Indonesia

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This 2018, Aida and I have done a 20-day route around some of the islands of Indonesia where we have been able to see ancient Hindu Temples near Yogyakarta, observe orangutans with semiberty on a klotok in Borneo, be amazed with some Java volcanoes, discover Bali by motorcycle and explore the Nusas Islands.

We are still preparing the post of our route, but Aida has prepared a great video summary that we hope you like it.

Video Summary

The experience of noticing up to 6 earthquakes near where we were marked the last days of the trip, although none of the places where we were was damaged, we were alerted by a tsunami on one of the Nusa Islands , and we met travelers who did suffer from experiences to forget.

Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival at Jogja (Yogyakarta)
Day 2. Play Prambanan
Day 3. Borobudur
Day 4. Tour 3D / 2N Klotoc to Borneo
Day 5. Tour 3D / 2N Klotoc to Borneo Tour 3D / 2N Klotoc to Borneo
Day 6. Tour 3D / 2N Klotoc to Borneo and Transport to Probbolingo
Day 7. Bromo
Day 8. Probbolingo
Day 9. Bali, Ubud
Day 10. Bali, Ubud
Day 11. Bali, Ubud
Day 12. Bali, Munduk
Day 13. Bali, Lovina
Day 14. Bali, Ubud
Day 15. Nusa Lembongan
Day 16. Nusa Penida
Day 18. Denpasar
Day 19. Denpasar and fly to Jakarta
Day 20. Jakarta 

Route Map 

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Sri Lanka

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In November 2017 I visited Sri Lanka, the tear of India .... And this has been my experience.

Itinerary 
Day 1. Arrival at Colombo and meet Laura
Day 2. Train to Kandy (මහනුවර) and visit to the Royal Palace
Day 3. Bus to Dambulla, visit of the Temple of the Caves of Dambulla (දඹුලු ලෙන් විහාරය), bus to Sigiriya. Climb to Pidurangala Rock (පිදුරංගල පර්වතය)
Day 4. Tuk tuk to Polonnaruwa (පොළොන්නරු) and Kaudulla National Park
Day 5. Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla and Kandy
Day 6. Kandy
Day 7. Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya and tuk tuk to Dickoya
Day 8. Adam's Peak and relax
Day 9. Train Hutton - Ella
Day 10. Little's Adam's Peak and Ella's Rock
Day 11. Tuk tuk safari to Kataragama
Day 12. Safari at Yala National Park and tuk tuk to Hiriketiya Beach
Day 13. Hiriketiya and tuk tuk to Midigama Beach
Day 14. Surf and Galle with Laura
Day 15. Beach and taxi to Negombo
Day 16. Breakfast and flight back home

Some Photos

What would I do if would return (Recommended Route)

Map of the route

Philippines

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In November 2016 I visited some parts of the Philippines. This has been my experience.

Itinerary

Day 0 Flight to Manila
Day 1 Manila and Night bus to Manaue
Day 2 Banaue and Batat 
Days 3 y 4 Sagada and Night bus to Manila
Day 5 Flight Manila - Puerto Princesa
Day 6 Puerto Princesa
Day 7, 8, 9 and 10 El Nido
Days 11 and 12 Port Barton and bus to Puerto Princesa
Day 13 Flight Puerto Princesa - Cebu and Ferry Cebu - Taglibaran (bohol)
Days 14, 15 and 16 Alona Beach, Bohol and Buceig at Balicasag
Day 17 Boat to Siquijor
Days 18 and 19 Siquijor
Days 20, 21 and 22 Apo Isalnd
Days 23 and 24 Dumagete 
Days 25 Flight Dumagete - Manila and Bus Manila - Tagaytay 
Day 26 Tagaytay and bus to the Airport of Manila

Some Photos

Myanmar (Birmania), Bangkok and Kho Chang

This May 2015 I went for 3 weeks around Myanmar and Thailand…

Inle Lake

Itinerary

Day 0 Flight

Day 1 Contact with Bangkok

Day 2 flight to Mandalay and Mandalay Hill

Day 3 Pyin Oo Lwin and Anisakan Falls

Day 4 Train to Hsipaw for the Gokteik Viaduct

Day 5 Bikeing arround Hsipaw

Day 6 and 7 Walking/trekking arround the Shan and Palaung villages 

Day 8, 9 and 10 Nyaungshwe / Inle Lake. 

Day 11 and 12 Bagan

Day 13 Mt. Popa

Day 14 and 15 Mandalay and sorroundings

Day 16 Flight to Bangkok and bus to Trat

Day 17, 18 and 19 Ko Chang. Relax, Jungle and motorbike

Day 21, 22 and 23 Bangkok

Some Photos

Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha is the place to do a trekking in Lao trough the deeps jungles forests with minorities etnies villages. The treks have to been done by a authorized guide, and the number of groups are limited. With this rule they try (theoretically) do less tourist impact on the villages. The Word Eco tourism is everywhere in Luang Namtha ...
At the bus I meet Jon (Oregon, USA), he is going the same way that I am. We were eating a noodles at the night market and I meet again Richard and Natalie. All together and Kevin (Canada) went to look witch treks are offered...
We decide to do Mhong trek, 2 days doing overnight in a home stay.

Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoi Neua

Nong Khiaw is a village next to the river Nam Ou sorrounded by majestic mountains where you can do trekkings to see some caves and waterfalls and at the same time you can visit small villages.

Luang Prabang

Get to Luang Prabang it's been difficult. The road was close becouse the rain. Long Cue and the road transformed as a market and play zone... in 10 hours you can do a lot of things! At least the landscape was very pretty...

I started the book Mr Nice by Howard Marks.

At the bus I meet Richard, Natalie, Cris i Paul (UK), Sara (NZ), and Jordana (Canada). We arribe at Luang Prabang arround 4 in the morning!
We end at the same Guest House. We went to see the monks arround the streets of Luang Prabang and we rest.

The city is so cute thanks to be sorrouned by the big Mekong river, houses with french style and busdist temples everywhere.
Next morning, I went for a run and after breakfast, we went to visit the Kouangxi Water Fall (Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls) an espectaculars waterfalls with some swiming areas... so refreshing!

This city is a relax city. I walk trought the market, fruit shake, Vegetarian buffet...

Some Photos
2010-07-Luang Prabang (LAO) https://photos.app.goo.gl/UEu2fvZoa9eekjYj7
 
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Vang Vieng

This village follows the Mekong river and surrounded by rocky mountains with plenty of caves and lagoons to swim.
And also... a lot of accommodations, restaurants, tolls to get to the bridge and caves...
I liked the first part.

It's been raining 3 days! It's time to have some rain in my trip, isn't it???

I went to walk about 20 km around the surroundings of Vang vieng to Tham Poukham Cave, and i swim in a nice lagoon (...raining). One friend of mine would say "The world is for the brave"

At Champa Lao Guesthouse, I meet Tomas and Claudia (Sweden and Chile) and we share talks and meals with Dominique and Linda (Switzerland EUA/Jamaica)

I do Raiki with Claudia...

Some Photos
2010-07-Vang Vieng (LAO) https://photos.app.goo.gl/umHY4jgwDqvBPMBb6

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Vientiane

It's been hard to leave Vietnam. More than 26 hours by non-comfortable bus. 26 hours incluiding an hour and a half cose a breakdown and another hour waiting for the open time of the Laos border...

I can say it was entertaining see how they put more and more people where you can say is impossible.
The Backpacks at the roof with a lot of staff to be deliver...

After all this, dinner and sleep hours and hours... I'm at Vientiane!
Next morning, bike. I go to the chinise embassy to ask for the Visa (I've got it in 24h!)
After I do the visit to the capital of Lao (Pah That Luang, Patuxai, etc..)
And at the afternoon with a danish couple, I go to visit the Budda Park (Van Xieng Khuan) about 25 km from the centre of Vientiane, and it worth... a garden next to the river with all kinds of budda's.

Next day rains a lot... I decide to do the ride to the embassy with the bike... and then the bus to VangVien.

Some Photos
2010-07-Vientane (LAO) https://photos.app.goo.gl/Lstt443QfgpPHjucA

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Hanoi 2.0

I came back from the mountains of Sa Pa to Hanoi.
At the Hotel I meet the Bruno's friends (Mireia, Maria i Lidia), and they came with Lucas and Alex to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex.
I want to do a 2 days trip to Halong Bay (the famous and turistic islands at the north coast of vietnam)... and I can't.
There is a tifon at the south-coast of China going to Halong Bay! I try to do a 1 day trip inested but they cancel for security reasons...
Maybe I have to not see it...

So, I visit the Vietnam Revolution Museum, Hoa Lo Prison, streets, squares, restaurants... not bad, no??

Next stop, Laos...


Some Photos
2010-07-Ha Noi 2 (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/XEvK5enjFa9iFbyg6

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Sapa

I arrive to Sa Pa and it was raining a little with a very comfortable temperature.

The first day I go to walk to Cát Cát Village and surrounding. The landscape is so beautifull! I needed some mountains time!
Next day I do a two days trip doing overnight at Lao Chai Sang. The group is 7 people... Alberto and Soraya (Zaragoza), Jordi and Karen (Manresa i Tarragona!), Alex (the french girl we meet in Hanoi) and Lucas.
It Worth. The rice fields, the bamboo forest, the swims at the river and the people you meet on the way...

When we came back to Sa Pa we had to pick up 3 more people from another trip... They were the Brunos friends...

Some Photos
2010-07-Sa Pa (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/CtbW7ZsgeCDpWJmh8

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Hanoi

I liked Hanoi. Noisy City, dirty and with a traffic that puts you nerve and disconcerting ...
With its theme streets, cafes and restaurants, temples and communists monuments and markets that are transformed according to the time of day ...

At the sleeping bus (14h from Hue) I meet Flor, Pablo and Juan (Argentina and Spain), and in Hanoi we meet again in the same acommodation where I also meet Alex (France)...

The world cup final we saw with Bruno and a friends of him. The Irish pub was plenty of holland and english people...
Barça won!

Now 10 hours of train (with soft seats) to Lao Cai for go to Sa Pa...

Some Photos
2010-07-Ha Noi (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/pZ6gmKLCWKL4LDG58

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Hue

Old imperial city, Hue conserve inside the Citadella a nice rithme quite diferent of the rest of the city.
A part of visit the ruins of the Citadella and some other temple, I went throgh the coast with the motorbike the less transit roads doing few stops at the beach.

In Vietnam is what you have to do.. go away a little of the turistic itineraries alow you to see another reality.
I folow the semifinal Espanya-Alemanya... The first half in my room, and the second half at the street with 15 people and one laptop connected via satelit becouse at 3 o'clock at night the electricity went away in all Hue...

Some Photos
2010-07-Hue (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/kX4boWEA8LLd1c1H7

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Great Hoi An!

Hoi An is a tiny and quite city, famous for the food and taylors that they make whatever you want in less than 24h....

The Old town of Hoi An is so pretty! You can visit few old traditional chinist houses.
We find a very nice accommodation... the Hoang Trinh Hotel (a tripadvisor)

Mui Ne and Na Trangh

For the traject Ho Chi Minh - Ha Noi I bought an Open Bus Ticket that alows me to stop at the principals Hotspots and go on again when i want (35$ for sleeping bus)
The first stop is Mui Ne. Beach, resorts, fishing villatge and sand dunes.
We rent bikes to go to the white sanddunes about 25km away. We find it easy even there is no indication anywere...

When we get back we stop at the fishing villatge, eat local noodles and deserts (they put sweet milk at everything... I love it!)
A little bit chill out next to the sea with good music before sleep is always good...

Some Photos of 2010-06-Mui ne (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/dCPaHktDnbFhpSJC7


The second stop is Na Trangh. Turístic city with big hotels and apartments next to the beach. If you just go 200 metres away from the coast, the city changes completly. A walk to the chong Rocks, the Ponagar Tower and Long Son Pagoda it's enough.

Now is time to seeping Bus to Hoi An...

Some Photos of 2010-06-Nha Trang (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/4g4FQJWHSnKkGmfP6

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Ho Chi Minh the old Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City, the old capital of the french Indochina as Saigon. Is plenty of avenues, parks and european style buildings.
I can say that I enjoy it. The Fine Arts Museum and the museum of the vietnam war are the perfect complement, and the GuestHouse were we stayed helps to feel like home (My home, 241/43 Pham Ngu Lao St, D1, HCMC).

Some Photos
2010-06-Ho Chi Minh (VIE) https://photos.app.goo.gl/A1gFVXdEN8XTRWN57

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Mekong Delta

I get into Vietnam from Ha tien (Hà Tiên). Just when get off the bus we meet Fiona and Matt (Scotland & NZ). We visit the city together and we share a room to cut costs... 4 people 10$.

Kampot & Kep

After Phnom Penh I go back to the south of cambodja, this time Kampot. Is about 45km to the Vietnam border.

Oli and Lili went to Austràlia, and Lucas is coming to Vietnam as well! At the bus we meet a spanish couple from Madrid, Javi and Maria. They want to stay some days in Kampot as well.

We stayed in two guesthouses. One chillout style (Bodhi Villa) and one kind of frienly hotel (Poonleu Nath Guest House).

I liked Kampot. The city was a french colony and you can still see some buildings of that period. Kampot is famous for his pepper, his sea salt and the durian fruit.

The first day we rent a bycicle and we went to see the ocean, the salt fields and Dtray Kho (fish island).

The second day was with motorbike... We went to visit a caves (we couldn't find them...) , a lake, Kep city (so much turistic for me...), a beach in a fishing village, one budis temple and the peeper plantations.

Saturday at the market. Sunday rains, and I put order to my backpack, I watch a movie and I read.

On Monday I'll be in Vietnam.

Some Photos 
2010-06-Kampot (CA) https://photos.app.goo.gl/9FajhTtmnXZU5VpP6

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Some days in Phnom Penh

I Liked Phnom Penh.
Is not like a marvelous, but for few days is worth.

I visit the places where you can imagine how was the years during Khmer Rouge. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (it was the S-21 prision) where they interrogated and tortured more than 14000 people, and The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek an old chinist cementery where the Khmer Rouge killed thousands of people.

I visited few markets like el Psar Thmei (Central Market) or el Psar Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) this last more autentic...

Also I went to the National Museum of Cambodia and a walk around the riverside.

I did the Vietnam visa too.


Some Photos
2010-06-Phnom Penh (CA) https://photos.app.goo.gl/tZi2KgS5a99bvzLz9

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Sihanoukville & Koh Rung Island

Sihanoukville

Bus trip... 10 hours! I arrive at Sihanoukville. This city is on the coast with a very important port and beaches full of bars and gesthouses...

Oli have an old colage from collage living here, Danis. He lives with Smile. They show us the city and bring us to dinner next to the beach.

Next morning I go to the beaches by bike. I arrive to the entrance to a national parc. Smile prepares lunch for us. Lucas and I book the tickets to go to Koh Rung Island.
The dinner that Smile has prepared is sooo goood!

Koh Rung Island

Early morning a van pick us up and bring us to the port to catch the boat.
At Koh Rung island there are 3 small fishing villages with wood and bamboo houses. Electricity from 18 to 22h.
We stay at the Beach House next to the Dive Shop, a house on the pier with 2 dorms... 3$.
... snorkeling and eat.

Next day I go to dive with the boat. There is big waves and I feel seasickness.
Oli and Lili arrive.

At afternoon i go to the english school organized by the dive shop with volunteers. Now as a voluntarees are Denyse (Australia) and Dada (Cambodia)
Apart of the school there is a english voluntaries group doing a project to preserb the coral reef.

I'm realy good in this place!

Next day I do the second try to go diving. At the beginning I don't feel the seasickness, but after my first immersion, I do.
At the afternoon I go again to the school to help... in that case doing human castles at the water! not bad, no?

Some Photos
2010-06-Sihanoukville & Koh Rung Island  (CA) https://photos.app.goo.gl/2BkB1Zm61yPqDXAs7

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