Hello! We are Floss, Dez, Sam (aged 17) and Evan (aged 15). This is the story of our travels and adventures around the world, over land and sea with our kids. The boys were 8 and 10 years old, we left our jobs and schools, rented out our house and spent a year backpacking, Read More
Songkran, the famous New Year water festival in Thailand, used to be a civilised affair with much gentle dripping of scented water on to the hands of respected elders. Nowadays though, it’s three days of waterpistol-toting fun and alcohol-fuelled carnage. Songkran in Bangkok can be quite an intense experience, with thousands of people on the streets. So is Songkran safe for kids? We spent an interesting Songkran in Bangkok with our two kids, aged 9 and 11. Read on to find out what happened and if we’d visit Bangkok during Songkran again…. Read More
If you are wondering whether a trip to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam is worth the effort, then wonder no more. This is one of the up and coming tourist destinations in Vietnam and well worth a visit. The area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 due to it’s spectacular world class caves and beautiful countryside, but it’s changing rapidly as more and more tourists flock here to experience the chilled vibe and stunning cave tours. I have not doubt that more and more beautiful underground worlds will be discovered in the next few years, but don’t wait too long to come here! Read More
We’re two hours into a six hour minibus journey in the mountains of Northern Laos, on our way to Nong Kiaow, and I’m trying to take my mind off the smell of vomit by listing all the things I hate about backpacking. Evan, our slightly travel sick nine year old, has thrown up twice. It’s thirty degrees outside and the air con doesn’t work. But worst of all, the bus driver is a Celine Dion fan with an eye on becoming Laos’ first rally car champ. The scenery is probably amazing. But it’s difficult to concentrate on scenery when you’re frantically rummaging in your backpack for another of the sick bags acquired from the last airline company you used. Right now, bus journeys and travel sickness are both up there at the top of my ‘Worst things about backpacking’ list. Read More