Laos to Hawaii

S01 E06 • Sunday, Apr 25, 2010 • Apr 25

The last leg of Simon's journey begins in the jungles of Southeast Asia and ends in the tropical paradise of Hawaii. Prevented from following the tropic through China by the Chinese government, Simon instead discovers the increasing Chinese influences in neighbouring Laos and Vietnam. And in Laos, he samples some local delicacies - roast squirrel (or is it rat?) and caterpillars. In Vietnam, he discovers cruelly caged moon bears, farmed for their bile, which is used in traditional medicines. Next stop is Taiwan, and in the Tropic of Cancer primary school he meets some of the world's highest achieving children. The journey around the world ends in Hawaii - a tropical paradise blighted by environmental problems, including some of the dirtiest beaches on the planet. After travelling around the tropic of Capricorn and the equator, this series completes Simon's trilogy of journeys exploring the amazing tropics region with his toughest, longest, most ambitious challenge yet.