No matter how much you’d like to selfishly keep good places from changing, development in the name of progress is inevitable. With growth and the popularizing of travel comes the stampede of crowded tourist buses, over-worn backpacker routes, souvenir shops clamoring for the sell and then comes the irritating habits of tourists…
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At first, visiting the tourist cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, my spirits were a little low. Vientiane was a bland-spirited, straight-faced urban player with few bones of humor to pick; and though, Luang Prabang was inviting as a foreigner-friendly, party-throwing mecca, convivial to tourists, its only dwellers seemed to be travelers, monks and those who work in tourism. Where was the virgin Laos I’d heard about from others?
Hitting the Laotian countryside, the facades of French colonial architecture melted away. Concrete turned to wood and earth, revealing a Laotian maiden. Small communities of bamboo hut villages, wrapped in the karst landscape that’s fed by the Mekong snake. Rice paddy fields stretch over the land like canvas and locals enjoy the simple unfettered existence of ‘village life’.
Outside of the cities, rural Laos is ‘purely’ refreshing... (more…)
At the heart of Northern Laos rests Luang Prabang. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the small city blends old European colonial architecture with a Lao urban structure and has a bit of everything. From river beach to tourist bars and riverside restaurants, roadside baguette stands and Buddhist temples, the diverse jewel of a city can easily be explored on foot or bicycle. So with all there is to see, what should you actually do?
Sometimes, I’m all for sentimental travel cliches. Watching sunsets and city views from mountain peaks are quickly becoming one of them! As the highest hill point in Luang Prabang, Mount Phou Si beckons travelers with an alluring and romantic view of the city. It’s a casual 8-10 minute stroll up (more…)
It’s fright week weekend and I’m in Hawaii to relive my nightmare with Boo! This year’s Halloween buzz highlights two première fright night events, where you’ll get the biggest scream. Who will the Hawaiian masters of terror be? My Grrrl Traveler Scream Award goes to the Haunted Lagoon and Hawaii’s Haunted Plantation. I’m going to let you in on a little secret; I’ve already had a head jump on both!
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Haunted Lagoon
The Lady of Laie is back and she’s still haunting the Polynesian Cultural Center‘s lagoon!
Haunted Lagoon is one of the biggest productions I’ve seen next to a theme park. Pirates, ghouls, killer clowns, headless ghosts, screamer zombies, (more…)
“Catch-and-release” fish resort? What’s that?
This as the first time I was hearing the term. Graham, a 40-ish expat from the U.K., sitting next to me on the bus, was eager to divulge his secret hideaway, the Beung Pai Fish Farm…
The best iPhone / iPodTouch apps for travelers. 7 travel-worthy apps you won’t regret having.
When I took the overnight train into Laos, that was the start of my adventure with Laos transportation. Getting around in Laos isn’t hard but it can occasionally be interesting. Check your expectations at the door and go along with the fun.
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