Koh Tao

After a 44 hours ride from Vientiane to Koh Tao we finally got to the famous clear waters! This tiny island is famous for being the Mecca of divers. We applied for the first level but we enjoyed so much that we passed the second one too. It included several dives with wreck discovery, deep and night divings, really worth it!! The aquatic life is impressive, full of corals and coloured fishes, definitely one of the best moments of this trip so far!

Really happy after our first dive

The island is very green and water transparent, in the background is a narrow beach linking 3 islands.

Pili going down the rope for her first dive.

I wish this was my office!

Kong Lor

As we plan to see India in few weeks we had to leave our passports at the Indian embassy in Vientiane. The visa processing should take 5 days so we went further south during this time. After a 6 hours bus ride we landed in Kong Lor, a small village but the gate to a 7km long cave that was well worth the travel!

Kong Lor is located at the end of a valley surrounded by high mountains and rice fields. 

The Kong Lor cave can only be visited via boat, it takes 1.5 hour to reach the other end.

After crossing the cave we arrive in another valley, we stopped there to meet the locals and have a drink.

Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is a tiny town famous for its night life. People usually come here to do "tubing", which consist in renting a tractor tire inner tube and let yourself drift on the river while stopping at little bars on the shore. The city also has quiet roads and was a perfect spot to go around on a scooter, we visited the beautiful mountains and impressive caves surrounding the place.

Outside the town it is only rice fields and cliffs.

For once we had a nice view from our bedroom! 

We visited few caves with beautiful colours on their walls.

This cave called Tham Phoukam is the biggest with a ceiling as high as a cathedral. To get there you have to climb on a cliff, but it is worth the view. 

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is the most cultural city of Laos and its former capital. The city is charming with colonial houses and a lot of local handicraft. Many rivers converge to the Mekong around the city which was a great place for kayaking.

The local market is strangely called the "Phousy Market" you can find anything there.

Our local guide was here to explain us how to go through the rapids he also thought us about the fauna and flora. Pili was in the front seat and drank much of the water!

Local kids tried to race with us, they are young but already very experienced!

Luang Namtha

After experiencing the corrupted administration at the Thai-Lao border we passed the Mekong another time to get to Huay Xai, we then caught a bus to Luang Namtha north Laos, lost in the jungle. The city is quite small but the tribes living around come down to sell their handicraft. We rented bicycles and went around between rice fields and waterfalls for a day. This place is far from the civilization and it is nice to see that it still exists.

The food in Laos is different from the other surrounding countries, less fried food and more local ingredients. The above dish is called Jeow, made of mashed fish with chillies and local spices, sticky rice and steamed vegetables, yummy yummy!

The landscape is amazing still wild and untouched for centuries.

Rice fields are everywhere with little huts. Animals are not attached and running all over the place, it is not uncommon to see a cow sleeping in the middle of the road!

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is 10 hours of bus away from Bangkok, it is an old city surrounded by a water canal. It is also a gateway to the north of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar with the golden triangle. We could try some white water rafting in the mountains which was really funny.

Chiang Mai counts many temples, Thai people always do offerings. On the picture above people simply give bank notes which are then hung from the ceiling, a great business for the monks!

We also went for a trekking with elephants, quite impressive but the animals don't seem to always be respected.

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is 3 hours north west from Bangkok, not far from Myanmar. It is a quiet place famous for the Kway bridge. We could paddle along this river in kayaks and see the beautiful Erawan waterfall. We were there for new years eve, it is not a big thing for Thais but they like to mix with foreigners for the occasion.

The Kway river bridge

The Erawan Waterfall counts 7 falls in a 1.5 km stretch in the jungle.

We can swim in each fall the water is transparent and warm, but the creatures living there can surprise you!

They are little fishes who are not afraid to come around you and eat you dead skin, it is supposedly good for you but they bite hard!