Indochina

#28 - 25.11.2009, Koh Chang, Thailand:

We cover the ground from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap in just two days, suffering from the worst combination of heat and humidity ever. After a day’s rest we venture into the wonders of Angkor, where dozens of temples lie spread out over a huge area waiting to be discovered by the daring tourist. Impressive not only because of their fine artistic work, it is also a combination of size and the fact that the jungle has engulfed some of them that make a visit to this cultural highlight of Southeast Asia a memorable one. A few days later we enjoy some of the world’s best fruit shakes on occasion of passing the 20.000km mark since leaving Austria in the city of Battambang. From here, it is another tough 100km of dirt road before we reach Thailand where our first aim is the island of Koh Chang, where we spend a week’s holiday as normal tourists.
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#27 - 12.11.2009, Phnom Penh, Cambodia:

The “Wild East” of Cambodia does not want to let us pass, the monsoon season is not quite over yet and we have difficulties even covering the first part of the „main road” to the provincial capital of Banlung. We conclude that quite certainly what is described as a very difficult trail past this point is impassable. In addition to heavy rainfalls, the sudden appearance of the Cambodian military police at the door of our tent after dark warning us of bandits in the area does not help and we have to move to the police station in the middle of the night - at least a dry place to sleep. We change our plans and take the shortest route to Cambodia’s capital, the traffic-filled and hyperactive Phnom Penh. Seeing the vibrant activity of its markets and riverside, one would never believe the horrors that took place here only 30 years ago during the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot.
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#26 - 01.11.2009, Stung Treng, Cambodia:

We make first contact to the ancient Khmer culture at the magnificent Wat Phu Champasak temple complex at the foot of a holy mountain and on the shores of the Mekong. Then we get ready for the first holiday on our journey as we venture into the Mekong river archipelago of the ‘4.000 Islands’. The laid-back and simple life still led by the farmers in the midst of the mighty Mekong invites to linger. Nevertheless, we find the energy for a few local excursions to the Mekong waterfalls or to see the rare Irrawaddy sweetwater dolphins. After staying for a week it is a short hop from here into Cambodia and a new chapter of our travels.
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#25 - 22.10.2009, Pakse, Laos:

In the heat of the Mekong valley we cover a lot of ground in the mildly interesting lowlands and stop a day each in Thakhaek and Savannakhet, two sleepy riverside towns with a crumbling French colonial architectural legacy. Taking advantage of the low ‘made in China’ quality of the Chinese visa we manage to obtain the last visa of our journey, a Thai visa for Sandro. Cycling action increases as we turn off the main road onto a red dust track into the deeply rural areas at the foot of the Bolaven Plateau. Two days, a beautiful waterfall and lots of rain later the dust turns to mud and the climb onto the plateau at 1.300m is extremely arduous as we struggle on steep roads in intensely humid heat. The reward for the climb is a cool and refreshing climate on top, thick jungle interspersed with coffee plantations and the unique beauty of the the twin waterfalls of Tad Fane tumbling down from a mist-covered mountainside. Pakse is our last stop in civilisation before we’re off to the south and over into the ‘wild east’ of Cambodia.
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#24 - 09.10.2009, Vientiane, Laos:

Luang Prabang is probably the most tasteful and pleasant city of all our journey comparable to Yazd in Iran. This is easily the cultural highlight of any trip to Laos and despite having become a tourist magnet, the city retains its charming, relaxing and old-time colonial atmosphere. The following 235km to Vang Vieng, which we covered in two days, are so surprisingly hilly, that they hold the record for most metres of altitude on the trip in such a short stretch: just within the first 130km we climb an endless 3.000 metres, which are only bearable because ongoing rainfalls cooling us off. Two days of caving, kayaking and exploring in the stunning limestone karst setting of Vang Vieng, another day of cycling and we reach the flat lowlands of central Southeast Asia. Vientiane is probably the world’s most laid back capital city, perfect for wat-hopping and visa shopping.
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#23 - 27.09.2009, Luang Prabang, Laos:

A couple of hundred kilometres through the jungle, initially following the Mekong, a pineapple every now and then, torrential downpours cooling us off and we are at the border. Life moves much slower in Laos and so do we as we cycle through the hills dotted with many hilltribe villages. A side trip takes us to Muang Sing with its colourful morning market and we finish off each day with a fresh fruit shake. Proceeding down south, it’s the dramatic limestone cliffs meeting the Nam Ou river in Nong Khiaw that lure us off the main road again for a detour. Finally, the former royal capital and World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang with its many wats and pleasant Lao-French colonial buildings lining the streets is our first Lao “city” experience.
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