New Years in April

I stepped off the bus and began to walk the streets of Savannakhet when SPLASH! I was soaked from head to toe. A local family ran towards me with a hose and buckets of water yelling SOK DEE PI MAI! It was April 14 and the first day of Lao New Year. The buckets of...

Chasin’ Waterfalls

All work and no play makes Ashlee a dull girl. Luckily within a few hours drive of Pakse there are many adventures to be had!  Bolaven Plateau  About 40km from Pakse you start to climb in altitude as you've hit the wonderful plateau which is the home of coffee, waterfalls and cooler weather! Most people...

What defines a ‘real’ traveler?

I often hear people comment on other peoples travel styles with remarks such as 'oh if they haven't done that then they are not a real traveler' or 'only real travelers can say they have been there' etc etc (heck if I'm being honest I've even been the person to make those remarks) And it...

Eating like a Lao Local

Eating is a community event in Lao. People do not eat alone & if you try to order traditional Lao cuisine on your own you'll end up with enough to feed a small army!  If you are coming to Lao and want to know how to eat local, this is the perfect guide for you!...

Get high in Pakse

A caffeine high that is 😉 The southern parts of Laos are home to world famous coffee plantations. The high mountains, fertile land and stable climate provide for perfect coffee growing conditions. If you have read my previous posts you'll know that I love coffee. Australia is a pioneer in the coffee industry and growing...

5 things to do in BALI that don’t involve partying!

Many people head to Bali in search of cheap Bintangs & nights they won't remember. While Bali has a vast array of bars and nightclubs this pacific island is also a gateway for those who like to get up early and spend there days exploring. 1 - Climb a Volcano Bali has two active volcanoes,...

The Nicaraguan South

When: late November 2014 Where: Laguna De Apoyo, Granada and San Juan Del Sur Cool people we met: Jenny, Camila & Dylan, Joe & Henry, Bec & Candice The next few posts will feature my sister, Ryder, who flew 40 hours from Australia to meet me here in Central America for a month...but she got...

Discovering Vancouver’s Coffee Culture

In the last decade Australia has undergone a coffee boom, we know coffee and take pride in how well our coffee shops size up to the rest of the world. Rarely in Oz will you find drip/filter coffee, only espresso here! A lot more goes into coffee than people realise it's the beans, the roast,...

Vancouver – My Second Home

When: 17th June - 6th August 2014Where: Vancouver and Victoria, British ColombiaSo I have spent the few weeks hanging out in Vancouver (chasing summer!). I have some family who lives here and I got to stay with them which was awesome as I don't get to see them a whole lot so it was nice...

Driving through the Rockies!

What a magical experience it was driving from Calgary - Vancouver. We stopped at Lake Louise, Kelowna and Summerland. Lake Louise was the most touristy, but for good reason as that lake is breathtaking. Kelowna was a hip little town populated by holiday goers, while summerland was set higher in the mountains on the Okanagan...