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Chiang Mai Round Up

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What photo takes you right back to Chiang Mai?

Our day as elephant owners was one of the most memorable of the trip so far.

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Summarise Chiang Mai in three words.

  • Elephants – are everywhere; tour agencies offer experience days similar to the one we did, the commonest kind of beer is Chang (the word for elephant in Thai), souvenirs, T-shirts and other clothes are printed with elephants, and statues and shrines represent them.
  • Wats – So many to visit in and around the city.
  • Massage – is common across Thailand but there seems to be a particular concentration of shops in Chiang Mai and we got quite a taste for a regular pummelling.

You really know you’re in Chiang Mai when…

…you’re walking along the street and from one side the ladies of the massage shop call out “hello, massaaage?” while from the road tuk-tuks and songteeows slow down and beep at you as they pass to check if you need a lift. There’s no public transport in Chiang Mai so that function is fulfilled by vans called songteeows which operate as shared taxis, or tuk-tuks which work as private taxis.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Chiang Mai?

Shoes which are easy to take off repeatedly for going into all the prayer halls of those wats. And if you visit during December and January a jumper would be a good idea as it gets quite chilly in the evening (don’t go mad though, there’s really no need for a coat!).

Cambodia Round Up

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What photo takes you right back to Cambodia?

It’s got to be us in front of Angkor Wat, the iconic symbol of Cambodia. We were in awe of the temples and each picked out our favourites from the many we saw. Read Andrew’s top temples, or Julie’s top temples, or both!

Angkor Wat - TwoYearTrip.com

Julie and I at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Summarise Cambodia in three words.

  • Temples – It had to be, right?!
  • Tuk-Tuks – In Vietnam, the motorcycle is easily the dominant mode of transportation, but in Cambodia, it’s the tuk-tuk. The Cambodians have their own style of tuk-tuk, which could be more accurately described as an auto-rickshaw – a standard motorcycle that pulls a little carriage. They’re very comfortable, but the open sides mean you can get a face full of dust when speeding along the back roads.
  • Rouge – The horrifying history of the genocide at the hands of the Khmer Rouge is one the Cambodian people want the world to know about and remember in the hope that it never happens again, anywhere.

You really know you’re in Cambodia when…

When you’ve walked the length of a block and said “te, aw khun” almost non-stop. That phrase means “no, thank you” in Khmer, and tuk-tuk drivers will watch you walk past and refuse any number of tuk-tuks then still ask you if you want to get in theirs. “Te, aw khun.”

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Cambodia?

Your best set of knees. It seemed we were forever stepping up to and down from pavements, avoiding obstacles such as drying fish, potholes, scooters (both parked and in motion – apparently they have right of way on pavements too), street cafes and shop fronts. And in Angkor, those temples have lots of steep, steep steps!

Vietnam Round Up

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With thanks to Jo for her input to this post

What photo takes you right back to Vietnam?

We had a great time moving south through Vietnam for 2 weeks with Jo and one of our favourite days was spent on scooters exploring Cat Ba Island.

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Summarise Vietnam in three words.

  • Motorbikes – it seems that motorbikes and scooters keep everything moving in Vietnam. We saw them piled high with all manner of goods and carrying families of four as well as weaving around us every time we needed to cross the road.
  • Smiles – if you smile at people in Vietnam you usually get a huge grin back even if you’re say ‘no thanks’ to whatever they’re selling.
  • Bia Hoi – we tried to integrate ourselves fully with Vietnam’s culture which meant drinking a lot of fresh beer…

You really know you’re in Vietnam when…

…crossing the road. To cross the road in Vietnam you need to just step into the traffic and keep moving at a steady rate even when your instincts are screaming at you to either run or stop because there are three motorbikes heading towards you (they’ll weave around you, I promise). It’s a hard trick to master and caused many an adrenaline rush.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Vietnam?

A waterproof poncho. We had some lovely weather in Vietnam, but we got really wet plenty of times too and all of the locals had their ponchos ready for the downpours (they work well if you’re cycling or motorbiking too).

Hong Kong Round Up

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What photo takes you right back to Hong Kong?

That would be us on the Star Ferry, taking the Harbour tour on Andrew’s birthday.

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We crossed the harbour quite a few times in our 3 week stay, mostly on the excellent MTR, but sometimes we could plan our activities so that we could take the ferry because it was more of an adventure, and it’s cheaper!

Summarise Hong Kong in three words.

  • Familiar – not really that surprising as we’re from the UK, but Hong Kong felt like a hot, humid home. We often heard English on the street with British accents, the traffic drives on the left and observes the traffic signals, and the LFK area with its bars, cafes and restaurants could be a mini London albeit on the side of a hill
  • Different – Central Hong Kong feels like London, but step out of the MTR in TST near Chunking Mansions on the Kowloon peninsula just 20 minutes away you could be in India – the pungent aroma of curry in the air and the dark-skinned men wearing darker trousers and off-white shirts, yet walk a block further north and you’re in China!
  • Cramped – Hong Kong is notorious for cramped living spaces. Oftentimes the door into our room would hit the bed before opening fully, and wet-room bathrooms are de rigeur, requiring good balance as a couple of them were so small we had to straddle the toilet to have a shower

You really know you’re in Hong Kong when…

…you’ve walked a block and been offered a tailor, a suit, a SIM card, a fake watch, a curry, a massage, hashish, a fake handbag, and a bed for the night.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Hong Kong?

Deodorant. It’s a bustling, hot place and you’ll often find yourself in close quarters with your fellow humans such as queues, packed MTR carriages and lifts. It’s also very common to be seated with other diners at restaurants, and no one likes the waft of BO, whether from tourists or from locals. Sadly, this list was not compiled at random..

China Round Up

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What photo takes you right back to China?

It has to be the Great Wall. It’s such an iconic sight but seeing it snaking off over the hilltops in both directions really was breathtaking. It was also the first day of Mum and Dad’s holiday with us and it was great to see China with them.

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Summarise China in three words.

  • Food – without doubt one of the highlights of our stay was the incredible food, from Peking Duck to noodles in a backstreet cafe and pork rolls from a street stand, pretty much everything we tried was delicious!
  • Imperial – the Forbidden City, the emperors’ tombs in Xi’an, and many of the other sights we visited were evidence of China’s imperial past
  • Scaffolding – everywhere we went it seemed that China was under construction, from the ‘ancient city wall’ in Datong to new high rise blocks seen from train windows in all of the cities we visited.

You really know you’re in China when…

…your feet are aching and you’re engulfed by a group of Chinese tourists all wearing the same coloured caps.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to China?

Your appetite! You’ll definitely want to practice your chopstick skills on the wide range of tasty foods available.