It took me forever but I finally edited together all of my GoPro footage from my Big Indochina Adventure!
Video shot in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The song is “It’s a Nice Day to be Alive” by Ball Park Music. This was out Contiki day song.
THE GOOD
I never felt healthier than while traveling through Indochina. Every meal was colorful, fresh, and delicious. I sampled every local deliciously and tried many dishes I would have never picked in the states. My favorite temptation throughout South East Asia were freshly juiced drinks. I had one at every meal. I tried watermelon juice in every country and for most breakfasts. The best was at a tiny cafe in Luang Prabang, Laos.
Personally some of the worst foods I ate were fish dishes. However many of my tour mates loved these meals. I do not like fish. I did try everything. But I did not enjoy any of them. Plus the way fish was presented (with its eyes and scales) was not appetizing.
In Indochina you have to try the weird stuff. Sometimes you just need to close your eyes and eat. I sampled a couple of weird delicacies that turned out not bad! I tried several different fried bugs in Thailand. They were crunchy and had weird textures, but for the most part tasted like popcorn. I also sampled rat in Laos. Honestly if I didn’t know it was rat I would have just that it was BBQ beef skewers. Snake whiskey was the weirdest thing I tried that I actually enjoyed! I did a shot once in Laos and again in Vietnam. It tastes like tequila.
You have to take a cooking class in Thailand. I learned tricks that I implement today at home. The class took me through the Asia markets. It taught me how to shop for ripe vegetables, eggs and the perfect meats. I learned how to make Pad Thai, Pumpkin Curry and Sticky Rice. I absolutely loved learning to cook in Chiang Mai.
I initially chose to go to South East Asia because I wanted to travel to a tropical location for my winter holiday. Other then wanting to catch some rays, I had no other aspirations. But I now have a new love and appreciation for asian culture and solo travel.
This trip introduced me to a completely foreign culture, new (amazing) foods, friendly people, peaceful cultures, exotic adventures and stunning landscapes. This trip put me out of my comfort zone and completely emerged me in different ways of life. I can honestly say I have returned as a stronger, braver and more confident person. I recommend going on this adventure alone. You will meet many like-minded travelers and you will discover so much about yourself.
When I booked this trip I expected to stay in mostly hostels and cheap hotels…expectations were blown out the water. We stayed in mostly 4 and 5 star hotels. Every place was nicer then the last. But my favorite places we stayed we not the 5 star hotels. We stayed at two charming guest houses and on a beautiful junk boat in Ha Long Bay. Every place we stayed had free wifi, water bottles, safes and hot water!
I couldn’t have asked for a better group of fellow travelers. I will forever be friends with many of the people I met. Especially my tour manger Lee (Hailey). I can safely say she made my trip. Lee is super cool, chill and fun. She showed us the best bars, hangouts and foodies in town. She was familiar with the locals and even spoke most of languages. I told her initially I planned on turning my brain off for most of my trip. So it was awesome having her plan most excursions and helping me have the time of my life.
The coolest thing about this trip is you’re not stuck on a bus all day long like many other contiki trips. Don’t get me wrong there are bus trips. The longest was 6 hours. To get through the different countries you will take an overnight train, boats, tuk tuks, buses, vans and jets. I loved our overnight train ride. It really gave everyone a chance to bond.
My favorite things I did on the trip were the Wat Phrathat in Chiang Mai, Thai cooking class in Chiang Rai, Elephant riding, “Kangaroo Sunset” bar and kayaking in Luang Prabang, causing a street dance party in Siem Reap, jumping off our boat in Nha Trang and sailing in Ha Long Bay.
I would recommend this trip to everyone. I always felt safe, culturally submerged and had a blast.
Tips I wish I had been given:
-Bring temple wear (Long pants, t-shirts)
-Pack your bag and then take out half. It’s super easy to do laundry.
-Bring only one swim suit. There are water activities, but not consecutive ones. You only need one suit.
– You should not need more then $25 a day if you don’t plan on doing much shopping.
– Invest good pair of flip flops. You have to remove your shoes a lot and they’re easier to get on and off then sandals.
-Don’t bring a huge suitcase. A back pack is better.
-You don’t need to bring makeup. Most of the girls on the trip won’t wear it. It will just sweat off.
-Bring your own bug spray.
-Bring or be prepared to pull out american dollars. You will need to pay for most excursions with USD. Also Cambodia widely prefers USD over Riel.
-If you’re coming from the states you don’t need an adaptor. All outlets take the US plug!
-Wifi is everywhere. Turn your phone on airplane mode and don’t bother getting a plan. Just Skype and iMessage people using wifi.
-Pack playing cards!
-Pack your own portable charger!
This morning we traveled through the countryside to the capital city of Vientiane, Laos.
Where did I stay?
We visited the Cope Center. Which is an education and rehabilitation center for Lao people affected by UXOs. It was a little disheartening because much of the blame for war, bombings and death is placed upon Americans. But the country is very progressive and forgiving now. I donated $50 which is quite a lot. I hope that my donation can help positively affect someones life.
Then we were taken on a city tour where we were shown some of the important government buildings and the “Arc De Triumph” of Laos. I climbed to the top and found a great panoramic view of the bustling capital. The city is modern and booming. It’s strange to think that just a short distance away people are living in shacks without electricity.
Afterwards we strolled towards another temple. It was really cool because a huge festival was going on. So there were busy markets, street foodies, entertainment and music. It was a blast and I wish we could’ve spent more time at the concert we stumbled upon. But we were hustled back onto the bus.
For dinner we went to a really swanky three story resturaunt. We had the whole third floor to ourselves. I ordered strawberry cider, spring rolls and a hot plate. I also got some free drinks from one of the boys who bought a bottle of vodka. Contiki kids can really drink. :p
Tomorrow we head to Cambodia!
Up bright and early after an insane binder last night at Kangaroo Sunset.
We were picked up by two tuk-tuks blaring old school hip hop music. As soon as we piled into the tuk-tuks we were all handed Lao Beers (it was 8am).
After a 30 min drive we arrived at the river for cave river tubing. By that point many people had already down 3 or 4 beers. While we waited for a cave tour to begin we downed more drinks. While we were shot-gunning I noticed the other tours around us were sitting quietly, while ours was dancing and laughing. The other tour groups also had helmets and life-vests. We did not.
Finally it was our turn to hop into tubes and pull ourselves through the cave river. Many intoxicated 20 somethings were led into a dark and ominous cave. Where we sung show tunes very loudly, people floated into dark crevasse and kept hitting their heads on the low hanging cave. I don’t think they let us go all the way through because at one point we just suddenly had to turn around. It was probably a wise decision.
Then we walked to a riverside bar where we were blessed with shots and drank wine coolers before kayaking. Our guides managed to put amps in their kayaks so we cruised down the river blaring old-school jams. One team of drunk kayakers flipped their kayak immediately. Ayal ended up dislocating his shoulder and having to paddle the rest of the way, while same passed out drunk in front. It was an amazing spectacle. Kayaking through the Laotian countryside and monstrous mountains was breath-taking. Being buzzed and listening to rap as we paddled through the Mekong was straight out of a movie. Best day of my life so far.
This morning we boarded a coach and headed to Vang Vieng, Laos.
Along the way we stopped for lunch at this amazing restaurant on top of the mountain. The restaurant had spectacular views and pretty good food too!
Vang Vieng is a stunning riverside town surrounded by mountains, farms and winding rivers. Its a quiet and simple town that is a backpackers heaven.
Where did I stay?
Accommodations: Excellent. My favorite place so far. A charming boutique hotel ran by a family and locals. Stunning views and an great restaurant.
Location: Walking distance to everything.
View from our hotel
A Night to Remember
Tonight my entire group went to locally recommended Kangaroo Sunset Bar. We had dinner and then got the party started! The bar played old school dance music and served heavy-handed cheap drinks! Everyone was buying shots for everyone. We danced on tables, did the macarena, drank more shots, took over the bar and played beer pong. It was a blast. Even a sudden down pour didn’t stop our party.
Riding elephants through the jungle of Laos was one of the most out of this world experience of my life so far. We woke up early and beat the heat and drove out to this amazing elephant reservation. According to the tour operator the elephants are all free range, happy and well looked after. They all looked very healthy and appeared loved by their handlers. You could really feel the strong bonds between the elephants and their handlers. Our elephants name was Ping-Pong. At 45 she was the second oldest in our herd. She was strong, brave and very stubborn. Our guide was fantastic. He spoke very good english and taught us a lot about Ping Pong and the other elephants. I would recommend elephant riding in Laos to anyone!
Where did I go?
Up before the sunrise to give alms to the local monks. We handed rice to some of the hundreds of Monks living in Luang Prabang. It was a very humbling and spiritual experience. Buddhist Monks can not hoard food, so what ever they need to survive they must be given. They rely on patroons to give them their meals each day. I loved seeing the procession of monks in their orange robes. It was truly unforgettable and well worth the early wake up.
Then a couple of my mates and I went to brunch. I had the most amazing lemonade with mint leaves. It was so refreshing and sweet. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to recreate it.
Once the rest of our group woke up we were able to head to Kuang Si Falls. We hiked through the jungle and past some gorgeous sun bears (in captivity) to the beautiful water falls. 
The water was my favorite color teal. It was clean, cool and refreshing. There were tons of little fish that would try to feed on your feet which I didn’t like. But other than that it was magical.
Later in the afternoon we had free time. So Becky and I explored the dense markets of Luang Prabang. We did a lot of shopping and had the BEST sandwich from a street vendor. It was ham, cheese, avocado and more on fresh french bread. Seriously heavenly.
Hopped back on board the boat this morning and continued sailing down the Mekong river. We stopped at Pak Ou caves. The caves are built into the side of a mountain, just above the water where the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers join. There are thousands of Buddhas in the cave!
Then we reached Luang Prabang, a city rich in culture and left unchanged by time.
We checked into our hotel and had a little bit of free time before our bike tour. So Becky, Sam and I found a great little cafe and had watermelon juice and the best fried spring rolls ever!
Where did I stay?
Then we took a seriously fun bike tour around the UNESCO World Heritage town. We rode down cobblestone lanes, past French style homes and shops and up a hill to Wat Xiang Thong. At the temple we saw monks praying and ringing traditional bells. We continued our tour and stopped at a roadside bar where we did shots of Snake Whiskey!
After the bike tour our guide recommended we hike up the mountain to a temple and watch the sunset. Our guide said it “was only a couple of steps to the top”. No, it was 356 steps. To get to the top I pretended that I was on The Amazing Race. It was a struggle but in the end the view was worth it.
Then it was time to celebrate Halloween!
Everyone dressed up for the party. I was pretty impressed with the costumes since most people used what they brought in their suitcases. There were zombies, tiki girls, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, a couple of kittens, a rock star, Jesus and much more. I dressed as a flapper! We had a family style BBQ meal at a very fancy restaurant in town. The seats and tables were made of concrete…pretty swanky but very uncomfortable. We also started playing “The Game of Life.” A hilarious drinking game that we will play for the rest of the trip, non-stop.
Rules of The Game of Life:
Consequences:
Waking up at 545AM is pretty rough when you partied until 2AM the night before. A lot of my tour mates are hung over but I’m fine.
Where did I say?
Today we made our first boarder crossing. After about three hours getting visas we finally made it safely into Laos.
Tip: Get your Visa in advance to avoid the hold up.
After a short bus ride we disembarked and then hopped onto large tuk tuks to make our way down to the river. It was a wild ride and a great way to be introduced to Laos.
Then we boarded a boat and began our journey down the Mekong River. Cruising down the river was so relaxing and peaceful. The mountains and scenery of Laos are breath-taking. My tour mates and I played cards, charades and some ice-breaking “Get to know you” games. Time flew by and after 6 hours of cruising and two fabulous home cooked meals aboard we reached Pakbeng.
Our first “Guest House” experience was what I expected most of our accommodations to be like. I thought we would be staying mostly in hostel like places. But until now we have been staying in five-star resorts. Phet Sok Xai was small, simple and a little old. But it was charming and authentic. My new roommate Becky and I really enjoyed it. However some of our more high maintenance tour mates were not so impressed.
Some how I pissed my roommate Laura off. So now she doesn’t like me. She wanted to trade roommates. I honestly don’t care where I sleep. It’s a bed. I’ll room with whoever. I can adjust. But luckily Becky’s roommate hates her too. She also can’t figure out why. So now she and I are roomies.
That night we had a great family style dinner that was free! Afterwards we ventured into town to find bakeries. We bought croissants and chocolate rolls for breakfast the next morning. Then we hung out on the veranda and talked about life, family and our dreams.
View from our hotel at dusk
It was pretty fantastic.
Side note: My feet have begun swelling. I’m not sure why. I’m not isolated. Many of the others are having issues with swelling feet. All I can do it elevate them to bring the swelling down.
