Off the Beaten Path and Taking it Easy: Don Det, Laos

Much of our travel itinerary in south east Asia has been put together on the fly. At this point - going on 6-months into our around-the-world trip - we've long outpaced all of the pre-trip planning we were able to cobble together before we left Canada. That doesn't mean we're just traveling around with out a clue where we're going to be next. Many of the places we've been visiting have been destinations we've been looking forward to checking out for years. What it does mean is that we've been including a lot of unexpected stops in the mix, following up on suggestions we've been hearing from others we've crossed paths with and uncovering quite a few unexpected gems. My favourite kind of travel.

One of those places we happened to find ourselves in was Don Det in southern Laos. We first heard about Don Det from a couple from Australia that we met in Halong Bay. At the time, we knew we wanted to travel into Laos at some point, but we weren't sure exactly which locations we wanted to visit. Many of our friends had recommended Luang Prabang, but that would entail traveling north from Cambodia, and no doubt many long travel days.

Checking the map, we noticed it might be possible to get to Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) in southern Laos without too much trouble. The Australians mentioned they enjoyed their stay in Don Det, one of the islands in Si Phan Don, every bit as much as Luang Prabang. So, without much further ado, we headed through Cambodia via Phnom Penh and Stung Treung to the Laos border where we caught a boat to Don Det.

Picking up tickets to Don Det

Boat ride to the island

We learned that Don Det has long been considered a travellers' Mecca and a little off the beaten path, even by backpacker standards. Over the past few years the island's popularity has been growing, particularly since the introduction of around-the-clock electricity a couple of years back. Our guidebook, which is a few years out-of-date, mentioned the power would be turned off across the island at 10pm so we were pleasantly surprised on the first night when this didn't happen. No having to hang out in the dark at night, yay! Facilities are pretty bare bones (even with electricity) but accommodations are priced accordingly. Our double occupancy bungalow, which consisted of a simple, "rustic" room with a bed and a mosquito net, was a very affordable $4/night.

One of the  riverside restaurants on Don Det

Waterside view

There are many tour operators on the island offering day trips to visit nearby waterfalls or to view the river dolphins. You can also go fishing, kayaking, take guided treks or go tubing. If you want to… We spent our days enjoying slightly more low-key activities, exploring the island, and neighbouring Don Khon on foot and by bicycle, lounging in the many restaurants and cafes by the banks of the Mekong and generally just taking it easy. Sigh!

Important info!

Even more important...

Vietnam of My Dreams: Halong Bay and Cat Ba

Halong Bay

Seems I've got a lot of catching up to do! When last I wrote we were savouring a much-needed break from budget traveling thanks to the hospitality of B's aunt and uncle in Hong Kong. After a month on the Camino and two weeks in dusty and gritty Morocco, a little pampering felt heavenly!

That was then…so to speak. At the moment we're back on the backpacker trail, staying in bungalows in the greater Mekong that are costing us next to nothing. Bare bones accommodations at best, but a style of travel not without its charms. It's always fun to get a little further off the beaten path, and there's the great company of other travelers who are often keen to share stories of their adventures in far flung places.

But I get ahead of myself. In between Hong Kong and our current location in Southern Laos, we treated ourselves to a bit of mildly extravagant mid-range traveling in Vietnam. In other countries we've had to forgo the luxuries of such comfortable accommodations, but traveling Vietnam is very inexpensive. Mid-range travel, while comparatively much more expensive than budget travel, is still a fantastic deal--in Hanoi, for example, we booked into a top-floor suite of a new hotel in the Old Quarter, complete with a city view, wall-to-wall windows and chocolates on our pillows at night for the exorbitant cost of $28 a night.

In addition to stopping in laid-back and traditional Hanoi, and bustling, modern Ho Chi Min City we spent 3 unforgettable days in Halong Bay and Cat Ba. Though we usually go the DIY route when it comes to making travel arrangements, for our trip to Halong Bay we took a shortcut and booked a tour through our hotel. This decision wasn't wholly driven by laziness and procrastination, mind you. Our guidebook mentioned it would be difficult and potentially more expensive to try to make arrangements for our trip on our own. Incidentally, we did see some evidence that this might be partially true--the independent travellers we crossed paths with during our trip appeared to be spending a great deal of time waiting for transportation that was perpetually late or didn't show, though I guess it's possible they may have gotten a better deal than we did.

Our transportation and sleeping accommodations in Halong Bay

Relaxing on the upper deck

Our cabin on board the ship

Our tour included bus pick-up at our hotel in Hanoi at 8am. Mr. 'Two', our tour guide, provided us with bottled water for the 3 hour drive out to Halong City and spent about an hour pointing out sights of interest along the way, passing on info on the ecological highlights of the area we were traveling to and explaining the details of our itinerary to us. Upon our arrival in Halong City we were guided to a small boat at the dock that took us out to the boat we would spend the rest of the day and one night on. Our boat was spacious and clean with ample room for the 20 or so of us on the tour to spread out whether lounging on the top deck or enjoying a meal in the dining room. The cabins were also a good size and each included it's own bathroom and shower (hot showers to boot!).

Bungalows on the beach in Cat Ba

We were put in the bungalow at the end of the beach!

The beach in front of our bungalows

Spending a night on a boat under the stars in beautiful Halong Bay was an amazing experience, but my favourite night's sleep of the tour was actually the second night when we stayed in bungalows on a beach in Cat Ba. Magical! The tour also included just the right amount of excursions to keep us active while still providing plenty of opportunities for rest and relaxation in the beautiful locations we visited.

Some of the things we did...

• Exploring Hang Sung Sot, Vietnam's second largest cave
• Kayaking at Three-Peach Islets
• Squid Fishing from the deck of the boat at night
• Visit to a pearl farm
• Bicycle riding and jungle trekking in Cat Ba National Park or kayaking and swimming from the beach in front of our bungalows on Cat Ba
• Cooking class
• Bonfire on the beach

Hang Sung Sot cave

Oysters are suspended from grids at the pearl farm

Pearl farm

Islands in Halong Bay

Bike riding on Cat Ba island

Trekking on Cat Ba

Cat Ba Island

One of the many fishing villages in Halong Bay

Another view of Halong Bay

Kayaking at sunset at Three-Peach Islets

Reaching the summit of the ridge on Cat Ba

Cooking class

My Hong Kong Top Ten: A Little Bit of Yesterday and Little Bit of Tomorrow

The Aqua Luna docked at Admiralty

Hong Kong is hands down the most futuristic city we've every visited and then some. Everywhere we look there are towering buildings stretching up into the sky. We move through the city on elevated walkways--concrete and glass passages and an endless stream of escalators complete with lovely landscaping and water features. Giant, super fancy malls with endless floors, every corridor lined with designer boutiques. Streets and buildings filled with people from all walks of life, who come from everywhere on the plane.

On the flip side, Hong Kong is also one of the most traditional cities we've ever visited. In the food markets, grocers and butchers stand on the sidewalks surrounded hanging meat, ready to hack off a bit of beef or pork to be wrapped in paper, totaling bills in their heads. In the tea houses, tea is sometimes still served by robed waitstaff the old way. Temples and alters can be found around every corner--just follow the smell of the incense.

My Top Ten Favourite Things to Do in Hong Kong

Likewise my top ten favourite things to do in Hong Kong are a mix of the old and the new:

1. Cheung Chau Island
2. Temple Street Night Market
3. Star Ferry Crossing and the Symphony of Lights
4. Riding the Central-Mid-Levels escalator to Soho
5. Sampan Ride in Aberdeen
6. Views of the city from The Peak and a hike on Lugard Road
7. Cocktails at Café Gray Deluxe in Upper House
8. Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery 
9. Michelin star dim sum at Tom Ho Wan
10. Riding the tram through the North Point Market

Honourable mentions:
Hong Kong Park, dinner in the open-air restaurants Stanley Village, strolling along the waterfront, Queen's Road and the Central Market

It sounds like a lot, but I've got a feeling we've just scratched the surface. Though we didn't expect to come to Hong Kong when we initially began planning our visit to Asia, I'm glad we did. It's been an amazing experience that I'll never forget!

If you're interested, you can view more of the photos I took in Hong Kong on flickr.

North Point Market

Hong Kong Island at night

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Jumbo floating restaurant

Hong Kong Park

Temple Street Night Market

Busker at Temple Street Night Market

Admiralty at night, the building in the background
is all decked out for Christmas

Giving Thanks in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's skyscrapers viewed from The Peak

Since I last wrote, we've switched gears and gone from Morocco's historic medinas to futuristic Hong Kong. As luck would have it, we've arrived just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with relatives from the States who've been living here for the past few years. It's quite the score for us as we're definitely up for pigging out on a big meal at this point - we both managed to lose some weight on the Camino so I believe a little indulgence is in order!

We've been asked to share what we are thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner and while I was mulling it over I thought, why not do up a post for the blog? 

Things I'm thankful for...

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. If I tried to put together a full list, I expect it'd stretch a good two-thirds of the way around the globe. It would include all the incredible, new experiences we've enjoyed on our around-the-world journey so far, and all the wonderful friends and family who've been so generous in providing us with places to stay along the way. It would also include all the amazing new friends we've met during our travels. Who knew so many strangers we crossed paths would be so warm and welcoming? Isn't the world supposed to be a cold, unfriendly place?

I'm also very grateful to have the opportunity to step outside my regular day-to-day life, with all it's day-to-day stresses, to experience life from a different perspective. What makes it even more special is to have the chance to do it with Baasje - it's been great to have this opportunity to simply enjoy each other's company!

I'm grateful we're taking this amazing journey together, even when we're standing in the medina arguing over which direction we should take and whose fault it is that we've gotten lost (again!). Loving every moment of being lost (and found) with you…

What Baasje Learned Today

The "Break Glass Hammer" available to passengers on the double decker busses in Hong Kong should only be used in case of an emergency. Who knew?

The Morocco of my Dreams

For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to one day traveling to Morocco. Exotic sounding cities, like Marrakesh and Casablanca, medinas filled with strange treasures, vast desert landscapes, perfumed breezes and starry night skies. When I was a young girl, these were the things that came to mind when I thought of Morocco. A wonderful, magical place, worlds away from the other London in not-so-exotic southwestern Ontario.

I had such a strong pre-determined idea of what Morocco would be like that I was pretty sure it wouldn't live up to my expectations. Of course it didn't at first…and then it surpassed them.

When we arrived in Tangier my first impression of Morocco was that it isn't an easy place to figure out. The confusion starts with simply getting around. Transportation options are seemingly limitless in Morocco. From the moment we landed we were bombarded by choices - do we go by train, bus, taxi or even camel, donkey or horse? For each mode of transportation there might be multiple hiring options, stations and routes to take. Costs can vary considerably, even when comparing similar options. As far as a first introduction to a country goes, it was all pretty disorienting.

Gladly, our first stop in laid-back Chefchaouen gave us a chance to get acclimatized to our new surroundings. We became comfortable with getting lost in the medina and enjoyed waking up to the sound of prayers being broadcast across the city and hillsides at sunrise. Staying in Chefchaouen was a nice way to get to know Morocco in a reasonably sized city where life moves at a comfortable pace. Lovely, as a vacation experience goes, but I learned life in Chefchaouen is not par for the course for the rest of Morocco.

Gritty Fez swung a little to far in the other direction, elevating my understanding of the term 'an assault to the senses' to a whole new level. With it's maze-like medina filled with a chaotic mix of colours, sounds, smells and opportunistic salesmen, I found it to be an overwhelming experience at first. As the days went by however, our ability to navigate the narrow alleys and to negotiate a good price with the stall keepers grew and with it our confidence that we might finally be starting to get a handle on the ins and outs of traveling in Morocco.

Some people say the desert can be a lonely place, but by the time we arrived at the edge of the Sahara, I was actually ready for a little quiet isolation. The three days we spent in Erg Chebbi with our Berber guides was without a doubt one of the highlights of our trip. You can read more about our desert trek here.

Of all the places we visited in Morocco, I was most concerned Marrakesh would not live up to my expectations. In my childhood mind's eye, Marrakesh was Morocco. Incidentally, I learned while we were here that 'Morocco' is derived from 'Marrakesh'.

As it turns out, I was on our second day in Marrakesh that I realized I had fallen in love with Morocco. I realized I was enraptured by the music, the art and craftwork, the flavours, smells and the people who are kind and generous and very well meaning at heart. Unfortunately, we're now heading off on the next leg of our journey but I hope to be back. I'm looking forward to returning one day to get lost in the medina, explore the desert, fall asleep under starry skies to the sound of music - in short, to revisit the Morocco of my dreams.

Sightseeing in the Marrakesh Medina

Moroccan Pastries

In the Marrakesh Medina

Architecture in Marrakesh

Food Vendors in the Medina