Postcard from Indo-China - 8th February-23 March 2015

I had an hour’s delay from LHR to Bangkok and then a long wait for my flight to Krabi, but once there had a comfortable night in the Sheraton.  Spent my first day lazing in the sunshine in the gardens, with the odd dip in the pool!

The next day I had a great tour visiting James Bond Island.  It took quite a time to get to the starting point, but then 44 of us got on a long-tail boat, which took us out to “James Bond”!  Spent a while there, then went off to do a bit of canoeing.  After lunch the long-tail boat took back to dry land and we visited a temple with reclining Buddhas and loads of monkeys!  Finished the day with a swim in a waterfall – not easy to get to and only six of us – all Brits – swam! The next three days were spent quietly in the gardens of the Sheraton at Krabi.

On Sunday I had a difficult journey from Krabi to Bangkok and on to Siem Reap, but eventually arrived at the Hyatt mid afternoon to find that my friend Sholto, the General Manager of the hotel, had given me a fantastic suite with my own mini pool!  Absolutely wonderful! 

On Monday 16^th I set off in the early morning on a great day of sightseeing, visiting the amazing temple of Angkor Wat, followed by Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom.  I had an excellent guide and driver and we did so well and efficiently that I was back at my hotel in time to spend the afternoon by my little pool.  The following morning I set off on another sightseeing tour, passing a horrendous accident on the way, with body parts all over the road.  The temple of Beng Melea was not quite so good and there were far too many Chinese there.  However the next temple of Banteay Srei was an incredible little temple with a lot of intricate carvings.  Once again completed it all in time for me to come back for a swim before meeting up with Sholto for a few drinks in the evening!   On Wednesday I took a small boat trip up the river to Tonle Sap Lake to see how people live afloat, and indeed the floating market in the middle of the Lake.  Then back to lunch with Sholto and his partner and another afternoon by my mini pool. 

 

Thursday was a day of travel.  After an easy morning by my pool, I left for the airport and had a rather bumpy ride from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang.  Once there my guide transferred me to the Hotel de la Paix – quite a nice place.  It use to be the local prison!  The next day was full-on!  Watching the monks collect alms at 6.30am, then the local market and before going back to the hotel for breakfast.  The rest of the morning was spent at temples, and then in the afternoon we visited some beautiful waterfalls. I could have swum but there were rather too many Chinese around, celebrating their New Year! At sunset I climbed almost 400 steps to watch the sun set at the Phousi Stupa, and that was followed by a visit to the night market.  Finally I had a dinner at L’Elephant, but the day was rather too busy!  The following morning after a brief visit to another temple, I took a boat trip up the Mekong to visit a whisky village [!] and some caves.  It was good, but a few too many on the boat!  On my final morning I took an hour and a half’s walk through the little town and along the Mekong River before relaxing by the pool for the afternoon.

On Monday 23^rd I took a short flight down to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.  I am not a very happy flier when there is no alcohol to smooth the flight, which has happened on most of this trip!  I spent a quiet afternoon in the Settha Palace Hotel settling in. The following morning I set off to see the Buddha Park and then went to visit a silk weaving shop.  I spent a lazy hour by the pool at lunchtime, and then did a tour of Vientiane City in the afternoon, including climbing to the top of their Arc de Triomphe!  Finally I received a Baci – a local blessing - at the home of a delightful family!

Wednesday 24^th was another day of travel, flying from Vientiane to Singapore.  Once there I met up with my nephew and his wife for a lovely dinner at Sprigs. I also had dinner with my two bosses one evening – they were visiting their daughter.  My days in Singapore were quiet soaking up the sun and meeting up with family or friends in the evening, and I did take a drink with a view one afternoon at the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel!

Monday 2^nd March was a busy day – a very early but good flight from Singapore to Kathmandu, but then absolute chaos trying to get my luggage and get out of the airport – more of a shed than an airport!  Eventually picked up my guide, and checked into the wonderful Hyatt where I was really well looked after, but after that chaos continued.  Trying to get around Kathmandu is a nightmare, I seemed to be changing guides all the time and it was a long afternoon of sightseeing. Driving around Kathmandu is almost worse than India, and that is saying something!  Was glad to get back to the peaceful oasis of the Hyatt Hotel.  On Tuesday morning I did a tour of Patan, Bhaktapur and the big Boudhnath Stupa in Kathmandu itself.  I particularly enjoyed Bhaktapur, which was quieter and more beautiful than everywhere else I have visited so far.

After breakfast on Wednesday 4^th March I set off with my driver for Pokhara.  It took an hour to get clear of Kathmandu and the dreadful traffic – lorries, buses, cars, motorbikes, people, animals all coming at us in all directions.  Quite frightening at times!  The whole journey, which took five and half hours, was pretty busy, but eventually it got greener and you saw the Nepalese in all walks of life.  The scenery was stunning with mountains and rivers all along the way.  We saw beautiful ladies in their colourful saris, ladies washing themselves, their hair, their clothes, and indeed occasionally a man having a good wash too!  The men were interesting as well with their long beards, Nepalese hats or Indian turbans, and often tottering along with a stick. We saw people with goats, with cows, with bullocks, we saw old people carrying huge loads of leaves, wood, etc, we saw children immaculately dressed in their school uniform, we saw toddlers seemingly having road sense.  All quite amazing!  Tiger Mountain Lodge on arrival was not quite so good – no phone – just a whistle if you need help!, no safe, no shampoo, no bath, one electric plug, wifi only in the lounge which was a five minute walk from my room!  All a bit like being back in Africa!  However there were incredible views of the Annapura range of the Himalayas.

My day in Pokhara was good – an amazing trip on Lake Phewa in a tiny boat with the snow-capped mountains all around gleaming in the sunshine.  Quite an experience!  Then a tour of the little town including a Tibetan village, a temple, a waterfall, a cave and then lunch at a small restaurant on the Lake.  The town however was in chaos as it was the Holi Festival and they all had red, pink, mauve, or whatever, on faces and in their hair and the town was in slight disarray!  I then had a quiet afternoon and evening at the Lodge before leaving for Chitwan at 9am the following morning.  It was yet another amazing journey through the Nepalese countryside watching the Nepalese way of life, and for the first two hours the Himalayan range was alongside us as we drove – it was all absolutely stunning.  Seeing eagles above us, and even at one stage in a bush beside the road – so much to watch and enjoy as we drove along the very rough roads and often with dreadful traffic!

We arrived at this little lodge just before lunchtime – once again not quite my style, but at least compared to the last lodge it was warm!  After a light lunch at the lodge in the Chitwan National Park, I set off on a jeep safari for three hours – we didn’t see very much, just four one-horned rhino, one or two wild boar and a few deer and monkeys!  However it was unusual in that we set off by boat across the lake – and back the same route – so an interesting scenario, even if we didn’t see a tiger!  The next morning was another unusual safari – the first hour and quarter was by oxen and cart and the last hour by a little boat.  Again we didn’t see much but it was a peaceful experience!  In the afternoon I went on an elephant safari – it was really great and we came face to face with a one-horned rhino, which was slightly alarming!  I just hoped neither would charge!  Some people saw a tiger that day, so I was sad I missed that experience.

On Sunday 8^th March my driver and I set off back on the five hour trip to Kathmandu.  Another wonderful journey, which took me through incredible mountains and alongside some beautiful rivers.  It was great to watch the locals in their ramshackle homes and shops, often on perched river or mountain cliff edges, doing their daily chores.  Eventually we got back to Kathmandu where chaos had been reigning as a plane missed the runway and closed the airport for four days.  It had just reopened as I arrived back!  Monday was a day from Hell trying to get from Kathmandu to Phuket.  The airport [more like a shack than an airport!] was complete and utter bedlam but thankfully I did get out although late so I missed my connection to Phuket.  Luckily I got on the late flight, which got in at midnight, but then it sat on the tarmac for 50 minutes waiting for a stand!  None of the flights or lounges had any alcohol so you can imagine what I did on arriving at my hotel at 2am!!!

My hotel in Phuket was wonderful and I was very spoilt by the managers there who gave me a beautiful room very close to the Club Lounge.  Most days I wandered down to the main pool in the morning and then to the little Club pool in the afternoon where it was quieter.   On one day I took an excursion to the Phi Phi islands, which was very good and I managed to get a seat outside in the front of the speed boat, so got lots of fresh air that day!  We also visited Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach and Maya Bay.  An excellent, if long, day [11 hours!].  The last few days were spent quietly by the pool, my only hiccup being that my laptop gave up the ghost.  It turned out to be Thai power surges that were to blame! 

 

From Phuket I flew to Bangkok on Saturday 21st, and spent my last day in the Shangri-La Hotel.  Had a good room, with a balcony overlooking the river, and was well spoilt by the powers that be there.  I was a bit too close to a rather noisy bridge to sit on my balcony for too long.  I did make a visit to River City, but otherwise relaxed in the hotel garden by the river, before flying home on Monday on a day flight.  All in all a pretty amazing holiday, and almost all in glorious sunshine.