Thumbnail image for Welcome to Laos. Please Wipe your Feet.

Welcome to Laos. Please Wipe your Feet.

Remember how I went on and on recently about a bus ride from Hell in Vietnam? It was bumpy and muddy and seemed to last forever — I swore it was the worst ride ever. Well, I’m here to tell you that I have been enlightened. If you want to experience a seriously crazy, muddy [...]

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Photos: The Peaceful River Town of Nong Khiaw

Photos: The Peaceful River Town of Nong Khiaw

Nong Khiaw is a tiny, quiet river town in the north of Laos. It’s accessible by boat and bus (take the boat) and is a wonderful place to relax and spend a few days watching the river flow by.

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Photo of the Week: Boats on the Nam Ou

Photo of the Week: Boats on the Nam Ou

The Ou River is the life blood of northern Lao. Boats are the main mode of transportation and you’ll see them all over the river, carrying passengers and supplies. Many make their living by fishing and in the mornings, you’ll find the dock busy with men preparing their nets and bailing water out of their [...]

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Thumbnail image for What Does a $4 Bungalow Look Like?

What Does a $4 Bungalow Look Like?

Just what does $4 buy you in Laos? I stayed in a truly basic bungalow in Nong Khiaw and, though it lacked most amenities, I enjoyed it so much that I stayed an extra day.

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What Is It? Mystery Animal in Laos

What Is It? Mystery Animal in Laos

As I was leaving my guesthouse in Nong Khiaw, I stumbled across this odd-looking beast. Two women were busy plucking its fur with tweasers, in preparation for cooking. I took a quick photo with my iPhone and asked what it was — they told me the Lao name, but I promptly forgot it.
I left [...]

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Thumbnail image for Going Low and Slow in Sapa, Part 2

Going Low and Slow in Sapa, Part 2

I may have killed Francesco. The huge bottle of bathtub-brewed rice wine sits on our shared balcony, half-finished. Last night, we managed to drink a full fifth of potent moonshine in just a few hours. It’s 11:00 AM — I feel like crap and he hasn’t stirred. I’m starting to worry.

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Thumbnail image for Going Low and Slow in Sapa, Part 1

Going Low and Slow in Sapa, Part 1

I was excited to visit Sapa. Everyone I met who’d been there just loved it. The described it as beautiful, relaxed, and incredibly charming. And, they were right.

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Travel Photo of the Week: Giddy Kids in Sapa, Vietnam

Photo of the Week: Giddy Kids in Sapa

It was my first day in Sapa. While wandering down a narrow side street, I found these adorable kids gathered in a doorway. They were bouncing up and down, squealing “hellooo, helloooo, how are you?” It was a wonderful welcome to a beautiful place.

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Thumbnail image for Hell Is a Muddy Mountain Road

Hell Is a Muddy Mountain Road

It was 7:00 AM and I was waiting on the bus to Dien Bien Phu. I expected to end up on a beat-up, state-run clunker, where I’d be wedged onto a hard bench seat between crates of produce and live chickens. Instead, a sharp new minibus pulled up, barely half full.

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Thumbnail image for Photos: Sapa’s Sea of Green

Photos: Sapa’s Sea of Green

Sapa is a lovely town to wander about on foot. But, to really get a feel for the area, rent a scooter and head out of town to explore the rice fields and local hill tribe villages. It’s the best $6 you’ll ever spend.
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Thumbnail image for Nothing But Hassles on Ha Long Bay

Nothing But Hassles on Ha Long Bay

I really don’t like packaged tours, so I signed onto a 3-day boat tour with considerable reluctance. I expected a lot of crowds, delays, and trudging around to sights I really didn’t care to see. Unfortunately, I was exactly right.

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Photo Friday: Rice Fields Near Sapa

Photo of the Week: Rice Fields Near Sapa

Three kilometers from the mountain town of Sapa, you find the scattered houses and villages of the Hill Tribes. Every available flat surface is being used to grow rice, with miles of small channels funneling water to the fields. I could spend days wandering this landscape and never get bored.

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