The first day At 8 am, we get into the car that will take us to Sayaboury, tired, but very excited! 3 hours later, our excitement is well met when we arrive at the port and get into the ECC boat that goes on the lake and brings us to the center. We also meet […]
South East Asia
- Laos
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Rice farming, the traditional way
We are lucky to be able to try one of Southeast Asia’s local natural work, rice farming, at a very nice farm right next to our hotel. We start off at 8:30 after a warm welcome. First we need to create the right mixture of salt and water to see which rice seeds are good […]
- Laos
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Sabaidee! Laos chapter 1, up north
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 […]
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 […]
- Laos
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East Meets West: A wonderful day at Ock Pop Tok
Today Mama organized us a whole-day workshop at Ock Pop Tok’s Living Crafts Centre (OckPopTok means East meets West in Lao), just out of town and down to the Mekong river bank from Phosi Market which is the happening market spot in Luang Prabang. In the morning, we will do traditional Lao Tie-Dye, and this […]
Artisanal eco paper – made from elephant poo!
One of the things I am most excited for in Chiang Mai is, since the moment Mama tells us about it, is to go to the Elephant Poopoopaperpark, where they make paper out of elephant poo! So, of course, when we set off just after a great breakfast at 10 am, when Mama calls the […]
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 […]
Angkor, Part II: Angkor Wat and on the tracks of Tombraider
On the second day of Angkor Wat, we attempted the small tour with a guide which includes Angkor Wat, the legendary Ta Phrom temple, where the famous Tombraider movie was filmed, and the Bayon temple (temple of the smiley faces). First, we crossed the floating bridge and caught a great view of the temples. When […]
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 […]