Posts tagged with ‘travel’
The Mekong Delta: Phnom Penh to Saigon
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, by Tom ArmstrongThe Mekong River is one of Asia’s great waterways –a powerful, mesmerising and life-giving force that careers from the icy mountains of Tibet to the humid rice fields of southern Vietnam. Along its journey the river blesses Tibet, China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam with its bounty of food and transportation opportunities and is the lifeblood of thousands of people who live along its banks and survive from its fish and the irrigation opportunities it presents to otherwise remote rural areas.
A family travelling through the waterways
I have explored and journeyed along the river at various points of its path through south east Asia. On my first trip to the region as a young backpacker in the late 1990s I took a slow boat from Huay Xai (the border town in the north of Thailand and Laos) to Luang Prabang, and from this time onward I have been fascinated by exploring the Mekong and its tributaries. I have been fortunate to travel down and stay alongside the river in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. However, the so-called ‘Mekong Delta’ region of Vietnam had eluded me on my travels until recently, and what a treat I had been missing! (more…)
Seatbelts Arrive in Ceylon!
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009, by Tom ArmstrongVisitors to the Sri Lanka are frequently astounded by some of the driving manoeuvres they witness and the apparent lack of rules on the road. I myself have frequently wondered why, for a nation that rarely rushes for anything, is driving done in such a hurried fashion? However, what often surprises people most is not just the way people here drive, but how it is extremely rare to see drivers (or passengers for that matter) wearing seatbelts. (more…)
Travel tip for first time Thailand visitors…
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkThe Skyrail
It is best to get around in Bangkok on the skyrail and metro if you can; they are really pleasant very easy and cheaper than a tuk tuk or taxi.