It was awesome to be back in Luang Prabang. It’s such a charming city and magical with the monks and temples all over the place. I was happy to be here again and found a little guest house right on the main street with the cutest owners. I still had a few days until I had to be at the Gibbon Experience and this was the perfect place to chill out. I spent some good time on the computer, got my nails painted, met up with an amazing Dutch guy for dinner, ran into my Israelis Azi and Noa for a [View Full Entry]

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I decided to treat myself to a bit more of fun and head back with Nilam, Hazel, and Beverly BACK to Vang Vieng. I know most travelers our there reading this are scolding me for returning to Spring Break instead of venturing further afield in Laos. Trust me, as you read on you will see that I had my fair share of getting out and immersing myself in the culture as I head further north into Laos and up into China. I met some great people that I couldn’t pass up a few more fun days with them. They almost convinced [View Full Entry]

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It was time to make a move from LaLa Land so I woke up and boarded the bus bound for Phonsavan. Spring Break was over. Phonsavan is famous for its mysterious Plain of Jars, and infamous for being the most heavily bombed region of the world. It was going to be a very educational experience. All Aboard (literally) One of the best parts of traveling is experiencing all the different modes of transportation. I would have to classify my Laos bus trips as the most interesting so far. Anything and anyone is allowed on a bus in Laos, as long as [View Full Entry]

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I heard so many stories about Vang Vieng (VV) before I got there that I felt like I almost didn’t need to go. What used to be a very quiet, peaceful, and empty village nestled next to the Tam So River with amazing Karst Cliffs abounding in the distance as a stopover between Luang Prabang and Vientiane, has turned into a backpacker haven that Laos people despise. You get travelers who step off the bus, take a look around and get on the next one headed anywhere out of there, or those travelers that get stuck here and never want to [View Full Entry]

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Dad: “So Casey, what exactly are you going to do or see in Laos?” Casey “Well, actually, I don’t really know. Everyone just keeps telling me how much I am going to like it.” This perfectly describes my time in Laos. I admit I was a bit scattered and unplanned at this stage of my trip. I did a lot of backtracking and missed some real gems of the country, but overall that didn’t bother me. You always have to leave something to come back to anyway. So what was I going to do in Laos? The beauty of Laos is [View Full Entry]

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This is just a short entry to share my unforgettable experience at the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi. It reminded me how much I hate dealing with government sectors no matter which country I am in. This was also the one time I was not my savvy well-behaved traveler and instead became the loud American that I often try to hide. I am sure that other travelers have great consulate stories that could top mine. Always the least-fun parts of trips, yet this one was definitely one of my most memorable. Ildy and I arrived at 4 am (their train departures and [View Full Entry]

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My overnight train arrived in Lao Cai at 5am and I was immediately bombarded by touts wanting to drive me the 1 ½ hours to Sapa. Trying to deal with touts in daylight is annoying enough. Now that I was doing this in the dark and half asleep, I was far from a happy camper. I teamed up with Ildy, a Hungarian girl that I met exiting the train. Together we randomly chose a tout offering a decent price from the herd surrounding us in the parking lot. Ildy and I piled into the back of the van with other tired [View Full Entry]

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Halong Bay is majestic and a definite must-see when coming to northern Vietnam. While cruising through the bay you are surrounded by nearly 2,000 limestone islands rising out of the sea. I was told it is one of only three locations where this phenomenon takes place (the others Phang Nga Bay in Thailand, and somewhere in China), but Halong Bay is the gem of the three, boasting the most impressive views. The pictures of this natural phenomenon are always the first ones you notice when you skim through travel books on Vietnam. You know, the ones with the beautiful wooden Chinese [View Full Entry]

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Oh how wonderful it felt to be back in Vietnam! I first came to Vietnam in December 2006 with my travel buddy Jeff and I fell in love with the country from the moment I stepped off the airplane. Never before had I been to a country with some much chaotic energy. After talking to other travelers, it seems that Vietnam is a country you love, or love to hate. Yes, its dirty, people are trying to rip you off on every corner, there is a good chance you are going to get robbed, you could get food poisoning, and tourism [View Full Entry]

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Unable to afford another day of diving, I decided to leave Semporna (ie the armpit of Malaysia) a day early and spend a day in Kuala Lumpur experiencing city life. Plus, I got a great offer to couchsurf with this guy Gupreet- how could I turn it all down? I must admit it was tempting to splurge and spend more time under the sea, but since it was only 10 days into my trip and I have to watch my money, it just didn't seem like the best idea! I woke up early and bade farewell to some of my dive [View Full Entry]

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