So we arrived at our last Thai island destination, Koh Pha Ngan, home to the famous Full Moon Parties.

Vlog #4: Contiki Thai Island Hopper East : Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8PcWD0DUzc

Chef Tummy Thai Cooking Class

For the first day on the island I got a chance to participate in a Thai cooking class. This one was taught by the hilarious Chef Tummy.  I was a bit worried going into this Thai cooking class because I was afraid it was going to be the same items I learned to cook in my first Thai Cooking Class in Chang Mai. Luckily it was a completely different menu of Thai dishes I had never had before.

SHRIMP WITH GREEN PEPPERCORN THAI “PESTO”

The first dish we made was a quick and simple shrimp appetizer.

MASSAMAN CURRY

After our appetizer we moved to an entrée dish. This was a type of curry, which I learned from Chef Tummy doesn’t actually containing curry at all, none of the Thai curries do.

After my last curry cooking attempt turned out less than desirable, I had higher hopes for this one.  Although I did impress myself a bit more than the previous curry, I think curry making is not my forte. Even with adding the amounts of salt and sugar to the dish slowly, somehow it didn’t quite work out for me.

STIR-FRIED GREENS WITH GARLIC

After was another simple dish, stir-fried greens, yum! I will most definitely be making this in the future. I never knew the deliciousness of oyster sauce until now.

BANANAS IN COCONUT CREAM

Last we made a chilled pudding like dessert. Very rich and creamy and perfect for the lactose intolerant since it’s made with coconut cream. Although I am usually not a huge fan of creamy foods, I ended up eating my entire bowl .

Shiralea

We stayed at this super fun backpacker resort on the opposite end of the island to where the full moon party was taking place. So, lucky for us we were far enough away from all the chaos that we could still enjoy the quite beaches.

Beaches near the Shiralea

Although the rain created a bit of a damper first day we were lucky enough to have a perfect evening for the full moon party.

Full Moon Party

Before heading to Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand, I had only briefly heard about the full moon parties that happen here. I had never seen photos, or videos, I just heard that they were big and wild. Boy was I in for a surprise, I definitely was not expecting this.

We started the evening with casual pre-drinks and fluorescent body paint.

At the Shiralea they had black lights set up, perfect to painting each other under.

Unfortunately, once you stepped away from the black light you didn’t look nearly as cool.

Once we had our bodies all painted up it was time to head towards Haad Rin Beach, home to the full moon party.

They definitely weren’t joking about there being 25,000 plus people here. All of Haad Rin Beach is lined with bars side-by-side each playing different music, so if you preferred a certain type to another you could simply walk a few feet over and listen to a different song. And if you were being indecisive, you could simply stand in the middle and hear both songs; however, this will most likely lead to a headache and dance confusion.

Things you should know about full moon parties:

FULL MOON PARTIES ARE DANGEROUS

We all got briefed on the dangers before we went out so we knew what not to do and where not to go. We had a really good group of people so everyone looked out for each other to make sure nobody was getting to out of control. We also had two different prearranged pick up rides back from the party to make sure everyone got home safe. Of course you can never be 100% safe, but we were pretty educated on the dangers and nobody had any problems.

DO NOT GO INTO THE WATER.

Unless you plan on taking a shower immediately afterwards, don’t do it. I can’t even tell you the countless amount of times during the night I spotted someone going to the washroom in there.

STAY AWAY FROM FIRE

Although it might seem like a good idea at the time, stay away from all forms of fire at these parties: ropes, slides, hula-hoops, etc. Whether your sober or not, fire will still burn you.

This was just something I laughed at. Very clever thinking.

Now I had one goal before heading to the full moon party, and that was make it to sunrise. Which I am very happy to report I succeeded! This was because I kept a straight head and was pretty self aware all evening.

I was actually surprised with the amount of people that stayed for sunrise, which was around 6:15am. The amount of dancing definitely reduced, and once the sun was up you could really see how large this party truly was.

This was our group that stayed till sunrise.

Breakfast of Champions. No, we didn’t go to sleep after our 45 minute cab ride home, we went for breakfast.

That evening, after everyone had rested and recovered during the day, we went for our final group dinner. Just a small chill place on the beach.

To end off the evening we got to light lanterns as a group and send them off.

Ah, how romantic. It reminded me of the movie Tangled.

And then that was it. The end of our Thai Island Hopper Tour and then end of my Contiki trip.  Well, guess it’s back home to Canada for Nadine.

Full Moons and Full Tummies: Koh Pha Ngan is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Full Moons and Full Tummies: Koh Pha Ngan |Hey Nadine

Banff, Canada’s oldest national park establish in 1885, is one of Canada’s most popular tourist destination.

It is also home to the 2012 Banff World Media Festival located at the stunning Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

What is the Banff World Media Festival?

BANFF is one of the worlds top production and media-arts festivals. BANFF hosts the world’s largest global development and production marketplace where the latest in digital media innovation is showcased and forward-thinking industry leaders converge.

BANFF is also home to the prestigious Banff World Media Awards, honouring the best in international television and digital media production.

Just take a look at their schedule. BANFF is an exciting, jam packed 4 day event full of engaging panels, keynotes, master classes, key strategy sessions, critical case studies and presentations. It’s not only lectures and academics, it’s interactive and the real value lies in the connections you can make. There are one-on-one meetings you can set up to do business, network, and learn first hand from industry heavyweights.  And there is definitely no shortage of them. Here’s a few for example:

• Glenn Adilman, Executive Vice President, U.S. Comedy Development, Sony Pictures Television
• Steve Bickley, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Bell Media
• Kevin Beggs, President, Television Programming & Production, Lionsgate
• Casey Bloys, Senior Vice President, HBO Entertainment
• Julie Bristow, Executive Director, Studio and Unscripted Programming, CBC Television
• Judith Brosseau, Senior Vice President, Programming, Communications and Interactive Media, Canal D, Historia, Series +, Des Chaines, Astral Media
• John Brunton, President & CEO, Insight Productions
• Paul Chard, Global Head of Content, MediaCom
• Len Cochrane, President, TELETOON Canada Inc.
• Valerie Creighton, President & CEO, Canada Media Fund
• Matt Dipaola, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Mediacom Canada
• Cynthia Fenneman, President/CEO, American Public Television & World TV Channel
• Mike Fleiss, Executive Producer, The Bachelor
• Jonathan Ford, Executive Vice President, Digital Acquisitions and Distribution, Content Media Corporation
• Harold Gronenthal, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Program Acquisitions & International Development, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
• Jocelyn Hamilton, Vice President, Original Programming, Kids, Comedy, Drama, Corus Entertainment
• Steve Hannah, President & CEO, The Onion
• Kate Harwood, Controller, Series and Serials, BBC
• Thomas Hennet, Vice President, International Co-Production & Documentaries, ProSiebenSat. 1 TV Deutschland
• Michael Hennessy, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, TELUS
• Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group
• Michael Katz, Vice President, Programming & Production, International Division, AETN
• Larry King, Host, Larry King Live
• David Levine, General Manager, Disney XD
• Jim Louderback, CEO, Revision3
• Matt Loze, Senior Vice President, Programming, Fox Televisions Studios
• Michael McDonald, Senior Vice President, Drama Development, ABC Studios
• John Morayniss, Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment One Television
• Tony Novia, Executive Vice President/New Media & Business Development, Ryan Seacrest Productions
• Tom Perlmutter, Government Film Commissioner & Chairperson, National Film Board of Canada
• Rebecca Segal, Senior Vice President, Sky Networks & Entertainment
• Joel Stillerman, Executive Vice President, Production & Digital Content, AMC
• Kirstine Stewart, Executive Vice President, English Services, CBC Television 
• Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President, Content, Shaw Media
• Terence Winter, Creator, Showrunnner & Executive Producer, Boardwalk Empire

BANFF is organized by Achilles Media, the same company that put on the 2011 Digi Awards and nextMEDIA conference that I went to in December. So I know first hand that they can organize a very successful conference; and they have done it for quite some time.

Established in 1979 BANFF’s  programs and prestige has grown tremendously since then and has now made BANFF a must attend for all current and aspiring entertainment industry professionals. I love supporting and participating in events that help solidify Canada as a world media powerhouse and industry leader.

What I am most excited about is all the information on digital media. With panels on The Role of Social Media in Entertainment Marketing, New Economics of Web Based Entertainment, and even a YouTube Workshop, there is a variety of knowledge to be shared.

I have been creating online videos since 2006, back when YouTube was still a foreign word. It is not only my own personal goal to know the latest in digital media but remarkably it is my job as well. And in an industry that changes so quickly keeping track of trends is a very difficult task to accomplish. Thank goodness for festivals like BANFF where digital media now forms an integral part of their programing.

My 2011 Digi Award for Social Media Maven at nextMEDIA in Toronto.

Branded Content Exchange is also something I am very familiar with in regards to my current Contiki Global Partnership, which is an example of how innovative and adaptable companies are becoming in this digital world.

Yea, BANFF is a pretty big deal. It’s especially exciting for independent content creators and bloggers like myself who rely so heavily on keeping ahead of the times in the ever-changing media landscape.

Everyone who’s anyone will be there, and I would like to be there as well. So give this post a “like” if you think so too! To learn more about the Banff World Media Festival check out http://www.banffmediafestival.com .

• What are your thoughts on BANFF? Have you heard of it before?
• Of the panels listed, which seem the most interesting to you?  If I went to BANFF what panels would you like me to cover?

Want to see more of Banff, Alberta? Check out my blog post from my trip there last summer!

Banff World Media Festival is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Banff World Media Festival |Hey Nadine

So, we have moved on towards our next island, Koh Tao. After a 1.5 hour ferry ride from Koh Samui we landed on this smaller, laid- back resort island.

Vlog #3: Contiki Thai Island Hopper East: Koh Tao, Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xqTZX0CcUg

Our first evening here consisted of a bit of free time down by our private beach, which was quite a nice change from Koh Samui’s bars and public beaches.

That evening a few very brave souls took part in the Suicide Spicy Wing Challenge. The name pretty much sums up what it was. The wings were so hot just touching them made your hands burn. I believe my insides thanked me for passing on this challenge.

Snorkel Adventure Tour

The following morning we ventured onto a medium sized Thai boat for a snorkel adventure tour around Koh Tao.

Now it was no Great Barrier Reef , but for snorkeling I’d say we saw quite a few fish and some beautiful, although small, coral reefs.

One of the small islands we stopped at on our snorkel tour.

LadyBoy Show

That evening we went for dinner at a very inexpensive, cozy restaurant by the beach. A couple of girls we were with, tried Pad Thai for the first time tonight. I was very surprised they waiting that long; Pad Thai was the first dish I tried when I got to Thailand. But then again, I love Thai food!

After dinner we watched a LadyBoy Cabaret Show. Yes, all the dancers were once men. This is Thailand and I love the openness of the people here.  You would not find this back home.

Now they didn’t sing any of the songs themselves,  it was all lip synch tracks, but their costumes and dance moves were mezmerizing. I was very impressed, I couldn’t dance even half as decent in 3 inch heels.

Spicing Things Up: Koh Tao is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Spicing Things Up: Koh Tao |Hey Nadine

I consider myself a somewhat athletic person. I played sports throughout high school and university; however once I graduated and started travelling things went downhill pretty fast. That’s why whenever I do find opportunities to get in a bit of exercise on the road I always jump at the chance.

Vlog #2: Contiki Thai Island Hopper East : Koh Samui, Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbtELAOzAJo

Muay Thai

So my friend Ashley convinced me on our free day to try Thai Kickboxing, since she is a huge martial arts fanatic.

It was a 2 hour lesson including a warmup, lesson, and then a chance to spar in the ring. The instructor didn’t speak English but he was very good at body language and it never really seems to be an issue. It was also essentially a private lesson since there were only us and two other people.

After our kick-butt sweat bath, we showered and bundled up to head out for a night of drinking on the town. First to an Ice Bar half way across town, very similar to the bar I visited in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Then it was over to a casual bar down by the beach for a few more drinks and some legal fireworks. Talk about leaving Koh Samui with a bang!

Ah, romantic!

Kicking Butt in Thailand is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Kicking Butt in Thailand |Hey Nadine

Welcome back to Thailand! So I am back in Thailand but this time I have migrated quite a bit south to the east island of Koh Samui, the start of my Thai Island Hopper East Tour! I’ve been enjoying the more relaxed pace of this tour,  just a shame the weather has been on and off the first couple days .

Vlog #1: Contiki Thai Island Hopper East : Koh Samui, Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtIeySRngI4

4×4 Island Tour

Yay for crazy vehicles in foreign countries! For one of the days on Koh Samui we took a 4X4 tour of the island.

The first stop was to a monkey trainer/handler. I don’t know his official title so for the sake of this blog I will call him that. Here we learned all about the working monkeys on the island and how the Thai people use them to farm the coconuts from the trees. I am a little torn on whether or not this is:

A: a form of animal cruelty
B: an extremely efficient, natural way to farming coconuts
or  C :simply how they do things in Thailand

After our rather humorous experience with the monkeys, it was over to another animal visit: Elephant rides. I didn’t have nearly as much fun on this ride as I did on my  first elephant ride in Laos. This was mainly due to being stuck with an extremely rude handler whom made our trip less than pleasant since we politely declined to have him snap photos of us for 400 baht. He was genuinely dumbfounded that we didn’t want any photos taken. He then proceeded to make the rest of our trip a nightmare and even ended up dropping us off at a completely different location then everyone else.

After the animal planet part of the tour we drove up to a lookout on the island. Not nearly as impressive in photos, as it was in person.

Then it was off to a lovely waterfall followed by lunch.

After lunch it was time for the Giant Golden Buddha!

Then Temple Time!

At the temple I got my fortune read. The universe must be telling me something because I basically got the best fortune you could get. No joke! I swear not everyone’s was like this.

I don’t know what else to say after that. I am even a bit suspicions since all that good fortune cannot come to one person! Either way, I’d say things are looking pretty good for Nadine in Thailand.

Into the Wild: Koh Samui is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Into the Wild: Koh Samui |Hey Nadine

Calling all Canadians: Do you want to win some free stuff?

Here is a little promo I did for Staples Canada and Windows 7 up in Whistler, BC! Check it out :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXGeELHfR_8

Make sure to check out the Windows 7 trailer when it comes to your area to win your own Windows PC, Staples gift cards, cameras, and more. Students can even win up to $10,000 towards their university or college tuition!

For more information, the tour schedule, and in-store event details, visit http://www.staples.ca/HookMeUp

Our super cool crew!

Windows 7 : Hook Me Up is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Windows 7 : Hook Me Up |Hey Nadine

This video almost never happened; this trip out into the bay almost never happened. Don’t you love when mother nature throws a wrench into your plans? Actually I shouldn’t complain since I’ve had really spectacular weather for most of my trip.

Vlog #19: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Halong Bay, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfUpe_OZtsw

Faced with the possibility of having to turn back and stay in town at a hotel instead of out on the bay, we took a chance and chose to wait 2 and 1/2 hours to see if we could try one more time to venture out onto the water. Luckily our waiting worked out for the best and they eventually allowed some boats into the bay.

Our boat’s captain took us through a different route than what they usually go through, so we did end up missing out on a few viewpoints and beaches that they apparently stop at. However,  just being out on the bay was good enough for us!

Wow, can I just say how absolutely beautiful Halong Bay is; hundreds of mini islands darting out from the sea. Spectacular! I even kind of enjoy the fog covering since it gives it that Magical Mystical feel, something I am all to familiar with when it comes to famous tourist spots.

One item of disappointment; I did pick up on all the trash floating in the bay. So much garbage, it really is a shame. I would not go swimming in this bay.

That night we anchored in a small cove with a couple other boats and had ourselves a small pirate themed party before heading to bed.

The next morning the fog had cleared quite a bit and the water was calm and perfect for us to do a bit of kayaking through a hole in the rock which lead to an even smaller, private cove.

There Krista and I attempted to look for monkeys which alas, failed. So instead we sung Disney songs all the way back to the junk boat. (I saved you from hearing them in the video).

And then that was it. It was back into the harbour and back to Hanoi where we said our final goodbyes to everyone. Thus the end of my 25 day Contiki Big Indochina Adventure.

Exhausted yet? Well I hope not since we are jumping right into the Thai Island Hopper East next! See you soon!

Magical Mystical Halong Bay is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Magical Mystical Halong Bay |Hey Nadine

I never read that book. It’s pretty much a required reading in high school, yet I only got through a couple chapters before I opted to do something more exciting. I wasn’t a reader back then. Things have change since. Regardless, I thought it would make a pretty catchy title for this blog post since we are actually cover two cities: Hue and Hanoi.

Vlog #18: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Hue- Hanoi, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-92K35bpf0c

Hue

First, let’s start with Hue and the wonderful drive over the “Pass of the Ocean Clouds” to get there. Very nice, although rather difficult to snap photos of.

To explore Hue, instead of a bicycle city tour we opted for a cyclo tour, which comes with a driver, perfect for the lazy person that I am.

My cyclo driver was pretty awesome, he tried pointing out the highlights of places we passed by; however, half the time I could not understand what he was saying! But it was sweet that he cared enough to try :) Yes I tipped him well.

Once our cyclo ride was finished, we hoped off for a casual stroll through the Imperial Citadel and then to the Thien Mu Pagoda.

Now I am no professional photographer but I love it when the light hits just right and my photos turn out so majestic! I love good lighting!

Lac Thein Restaurant

For dinner we went to a deaf-mute run family restaurant called Lac Thien. Now the coolest thing about this restaurant was not simply the fact that it was run by a super friendly local family who just so happened to be deaf-mute, but upstairs was a graffiti room which was scribbled on from all sorts of travelers whom had eaten there.

Since this is a regular stop on the Contiki tours there was a lot of Contiki written everywhere.

Of course I HAD to leave a little graffiti of my own- on the roof, which was actually pretty difficult to get to.  I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone reading this blog actually goes to Lac Thien to see if my markings are still there. If they are please take a picture and send it to me! AND, if you found my website because of it please let me know in the comments!

Hanoi

And just like that we are in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Now for city tour number two!

As I mentioned in my video here is the Ho Chi Minh Memorial, and the ridiculously long line up to get in. I’m simple in awe of how much the Vietnamese people love Ho Chi Minh.

After the memorial we visited the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university!

After our city tour we had a bit of free time to check out Hanoi. On thing I noticed is that this city kinda starts to grow on you. Mind you, my opinion might be a bit bias since the two main places we visited were shoe and bag street, in which I proceeded to purchase 1 fake Lacoste bag and 3 pairs of high heels.

Followed by Fannys, the best ice cream parlor ever. They had all kinds of ice cream and sorbet concoctions complete with waffles, syrups, liquors, cakes, chocolates, candies, fruit, you name it and they could make it!

Oh yea Hanoi, you know how to make a girl smile!

My desert of choice, triple berry and passion fruit sorbet – since I’m lactose intolerant. Nom Noms!

A Tale of Two Cities: Hue and Hanoi is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

A Tale of Two Cities: Hue and Hanoi |Hey Nadine

Vlog #16: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Hoi An, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfEdFtqicf4

Every time we stop at a town in Southeast Asia that has a European flare, I get a little giddy inside. Maybe it’s the fact that I have never been to Europe and I really want to go.

Due to a 3 hours plane delay getting out of Nha Trang, we had to rush through everything in Hoi An. I don’t believe I have ever been so efficient so early in the morning in regards to getting stuff done (GSD) – the acronym we came up.

Starting at 7:00am till 8:15am we ran half way across town and back – twice, to two different shops to pick up our custom clothing and jewelry items. That’s one thing these video don’t really show. There was A LOT of going back and forth, my suit had two different fittings and the rings that I got made had two as well. (Stay tuned for a separate, more detailed blog post on those).

My Son Temples

I love temples and architecture, but I must admit at almost 20 days into the tour and after the massive day that was Angkor Wat, I was feeling a bit “templed out”. I really do hate myself for even thinking or saying that since I’ll most likely never seen these temples again.

I think my bitterness was due to the fact that it was unbelievably hot and I picked the absolute worst day to do laundry and hence was stuck with only my black yoga pants to wear- Karma.

Vietnamese Cooking Class

If you can recall I already did a Thai Cooking Class; we’ll here is the Vietnamese Edition. A bit more chaotic then the Thai version as there was the option to buy alcohol during this class.

Regardless, all of my food was edible this time around which is always a win!

YUM!!  Okay, I think I did pretty good :)

The Little Town That Could : Hoi An is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

The Little Town That Could : Hoi An |Hey Nadine

This video actually happened right after the boat ride in Nha Trang. Just a few of us troopers ventured over to Vinpearl while the rest of our group was too tired and decided showers and sleep were the better option.  Boy did they miss out.

Vlog #15: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Nha Trang, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9T_XsIAYfs

Vinpearl is one of those random places and experiences that happen on trips. You don’t really know what to expect as it could be hit or miss, but when you do venture over and find those hidden gems it makes all the trouble to get there worth it.

Vinpearl is an amusement park on a island that you need to get to by gondola. The best ride was what you saw: the roller coaster. Compared to most North American roller coasters I would describe it as a “kiddie coaster” in terms of excitement and danger.

There were a few other rides as well, but since we were there at the end of the day we needed to prioritize before everything closed down. Hence, we went straight for the Waterpark.

I have been to a couple waterparks in my life, in Canada, but they were nothing compared to this. Although it wasn’t large in regards to the volume of slides, the ones that they did have were all extremely intense.

The craziest being one called Kamikaze; which consisted of two straight slides, one with a single bend the other with none.  They were legit the most painful water slides ever. You went so fast you got an instant wedgie and red skids on your back afterwards. I didn’t even go on the fastest one, thank goodness or else I would not have been able to film it.

Kamikaze – Blue and Green slides.

After the waterpark closed and our adrenaline wore off, we hopped onto the gondola for a chill 20 minute ride back to the mainland.

Hidden Gems : Vinpearl is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Hidden Gems : Vinpearl |Hey Nadine

I love pleasant surprises, like Nha Trang. When I venture into a new country or city I sometimes have this preconceived idea of what it will be like. What I had for Vietnam was more of what Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta were like. I definitely did not expect golden sandy beaches and water sports.

Well Nha Trang, you sure do surprise.

Vlog #14: Contiki big Indochina Adventure: Nha Trang, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lCHKTZ07mc

Lucky us we got to spend 2 days in Nha Trang, so for one of the days we hung out on a Vietnamese boat listening to tunes, swimming in the water and eating a fantastic lunch.

There was even a live band playing; they tied three boats together and made a makeshift stage on the middle boat. There they played some Vietnamese songs but mainly cover songs from North American bands. At one point they had a karaoke session in which they invited people from various countries up and played a “theme song” most related to their country.

Later in the afternoon we got a chance to do some watersports, at a ridiculous cheap rate. For 450 VND, which equals about $20 USD,  we got a jet ski rental. Totally worth it! Krista and I had a wicked awesome time and I learned how to do donuts on a jet ski- BONUS!

Pleasant Surprises : Nha Trang is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Pleasant Surprises : Nha Trang |Hey Nadine

So I am calling this blog post Ho Chi Minh City: Cliff Notes Edition since it’s realistically just a quick snap shot of Ho Chi Minh City. Now of course I could go through and say most of the places I stay at are just a quick snap shot of what is truly there to discover; but, I actually got the opportunity at the end of my Contiki Big Indochina Tour to spend some time, 8 days to be exact, in Ho Chi Minh. Hence, I will save the finer details about this city for that post.

Vlog #13: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRBeTpKXDIQ

In the meanwhile, please do enjoy some of the lovely must-see tourist attractions included in this blog post, like the Notre-Dame Basilica.

Complete with a perfectly timed just married photo op! Actually, I believe they were doing some sort of fashion shoot since there was three different couples all posing for photographs.

And the Central Post Office, with its claim to fame being that it was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel, aka the guy that built the Eiffel Tower.

Aside from that, the only other mention would be our stop outside the War Remembrance Museum, which literally was just a stop outside since it was closed due to an electrical problem.

Oh life, that is how it is sometimes. Till the next post!

Ho Chi Minh City: Cliff Notes Edition is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Ho Chi Minh City: Cliff Notes Edition |Hey Nadine

I will admit it, I know very little about the Vietnam War (or the American War, as they say in Vietnam). Yes, it is pretty bad considering I am now traveling in a country that many North Americans only know because of it. But that is the beauty of traveling, getting the opportunity to learn about places and events that occurred that you might not have learned about otherwise back at home.

Plus, the bonus of experiencing them first-hand is something no book or documentary can teach you.

So today we got to learned about the Củ Chi Tunnels, which were the underground tunnels used by the Vietnamese guerrilla soldiers during the Vietnam/American War.  Not only did we see them, we got a chance to “walk” through them. I put that in quotations since it was more like crouch/crawl.

Vlog # 12 : Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Cu Chi, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZEs0HgYphU

Hidden entrance to the tunnels.

The section of tunnel we got to go through was 100m in length with optional exits every 25m for the claustrophobic. Now the first 50m had been widened to fit us tourists in, but if you continue along for the final 50m you truly get to experience what it was like for the soldiers; something only 1/4 of our group choose to do.  Small spaces aren’t for everyone.

Those that stayed got to experience the true tunnel size which involved crawling on all fours. I can’t even imagine how brutal it would have been to be running around during wartime in these tunnels. I was drenched in sweat after only 100 meters, and I wasn’t carrying anything nor wearing long clothes. Not to mention the smell; the musky, damp, humid air, which was surely filled with smoke back then.

Another entrance to the tunnels. Again, reinforced and made larger for tourists.

 Air holes to provide ventilation down in the tunnels.

As much as I describe and show it, unfortunately, it is one of those “you have to experience it” to truly understand sort of things. So therefore I highly recommend experiencing it.

The Cu Chi Tunnels is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

The Cu Chi Tunnels |Hey Nadine

Vlog #11 : Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Mekong Delta, Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aTwZVySHW0

If you recall this is not my first boat trip along the Mekong, back in Laos we did a two day cruise along the river. Now we are at the Mekong delta for another rather different boat cruise.

Floating Markets

To start off our adventures in the south of Vietnam, we took a guided tour through the floating markets to learn how some popular Vietnamese sweets were made.

First was a caramel coconut toffee chew, so much goodness in one bite. It is now probably one of my favorite sweets of all time, which is funny since I’m not a huge fan of coconut or toffee candies back home. Maybe the fact that it was made fresh from whole ingredients was the reason it was so good.

After that we got a chance to taste some snake blood whiskey, which I gracefully backed out of, since I almost vomited from the last experience with Risky Snake Whiskey.

I did however try these lovely rice paper crackers. You would think they’d be rather plain and simple, but they turned out to be very sweet and tasty, somewhat similar to a potato chip, but much healthier. It was quite fascinating to watch them make the rice crackers; they looked like stretchy pancakes left to dry in the sun.

Once we had sufficiently filled our bellies full of sweets galore, we jumped back into our canal boats and cruised along for another 40 minutes to a small tributary on the delta. There we had to hop into even smaller boats to take us up to our overnight stop.

No motors for this boat, only oars and this wonderful old lady. Kinda funny how nonchalant she was about rowing two grown men and myself around. Devon tried to help her, but she just laughed at him and continued rowing.

Our overnight stop was a home-stay by a lovely Vietnamese family situated in the  jungle.

They were wonderful hosts:

1. They let us hold their pet snake.
2. They performed a dinner concert for us.
3. They cooked and killed a fresh snake for everyone to try. I actually filmed the killing of the snake but I could not put it in the video. It was much to graphic and probably one of the most disturbing things I have seen. You’ll thank me for not including it.

It was also a good thing I brought lots of bug spray. Nowhere on my travels have I actually required a mosquito net to sleep, tonight it was a necessity. Regardless, after a few glasses of “jungle punch” which shall remain ingredient-less, it was off to bed.

Sweets and Snakes: Cruising the Mekong Delta is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Sweets and Snakes: Cruising the Mekong Delta |Hey Nadine

Vlog #10: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure : Siem Reap, Cambodia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWonuYFHf5U

Remember that blog post not long ago about me not having a bucket list? Well, I have revisited that thought and decided: yes I actually do have a bucket list. It’s not a very original one, however it is a pretty epic one.

Thus I present,

Nadine’s 15 Wonders of the World Bucket List

1. Great Wall of China – China
2. Macchu Picchu – Peru
3. Angkor Wat – Cambodia
4. Taj Mahal - India
5. Petra- Jordan
6. Christ the Redeemer -  Brazil
7. Chichen Itza – Mexico
8. Colosseum – Italy
9. Great Pyramid of Giza – Eygpt
10. Acropolis of Athens – Greece
11. Hagia Sophia – Turkey
12. Stonehenge – United Kingdom
13. Moai, Easter Island – Chile
14. Neuschwanstein – Germany
15. Eiffel Tower – France

If you recall, my first “wonder” being The Great Wall of China, followed by Macchu Picchu, and now Angkor Wat; even though some lists differ on whether or not it’s one of the seven.

Angkor Wat

Alright, moving on to todays post, Angkor Wat! I was so excited to see this since I have a thing for engineering marvels and Angkor Wat is definitely one of them. Would you hold it against me if I told you this was what I was looking forward to all Southeast Asia trip? Yup, I am a nerd that watches to much Discovery Channel.

Anyways, I hope you love temples too because we have three to cross off today.

We were up nice and early for sunrise over Angkor Wat.  Although the cloud cover had me worried at the beginning,  we still saw a pretty spectacular sunrise. I attempted to do some kind of time-lapse photography; however, realistically I should not have  tried without a tripod.

After sunrise we got a chance to wonder around Angkor Wat, learn about it’s history, and take some photos.

By the way, when visiting Angkor Wat make sure you wear hard-core temple dress; knees and shoulders cover. Since to get up to the top most part of the temple you have to be covered.  I felt really bad for those people who missed the memo on that, since it was by far the highlight and best view.

Bayon Temple

After a quick breakfast back at the hotel it was onto our next temple, the Bayon Temple. This temple was part of the Angkor Thom City which encompasses several temples from the Angkor Empire, including Angkor Wat as the main.

Bayon temple is mostly famous for all the faces carved in the stone. However, unlike Angkor Wat which is held in such esteem and protected so diligently, it seem quite the opposite here. People were rather disrespectful, they would climb and sit anywhere, touch the carvings and statues, and just yap really loud. Yes it’s a tiny temple in comparisons to Angkor Wat, but still it’s still worth respect.

Ta Prohm Temple

Following the Bayon Temple was the Ta Prohm Temple, my favorite of the three, even more than Angkor Wat!

I absolutely love jungle temples, it’s a photographer’s and videographer’s dream! The lighting with sunset- perfect!

And that is actually exactly what we found there; a group of photographers on some sort of photo shoot. I actually managed to snag a photo of their Buddhist monk models, hehehe.

I seriously could spend all day running around this place; words cannot even describe. Maybe my love for all thing fantasy is why I enjoyed this temple so much. Regardless, hundreds of photos later, and I still wouldn’t be able to capture the true beauty of Ta Prohm.

So It Seems I Have A Bucket List : Angkor Wat is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

So It Seems I Have A Bucket List : Angkor Wat |Hey Nadine

I’m gonna keep this blog post short since the next one is gonna be crazy long.

Side Note : Yes I know this is a lake and the term bay is incorrect, but it’s from a kids song and I’m sticking to it!

Vlog #9 : Contiki Big Indochina Adventure : Siem Reap, Cambodia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7vnx0CQEB4

Tonle Sap Lake

I rarely like to use the phrase “this is the craziest thing I have ever seen”, since there is no real measurable value to it. What is crazy to some can be normal to others. Either way, I used it today to describe my experiences out on the lake.

First thing you need to note is that the Tonle Sap lake is home to over 3 million people in the surrounding areas, and 1 million on the lake. Second thing, the lake provides over 60% of Cambodia’s  protein food supply. Third, every year the lake floods and actually reverses direction- craziness!

A pen of crocodile which are going to be used as food and skinned. Sad, but I have no doubt since I saw next door what is made from them :/

Now there are plenty of weird things on this lake.  First there are “pirate” boats filled with kids that jump from their boat onto yours trying to sell you soft drinks for $1.

Then there is this: a girl sitting in a bucket holding a snake, trying to get me to hold it for $1. Well, I didn’t hold the snake but I did give her a dollar for letting me photograph her.

I find it rare that I actually don’t have many photos for this day. I do have a somewhat good reason. The intense heat out on the lake made my camera stop working and I nearly had a panic attack. I mean, it’s not that I don’t have any other cameras; I actually have 4 others with me. But, this was my Canon 60D, my pride and joy! Rest assure, after a cool down and some tender care in the hotel room after, all was back to normal.

Down By The Bay is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Down By The Bay |Hey Nadine

I’m gonna warn you now, this post is rather grim. Plus there are spiders.

So today we are taking a look at Cambodia’s dark past including the genocide in the 1970’s which occurred under the communist rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Vlog #8: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Phnom Penh,Cambodia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk5fixpp3wI

The Killing Fields

Our first stop is at the Killing Fields, one of the hundreds of places where the horrific executions of the Cambodian people took place.

A memorial for the lives lost.

I had to hold back and tame myself for this video.  It was very difficult not to include all the information our guide was giving us since I for one didn’t know much about what happened in Cambodia during that time.

126 mass graves,  8985 corpses uncovered.

Cambodia had a population of 7 million at the time; 3 million were killed in a span of 4 years, almost half the population. It’s crazy to even think about how such a thing was even allowed to happened. Human nature has always been something that puzzles me: wars, genocides, murder.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

After the Killing Fields we stopped at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum: previously a high school that was converted into cells and used to torture prisoners.

This was one of the rooms they held their “VIP” prisoners: all the high educated people.  It actually made me sick to my stomach when the guide was explaining the types of torture the Khmer prisoners went through.

The most disturbing thing from both places visited today was the images on the walls. Pol Pot made his officers take photographs of the deceased prisoners to show to him as proof that the prisoner was indeed dead. This is one example of the photos they took.

Friends

To put everyone in a bit of a lighter note we ended up going for dinner at a restaurant called Friends. The great thing about this restaurant is that it employees street youth and teaches them how to work in the hospitality industry a wonderful cause!

Mith Samlanh (“Friends” in English) is a local organization working with Cambodian street children, their families and the community to develop creative projects that effectively support the children to become in independent and productive members of the community.

Here we had some of the best food on our tour; it was absolutely fantastic! Plus, they cooked up a special bunch of tarantulas for us to try.

They weren’t too bad. As soon as you got past the fact that they are spiders, they honesty just taste like deep fried chicken skin.

Bon Appetite!

Cambodia’s Dark Past is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Cambodia’s Dark Past |Hey Nadine

Hey Guess what, Nadine is sick again. Unlike my previous cold in Australia where I lost my voice, this was of the more…digestive type.  Which ended up leaving me severely dehydrated and throughout this entire day I was light-headed and felt like passing out. But, I trucked on and hopefully you’ll forgive me for this somewhat lack luster video.

Vlog #7: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Vientiane, Laos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y7K3SqCMi4

Welcome to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. This will unfortunately be only a quick glance at this city since we just briefly pass through, and I spent most of it lying in my hotel room bed.

Arc de Triomphe

The differences between Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane are astounding. It’s hard to believe this is all the same country; however, all three have a similar under running style of  French influence. Definitely not what I imagined when I thought about Laos.

Just look at this face, how could you ever tell I was sick ?

Little unknown fact, at this point I could barely stand up by myself. Electrolytes are your friends!

COPE

One of the more educational places we got to stop at was the COPE Rehabilitation Center.

COPE stands for Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise. Founded in 1997, COPE is a local organization that works with the National Rehabilitation Center (NRC), Lao Ministry of Health and five provincial rehabilitation centers in an innovative partnership developing rehabilitation services across Lao PDR.

Being a traveler I sometimes take things for granted. I complain about stupid mishaps and I sometimes forget how lucky I am to be traveling the world and doing the things I do. So, whenever we visit places like COPE it always comes as a harsh reminder of how cruel and unfair the world truly is. Therefore, I love to try and give back as much as I can, it’s the least I could do.

So, while I was there I ended up purchasing a leg. At only $75 it was a bargain! I know my leg is worth a lot more than that.

Interested in donating to COPE? Click here to purchasing a leg or even an arm for a victim of the unexploded bombs is Laos.

Sick Times in Laos is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Sick Times in Laos |Hey Nadine

Vang Vieng: Safety first!

Welcome to Vang Vieng, safety capital of Southeast Asia! Did you sense my sarcasm?

Vlog #6: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure :  Vang Vieng, Laos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pee1QGuFxNk

Tubing in Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng has pretty much placed itself on the map for backpackers as a major hot spot to visit when traveling around Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, it is for all the wrong reasons.

Tubing in Laos is summed up like this: Bar hoping along the river in tubes. It’s a drug-fueled party on the river full of sketchy scaffolding bars and dangerous rope swings and slides. All of which becomes “accidents waiting to happen” the minute you add alcohol-and there is LOTS of it here.

There are multiples bars along the river that you can float around too, and all the bar managers try to get you to stay at their bar to drink more so they hand you free drinks. You think you’ll be smart and not do anything stupid, but as soon as you’ve consumed a few to many that sober rationale flies right out the window and you get caught up in the music. That is when stupid things happen; this month alone 3 backpackers died while tubing.  That’s not even mentioning the countless other accidents that happen; a quick scroll through town and you can spot a few of them. One drunken river party is not worth it in my opinion.

So instead of tubing our group voted for sober kayaking; probably not nearly as “fun” for some, but I feel like we had a much better experience:

1. We got to cruise down the river at a quicker, more desirable rate. Plus still take in all the scenery.

2: We visited a wicked cave.

3: We still saw the tubing and we actually stopped at one of the bars for a single, quick drink.

4: We all made it back to the hotel safe and sound. It’s just a shame all the craziness of tubing has taken away from the eye-dropping scenery that surrounds Vang Vieng.

View from our hotel room on the river.

Hot Air Ballooning

Thanks to my lovely guest vloggers Krista and Chris, I am able to show you the hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng! I was feeling a bit exhausted and wanted to have a sleep-in day since we had 2 days to spend in Vang Vieng.

Vang Vieng from the air.

I’d say they did a pretty spectacular job! I should think about having guest vloggers more regularly :P

Crazy Times in Laos is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Crazy Times in Laos |Hey Nadine

Vlog #5: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure : Luang Prabang, Laos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ83MwaU2MQ

Giving Alms

Not many people enjoy waking up at the crack of dawn; however, when it’s to help feed Buddhist monks, it’s not so bad.  Our lovely guide Johnny had a bunch of clean, fresh rice prepared for us this morning to give to the monks. Unfortunately, somehow it was lost in translation that there was going to be hundreds of monks coming down our line in multiple waves. Hence, our group ended up burning through all the rice in our baskets within the first two waves – Oops! Well some of the monks will be very well feed.

The craziest part of the whole alms giving was that the monks only eat twice a day: morning and lunch.  I would be starving, I love my mid-evening snacks and dinner.

 Elephant Rides

Today I got the opportunity to ride an elephant! Like the Tiger Kingdom, this was at an animal sanctuary where all the elephants contained were either breed or rescued from the wild. The trainers were very gentle with the elephants and I was very impressed by the manner of which the animals were handled.

Our elephant was named Wan, the one beside him with tusks was Pancake :)

And now I present the “people with way to much time on their elephant, photo montage.”

 Kuang Si Waterfalls

There was a lot of hype up for these waterfalls. All day previously in Luang Prabang I was hunted down by drivers offering to take me to the waterfall. The way they made it sound was like it was the Great Wall of China- well, they weren’t too far off.

I have seen a lot of waterfalls in my life but this one definitely takes the cake. It was by far the most spectacular, not to mention the fact that it is actually made up of many smaller waterfalls and swimming lagoons.

Good times!

Luang Prabang with a Bang : Elephant Rides in Laos is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Luang Prabang with a Bang : Elephant Rides in Laos |Hey Nadine

Ah Laos, I have a good feeling about you. Considering how fast pace the last few days in Thailand were, it’s nice to have a bit of rest and relaxation.

Vlog #4: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Mekong River, Luang Prabang, Laos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maXGfftQAkM

First order of business: the Laos border crossing, probably the most interesting and disorderly crossing you’ll ever find and experience. For one, the Mekong River makes up the border between Thailand and Laos so you need to be ferried over to the other side. If you were a smart Southeast Asia traveler here is where having minimal luggage comes in handy, unfortunately I am not.

After you cross the border you end up in the most chaotic and disorganized queue for Visas I have ever seen. In a square no bigger than the size of a hotel room are three windows on each corner: one to drop off passports, one to pick up, and a money exchange to pay for your Visa. Now this is where the issue come in, all three window’s lines converge into the center of the square- hence madness.

Stupid queues aside, once all the paperwork was out of the way we hoped onto our canal boat for a super relaxed 2 day cruise along the Mekong River.

Village in Pakbeng where we spent the night along the river.

On the second day of cruising we stopped at the Pak Ou Caves on the side of the river.  I cannot believe the amount of Buddha statues in the cave, thousands and thousands. Pretty sure I have seen this place in a National Geographic episode before as well.

Luang Prabang

Why can’t every city sightseeing tour be done by bike? I swear it’s the most fun and relaxed way to figure out your surroundings.

I’m actually surprised at how simple it was to vlog on a bike, as long as you can ride with one hand you are golden!

Wat Xieng Thong Temple

One of the stops on our biking city tour of Luang Prabang was at the Wat Xieng Thong monastery . There we got a chance to look at some Laotian temple architecture and see some beautiful gold statues.

Goodnight Luang Prabang.

I Get Around- Cruising the Mekong River is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

I Get Around- Cruising the Mekong River |Hey Nadine

Vlog #3: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Chiang Rai, Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMu9cAK2pwo

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Temple

I genuinely enjoy architecture and temples, hence why you’ll see lots of photos and videos from them. It’s just crazy to think of all the time and dedication it took to create these beautiful places of worship. There is just so much variety out there and it’s awesome to be able to see the differences.

Friday Buddha: the day I was born on.

Cabbages and Condoms

For lunch we stopped at a wonderfully quirky rest stop called Cabbages and Condoms. Can we just pause for a moment and examine the hilarity that is this sign – brilliance.

While the food wasn’t the best I have ever had, it was indeed satisfying and definitely did not cause any pregnancy.

Hill Tribes

I have mixed feelings about this visit. There are plenty of National Geographic and Discovery Channel episodes about these tribes, the Long Neck one in particular, so I have heard about them before. However, the whole experience of visiting them was very cold and uncomfortable.

For one, it’s all a money grab.  Most of the “village” is little shops to buy items from and about 70% of the items looks like they come from China. Second, visiting the tribes people felt a lot like visiting a human zoo.  It is clear as day that they do not wish to be there and they would rather dress western and be living in the city. But, they don’t because us tourists are their source of income.

The village itself wasn’t anything special either, and the ritual dances they put on were done half heart-ed with little pride for their culture.  It’s just sad to see something that could be such a great cultural experience be sucked dry and turned into a tourist cash draw.

On a lighter note, although I didn’t show any of it in the video, that evening our group ended up having a dress up party with an 80′s theme. As you can tell, I love dress up parties and I generally go all out. Heck, I think neon suits me :)

National Geographic Watch Out! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

National Geographic Watch Out! |Hey Nadine

Vlog #2 : Contiki Big Indochina Adventure: Chiang Mai, Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2cCLAq8Y7I

Welcome to the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

First off, there is a lot of controversy surrounding tigers in Thailand. The main one being the history of drugging tigers so that they are more placid and able to be pet by tourists. While this is sadly true in some sketchy places, none of the tigers at Tiger Kingdom are drugged. Whether or not that is 100% accurate is up for debate; however, our tour manager assured us that Tiger Kingdom was a legit sanctuary, and from what I witness there I’d say he was correct.

The cages were very well-kept, the handlers were very friendly and seemed to genuinely care for the animals, and everything was done in a professional matter. Yes, at the end of the day it is still a tourist destination, but if they are genuinely breeding and protecting these magnificent creatures, then I am okay with that.

One of the reasons the tigers might seem drugged is due to the fact that tiger are nocturnal, meaning they hunt and are most active at night. I know this first hand from when I saw them previously at the Night Safari in the Singapore Zoo.

At Tiger Kingdom there were four different choices of tigers to see.

• Smallest -1-1.5 months old
• Small-  2-5 months old
• Medium – 6-9 months old
• Big – 10-20 months old

Our group choose to visit the smallest and the big cages. I think we made the right decision.

 Thai Cooking Class

After our tiger cuddle was complete, we headed over to a Thai cooking class to learn how to cook some traditional Thai meals.

Quick stop at the markets to learn about the ingredients required for Thai cooking.

The meals we learned to cook were:

• Tom Yum Soup
• Pad Thai
• Chicken Cashew
• Green Curry

Not to bad! I loved all my dishes except for my curry; I’m pretty sure I burnt it. But that’s alright because I have the recipe book and the knowledge to whip myself up another batch.

Yum yum!

Tiger Kingdom is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Tiger Kingdom |Hey Nadine

Welcome to the start of my 25 day Contiki Big Indochina Adventure Trip, first stop- Bangkok, Thailand.

Although I have been to parts of Southeast Asia before, I have never been to Thailand, which is rather odd since Bangkok seems to be the first place people go when thinking about visiting Southeast Asia.

Bangkok is an easy starting point when first venturing to Southeast Asia because it’s very western friendly, although I’m sure all the other major city are as well. It’s as the locals say, “same same but different.”

Vlog #1: Contiki Big Indochina Adventure -[ Bangkok, Thailand ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxoeS2nkGs8

Grand Palace, Bangkok

Established in 1782, the Grand Palace consists of the royal residence and throne halls, a number of government offices as well as the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Get ready to sweat because it is hot and humid in Bangkok. It also doesn’t help that whenever we visit a temple in Southeast Asia we have to dress in “temple gear”; shoulders and knees covered. A lot of clothes in really hot weather equals a very sweaty Nadine. Regardless, that did not distract from the beauty that is the Grand Palace.

Fish Spa

Bangkok is known as a mecca for all things odd and bizzare, like fish spas; a pedicure for your feet done by fish. Yup, just place your feet in a tub of water and the fish will swim around your ankles nibbling off all the dead skin cells.

Although it felt very odd and scary at first, after a while you get use to the tingling sensation around your feet. Once you are done I guarantee you’ve never had softer feeling soles.

Bangkok Canals

To complete our brief tour of Bangkok we hopped into a private boat for a cruise along the canals. Perfect for viewing some of the unique waterfront houses as well as feeding the cat fish.

Then it was peace out Bangkok, as we boarded our overnight train to take us up to Chiang Mai, our next stop!

Same Same but Different: Welcome to Southeast Asia is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Same Same but Different: Welcome to Southeast Asia |Hey Nadine

OZ Vlog #10: Contiki Beaches and Reefs: Coffs Harbour-Sydney, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8x00p9bmu0

After a rainy morning departure from Byron Bay, (in which I was suppose to go kayaking, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to heavy rain/fog), we drove through Brisbane, the 3^rd largest city in Australia.

There we got a few hours to shop around and grab lunch before we continued down the coast to our overnight stop at the Mojo Surf Camp.

Mojo Surf Camp

If you are looking for a genuine Aussie surfing experience, Mojo’s got you covered. It’s the full deal; surf lessons on a spectacular secluded beach taught by genuine people who love to surf.

My attempt at surfing :P

Plus, a BBQ feast and giant beach party complete with a variety of let’s just say, “interesting” games.

Sydney

Final day is always somewhat a somber one. Everyone knows they are departing; some are excited to be going home, others are sad to leave their new- found friends.

However, what a perfect day to depart on. Sun shining in the morning and a stunning sunset in the evening. Complete with dinner at Opera Bar over looking the Sydney Opera House for dinner and drinks.

My awesome Contiki Tour Manager, John, and Bus Driver, Ralph.

A great way to say goodbye to my Contiki Aussie group!

Getting My Mojo On: Surf Camp to Sydney is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Getting My Mojo On: Surf Camp to Sydney |Hey Nadine

I love zoos. It’s not that I am a particularly big fan of animals in cages, I just love seeing them up close and in person. I believe it stems from my childhood obsession with Kratts‘ Creatures, a kids TV show about animals and nature.

So no doubt I would enjoy the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, a non for profit, 100% Australian animal sanctuary.

OZ Vlog #9: Contiki Beaches and Reefs : Byron Bay, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogZ9tMfU4Ew

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was quite a bit different than the last zoo I went to. For one, most of the cages were open pens so you could walk right up and pet the animals .

Second, several of the animals I was looking forward to seeing were sleeping, including the Tasmanian Devil and the Wombat.

Regardless, I got to hold a Koala. It was cute, course haired and kind of stinky, but I held it and it was awesome!

Byron Bay

After lunch we continued on towards Byron Bay for a quick photo-op at Cape Byron, the most easterly point of Australia.

Then it was afternoon beach time complete with fish’n chips from one of the many cute beachside restaurants.

Ah time to work on the tan!

That Time I Held A Koala is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

That Time I Held A Koala |Hey Nadine

Welcome to Surfers Paradise, the glitz and glam capital of the Gold Coast. Filled with beaches, bars and skyscrapers galore. A rather flashy town that I unfortunately, didn’t get to spend a lot of time exploring.

OZ Vlog #8: Contiki Beaches and Reefs- Surfers Paradise, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMHtz2d61Cs

You can’t expect to travel for a month, meet over 100 different people from around the world without getting sick. Well, that is exactly what happened at Surfers Paradise. Even though we had an entire day to spend there, all my traveling finally caught up with me.

Gold Coast Rainforest

However, I did manage to roll out of bed in time to do a  Mountain Trek Adventures 4WD tour of the Gold Coast Rainforest.

It was interesting to see the difference between this sub-topical rainforest and the tropical rainforest up at Cape Tribulation. Cape Tribulation has a much more ancient jungle like feel, where as the Gold Coast feels more like the typical tropics.

After our rainforest walk we got a chance to swim in a small lagoon, which in hind sight was probably not the best idea when you currently have a cold.

Skydive Gold Coast

This was my second time skydiving. At approximately 10,000 feet it was around 35 seconds of free fall, a bit shorter than my previous skydive in Queenstown. Regardless, the views were top notch and very different from each other.

As a bonus I got a chance to steer the parachute- a very scary experience.

Dracula’s Cabaret

Once all the plane jumping was complete, it was off to Dracula’s, a burlesque, cabaret comedy dinner show.  I was actually really disappointed that I couldn’t film anything for you guys because this show was hilarious. There was singing, dancing, drinking and playfully poking fun at certain members in our group, including a brilliant Justin Bieber and Brokeback Mountain reference thrown around.

Definitely one of my highlights of the trip so far. Guess if you ever come to Surfers Paradise you’ll have to go and check it out yourself! :P As long as you enter with an open mind for all things odd and different, you should have a very enjoyable experience.

Sick-Times at Surfers Paradise is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Sick-Times at Surfers Paradise |Hey Nadine

Fraser Island was quite a surprise. It is the largest sand island in the world, 123km from top to bottom, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage listed site.

Oz Vlog #6 :Contiki Beaches and Reefs,  Fraser Island, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwAZIEgvvoQ

4X4 Adventures on Fraser Island

Now I didn’t know this at the time, but 4X4 is the only way to get around Fraser Island as all the roads are made of sand. However, certain buses sometimes like to think they are as good as 4WD vehicles and attempt to travel the same roads.

So about 20 minutes into our 4X4  tour we got stuck behind a bus whose wheels had gotten bogged in the sand. After 10 minutes of waiting the road was clear for us to press on; then as fate would have it, we also got stuck in the same spot.

So we spent the next 20 minutes trying to get ourselves out – thank goodness for tractors!  At one point our group even had to get out and push. Quite funny looking back on it.

After our mid-morning vehicle ordeal was finished, the rest of our day was filled with spectacular scenery and smooth cruising.

Lake Mckenzie

Lake Mckenzie is one of 40 perched dune lakes on Fraser Island.  I can honestly say that the photos do no lie, this place is picture perfect.

Next up on our tour was a rainforest walk where we learned about the variety of plants that make up the island, including hundreds and even thousands year-old living fossil ferns (Angiopteris evecta) nestled in the river.

Following our rainforest walk, was a speedy drive along 75 Mile Beach towards the Rainbow Coloured Sands.

Then, to end the evening we finished up with a stunning sunset and a few drinks with friends.

Picture Perfect: Lake Mckenzie and Fraser Island is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Picture Perfect: Lake Mckenzie and Fraser Island |Hey Nadine

OZ Vlog #6: Contiki Beaches and Reefs- Outback, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5Ptbt1sGw

It is actually very refreshing to step away from the sandy beaches and venture inland for a bit of Australian culture.

Today we spent the night in a converted airplane hangar at a local family’s farm in the outback. There we took part in a tractor ride, learned about Australian beef, and tried whip cracking.

Tonight I learned two new things about myself:

1. I suck at whip cracking. I failed to capture it on film but I ended up not being able to make a single whip sound after 5 minutes of trying. I also managed to give myself a whip shaped welt across my lower back for the rest of the evening.
2. I love karaoke.  Our karaoke night was definitely one of my favorite nights on tour. I ended up singing 4 songs:

1. A duet to Shania Twain’s- That Don’t Impress Me Much.
2. A duet to Summer Nights from Grease with my awesome tour manager John.
3. Solo Bon Jovi- Living On A Prayer.
4. A duet to Alannah Myles – Black Velvet, in which I realized afterwards that I didn’t know the lyrics as well as I thought I did.

Oh Happy Days!

Time To Get A Little Country is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Time To Get A Little Country |Hey Nadine

Here is the second part of my 2 day sailing trip through the Whitsundays.

OZ Vlog #5 : Contiki Beaches and Reefs: Whitsundays, Daydream Island, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8lQC5yg7NY

We started off this morning with a lovely 2 hours sail followed by a quick snorkel along Caves Cove.

To anyone thinking about doing a sailing trip along the Whitsundays, I highly recommend. It is a fantastic way to see the islands and it’s quite refreshing to try out other methods of transportation while traveling.

Plus it’s fun to just chill on a boat with other crazy travel friends!

Map of our 2 night sailing course.

Daydream Island

After our sailing trip was complete, the skipper dropped us off at this super fancy resort on Daydream Island.  Although the resort reminded me of a Little Mermaid theme park, it did give these stunning views of the Whitsundays.

The resort happened to have several salt ponds in which marine life swam around in. So later that afternoon we got the opportunity to take part in a fish feeding, which consisted of feeding clown fish, petting stingrays and holding sharks.

Last, to top off the evening we went to a pool party out at Gilligans. Time to rock out Whitsunday style!

Come Sail Away : Whitsundays to Daydream Island is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Come Sail Away : Whitsundays to Daydream Island |Hey Nadine