Travel Route:
Thailand
Chaing Rai, Chaing Saen, Sop Ruak, Chiang Khong

Laos
Huay Xai, Luang Prabang, Vientiane

Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Poi Pet

We'd like to say a big hello and thanks to Peter, Ian, Penny and Connie for an amasing 3 weeks. There were 3 other people for the first 2 weeks, but we won't go there... anyway - moving swiftly on!

We'd especially like to say a big thanks to Connie for providing extensive comedy opportunities for us to take the mutual piss out of both the Brits and the Germans....early morning towel placements, trolley dolleys and the infamous 'japanese victory salute'! - all will be imortalised here in pictures soon...
Plus an extended thanks to Penny's hat which hopefully made it home intact for future journeys!

Our detailed itinerary continues below:-

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1&2
Chilling out in Chiang Mai.

Day 3
Headed north to the small town of Chiang Khong (via Chiang Rai) on the banks of the Mekong. Accommodation overlooking the river.

Day 4
A day tour of part of the infamous Golden Triangle region,View image
following the Mekong north through the historic, ruined city of Chiang Saen to the fascintaing town of Sob Ruk at the junction of Burma, Laos and Thailand. Visited the Chedi Luag temple and Opium musuem. We spent the late afternoon at one of the Thai army checkpoints that monitor the border for drug trafficers, enjoying their hospitality and drinking far too much beer and Rice whiskey! View image

Day 5 (Xmas day)
Crossed the Mekong River to Huay-Xai, our entry point for the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Afternoon spent exploring the surrounding area and a visit to a nearby Mhong 'hill-tribe' village, bought sports equipment from the local chinese market before handing them to the local school as presents. View image

Day 6
Travelled down the Mekong on a fast long tailed boat (300km in 6 hours! with crash helmets, ear plugs and a couple of break downs) View image
one of the world's last remaining untamed rivers, winding through mountains and pristine forests to the ancient Lao capital of Luang Prabang.

Days 7 & 8
Nestled in the mountains, long isolated from the outside world – the first sealed road to the city being completed only 6 years ago – Luang Prabang is a world heritage site, containing fabulous temples. We stayed in a converted French colonial villa.

Day 9

Treked through the surrounding hills and visited the stunning Kuang Si Falls.

Day 10
Visited Long Lao, a nearby Hmong village, to discover the traditional life of the hill-tribe peoples. Whilst driving up to the villages we threw out stacks of balloons to all thye kids in the villages. We took this pic of a little boy with this crimbo pressy... View image

Day 11 (New Years eve)
Morning flight to the capital, Vientiane. We saw the new year in with our german friend Connie, at a local cafe.

Day 12
Day tour of some of the fascinating sites of Vientiane; Si Saket temple, That Luang pagoda and the unusual 'Buddha Park'.
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Day 13
Flight to Phnom Penh and staying close to the historic riverbank quarter.

Day 14
Toured some of the sites of Cambodia's capital city including the Silver Pagoda and Royal Palace and saw how Cambodians are coming to terms with their tragic recent history with a visit to the Khmer Rouge Genocide Museum at Tuol Sleng.

Day 15
Traveled up the Tonle Sap River (on a Russian 'tube boat' which looks like an airplane without wings!) to the small provincial town of Siem Reap in Western Cambodia.

Days 16 & 17
Angkor

– an unforgettable two-day tour of the fabulous site, its ruined palaces and vast jungle clad temples. Dificult to show the scale of many temples in photos, but you can see our Lara skipping across the jungle tree tops...lol

and emm...the stairs on some of the angkor temples are a trifle challanging....
kris secretly took this stunning view of my ass as I was clambering down the stairs shaking like the proverbial leaf!......there's apparantly been quite a few fatalaties on these steps, but have never been officially recorded. Anyway the steps were a nigtmare!

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– words didn't do it justice. A comprehensive tour of the major sites, including sunrise and sunset visits.
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Day 18
Day aff!

Day 19
Overland journey through the Cambodian countryside to the Thai border at the 'lovely' Poipet and onto Bangkok.