| Thailand | | | | Laos |
| Travelling through Thailand is a great experience | | | | Laos is an extremely beautiful although still |
| public transport is great and roads are in excellent | | | | primitive country to visit and local transport from |
| condition. A great way to see some of the | | | | villages is normally done on converted trucks, with |
| countryside is to rent a motorbike. When renting | | | | benches in the back for customers to sit on. Try |
| a motorbike be sure to check it out thoroughly | | | | to avoid travelling on this mode of transport when |
| this is easy enough to say but important points | | | | coming or passing through fishing villages heading |
| like does the odometer or fuel gauge work these | | | | to the more centrally located towns, especially in |
| can come in handy later on in the trip, especially if | | | | the mornings. The reason is because the villagers |
| going long distances. The motorbikes in Asia are | | | | tend to take their produce which is mainly fish, |
| built a little differently with two brakes a hand | | | | including dried fish to sell in the towns. This can |
| brake (front wheel) and the other a foot brake | | | | make for a very unpleasant experience as the |
| (back wheel). Try to use only the foot brake | | | | truck is never really considered to be full and |
| when travelling fast as using the hand brake will | | | | sitting next to baskets of fresh and dried fish |
| send you flying as it only applies pressure to the | | | | which stinks for hours is enough to test the |
| front wheel. Another common mistake is when | | | | stomach of any person. |
| going uphill shifting down gear while gassing the | | | | Cambodia |
| engine this tends to result in a front wheelie and | | | | When travelling in Cambodia, locals like to take |
| more often than not an accident. | | | | Taxis as they are quicker than the buses and |
| China | | | | manage to avoid the potholes better. The only |
| China is extremely diverse and the Chinese lead a | | | | problem with this is that what the West considers |
| completely different way of life to the West | | | | being a normal five door car with two seats in |
| making it a great experience to travel too. When | | | | the front and three in the back is considered in |
| travelling in China, the roads are excellent as are | | | | Cambodia to hold seven or sometimes eight |
| some of the trains and tracks. As large distances | | | | people. The Cambodians will fit four in the back |
| are involved there is a lot of overnight travel. | | | | and three or sometimes even four in the front. If |
| Sleeper trains and buses are common as the local | | | | a taxi holds eight people then there would be four |
| Chinese like to wake up at their destination. | | | | in the back and two in the front passenger’s |
| One great tip I learnt while travelling in China on | | | | seat a passenger in the driver’s seat, the |
| sleeper transport is never to take the bottom | | | | driver would then be squashed up to the |
| bunk. The reason for this is that on many | | | | passenger, leaning against him to hold the wheel |
| overnight trains and buses the people like to | | | | with his feet at an angle to reach the pedals. This |
| dispose of their rubbish on the floor of the bus or | | | | would be impossible in a manual car but some |
| train. This means that if you are sleeping on the | | | | how it is managed in an automatic. Travelling like |
| bottom bed you are likely to have rubbish thrown | | | | this is extremely dangerous and not |
| down past you during the trip. This is not that bad | | | | recommended. |
| to deal with but another past time is eating nuts | | | | There is a general place where Taxis depart from |
| and spitting out the seed casings on the floor, this | | | | and they don’t depart till they are full. A way |
| along with spitting makes the bottom bunk an | | | | to get around this is to buy two or even three |
| interesting experience. Waking up to find a pile of | | | | seats, effectively meaning you travel in more |
| rubbish and spit on the floor by your bed | | | | comfort and safety as this means there would be |
| doesn’t exactly help either. | | | | less people in the Taxi. |