The Joy of Tubing
Tubing, or floating down a river in a tractor inner tube, is what brought us to Vang Vieng, Laos, where the locals have made a...
Tagged: children
Bang Bang, Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng, Laos. Sullied paradise. Stoner playground. Backpacker hell. Apparently not the ideal destination to explore with child in tow, silkscreen landscape, gorgeous river and...
Lao Saunas
Laos wouldn’t seem the most obvious place for a sauna, particularly not in the lowlands, during dry season, but after a pedicure from doctor fish...
On Eating Insects
So Z and I have eaten our first round of insects on this journey — in Vientiane, Laos. Baby crickets, deep-fried to a quite delectable...
Age-Appropriate Reading (Again)
Z is scrutinising Lonely Planet South-East Asia with an expression I can only describe as panic. “Mum,” he says. “I really don’t think it’s a...
Messing About in Boats – Part 2
It is pretty much a given, in rural South-East Asia, that falang (and, I guess, locals too) in need of a bed for the night...
Buses and Boats
One of the pleasures about travelling with a child is the joy Z takes in the various vehicles involved. We are fresh off a Lao-style...
Winged Creatures
When it comes to bugs, even European ones, let alone rattling, flying, two-inch-long South-East Asian roach-type creatures which convention insists one refer to as “beetles”,...
X Marks the Spot
When staying in a guesthouse whose name is variously transliterated Xayamounghkhoun, Sayamungkun, Xayamunghkhung, etc., in a town where almost no one speaks English, and you...
Dinosaur Bones
So today we got to hold real dinosaur bones! And get a sneak preview of some very large, very impressive, and as yet unidentified skeletal...