We arrived via our slow boat in the tiny border town of Huay Xai, Laos ready for one of my most-anticipated adventures of the trip – The Gibbons Experience. After a couple friends had done it a few years ago, I knew that if I ever made it to Laos Read more…
This is a fairly short post, mirroring the simplicity of the activity itself: a slow boat ride up the Mekong River. The Mekong River has been ubiquitous during our time in Southeast Asia as we traipsed through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. At each previous stop we resisted opportunities to visit Read more…
Luang Prabang is a cute little town that has figured out an easy-to-love blend of westernized, tourist-catering coffee shops and affordable massages, while still maintaining a laid-back vibe of a place where locals live and thrive as well. The main street extends down a peninsula bordered by the large Mekong Read more…
After our brief but wonderful time in Vientiane, on December 31st we headed to Vang Vieng, a small town most known for its backpacker culture (read: drinking and drinking-centric activities), which isn’t normally our jam. However, Vang Vieng is also known for fun outdoors activities like river tubing, rock climbing Read more…
When I did research on where to go in Laos, almost every single blog and internet posting about Vientiane basically said to skip it and not think twice about the capital of the country. In fact, many long-term travelers we’ve met have decided to skip the country altogether, deeming it Read more…
Our shuttle back from Halong Bay deposited us in Hanoi on a Sunday afternoon, also known as Christmas Eve. The place was a zoo, in the best possible way! Hanoi is notoriously known for its chaotic traffic (even other folks in Vietnam comment on how ridiculous it is), but each Read more…
In order to reach Halong Bay, we had to start by taking an overnight bus from Phong Nha to Hanoi, which was uneventful and normal in most/all respects (i.e., the seats were mostly uncomfortable, the ride was uncomfortable, the driver drove like a madman and we barely slept). The notable Read more…
As Jess mentioned, she loves caves. I think they’re cool, but my love affair with them is not quite as involved. But one passion her and I both share is a love of adventurous, rigorous hiking. So when we found an opportunity to couple these two passions by joining a Read more…
Caves are my thing – I love them and think they’re incredibly cool. Rorie knew this, so he was excited to stumble upon Phong Nha, a huge national park and area with some of the most incredible caves in the world, while doing research on sites to visit in Vietnam. Read more…