Don Det it's a part of Si Phan Don (The 4000 islands) located in the Mekong River in the very south of Laos. Only a short drive from the border to Cambodia.

We had negotiated a very good deal to get us from Bolevan Plateau including sightseeing of some fine waterfalls on the way. We arrived in Nang Song and took the ferry out to Don Det in the afternoon. We were stowed on board in a narrow longtail-boat - incredible that we didn't sink. We went ashore on a small beach with more druged than drunk people and I was a little skeptical on whether this was going to be my cup of tea.

The island has electricity from 6 to 11 p.m everyday. Accomandation was mainly bungalows facing the river and some hotels in the "citycenter" which was essentially one street. We lived in a simple bungalow, of course, without electricity and shared bathrooms with cold showers. I was laughing my ass off standing in the shower hearing a pig grunt right on the other side of the wall and a cockerel crowing a few meters away. My need for luxury became crucial after three days here, but with a price of two dollars a night it surely had a positive impact on the budget.

I must mention the Australian guy who had a bakery on the island. He had fresh bakery-stuff every day and the first time we meet him was when he was biking around to the bungalows with a box of cakes for sale. We tried them all and the carrot cake is wicked. To be recommended for those who want to go to Don Det.

Laos and Don Det is a natural paradise that is much less fussy than many of the other countries in Southeast Asia. A nice break!

We rented bikes and went to Tat Somphamit, a waterfall that was located on the slightly larger island Don Khon. Amazingly beautiful scenery. We looked at the waterfall, and afterwards we went to a sandy beach by the river and went for a swim in the Mekong River. On the southend of Don Khon you might be lucky and see Irrawaddy-dolphins.

Another day we rented canoes and paddle really hard against the river-stream to get in between some of the 4000 islands. We wouldn't have to paddle for a long time before it could be difficult to find our way home, everything looks quite the same with small green islands around you on all sides. Rainy season was getting closer so everyday we there was raining in the afternoon. So, we had to speed-paddle back. We didn't consider Mekong River the safest place to be when the thunder and lightning stiked.

There was not much else to do in the rain-filled evenings than enjoying dinner, admire the natural forces and stay a bar in town and play the idiot-cardgame (or shit head as it's called in English).

Date is 1st of May and my stay in Laos is over!

Cambodia was the country I really was looking forward to in advance. There were many of the pages in Lonely Planet's southeast asia book that got marked when I read about the country, and I could have traveled there longer than the 15 days I had available. I did get time to visit Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.

Wouldn't mind seeing the areas in the northeast, with a National Park with volcanoes or Krati little further south which is the "base" to go and see Irrawaddy dolphins. Southwest of Siem Reap you find Battambang which have a bamboo-train. If you have the patience and are happy to travel uncomfortable you can catch it back to the capital. The country is a little bit of a struggle to tavel in since no matter where you are heading it seems like you have to go through Phnom Penh. So, things take time and the journey is not always what you expect it to be. Something we quickly experienced. You might call it one of the wonders of travelling:)

The plan was to go from Don Det and directly to Siem Reap. The city best known for one of the seven wonders, Anchor Wat. Mira and I booked a ticket and went together. The plan was a quite long busjourney with a overnight stay in Kompong Thom before we continiued to Siem Reap. Cambodia here we come. The journey started at 8 a.m and after the formalities at the border, we were eligible for 30 day stay in the country.

After we had crossed the border we were going to get a VIP-bus. This turned out to be a minivan without A/C stuffed with bags, people, and a couple of very smelly shoes that involuntary attract all attention. One guy was so lucky that he got to sit between two seats most of the road. Auuu! The story for this journey was that basically nobody got to the destination they planned. Mira, Lucas (from Germany) and I ended up in Phnom Penh since there was no bus to the city we originally was going to that day. It broke down or it was just a story they made up...

We arrived in the capital Phnom Penh at 9 pm and there had been raining cats and dogs. There was water floating in the streets and in the air was vapors from garbage-bags that was everywhere. What's the point of the 4.8 million Norwegians recycle when 15 million people in Cambodsja throw from the garbage in the streets? Is this the time to hide behind the phrase "All contribution counts, said the mouse and pissed in the ocean? "

So what should have been 9.5 hours on a VIP bus with A/C turned out to be 13 hours in a minivan without A/C and with smelly shoes. I dreamed of a five-star hotels. Sigh! Bus company had a "agreement" with a cheap backpacker-hotel that they drove us to. Tired after a long trip we were most likely to say yes to any accomandation, good business for them.But, this was to much of a gap from the five-star i was dreaming of. It reminded more of a prison cell, without a door to the bathroom and with cranes that looked like they would fall off the wall any time. That was one grumpy girl looking for another place, Found it, not a five star - but acceptable:)

As I have mentioned earlier Cambodia is my favorite in Southeast Asia so far, but it can safely be said that it was not love at first sight!