Just back from a few weeks in Laos. Lovely people, sweaty weather, decent food options for non meat eaters and visual delights everywhere. Some pics.
And a few more.
Hey GRR, its been a while between posts I think?
Interested in your Laos pics - did you take a boat up river from LP to Nong Khiaw?
One day I’ll do the loop from Bangkok to N Thailand, slow boat along the Mekong to LP, Vang Vieng, Vientiene & train back to Bangkok.
Unfortunately they’ve built a dam between LP and NK. You can get out half way get a bus round the dam and get the boat again but that seemed like too much hard work. So we did it sardine style with a lead footed driver in a mini bus with bald tyres (not recommended incidentally).
However we did do the day trip from NK to Muang Ngoi . A lovely river trip. Might go back one day and see more of the North. Cheap as chips too.
Timely, I’m doing Bangkok to Vientiane via upper Mekong (then Vietnam and Cambodia) in December/January 
So as I described but from Vientiane to Vietnam instead of back to Bangkok? How are you getting to Vietnam?
Flying. There are some pretty good horror stories about the loooong bus trip down to Vietnam.
We did thailand, vientiane, vietnam, cambodia back in 2014. We wanted to go to luang prabang but had read bad things about the bus trip, so flew from vientiane to Hanoi instead.
But you can fly from bkk to lp direct now which l dont think you used to be able to do, so we are planning to do that next year as part of a china trip.
We flew into Vientiane and out of LP, although the latter entailed an 8 hour stopover in BK before catching the red eye special back.
You can fly from Vientiane to LP, I think 3 flights a day, but even though the minibus ride to LP is around 5 hours on the packed public mini buses it goes through some impressive countryside that wouldn’t otherwise be seen, and the trip from LP to NK is even more spectacular. The roads were made the whole way, if a bit potholed in parts, but I know they get rougher if you head further north - a friend of ours who did this complained people kept throwing up around her.
On the way back from NK to LP we tagged along with 4 Kiwis who had hired a private mini bus which had a sane driver who happily stopped for photo ops and dunny breaks, air con and operational seat belts- did it in under 3 hours and dropped us at our hotel. If we do it again we’ll definitely go with the private mini bus idea. Still pretty cheap by our standards-e.g. 100 US split 6 ways for a 12 seater for the 3 hour trip from NK to LP.
River transport is a great idea but it ain’t as easy as it used to be thanks to the proliferation of Chinese financed dams in Laos, I think around 7 are either in place or in construction on the Mekong in Laos alone, much to the annoyance of Vietnam.
In the ancient capital of the country of more than 1200 million people, I found myself sitting next to none other than @Bomb_Doe! How is that for a coincidence.
We later enjoyed some good reds (though sans the company of the great man, Sheeds).
Name dropper!
I’m getting out and going to Melbourne at the same time, haha.
I do like the possibility of a white Christmas though, the markets and lights in big cities are pretty good. Snow and hot springs are perfect, there’s something surreal and mystical about sitting outside in a hot bath while snowflakes fall on your head. Snow covered shrine visits in the new year while people come for Hatsumode are nice too, provided the shrine isn’t too crowded. Find the hot sake sample stand and you’re set.
Cheers Albert - it was great to finally catch up. And under such interesting circumstances.
Countdown is on, last day of work tomorrow for 3 weeks. Off to the Philippines on Monday
We’ve done Japan in Jan without skiing. Went to Tokyo, Osaka and Hiroshima. Heaps to do, but it’s freezing! Only snowed in Hiroshima though.
Just arrived in Brunei, 1 hour in the Royal Brunei lounge before our flight to Manila. Must say it was the best service and most comfortable business class flight I’ve been on. Food was amazing aswell. No alcohol served but were allowed to purchase a small amount to drink onboard
Virgin Beach, about 1hr from Roxas. Awesome place, food and people have been amazing. Gorgeous beach with luke warm water and only 45 cents for 1L beers from the little shop there.
So true.
My first experience on the Paris metro at Pigalle was a hobo getting on the train holding a plastic bag full to the brim of human faeces, no joke
Anyone been to Brazil?
Thinking of heading there for 3 weeks with family next Sept / Oct - maybe Sao Paulo, Pantanal, Iguassu, Rio.
Cost of a tourist Visa is $216 AUD, and you have to provide all documents both online and in paper to their Canberra embassy when making your Visa application.
We’re going next March to Argentina, but visiting the Brazillian side of Iguassu falls for the day, so are getting ripped off in having to get a Visa for Brazil. Even have to supply a bank statement evidencing that we have sufficient funds for our stay (1/2 day!) in Brazil.
Brazil doesn’t seem to want Aussie visitors.
