Laos

A hot pot is a meal that includes a boiling pot of soup placed in the middle of your table accompanied by a selection of raw meats and vegetables.

The sandwich in Laos began with tender slices of choice beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce, sesame seeds, and stalks of green onion.

Don Det has become a popular backpacker destination due to its laid back atmosphere.

For the first time, I was experiencing a true sense of independence. (Photo: David Lee)

Tubing in Vang Vieng was the driving force behind my visit to Laos.  It turned out to be as good a reason as any, and I was glad to make …

I stopped in Vientiane for 4 nights of boutique hotel bliss and top notch French food.  I found there was actually quite a bit to do in and around the …

Aside from river tubing in Vang Vieng, I didn’t know what Laos would hold for me.  Crossing over from Cambodia, I quickly found myself on Don Det, one of the …

A mountain bike tour in northern Laos, including a boat ride, elephants, and a visit to waterfalls.

In the interest of time and energy, I decided to take the one hour flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai via Lao Airlines. The popular alternative for crossing the …

Before arriving in Laos, I had mentioned it as part of my itinerary to a fellow traveler. He asked me what was there, and I said I didn’t know, but …

8:45 am – Began mountain biking to river – 1.5 hours (16 km) on dirt/rock road – bumpy enough to justify quality bikes. Sun came out. Hot hot. Seat was …

The moment I arrived in the old section of Luang Prabang (a World Heritage town), I fell for its charm. I believe “cute” was the exact word out of my …

Met up with Nicholas and Thomas (France) around noon. Caroline wasn’t feeling well so she skipped the tubing, Vang Vieng’s main draw (beautiful scenery aside). My plan was to *not* …

I arrived in Vang Vieng the day before my birthday and decided to go rock climbing as a way to celebrate. A mere 14 years earlier, I had my first …

On my last day in Vientiane, I took a few pages from the Stay Another Day – Laos booklet and combined them with the city’s main sights. The first stop …

I must be feeling on top of the world. First a shopping spree at an art gallery, now a 3-course lunch at Le Central. The menu at this fine French …

Ten months on the road, and I had yet to truly splurge on accommodations. My early morning arrival at the doorstep of the recently renovated Inter City Hotel would correct …

Two nights was more than enough time in Champasak, so the Parisians and I headed for Pakse, the largest city in southern Laos (pop. ~66,000), and a popular point from …

Champasak’s big draw is Wat Phu, an ancient Khmer religious complex, set at the foot of the Phu Pasak mountain range (1,400 meters). Our first morning, Celene and I took …

After two nights on Don Det, the 3 Parisians and I headed for Champasak. We took a small boat back to the mainland, keenly aware of the strong and swirling …