Sam Byford

This is the second entry in the series “Around The World in 105 Days”. To read the first post, head here.

Since this was the longest leg of our trip, this post is a bit longer, though I still tried to keep it to a brief overview of our adventures. There were so many highlights, stories and memorable events that it was a big struggle to keep it concise. So without further ado…

The Southeast Asian stretch of our adventure began on 24th October 2024 in Bangkok, where we spent a few days sightseeing before joining up with a 30-day G Adventures tour that would take us on the famous tourist pilgrimage known as ‘The Banana Pancake Trail’. So-called for the apparent shape it shows on a map when drawn (it looks nothing like that).

From Bangkok, we travelled over the border into Siem Reap, Cambodia, home of Angkor Wat. Little did we know that less than a year later, this exact border would become the scene of hostilities between the two neighbours. There was very little in the way of military presence when we crossed; fewer tanks and more slot machines. As a gambling-free country, Cambodia sought to tempt over locals with the promise of finding fortune.

At the end of a day spent wandering around the magnificent Angkor Wat complex (long a bucket list item of mine), we headed over to the capital, Phnom Penh, via a pit stop at a local market. It was here that we got to try local delicacies such as BBQ tarantula, crispy scorpians, and, best of all… dried mango.

The site of one of the biggest atrocities in recent human memory, Phnom Penh has now recovered to be a vibrant, welcoming city with a bustling nightlife and an insanely good food scene. You wouldn’t know what had happened to this wonderful country less than 40 years ago. It was only after a trip to the infamous S-21 prison that its dark, not-so-distant past became truly apparent. Similar to our trip to Hiroshima a few years back, some of the stories we heard and read will never leave me.

After a day of Sombre sights, we took a minibus and ferry to the Island of Koh Rong, a place that I cannot possibly fit enough superlatives into one blog post, let alone a sentence, to describe. It was nothing short of paradise on earth. And not just because the hostel was run by a Welshman who had gone to great expense to import British sausages for breakfast, although this did bring tears to my eyes. In short, it was a tranquil island with pristine beaches, a laid-back atmosphere, and ocean water straight out of a holiday brochure.

A return to the mainland followed, where a night at a local homestay welcomed us before we then got an early bus over the border to Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam’s bustling metropolis. We indulged in our first of many Pho and Bahn Mi of the trip, said goodbye to some tour members, added new ones and began our journey up the coast. The first stop was the divers’ paradise, Nha Trang, where a snorkelling trip led to surprisingly my favourite meal of the entire month – A BBQ prepared by the guide at the back of the rickety boat on a tiny grill around the same size as the disposable ones you can get at Tesco. Don’t know what he’d put in those coals. Simply magical.

Hoi An was next, a UNESCO World Heritage site and by far our favourite city of the trip. If you wanted something tailored, handmade, or ‘100% genuine North Face’, this was the place to get it. Charming lantern-covered streets with ancient temples and markets galore. We got suits tailored, had even more Pho, captained coconut boats, and drank far too much from beach buckets.

The city of Huế was our fourth Vietnamese destination. Arriving weary from a questionable sleeper train, we only had a day in the old Imperial Capital. Just enough time for a cruise down the river and an exploration of the citadel, including its commanding yellow and red palace.

It was then time to briefly leave civilisation behind as we headed to the small town of Phong Nha, home to spectacular limestone karst mountains, the world’s largest cave, Sơn Đoòng, and… duck herding. We trekked through the caves, awed at the mountains, but, much to my disappointment, we did not herd a single duck.

Following death by a thousand stalactites, it was off to Ha Long Bay. Alongside Angkor Wat, Ha Long Bar Bay was another bucket-list item of mine. We cruised between its stunning islands, drank on the boat roof and topped the day off with a kayaking trip around one of the more secluded spots. We had the entire place to ourselves, a perfect place for a nap. An absolutely enchanting corner of the world.

Our final stop in Vietnam was Hanoi, where a visit to Train Street was on the agenda. It’s something you see all over social media, but don’t fully get to grasp the absurdity of it until you are sitting in a cafe enjoying a Bia Saigon, watching a train dart past you mere inches from your face. Unsurprisingly, the authorities are trying to crack down and close the cafe-lined streets for safety reasons; however, they seem to have taken a leaf out of the Cornish handbook, as it’s being done at a pace that can only be described as ‘Dreckly’ due to the sheer amount of revenue this area alone generates from tourism.

With our heads thumping thanks to a long night out in central Hanoi, we hopped onto a plane bound for Laos. I didn’t quite know what to expect from Lao Airlines, so imagine my surprise when I was shown to my seat, which was essentially a cinema chair with enough legroom to make Michael O’Leary physically ill.

A quick day sightseeing around Vientiane’s majestic golden temples was capped off by a visit to a real French cafe, where I got to experience one of the highlights from the previous few weeks – a bacon sandwich. I adore Asian food, and we had eaten exceptionally well, but you don’t know what you miss until you don’t have it. In this case, what was missing was grease-covered and encased in sourdough.

The next day, we took a minibus from Vientiane to the Lao adventure tourism capital, Vang Vieng. A small town on the banks of the Nam Song River, encircled by mountains and absolutely oozing with beauty. Most of our time here was spent in kayaks, weaving, cutting and capsizing our way through the valley. However, what will stay with me forever was the view from the sunset hike on our first night in the town. I may have lost a stone in sweat as we raced up to ensure we were on time for dusk, but never have I ever been as happy to be that uncomfortable. I audibly gasped when I initially reached the summit. Lush green valley gave way to towering limestone mountains with the setting sun’s golden hour illuminating the background and a foreground sky speckled with a dozen hot air balloons. So spectacular was the vista that two members of the tour even got engaged at the top.

We then departed via minibus deeper into the country to Luang Prabang, another UNESCO World Heritage city famed for its temples, food markets and morning alms – At the crack of dawn, monks walk to their place of worship, being given food and gifts en route as their only sustenance for the day. Alas, this was what we experienced when we finally reached the city. As a very impoverished country, Laos had little money to spend on infrastructure and outside Chinese investment had come in the form of super high-speed rail that no local could ever dream of affording a ticket for. This meant the 114-mile journey took 6 hours to complete, over mountain passes via ‘roads’ that were only 10% tarmacked and 90% covered with car-swallowing craters. It was truly a sight to behold when 8 Wheelers darted past us, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they were driving at a 45-degree angle.

Thankfully, after a couple of days soaking in temples, waterfalls and seriously good Char Siu, our final means of transport out of Laos was a riverboat. We spent the next few days slowly meandering our way up the Mekong to the Thai border via a night in a rural village at a community homestay. The boat was a great time to relax after many full-on weeks of travel, reading, chatting, and, of course, drinking the boat dry of Somersby. The homestay was also an amazing experience, with our hosts being incredibly gracious in what was a land that time had simply forgotten. Without electricity or even running water, it was incredibly remote.

28 Days later, without any sign of a zombie apocalypse, we arrived back in Thailand. The boat dropped us off near the banks of the border. We crossed, then headed on to Chiang Rai, home of the weirdest place I have ever been, and that’s coming from someone who visited Froggyland. Wat Rong Khun is a ‘Contemporary’ Buddhist complex where classical architecture meets… Disneyland. Not many other places could you see a bejewelled Spiderman wearing a Makuta sitting across from a breathtaking marbled temple. The fever dream brainchild of Chalermchai Kositpipat, an extremely famous Thai visual artist, the site contains such wonders as the “Cave of Art”, which is a small man-made cave housing Buddhist relics and busts of the entire cast of 2018’s Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. There’s also the Koi Karp pond protected by carvings of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And finally, don’t be fooled into thinking the Golden Temple is anything other than a luxurious toilet block.

Heading further south, we eventually reached Chiang Mai, where we sampled some more traditional Buddhist temples such as the stunning remains of the 15th-century Wat Chedi Luang.

Chiang Mai was also unfortunately the place where we said goodbye to around 70% of the tour, as most members headed off on a separate sub-adventure. Still, we couldn’t go without one final big night out. This time, it came in the form of a drag show where it appeared that audience participation for straight men was compulsory. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a hilariously fantastic end of a great couple of weeks.

An emotional goodbye greeted us the following morning. The group we travelled with over the month were nothing short of exceptional. The places we visited were amazing, but it was the people who really made it truly special. We still keep in touch with some of them to this day.

We boarded the sleeper train headed back to the very first stop of the tour, Bangkok. As a thank-you for all her help, the 5 of us who remained took our guide, Pim, to watch Muay Thai on our final night. A fascinatingly brutal watch and the perfect way to bring the curtain down on an unforgettable month.

There are so many little tales and sidequests that I could recount from this leg – spending a night with a couple of group members under the Cambodian homestay balcony, eating Tamarind straight off the tree, drinking homemade hooch, and righting the world’s wrongs with the locals. The absolute ordeal that was the Vietnam sleeper trains, watching 80-year-old Vietnamese locals rocking out to Gangnam style on the coconut boats or how I was assaulted on multiple occasions by children in Siem Reap (much to everyone’s amusement). I could go on and on.

The one that really stands out to me, though, is the night we spent on Koh Rong searching for the bioluminescent plankton. It was something we had all seen on social media: Golden sandy beaches illuminated with an almost Alien-like blue glow. An amazing sight to experience, right?

The writing was on the wall early on when Pim said we could go on a trip to see the plankton, but that G Adventures doesn’t provide the activity internally and therefore we would have to “sign out” of the tour for the night. Surprisingly, or stupidly, that didn’t set off any of our alarm bells.

So, a group of 10 of us boarded tuk-tuks and headed in convoy to a nearby beach where the plankton was located. Well, I say in convoy, but in reality, the pitch-black darkness of rural Cambodia made it very hard to keep sight of the other vehicles, and we were soon alone.

Undeterred, we continued…on and on…and on, holding the small handrail for dear life as the driver whizzed through rice fields in what was clearly an audition for a future Lewis Hamilton Biopic. Again, I must stress we were told the beach was nearby, so we started to think it was a little odd just how long we had been hurtling around the island. Then, as if things were not starting to get worrying enough, in the distance, Mother Nature thought she would add some dramatic flair to the proceedings. Lightning now streaked across the distant sky. It was at this point that my mind started to race with the permutations of what might be happening, adding two and two together in a manner fit for Charlie Day.

To make matters worse, we then came to a stop at the side of the road. No other tuk-tuk in sight, no person in sight, no beach in sight. The four of us (myself, Lucy, Ben and Grace) started looking around and asking the driver where everyone was. He spoke absolutely zero English, grabbed a backpack and gestured for us to follow. Was this it? Was this where we would meet our grim end? Reluctantly, we all followed, weaving through long grass, getting ready for whatever fate lay in store for us up ahead. What was in the bag?

But then…finally a torch up ahead. Then another and another. It was the group! The long grass quickly gave way to sand, and we realised we were finally here.

The driver dropped the backpack and threw a snorkel at each of us. The relief that we would not be making global news soon gave way to concern again when the thunder and lightning in the distance began to grow closer, louder and brighter. We asked another driver who spoke English if it was safe to be this exposed in a wide bay, directly underneath the storm. “Don’t know” was his optimistic response. We turned around to potentially find our driver and head out, only to see him walking away – Fishing rod in hand. He clearly had his priorities straight. The general consensus was we might as well see some plankton before being incinerated by 300 million volts.

The issue was that there was absolutely zero glow from the ocean. It was flat, calm and dark. Thinking we had fallen for an overhyped social media trap, we begrudgingly trudged into the water. Almost immediately, any and all concerns we had about the situation were completely dispelled. It wasn’t just some fad – Every step we took, the disturbance of the water caused millions of tiny microorganisms to glow fluorescent blue. It was absolutely enchanting, closer to a scene from Avatar than real life. The water simply had to be disturbed to see it, and without any waves, it was up to us to be that disturbance. Instead of being a terrifying prospect, the tempest’s dramatic backdrop only enhanced the moment’s allure. We could have spent all night just swimming, letting the light magically outline each stroke, alas, the storm had other ideas, and soon our fisherman driver returned, recommending we head back.

It was only on the ride to the hostel that we realised we had forgotten to take a single photo, completely captivated by the moment. We didn’t care. What a night, what a place and what a trip we were having.

The highlights of this leg are below, featuring a lot of other antics I couldn’t fit into this post!

Next up, Island Hopping and a very important question…