The Botanical Garden
Day 34 – Luang Prabang, Laos I went to the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden today. The entrance fee is a little steep (€20), but it includes to boat shuttle both ways (the gardens are on the opposite bank of the Melong, downstream), several activities such as bamboo weaving and a talk about orchids, the…
Imperial city
Day 23 – Hue, Vietnam During the 19th century, Vietnamese Emperors made of Hue their capital. The Imperial City is the enclave containing the palace and the administration of the government. I was very happy to have my conical hat when visiting the Imperial City, as the sun was bright and the shade was very…
My Son
Day 20 – My Son, Vietnam Following the appeal of a boat journey, I booked a tour to see My Son, the ruins of the Cham Empire capital, the rivals of the Khmers and their capital, Angkor. It was the kind of tour where you follow your guide from one explanation to another, which wasn’t…
More temples than I can remember
Day 7 – Siem Reap, Cambodia After this morning’s switch of hotel, my tuk-tuk driver took me to see several, smaller temples -but some of them are not less impressive! Many of the pictures I took yesterday were hard to exploit because of the sun’s orientation, so I was more careful today. The first temple…
Angkor Thom
Day 6 – Siem Reap, Cambodia – Part 2 So, Angkor Thom. Today, the best-known ruins in this site are the Bayon temple, the Baphuon temple, the Terrace of Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. The towers in the Bayon Temple are carved with the giant faces of Avalokiteshvara, giving you the impression…
Angkor Wat
Day 6 – Siem Reap, Cambodia – Part 1 Among world-famed historical sites, Angkor Wat evokes exoticism, mystery, adventure… the temple lost to the jungle and rediscovered, symbol of an entire nation, once capital of an entire empire, and so much more! I had so many expectations, and I wasn’t disappointed. So… today, my dream…
Wat Phra Kaew (and the Grand Palace)
Day 3 – Bangkok, Thailand I was really happy when waking up this morning to see blue sky through the window. I have lamented the overcast skies these past days and the lackluster picture they engender. But you know what? Bring back the clouds. When the heat is already suffocating, adding sunshine isn’t a good…
Wat Pho
Day 2 – Bangkok, Thailand I started my day with the visit of the Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha, which is a few minutes’ walk from my hostel. I was lucky (and early?) enough to avoid the tourist throng, though I was far from alone. Thai temples are full of colour and…