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.