Hanoi

We arrived in Hanoi from Hue on the train. Our second experience was a lot better than the first, this time getting the bottom two bunks in a soft sleeper four berth. Much more comfortable.

Sa Pa

For the last few days of our around-the-world trip we decided to head up to Sa Pa in Northern Vietnam near the Chinese border.

Best known for the ethnic minority groups that live here we booked up for a two day trekking tour across the sloping rice terraces, forests and waterfalls that the locals call their home. 

Magestic Ha long Bay

We couldn't leave Vietnam without visiting Ha long Bay so that was our next step after arriving in Hanoi.

Ha long bay is in the north east of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin, about a four hour drive from Hanoi. Made more recognisable to tourists after featuring on 'Top Gear's' Vietnam special the bay is made up of thousands of little islands or limestone karsts.

Hue: An imperial city

Next stop along the road was Hue. Only a three hour bus journey from Hoi An we were to have only a day and a half in the city as we needed to move on to Hanoi before our trip of a lifetime comes to an end.

Hue was the home to the Nguyen emperors who ruled over Vietnam on and over for a few hundred years. Needless to say as their capital Hue is the centre of Imperial Vietnam and all the glories that went with that. Today its is a Unesco World Heritage site and rightly so, even though many buildings we destroyed in the second world and Vietnam wars.

City of lights: Hoi An old town

We arrived in Hoi An hot, tired and a little grumpy after getting off the train from Ho Chi Minh city.

Checking into our hotel Ving Hung 3 we found though that we were in the thick-of-things and after a short relaxation went for a walk to explore. 

The centre of the old town is not very big so easy to navigate around, and to my delight we were soon in a maze of tailors, silk, leather and handicraft shops. 

Good morning Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh city

After much to-ing and fro-ing we decided to get the bus from Phnom Penh into Vietnam as it was the quickest and cheapest route and given the heavy rains we didn't fancy our chances out on the river.

First stop was Ho Chi Minh city, or Saigon as it was formerly known. We were staying in district 1 the heart of the old city and spurred on by our education in Cambodia wanted to use our time here to uncover some of the history of this infamous country and city.

Kep: a seaside town to rival Craster

After our few days in Phnom Penh we took the bus to Kep, Cambodia's top seaside resort in the 1960s before it fell victim to the Khmer Rouge.

Nowadays it is re-establishing its position and although it falls far behind Sihanoukville in regards to attracting hoards of tourists that only elevates its charm.

The sombre side of Cambodia's capital: Phnom Penh

Like most capital cities in Asia Phnom Penh holds a certain appeal. Fast paced, high living inter-wound with the traditions of the local culture and faith is abundant and the contrast is particularly apparent as local markets and temples sit alongside western bars and restaurants on the riverside.

While this is all well and good, it is the recent history and monuments that play testimony to it that drew us to Phnom Penh.

As I've already mentioned Cambodia suffered extensively at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and it is the atrocities committed though their rule that are exposed in many ways here. We spent the day visiting the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleung Museum and as we learnt and saw more of what had happened we encountered a myriad of emotions including shock, sadness, anger and awe.

Cambodia's children

As you might remember from our earlier posts when we first met Toria and Adam they told us about the Angkor Help the Children Organization (AHCO formerly AOEO) in Siem Reap they were going to volunteer at. Kindly inviting us to join them we organised to visit the centre together after our tour of the temples at Angkor.

Firstly to put things into context it is worth noting that Cambodia is currently the poorest country in South East Asia. Little do people realise that the country has suffered extensively over the last 50 years: being drawn into Vietnam's war with America (where the US extensively bombed and mined rural sites believed to be Vietnamese training camps); the tragic genocide and rule of the Khmer Rouge which saw a quarter of the population (approx. two million people) slaughtered; followed by the Vietnamese occupation of the country. Today the average wage is less that $1 per day with 50% of the population under the age of 50.

Siem Reap

We arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia after a very trying journey and border crossing from Bangkok. Tired and hungry we were pleased to see our friends Toria and Adam and meet their friends Gary and Lucy on the first night and head out for a few drinks and some dinner.

We were to spend the next week in Siem Reap with our time split evenly between exploring the temples at Angkor and volunteering at a local orphanage. It seems wrong to lump the two together and with that in mind I will do a separate post on our time at the orphanage.

Where to start with the glories that are Angkor...

Pai

It takes about four hours to get from Chiang Mai to Pai on quite treacherous roads but the views make it worth it.

Pai is a small town in the Mae Hong Son province that excludes charm and captures the hearts of most visitors.

We had three days here and slowed the pace down a bit to sit back and enjoy the beautiful landscape around us.

Chiang Mai

From Bangkok we boarded a night bus to Chiang Mai. Twelve hours later we arrived in the heart of Northern Thailand.

Almost immediately we realised the city had a different atmosphere to the rest of Thailand, very laid back, boho with boutique shops and coffee houses. With only three full days to explore we set about getting to know the city straight away.

Bangkok

As we had been to Bangkok a few years ago we decided to stay in Bangkok for a short visit only while traveling across the rest of the country.

Koh Phanghan

We arrived on Koh Phanghan amid full moon party chaos.

Our visit here was for one reason and one reason only - to party.

Koh Tao

After Bali we headed across the water to Thailand. After a short stop in Bangkok (more on that later) we headed down to the islands. First stop Koh Samui. Unfortunately on arrival, after a very long bus and boat journey, we realised Samui wasn't our cup of tea. After two nights we decided to move on to Koh Tao.

Koh Tao was an entirely different experience. On approach the rocky cliffs, crystal waters and sun-kissed beaches are very appealing.

Para...Para...Paradise

As we hadn't had our fill of rest and relaxation in Bali, we decided to head to the Gili islands off the Lombok coast for some more beach time and cocktails.

With a recommendation of 'one of the top 10 places to see before you die' from the Lonely Planet we were expecting a lot. We were not disappointed.

Beautiful Bali

After missing our flight to Bali - doh - we finally arrived in Denpasar a day late and 400 pounds worse off.

First stop was Kuta for some RnR. Our base for the next few days we headed out to the beach where Mike continued his quest to become a pro surfer while I lay on a sun bed getting manicures and foot massages.

One night in Singapore (well ok two)

On our way out of Oz and into Bali we had a stopover in Singapore. We had originally planned to just stay in the airport as we had heard it was pretty cool but on arrival decided otherwise and headed into the city to explore.

During our 24 hours (combined) we managed to take in a few sights.

Our favourites included a nighttime stroll around the stunning harbour and exploring the all encompassing shopping malls - jeez these people like to shop!

I'm the king of the swingers ...

So from Australia we headed north to the island of Borneo, via a layover at Singapore (more on that later).

Now ever since I first watched The Jungle Book, I have wanted to see an Orang-utan (Man of the Forest) in the wild... and lets be honest with his monkey obsession Mike was unlikely to object, so there was one reason and one reason only we chose to visit Borneo.

Uluru

For those who have never been to Ayers Rock or Uluru as the indigenous call it, it is definitely worth a visit. It is expensive though so we decided to do an organised tour from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs which took in Uluru, the Olgas and Kings Canyon.

Rather than write too much about the trip I will let the photos speak for themselves. What I will say is that the trip ended up being the highlight of our time in Australia, where we felt most inspired. Of course we got to meet some great people too including Hannah and Ellie from the Uk who deserve a mention not solely because they shared their beer and and cider with us.

We may not have enjoyed a glass of champagne as the sunset behind the rock like my Mum and Dad did but thanks to Hannah and Ellie we did get to have a 'tinnie'.

Rain rain go away ...

After dropping Ian off we headed further up the coast to Airlie Beach with a plan of heading out on a sail boat for a few days to the Whitsunday Islands.

All booked up, the day of departure came and low and behold so did the rain. Trust us to pick the wrong weekend for it. With only a few hours of sunshine each day we battled with the wind, waves and Mike throwing up over board for the next two days.

It wasn't bad though. We got to sail again which was fun and stopped off at different sites to snorkel where we saw stingrays, turtles and the biggest fish you have ever seen.

Clapped out camper, piglet, the monkey and a fairy

From Melbourne we headed back to Sydney for a few days ahead of Mike's dad, Ian, arriving in Oz to join us on a three week journey up the east coast from Sydney to Cairns.

The morning we met it was clear Ian had brought the bad weather with him as Sydney turned from 30 degrees sunshine to torrential rain. Not one to let the rain get us down - well we are from the North - we headed out and about in the city anyway on a whirlwind two day tour to show Ian the main sights.

First stop was of course Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour bridge. I think its safe to say Ian had a unique experience of seeing it in the pouring rain but he didn't let that deter him as he signed us all up for the harbour bridge walk the next day.

Melbourne with Kelly

After escaping the arrival of the Geordie Shore crew we arrived in Melbourne for the Easter Break. What a different city it was...

Staying in the Fitzroy area near Brunswick street we embraced the cafe culture, laid back approach and super cool vibe in contrast to Sydney's fast-paced, image obsessed atmosphere.

Needless to say Melbourne was more our cup of tea, and that was good as it is the place to have one.

Sydney

After our chill-out time in Fiji we landed full throttle in Sydney, staying at Wake-up hostel, a notorious 'party' place for the first few nights.

Our first night there we headed to meet Neil (yes Neil of South America fame - he keeps popping up in this story doesn't he) for a few drinks and a catch up in Surrey Hills - a cool, boho area of the city.

Our secret rendezvous was in 'prohibition bar' Shady Pines - an underground, Texas saloon where we downed a few 'tinnies' before heading back up the alley to embrace a street party which was the culmination of an exhibition showcasing street art around the city. Complete with DJ, drinks and arts 'dahlings,' we exchanged travel stories and Neil began his 'move to Sydney' campaign on us.

Fiji Time

Next stop after NZ was a week of chilling out in Fiji. Just what the doctor ordered - sun, sand and surfing.

Yep as imagined Fiji is just as beautiful and just what you expect from the movies. Photo above is testament to this. On arrival we realised we maybe were a bit quick on cutting our two week visit here to only one week.

We did however spend 6 lovely days on the coral coast  - about two hours away from Nadi on the main island of Fiji. We would have loved to have more time to explore other islands but as it was we decided just to base ourselves at the one spot. What a spot though. The home of celebrity love island 2006 - yes that's right the place where Sophie Anderton had a melt down, Abbie Titmuss flirted with Callum Best and Paul Danan got up to no good in the toilets. We had arrived (don't think Mike didn't spend ample time trying to find out where they had filmed the Love Shack - he did).

Adventures of Bertie: A Kiwi Kombi Adventure

So the day we had been waiting for finally came, the arrival of our 1966 VW campervan. We were very excited to hit the road and continue our South Island adventure. Bertie (our self-appointed name for the little red van) was a little beauty and got a lot of attention on the roads as we drove him through some of the most beautiful scenery in New Zealand.

We had a few trials and tribulations though, notably breaking down when we ran out of petrol even though Bertie showed that we still had a quarter of a tank. A hitchhike to the nearest petrol station and back averted disaster of spending half-a-day walking to find the nearest petrol station in the middle of nowhere (p.s. I told Mike to fill up the day before but he assured me we were fine - imagine how well that went down!).

Bertie also didn't like mornings so much so we had a job getting him started every day, much to the joy of the of the campsite.

Kaikora

Ok so I realise it has been a while since our last post. Don't blame us, blame NZ for its lack of Wifi access. Sorry New Zealanders - you have a lovely country but its true.

We were in Kaikora about three weeks ago now. Having been warned it wasn't that nice we weren't expecting much, only to be pleasantly surprised. The town is a little tourist hot spot with nice walks, beach and sea food restaurants.

Our time spent there was mostly about chilling out and getting prepared for our soon to start campervan adventure but we still managed to gather a few favourite things.

Nelson

Next stop on route was Nelson where we were going to stay with my dad's sister and her husband, Jan and Bob for a few days.

Staying with locals really helps to get a feel for a place and it was nice to have a bit longer to explore one area.

Our three favourite things however were...

Wellington

From Rotorua we headed south to Wellington, the capital where we were going to be for my 31st birthday.

Stinky Rotorua

 

From Bay of Islands we moved down to the centre of north island to Rotorua, an area famed for its Maori culture and thermal activity. It is also quite near to the Hobbiton movie set from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

 

Bay of Islands

After the city lights of Auckland we headed up for a few days in the Bay of Islands (BoI), at the top of north island to undertake some more 'beach time' and spend some time around the islands.

Hello New Zealand

After nearly five months in South America we flew to New Zealand last week and started our five week trip here in Auckland.

As we are going to be moving from place to place much faster here I have decided to borrow a tactic from my friend's blog (thanks Kate) and sum up each place we visit with our three favourite things.

So here goes.

And the award for the 5 best hostels we stayed at in South America

In no particular order are ...

- Casa Kiwi, Medellin, Colombia

- Pariwana, Cusco, Peru

- Freestyle Hostel, Ushuaia, Argentina

- Damajuana, Mendoza, Argentina

- Renaca Beach Hostel, Vina del Mar, Chile

... And the best bus companies: Cruz del Sur (Peru) & Via Bariloche group (Argentina).

Santiago & Vina del Mar

So we headed from Mendoza back across to Chile to Santiago where we would catch our flight to New Zealand.

It didn't start off to well. Fairly hungover we boarded our bus, which was due to take 7 hours (the shortest one to date). In true South American style it actually took 10 hours, including 3 hours at the border crossing leading to two very grumpy English travellers on arrival in the city.

Unfortunately it didn't get much better the next day. We got up and set off to explore Santiago by foot.

Red Red Wine ... stay close to me

Instead of heading back into Chile from Bariloche (we couldn't face another border crossing and/or another long bus journey) we headed back into wine country to Mendoza.

On the first day we checked into an HI hostel which wasn't very nice (Mike's choice) so spent the rest of the day getting to know the city pretty well as we looked for alternative accommodation. In the end we settled for dorms in Damajuana, by far the nicest hostel in what can only be described as the 'Notting Hill' area of Mendoza.

Our first night was spent in the grotty hotel so we made the most of it by joining in a pizza party and drinking lots of beer.

Bariloche

After Calafate we headed up to the land of lakes, Bariloche.

Also known for it's beautiful surroundings (becoming a bit of a theme in Patagonia) and the major ski resort in South America, the city followed the theme of Calafate and Ushuaia - chocolate shops galore, tourist driven and lots of restaurants and bars.

We planned to be there for three days before heading up to Mendoza.

El Calafate

Moving on from Chile, we headed back into Argentina for some much needed ´r n r´and headed to the ski resort town of El Calafate.

Obviously during the winter ski-ing is the main attraction and the town is set up to give the perfect apres ski effect.

It works well in the summer too. Calafate marks the entrance to Parque nacional de los glaciares. A haven for hiking but of course most people come here to see the glaciers, namely Perito Moreno Glaciar which is one of only two in the world that is growing.

Torres del Paine

Loathe to leave, we departed Ushuaia at 5am and headed for Chile with the aim of making it to Torres del Paine national park. The trip was an experience. Border control took a lot longer than on the way down and 12 hours in we arrived at Punta Arenas. We decided to stopover before heading to Puerto Natales, the gateway town to the park the next day.

I have to say we were less than impressed with Chile´s southern Patagonia´n towns compared to Argentina´s, however the park itself more than made up for this.

Fin del Mundo

After Puerto Madryn we headed onto Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world. Most people come here to travel to Antarctica and although we were sorely tempted at US $4000 per person (last minute price) we had to be sensible and forgo the experience this time..

There was lots else to do though in and around the city. The centre itself is a tourist haven set up to cater to the influx of foreigners it receives every summer when the boats start going out as well as those that come in the Winter to enjoy the ski season. As such it has a very Swiss feel about it. It is also tax free so very good for shopping! We spent a morning just wandering around.