It was early morning when we left the village of Huay Xai in Northern Laos for the Mekong River, planning to get to Luang Prabang the same day. The 150 km journey along the river by speedboat would take half a day, breaks included. Contrary to the advice given by our Lonely Planet guidebook we had decided to take a speedboat, because our hostess at Chiang Mai had recommended this alternative. Traveling on a big, slow river boat would have taken two days and required an overnight stay at the village of Pak Peng.
There were a lot of people at the pier when we arrived and the small speedboats set out one by one as soon as they were full. We were among the last to board and when stepping on the boat we saw right away that we had made the wrong choice. There was no turning back however; the low, narrow boat was packed full of people and off we went.
The boat flew on the surface of the water at high speed, at times reaching 80 km/h, and we sat on the hard benches with our chins on our knees, space for each passenger being about 40 x 50 cm. After only half an hour's travel our muscles were cramped and we felt miserable. We watched the passing scenery with our earplugs on, because the noise from the motor was deafening. The Lao passengers also wore helmets and lifejackets provided by the boat driver.
When the river is low, as it was then, accidents happen when speedboats bump into sandbars or sunken logs. Those who have not survived have been mostly local people who cannot swim.
Water splashed on our clothes and soon we were soaked to the skin. The sun was shining and the air was warm but I felt cold. Andy had a pained expression on his face; there was definitely too little room for a big man, particularly for one with occasional but severe lower back problems. I got a cramp on my left leg, but there was nothing I could do about it.
We had been promised that there would be a break every sixty minutes or so and after what felt like an eternity, the boat stopped. We discovered that our feet had gone to sleep and Andy's right foot was totally numb for at least ten minutes.
Luckily there was an additional stop when the boat motor suddenly started to act up. After landing on a sandbank our driver began to repair it and we hoped that he would not get it fixed too soon.
Stepping onto the golden sand dune and warming our sore muscles, we enjoyed our freedom. But then we came to think that we were in the middle of nowhere, only forest on both sides of the river. If the driver were not able to repair the motor, when would there be other boats coming to our rescue? We had not brought any food with us. And how long would our drinking water last?
We then saw two hunters walking on a ridge with guns on their shoulders. One was also carrying what to us looked like a wild boar. He came to the shore with his dog, threw down the boar and, unconcerned about our presence took off his clothes and plunged into the water. The dog remained watching over the boar but could not resist the temptation, started to bite into it greedily. When the man got out of the water, he raised hell, and the dog moved aside with his tail between his legs, waiting for his master to calm down. Finally the hunter left with the boar, the dog walking close behind him.
Our trip continued. One more hour of speeding down the Mekong and we would reach the next stop, the village of Pak Peng. Our minds were made up; we would get off there and rest our limbs. When and how we would continue our journey would remain to be seen. A traveler’s tomorrow is always a new adventure!
"The best family adventure vacation we have ever had."
"In this fast paced world I never get the time to spend with my teenagers. This is an excellent way to stop the clock and have fun with them. Thanks for the trip of a lifetime!"
"My goal was to have a special time with my granddaughter and we did. She does not stop talking about all the things she accomplished! I cannot think of anything I would have liked differently. Keep up the good work!"
Wonderful comments like these are regularly heard by adventure travel outfitters from their clients. Whether it is on
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The beautiful Salmon River stretches through over 400 miles of Idaho. The legendary explorers Lewis and Clark traveled part of the Salmon River but thought it was too rough to navigate. For a short time The river was also known as Lewis's River. Another name for this wild, untamable body of water is the River Of No Return.
The Salmon River has two major parts, the Middle Fork and the Main Salmon River. Both offer great rafting experiences, with rapids in the Class III to Class IV range. When the Main Salmon floods, the rapids become Class V.
Salmon River rafting trips
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Yachting vacations used to be the sole preserve of the rich or famous; the price being unachievable for most people. Prices have now dropped considerably with the introduction of chartering and many yacht owners now offer other potential seafarers the opportunity to ‘rent’ their boat for their dream vacation.
Yachting means you aren’t confined to any one area, or even any one island; giving you the opportunity to visit various beaches, coves and beautiful coastlines on your travels. Alternatively, you can remain on your boat and watch the sun rises and the sun set over the clear horizon of the
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Boating holidays are a wonderful way to spend the summer! Just pack your bags and float around on a houseboat or a yacht for a few weeks, enjoying the sunshine, fishing and swimming and visiting towns along the shoreline. It's comparable in cost to staying in a hotel, with so much less hassle. And it's great for the whole family, especially the kids. Children always find entertainment on and around water. They swim and snorkle, while adults relax in a fold-up chair with a cool drink and a book.
Boating holidays, as opposed to travel on large cruise ships, offer
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One of the ports visited on our recent Royal Caribbean cruise was Grand Cayman. This was an eagerly awaited port as I've been there before but wanted to take my girlfriend scuba diving there. We were worried that we might miss this port since the Caymans were hit pretty hard by the hurricanes and indeed, they had closed the islands off to tourist travel for part of the summer/fall.
Fortunately for us, Grand Cayman had reopened just
about two weeks prior to our cruise at the end of November.
Getting to Grand Cayman is by tender because it has a shallow
harbour. This can be a potential problem in
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