Grand Escapades
Travel Photography & Travel Experiences of Africa, South America, the Middle-East & Asia
In the streets of Phnom Penh
Huge contrasts were the first thing that we observed, already when arriving by bus through the outskirts of the city. The newest, most shiny building may sit next to a completely dilapidated wooden hut on stilts in swampy terrain. This characteristic is also true for the city center, where elegant hotels or new government buildings are not far from the thousands of ghastly dwellings on the shores of Lake Boeng Kak or the Tonle Sap River. Continue Reading →
Sunset over the Mekong, Kratie
After we passed the border to go to Stung Treng, we saw very few people, even less houses, not speaking of traffic. It seemed that Cambodia was a country without cars. A few ramshackle huts could be seen along the road. However, they were not made of neatly woven bamboo mats like in rural Laos, but a few planks hammered together. There was no electricity even for huts right on the main road passing to the capital and water was collected in big earthen jars. Continue Reading →
Border Crossing between Laos & Cambodia
The plan was rather simple: we had bought an expensive ticket from our guesthouse on Don Khon to be taken from there to Phnom Penh in one day. That involved taking a boat, a minibus to the border, another minibus from the border to the next town and finally a bus to Phnom Penh, a 14 hour journey. Continue Reading →
Don Khon, 4.000 Islands, South Laos
The boat trip from Don Khong to Don Khon – this is not a joke, the “g” makes for a difference of 16 kilometers further south on the Mekong – was fantastic. Cruising past small islands that had almost disappeared in the Mekong’s high waters, we saw many small boats carrying just anything, tables, motorbikes, etc… Continue Reading →
Don Det, 4.000 Islands, South Laos
Of the so called 4.000 islands on the southernmost part of the Mekong in Laos, only three are tourist destinations: Don Khong, Don Det & Don Khon. We guess all readers now know that “Don” means “Island” in Lao. Continue Reading →
Bolaven Plateau, Pakse
Did you know that you can find some world class coffee in Laos? I am not talking about drink sweetened with condensed milk that you get with your breakfast, which requires getting used to it… I mean the coffee that is grown on the Bolaven Plateau, some 1.420 meters above the see level in the otherwise flat region of the lower Mekong in southern Laos. Continue Reading →
Wat Phu Champasak, Pakse
A visit to Wat Phu is more than paying tribute to Laos’ most impressive archaeological site. It is above all a fun trip. The best part is definitely the crossing of the Mekong, either in a tiny roll-on ferry, made of two canoes linked by a few wooden planks or on the “regular” ferry, where you can observe local women trying to sell just any food to passengers: noodle soup, coca-cola, cooked bananas and what not… After the heavy rain recently, the Mekong was spreading as far as the eye can see. Continue Reading →
On the way to the (floaded) 7 kilometer long Kong Lo Cave
After arriving in Khoum Khan late in the evening, I found a place to sleep and good company on top: a few Australians who also had arrived that day and wanted to go to Kong Lo Cave the following day. I was really relieved since my biggest worry was that I would have to pay for the entire transport to Kong Lo village and for the cave alone. Continue Reading →
On the way to Kong Lo Cave
“Quick, quick” said the lady when I asked for the bus to Khoum Khan at Vientane’s southern bus station and pushed me into a bus that was pulling out of the station. Gilles refused to join this excursion, but had set my mind and heart to visiting the spectacular 7 kilometer long Kong Lo Cave. Not just another random cave, but to see the cave, you take a boat along the river that goes all the way through the cave to the other side of the mountain… Continue Reading →
On te way to Wat Phu Champasak, Pakse
Since we wanted to visit different places at a different pace, we decided to travel our own way for the next week. It was also time for each of us to be a little on our own: we have been sticking together non-stop since Chile, which means 7 months! I decided to skip the area around Tha Khaek, which also meant giving up traveling the “430 kilometer Loop” on motorbike. But considering the many times I have been sick over the last 4 weeks, it simply was more reasonable. So I flew directly to Pakse, 680 kilometers further south. Continue Reading →