Laos was on my must-visit list from the get go of planning, much to the surprise of Thierry. It’s one of those rare off-the-radar-yet-easy-to-travel places that we were hoping for, the reality of travelling with little kids keeping us sufficiently close to major infrastructure, just in case, yet looking for little pockets of escape off […]
Author: Shiela
Chiang Mai – an action packed stopover in Thailand
When looking for a few days on our way from Myanmar to Laos, Chiang Mai jumped out like the obvious choice. We love Thai cuisine and the food in Chiang Mai is supposed to be particularly good and there were lots of things to do, so we booked our direct flight from Mandalay, thinking that […]
Mingalabar! Myanmar Part III: Lake Inle (Inlay?)
With the practically total absence of Chinese tourists which make up the biggest part of travellers in this region at this time of year, the hotels are quite empty and offering great rates. We end up in the stunningly located Ananda, which offers a drop dead gorgeous sunset view over the lake. They also have […]
Mingalabar! Myanmar, Part II: walking from Kalaw to Lake Inlé
We debated for a while whether we should head straight to Lake Inlé or do the 3 day trek from Kalaw. The reviews online were pretty unanimous: the trek is neither particularly exciting landscape wise nor technique wise, but the charm of the people you encounter along the way more than make up for that […]
Mingalabar! Myanmar, Part 1: Mandalay to Bagan
Myanmar was not on our original trip itinerary. Thierry had already been 15+ years ago and we mostly prioritised countries that were new to both of us. That said, with COVID-19 starting to flare up in the region (we are early February now) and our decision not to go the beach in Cambodia – we […]
Preah Vihear: meeting SreyMoch and her friends aux Enfants du Mékong
As we were planning this trip, we were looking for an opportunity to get active in a community as a family. Given the age of the kids, especially the twins, we did not find any such opportunities, especially not over the period of time we were looking for (max a month) – it’s either a […]
Les p’tits gastronomes….in Cambodia
Upon arrival, our culinary expectations of Cambodia were not necessarily low, simply non-existent. Lack of preparation or information, maybe. Of course there will be heaps of delicious fruits, and, given we will be in the tourist hotspots, there will be a good selection of whatever cuisine, but Cambodian cuisine itself is just a fuzzy concept […]
Angkor, 3 more ways
Most of the Angkor historical site has been “kitted out” with bicycle paths and, given how cycling-keen our troop is, we manage to find a rental with kid-sized bikes on the outskirts of town. The only questionable part is getting there in one piece – even the backroad is quite busy with zooming tuk tuks, […]
Angkor, Part I: a circus, temples & a small but mighty museum
We arrive in Siam Reap after a 5 hour lunatic drive from Phnom Penh – our driver almost fell asleep on us several times, stopping every once and then to splash himself with water and fill up on energy drinks. Not very reassuring. Considering the COVID situation – at this stage really only affecting China […]
New friends and street art in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh. To be honest, this name never popped up on my radar as a desirable place to go but as we were reading up on Cambodia with our plans to visit Angkor, it sounded as if Phnom Penh was really quite a funky city on a happy rebound, with a vibrant community, great restaurants […]