Nowhere in Particular

Based in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a few days, we decided travel 200km on a day trip tour up to Preah Vihear Temple on the Thai border. We opted for a group tour, not only because it is usually cheaper, but you typically meet some other interesting travellers. It was on this trip we met Andre. Already comfortably seated in our mini-bus, Andre was to be the only other person joining us on this tour. Excited for the day ahead we quickly introduced ourselves and were then thoroughly entertained for the next two hours by this interesting character. Andre is a life coach who was born in Germany but grew up in Russia. He spent several years in Peru training as a Sharman and has spent the last four months in India learning the art of Tantra. After visiting Cambodia, he will be travelling to Thailand to learn about becoming a Yoga instructor. The time quickly passed as we heard about Andre’s unusual experiences and beliefs. While listening attentively to every word about his escapades, hi...

We have travelled from the Capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh to the sleepy coastal town of Kep. An easy 2.5-hour bus trip to Kampot and a 30min tuk-tuk ride brought us to our hotel situated on a small peninsula that encompasses a wildlife preserve. Our lovely hotel is located 1.6 km from the main town and beach area, but we are only two minutes away from the ocean if we stroll down the road. This easy access to the ocean inspired the start to our perfect day. When you are travelling, every day should be enjoyed but some certainly stand out. This particular idyllic day began with by walking past the lazy cows who have just been let out for their morning graze. Having the beachfront to yourself, you take your time walking to the promenade and are careful not to get splashed by the incoming tide. Looking at the ocean and incoming tide in Kep, Cambodia Looking right, you see the empty beach huts that on a high-season day, you imagine would be packed with beach goers. Looki...

Travelling from one destination to the next for an extended period, you have to wash and wear while moving. We have not packed very well, taking way too much stuff. But this gives you a few day’s grace in between washing if you are unable to do so after a busy day of sightseeing. What we very quickly learnt, is that wearing an item of clothing once does not necessarily mean it's dirty. Obviously, you look at the article to see if you have splatted something disgusting from a pavement on your pants or dribbled street food down your shirt, but the real test is the great sniff. If you can still bear the smell, that shirt is still good for another round. The traveller's ultimate test for cleanliness - the great sniff The first part of our journey was bitterly cold, but I realise now that cold weather has its advantages. You can wear something more than once before it starts infecting the other clothes in your case with bad odours. However, now that we are in a hot, hum...

Hoi An was not specifically on our itinerary for Vietnam. Thank goodness our bus ticket included it as a stop. We instantly fell in love with the place and just kept extending our stay. Our hotel has a lovely garden, and private seating areas dotted all over, and when you step out of this little haven, the street is filled with small tailors, spas and restaurants. We did not even venture into the old city or go to the river for the first few days. Our neighbourhood was perfect and had everything we needed. However, our first outing to the river, market and old town just made us like this place even more. Hoi An has a more relaxed pace than Hanoi, and the people are even warmer than all the lovely Northern Vietnamese people we had already met. We found everyone to be gracious, humble people with the woman tending to touch your arm in a kind and friendly gesture when speaking to you. Hoi An old town as viewed from across the river Snacks available on ever corner in old town H...

Vietnam has a wonderful way to travel between cities that are spread out. It is called a sleeping bus. Sounds like a great idea – fully reclined seats that allow you to sleep while you travel overnight to your next destination. In principle, this can be a comfy way to travel. But only if you are under five feet tall, which we are not. I am a reasonably tall girl at 1.78m, but my husband Schalk comes in at 1.96m. So our first sleeping bus experience was interesting. Each bus has three rows of double-stacked sleeping births. The back row differs depending on whether the bus has a toilet on board, but this was the only place Schalk could sort-of fit. His feet dangle off the edge much to the bus conductor’s annoyance. Jammed into your sleeping bus Sleeping bus is perfect if you are under five feet tall To make things more comfortable, you are expected to remove your shoes in front and are given a plastic packet for them. Unfortunately, there is no space for carry-on luggag...