Ella is now studying for a BA in Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Leeds and during her Gap Year she decided to pursue her passion for adventure on a trip to South East Asia for which she was granted a Bradfield Society Adventure Travel Award. This is Ella’s report…
After two flights and 36 hours of travelling, I arrived in Sydney from London. Sydney was a fun city with interesting architecture and iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. K’gari (Fraser Island) was one of my favourite stops due to the sheer remoteness and beauty. Camping and cooking on the island with no phone service meant we were fully immersed in its beauty and peace whilst being self-sufficient. It is the world’s largest sand island and a world heritage site with an ancient rainforest which has grown directly out of the sand dunes and is home to rare insects and animals. We also went to Lake McKenzie which is a ‘perched lake’ solely formed from rainwater and has a stunning turquoise colour. The lake is surrounded by eucalyptus forest and rainforest which creates the peaceful, natural setting. Byron Bay Lighthouse Walk was another location that was definitely worth the hike. It features a mix of beaches, clifftops and rainforest finishing at the most easterly point on Mainland Australia.
After travelling up the east coast of Australia, I arrived in Thailand, where I visited Bangkok, Chang Mai and Pai, it was quite a contrast to Australia. Bangkok was completely different to other major cities in the western world. Wondering around the night market in Bangkok and experiencing different culinary cuisines was fascinating. The buzz of bartering and the night life was so vibrant. Here I did a boat tour of the city, where I visited famous temples and the Big Buddha statue.
Chang Mai was a smaller version of Bangkok and had a blend of modern and traditional heritage with a Bohemian type of energy. The sticky waterfalls, officially named Bua Thong, were challenging to climb up but made slightly easier due to the rocks comprising of mineral deposits. Chang Mai is known for its ethical elephant sanctuaries – I had the privilege of wearing traditional Thai Karen clothing to feed the rescued elephants which in turn supported local communities so they could preserve their craft.
For anyone venturing to Pai, I can highly recommend tubing down the Pai River but one piece of advice, do not take phones with you even if placed in a waterproof pouch! After falling out and losing not just my phone but also two others, my faith in humanity was restored when two days later a local had found the phones caught on a rock 10 miles downstream and returned them to us!
After three weeks in North Thailand, I made my way to Laos. It borders China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand and seems to have a very slow pace of life. Vang Vieng is a small town in central Laos and here I completed the Nam Xay viewpoint hike. The view from the top was breathtaking, you can see the limestone mountains, lush green rice fields and the Nam Song River. Don’t miss the iconic motorbike perched at the summit, perfect for a must-have photo moment!
My penultimate stop on my travels was Vietnam. The best experience on my trip was the Hà Giang Loop, considered Vietnam’s most scenic drive, where I completed a motorbike tour which included 250 miles on the back of a motorbike, stopping at homestays in villages, eating with locals, hiking and learning more about the life in the valley’s.
Finishing in South Thailand I was able to visit Krabi and Ko Samui. The remote location of our accommodation meant the peace and tranquility were on par with Fraser Island and gave me much needed respite from the full on, going out late, packed agenda that most of my three months backpacking entailed.
Part of the travelling experience was to learn skills such as planning, budgeting and cooking as well as building resilience (which was definitely needed on more than one occasion)! I certainly stayed in hostel accommodation that was nothing like the photos online but the people I met far outweighed the basic living conditions in some of the less economically viable places like Laos.
My thanks go to Bradfield for awarding me with the Adventure Travel Award and saving me from a few extra 6am café shifts in the winter months. Not only was the financial contribution a big help but so was the desire to have an adventure to remember, and one that might inspire others at Bradfield or Bradfieldians to try the same.
