Ultimately, though, a winner must be named.  And it’s Sharimae, with her comment

My life long goal has been to travel to Thailand. I would love to visit Chiang Mai.

I’ll be contacting her to make arrangements to get the great package of Royal Holiday Vacation Club logo wear and the FlipCam out to her.

Congratulations Sharimae!  And a very big thanks to Royal Holiday, a premiere vacation club with properties around the world, for sponsoring this great giveaway.

Photo credit: Royal Holiday Vacation Club

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

So, you find yourself in Sihanouk Ville in Cambodia, and you are desperate to get into Thailand. Not wanting to travel the four hours to Phnom Penh in order to fly, the lady at the Internet Café presented a great plan, “Mr Ken, take the bus…it is good ride and only 8 hours.”

Yup, you have it I took the bus.

The day began at 07:00 for the tuk tuks ride to the bus depot, for the 07:50 bus departure. The bus is one of those huge highway buses, not the kind we think of in North America, but one that actually has an area under the bus where you can bring your moto (motor bike), plus all the luggage. The bus is all decked out, two TV’s nice big comfortable seats…and thankfully working aircon.

But don’t get too comfortable yet. . . .

I have to warn you though, do not get too comfortable as unbeknownst to me, one hour down the highway, we will run into a river that does not have an operating bridge over it. That’s right, off the bus, grab your bags, (all three of them) and board a raft to get taken across the river.

Once on the other side you board another bus, and each time this process happens the busses get less and less comfortable. You get to do this two more times before you finally make it into the border town of Koh Kong. Eight hours and sure enough you are at the border of Cambodia and Thailand.

However I am headed to Jomtien Beach in Thailand so there is another 4 hours of travel. This will mean 12 people in a 15 person van, complete with easily 30 pieces of luggage. Fourteen hours later, sure enough, we were in Jomtien Beach, a trip only five hours longer then originally promised.

Take it from me, fly next time!!

Photo credit: Ken Dunlop

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe