Our travelling adventure began in February 2024. Quit teaching and pet-sitting, sold off most of our earthly possessions. It's surreal to think that we are doing this homeless tourist thing for 2 years. Thrilled to explore the world and wonderful things. Allows us to become more confident in stepping out of our comfort zone.<\/p>\n
Our 1st destination is Vientiane<\/a> in Laos (Vientiane<\/a> –> Vang Vieng<\/a> –> Luang Prabang<\/a>).<\/p>\n Vientiane<\/span><\/a> is a modest and sleepy capital. There aren't many attractions to visit. Is it worth going? The answer is YES. We felt relaxed when visiting the riverside along the famed Mekong River<\/a> and enjoying Beer Lao<\/a> at sunset. Can you imagine Thailand is just across The Mekong<\/a>!?<\/p>\n The best time to visit Laos is from November to February. During these months, one can enjoy pleasant weather with cooler temperature and lower humidity.<\/p>\n Wattay International Airport<\/a>:<\/strong> is just 5.5km from the heart of Vientiane<\/a>. Airport shuttle bus to town is just right outside of the airport. One way: 40k kips<\/p>\n From Vientiane Railway Station<\/a>:<\/strong> Van charged 100k kips per pax in Mar 2024 to bring us to Vientiane<\/a> town some 16km away.<\/p>\n Renting a motorbike:<\/strong> Riding motorbike was a thrilling experience for us. It offers the freedom to explore the country's scenic landscapes. Note that when renting a motorbike in Laos, it's a norm that the rental company keeps your original passport as deposit.<\/p>\n Having enough cash is important in Laos as credit card use is limited to high-end hotels, restaurants and shops.<\/p>\n Gone are the days of bringing a lot of USD and then looking for money changers overseas with less unfavourable rates to exchange local currencies. Although we've brought along some USD for emergency use, the real life savers are our 2 multi-currency debit cards: YouTrip<\/a> and Wise<\/a>. Using Wise<\/a> at a BCEL ATM to draw 2 mil kips was a breeze. Wise<\/a> charged a percentage of conversion fee as usual and BCEL charged 30k kips for the transaction (Feb 2024). Even taking these fees into account, the exchange rate was still far better than most money changers.<\/p>\nTransportation<\/h3>\n
Kips Are King<\/h3>\n
Favourite restaurants:<\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Cafes:<\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
Places worth visiting:<\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n