By Land Vehicle Through Poipet - If you are coming to Siem Reap from Thailand by bus you will most likely first pass through the Rong Klue market in the Aranyaphratet district of Thailand. This flea market sells an eclectic variety of items, many of them used or copies of name brand items - things like sunglasses, clothing, and cheap imitation jewelry and watches. Poipet is the very seedy border town that lies on the Cambodian side of the … [Read more...]
Vientiane, Laos – More Information
The following are several things to be aware of when traveling in Vientiane and are listed in alphabetical order. Laos installed the first ATM in the country in Vientiane, and in the early 2000's still could not handle international transactions! Fortunately today, there are plenty of international ATM's scattered throughout town. There are at least 6 or 7 banks in Vientiane that can handle cash advances or change money. A good souvenir is a … [Read more...]
Morocco – Transportation
Ship to Tangiers - several ferry services cross the Straight of Gibralter from Spain to Morocco or to Ceuta which is a small part of Spain on the African continent surrounded by Moroccan land. The most common departure point is from Algeciras to Tangier. Several ferry services operate this route - a ferry leaves every 90 minutes between 7am and 10pm - and during the very high season usually in mid summer - the ferrys run 24/7. The cost is … [Read more...]
Morocco – Touts of Tangier
Touts - are best defined as those who try to solicit something out of you often in a somewhat bold and brazen manner. I will add the words "highly persistent" to this definition. Tangier is a fairly unfriendly port town - tourists coming across on the ferry from Spain may find it quite difficult to escape its clutches, especially if you are not used to dealing with aggressive touts. The closest town I can think of to compare to Tangier is … [Read more...]
Morocco – Chefchaouen
According to several locals we met Chefchaouen is not the true Moroccan experience - they informed us that it has received too much influence from Spain. That said, having a Spanish influence does in no way detract from this town. This is somewhat of a tourist town - I was here during some far away war, viral outbreak or other scare and there were very few tourists present. Most of the locals I met were very welcoming and some were quite … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos
Vang Vieng (population about 25,000) is located in central southern Laos about a 4 hour bus ride north of the capital city of Vientiane or about 7 hours south of the town of Luang Prabang. If you enter Vang Vieng by bus you will be dropped off on a huge gravel runway on the edge of town. A brisk several minute walk across the runway will bring you to the main part of town. Signs for guesthouses or restaurants call out from almost every single … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Water Activities
Several tour companies located along the main street in Vang Vieng offer kayaking trips bundled with cave explorations and stops at small villages just north of town. Each tour operator displays a small billboard in front of their shop; these 'signs' are always covered with items such as photos from previous trips and pleased customer comments. Single day trips range in price from $15 to $25 dollars US. Its always a good idea to shop around … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Motorcycles
Several small businesses located in Vang Vieng rent motorbikes. Renting motorcycles is a great way to see the surrounding countryside and small towns near Vang Vieng. Motorcycle rental should be around 6 to 8 US dollars per day. You are responsible for getting gas. Sometimes the gas stations in town (and there are about 3 or 4 stations) run out of gas. I experienced this - fortunately the company I rented from had another family member … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Food
There are many many restaurants in this town - most catering to the backpackers. One restaurant I found serves only authentic Lao food and is not known by the tourists at all. I had about 6 meals here and never once saw another tourist. Not having been able to determine the name of this restaurant a location description will have to do. From the Bus station located along the gravel airstrip walk west toward the town of Vang Vieng. Almost … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Transportation
For a country among the 10 poorest in the world transportation on the whole is fairly easy to use. Public buses run several times from the capital city of Vientiane to Vang Vieng along the paved Route 13. The public buses are usually quite crowded and without fans and AC. They are however, among the cheapest ways to reach Vang Vieng from Vientiane. Once the seats fill up small plastic stools are offered and are placed down the aisle in order … [Read more...]
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