    The bus and I got to Phnom Penh at 5am, a walk to my hotel and a day of finding my way!
    First impressions: busy, hot, crazy, beautiful, interesting and friendly!
    Day one was about walking, national museum and more walking.
    Wanted to share day one of a different country with you all which I think is going to be a very interesting one.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Killing of the Innocents.

    March 1, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    A day of reflection and sadness.

    A day of learning about the terrible atrocities that happened between 1975 and 1979 to the Cambodian people.

    If you are unable to visit Cambodia or didn't get taught about the massacres or you just don't remember, please read about it.

    Today was the saddest day I've ever had; I cried, I remembered, I listened and I reflected on the torture and deaths of so many innocent people including children.

    I'm not going to put statistics on here apart from this one: 1 in 4 Cambodians lost their lives.

    I kept seeing the dates of 1977, 1978 on the prisoner records and reminded myself of what I was doing... I was having an amazing childhood oblivious to what was happening in a country I'm now visiting. This happened in my lifetime.

    It didn't take pictures during the visits, that felt wrong, until the end, as I felt the memorials should be my memories from the trip. Although what learnt will stay with me forever.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Phnom Penh continued

    Mar 1–3, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    After the day of remembering the crimes of humanity, I had an evening of calmness and sailed along the Mekong and Tonle sap rivers on a sunset cruise! Wonderful way to see the city.

    Sunday was spent walking and a lot of walking was done but I find the best way to explore, getting lost can be fun. The Royal palace was today's visit, I got sent away as my huge scarf which has the ability to cover almost all of my body was not suitable (I had done my homework and all the signs said cover shoulders and arms to elbows, no where did it say wear a t shirt), I stomped home to change, I was not purchasing a t shirt from the shop as instructed, could well have been a scam but at least I got some more steps it. It was worth it, the palace was stunning.

    I also walked to a newer part of the city. I'm constantly in awe at how the country recovered from the atrocities , that's a testament to the Cambodians resilience, faith, trust, hard work and their love of Phnom Penh. Such a contrast to other areas of the city but I love the diversity, it tells their story.

    Monday, possibly my last day in Phnom Penh, and I have made a decision that I need to take time to look around, reflect, take it all in so I'm starting to take my time and if I miss some sights I can come back!

    This morning I walked to Wat Phnom which was serene and beautiful, despite being on a very busy roundabout, I, then, got a tuk tuk to "The Factory" which is the old Levi factory which has been re-purposed into an urban village, very cool! And, because I can, I decided to go to the little cinema there which was very comfy, cheap and had wonderful air conditioning (Phnom Penh is very hot!).

    Loved Phnom Penh, I will be back but I'm ready to move..... Next stop Battambang!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Battambang

    Mar 4–8, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    The second city of Cambodia. Couldn't be more different from Phnom Penh, less busy, quieter streets, more Cambodian but very hot! I travelled here by the Royal Cambodian Railway which was slow yet beautiful, a great way to see the countryside. The train ran through the outskirts of Phnom Penh and villages, it felt intrusive in some ways but I think the houses were built after the railway!

    An afternoon of orientation and getting lost. I ate the best meal I've had so far in Cambodia, vegetable Lok Lak, I've not seen an assortment of vegetables like that in a long time!

    Day 2, I decided to go on a tuk tuk tour with Philay who was my lift from the station yesterday. The tour was with two others and was a fabulous day. Philay was funny and interesting and he had lived through the sad years, lost family members and his school was used for the detention centre S21!

    Places visited :
    Lotus market, a food market including the normal meats and veg and..... frogs, skinned, headless and still jumping, eels (still wriggling), fish still alive and flipping into our path, rats , mice and cockroaches, all for culinary purposes. I didn't take many pictures but warning...... There is one that might offend, I'm only putting it on here to remind me of the day.. Look away if you must!
    Ek Phnom Pagoda, a cow farm (massive ears), lotus farm, Samroung Knong detention centre and killing fields (one of 300 in the country), the bamboo train, the golden gate bridge :-) and the famous bat cave.
    All amazing and hope the pictures do the day justice. It was a great day and amazing to meet Philay and hear his stories and life in Cambodia.

    Day 3 and 4 in Battambang were filled with kayaking, a cycle round the city, a visit to the circus school, new friends and a cooking class.

    The circus school was very sweet. It's a school created for vulnerable children after the war, or was originally set up in a refugee camp on the Thailand border but moved to Battambang when the refugee camps were closed down. They train children in performing and creative arts, they then perform at the circus in Siem Reap once they've graduated. I didn't take many photos as I wanted to watch and take it in, look it up if you want to know more, Phare Ponleu Selpak.

    And the cooking class, motorbikes to the market to get ingredients (sorry Mum but it was on the back of a local and part of the tour!) Toot took us through the menu and all the ingredients, a few that I had not heard off but he gave us alternatives to use! I started the class with just me as the pupil but then was joined by a lovely couple from the Netherlands which was much nicer. Cooked the whole meal and ate it afterwards!

    Loved this city, lots of lovely memories made.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Siem reap

    Mar 8–12, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The objective for Siem Reap was to visit the mighty Angkor Wat. You'll find Angkor Wat will have it's own page (footprint) here and will be uploaded later in the trip for you all to see but I don't want to spoil the fun for my Brother, Dan, and his lovely GF, Tash who are visiting it very soon!
    Siem Reap as a city was okay, very very busy and obviously very touristy. Due to paying for Angkor Wat and a few other excursions in Battambang, I decided to finally experience proper dorm living. It was an experience that I will try not to do again but it saved me money. I know I'm not the average age bracket so I went with low expectations and they were met.
    I did met some lovely people along the way though and ended up really enjoying the city, once I got my head round sharing a room with 7 others and the touristy aspect.
    As usual, I explored by foot, had 2 excursions to see the mighty Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, and on my last day I hired a bicycle and just rode around!
    Clare's bike tour included APOPO (Have a Google, excellent amazing place, met Gertrude, who is one of the rats that are trained here to find unexploded mines and bombs), Wat Thmey Killing Fields and memorial site, a cycle along the river and a behind the scenes tour of Angkor Thom.
    Definitely made the most out of the time here despite the lack of unbroken sleep!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler
    1

    Angkor Wat - Sunrise and more

    Mar 8–9, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    No words can describe the wonder for Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.
    Once the largest city in the world, this ancient city is unbelievable!
    Today we visited Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm (of tomb raider fame!)
    I'm just going to leave the photos here for day 1 and day 2. There was so much information to take in that I suggest anyone interested in knowing more about Angkor Wat watches the any reputable documentary, there's a brilliant one on BBC apparently which I intend to watch on my return.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler
    1

    The mighty Mekong and it's friends.

    Mar 12–14, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    Kratié province is famous for a couple of things, the mighty Mekong river and all the wildlife Mekong that lives along it and in it!

    My journey here started with a bus journey and meeting lovely new friends, Judy (Nunhead, London), Liz (Costa Rica) and Carla (Italy). Lots of chatting and sharing experiences and a dinner invitation or two! A fun trip including a quick no fuss puncture repair at the side of the road.
    Krachie is a quiet town and I wish I had planned to stay longer but I'm afraid Kampot, Kep and Vietnam are waiting for me.

    I booked a kayaking trip for the following afternoon, another dinner with the gang and was leaving at midnight on a sleeper bus.

    First dinner with the gang was interesting, BBQ and soup, no menu, a George foreman type thing with a stock pot in the middle and all the ingredients for us to cook. Great fun!

    The Kayak tour did not disappoint, we saw all kinds of wildlife, a forest in the river and the famous, endangered, Irrawaddy Dolphin but I'm afraid no photos, I was too in awe of them being so close, amazing beautiful creatures (I've been naughty and added a giggle image to this post)
    They are what I, and loads of other tourists, came here for, let's not mention those noisy tourists boats with very loud engines!
    The kayaking was not for the faint hearted, it was hard work but great exercise and I was lucky, Ben the tour guide was my captain.
    A fabulous 36 hours! Wonderful nature, DOLPHINS and meeting my new friends who I'm sure I'll keep in touch with.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Kampot

    Mar 14–20, 2025 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    What a wonderful city and location to end my Cambodian trip with.

    Kampot is a small city compared to Phnom Penh but perfectly formed, it sits on a river and is famous for its pepper and salt, which I bought none of because my bag is full to the brim!

    I chose to stay outside of the city and it was the best decision I made, my home for 4 days was a small place in a garden bungalow sitting in the river, idyllic. So beautiful and peaceful that I extended by stay. I could swim in the stunning river, clean, fresh and surprisingly quiet.

    I hired a bike to get me to and from green mango (my home for the time here, named after all the mango trees on the land) which was an excellent way to see the city and surrounding areas. As usual I had a day of orientation and came across the new dancing water show which Kampot hopes will encourage visitors. By the looks of the Friday night crowds, people love Kampot already.

    I joined a countryside cycle tour on the Monday which was one of the best experiences I've had in Cambodia. 10 people in Canadian Jason's hands! All on 2 wheels and cycling through the countryside for the whole day. Jason has been in Kampot since Covid locked him in and he has spent the time finding out about history and traditions from local people. I learnt more in 1 day then I have managed to do my whole time in Cambodia.

    We visited temples, monasteries, schools, rice fields, palm sugar organic farm and "factory" (Purely for local sales and me, its amazingly tasty, I'm be lucky if the jar makes it home) and a wonderful home cooked meal by Vin. Jason was interesting and obviously loved the country and the people.

    The day ended with the whole group drinking beer and enjoying the time we all had together.

    I took myself off for a kayak round the green cathedral, no cathedral, it's called that due to the tunnel of jungle plants that you kayake through. It was pretty if you saw past some of the debris from the rain.

    And during the searing heat I found the salt fields! I just cycled through them but I can not imagine what working in them must be like. No shade at all! Unusual scenery and yet another example of the hard working Cambodian people.

    My other big win from Kampot was being recommended a women's only day spa! What a lovely way to end my time here, just one photo taken but 4 people were treated to wonderful food, lovely, interesting company and an afternoon of traditional khmer herbal treatments. I felt like I was back at college, pestle and mortar at the ready, pounding ginger, turmeric, plai, finger root, rice powder and other herbs which was used to make a mixture to put all over our skin before steaming! A medicine to help all ills. After steaming, we were all treated to
    massages and a soak in the natural pool. Banteay srey project is a social enterprise for woman's transformation. The mission of the project is providing rural khmer woman with on site training, well paid jobs and a more hopeful future for them and their families. Beautiful place.

    The next page will be dedicated to my favourite photos of Cambodia and some words of reflection after visiting such a wonderful Country.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler
    1

    Vietnam, here I come! First stop HCMC

    Mar 20–25, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Another interesting bus experience to get here but I made it. I'm getting used to getting on one bus, getting off, getting put on another then walking to a border, then getting another bus! So funny and all part of the travelling experience. First time it happened, I panicked, now it's part of the journey.

    Ho Chi Minh CITY (HCMC) is a massive crazy city, same population as London but the majority of people here ride motorbikes, SE Asia loves Motorcycles but I've never seen as many as I have in HCMC. Bike taxis are a big thing (Sorry Mum!) and walking doesn't seem that popular! Adds to the fun for me. I generally walked everywhere to see sights, to see people and to see life in HCMC.

    The sadness of the War Remenants Museum. A museum dedicated to the wars in Vietnam including some hard hitting photography. Once again, it's unbelievable how cruel humans can be. I'm embarrassed at my ignorance on the wars and the lives lost in Vietnam and the ongoing affects of chemical warfare. Our history lessons were definitely sparse as far as SE history is concerned, shame on you Angley School!

    Had a surprise hug from my new friend, Carla (bus companion in Cambodia) whilst entering the museum.

    I visited Indepence palace which is an outstanding example of 60s architecture combined with a 60s/70s interior.

    My favourite morning was a scooter tour with Phuc, a student who works as a tour guide to earn money and practice English, we visited local districts (away from district 1, tourist town!) and learnt more about life in Siagon (all locals call HCMC the old name of Siagon). My favourite was the oldest apartment building which was a US army barracks and is now apartments, originally they were given to locals using a lottery system, now they are very expensive and rent is almost the same as one person's monthly wage!

    Meet the lovely Josh (Huffy) for a beer or four in Bui Vien Walking Street. For those of you that don't know, Josh is one of the camping chums from IOW festival! Loud, fun and full of laughter, it great to see him and catch up. He left me to go on a hostel bar crawl and I stayed listening to awful cover bands and met a wonderful Vietnamese lady who decided to befriend me! All these little experiences add up to wonderful memories.

    Visited Chi Chi tunnels, it was good to see and understand how hardworking and clever the soldiers were in that area with creating the tunnel network and devising innovated ways to make traps and to hide from their enemies.

    My first few days in Vietnam have been full on, navigating the city, going on motorbikes, trying to cross the road but I've found everyone who I've met and interacted with, friendly, kind and interesting. Even the grab drivers who ask if I want a lift (Remember, walking is not a popular way to travel), I say no, I mime that I'm walking, thank them and then they just start having a chat, no bothering me to have a lift, just a little chat and a wave goodbye with a smile.

    Thank you for the lovely welcome, Vietnam.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Can Tho - The Mekong Delta

    Mar 25–28, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    For those who know Vietnam, yes, I travelled the wrong way. I should have started in Can Tho and then to HCMC but again.... it's all part of the experience!

    A great journey to Can Tho which is home to the famous floating market so really I was here for that but actually the city has a lot more to offer.

    Stayed in a gorgeous little homestay with the loveliest host. Kieu Giang is fun, bit stern but very organised and kind. As usual I wandered around the city and met Carla for food and a cycle ride during my 2 days.

    Dinner on my first night was with Carla, who, you may remember, I met on a bus going to Kratié. We went to a "sharing" restaurant, basically Vietnamese tapas! Absolutely stunning including snails! And they were delicious!

    The cycle ride was our own tour through the city morning market and villages along the Mekong. Life is busy in Vietnam but social. Everyone seems to be selling something, from fruit to chewing gum, and whilst they are selling, they are chatting, drinking coffee and smiling! We had a lot of Xin Chao and Hellos.

    We had a Banh Mi lunch, chatted to a lovely tour guide, Hien, who knew we didn't want a tour but said we made her laugh and she enjoyed talking to us! Invited us to lunch in a supermarket which we declined!

    Carla left to carry on her onward journey and I explored some temples via the bike:
    Phat Giao - a huge Buddhist temple with the most ornate decoration and statues, I love the gifts of a pyramid of Lu Biscuits.
    Chua Ong - no pictures allowed but I read lucky enough to be there when the 100s of hanging incense curls were lit, they were everywhere, the smell was intense and the smoke a little overwhelming!

    Then my favourite Pagoda, Pitu Khosa Rangsey - Khmer Prey Russey Pagoda I had seen it lit up at night and found it in day light, it was on 4 floors and you could climb to the roof. Again, the decorations so ornate, there was even a pillar which came to life! And this was just day 1! So much more than the floating markets.

    Stopped for a delicious yoghurt drink and as usual, given free tea. It's a thing in Vietnam, cold jasmine tea with your coffee as palate cleanser in between sips! I'm loving Vietnam!

    I did have a great first day but my favourite day in the Mekong delta, let's call it the Floating Market day, is going to have it's own page! And it still isn't all about the floating market!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Best morning in Vietnam... So far!

    March 27, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    To be fair, this morning will take a lot of beating. Up at the crack of dawn to get a boat to see the famous floating market! I had not done my reading properly and was pleasantly surprised at the craziness of the markets. I thought they would be static stalls on stilts but oh no.... More on that later as that was not the star attraction.

    Just after 5am I was ushered on to a boat with a group of Vietnamese tourists, I soon discovered that it was a whole family visiting Can Tho from Saigon. 4 sisters, a son and daughter in law, a daughter and a brother.

    Conversations were conducted with smiles, gestures and with the help of our lovely guide! Many questions were asked of me, why was I on my own? Where was my lover? How old was I? These were just a few of them. Then the photo shoot! We all laughed so much throughout the 4 hour trip, it was just heart warming. They bought me breakfast and drinks, we shared fruit, we shared stories and through interpretation I was told "you are our family, you are our sister".

    Such a beautiful experience and I smiled all day because of that interaction. I even smiled when I decided to get a grab moto to the cocoa farm but it was shut, 20 minutes on the back of a moped for a closed sign and NO choco ! Fun trip though! Saw parts of the city I wouldn't have seen otherwise!

    Onto the markets..... basically the market sellers own house boats on the Mekong and come to the passing boats (us) on their smaller boats selling the products; gorgeous fruits, coffee, tea, vegetables, dried fish..... No insects or rat unfortunately, which is a shame as I was prepared to try!

    It was crazy and hectic but I loved it! I bought some fruits which I had never had, Mangosteen, tried some moon berries which were like lychees and tried the nicest mango.... All before 6am! I wanted to buy more but as I was leaving Can Tho in the morning. I didn't, having had previous experience of crushed fruit in my back pack!

    We also bumped into the lovely tour guide from yesterday, Hiem, big hugs and big smiles all round.

    I'm so pleased I came to Can Tho. It's experiences like this that I don't think I would get if I was in a group or with a travelling companion.

    Don't worry Williams/Rogers family, you'll always be my favourite family but I do love my new Vietnamese one.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Da Lat

    Mar 28–31, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Da Lat is a small city away from the coast which in Vietnam travels is unusual as Vietnam is a long slim country and it's very easy to just follow the coastline. I wanted to go to Da Lat to experience a different climate for a while, the weather here is warm, sunny, not humid and a comfortable temperature. I'm sitting here writing this and it is raining (not seen rain for a while) due the weather most of the vegetables and strawberries that are consumed in Saigon comes from this area, famous for farming especially flowers and strawberries!

    A long journey to get here which was mainly my fault due to a wrong booking which I was unable to cancel but adds to the fun.

    First day as usual I had a good explore and as its quite small and there were a few main places I wanted to go, I explored and found places of interest at the same time.

    I went to the flower park, I saw the cathedral, I walked through some beautiful areas, round the Xuan Huong lake, Lâm vien square, Jersin Park and took a little train for a ride through the thousands of farms and greenhouses, briefly saw the Linh Phuoc Pagoda (had to run to get my train back), went to the crazy house, it was crazy, then finally to the night market.

    I ate only food local to the area, banh can and banh trang nuong (from the night market, a thin pancake with pizza type toppings but really thinly spread!) both were delicious, the banh can was also a great experience as well as being delicious. It's little pancakes cooked with quails eggs (you can have them with meat or shrimps if you choose) and then served with a delicious broth and green mango. The pancakes are cooked in these cute little individual pans with little clay lids. I asked if I could take a photo and they were more than happy. I had managed to find a place with no tourists and it was so busy! A treat sign.

    My second day in Da Lat was a lovely hike and paddle board with a tour company but only me on the trip. We hiked to the top of the Pinhatt Hill, 1696 metres above sea level), where there was a beautiful view of Tuyen Lam lake, alpine forests on the way up and jungle on the way down. Great way to get out and see the surrounding areas of Da Lat. Dung (sounds like Zoom) was a great guide and good company which is good as there were just the two of us.

    My final day is a short one as I've got an overnight bus to Hoi An but I managed to squeeze in a little visit to the Linh Son Pagoda, a few more coffees including a delicious salt coffee! A gorgeous lunch and now I'm waiting for the bus. Also blessed with rain on the walk here , I love a rain cover, one for me and one for each rucksack!

    Really enjoyed Da Lat, glad I made the decision to visit, it's not all about the real life mario karts which was my concern (I did not do the mario karts but have a look on line!)    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Hoi An

    Apr 1–5, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Hoi An is a shoppers paradise, there will be many people who will be reading this thinking, my kind of place, and I know who you are!!!

    There are tailors on every street, made to measure anything!! And stalls galore, I wish I could bring things home but with just a back pack, it's difficult . When I come back to Vietnam I'm bringing an empty case!

    Hoi An is a protected town, a heritage town. You pay to get into the old town;you'll be looking at the stalls and shops selling leather goods, clothes and souvenirs then there will be an old house that you can visit, a glorious temple, a community meeting house or an ancient house!

    It's also the home of the lantern, stunning amazing silk lanterns everywhere! Again. No room in the bag!

    Also, I managed to do a great cycle trip to the countryside, felt very good as we were really giving back to the local businesses, we visited a community farm, we were put to sctisl work, how dare that happen, I'm on a career break. We cycled through rice fields, had a ride on a traditional bamboo boat and a wonderful meal at a family home.

    And finally the marble mountains and the gigantic lady Buddha statue, at 67 metres, she's pretty big! The marble mountains, exactly as it's says on the tin, but inside there are loads of Buddhist temples which was very cool.

    I have loved visiting Hoi An, its very touristy but I'm in awe of the Vietnamese people, always smiling and always working, a man riding a motorbike with a board of sunglasses, ladies selling a few fruits from their garden on the street & setting up a little cookery stand, from the back of a push bike for mango cake, these are just a few money making ideas!

    Without wanting to repeat myself, Vietnam is a beautiful country which has surprised me. It's surpassed my expectations. I will be back.

    Still a week and a bit left in Vietnam so I'm very happy with that x    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Hue - Home of the Imperial City

    Apr 5–9, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Hue, said like Whey, is a small city which stands on the perfume river, so called due to the incense that's made near the city. It's a fairly compact city with the central area mainly for tourists, the normal bars, shops and restaurants but just the other side of the river is the ancient imperial city.

    First day was spent exploring and walking by the river in the rain! I visited a museum dedicated to Ho Chi Minh which was interesting, the Vietnamese people love uncle Ho so much due to him being responsible for Vietnamese independence.

    In the evening I took myself off on a food tour which was great fun, myself and 5 other like minded travellers (American, Spanish and Oz) joined Bon for a walk round Hue and eating the speciality foods of Hue. The rain fell but it didn't dampen any one's spirits. Rather describe them, see the photos, all of it was delicious! And the company was fun, Bon was a great host.

    This stay in Hue was pretty full on, next day off to a tour of the demilitarized zone which used to divide north and south and was a war free zone. We visited a battle site which suffered terribly in the most recent war, Khe Sanh and we also went into "north" Viêt Nam (it was originally 2 words) and the Vinh Moc tunnels.

    The tunnels were man made in 1965 in a hill to keep villagers safe from the bombs in the American War (it is not called the Viêt Nam war in Viêt Nam ). Our very sweet guide Hao (meaning flower) was clearly very passionate about the history of the war, her father fought for south Viêt Nam, we learnt so much during our very long day!

    And then last day in Hue before a very long overnight journey to Hanoi for my last few days in Viêt Nam before I see my Brother and Tash!

    My last day in Hue was in the Imperial city. I made the visit to the Imperial Citadel and it was amazing, built in the 19th century, designed in 1803 to 1804 and built from 1805 to 1832 (Yes, I did listen to my audio tour) it is a complex of palaces, temples, pagodas, theatres, resting places, buildings to "get air" and gardens for generations of the royal family. I took it all in, I took far too many photos, sat peacefully and observed the quietness. The wierd thing was, just over the wall of the citadel was the city, you could see sky scrapers just over the wall and you knew the traffic was there.

    The citadel is obviously very important for the Vietnamese people, so many people dressed in full Vietnamese dress and having professional photo shoots. I cheekily have some of them in my photos!

    It was a great place to spend a day. At the end I challenged myself to walk right the way round the exterior wall, who knows how long it was but it was a nice walk!

    Next stop Hanoi and straight to La han bay after an overnight bus for a little treat of a cruise!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Cruising in Lan Ha Bay

    Apr 9–11, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Another sleeper bus overnight from Hue to Hanoi which was the most successful sleeper bus so far, I actually slept! Sleeping was good as I was meeting a bus to take me straight to Lan Ha bay for an overnight cruise.

    Landing in Hanoi ahead of schedule meant I was in Hanoi at 4.30am and had to keep myself busy until 7.30 so I headed to a 24 hour........ McD's! I sat watching Hanoi wake up, it was great viewing. I'm fascinated by the obsession of group exercise in Asia, another example of a love of socialising. Sitting with my coffee, watching from the window, a large number of people arrived and music on, loud, and a very energetic mainly upper body workout started and continued for over an hour and a half! Average age 60!

    I felt energised just watching that! I wanted to join in but didn't have the foot wear!

    A short walk (and a slip and fall over, like a turtle with my heavy pack in my back, what a sight!) to the opera house for my bus.

    Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side, it was foggy and misty the whole cruise but it made to a mysterious mystical journey. The boat was calm and slow and we all enjoyed a swim, kayake and time together as a group.

    My ship mates were from Italy, Portugal, France and Germany. All couples and families which was a different dynamic but it was a pleasant journey. Good food and good company. The real reason we were all there was for the scenery and the experience.

    After a great night's sleep and an early breakfast, we cycled to Viêt Hai village, explored the village and had a fish foot massage (small fish sucking and nibbling, odd) then it was back to the boat to get ready to leave.

    The bay was beautiful but it is quite apparent that it will be ruined by humans and non bio-degradable waste which is really sad but for the time being, I'm really happy I made the trip even if I did feel a little like the problem!

    Now onto the last few days in Hanoi and sadly Viêt Nam!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler
    311

    Hanoi - The hustle and the bustle

    Apr 11–15, 2025 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    What a lovely surprise Hanoi was. A busy yet lovely city with nooks and crannies and a lake that breathes life like no other.

    My time in Hanoi was spent walking, sightseeing, eating and exercising! I had the best time and it was a great end to my time in Viêt Nam.

    I had a cute little homestay in the centre of the old town, right by St Josephs cathedral.

    My first full day, Saturday, involved my normal orientation day, slowly getting ready for the day and getting my bearings. I made my way to a Hoà Lo prison, which was an interesting visit. The prison was used for the political revolutionaries who opposed colonialism and fought for independence. In later years it had been a place for American B52 pilots who were POWs in the American war.

    When I arrived in Hanoi before the cruise you may remember me mentioning the exercise class opposite my waiting place (McDonald's!). So on Sunday I decided to join them, I got up at 4.45 and joined the class at 5.30! The funniest way to wake up in the morning, doing an aerobics workout outside a top end shopping mall!

    As it was an early wake up call today, I decided to I walk to train street, like most tourists in Hanoi, a must visit, and watched the train go through the street! It's funny that Hanoi have made a feature of it, it's a normal event in SE Asia, trains going through streets and villages but Hanoi has been inventive!
    After a bone shaking coffee and 2 trains, I walked through Hanoi with the hopes of visiting the resting place of Ho Chi Minh.

    The Mausoleum is very grand and set in huge grounds and surrounded by queues and queues of adoring Vietnamese waiting to visit Uncle Ho. There was absolutely no way I was going to queue but it was really lovely walking round the building, following the queues and all school groups screaming hello and high fiving as I walked past. I walked home through the botanical gardens and spent time by the Hoàn Kiếm lake.

    Final full day in Hanoi, and again, I joined my new friends for my wake up fun. It was obviously pink day for the Encoure exercise group and they were the sweetest group of ladies who wanted pictures of us all together afterwards and kindly took pictures on my phone for me. A reward of sticky rice and coffee for breakfast on my way home and a day of wandering again.

    I made my way to the Imperial city which was amazing, one of the best exhibitions I have been too. As part of visit, you get to go to visit the excavation site where many remains where found. I stayed there for a long time mainly people watching, it's obviously a very important place for the Vietnamese and many schools and parties were here to take professional photos!

    I have really enjoyed my time in Hanoi. A vibrant, lively, friendly, energetic city and really sums Viêt Nam up as a country. I'll miss you but on to the next country, Thailand for the last days in Indochina and my lovely brother, Tash and Bluey (Sparky is very excited).    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Bangkok Baby

    Apr 15–22, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    What a lovely way to spend a week, with my dear Dan and Tash, in Bangkok and in a glorious luxurious hotel, thank you you both for the treat, company and fun.

    This week was a combination of sightseeing, bimbling around and spending time together. The weather incredibly hot and humid but we still managed to walk, talk, eat and enjoy our surroundings.

    We celebrated the Big 50 for Dan by checking into a fancy pants hotel, drinking cold beers in the heat on Khao San Road and then eating constantly for 4 hours on a food tour with our guide, Ton, and one other guest Kallie. Amazing food and an interesting wander mainly round China town but far too much food.

    Sights seen during our time in Bangkok ; Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkharalam (Amazing temples, memorials and the famous reclining MASSIVE Buddha), the Grand Palace, Wat Arun (from a distance), China Town, Talat Noi (very cool little tour of local life and street art by our special tour guide, Dan, aged 50!), Lumphini park (Including it's resident wildlife of birds and monitor lizards), Chatuchak Weekend Market and the "party" life in Kaoh San Road and Sukhumvit.

    We've had a great time in Bangkok but the time has come to say goodbye to my dear Dan and Tash, them to return to normal life and work and me to head up north to Chiang Mai.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Chiang Mai

    Apr 23–27, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    The main aim of my journey to Chiang Mai was to travel North, see the countryside by train, visit some famous temples and a trip to see some mighty elephants (so mighty they will have their own page on here)

    After a sad goodbye to Dan and Tash and Bangkok I headed to Bangkok Station with plenty of time to spare until my sleeper train to Chiang Mai. I assumed there was just one train station in Bangkok, just like most major cities in the world, not !! Yes, I had gone to the wrong station! So a very quick turnaround to find the new station and got there just in time!

    Sleeper trains are definitely the way forward, for someone my size anyway, I relaxed and when the time came, slept like a dream! Arrived in Chiang Mai relatively refreshed and ready to explore.

    Chiang Mai is considered the second capital city of Thailand. It covers a big area but the interesting part for me and most tourists is the old city. Very walkable and interesting. I took myself off for a quick wander to find my feet, do some tour investigations and just generally get a feel for the place, as usual. First day was very hot and it all felt a bit unbearable in a city I was unfamiliar with.

    The following day I joined a walking tour of the city and learnt the history of Chiang Mai from our wonderful guide, Pailin. We learnt that there are 32 temples in Chiang Mai and visited 4 of them on our walk, so very beautiful and all very different. She taught us a lot about Buddhism (I think it's my favourite religion!), we learnt how to pay respect to Lord Buddha and how to sit and pray correctly. A very interesting lady even if she did ask me if I was retired like her 😂. The tour finished at 1 which was good as its so hot here. Thailand is in the hottest season and I've been told that it's especially hot this year! Lucky I've got a little pool where I'm staying. So time to chill and change my normal timetable, go out in the evening rather than all day!

    Chiang Mai has a sense of Europe about it, so many tourists and some familiar shops, I may have cheered a little when I could go into Boots and get a familiar moisturiser! But it is mixed with Thai cultures, religion and great traditional food and even a Michelin starred restaurant where I ate the most amazing Tom Yum for 50 Thai bhat.

    Chiang Mai is a hub for shopping, street food and culture. It has 2 weekend walking streets, one being right outside my door which was fun. Hustling and bustling but not suffocating with street traders hassling you, very calm, chilled, great music and a really nice experience but unfortunately with one back pack and a years worth of clothing, I've no space for anything! Another reason to come back to Thailand.

    After 5 days here, in the end I decided I would like to come back. There are a few key places I would like to visit at a less hot time time of the year, like the Monks trail to the Doi Suthep temple and the national park Doi Inthanon but you can only do so much! I'm just lucky to be here.

    Seperate posts in coming for the elephants and the fabulous temples of Chiang Rai.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Changchill

    April 25, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Elephants! 4 glorious Elephants, that were working elephants but are now being looked after by this amazing sanctuary. Chiang means Elephant so in this area there are many sanctuaries, many are not ethical, they do care and look after the elephants but some of their practices are questionable so I did my research and lonely planet recommended Changchill.

    Here you observe the elephants, that's it and work for your visit. We helped prepare the food and made some medicine for them. In the morning we hiked into the jungle and observed them wandering and eating and in the afternoon we watched them eating and bathing. Elephants do not like brown leaves! Watching them strip the brown leaves off bamboo and eat the good stuff was amazing! They are so clever with their trunks, the way they move and use it to grab things. Glorious, beautiful, surprisingly graceful and massive!

    These truly are the most beautiful animals, yes, I wish they were in the wild but to put these elephants in the wild after working and living with the hill tribes for years would not be safe for them so the sanctuaries are there for that reason. At Changchill, they seemed to have a nice place to rest and live, lots of space, lots of kindness and lots of food!

    I limited my photos as I wanted to observe and make the most of the time at Changchill.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler
    1

    The temples of Chiang Rai

    April 26, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    The temples of Chiang Rai confuse me. They are all very modern temples and they are beautiful but I can't help thinking that they are purely for the tourists benefit. There was a pikachu in one temple and the 4 teenage mutant ninga turtles in the grounds of another.

    Admittedly there were Buddhist tourists visiting and worshipping but there were a lot of other tourists taking a lot of photos, me being one of them.

    Today was a long day, Chiang Rai is 3 hours from Chiang Mai but in the heat, I wasn't complaining about 6 hours in an AC minibus!

    I'm just going to leave the photos here and let you do the history part if you wish but all of them were built within the last 30 years. The one that interested me most was our last stop, the Red temple (that was white) and lady Buddha. This site was built by a wonderful monk who also included a school and a hospital for all of the poorer residents of the area who couldn't afford healthcare or education so they got that as well as a beautiful temple and a MASSIVE lady Buddha (25 floors up and you can look through her eyes).

    We also visited a lovely cafe which had created a beautiful garden for its visitors (just happens to be very near all the tourist routes!).

    White Temple - Wat Rong kuhn
    Blue Temple - Wat Rong Suea Ten
    Red Temple - Wat Huay Pla Kang, it's white in colour but just called the red temple as it goes with white and blue.

    I don't begrudge a country encouraging tourism, I just think Thailand has enough to bring people to their county without these but equally it's nice to have new temples, glorious temples that are modern and amazing.    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Ayutthaya - Ancient city of Siam.

    Apr 28–May 1, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Before arriving in Ayutthaya , I had a 13 hour train journey which was beautiful if quite long. The scenery was stunning and gave me an idea for another trip! Thailand by train and staying at these gorgeous random places we passed through.

    I can't believe I almost didn't visit Ayutthaya, a stunning place and on par with the mighty Angkor Wat. Much of the architecture here has been "borrowed" from Cambodia but the difference here is the new city has worked it's way around the old city. Fascinating place. Everywhere you look there is evidence of the ancient city, every corner there's some ruins, turn into another street and there you go, more of ancient Ayutthaya.

    I thought the best way to see the place was to go on an organised bike tour and then to find my own way round. Bong and Bang our guides (not their Thai names!) lead us through the city for an historical cycle through Ayutthaya. There are 596 temples here, dotted around the city from the 14th century. These along with the grand palace were destroyed in wars with Mynamar so all that remains are ruins. Mighty ruins at that and I checked, the ruins are original, little restoration work has been done but as it is a unesco site much work is done to preserve the sites.

    We were treated to Roti Sai Mai, basically a hand made pandan pancake (the woman was rolling the pancake by hand into the hot plate! And the pancake was so thin, ouch!) then you put this cotton candy fine strands in the middle and roll it up and eat it! Delicious!

    Because the city was in ruins, many people, after the wars, took the heads of the Buddha statues from the ruined temples. The heads were easy to transport and people would sell them to make money. This was done to support life and their families, no malice intended although not sure how that sits with the Buddhist rules. So most of the temples had headless bodies and random heads dotted about.

    Unlike in the UK, the whole place is mostly accessible. There are signs asking not to step on the ruins which everyone complies to. The place is stunning and at night it is lit up to show the beauty of Ayutthaya.

    Ayutthaya was the second capital city in Siam. It had 33 kings over time and over 1 million people living here at one time.

    For the rest of my time here, I did my own bike tour, visiting some of the other temples (on the worse bike ever, hired from my lovely hotel) Obviously I didn't visit every temple but I hope the photos do Ayutthaya justice.

    I was also treated to the last day of the Kohn festival which is a festival of traditional Thai dance and music.

    So pleased I made the 14 hours train journey here!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Heart organic farm - Nakhon Pathom

    May 1–10, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    After months of tourist trails, exploring countries, cities and amazing places, I needed to do something that would immerse myself into local life, so I decided to volunteer for work for the lovely Nee.

    The farm was about half an hour from Nakhon Pathom which is about an hour outside of Bangkok. It was in a beautiful location, so peaceful and lush.

    The farm produces small scale crops of native fruit and vegetables and Nee and her sister, Noot, sell them at an organic farmers market every weekend. They also cook and sell food and products that they make. The salads Nee makes are a work of art and so tasty. From the time they arrive at the market, people are hovering, waiting to buy the sweet pork with sticky rice or salads.

    The sisters start preparing for the market on Wednesday and work almost continually until Sunday evening. Nee is one of the hardest working people I have met so far on my travels. She's amazing and I had a great time with her.

    As well as working hard, she found the time to feed me the most amazing food! We spoke different languages but we found a way of communicating, started with miming and ended in Google translate!

    Did I mention my little clay hut I lived in? It was glorious, my natural waking time since travelling is 6am so opening the door at 6am and listening to the world wake up; frogs, crickets, ghekos, party man across the field! It was stunning.

    And of course, I worked hard! The heat was tough, Nee did warn me and gave me a get out clause before I arrived but I managed it. I cleared leaves, I weeded, I filled holes and I made a door frame from clay! I loved every moment of it.

    And most of all, I lived with a Thai family and experienced proper living in a different country, much like Nepal, the life is centered around work and socialising. I visited a temple, shared food with the monks and Buddhists, joined in with the ceremony and went to the local street food market. Nee included me in her family, I tagged along wherever she went. I've made a really lovely friend.

    There were some challenges but I've learnt a lot about myself over the last 6 months and one thing I'll take from the farm visit, don't take things personally and don't dwell on the negatives.

    And now to say goodbye to the farm, hello once again to Bangkok just for a few days then South Korea, very excited!    Read more

  • Bear 1971IndochinaTraveler

    Bangkok - a final farewell

    May 10–12, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    I have to admit, I think Bangkok is one of my favourite cities. So vibrant, lively, mixture of old and new, temples, statues, fabulous food, lovely people and so easy to get around.

    I mastered the train network and walked alot in between catching the BTS or the MRT.

    On my last days, I did last minute chores and shopping, visited Kaoh San Road, hoping for a party for one but the heavens opened and a river appeared where the street used to be.

    I took a cooking class and mostly enjoyed my last days in this wonderful city and in beautiful Thailand.

    But now to move on..........    Read more

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