Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) - Vietnam

An early start of 4:30am to catch our flight to Ho Chi Minh. But with a mental taxi driver we were at the airport in 25 minutes, which should have been a 45 minute journey...

A quick and cheap-ish flight from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), which was only 1.5 hours. We both a slept most of the plane journey, in fact i think we were both asleep before we took off.

Arriving at the airport we had the joys of queuing to get our visas, but all in all quick and painless. We shared a taxi with 2 others who were heading in to HCMC and found a lovely hostel down town. Now if we didn`t know this place existed we would never have found it. To say it is tucked down a back alley and hidden is not an exaggeration. But the place is great, the owners couldn`t be more helpful, clean, tidy and so far so good.

HCMC has a lot more relaxed feel and a lot less in your face/needy/pushy people than in Bangkok. A refreshing change. People are just happy gong about their business and are not really chasing you down the street. You can also have a nice conversation with the locals and there not be a veiled undertone of a different agenda.

What i wasn`t prepared for (although people had mentioned it), was the mopeds....when i say mopeds I MEAN MOPEDS. Apparently there are 5 million mopeds in HCMC alone. One piece of advice i was given before i came to HCMC was that if you wanted to cross the road then you pick a spot and start walking.

And that is what we did - all very exciting and fun. If not a little nervous the first few times.

Our first afternoon was spent walking around HCMC and we headed for the War Remnants Museum. A military museum with various US planes and tanks in the front, with a museum dedicated to the Vietnam war. Some horrific images and tales, but it puts into context the war.

After this we needed some relief, so saw some of the other sights, a grand old post office, mock Notre Dame Cathedral (not as good as the real thing) and then the Ben Tanh Market. 

Now that was an experience. Imagine a traditional English indoor market and then maximise every possible square inch of space in each stall, with bags, watches, perfume, hair clips, Vietnamese art.....everything. A great experience and some good bartering.

After that we called it a day and headed back to the hostel for a lie down. Not to mention crossing a lot more roads, now in rush hour. The number of mopeds had seemed to explode, as it was home time for HCMC.

We popped our for dinner at a small restaurant across town, that Kip had read up on. A place that was run and encourage disadvantaged kids/street kids to work, with the aim of moving on to the higher hotels and getting jobs. A lovely Vietnamese meal and a great setting.

Day 2 in HCMC was spent about 50Km north of the city in the Cu Chi Tunnels. This was a series of tunnels used during the US/Vietnam war by the Viet Con and other rebel forces. At the height there was a warren of over 270 Km of tunnels, on 3 levels used to scurry around and house the fighters. We had a tour by a veteran who definitely brought a sense of realism to the tour.


The tunnels were snug, 1.2m high and 80cm wide. 

In addition to the tunnels you could also sample some of the weapons of the conflict and have a go yourself. Well why not..

We got back to HCMC mid afternoon and stretched our legs by taking a trip down to District 5. HCMC is based on a similar setup to the French Quarters and Districts of Paris. District 5 was home to a small number of older Pagodas and markets, but was mainly know for being the Chinese quarter.

A really interesting walk, which took us to a few very old pagodas, but the most impressive sights were the roads and alleyways full of local trades. From Chinese herbs and medicines, to what appeared to be the cloth/material hub of South East Asia ! There was tonnes of the stuff. Any shape, colour, length, pattern. whatever you wanted, you could have.

From here we went a short distance to another market, this was more a local market, compared to the Ben Thanh one in town. This was more packed, crazy and diverse than the first. I think this was more where the local people came to shop, shoes, shirts, pots, pans, spices; again anything you wanted it was there.

We finished the day tired, but felt like we had seen a lot of HCMC. In the morning we would head north to Mui Ne, about 4/5 hours by coach. Mui Ne is a small place on the coast, popular for its sand dunes and water sports....bring on he surfing.  .

So far we both really like Vietnam and HCMC, a vibrant place with a real sense of pace and people cracking on with life. Tourism is big, but not as offensive as other places we have been, so a refreshing change.

Bangkok (Take II)

So after leaving the idyllic setting of Koh Tao, we arived back in Bangkok for a quick 24 hour stay, before we head off to Vietnam.We arrived in the early hours of the morning and found a place to put our heads down for the night.

Unlike the last failed attempt, we got up early (ish) and decided to see the sights of Bangkok. The first on the list was the Grand Palace (a former Royal Residence and Home of the Emerald Budha). We had heard stories of the locals scamming you by saying that it was closed and that they could show you a whole host of different sights. This was true, but we side stepped them and went in anyway.

Unbeknown to us the day we decided to go was a semi public/religious holiday, so the place was busy. But it was an experience. In a relatively small space there were a mass of different shaped shrines, temples and monuments, dedicated to various aspects of the Buddhist religion. These were just so opulent, covered in gold , jewels and massive in size.

After this we decided to walk through town and head for the flower market, but half way there we discovered from a local that it was closed (no genuinely it was closed this tim). However what he did tell us that the semi public/religeous holiday meant that all the Government owned tuk-tuks were only 40 baht for a whole day (that about 90p) - so in we hopped and went on a whistle stop 4 hours tour of various temples and budhas.

We ended the day mooching round town again and packing our things ready for an early start.

 

Koh Tao

The island of Koh Tao is relatively small in comparison to the others, only about 21 sq Km. So a nice cosy and friendly atmosphere everywhere you go.

We headed straight to Scuba Junction, the dive school and enrolled for my PADI Open Water course, which i would start on the Sunday afternoon. Kip signed up for a refresher, with the intention of being able to then dive together later in the week.

The island was quite busy but then got quieter during the week, this was because the full moon party had been on Ko Pha Nang the night before. This lead us to having an impromptu night out on the Saturday with a loud Australian farmer, a couple from the UK and a Kiwi - random but fun. All i remember is ending up in a bar where there were "Ladys" on stage singing - all very pleasant.

For the first half of our time in Koh Tao we decided to stay close to the beach and dive centre. This meant staying in some "Budget" accommodation. This was a 4 pound a night hut. This was ok and i was comfortable, until the cockroach crawled over my pillow.......hmm. Character building i hear you say...!?

The first part of the week was spent doing my PADI course. This was a combination of classroom sessions, videos, reading and practical skills in the water. All good fun, just a lot to remember when your submerged in lots and lots of water. I was on the course with just one other, Laura from NZ. The instructor was a great guy (from North Devon) and so with only 2 of us to teach, it was a smooth few days. The bit i didn`t like the most was having to take my mask off and swim round for a minute with my eyes closed - but survived.

After the skills and lessons you have to complete a total of 4 open water dives from the boat. This was the bit i was looking forward to. All of these went well and on the Wednesday i was qualified - whoop whoop!

Kip joined me on the last day on the boat to do some dives as well.

The best bit of the diving i hear you ask.....the free tea and biscuits on board the boat, in between dives.

Sairee beach was a lovely area and nice to chill out at 6pm with a beer and watch the sunset (left)

After we had done the course we decided to move away from the small area called Sairee Beach and head north in to the island and away from the hustle and bustle.  A place that Kip had found for some relaxing and chilling out. Well what can i say, but the term "Maynard Style-ee", a lot different from our 4 pound a night hut - Kip has changed.....

Lots of chilling out in our new surroundings, watching television (sounds daft, but without one for a month, it is nice just to lounge and catch up on telly), swims in our own little pool or a proper (hot) shower in a bathroom that was actually bigger than our lounge. 

We decided that the best was to see the island would be to hire a moped for a day. So that`s what we did. We found some lovely secluded beaches, but what they had failed to tell us, was the steep, sandy and rocky roads you need to go on to get there.....but it was worth it. We weaved our way up and down the slopes and eventually made it back in one piece.

Sadly our time on Koh Tao was up and we had to leave our little bubble of luxury and headed back to the pier to travel back to Bangkok. Thank you Koh Tao, its been emotional.

Next Stop - Bangkok for a day and then...Vietnam

Bangkok Baby !

Well hello Bangkok !

We arrived into Bangkok on a rainy Thursday morning and headed in to the centre of town to find some accommodation. We headed for the infamous Khao San Road and found some cheap (ish) accommodation. When i say cheap, we didn`t have a window, but that was a good thing, as the noise of the Khao San Road would have kept us up all night. We spent the morning recovering from our over night flight and headed out to explore later that afternoon.

It was a great afternoon just mooching and soaking up the sights and sounds of Bangkok. Every where you turned you were offered a suit, shirt, sunglasses, massage, t-shirts...to be honest just about anything. And i had forgotten the joys of barttering. Well, when i say i, i mean Kip. All good fun and part of the experience.

I can`t complain about the battering, put it this way, i got my haircut, half hour massage and pancake all for 6 quid - happy days. And i have to say i am very impressed with the haircut, i still have both my ears and a decent barnet.

We hadn`t however anticipated the weather in Bangkok. That's right torrential down pours for a few hours at a time. Thunder and Lighting and then......clear skies and sunshine. The joys of nearing the monsoon season. Luckily though no sign of any floods yet - fingers crossed.

Our plans of getting up early and hitting the Bangkok sights disappeared when we woke up at 12 noon the next day - whoops - i blame the jet lag and lack of windows in the room.

Our intention was to stay in Bangkok for a 1 or 2 days and then head down to the islands. So on Friday night we boarded a bus for Koh Tao. Another 12/14 hour journey...i'm getting used to these.

Koh Tao is a small island on the east of the Thai peninsula and the top of the three islands of Ko Pha Ngan (Full Moon Parties) and Koh Samui.

We arrived at about 9:30 on the Saturday morning, after 2 buses and a boat journey.

Botswana - The Okavango Delta

So as predicted, the bus journey to Botswana was a long one - 14 hours in the end, with the boarder crossing holding us up. The form of the next 7 days was to continue camping in various locations, building to a 3 day (2 night) bush camp in the middle of the Okavango Delta. Literally in the middle, with no fences, no electricity and no bathrooms...

The first few nights were in camp sites leading towards the Delta, which was all good fun. We have a tour group of 6, plus our very accomplished guide Lloyd. He is a wildlife nut and a great cook, so a good combination to have. Although he has so far held back on the various stories of the Delta, i presume to make sure we don`t panic too much.

So the day of the Delta came, we took a short ride in an open van to the side of the river. We all boarded the local canoes called Mokoros. These are the local and traditional form of transport round the 15,000 sq Km of Delta. Yes 15,000 Sq Km, pretty much the size of Wales (although everything seems to compare to the size of Wales outside the UK, Kruger Park etc) [ahem JJ] 

The Mokoro ride was amazing. Being pushed along by a local Poler in a little Mokoro, with only the supplies we could carry for the next 3 days. Tent, Sleeping bag and some beers.....done.

We arrived at our island and started to setup camp. It was basic, but great fun. The 3 days were spent rising early in the morning and heading out for local walks to see the local wildlife. As i mentioned, the camps were very open, in that you could easily have a heard of elephants walk through in the night. To be honest, i was more worried about the smaller creepy/crawly type things, rather than the big ones. Luckily though we didn`t see anything at the camp. The best bit about the camp was the fact that there was always a tea pot in the fire, night or day - now they must have heard i was coming!!

To kill the time, Kip and i tried our hand at "Poling" the Mokoro. All i will say is that we both stayed upright and neither of us fell in...honest !






So after spending lazy days poling the delta, we also had the option of swimming in the local pools. Not something that we were keen on considering the Hippos and Crocs were very close by. But we did venture in. The pools were great and full of tiny fish that loved nibbling away at your feet. Who needs a Fishy Feet shop when you can have the real thing. Although i do have to say the bigger ones did bite a little.

Our last night in the Delta was spent on a short Mokoro cruise to watch the sunset. What better way to do it then to crack open a bottle of Red wine, sit back and enjoy the view.....

So after enjoying our stay in the delta, we headed back to civilisation and to the camp we had stayed at before. However before we left, we had one last thing to enjoy. What better way to see the Delta you have been staying in, then in the air. Cue scenic flight and a few sick bags .....

The flight was truly AMAZING. To see the Delta from the ground is one thing, but to then see it from the air was another - just Awesome. The diversity of the landscape, the amount of animals just running around in massive herds below. There were however a few minor technical difficulties with my stomach, in that the "not as smooth as a jumbo jet flying technique", caused some in flight disruption (i.e i was heaving for a good while). Still this did not take away from the scenery and splendour that was the Okavango Delta. The pictures on here do not do it justice.

After our short stay in Botswana we sadly had to head back to Joburg. So after another 13 hour bus journey, starting at 5am, we took the long scenic drive to South Africa and arrived in Joburg just before sunset. The next morning we would be on the move again, this time to the airport and Bangkok bound...

Overland Tour - Part 1 (Kruger Continued)

Well we survived our first nights camping and were up at the crack of dawn. This would be the pattern for most mornings to come, up at sunrise to make the most of the daylight and best time to see the animals.

Today was the first of our 2 day game drive in the Kruger National Park. With a short drive to the main gates, we grabbed a cuppa and then we were off.  The aim was to see the Big 5 (Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard and Rhino). We very luck and managed to see all of them on the first day, albeit with the Leopard and Rhino at a distance/undergrowth. but we still managed to see a lot. Over the 2 days we would see

• Elephants
• Lions
• Rhino
• Leopard
• Buffalo
• Hyena
• Wildebeest (Gnu)
• Kudu
• Steinbok
• Vulchers
• Zebra
• Giraffe
• Baboons
• Eagles
• Jackal
• Hippos

• Crocodiles
• Staval Cats
• Wild dogs
• Water buck
• Warthog (pumba)
• Impala (lots and lots and lots)

The best bit of the day was the part where a lion walked straight past the vehicle we were in, i mean "oo'er misses" close.

It then decided to sit down right in front of the car and chill out. It had actually been in a fight, so was trying to catch its breath, but still, to see that walking towards you was amazing. Not exactly Eddie walking through the lounge for some food....! Just look at the size of its paws - eek !

So after 2 full days of driving the Kruger, we were rewarded with seeing some truly wonderful wildlife.

The weather was kind during the day but seemed to lash it down at night. This was proper thunder and lightning with heavy rain to match. But the tents held up and by morning the sun was out and the ground quickly dried.

After our short stay in Kruger it was time to head back to Joburg, ready for the second leg of the Overland Tour. So another very long journey back, this time 15 hours in a van back to Joburg. That would have been alright if it wasn't for the 13 hour drive the following day to Botswana.

Overland Tour - Part 1 (Kruger)

1st October - 4th October

So after an early flight from Port Elizabeth to Joburg and a night's stay in a "city" hostel we were packed and ready to head off on the first stage of our Overland Tour/Safari.

We knew it would be a long day, but 11.5 hours drive was a little longer than we thought. We got to the first stop, the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre where we saw a programme to help the endangered species of the region, this was mainly cats (and big ones). A successful place and have increased the numbers of cheetahs and leopards in the wild. 

Here we had a drive round the game reserve to see the various cats and the other animals - the ones that were slightly unnerving to see where the wild dogs. Apparently one of the most efficient killers in the wild, even more so than lions, cheetahs and leopards. Yep as you can imagine Kip was slightly nervous with the sight of a pack of 20 wild dogs, some few feet away !

After this we headed to our home for the next few nights, an open campsite in a private game reserve on the outskirts of Kruger National Park (Gurnsey Region). This was a series of tents set up on the edge of a small river, in the middle of the game park. All around the tent and paths leading to it, were the signs of giraffe and zebra. What they didn't tell us (until we had left) was the presence of Leopards in the same camp the week before. Luckily we would be so tired from the travelling that the sounds of the night were quickly forgotten. Especially the hundreds of frogs burping.



We finished our first day with a night drive at a neighbouring game reserve. Now if you were ever unsure about being in an open sided vehicle, with a whole load of wild animals running around you, try doing it in the dark (pitch black dark). The only saving grace was the poor bloke stuck on the front of the van. Literally on a seat mounted on the bonnet, with a large torch to spot the animals. All in all a very good experience, but sadly we didn't get to see many animals.

Addo the elephant

So after leaving the coast, we headed north into an area called Addo, for our final stretch of the garden route journey. Addo is a game reserve that is focused on elephants, but has since diversified with other wild animals. There is now a whole range of safari animals that just wander the same patch - luckily no big cats, but still impressive to see close up.

However, unlike other game drives i have been on, where there is usually a trained guide, radios to call for backup and the obligatory guns, this one....you drive yourself. What's the worst that could happen?!

Well apart from a slightly nervous kipper, we made it out alive and saw elephants and a whole host of other wildlife. A lot of elephants, eating, bathing and pooing. Lots of poo!

After this we headed back to our accommodation for the next few nights. A lovely chalet situated on a orange farm (the region is a large citrus growing area). We had a short walk to overflowing orange groves, where we could pick as many as we could eat, drink or carry. 

We decided to opt for the nice chalet for the first night and then the next night we had to stay in an "Eco" hut. By eco, i actually mean mud hut - yep that's right, to really get that authentic feel, we stayed in a dung mound. To be honest, it was good fun and surprisingly warm. A nice way to end our stay along the garden route, before heading to fly to Joburg the next morning.

Into the Wilderness and onto sandy beaches‏

(Back in the land of internet now, so can update you all on thew past few weeks)

So after being dragged out of the Port region of south Africa, we headed south back to the coast and to continue East along the garden route. We reached the coast and decided to stop at various long, rugged, but lovely beaches along the way. A place called Wilderness (thanks Jeff for the tip), Buffels Bay and then through Knysna. All lovely places and could easily have spent a long time in each.

The only place en route that didn`t take my fancy was the 216m bungy jump off a bridge. The highest bungy in the world. We watched a few people throw themselves off.....two words....Sod That ! If you actually look very closely at the picture there is someone mid jump..if you can't see them, that will be because it is that big it is basically ridiculous !

We settled in a little eco hostel in the middle of "Nature's Valley", a true forest wilderness on the edge of one of many national parks. We started the next day with a few local walks in the forest and then moved on to the beautiful Tsitsikamma National Park. This had an amazing coastal walk, a mere 6.4km, we thought it would be a walk in the park. That was until we started to head back and got caught by the tide coming in, so ended up doing some impromptu rock climbing. And then there were the waves - chuffing hell, they were big ! We walked alot that day but all worthwhile. 

After such a strenuous day of walking, where better to chill out then in Jeffery's Bay (J-Bay), one of the best surfing spots on the coast of South Africa. What made this stop even better was....the Billabong Factory outlet. Needless to say, Kip was up at 7am and at the door for 8am....shame it didn`t open until 8:30 !

We are both enjoying the slow drive along the various coastal towns and nice to be getting into this travelling m'larky !

Lost in Africa (well kind of)

Just a quick post to say that i have not been slack in writing the blog and lounging by pools.
More the fact we have been travelling to Port elizabeth, Joburg, Kruger and are now in Botswana.
Full details to follow and pictures (surprise surprise i hear you say).

Heading off now in to the middle of the Okavango Delta and 3 days bush camping.......

Normal service will resume when i reach civilisation and internet not powered by goats