Showing posts with label Buddhist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddhist. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

"On My Bum"

We all have our own reason, as to why we choose to take off and remove ourselves from our regular life routine.   Some like to take a holiday for a week or so, stay in one location and simply relax and enjoy the resort.  Others may choose to travel and utilise different modes of transport and explore several towns and cultures.

I wanted to visit a place that I'd heard of back in 1991 from when I meet an eighteen year old female Canadian traveller in Nepal. She was travelling solo; I was twenty-one and travelling with a friend.  I was intrigued by her and her travels.  The opportunity arose at the end of 2013, when I was going to Bali and then on to Malaysia to explore the destination and view some hotels.  Laos was only a 2 hour 45minute flight away from Kuala Lumpur, that would take me to Vientiane the capital.  I'd then sit at the airport cafe for a few hours before boarding a forty-five minute flight to arrive into Luang Prabang.   Laos was that long awaited destination.

To get to Laos there is no direct path from here, it is bit of a hop-skip and jump either via Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia or Thailand.  But this was an opportunity and it was the UNESCO town of Luang Prabang, that I wanted to experience and that's what I did for ten days.

Sure, I doubled up on visiting the night market, having a g&t at a cafĂ© or restaurant along the Mekong or Nam Khan Rivers before dinner or walking in and out of stores pondering their wares and where to spend my money.  The expats are prevalent in town, but so are the opportunistic locals.  Designer clothes and home wares to delicious croissants, were all there for purchasing, as well as home-stitched clothing or a serving of sticky rice (eaten with your fingers of course!).

Having the joy and freedom to consume my breakfast, lunch and dinner at any time and at any location, there was only so much aimless gazing I could do.  I started to click photos of all that I was observing.  I was on this journey alone, so I embraced living in the moment and called this moment “On My Bum” as that’s what I was doing, sitting on my bum as I clicked these and other pics during my breakfast, lunch and dinner.


Enjoy!
Vientiane Airport cafe
Sakkaline Road
Sakkaline Road
Kitsalat Road
Kitsalat Road
Ock Pop Tok Textiles - fairtrade village
Elephant Village Sanctuary
Shangri-Loa expedition up the Nam Khan River
Sakkaline Road
a Tad Sae Waterfall cafe
located between Nam Khan River & Sakkaline Road
The owner of the cafe


Ps. Not on my bum, but the sounds they generate

Wanting to escape and experience the unknown?  Travel With A Difference can also coordinate a celebratory, well-being or a bespoke free-spirit holiday. 

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

exploratory journey to bhutan...

Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon first caught my eye in the late nineties via a tv documentary that showed two blokes - Rob Sitch & Tom Gleisner - fly-fishing, the location was stunning - lush green, hilly and untouched. It was Bhutan.
It holds strong Buddhist beliefs and lives by National Gross Happiness, as opposed to us in the west living by National Gross Product, maybe that is something we should look more deeply into and consider. The simple basic concept of happiness.

Bhutan is limited to tourists and is not a cheap destination to enter, neither is it short of the high-end properties such as Uma Paro, Amankora and Terma Linka just to name a few.  But here, we're thrilled to extend this opportunity where you can experience Bhutan on an exploratory journey, not staying in luxury but moderate lodgings.  You'll experience spectacular Himalayan views, charming traditional villages, Bhutan''s iconic mountain fortresses and monasteries and the colourful atmosphere of one of the kingdom's great Buddhist festivals.
BOOK today as spaces are limited!

Uma Paro
Commences: 6 November 2011
Includes: 12 nights accommodation, breakast-lunch-dinner daily, all sightseeing as specified including entrance fees, tour arrival and departure transfers, visa fees.