Lao Food: 30 Dishes You Should Try in Laos

Laos is a mountainous country surrounded by Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma) and China, and naturally their culinary traditions is influenced by different countries or the other way round. Lao cuisine is less popular and often overshadowed by the popular cuisines of its neighbours.  Before my Laos trip, I know nothing about Lao cuisine and only after some reading up, then I know that  "Sticky Rice" is the staple food of Laos, the Lao national dish is "Larb or Laap", another classic Lao dish is papaya salad and the people of Laos love fresh vegetables and herbs.

As I traveled through Laos, I noticed that Lao cuisine reflects a strong ethnic diversity of the country as I saw Thai curry, Vietnamese spring roll, French baguette, Chinese noodles and the Hmong fried dough were commonly sold throughout the country. During my trip, I tried my very best to hunt down as many Lao food as possible, and I also realized that the best place to discover and experience Lao food is the local morning markets.

Villa Nam Song: Room in the Lush Tropical Garden (Laos)

Just a short 3-4 hours journey from Vientiane, we have arrived in Vang Vieng, Central Laos. Vang Vieng is a riverside town surrounded by a scenic backdrop of karst landscape; and it is a great place for outdoor activities like caving, tubing, mountain biking and etc. Today, this small tourist oriented town is a backpacker hot spot and also well known as a party destination for the young travelers.

During our stopover in Vang Vieng, we stayed 2 nights with Villa Nam Song. This villa with picturesque views of the cliffs is tranquilly nestled in the lush tropical garden on the east banks of the Nam Song River. Villa Nam Song consists of 8 superior rooms and 8 garden deluxe rooms, which are surrounded by a beautiful garden setting and all rooms are just a few steps away from the Song river.

Hotel Khamvongsa: Charming with a Classic Indochine Style (Laos)

After 11 hours of overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Nong Khai, then we took a shuttle train service from Nong Khai to Thanaleng by crossing the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge; and from the Thanaleng train station, we took a shared minivan and we finally arrived in the city centre of Vientiane, Laos. Although it may seem like a hassle, the whole journey was pretty straight forward, comfortable and enjoyable one. I am glad that we chose this option to get from Thailand to Laos.

Vientiane is the capital and the biggest city of Laos, hence trying to get a good accommodation is not an issue. With so many hotels and guest houses available, we had filtered and decided to stay 1 night in this charming mid-range hotel, Hotel Khamvongsa.

Meteora: The Mystical Monasteries in the Heavens Above, Greece

Greece is a beautiful country with rich culture and history. And they are well-known for their archaeological sites, picturesque islands and exotic beaches. Most of the visitors travel to Greece for the first time will go to the popular destinations like Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and etc. In order to bring home a complete Greek experience, there is one place that everyone should include in their itinerary is none other than the mystical Meteora. The Meteora is a phenomenal place and I feel that everyone should visit this place at least once in a lifetime.

:::佐賀::: Saga International Balloon Fiesta, Japan

The Saga International Balloon Fiesta is one of the biggest events in Japan held along the Kase River in the Saga Prefecture and this year is the 22nd year of the FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship. Every year in late October to early November, the event gathered more than 100 hot-air balloons and 800,000 visitors from around the world. It is simply amazing by looking at the colorful balloons floating in the skies of Saga.

:::三光コスモス園::: Sanko Cosmos Garden in Nakatsu City, Japan

Every autumn, there are many millions of cosmos flowers bloom exuberantly at the foot of Mt Hachimen and many visitors will make a trip to the Nakatsu City （中津市） to witness the charming sights of these colorful flowers in the Sanko Cosmos Garden (三光コスモス園). Cosmos Art is also one of the highlights in the Sanko Cosmos Festival; where the color of the cosmos flowers is used to decorate the landscape into designs and characters.

Explore the Village Life on the Hangnaameedhoo Island, Maldives

The Maldives are well-known for their idyllic islands, white sandy beaches and clear ocean blue water, and it is also ranked one of the top honeymoon destinations for the newlyweds. In the past, all the tourists were restricted to stay on the resort islands that were specially allocated for tourism. Until recent years, there was a change in regulations that every atoll in the Maldives was opened up for tourism, which means that the tourists now are allowed to stay in a local guest house among the local population.

:::帝釈峡::: Autumn Experience in Taishaku Valley, Japan

Autumn is my favourite season in Japan. In this beautiful season, the color of the leaves turned vibrant and the weather turned cool; and it is also the best time to take a walk into the nature and marvel at the fall foliage.

The Best Coffee Place in Hoi An, Vietnam

The Vietnamese people love to drink coffee every day, especially in the morning; sitting by the roadside reading newspaper or enjoy watching the people around while sipping a cup of Vietnamese coffee. In Hoi An, the coffee culture is as rich and intense as any other cities in Vietnam. There is no shortage of coffee places in Hoi An to get your daily coffee fix.

Discover the Traditional Foods in Hoi An, Vietnam

One of the most interesting things to do while traveling in Vietnam is to take a seat on a small plastic stool by the roadside and follow how the locals enjoy their meal. This way of eating culture can be seen throughout the cities in Vietnam including Hoi An.

Hoi An is an old town with plenty of delicious and inexpensive delicacies. And there are a number of specialty foods in Hoi An that you can hardly find them in any other cities of Vietnam.

The Yellow Ancient Town of Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is an ancient town located on the banks of Thu Bon River in the Central Coast of Vietnam. This picturesque town has a high concentration of well-preserved architectural monuments that are reminiscent of the olden days. Hoi An is compact in size and best explored on foot since the streets are pedestrian-friendly.

As you take a stroll through the ancient town, you will notice most of the centuries-old walls are beautifully painted with yellow color.

Why Yellow?

Sinchang Toast: The Best Breakfast in Busan, South Korea

Have you ever wondered what do the Koreans eat for Breakfast? The regular Korean breakfast is small dishes of food served along with rice and soup. Besides that, toast is also a very common breakfast food in Korea and this Korean sandwich is sold by the street vendors almost everywhere in Korea. In this post, we will share with you our best breakfast in Busan.

Alishan 53.1 Homestay: Room With A View (Taiwan)

After spending a night in Chin Shan Hotel (青山別館) at the bustling town centre of the Alishan, we made our way to the laid back Alishan 53.1 Homestay at Anding (鞍頂) to stay 1 night. The 53.1 Homestay (53.1 民宿) is a small, cozy home accommodation with only three guest rooms. Although this modest home is situated in the mountainous area, it has a remarkable contemporary design both in the interior and exterior. The unique feature of the 53.1 Homestay is they chose to use full height glass panels as their wall and window, this allows the beauty of the surrounding nature to be brought into the home while keeping the ever changing weather immovably outside.

4 Must-Eat Food In Fenqihu, Taiwan

Fenqihu (奮起湖) is a small town in the Alishan National Scenic Area, and this is also where the last stop of the Alishan Forest Railway Main Line is located. Most of the visitors will spend a few hours here for the old street, souvenir shopping and of course the delicious foods.

Ourselves have spent around 2 hours walking around the old street and hunting down the delicious and quality foods. The food list is not long, but these are the food that you must eat when you are in Fenqihu.

Yanagawa Sunflower Garden, Japan

Summer time in Japan is hot and humid, but it is also the time when many outdoor events and festivals are held. Despite the summer heat, most of the people take this opportunity to go outdoors and soak up the summer atmosphere.

If you love flowers, now is the perfect timing to take a walk through the stunning field of sunflowers in Yanagawa (柳川). The Yanagawa Sunflower Garden (柳川ひまわり園) is a reclaimed land filled with more than 350,000 sunflowers. On a nice sunny day, the lively yellow color of the flowers against the clear blue sky creates a scenic summer landscape view. Before leaving the beautiful garden, remember to get yourself a cup of shaved ice dessert (Kakigōri) to cool yourself down.

The Alishan Forest Railway, Taiwan

The train is my favourite mode of transportation, and taking a train ride in Alishan is always one of the things I want to do since the day I started to love traveling. I have been thinking, dreaming and waiting for it to happen; in this summer, I finally took this amazing train ride through the mountain forest of Alishan.

The Alishan Forest Railway (阿里山森林鐵道) is the highest railway in Taiwan and also one of the popular mountain railways in the world. The unique features of the Alishan Forest Railway are the spiral railway, zigzag switchbacks, 180 degrees horseshoe turns and of course the high mountain scenery; these are all the special things that you will experience when you take the Alishan Forest Railway.

8 Things to See in Mykonos, Greece

The Cyclades is a group of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Among these Greek islands, Mykonos is one of the many beautiful islands in the Cyclades and also one of the top destinations in Greece.

Mykonos is well known for its electrifying nightlife and many people write about Mykonos is a popular destination for the gay audience, I don't know how true is it? But I am quite sure that Mykonos is a glamorous island with a cosmopolitan atmosphere for people of all ages from around the world. The number of tourists visiting this piece of paradise have been increased drastically, especially during the summer.

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival 2016, South Korea

The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival is one of the largest cherry blossom festival in Korea that attracts a large crowd of visitors from around the world annually. Around early April, the glorious cherry blossom cover the whole Jinhae city, creating an enchanting atmosphere, and it is definitely the best moment to take a stroll along the endless street of cherry blossom trees.

3 years ago, I went to the Jinhae city for the cherry blossom festival, but the blooming of cherry blossoms had finished when I was there. I left the city with disappointment and I told myself  that I must go back again for the cherry blossom. I kept my promise and true enough, I was back in Jinhae city in 2016; the timing was perfect for the full-bloom cherry blossom this round.

Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival 2016, South Korea

We were standing under the cherry blossom trees and looking at a signboard that written 한국의 아름다운 길 (Scenic Road of Korea). At that point of time, we realized that we were already walking along the 10ri Cherry Blossom Road also known as the Wedding Road. People believe that "if a couple walking down this road together hand in hand, they live happily together forever".

In spring, many visitors come all the way to Hwagae to enjoy a walk down the stunning Cherry Blossom Road, which is one of the main attractions of the Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival. This scenic road with an endless view of cherry blossom stretch over 6 km from Hwagae Market to Ssanggyesa Temple.

Fukuoka Castle Sakura Festival 2016, Japan

Sakura (桜) is charming, irresistible and beautiful but short-lived; it takes one week to reach full bloom after the first opening of the blossoms and it lasts for a week before the blossoms start falling. During spring, visitors from around the world visit Japan for the ephemeral nature of life, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms).

The last time I enjoyed Sakura viewing (Hanami) in Japan was 10 years ago at Ueno Park, Tokyo. And 10 years later, I am glad that I came back to Japan for Hanami again; this time was at Maizuru Park, Fukuoka for the Fukuoka Castle Sakura Festival 2016.

Food Hunting in Penang, Malaysia

Penang is well known for being the food capital of Malaysia; and it naturally became the foodie's favourite hunting ground for delicious food. Because of its multicultural history, you get to taste on a wide range of traditional Malay, Chinese and Indian dishes.

When I was in Penang especially in the George Town, I really enjoyed strolling down the atmospheric street between the stretch of traditional shophouses while hunting down the mouth-watering hawker and street food. Every time I visit Penang, I will be so looking forward to discover new places for good food, also at the same time I will make an effort to go back to my favourite stalls again and again to get back the taste of yesterday.

Explore Ko Lanta, Thailand

Ko Lanta is a beautiful uncrowded island set in the Andaman Sea. This large island with white sandy beaches is just a couple hours of travel from Krabi. As compared to the neighbouring destinations like Phuket and Krabi, Ko Lanta is considered a little less well-known but it is becoming more and more popular in the recent years.

Other than the beautiful long beaches, Ko Lanta is also known for its nature reserves and cultural diversity where the Thai-Chinese, Thai-Muslim and Chao Ley (Sea Gypsies) have lived together in harmony for centuries.

SriLanta Resort: A Resplendence Stay (Thailand)

Our trip always involves traveling from city to city, town to town and changing of hotels every one to three nights; it was fun with lots of excitement but it can be quite hectic at times. Hence, for this year Lunar New Year retreat, we decided to go for a resort holiday and have a more relaxed trip. When we planned our retreat, the first country that came to our mind was Thailand. Why Thailand? It was because Thailand is a beautiful country with no shortage of beautiful beaches and also I love Pad Thai and K.K. doesn't mind eating more Mango Sticky Rice.

Initially, we wanted to settle with the popular destinations like Phuket or Krabi, but afraid that they were too crowded, so after further research, and we found SriLanta, a resort which is ideally situated on an uncrowded island of Ko Lanta.

7 Things to Do in Batam, Indonesia

Batam is one of the Riau islands in Indonesia, just a short ferry ride from Singapore. Some of the things that come straight to my mind when talking about Batam are Kueh Lapis (Layered Cake), Polo factory outlet, finding a 2nd wife (Mistress) and etc.

Finally, I had this chance to make a trip there to take a look myself. This trip was pretty short, therefore we just explored around the city area.