Southeast Asia Top Ten + One Favourites -Part 1

We are finally getting around to publishing some notes in our blog from our trip to Southeast Asia from January 5th to March 1st, 2010. We travelled for 29 days with Intrepid on a small group tour from Bangkok to Northern Thailand on the Mekong River into Laos, down the length of Vietnam and back across Cambodia to Bangkok. We spent the rest of our time visiting the islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket.

What follows is our top 10 + 1 list of experiences in chronologic order:

1. Slow boat down Mekong River

We spent two days travelling on the Mekong River from the northern Thai-Laos border to Luang Prabang. Simplicity of life on the River was evident by a family of gold pandling peasants and school age porters.

2. Elephant ride Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang had great food and a wonderful night market but our highlight here was definitely the elephant excursion.

3. Loatian people, homestay in Laos

The Loatian people always had wonderful smiles and were placid. We stayed in a remote village which we reached by going down river in a boat made from old American B-52 fuel cylinders.

4. Boat Halong Bay

Our night on Halong Bay, a Unesco site, included private onboard cabins, gourmet food, caves and kayaking.