Lao international busses are not customer service oriented, they are focused on transporting as many passengers and cargo in one trip as possible. My second time riding the bus from Laos to Vietnam proved to be *slightly* more pleasant than my first (with Preston in 2005). At 6:30 AM in Phonsavan, Laos, thirty-five [...]

While wandering around in Luang Prabang, admiring the Frech colonial architecture, we wandered into Ock Pop Tok–one of the many shops in town which offers local tapestries and weaving.  They have some of the most beautiful pashmina scarves I’ve ever seen and they are completely made of silk with distinct patterns. I immediately signed [...]

There are few options when traveling from Northern Thailand into Laos. When the road is functioning and the weather good, a bumpy mini-bus is feasible, but most opt for a boat trip down the Mekong.
It really isn’t very far to Luang Prabang and two types of boats make the journey. Death-defying speedboats fly [...]