https://grrrltraveler.com A Female Solo Travel Blog | It's not a vacation until you survive it! Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:46:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://grrrltraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/favicon.gif https://grrrltraveler.com 32 32 https://grrrltraveler.com/packing-for-southeast-asia/ https://grrrltraveler.com/packing-for-southeast-asia/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2016 16:23:18 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=5070 Summer is probably the easiest season to pack for. It will strip you of any excess or bulky layers, whenever you think of them and as most travelers know, there's no such thing as packing too light. But what if you're traveling to a culture with conservative dress values? Do you still pack light? Yes and No...]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/packing-for-southeast-asia/feed/ 2 https://grrrltraveler.com/should-you-be-a-monk-in-laos/ https://grrrltraveler.com/should-you-be-a-monk-in-laos/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:58:58 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=13868 "The monk life is very hard. I spent 6 years as a monk and I am thankful to grow up in the monastery, but I couldn't wait to leave!" cajoled my 24-year-old Laotian tour agent. - You didn't enjoy it or have fun? I asked. " It's not that it was bad. There are many boys there with you. ]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/should-you-be-a-monk-in-laos/feed/ 24 https://grrrltraveler.com/bucketlist-things-to-do-in-laos/ https://grrrltraveler.com/bucketlist-things-to-do-in-laos/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:18:47 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=14432 After writing my Top 5 things to do in Luang Prabang, you'd think I'd be done; but then one of my readers asked me what my Top 5 things to do in Laos were. For a country you don't often hear about, you can never have too many lists.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/bucketlist-things-to-do-in-laos/feed/ 13 https://grrrltraveler.com/trekking-in-northern-laos/ https://grrrltraveler.com/trekking-in-northern-laos/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:52:14 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=9466 These days I enjoy trekking where it's possible. Aside from a great workout, I like visiting mountain life, its lush and pristine settings of streams, hills and rice paddy fields and simple, hardworking and content inhabitants]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/trekking-in-northern-laos/feed/ 7 https://grrrltraveler.com/exploring-muong-ngoi-neua/ https://grrrltraveler.com/exploring-muong-ngoi-neua/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:33:18 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=13437 Muong Ngoi Neua is a beautiful cove of a village, one hour away from Nong Khieuw on the scenic Nam Ou River, accessible by boat. An authentic Lao village, hidden by towering mountains, it's a serene haven for frazzled travelers to kick back or launch into trekking. ]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/exploring-muong-ngoi-neua/feed/ 15 https://grrrltraveler.com/rural-laos-virginal-beauty/ https://grrrltraveler.com/rural-laos-virginal-beauty/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:57:38 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=11487 At first, visiting the tourist cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, my spirits were a little low. 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'.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/rural-laos-virginal-beauty/feed/ 4 https://grrrltraveler.com/things-to-do-luang-prabang/ https://grrrltraveler.com/things-to-do-luang-prabang/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:58:58 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=14247 At the heart of Northern Laos sits Luang Prabang. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the small city blends old European colonial architecture with a Lao urban structure and has a little bit of everything. So with all there is to see, what should you actually do?]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/things-to-do-luang-prabang/feed/ 14 https://grrrltraveler.com/photo-essay-vientiane-dark/ Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:45:46 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=9567 Photos of Vientiane at night]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/laos-transportation/ https://grrrltraveler.com/laos-transportation/#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2011 08:32:54 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=9635 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.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/laos-transportation/feed/ 17 https://grrrltraveler.com/buddha-park-vientiane/ https://grrrltraveler.com/buddha-park-vientiane/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:04:06 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=10338 Tired of dingy rooms for your budget dollars? Does your hotel stay shape your love of a place? Sometimes for me, it does. From bungalows, boutique hotels, guesthouse resorts and overnight trains... in Thailand you can experience a gamut of ways to lay your head or rest on your laurels. Thailand inspires a wealth of wanderlust, affordable tour packages and unique accommodations that budget holiday travelers won't have to cringe about. Though Thailand isn't as cheap as it used to be; the prices are still pretty good and matched with the Thai aspiration to provide first class service, it's raised my standards for travel considerably.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/buddha-park-vientiane/feed/ 11