I’m going to give you a little heads up if you’re heading out on the Southeast Asia backpacking trail:
At some point – likely, multiple points – you will meet someone who will wax poetic about a little town called Pai.
The ‘Best of Laos’ photo gallery below is a collection of images I took in June 2013 while traveling in Northern Laos. In one week of travel, I explored the far north of the country: crossing the Thai border at Huay Xai, then splitting the week between Luang Namtha and Nong Khiaw.
A few years ago, I swore off the infamous Greyhound bus from New York to Atlantic City. It’s notorious for a questionable cast of passengers, being reliably late, and even altering routes without notice.
For various reasons, I only had a week to spend in Laos – which is a blasted shame, considering how slow-going yet incredibly gratifying travel can be in this country. To be honest, had I had more time to see more of Laos, I’m fairly confident that I’d have walked away from my 2013 Asia trip declaring Laos as my favorite country of the journey.
It has been wonderful being back in New York City after 5.5 months on the road. I didn’t expect to fall back into life here so quickly and contentedly. Whether that means this is where I’m meant to be, or that NYC is more akin to the lover I just can’t quit, I’ve yet to determine.
I’m all for supporting local businesses, generally snubbing all chains in favor of mom & pop shops and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. And this mentality carries over to my travels: I’d rather immerse myself in local culture and customs and eat street food than stay in fancy, impersonal hotels or join a tour group.
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Crammed in the back of a local minivan in a sea of Lao people, I dozed in and out of sleep while we crawled from the Thai/Lao border to Luang Namtha.
Amongst Thailand tourists, Chiang Rai typically plays second fiddle to Chiang Mai. Both towns serve as a base for treks through Northern Thailand; since I had chosen Chiang Mai for that, I wasn’t sure if I’d bother stopping in Chiang Rai.
The ‘Best of Vietnam’ photo gallery below is a collection of images I took in May 2013 while traveling in Vietnam. In 3 weeks of travel, I explored the southern half of the country: from Saigon to the Mekong Delta region and back, then on to the sand dunes of Mui Ne, the Dalat countryside and central highlands, central coast beaches, and tailor shops of Hoi An.