Tashkent, Samarkand and Aidar Kul

October 4, 2026October 4, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

We crossed the border from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan at Oybek, north of Khojand. It took a while, and there was a reasonably long walk in the midday sun between the 2 border posts. But eventually we were through (no visa needed) and then all crammed into a minibus for the remaining drive to Tashkent.

We arrived in the late afternoon, and this would be the final night for around half the people on this trip. We went out for a farewell dinner to mark the occasion. Those of us continuing then had a free day in Tashkent before we would meet the new people joining us for the Uzbekistan part of the trip.

I’ve been to Uzbekistan before, in 2023. People have asked why I’m doing it again. Firstly I really enjoyed it last time, secondly I wanted to cover as many Stans as possible on this trip (quite gutted that I couldn’t find dates including Turkmenistan which worked for me), and finally I was intrigued to see how tourism was developing here as when I was here before, it felt like it was on the cusp of becoming really popular.

I spent my free day in Tashkent going to some new places (Amir Timur park, Abay bazaar) and some places I went before (Minor Mosque, Chorsu bazaar). One thing that has changed since last time is that you can now pay for the metro by tapping your card at the gate. The fare is still ridiculously cheap though, £0.11 per journey according to my bank account!

Tashkent metro also has some really interestingly decorated stations, built mostly during the Soviet era, so worth jumping off at a few to take a look.

After meeting the new group and going for dinner in the evening (I’m surprised to find I am the youngest person on this section of the trip, certainly not the case last time), we left Tashkent the following morning on a train bound for Samarkand. A reasonably comfortable journey in what looked like a Soviet era carriage, this wasn’t one of the high speed trains so took around 3 hours to get to Samarkand. We did get a free cup of tea though!

We arrived in Samarkand in time for lunch. And then after lunch we had a tour of some of the main sights which lasted for the rest of the afternoon. First up we went to the Gur-I-Amir mausoleum, in a beautifully decorated complex.

Then we headed to the Shah-i-zinda necropolis complex. The buildings here are stunning, and apparently similar in design to those in Iran. It’s a very atmospheric and contemplative place, even among the throngs of tourists.

Next up was the Bibi Khanym mosque, a building which is absolutely enormous, and the photos as usual don’t quite do it justice.

And finally that evening, the Registan. If people think of Samarkand, they are most likely thinking about the Registan, with its 3 enormous madrassas forming 3 sides of a square. Each madrassa has courtyards sitting behind, surrounded by what would have been the students rooms. It’s is a stunningly preserved complex, the decoration and tile work is mesmerising. And being there in the early evening as the sun was setting added to the atmosphere as the colours were constantly changing. As part of our tour we only had a short time in the complex but I’d decided to come back the next day when we had more free time to properly immerse myself in it. I could have sat for hours within the courtyards, admiring the colours, buildings and people watching.

Dinner that night in a restaurant near the Registan and this was really my first tell that tourism has increased in the last 3 years. I haven’t really felt that the sights were much busier, but I’d been to this rooftop restaurant 3 years ago and we’d had no trouble in getting a table on the roof terrace without a booking. This time, no chance. We did manage to get seated inside on the ground floor but all the rooftop tables were fully booked out.

The following day was a free day, the first day fully to myself since I arrived in Kyrgyzstan 2 weeks ago. I had a leisurely breakfast and then wandered to the Jewish quarter, through local neighbourhoods where the locals greeted us with smiling faces and ‘hellos’ and ‘saloms’. The Jewish quarter is quite small and there is only a very small population (in the hundreds) of Jews remaining in Samarkand.

After a tea and baklava break, I headed to the Siyob bazaar for a wander and then looped around the back of the Bibi Khanym mosque before heading back to the hotel for an afternoon rest. In the late afternoon I headed back to the Registan to soak up the atmosphere at my own pace.

The next morning we headed out of the city, firstly to Nurata where Alexander the Great built a fortress up on the hillside. We then continued on to Aidar Kul lake and the beach. In a landlocked country, you’ve got to take what you can get! I’d been here 3 years ago and it definitely looked like a bit of development had happened. There was a boardwalk out to the water, and a hotel and restaurant were operating. I don’t hugely remember this being the case before. But in late September it wasn’t busy.

We made it to our home for the night, at a yurt camp, just as the sun was setting. I think it was the same camp as last time, though it too had undergone some renovations with a more substantial dining building and permanent walkway around the yurts. It was a bit of a shame the sun had dipped down by the time we got there as I remember the sunset being pretty spectacular last time.

We had a local dinner with salads, soup and a meat and veg dish before listening to some Kazakh music. The camp is relatively close to the Kazakhstan border and historically, central Asian peoples are nomadic peoples so it’s not surprising that you have such a mixture of cultures in this area.

A bit of stargazing (with a near-full moon) to end the day before a not-too-bad nights sleep in the yurt. It wasn’t as cold as the one in Kyrgyzstan though it was still fairly fresh in the morning.

After breakfast it was back on the road to my favourite Uzbek city, Bukhara…

Tajikistan

September 25, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

Almaty airport is gleaming and modern. We were dropped off in plenty of time for our afternoon flight to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The flight was about an hour and 45 minutes and we departed about 10 minutes early which is almost unheard of!

Tajikistan is the only Stan I am visiting where British citizens need a visa, and it has to be applied for in advance. My advice would be to apply in plenty of time as mine took over 3 weeks to be processed. And be very careful with the dates on the visa as one member of the group ended up having to buy a new visa as they’d got the entry date wrong by a day.

Eventually we were all successfully through and got our bags and were greeted by our new tour guide for Tajikistan. It was evening by now and so we had dinner first before a brief city tour. You might think it’s a bit odd to have a city tour in the evening or after dark but many of Dushanbe’s gleaming sights are lit up at night which adds a certain something. I was surprised by how prosperous the city appears to be, and it had a different vibe to both Bishkek and Almaty.

The next morning started with a museum tour and a visit to a mosque before we hit the road and headed to the Fann mountains. Like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan is over 90% mountains and many people come to hike. It is a stunning drive but some of the driving styles (and overtaking on narrow mountain roads) aren’t what I’m used to!

We were meant to go to Iskander Darya waterfall but the road was closed due to construction, which was a real shame as it’s meant to be a highlight of the trip. Instead we stopped at the Rudaki mausoleum. Rudaki was a poet, and from my observations, the Tajiks are very fond of commemorating their poets either like this or with statues.

We arrived at the guest house in Gazza Village, deep in the Fann mountains where we would be staying the next 2 nights. The contrast between the village and Dushanbe could hardly have been starker. The villagers live simple lives with their livestock and farming, in these remote and stunningly beautiful mountains.

We hiked the next day, about 4km/2 and a bit miles, to Voru Village, a nearby village built into the hillside. As we’re at altitude, and we gained 350m/1100ft on the hike, it was a little strenuous and a good morning workout. Along the way we met many cheerful children who were waving at us and offering us apples from their trees. Everyone we’ve met has been very friendly.

After making our way back down the same 2 and a bit miles, we had a well-deserved lunch of Tajik plov accompanied by the usual tomato and cucumber salad which has been present at almost every meal I’ve had so far in the Stans.

A free afternoon to catch up on a few things, do a bit of reading and rest my tired legs.

The following day we headed north, to the city of Khujand. On the way we stopped at an enormous bust of Lenin, perched atop a very long staircase which we all decided against climbing. We arrived in Khujand in the mid afternoon and had some free time to explore. There is a large fortress in the centre but sadly it was Monday and therefore closed. We did wander around the outside of the fortress (it reminded me of a smaller version of the Ark Citadel in Bukhara) and in a neighbouring park and briefly along the river. In the evening we went to look at the local bazaar before dinner. I do enjoy exploring bazaars and markets in other countries, to see how the locals shop and what they eat.

We visited a museum in Khujand the next morning before struggling to leave the city as the president was in town and the main roads out were all blocked. After driving in circles for a while, the roads eventually opened and we headed north towards the border with Uzbekistan.

A short but fascinating visit to Tajikistan. Full of friendly people and it was interesting to see the contrast between shiny Dushanbe, and the rustic yet beautiful Fann Mountains. Now onwards to Uzbekistan, and to retrace my steps from a previous trip here in 2023…

Kazakhstan

September 20, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

2 buildings in the middle of nowhere constitute the border post between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Being British means I don’t often have the opportunity to walk between countries, and so when I’ve been on my travels this year crossing land borders, I’ve found it really fascinating. We all got stamped out of Kyrgyzstan and then walked a short distance to the Kazakhstan border to be stamped in (like Kyrgyzstan, no visa needed).

Then we set off on a big coach into Kazakhstan. Our first stop was at Moon Canyon, also known as Yellow Canyon, within Charyn Canyon National Park. Definitely had the feel of a lunar landscape. Our next stop, where we also had a picnic lunch, was at Black Canyon, where you could see the river meandering through the canyon. The landscape so far was softer than Kyrgyzstan.

We arrived at our overnight stop, Saty village, in the mid afternoon. A typical southern Kazakh village, with small holdings, animals, a mosque and surrounded by mountains.

In the afternoon we drove a short distance for a hike to Kaindy Lake, where there are lots of drowned trees standing tall in the lake.

Dinner at the guest house and then an early night for me as a few long days and a slightly unsettled stomach had caught up with me.

I felt a whole heap better the next morning as we set off back to Charyn Canyon National Park, and to Charyn Canyon itself where we had a couple of hours walking along the canyon rim and down some of the spurs. Not on the same scale as the Grand Canyon by any means but nonetheless a pretty spectacular landscape.

We then drove for the rest of the afternoon to Almaty where we would stay for 2 nights for the first time on this Stans trips.

A free evening so I went with another person on the trip to a Kazakh restaurant which had been recommended. Smoked horse meat salad to start (quite like mild beef) and then veal and potatoes for main. All in all, pretty good.

After dinner we walked back through the bustling Arbat Street where there were street musicians playing and plenty of people out enjoying themselves. We finished the night admiring the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Panfilov Park which is lit up at night.

The next day we had a city tour in the morning covering Independence Square, the Green Bazaar and the cathedral.

In the afternoon we went on the metro to a couple of museums. Almaty metro has some very nicely decorated metro stations, like Tashkent, so definitely worth stopping off at a couple for pictures.

That evening we had a farewell dinner at a Georgian restaurant as a couple of our group were finishing in Almaty, and we would get a new tour guide for our next country, Tajikistan.

Kazakhstan is a vast country, the 9th largest in the world by area, and I only saw a very small part in the south but the scenery was beautiful and Almaty was a very pleasant city to wander around.

Next up, Tajikistan…

Kyrgyzstan

September 16, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

Back to my new favourite airline, Turkish Airlines, for a thankfully uneventful connection through Istanbul to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. Arriving in a new country where everything is written in the Cyrillic alphabet at 4.30am after the usual lack of sleep on the flight continues to be a good idea… Long and slow-moving queues at passport control (no visa required) meant that my bag was slowly trundling around the baggage carousel waiting for me when I finally got through. I found my transfer and waited for some other people on the G Adventures trip I am doing to arrive.

We eventually got to the hotel at about 6.45am and I could thankfully go to bed for a couple of hours as I’d booked the hotel room for the previous night to make sure I could rest.

I reckon I had about 2 and a half hours sleep before heading out in the late morning with another person on the trip. We got a YandexGo (the Central Asia version of Uber) to Ala-Too square, a wide open space with a massive flagpole guarded by 2 young men. We managed to arrive in time to witness the changing of the guard which was an interesting ceremony where the participants were goose-stepping their way to and from their posts.

We then went into the History Museum which is situated at one end of the square. It was a very interesting museum explaining the history of Kyrgyzstan from the first settlers many centuries ago to its independence from the USSR and more recent history. There was plenty of information in English, alongside Kyrgyz and Russian. We would be in there a good hour or so I think.

After lunch we wandered back to the hotel through several very well maintained parks and squares.

Group meet-up in the evening and our first meal together, hilariously in a branch of the same restaurant we’d gone to at lunch time.

The following morning started with a walking tour of Bishkek, including revisiting some of the places I’d gone the previous day, though this time with more context from our local guide. Bishkek has a lot of parks with statues to all sorts of people from their history.

There are some quite contrasting architectural styles in Bishkek, from some quite beautiful Soviet buildings to some less aesthetic, brutalist buildings from the 1970s.

After we’d finished the walking tour, we headed out of Bishkek to the Burana Tower, essentially half a minaret and some petroglyphs are all that remain from the 9th century city of Balasagun. You can walk up the tower, up a dark, narrow staircase with very deep steps. My quads were still aching several days later.

Lunch was at a Dungan restaurant. The Dungan are Chinese Muslims who fled persecution in the late 1800s and arrived over the Tian Shan mountains into Kyrgyzstan. A delicious spread and some of the best noodles I’ve had anywhere.

We continued in the afternoon to Chon Kemin National Park. Some lovely views of the gorge close to the entrance, rolling mountains and milky blue rivers. We overnighted in a guesthouse in a small village. In the morning we walked up a nearby hill for 360 views of the area, where we could see several villages and neatly farmed fields. The trees starting to turn yellow as summer ends and autumn approaches. A good way to start the day before getting in the minibus and driving for most of the rest of the day, through spectacular scenery, to Song Kul lake.

The road was pretty good for a while and then we turned off to a dirt road which wound its way high into the mountains. Some really impressive views as we climbed higher. We eventually arrived at the yurt camp on the shores of Song Kul lake in the late afternoon after an increasingly bumpy ride. The clouds had come over by now and the wind had got up so we were all grateful to wait for dinner inside the dining yurt where the stove was on and providing some much-needed heat. The lake is at an altitude of over 11,000 feet and the temperature change from the first couple of days was quite stark! For the first time on my travels this year, I’ve actually brought a coat with me (the coat I’d had to buy in Japan!) and I was very glad I had it!

A simple dinner of lentil soup and stuffed dumplings before bedding down for the night in a yurt. The stove had also been burning in our yurt so it was toasty warm. And the beds had a thick duvet and a couple of blankets so despite the cold outside, it was very nice and warm inside. I’d be lying if I said I’d had a good nights sleep. Various animal noises from outside, a drop in temperature overnight and a very narrow bed variously contributed to an unsettled night. But it was a great experience to sleep in a traditional yurt.

The morning sky was beautifully clear and blue and as we waited for breakfast, herds of horses, goats and other animals were making their way to the lake for their morning drink. I’m not quite sure where they all came from as there weren’t these numbers around the previous night.

We set off after breakfast back down the bumpy mountain pass and to lunch in Kochkor. After lunch we continued driving east along the southern shore of Issyk Kul lake, the biggest lake in Kyrgyzstan. It was glistening a beautiful blue against the sky. We stopped in the late afternoon at Fairytale Canyon (Skazka Canyon). So-called because the rock formations are said to resemble buildings from fairytales. I’m not so sure… But a fun hour exploring the rocks before the final leg of the day to our guest house in Tamga. A beautiful guest house with an enormous garden and an abundance of apple trees heavy with ripe apples.

Another local dinner with some of the best mashed potato I have ever had.

The following morning started at a project support by G Adventures which is ensuring the traditional Kyrgyz crafts of felt work, needle work and yurt-making are kept alive. We learned about how the beautiful felt panels which adorn the inside of yurts are traditionally made, and also helped to construct a yurt. They really are quite ingenious dwellings. A lot of G Adventures trips include a stop at a project being supported by its charitable arm and this was one of my favourites.

We continued on and had a picnic lunch at Jety Oguz, another striking rock formation. The colours here really reminded me of Zion National Park in the US. A very picturesque spot for lunch.

After lunch we continued to our final overnight in Kyrgyzstan, in the city of Karakol which is the 4th largest city in Kyrgyzstan. When we arrived we had a short tour of the 2 main sights in town – the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the Dungan mosque. Both quite striking, and both made out of wood. Our final evening meal in Kyrgyzstan was at a Uyghur restaurant. It’s been very good to have lots of different types of food here in Kyrgyzstan, from traditional Kyrgyz food, to Dungan, Russian and Uyghur.

We made our way northeast the next morning, through a gap in the mountains to the border with Kazakhstan and one of the more unassuming border posts I’ve seen.

Kyrgyzstan is a stunningly beautiful country which I’ve really enjoyed. Now off to my next Stan…

Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary

September 2, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

We arrived in Revelstoke in the late afternoon. We stayed in a Best Western on the outskirts of town which had, to me, a bit of a typical North American motel style to it. The breakfast room was diner style with these really cool stained glass windows.

We had dinner in the town centre, which was surprisingly bustling for the mid week. There was live music being played in the square and lots of people around and about. We had a nice dinner and then, as was becoming traditional on this group trip, we had ice cream for dessert.

The next morning we set off to Lake Louise. Still very smoky, and if I’m completely honest, I was slightly underwhelmed when we got there. As expected, it was very busy on the lake front with lots of people trying to get photos, and trying not to get other people in their photos. And the lake didn’t look as blue as I’d expected it to be.

We all did a hike to Lake Agnes teahouse, which was a more strenuous walk than I was strictly prepared for, and the most strenuous hiking I’ve done since hiking in the Grand Canyon and Zion in 2019. It was quite a humid day and certainly the first part of the hike, up through the wooded sides of the lake, was quite hard work. Eventually I got into a rhythm. One of the best things about this hike was the glimpse of the lake from above, which showed it to be very blue, turquoise really, so I’m really glad I ended up doing this hike. This was much more like I’d imagined the colour of the lake to be.

A more turquoise Lake Louise from the Lake Agnes hike

It probably took me about an hour and a half to reach the teahouse, which had an enormous queue that I didn’t bother joining. I sat by the lake and ate my snacks and watched the chipmunks darting around. A few in the group carried on to do the ‘Big Beehive’ hike, which I decided against as I was almost out of water and couldn’t face any more uphills!! After a short rest I headed back down with the rest of the group and as it was late afternoon by now, the crowds had thinned so it was a good opportunity to take more photos while we waited for the others.

Our overnight stop in Banff was only a 45 minute drive away and we arrived in the early evening. We had dinner at a Japanese karaoke bar where, for once on my travels this year, I did not subject my fellow travellers to my terrible singing voice!! Though I did join in from the sidelines sans microphone! This restaurant served food and drinks in the karaoke rooms which made for a very enjoyable evening.

We had a free morning in Banff the next day so I had a leisurely breakfast and enjoyed wandering around the small town of Banff. It is surrounded by peaks, and has amazing views from almost every angle. I walked all the way down the main street, to the Cascades of Time gardens just over the river. There are some lovely views of Banff and its surroundings from here as it’s slightly elevated. After buying some more unnecessary souvenirs, I headed back to the hotel and we set off for Calgary in the early afternoon.

We made a stop at Canmore, about 40 minutes from Banff. Another very pretty Rockies town with lots of independent gift and souvenir shops where I bought yet more things I don’t really need! It had got really hot by the mid afternoon, which was quite a contrast from the morning when it was raining and cool in Banff as I went for breakfast!!

We continued our way to Calgary and suddenly the mountains gave way to fields with neat hay bales dotted around. And then in the distance, the tall buildings of the city. We arrived late afternoon and had our final dinner together in a lovely Italian restaurant. I had just about enough time the next morning for a quick walk around the downtown area before getting an Uber to the airport. I’m sure Calgary is nice but it just felt like a built up city centre, and so I didn’t feel too bad about spending less than 24 hours there…

Home time, and no issues from Westjet this time. A couple of weeks rest in my own bed before the final leg of this year of travelling kicks off…

Whistler and Kelowna

August 29, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

First full day of the group trip and we started with a final drive through the main sights of Vancouver before heading north on the Sea to Sky Highway, which took us on the stunningly beautiful drive between Vancouver and Whistler. We stopped off at a couple of spots on the way – Shannon Falls, lunch in Squamish and a short hike just outside of Whistler called the Train Wreck hike, where a number of train carriages were dragged into the woods after a train crash in the 1950s. They’ve all subsequently been covered in graffiti. It’s a fun, short hike and good to stretch the legs.

We arrived in Whistler in the mid afternoon and I enjoyed a wander around the town. With its wooden lodges, wide array of restaurants, cafes and drinking venues and bustling streets, it did remind me of several other ski resort towns I’ve been to over time, though I’ve yet to actually go to one during ski season!

A delicious dinner at The Brickworks (slow cooked bison) with some Canadian wine, which was a noticeable feature on wine lists on my trip. I’m not sure I’ve ever really clocked Canadian wine in the UK but I’ll certainly be looking out for it in the future.

Everyone had different plans the next day. A couple of us started with a visit to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center where there was a video and guided tour informing us about the indigenous populations of this region, the Squamish and the Lil’wat. We learnt about how they live off the land and what the mountains and forests in this region mean to these peoples. There were also exhibits depicting the traditional ways of life which were really interesting, I’d definitely recommend a visit if you’re in Whistler.

Afterwards I took the gondola up Blackcomb mountain to get to the Peak2Peak gondola, which crosses the valley between Blackcomb and Whistler mountains. Some spectacular views on this gondola, which is the longest unsupported cable span in the world. It takes 11 minutes to cross between the 2 mountains. After taking some photos, I went for a short wander before taking the chair lift up to the top of Whistler mountain. On the way I bumped into some of my fellow group travellers who were on their way back down and off to do some zip lining which is very popular activity here.

I’d never been on a chair lift before, and was clinging onto my rucksack as though my life depended on it! But I negotiated it safely and was deposited at the top of Whistler mountain, where you can then make your way across the Cloudraker Skybridge which was really quite wobbly in the middle! There are a bunch of hiking routes up here, and whilst some other group members opted to do some longer hikes, I stuck to a short one which did give good 360 views from the mountain. It was quite hazy due to wildfires in the region, so I don’t have the sharpest photos but I will never tire of looking at mountains.

I made my way back down the Whistler mountain gondola and back to Whistler village in the mid afternoon where I found a cafe for a cuppa and a cookie. I filled the rest of the afternoon with a bit of retail therapy before relaxing by the pool at the hotel. In the evening, our guide drove us a short distance to Creekside where we got takeaway Japanese/Korean food and sat watching the sunset over the water – so serene. I really liked Whistler, definitely somewhere I could go back to and spend a few more days exploring.

The next day was a relatively long driving day (though nothing compared to those in Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania!!) as we left Whistler and drove to Kelowna. It was such a beautiful drive, with pockets of snow hanging on to the tops of the mountains and milky blue rivers cutting through the landscape. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Seton Lake which was a simply stunning backdrop to enjoy my cheese and crackers!!

There have been lots of wildfires in this region, and as we continued after lunch, it steadily got more smoky and hazy. The landscape also changed, it looked a lot drier, more arid, and more rolling than mountainous, with brush a bit more like you’d find in desert regions. A type of landscape I don’t think I’d ever considered I’d find in Canada.

There are some hills in the distance, behind the smoke

We had a brief coffee stop in Kamloops (my second visit after the very brief fresh air break on the train) before continuing on and arriving in Kelowna in the late afternoon. Kelowna has a very beautiful setting, on a lake and surrounded by more mountains. It was quite hazy with the smoke which made for a moody sunset which we watched from the open air top floor of a local restaurant.

A leisurely morning in Kelowna where I had a wander around the town and lakefront before we headed off to a local winery in the late morning for a spot of wine tasting. We had a glass of fizz, 2 whites and a red. As usual, I much preferred the whites! After a reasonable amount of wine, it was back to the lakefront in Kelowna for a picnic lunch arranged by our guide before we hit the road for the drive to Revelstoke which was basically an overnight stop before we continued east into Alberta – more on that next time!

Cambodia

February 1, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

My second new country of this trip. We left Ho Chi Minh City early in the morning to try and get to the border at Bavet before the rush. This proved a success and there was no queue as we were stamped out of Vietnam. We walked with all our belongings perhaps a couple of hundred metres to the Cambodia border. As with Laos, I was getting a visa on arrival (it is possible to get an e-visa in advance but you had to print out the confirmation and as I have been travelling since early November and wasn’t sure if I’d have access to a printer, I decided to go with the VOA). I was the only one of the 16 of us needing a visa on arrival (30 USD plus 5 USD stamping fee in cash, no passport photo needed despite what the UK FCO travel advice suggests, could be different at an airport), and as with Laos, I was through the border before most of the rest of the group. And another lovely full page visa in my passport!

We then walked a short distance to pick up our bus in Cambodia and started driving towards Phnom Penh. There is essentially one road from this border post to the capital, and for the most part it seemed lined with shops, stalls and small businesses. The noticeable thing for me was the amount of plastic littering the roadside which made me a little apprehensive as to what state Cambodia would be in.

We stopped for lunch after a couple of hours at a roadside diner, and I had pho (after somehow completely missing it in Vietnam). Pretty tasty.

We drove another couple of hours and arrived in Phnom Penh in the middle of the afternoon. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting in Phnom Penh but it greatly exceeded any expectations I might have had. It sits on the Mekong and as we crossed the bridge into the city, we were greeted by lots of modern, tall buildings, well-maintained streets and public areas and it was very clean with no real sign of the plastic that had littered the roadside most of the way.

After checking into the hotel we had a cyclo tour of the city. Cyclos are 3 wheeled bicycles with a large seat up front for the passenger, which gives you a headlight-level view of the city. We were taken to Wat Phnom, the palace and then dropped off along the river in time for a sunset cruise. It was really interesting to see the city from this angle and I enjoyed the mixture of architecture styles.

We then had about 90 minutes sailing along the Mekong and admiring the views of the city as the sun set. It was pretty glorious to be honest. The Mekong has featured heavily through my journey through Indochina, starting at the Thai-Laos border and sailing for 2 days to Luang Prabang, seeing it again in Vientiane and then again at the delta in Ho Chi Minh City, and finally here in Cambodia. It is so important to life in this part of the world and seeing it through several countries affirms that.

Sunset sailing on the Mekong, Phnom Penh

The next day we went to the S-21 Prison in Phnom Penh, and to the Killing Fields a short drive outside of the city. We had a local guide with us who spoke to us about the atrocities that the Khmer Rouge had committed, and told us of his own experiences during these times, which was incredibly powerful and emotional to hear.

Only a handful of people survived S-21 prison and one of those still alive today was in the grounds of the now museum, sharing his story. It was incredible to be able to meet this gentleman, Chum Mey, who is in his mid 90s.

Whilst learning about the murderous atrocities of an horrific regime isn’t perhaps on many people’s holiday/travel agendas, I think it is an important and necessary visit to make, and many parts of that morning will stay with me for a very long time.

I needed some time to decompress in the afternoon. I probably should have consulted the itinerary a little more closely when I booked this trip as this day was also the anniversary of my husband’s death. Always a difficult day and certainly compounded by what we heard about in the morning.

We ended the day, and our short visit to Phnom Penh, on a happier note on a rooftop bar to watch the sunset. I think I’m losing count of the number of amazing sunsets I’ve seen on this trip, and I’m sure there are many more to come yet.

The next day we headed off to Siem Reap. We had a stop off in the morning at a service station which aside from the usual service station affairs, also had a stall selling various fried critters. I did have a go at some of them (mostly crunchy and fried with garlic and soy) but some were a little too large…

We stopped later for lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking a lake. I had chicken and veg in a lotus leaf which was very good.

We arrived in Siem Reap around mid afternoon, and headed out on a tuk tuk tour of the city and countryside. We saw a large mural in the city which has been painted to reflect the experiences of the recent conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as receiving a blessing from a monk in a local temple before driving out to the countryside for some street snacks and yet another awesome sunset. The tuk tuks were all driven by ladies and it felt good to be supporting the ladies in building jobs for themselves.

The next day was the first of 2 days spent in the Angkor complex. On the first day we visited the Bayon temple, Preah Khan and Ta Prohm.

There is a lot of restoration work going on but it is amazing to see these structures, a lot of which date from the 12th century. The detail in the stonework in the galleries is truly incredible.

We had a free afternoon and I spent the time relaxing before we went to an Apsara dance show and dinner in the evening. Certainly aimed at tourists, the food was a 5 course tasting menu of Khmer food which was delicious. The dinner was accompanied by various traditional Apsara dances and some martial arts. All in all a very enjoyable evening.

I was up early the next morning as this was my one chance to see sunrise at Angkor Wat. We left the hotel at 5am and drove out about 20 minutes to the temple complex. It was still pitch black when we arrived and sat ourselves by the moat. Whilst the sunrise itself was disappointing due to it being cloudy, it was pretty incredible to see Angkor Wat emerge out of the darkness.

After breakfast which the hotel had kindly packed for us, we had a tour around the Angkor Wat complex which was very impressive to see up close. At this time in the morning it also wasn’t too busy and the temperature was reasonable too.

Again, some renovations ongoing, but to see the craftsmanship in the stone work and the galleries was really special. It is absolutely worth seeing in person and if you get the chance to come to Cambodia, you should certainly spend a few days here.

After a final evening in Siem Reap, my short time in Cambodia had come to an end and we flew back to Bangkok the next day, back to where I’d started my Indochina journey almost a month earlier. It’s been an amazing journey through 4 countries and I’m grateful to have had the time to be able to do this trip. One of the things I’m trying to do in my extended break from work is to do trips that I can’t fit into a couple of weeks’ holiday, and this certainly ticked that box!!

Now for a few days downtime in Bangkok before heading back to see a bit more of northern Thailand…

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

January 28, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

We flew from Danang to Saigon airport and arrived in the early afternoon. Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is really bad and it took over 45 minutes to drive the 5 miles into the city and to the hotel (sounds like driving into Cardiff on a weekday morning…)

After grabbing lunch at a lovely air-conditioned food court across the road from the hotel, I took myself off on my own walking tour of the city. After managing to cross the road (slightly easier than Hanoi and a few more traffic signals), I headed to the Post Office and to Notre Dame Cathedral. Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City – the locals use both names – has in my opinion the most French-influenced architecture of all the places I’ve been in Vietnam. Though the cathedral is not as far along in its renovations as its Parisian equivalent…

I walked back towards Independence Palace, and to find a Circle K convenience store (7-Eleven’s seem to be the convenience store of choice across SE Asia apart from Vietnam where Circle K’s are ubiquitous) for some snacks and supplies.

It was the weekend but it did feel somewhat easier to wander around HCMC than Hanoi.

After dinner we had a walk to Saigon’s Beer Street which, let’s say, is a different vibe to Hanoi’s Beer Street. Rather more dancing girls, bright lights and loud music.…

The next day we went on a tour out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were used in the war by the Viet Cong and are an extensive network of underground tunnels with supply lines, living quarters, hospitals as well as lots of booby traps to deter the ‘Tunnel Rats’. They are quite ingenious but incredibly narrow and life must have been extremely difficult for the Viet Cong living in the tunnels. I think it is always good to visit these places, especially when this is very recent history.

After the tour we returned to the city and had a free afternoon where I went to look at the Opera House which I’d somehow missed the previous day. Instead of walking the 20 minutes there in the increasingly hot and humid temperatures, I used the HCMC metro which is a recent addition to the city (only 1 line at the moment) but was very easy to use (tap the contactless card) and I was there in 5 minutes!

This was the final night with some members of the group who weren’t continuing to Cambodia (and this was where my previous trip in Vietnam had ended) and we also met some new people who would be joining us in Cambodia.

However, we still had another day in HCMC and everyone in the group had opted to do a Mekong Delta day trip. We drove out of the city for a couple of hours before getting on a boat to cross part of the delta to Unicorn Island, where we enjoyed honey tea, some local music, discovering you can pop rice like you can pop corn, ate some chewy coconut sweets and discovered snakes in wine…

We also had a gentle narrowboat trip on the island before lunch. After returning to the mainland we visited Vinh Trang Pagoda which has a couple of quite large Buddhas in its grounds. As we left to drive back to the city, there were a few spots of rain in the air, which is the only rain I’ve seen so far in south east Asia.

I’m really glad I came back to Vietnam. A lot has changed in the last 9 years, not least the number of cars and tourists. It remains a wonderful country to visit, with awesome sights and scenery, a fascinating history and the most amazing food!!

Next stop – Cambodia

Hue and Hoi An

January 26, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

We arrived on the overnight train in Hue on time but I’d be lying if I said I’d had a restful night. The train was newer than last time (all toilets were western rather than squats) but the mattresses were still as solid and it was still a very jiggly journey not massively conducive to sleep…

We arrived at the hotel too early for check in but early enough for breakfast. After breakfast we headed off to see the main sites in Hue, starting with the Citadel, a huge fortified imperial city built in the early 1800s. Large parts were destroyed during the Vietnam War and there was restoration work ongoing around the site. Indeed I didn’t remember some of the buildings we saw this time from my previous visit and the tour guide said that some of the restorations had been completed quite recently.

We then headed out to the Thien Mu Pagoda, a short journey south of the city. I did remember this from last time! I think the photos I took last time kept it in my mind. By this point the morning was warming up, and getting more humid.

Some of us had then opted for a motorbike tour (as a passenger I hasten to add!!), which included visiting the Royal Tombs (also under renovation and we didn’t see them all), an ancient arena previously used for elephant and tiger fighting, driving into the countryside and past rice fields, and learning about growing and harvesting rice which an absolute staple with every meal.

We were back at the hotel by mid afternoon and had the rest of the day free before dinner. I think Hue has gotten more lively since my previous visit. There was quite a bustling restaurant and bar area and after dinner a few of us spent the rest of the evening sat on the roadside on the tiny chairs drinking beer and people watching.

We set off the next morning, driving south over the Hai Van Pass on our way to Hoi An. It’s a pretty spectacular drive climbing up over the hills (mountains?) and if anyone has seen the Vietnam episode of Top Gear, you might remember this part. We were blessed with some pretty good weather to see up and down the coast.

We arrived into Hoi An in the late afternoon. I’ve said elsewhere before that Hoi An is the prettiest place I’ve ever been and I still think that is the case despite the hoards of tourists making it less peaceful and relaxing than last time…

The old town is a UNESCO world heritage site and you need to buy a ticket to enter (120,000 Vietnamese Dong / c£3.50) which lasted for the duration of our stay in Hoi An. The ticket also includes entrance to up to 5 specific monuments/temples/museums/cultural experiences out of more than 30 in the old town.

In the evenings, Hoi An really comes to life with all the colourful lanterns and riverboats, as well as the night market and the many bars and restaurants up and down the riverfront. We had dinner at a restaurant overlooking the river and then spent the evening listening to live music in an Irish bar.

We had 2 full days in Hoi An. I visited one of the cultural performances in the old town in the morning – one of the 5 specific entries with the old town ticket. It was interesting to see the traditional costumes and dancing during the 30 minute show. We then had an included lunch at Oodles Of Noodles, a project supported by G Adventures which helps children living on the streets by giving them hospitality training, English lessons and providing accommodation in order to help them create a life and future for themselves. We also visited this restaurant last time and it’s such a good initiative that really makes a difference. The food was delicious too!

I spent the rest of the day wandering around the old town, in some of the temples, over the Japanese bridge, and up and down the pretty lanes. Hoi An was impacted by heavy flooding as recently as last October but you’d never know as everything was clean and tidy.

On the final day in Hoi An I treated myself to a 90 minute hot stone massage for the bargain price of £12!! If you ever come to Hoi An, you should be treating yourselves to multiple massages at these prices! I also had some fantastic Vietnamese food in a local restaurant. I really think Vietnamese food might be my favourite cuisine I’ve had whilst travelling.

I really enjoyed revisiting these parts of Vietnam. Hue was more lively and fun than I’d remembered, and Hoi An is just so pretty, despite there being too many tourists now (of which, I do realise, I am one of those!!)

Next stop is a flight south to Saigon…

Hanoi and Halong Bay

January 24, 2026 ~ Cat ~ Leave a comment

We arrived into the airport in Hanoi in the late afternoon after a 45 minute flight from Vientiane during which time we were thrown a fairly decent sandwich. On the descent, you could see the smog hanging low over the city, and the air quality was ‘very unhealthy’. After inhaling quite a lot of dust and pollution in Laos, my throat and lungs were not very happy…

I’ve been to Vietnam before, in 2017, and in fact I am doing the exact same route with the same company. It has been interesting to see how things have changed in the last 9 years. The first noticeable difference was the number of cars on the roads. Last time they really were few and far between (due to high import taxes and lack of access to credit), with almost everyone driving scooters or motorbikes. There are so many more cars now (due to easier access to credit) and a lot of large EVs too. This makes crossing the road even more tricky as, while the scooters can weave around you, cars aren’t quite so nimble. I also felt that they are less willing to stop for pedestrians. Not that the traffic actually stops, you very much do just have to walk into the road with a sense of purpose and don’t stop until you get to the other side!!

After checking into the hotel, we went for dinner (Bun Cha for me) and then for drinks on Hanoi’s Beer Street

Bun Cha – minced pork meatballs in soup with white vermicelli noodles

The next day started with a trip to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Despite his wishes to be cremated and scattered around Vietnam, he was embalmed for people to proceed past him every day. A bit of an odd experience if I’m perfectly honest. We also went to the palace which is alongside the mausoleum and saw the stilt house that was built for Ho Chi Minh as he preferred this than the grander presidential palace.

Afterwards we went to possibly one of the newer ‘sights’ in Hanoi, Train Street. This is a narrow street which the trains from Ga Ha Noi pass through on their way out of the city. It’s lined with cafes and coffee shops and has definitely become something for the ‘gram.

We had an egg coffee, a Hanoi specialty, whilst we waited for the train to come through. When it’s on its way, the ladies come out of all the cafes and blow their whistles to clear all the tourists off the tracks (as it’s sort of a regular street when the trains aren’t there) and then the train chugs slowly past.

A free afternoon meant I retraced some of the things I remembered from my last trip, including a walk around Hoan Kiam lake, which had lots of beautiful plants and flowers in bloom, as well as a lunch stop at Banh Mi 25 which has become significantly more popular since my previous visit. Great banh mi though!!

In the evening we went to a Water Puppet Theatre show. Water puppets are particular to Vietnam and the puppetry was very interesting to watch even if I couldn’t really follow what was going on as it was all in Vietnamese!

This evening marked the final night of the trip for most of the group who had booked a 2 week trip from Bangkok to Hanoi (I am on nearly a month’s loop back to Bangkok), and we also met a number of new travellers who would be joining for the Vietnam leg of the trip. After dinner in a local restaurant, the Thailand and Laos crew enjoyed a final night on Beer Street to say our goodbyes.

It was a relatively early start with the new group the following morning as we headed the 4 or so hours out to Halong Bay for an overnight junk boat stay.

As we did last time, we had a stop at a workshop for disabled people, mostly women, where they are taught to sew and embroider. The artwork they produce is fantastic but as I’m not going home for 3 more months, I didn’t purchase anything.

We arrived in Halong Bay (the city is increasingly resembling Gold Coast with high rises and hotels) around midday and got on our junk boat which would be home for the next 24 hours. The weather was perfect, blue sky (unlike last time) and pleasantly warm. As we set sail we were served a delicious lunch which ended up being many different dishes being brought out for us to eat – more food than we could all manage.

Our home for the night and Halong Bay views

We sailed through the bay and past soaring limestone karsts on our way to Ti Top, an island with a viewpoint some 400 or so steps upwards. Much much busier than last time but still worth the views

After a gentle row around a bit of a lagoon, it was back to the boat for an incredible sunset, and more delicious food for dinner.

The following morning was a fairly early start to go to the caves, and then afterwards we had brunch whilst sailing back to land.

We drove back to Hanoi and arrived mid afternoon. I opted to do a food tour for the few hours before our overnight train south to Hue. Lots more delicious food and finished off with an egg coffee with an added shot of rum!!

I hugely enjoyed revisiting both these places. I really like the hustle and bustle of Hanoi’s old town even if it is completely exhausting trying to cross the road! And it was very special to see Halong Bay with beautiful clear blue sky.

Onwards on the night train to Hue…

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