It's been a while since I had the opportunity to indulge my inner mermaid, so when we heard about the huge waterfalls in Luang Prabang, we simply had to make sure we went there. Now I have to clarify that despite my initial excitement, I was taking the word "waterfall" with a good dose of cynicism. Throughout visiting waterfalls in Thailand, I became more and more aware that the word waterfall was being used to describe any drop in the water level from one centimetre to fifteen metres. The problem is that traditionally for us westerners, we expect something closer to Niagara Falls when we hear waterfall, so we get a bit underwhelmed if we head to one on the map and there is just a trickle of water with an inch drop. This happened a few times in Thailand, but don't worry there are plenty of amazing waterfalls there as well. But I have to say, none I had seen previously could even compare to Kuang Si waterfalls in Luang Prabang.
I ended up travelling through the whole of Laos with two amazing sisters, Phoebe and Bridie, after meeting them originally in Chiang Mai and then again in Pai. So by this time we were pretty sure we were meant to be good friends - the universe doesn't push you together with people like that again and again without damn good reason. So with our bikinis ready and a picnic in our bags, we hopped in the tuk tuk to get there. Now we had chosen a private tuk tuk because it worked out only a tiny bit more expensive than the organised tour - we wanted to get there earlier so that we could beat the crowds and we thought it would be worth it to pay a tiny bit extra. We were wrong. The tuk tuk driver couldn't find our guest house so he was late, then he decided to pick up a random couple on holiday from their home in Vietnam, and a monk! He then told us it would take an hour to arrive - we were pretty fed up by this point. Finally we arrived and headed into the waterfalls after paying a small entry fee. There are places to buy food and drink here if you do visit, and there are toilets.
To get to the waterfalls we had to walk through a black bear sanctuary run by a charity, it was pretty cute to see the black bears play fighting, swinging around on ropes and cooling off in the water. They looked well cared for and the charity was collecting money for their care and conservation work so hopefully they were honest and not just using the bears as an attraction. We arrived at the first level of the waterfalls and were overwhelmed by the stunning blue, green colour of the water in the lagoon that lay before us - apparently the colour is due to a reaction between the calcium in the rock. It was stunning to say the least and we quickly jumped into the cold water, swam around, climbed the rocks and jumped off with some guys who were doing backflips. It was so much fun that we almost forgot there were other levels and we only moved on because others were coming into what had previously been our own private pool. Amazingly, the next level was even more spectacular with more places to swim and take photos, and they all just kept getting bigger and better! We were wondering how the next could possibly beat the last but it always did.
My favourite level was the one where you could swim in a huge pool - it was the busiest unfortunately - but there was also a tree you could jump off into the water. It was awesome and I was the first girl up there, obviously in true ladylike style and with all the grace I could muster, I cannonballed down. But there were so many others that were so beautiful - ones where you could stand under the waterfall, ones where you could sit on rocks, ones where you could jump in. It was such a fun day and we finished it by heading up to the main part of the waterfall where you're not allowed to swim - we wanted to climb up to the top and look down. But somehow we managed to reach the top and follow the wrong sign and ended up walking back down again and missing the lookout part - we also skipped the caves which are a bit of a walk from the waterfall and we had to get back to catch our ride back. We spent at least three or four hours there and we could have spent longer quite happily, so make sure your tuk tuk gives you enough time to really enjoy and make sure you don't miss this amazingly beautiful landmark. It looks like something out of a Disney movie it's just so perfect!
Have you been to Kuang Si Waterfalls - what was your favourite part? Are you planning a trip to Laos, or would you like to go there?
Laos proved to be a country with two very different sides to it - the drunken, touristy side you may have already heard about where we aren't exactly welcomed with open arms by the locals. And the pure beauty of this mostly untouched landscape combined with the genuine kindness of the Lao people. It's such a strange dichotomy and caused me to have mixed feelings about the country at first - I couldn't decide whether I felt I actually ever knew what Laos was really about. But I suppose travelling through in just two weeks after spending three months in Thailand - I never really would know the country beyond the immediate impression - it takes time to peel back the layers and get to know a place. But I certainly gave it my best shot. We arrived in Luang Prabang and headed straight for our guest house that I had pre-booked just to ensure we could find a place straight away - we had expected to arrive in Laos a lot later than we did and didn't fancy finding a place in the dark. We stayed at Matata Guest House and when we arrived we were given a warm welcome by the staff - all a really lovely, friendly bunch who were eager to get us settled in to the four bed dorm. We chilled out for a bit with a coffee and some play time with their gorgeous dog, who, of course, was called Hakuna.
Later that evening we headed out for food and where better to eat than the local night market? We were advised to aim for a selection of stalls that offered an all-you-can-eat deal for a few thousand kip and we went and filled our boots after a long day on the boat. The food was okay, a mixture of noodles, rice dishes, vegetables and meat - but it definitely didn't have the flavour and spice of Thai food so I was a little disappointed. A lot of the vegetables were really overcooked and many of the dishes tasted the same, but still, it was cheap and quick. Afterwards, we headed to the main bar that everyone always goes to - Utopia is hidden down a couple of backstreets near the river and is a lovely little bar with okay music, relatively cheap drinks and a great atmosphere. It was buzzing when we arrived and we spotted some friends straight away, plus a load of others we had met previously at different points on our travels through Thailand - everyone who was anyone was in Laos that week! After a few drinks, a lot of laughs and a cheeky dance, the bar was closing (don't forget those annoying curfews in Laos) and everyone was heading off to the infamous Luang Prabang bowling alley which sits in the middle of nowhere. Trust me, as you get loaded into the tuk tuks like cattle and drive off into the dark, pulling up to this ugly and neglected building - you definitely feel like you might be on the way to an execution. But as soon as you walk through the doors into the horrible fluorescent lighting and hear the rubbish speakers attempting to blast out cheesy tunes, you know you're in for a pretty strange night.
Bowling is a bit expensive but it's something you only do once, a bit of a rite of passage for the backpacker in Laos. It's absolute rubbish and you have to be drunk, but if you have a good gang of people you can turn it into a really random but fun night. We had a great gang and had so much fun bowling barefoot while one of us played barmaid and doled out the bottle of whiskey. It was pretty funny, especially when one of the girls kept getting strike after strike and totally destroyed the boys' scores! One of the lads was so sure he was going to win, and he couldn't hide his disappointment when he realised he had lost so superbly. Finally we were finished and ready to leave, many of the other bowlers were still going strong but we were done for the night and headed back to town. The one great thing about Laos' curfew is that even after a big night out, you can still get a full night's sleep because everything is shut by around 2am - this was welcomed after all the partying in Pai.
Other highlights of the stay in Luang Prabang include getting my hair cut by a Laos woman who spoke not a single word of English - this was interesting and she definitely didn't do what I asked. But hey, my hair looked a damn sight healthier after all the dry bits were cut off! I also went for a fabulous massage (aiming to have one in every country I visit in Asia) which was specifically a Laos massage - which was very different to those I have had in Thailand. It was far more gentle and more relaxing than invigorating, plus the oils they used smelt amazing! I also loved walking around the markets and the town - Luang Prabang is a lovely little town, but if you have already done all the trekking and trips like that elsewhere, it leaves you with little to do. The shopping appeared good there, although I didn't buy anything. I would definitely recommend a visit to the town because it is lovely and the people are very friendly - if you do pop by, also go to the bar that holds nightly fashion and breakdancing shows out on by local children - it's very different and good fun.
Have you been to Laos - what did you think of the country? Would you consider going there in the future to test out your bowling skills?
Since travelling across Asia I've been on my fair share of buses, trains, motorbikes, tuk tuks and ferries - but one of my favourite methods of transport so far had to be the slow boat from Thailand to Laos. It was one of the most effortless, chilled out journeys I have had since first coming away all those months ago and I would really recommend it to anyone who has the time and inclination to spend two days on a boat floating down the Mekong. It's a completely different and relatively stress-free way to cross the border while combining a chance to meet fellow backpackers, travellers and locals with seeing the true beauty of the Laos landscape. Now I won't lie to you, I have heard other backpackers say they have tried this route and have had rather less fun boats - one couple spoke of a girl who decided to get the boat when she was tripping her nut off on some kind of hallucinogen. Others said the people on their boat were boring or not very friendly - I like to give a balanced view where I can but my experience was the best it could have been.
For a small price (I'm sorry I can't remember exactly how much, but it's great value) you get a bus from Pai (with a terrifying driver) to the border town where you spend a night in rooms at a guest house. Breakfast is included then you head to the border where you are pushed through like cattle, pay any fines for overstaying and get your new visa. Our group were also given a chance to swap any leftover money for dollars and to sort out our paperwork ahead of time. After a couple more buses and arriving at the port, we grabbed some food for the ride and some beers, then climbed aboard the longboat. It was made up of a long line of comfy seats and we all squeezed in up at the front, meeting some loud Australians and English along the way. That first day was a blur of singing silly songs, chatting about where we had all travelled, laughing at one of the guys who got sneezed on by a local and a few beers along the way. It was gorgeous to watch outside of the boat where the landscape was empty except for rolling hills, deserted beaches, rocky cliff faces and occasionally some naked, local children playing and giggling in the river.
I was pretty lucky with the crowd I had on my boat - I had the opportunity to spend two days with some of the most intelligent, artistic and talented individuals I have come across. I spent my time flitting between conversations about literature and plays, to playing silly games and singing along to the guitar that was constantly being played. One amazingly talented woman, who was backpacking with her daughter, sat quietly in a corner sketching and painting the scene at the front of the boat without us even realising until I spotted her hard at work. She had been doing this series of paintings along her travels and kept them as a kind of travel diary - a beautiful and original way to hold on to the memories that I wished I had the artistic talent for. It was so lovely to see how in a situation where there is no wifi, everyone reverts back to the ways we entertained ourselves as kids in the 90's - by reading, being artistic, playing games and not instantly turning away to plug ourselves into music or a TV. It was so refreshing.
After we spent six hours on the boat that first day, we arrived at a tiny town where we would spend the night at another guest house (not included in the price but cheap options available just no,d on for arrival rather than taking the first one offered). It was lovely and I ended up with my own double room with private bathroom! The gang headed out for dinner which I won't lie was a pretty disappointing meal, and chose an early night - all exhausted from our time in Thailand. The next morning, our breakfast was included in the package, and we could pay extra for lunch to take with us. Heading back on to the boat, this time we had a different one with a more comfortable layout and bigger seats - this was even more chilled out than the day before and I had plenty of time to finish my book. We expected to spend around 8 hours on the boat this day but were pleasantly surprised when we had arrived after just six hours. We all parted ways for our guest houses and headed into Luang Prabang by tuk tuk.
A two day boat trip isn't everyone's idea of a good time but it does offer you a totally different perspective of Laos that you don't get otherwise - you get to see the country in its raw, natural state. A rare treat for those who stick to visiting Vang Vieng and Vientienne. For those who get sea sick, this is not an issue. The boat moves to smoothly and slowly that you would really struggle to feel ill - plus you are well distracted while on the boat. You can buy beers and snacks on the boat but go prepared with lunch and cheaper snacks, and don't worry, there is a toilet. If touchable a choice of sticking to the roads or doing the journey by boat, you're a hell of a lot safer and more comfortable by boat. Trust me, those drivers are nuts and you won't get a moment of rest or sleep on those buses. The slow boat offers you a good chance to slow down for few days, because no doubt you partied as hard as I did in Pai, and to rest before starting again in Laos.
Have you travelled by slow boat - what did you think of the journey? What is your favourite mode of transport when you travel?
When I booked my trip and started reading up on Thailand and all the places I wanted to go, Pai was a name that came up again and again. I remember saying to friends after just reading up that Pai was somewhere that sounded like heaven to me - high up in the mountains, surrounded by hot springs and waterfalls, full of hippies and great places to eat. Perfect. This was part of the reason I decided to leave it until the end of my time in Thailand - as a treat because I was so certain I would be leaving on a high. It was a good decision, and just as I expected, I ended up staying longer than planned. A week in fact, instead of the four days I had booked. I could have easily stayed longer, but I knew if I did that I would still be there two years later. It was such an easy way of life to slip into, I was so happy there and met such amazing, interesting people. You simply cannot compare any other part of Thailand to Pai, anyone who doesn't make a stop there is seriously missing out on a completely different experience to the rest. Trust me.
I booked in for a few days at Pai Circus School, which instead of sitting down in the town, sits high up on the mountainside overlooking Pai. For those who don't know, Pai sits high in northern Thailand and in the centre of a stunning mountain valley. Surrounded by towering mountains, the valley is sheltered from the storms, but high up on the hill you are completely exposed. We watched some beauties - the first real weather I had seen in months - rolling in over the mountains during the afternoons and at night. Spectacular to say the least! Circus School is run by an English company who expands to Thailand and now welcome backpackers - mostly English - to their stunning grounds for a break, a chance to release their inner hippy and learn some badass circus skills. I won't llie, the facilities are basic, I booked a bungalow at 300 baht a night while dorm beds were 200 - at this point I couldn't bear sleeping in another dorm for a while, needing a good night's kip. I had my own double bed, fan and mosquito net, plus shared bathrooms and toilets at the bottom of the hill - it might have been basic but I loved it and had everything I needed. There was also a pool and a chance to learn circus skills, trampoline or play games. It was such a social place and many of those staying in town came to hang out in the day.
I would really recommend booking in before you arrive to be on the safe side, although I know plenty who didn't, just so you don't miss out when it does get busy. I would also recommend that everyone stays there for at least a couple of nights - even if you then move down to the town after. Staying there is such an experience, you meet so many people and I can guarantee some serious fun! Plus you get to hang out by the pool all day! I loved it there and would definitely go back. I would also recommend going to the canyon while you are in Pai - sunset is the best time and it is really beautiful to walk around. The landscape in this part of Thailand is remarkable. I wanted to go to the hot springs but never got round to it - they are awesome by all accounts just make sure you don't pay 300 but as there is a cheaper 80 bht one across the road that is just as good apparently! If you are staying at circus school - take advantage of learning circus skills - it's so much fun! I was trying my hand at Poi (fire dancing), slackline and hula hooping. It was so much fun and although I didn't have enough time to progress much, others did really well! You can also pay a small sum to have private tuition from the experts there who will coach you through it. 
Pai was lovely because it was the first place in a while that was completely undemanding on my time. As you can gather from my blog, I've been a busy girl up to this point and haven't missed any opportunities to get involved and go full throttle, so it was nice to relax and indulge a bit for a few days. Sometimes you just need a break from travelling! I spent the week hanging out with two fabulous girls I met in Chiang Mai (and who I ended up travelling the whole of Laos with) plus some others we met at circus school, it was so much fun. We spent our days chilling by the pool, practicing our mad circus skills and eating some of the many delicious foods on offer in the town. It was a really beautiful place to just relax and spend time with people. Our gang had plenty of time to swim, chat, laugh and even hold our own art classes for fun, we played cards at sunset, went for street food and cocktails, shopped and then held hut parties with cheap booze, drinking games and silliness. If was the best and well deserved after a week of volunteering and a hill tribe trekking tour! 
One of the biggest attractions to Pai was the food - which came at the perfect time. I had spent pretty much the whole three months in Thailand eating Thai food for breakfast, lunch and dinner so I was getting sick of it by then. I had some mad cravings for salad, pasta, smoked salmon, pitta, hummus, and various other delicious foods - western foods. Pai didn't disappoint - it actually had the best selection of food choices I have seen in any part of Thailand so far. My favourite restaurants were Ohm Garden - holy cow it was amazing and used all the best, freshest ingredients for salads, shakes, vegetarian food and sensational breakfasts. To put it in context - this restaurant was the furthest away from circus school, and meant walking down then up the mountain to get back in blistering heat - but we made that trip pretty much every single day because it was so worth it! Witching Well was also amazing and even served apple pie with cream for dessert, plus there was a great Thai place further along the street. I also ate a delicious Greek dish at another restaurant - you would be hard pushed to find bad food here! 
Definitely make sure you eat at the night market a few times as the food is freshly prepared and delicious there also, then head to some of the bars. Yellow Bar was usually busy earlier and fun, then head to Why Not? and Don't Cry for a bit of dancing, music and more booze. Everyone ends up at these bars and they are a lot of fun! There's plenty of others which are quirky and offer live music including jazz - I went to two but don't know what their names were - both were great with a fun atmosphere and lush music. Spirit Bar was fabulous, such a cool hidden bar but sadly it never really got that busy with the right crowd and the live music was pretty naff. For something a bit wonkier, head to Sunset Bar which has a lovely atmosphere, friendly people and is really comfy for hanging out - it is a bit of a trek so get a scooter there then walk back. Bamboo Bar is one they try to drag you to for a rave but the party never happens, although I did find the cutest dog in the world to play wth there! Whatever you do in Pai - be safe, have fun and enjoy! It's one of my favourite places in Thailand as many travellers say - take care of it and don't let it get ruined.
Have you been to Pai? What did you think? Did you stay at circus school?
Before discovering my love of journalism and writing could actually lead to a career, I had planned to become a teacher. An English teacher to be precise. When I went to university to study English literature with language and communication, that is what I wanted to do when I finished. I loved the idea of becoming that teacher who really inspires you, I was lucky enough to have a few like this who really spurred me on and inspired my love of learning from the very beginning to my last days in education. With two parents who both ended up working as lecturers in healthcare at a university and college near where I live, it seemed inevitable that I would inherit some of their teacher ways.
But I have to be honest, there was one thing in the back of my mind that put me off the idea of teaching, something that became a pet peeve of mine throughout later education - it was the attitude of students in the UK. Now don't get me wrong, I know there are many wonderful students out there who are eager to learn and develop. I also know there are many incredible teachers out there, some of them are friends of mine who stuck it out and are now working in schools across the country. But there are two factors in the UK that seem to be putting an extortionate amount of pressure on both sides, preventing them from being the best they can be and in some cases, stopping them from loving their job or learning.
My concern lies with the government who are putting such ridiculous pressure and demands on teachers that they barely have time to notice when there are concerns over wellbeing of their students. The sheer amount of paperwork and time spent on fulfilling guidelines means often, as I have heard from some teachers firsthand, they don't feel they are doing their jobs properly and are sometimes expected to lie in order to fulfil certain criteria. It is ridiculous and I can't imagine I would cope well with such pressure, I have huge admiration for those who do on a daily basis.
The other big issue lies with the sense of entitlement in the UK - it really hit me when I came away and met so many people from various countries. I realised how much more dedicated they seem as students - how the majority of people I have met speak three or more languages fluently while most English people I meet seem to have only mastered English in their 18 years of education. How some people have gone to such lengths to achieve an education - like the Vietnamese woman who searched at length to find a scholarship programme so she could study in America for her PHD, studying in a different language, culture and on a new continent to become a doctor. It's inspiring to meet such people out here, but I can't help but feel a bit embarrassed when you think of the naughty students at home who used to disrupt the classroom and refuse to learn, who don't see the value in learning languages or maths and don't think past finishing school.
While staying at Elephant Nature Park, we were asked to take part in an education programme run by the sanctuary by giving a morning up to go to the local school and teach English. The Park is very involved in the local villages as many of the men and women work at the Park and staff there make sure their children are sent to school, it's not just about the elephants - it's about ensuring a better way of life and a future for all involved. I jumped at the opportunity - teaching English abroad is something I've wanted to do for a while after knowing so many who have raved about the experience and how amazing it was. I chose a day in the middle of the week and was really looking forward to it. On the day, four of us volunteers headed out on a minibus to the village school where we were welcomed by the headteacher who was warm and friendly.
The school was a bit of a building site with construction ongoing in the middle, but the classrooms were laid out around a giant courtyard, they were bright and colourful. A quick decision was made, we would be spread across three classrooms and I was thrilled to have a class all to myself - I would be teaching students ranging from five to 18-years-old with the help of a local teacher who spoke minimal English. I love being thrown in at the deep end so this suited me perfectly, after checking out their workbooks for a clue of where they were up to in their studies, and after meeting the adorable, giggling students, I was ready to start. We ran through simple concepts they already knew slightly such as colours, foods, verbs, basic phrases and conversation, and had a good sing-song ones like head, shoulder, knees and toes, twinkle twinkle little star, the alphabet song and a few others. I was really impressed with what they already knew, it suggested their ability was much higher than I had anticipated which was great. The older and more fluent speakers were helping the younger ones to understand which meant we worked well together as a group and gave me the chance to try some trickier stuff with them later on.
I had the most amazing time with the children that morning and felt like we were making so much progress that I couldn't resist staying for the afternoon when the other volunteers went back to the Park. After a lunchtime spent meeting the other children at the school, joining in a jam session with them, playing ping pong and chatting to the young girls, we were ready for round two. The classrooms were a lot stuffier in the heat of the day and you could tell the children were getting tired, but that didn't stop them for a second in their determination to learn and impress me. It was lovely to see how dedicated they were when I know full well that children in the UK would have been far more disruptive in the heat.
That afternoon we covered past, present and future tenses, complex phrases, adverbs and more conversation. We also worked on longer passages, firstly for pronunciation and then for meaning of longer and more unusual words. We translated a piece about a science experiment using rockets and worked on the hardest piece of the day - discussing a passage about April Fool's Day. Trust me, that is a hard enough concept to explain in English and it was nearly impossible to non-native speakers! But we got there in the end and I was so proud to see how well the children did - they picked up so much and helped each other to understand which was amazing. It actually mad me think that teaching English abroad might be something I would like to try for a while in the future.
If you get an opportunity to go into a school while travelling and teach - whether English, music, maths or something else, snatch it with both hands. Even if you don't think you have the knowledge to do it, they can learn so much from you and it is such a rewarding experience. Often you don't need to have done a TEFL course and village schools will just have signs up asking for volunteers to come in, ask at your hostel and read notices. A friend of mine spotted a notice asking for those who can play musical instruments to come into a music course and help teach, he could play the guitar and jumped at the chance. Afterwards he said it was one of the best afternoons he has had travelling, that it was so much fun and they were wonderful students. It's a great way to give something back and if you choose to do the TEFL course, it's a great way to earn money while travelling.
Have you taught English while travelling? Tell me about your experiences and whether you would recommend doing it to others.
Since volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, it has become a regular topic of conversation with friends, family, fellow travellers and complete strangers. Everyone seems to have elephants on the brain and its little wonder why, these majestic, intelligent and simply beautiful creatures seem to capture the hearts of most. Why? For me, it's always been something in their eyes. Elephants seem to have eyes that tell a story, much like humans, you can tell there is more going on in their heads. That they think and feel in similar ways to us - whether you agree of. It is another matter, but I've always felt that elephants have a lot in common with humans which is why it has always broken my heart to hear about cases of poaching and animal cruelty. The more I read about it all, the more it tore me apart to know that such amazing creatures could be so brutally targeted by my own species. Sad how you can feel so ashamed of your own kind at times, but I guess some brains are just wired differently.
Something that has come up again and again in conversations are the same questions about how to know if elephants are being treated cruelly, what is cruel treatment, whether elephant riding is okay and so on... Of course I answered all of these as best I could after learning so much firsthand at the sanctuary, but the journalist in me couldn't resist talking to the expert about it all. Lek Chailert is the founder of Elephant Nature Park, and during my week long volunteering at the centre I was lucky enough to meet her and to sit in on a talk she gave about her experiences, her work, Elephant Nature Park, elephant cruelty and tourism, and the future. It was simultaneously fascinating and devastating - within seconds she had the whole room captivated, and in less than five minutes she had the whole room in tears. I have never met anyone so passionate and true to her cause, and I have never felt so inspired by a single person. Lek has achieved so much in the face of great cruelty and adversity, she has never given up on her mission and remains stronger than ever and full of determination to make her dream of freedom for elephants a reality.
A week of volunteering left me desperate to do more and help in any way I can, and my best way of doing this is to write, to photograph, to interview and to share all of this with all of you. I know I have many friends and followers who are big supporters of the volunteering programme, who love elephants and are strongly against animal cruelty, so I thought it would be great to share my interview with Lek on here so that you can all hear firsthand from her of the reasons behind her work. By hearing exactly what is involved in domesticating elephants, you can make a decision for yourself about whether you really want to ride an elephant or participate in elephant tourism. As Lek says herself in the interview, the most important thing is educating people on why it is wrong. I hope very much that you are finding my elephant-themed week on the blog informative and interesting, I hope that you too will feel inspired to help by sharing this post with your friends, family and social media followers - you could be helping to save an elephant out there from being subjected to cruel treatment.
Check out the video below for my full interview with Lek Chailert.
If you have any questions about Elephant Nature Park or the topics covered in this video, please do leave them below and I'll do my best to answer. I have a final post in keeping with the elephant theme coming up this Friday - focusing on my time as a volunteer and what I thought of the experience.
An extra post for you guys today because we're celebrating! Huge news for those who haven't seen on Facebook, Twitter or heard me shouting with excitement from the rooftops in Vietnam. On Friday night, AbsolutelyLucy.com won the highly commended award in the travel blogging section. My blog was shortlisted among ten or so, chosen out of around 30,000 thanks to your votes and support, and now has been named one of the best out of this incredible collection of writers. To say I'm bowled over is an understatement. I'm completely overwhelmed by it because it had never actually entered my head for a second that I stood a chance against these other amazing blogs. I love my blog, you guys love it, but I didn't realise that was enough to make these highly experienced judges feel the same way. It has been such a boost to know that you guys are enjoying my posts and pictures, that you love reading about my experiences as much as I love writing about them, so to know that industry professionals have enjoyed them also is amazing. I'm so proud to say that less than six months after I started travel blogging my blog is considered a success and worthy of note.
It is only a year and a half since I started out on this little venture, as a lifestyle blogger, which at the time was more of a hobby than anything else. Now it has become a huge part of my life and I love it, every second of it. From capturing every moment - the food I eat, the things I see and do, the people I meet - I love thinking about how you will experience the world through my senses. To writing, expressing how I felt about a place and what I loved and my new passions that have formed along the way. And more than any of it, I love the interaction, when you guys say a post has touched you or meant something to you, when others say they are living vicariously through me and when I then inspire others to travel solo or to explore the places I have been. It is amazing, all of it, and I'm so grateful to those who inspired me to start blogging and to those who have encouraged me along the way. I've come a long way since I was Friday's Girl, writing a weekly column in the local newspaper about my time at university - drunken nights out and all - but I hope you are enjoying my work more than ever before!
Sadly I didn't get to celebrate last night as I spent 17 hours on a sleeper bus eating mountains of fruit with my friend Paul, but I'm sure we'll make up for it with a few beers at our next destination! If you're cracking open a bottle of wine tonight, have a glass for me!
As usual, if there is ever anything you would like me to write about, any requests, anything you would like my opinion on, or you would like advice on travelling Asia or travelling solo - I'm always at the end of an email. You can contact me through the contact panel to the right of this post or through my Facebook and Twitter pages.
I can't actually believe I'm writing a post about this hell-hole. My friend Lily and I travelled up from Koh Tao and decided to break up the journey to Bangkok by stopping off in Hua Hin, which we had read was a place where Thai people went on holiday. We arrived after spending a day on a ferry and bus - the comfiest bus I've ever been on, I hasten to add - and were pretty shocked to see McDonald's, KFC, Burger King and flashing lights everywhere. It was the trashiest looking place I have seen yet in Thailand and was filled with ageing British and German couples and old men looking for young Thai girls. To say we were disappointed was an understatement, but we sucked it up and luckily were ushered into a guest house by a taxi driver we met in the street. I say luckily because usually I wouldn't take any notice of these guys, but we couldn't find the hostel we were after and when we walked into the building the woman was offering us a double room with an ensuite for 300bt a night. We weren't overwhelmed, but it would do for the first night. Discovering a swimming pool on the roof the following night definitely changed our opinion and made us stay for a few more days instead of switching hotels. (I can't remember the name of our place but it was almost opposite a bar called Click)
The beach at Hua Hin isn't a stunner. It's big and long and stretches round the bay but it's not good for sunbathing, there's a strong wind that hits the beach making it perfect for windsurfers but less so for relaxing. But the length and the firmness of the sand makes it perfect for an evening run which was something we enjoyed quite a lot - I love running on the beach at home, but it's definitely better when you can jump in a warm sea after and cartwheel the whole way home. We spent our days relaxing by the pool and our nights shopping at the market. Considering how expensive Hua Hin appears because of all the holiday makers, we actually managed to snap up a load of bargains and even a 100bt foot massage at the market. This was also a great place to stock up on the more commercial items like makeup wipes, sun screen, and any other beauty products with Boots and other stores on offer.
The restaurants were good but not the best I've seen, street food is a bit lacking here although the market is good for food and particularly for seafood which is prepared right in front of you. Flames shoot up at regular intervals as head chefs cook up lobsters, prawns and huge fish on the grills set up outside the restaurants and the air is filled with the spicy smells of delicious Thai food. We also tried some fabulous duck at a few of the restaurants in the street near our hotel - the first time I had tried duck in Thailand and it was really tasty, with no fat and lots of flavour. I was really impressed with the duck salad and the green duck curry I had, and we also tried some delicious mussels topped with garlic, cheese and Thai herbs. Definitely explore the menus that offer slightly unusual dishes, there's plenty of different meals on offer here.
All of these positives really didn't outweigh the negatives in Hua Hin, but we really made the best of it by going out and partying with the few locals who actually worked there. This did backfire one night when they took us to a Thai club and we were propositioned by some Thai guys who wanted to pay us for a night... Needless to say we left and didn't head back there in a hurry. The one saving grace of our time in the town was when I signed us up to do a morning of Muay Thai boxing training at Thai Boxing Garden, which was absolutely amazing! We headed in early to beat the heat but it was already hot and sweaty in the gym where the Thai boxing trainers were waiting. After a warm-up of skipping, it was straight into the straps on our wrists, the boxing gloves and straight into the moves. We worked hard and got results, the guys showed us all the moves and we definitely impressed them. Heck, I impressed myself after weeks of partying on the islands - half expected I would collapse halfway through! We had so much fun and left pumped and excited - we had hoped to make it to another session the next morning, but unfortunately Lily was ill so we couldn't do it. But I would definitely recommend trying out a session if you get a chance and like to keep fit. It's great fun, a good workout and good value for money depending on where you do it. There are also options to train every day for a week or longer for those staying longer.
Overall, my advice would be to both holidaymakers and backpackers - avoid Hua Hin at all costs. We only stayed a few days because we didn't want to spend too much time in Bangkok before Lily's flights and because we had a pool, but if you don't need to break up your journey, just skip it altogether and save yourself from the sight of 60-year-old men with young Thai women. If you do end up there, definitely get away from the strip for an evening by dressing up in your finest and heading to The Hilton where they have a Sky Bar which looks over the whole town and is beautiful all lit up at night. I'll admit the cocktails aren't amazing, but they also aren't too expensive. If you're like me, you'll avoid the sugary concoctions and their sickly sweet taste and stick to champagne cocktails and bellinis instead. A nice treat for a backpacker.
Have you ever travelled to a hell-hole? Tell me about your holidays from hell...
After nearly a week of hard partying on Koh Phanang, it was time to explore further and we'd all heard amazing things about Koh Tao. Koh Tao is kind of like Koh Phanang was around 5-10 years ago, it's the island of the moment, the one every traveller will tell you that you simply MUST go there. That no matter what type of traveller you are, you will surely love it. To an extent, I have to agree that I can't imagine many people going to Koh Tao and finding any serious reasons to hate it. It's a beautiful place full of travellers and holiday makers, but for me it lacked any real culture or Thai feeling. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed in any way because I had purposefully not gone there looking for that. This just serves as a warning for other travellers to not go with expectations of a real Thai island - go there to party, go there to relax, go there to enjoy the beaches and meet people. I loved my time on the island but you don't go there to experience Thai culture, this is a tiny island with a lot of tourists overpopulating it and if you ask me, it doesn't have long left before it goes the same way as Koh Phi Phi.
We arrived by ferry and started trudging up the hill with our bags, desperate to get away from the tuk tuk drivers and hostel touts trying to take our money at the port. We headed towards Sairee Beach which we had heard was home to the best nightspots and beach, we didn't make it very far and snapped up a cheap room for the night at Mr J's. It wasn't great but we made a plan to go straight out minus the bags and find somewhere better for the next day. Three of us bunked in one room and two in the other, but heading out down the beach we decided to move the following morning to SB Cabana which offered three bungalows between five of us, just behind the beach, for just 300bt each across three nights. These were much better and were right in the middle of the main strip which gave us great access to all the best bars and restaurants. On our first night, two of our group stayed in while one got over a cold, but the other three of us decided to head out for dinner and a massage, before we knew it, it was 4am and we were walking back after a lot of cocktails and a lot of fire show limbo - a pretty good start to our time on the island.
The next few days passed in a blur of parties and fun with our little gang, I can't fit it all into this post, but one of my highlights had to be the night we all went to the ladyboy show, The Queen's Cabaret, which was hilarious and the best night's entertainment ever. Free entry, but drinks are expensive. It's amazing value and we had a great time singing along to all the songs, the two guys in our group even ended up with a starring role in the show when they were dressed up as ladyboys and took part in the final number. The night didn't stop there and we spent the rest of it partying on the beach with loads of friends we picked up along the way. I'll be honest and say the music wasn't anything incredible and the drinks were average. Although they did sell some pretty tasty buckets that weren't full of red bull which was a revelation for me. But one great thing about the island is how friendly everyone is, something I didn't really find when on Koh Phi Phi, everyone here wants to make friends and party together so you feel really welcome. That alone makes for some amazing nights out.
Away from the parties, there's actually lots to do. I didn't do the diving this time because I was told the water was pretty murky and I didn't want to waste my chance but I hope to go back in May. One afternoon, me and one of the guys headed up on a scooter to the viewpoint to check out the island, it was a pretty nerve wracking drive up and really steep, but we made it! Sadly we had chosen a pretty cloudy day so we couldn't appreciate the full beauty of the island, but it was pretty amazing to look out across the bay even if we couldn't see the sunset. Heading down in the dark was a bit hairy but funny, and we were soon down at the beach again. The following day, for our final day as a five-some, we hired a long tail boat, grabbed some beers and snacks, and headed out for a day of swimming, snorkelling and exploring a tiny island called Nang Yuen. It was perfect, the water was crystal clear, the sun was hot, the beer was kept ice cold, and there were loads of fish. Yang Nuen was simply stunning as you can see from the pictures and it was a great hangover cure from the night before. Our final night together was the biggest party yet with lots of buckets, naked fire limbo, splashing around in the sea, dancing and singing at the top of our voices and lots of other hilarious moments. A perfect end to our little gang. After three of the group left, one of the girls and I stayed a few extra days to sunbathe and enjoy the island.
Have you been to Koh Tao - what did you think of the island? Have you seen a ladyboy cabaret - did you have as much fun as we did?
Okay so you remember that time I wrote about smear tests? This is going to be a little bit like that... Probably one for the girls and a bit much for the boys to cope with - just warning you now. So Dad, if you're reading this, you can give this post a miss. Periods. Pretty bloody inconvenient aren't they? It was never something me really thought about before coming away, but I certainly wish I had now so I could have been more prepared. This is something no one warned me about and something I had never read about, but I know I'm not the only female traveller to be caught out unexpectedly. I've met several women on the road who have been only too quick to tell me about the horrors they have faced using Thai toilets when they just want a nice clean toilet with loo roll on hand. When you're packing to come away, it's just not something that really crosses your mind because as Westerners, we are so used to having sanitary products on sale in every shop with clean dashing toilets everywhere, and those super hygienic disposal buns for anything that won't flush. But what happens when it's not all so convenient?
Surfing the crimson wave, or riding the cotton pony, never seems to come at a good time and it's far more annoying when you're going on holiday and you just want to be looking fabulous in a bikini instead of bloated and like a beached whale with spots the size of maltesers. Painting a beautiful picture here aren't I? To be honest, I've never been one of those girls who has been that bothered by periods, they're an inconvenience but I just get on with it. If I know I'm going away on holiday or something, I will use my contraceptive pill to control when I have a period, so I can time it for a week later or even a month later. Good old microgynon! But what happens when you're going travelling for a year? Well it's one thing to run two packs of pills together, but a years worth isn't quite so good for you I'd imagine, so how do you cope with having a period in Thailand and what do you need to know?
Toilet tissue has to go in the bin (in most places) and so do all tampons and sanitary products - that means when you change your tampon, it is left wrapped in a bit of tissue in the bin. Seems pretty gross to a westerner, but it's either that or the whole bathroom with be flooded with whatever else is down there!
Go prepared. Much of Thailand doesn't sell a fantastic selection of sanitary products, so don't walk into a 7/11 and expect to find all your favourite brands. You will want to make sure you have a good supply of tampons in particular as I haven't actually seen them on sale anywhere yet - Thai women apparently use sanitary towels instead as tampons are considered unclean. Pack as many as you can! I met some girls who were having them posted out to them from mum.
The sanitary towels are nothing compared to the slim fit ones at home - while slim, they often seem to come with huge wings. Not quite as discreet and comfortable as the ones from back home, but they do the job when you're desperate and run out of supplies. Just be sure to stock up when you see them on sale as you often won't find them in shops in some more remote places. I think some of the Thai women must be shoving a rolled up newspaper up there instead!
Things like wet wipes and anti bacterial gel are really helpful when you want to make sure you have clean hands and a clean body in slightly less clean places. As a backpacker, you quickly lower your standards of cleanliness to fit with the place around you, and when you add in limited clothes and underwear in your bag, sometimes you just want to feel fresh - these can make all the difference.
If you have quite heavy periods, it might be worth seeing your doctor before you go and seeing if they can put you on a contraceptive pill that will help to lighten them and to make you more comfortable when travelling - but this is totally a matter of personal choice. I've met girls who have the injection, the implant, the coil and a range of other methods for dealing with periods while on the road.
Don't let it scare or stop you! Having a period in Thailand is really not that bad and it is certainly no excuse to lock yourself in a dark room and cry. It doesn't have to stop you from doing anything, I still hiked, swam, sunbathed and explored plenty of places and it didn't stop me enjoying myself. Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard, if you have bad period pains then give yourself some painkillers and take care of yourself. It's okay to have a lazy day when you're feeling rubbish, or to head to the city when you're too bloated to feel comfortable in a bikini. That's the beauty of backpacking, it's so flexible and will fit around how you feel.
Okay that's all my period advice for today - girls I hope it helped you. Guys, well done if you made it to the end of this post.
If anyone has any questions, I'm always at the end of a comment, so leave one below and I'll always get back to you. Or why not share your period horror stories from your travels?
I've always been a very confident person, anyone who knows me will tell you that, but travelling has brought out a confidence I never knew I had within me. People talk about travelling changing them, particularly solo travelling, they say it makes you more relaxed, more flexible, more open to experiences. I don't agree that it changes you, I think it actually just brings out the true version of yourself - the one that was hiding behind layers of stress and hard work before. While backpacking you are finally free of the rat race, of the pressures of work and society, you can finally be the person you always wanted to be, but never thought you could. It sounds silly and I'm sure those who haven't done it feel like I'm getting all emosh about travelling, but the ones who have experienced it are nodding vigorously at the screen.
I've met so many people who have spoken of the exact same feeling - that feeling of a sudden strength and confidence, that undeniable capability. So where does it come from? Well the fact that so many are heading out on these enormous trips by themselves, carrying their life in a bag and visiting all kinds of places alone, relying completely and totally on themselves is no small thing. It is a huge life-altering experience, particularly if, like me, you've never done anything like this before. I've already learnt so much by relying totally on myself to get from A to B, and then on to C, I've had to find my way home from the middle of nowhere by trying to communicate with those who don't speak English, I've had to look after myself when I'm sick. But I've done it all and done it well.
That is where the confidence comes from, that silent assuredness that I can cope with anything that is thrown at me, that no matter when happens or where I end up, I will manage to find a welcoming hostel, a bar and a good meal. That I can cope with the paperwork - arranging visas and flights on the road, making sure I have permits for national parks and all the rest. It's that knowledge that despite the language barrier, you can communicate your needs and wants to others successfully, that you can get where you need to be and you will be okay. It's that confidence that when you're walking the streets you are not constantly going to be a target of thieves, rapists and all the rest, that people actually just want to meet you and talk to you, unlike what everyone else said before you left!
What raises you higher every single day is meeting new people, being that person who puts themselves out there repeatedly, just waiting to see if a new friendship will form or if you will be knocked back. It's so easy when you're in a cosy bubble of friends and family back home who have all known your forever to not realise your value or your worth. But constantly meeting new people, telling them your stories and about your life and seeing their eyes light up, you realise that actually strangers think you're pretty awesome and they want to be friends with you. That actually there are people outside your bubble, from across the globe, who can have so much in common with you. Like when you meet someone and within a day you know you'll be friends for life, like you've been waiting your whole life to meet the other part of yourself. That's the travel soulmate.
All of these things, and so many more, help boost you up as a person and make you realise how amazing you are, and that's why travellers come back with that glow. That glow of self confidence and self assurance, the one the non-travellers can't quite place but put it down to a tan and a happy holiday. It's more than that, it's knowing who you are and who you want to, and can, be. At home it is so easy to be caught up in everyday life, but removing yourself from that busy, stressful environment really helps fast track you to becoming that confident and fabulous human being that takes time to grow. So if you're heading out on a solo trip somewhere, remember to embrace this feeling and to feel proud when you get it, it means you've grown as a person and realised how awesome you really are!
Do you know the feeling I'm talking about? How has travelling changed you as a person? Or has it had no effect on you? Tell me about your experiences - whether a year-long solo trip or a weekend away with friends.
Alcohol is acceptable at any time of the day - particularly because of the different time zones, totally okay to have a whiskey for breakfast.
Always snag a window or aisle seat - nobody wants to be stuck in the middle of a row unable to get out and stretch their legs or get to the loo. These also usually have the most leg room - even with short legs like mine leg room can make or break a flight! Also, try and ensure you are sat a good distance from the toilets, close enough if you need it but far enough that the flush doesn't disturb you.
Diets and healthy eating go completely out the window when you're flying for 14 hours - two airplane meals loaded with salt, additives and all the rest, booze, and somehow fitting in 12 meals in one day.. Whoops! Praying every opportunity because you're never sure where your next meal is coming from is allowed - plus with all the sleep deprivation you need all the sugar you can get!
Stay hydrated! Nothing worse than eating all this salty food and then being left gasping for a drink - and all that air conditioning just dehydrates you further. It's amazing the way being dehydrated can seriously affect every aspect of your life - your mood, ability to make decisions and attitude are all influenced by this and yet it is so easy to control. Just try and make sure you have a bottle of water on you all the time and drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage as these also dehydrate you.
It's okay to get a bit emosh watching a soppy movie - yes people will think you're weird, but who cares? When it comes to films like Marley & Me, and The Fault in our Stars, I reckon the people who don't cry are the weird ones!
Always think ahead and have a place to stay at the other end and your transfers sorted out, after a long haul flight you are exhausted and more likely to end up in the wrong place or in a vulnerable position - don't let yourself be a target for those who are looking to take advantage of this. Also - if you are staying in an apartment or self-catering, make sure you will have access to the place, that there will be someone to let you in and that it is secure. In some places there are whole gangs just waiting for people to be directed to the wrong apartment so they can break in and rob you while you sleep - don't believe me? It happened to me on the first night of a holiday - pretty bloody scary and I was lucky they just took my valuables and didn't attack me. I consider myself a pretty savvy traveller, and yet I was still a victim of this - don't let yourself be one too.
Always stick to the time zone you are in when it comes to meals and sleeping - when you arrive at your hotel, if it is dinner time, try and eat dinner. Fight off sleep until it is time for bed there, it will help you adjust quicker and will fend off jet lag - give in and you will find yourself wide awake at 2am and wanting your lunch.
Keep your toothbrush in your hand luggage, after two six hour flights and and a three hour drive, you'll be feeling a bit grubby and it's amazing the difference brushing your teeth can make - it will make you feel so much better.
Take plenty of things to keep you entertained - iPad, phone, music, book, magazine - if you end up being delayed these will keep you sane. As will a packet of sweets and a drink. You might also find it helpful to keep your phone charger on you - there are loads of charging points in bars/restaurants these days and you never know when your battery will die on you!
How about you guys - any rules you fancy adding to the list? Leave me a comment with your suggestions!
