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Today's blog follows our wonderful tour leader, Alexis, on part 2 of her journey through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia with one of our groups. This trip will be running again in 2025. Our main joining points are starting from Istanbul on 7 April, or then in Bishkek (21 Jun), or Beijing (27 July). However, we can also offer other partial sections of the trip if you wish - please get in touch and ask.
LAOS
Welcome to Laos in the rainy season! Unfortunately our first stop, Luang Namtha, was rained out, but what a joy to be back in this country. I love China, but calm and peaceful it absolutely is not. Laos is. Next was Luang Prabang, and while it rained everyday, it’s hard to take the magic from this city. I am also lucky enough to know Noy, the wonderful woman who has helped me and my groups for years. This visit she and her family invited me to dinner at a restaurant that cooks and serves everything in bamboo. It was honestly amazing. Lao food is as good, if not better, than any in Asia. Thankfully the rain let up for our next stop as Vang Vieng can’t be enjoyed in the rain. The beauty of this area and the adventure activities are the reason for visiting!
Next we headed to the capital, Vientiane for night markets, Cuban themed cafes, evening excitement on the Mekong, giant golden stupas, countless temples and very importantly COPE visitor center. Laos is the most bombed country on earth and the 2 million tons of bombs dropped here by the US during the Vietnam War continue to kill and maim. COPE was created to provide prosthetics and rehabilitation to victims of these UXO. Rural Laos came next with a beautiful drive to Kong Lor where we visited the longest underground river cave in the country. 7km of cave and stunning Karst formations along the Nam Hinboun River. Coming here is well worth the effort. We are now in our last stop in the country, Savannakhet. Vietnam today!
VIETNAM
After a long bus journey from Laos that had more chickens than luggage in the cargo hold, we arrived in Hue! The imperial capital of Vietnam is a great start to the country with its imperial city and its location along the Perfume River. Next up my favorite city in Vietnam, Hoi An! A gorgeous drive via the Hai Van pass and Marbled Mountain brought us to this spot full of history, lanterns and charm (don’t forget great food!) Only takes a few minutes to get out of the city and find yourself surrounded by rice paddies and rural communities. It is a place one can linger. A deeply harrowing overnight bus deposited us in Nha Trang next. It was time for beach days!
VIETNAM - SAIGON: There is no city on earth like this one! Started this visit with XO tours evening food tour. This company is entirely women run and have some of the best guides and drivers in the game. Forget skydiving, one of the most exciting activities in the world is riding a motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City. To feel entirely safe in the hands of your driver is no easy feat, but they were excellent as was the food! Fantastic evening out, and one that takes you to parts of the city outside of district 1, where most tourists stay and remain during their visit. I don’t want to dwell too much on the Vietnam War, but you can’t come to this country and not face it.
The War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels came next. These tunnels, used during the first Indochina War, but were most famously expanded and used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. It is always a bit strange to me when a sight of violence and suffering is turned into a tourist attraction, all of us posing with smiles as we shove our frames into a tiny openings leading to claustrophobic, tragedy filled tunnels (directly after being taken to a shooting range to empty a period AK-47 at a target no less. The deafening sound of violence for fun was too much, but it’s apparently a very successful tourist venture!) As an American it is also difficult to face both the absolute horrors we needlessly inflicted here and the celebration of American death as shown in some of the older presentations at the tunnels. Anyway, it is deeply important to understand history obviously, but now I will move on to more fun topics! AO show at the incredible Saigon Opera house was an appropriate way to the end that day, a celebration of Vietnamese history through present day told through circus arts and music. Excellent production. I, of course, couldn’t leave HCMC without meeting up with Sean, a true local by now! And someone who has been a part of my Oasis story on 3 continents!
CAMBODIA
As we come into the final stretch of this 3 month journey, it is time to catch up on some of the experiences we’ve had since my last post! Cambodia is so much more than Angkor Wat and I don’t want to focus on the horror and tragedy the country has suffered so here is some of the joy. There is a lot of harsh reality to face on our visit to Phnom Penh, which means it is important to also let loose a bit with a sunset cruise on the Mekong (along with my main man in a Cambodia, Diamond!) Battambang was next. This city, the country’s rice bowl, doesn’t see as many tourists as it should with the wealth of experiences on offer. Here we boarded a “bamboo train” consisting of a plank with a motor attached that speeds across a railway line in the countryside. If a train is coming, simply remove your bamboo plank! This method of transport isn’t just for tourists as it is used by locals daily.
Phnom Sampov was next with its temples, stunning views, cheeky monkeys, millions of bats that emerge from their lair at the same time daily and it’s own brutal history during the time of the Khmer Rouge. This is the kind of town where you have the chance to connect with people, place and community so I wanted to do something different and we had a delicious local dinner at the home of my long time local guide and master tuk tuk driver, Sambath. One can’t forget about Phare, the local organization that supports the youth of the country through arts initiatives and training, most famously in circus arts. The school is located here and we visited for a student production…with a whole lot of fire! Students graduate to perform around the world, and of course at their big top in Siem Reap where we went to see Khmer Metal, a very edgy look into modern life in Phnom Penh. Speaking of Siem Reap, let us not forget how we arrived there! We took a slow boat and got to experience a slice of life on the Sangker River. I also I could not miss out on meeting some hero rats in this city. These animals have been trained to sniff out landmines and have saved many lives in the country!
ADDITIONAL TRIPS YOU CAN TAKE TO EXPERIENCE THIS JOURNEY
BEIJING TO HO CHI MINH CITY (28 DAYS) FAR EAST EXPLORER
From the wonders of the Terracotta Army, the majestic pandas of Chengdu, to the lush tropical scenery of Laos and Vietnam, this exciting local transport trip packs a lot into just 32 days, offering a rich and diverse experience.
BEIJING TO SINGAPORE (69 DAYS) INDOCHINA ENCOMPASSED
From the hustle and bustle of some of South East Asia's most dynamic and modern cities to the isolation and tranquillity of its unspoilt beaches and rainforest, this local transport trip takes in many of Indochina's iconic highlights.
BISHKEK TO SINGAPORE (105 DAYS) INDOCHINA EXPLORER
Experience this overland journey, where you'll enjoy the outdoors from bush camping and yurt stays in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to lodge stays in Sumatra's rainforest, all while immersed in history, culture, and natural wonders.
ISTANBUL TO SINGAPORE (26 WEEKS) TRANS ASIA
An epic overland adventure across 16 countries, starting in Istanbul on the edge of Europe, continuing along the ancient Silk Road to China and then through the tropics of South East Asia, ending in in the ultra-modern metropolis of Singapore.