Author Archives: Archana
Visiting Bangkok, NOT seeing temples and Buddhas
For us, Bangkok was less about street food and palaces and more about getting visas, exchanging money for Myanmar and, in my case, going to the hospital after developing a nasty dry cough in Chiang Mai. We had just a few days in the Thai capital — 2.5 before the Thai islands and one after … Continue reading
A quick note to say…
…the blog hasn’t died! Internet in Myanmar, particularly in the south where we currently are stationed, is spotty, if even available. I have posts about Bangkok, the Thai Islands and Myanmar to share, but they’ll have to wait until a stronger connection. Stay tuned!
Chiang Mai in two days: the Sunday market, sleeping on tigers and hanging with cobras
We spent only two weeks in Thailand. Perhaps that’s shortshrifting the country, but we wanted more time in less-visited places like Laos and Myanmar. Plus, a flight to Bangkok is much easier than, say, a flight to Yangon, Myanmar. The bulk of our Thai time went to the islands — best idea ever — so … Continue reading
From backpacker to flashpacker: living in luxury in Laos
Somewhere between South America and South East Asia, Eaman and I went from backpackers to flashpackers, which, if you’re not familiar with the term, refers to backpackers who travel with a slightly higher level of comfort. And with that comes nicer accommodation — partly because we had some hostel-fatigue and partly because for almost the … Continue reading
Luang Prabang: temples and waterfalls and bears, oh my!
After visiting so many small towns and sites that most travelers don’t venture to in Laos, it was a little strange to end our time in the most touristed city — Luang Prabang. We were worried that seeing more travelers would somewhat taint what was supposed to be a beautiful, spiritual city, but as we … Continue reading
A note on transportation in Laos: 3 very different bus rides
We bus-ed it pretty much everywhere during our 26 days in Laos — the exception being our flight out of the country to Chiang Mai, Thailand — and the best way to paint the picture of how crazy, mind-boggling and ultimately rewarding overland transport through Laos can be, I’ll give you three very different examples. … Continue reading
The 7 best things about Vientiane, Laos
Everyone we talked to about traveling in Laos glossed over Vientiane, as if it were just a transit stop along the way. We beg to differ. We loved so much about Laos’ capital city during our four-day stay there — seven things in particular. 1. The pace. Everyone calls Vientiane the world’s most chilled-out capital, … Continue reading
Cute kids and a humbling homestay in Ban Kong Lo, Laos
I think some people are cave people. What I mean is, some people get a kick out of exploring caves. I am not one of those people. So when the idea of visiting Kong Lo Cave in central Laos came up, I wasn’t sure if it was worth it. I had my heart set on … Continue reading
