Vientiane, set along the meandering Mekong River, is the very laid back peaceful capital city of Laos. This city is in stark contrast to the chaotic bustling streets of Bangkok or select other South East Asian cities! Vientiane is small enough that its not an overwhelming city (population 135,000) and you can find your way around quite easily. If you do get lost, there is usually a Tuk-tuk eagerly waiting to whisk you away to your destination. … [Read more...]
Vientiane, Laos – Activities & Attractions
Dong Dok University is located several miles north of Vientiane and is a great place to meet Lao students. Often these students are interested in practicing foreign languages with tourists. Internet cafes are mentioned here because this USED to be an activity in and of itself! Back in the day, this city had the most internet cafe's of any city I had ever been to. These used to be predominantly located in the center of town and along Thanon Fa … [Read more...]
Vientiane, Laos – Lodging
There are many guesthouses and inexpensive hotels to stay at in Vientiane. Vientiane is small enough in that it is fairly easy to walk around looking for lodging (if you do not have pre-arranged accommodations). Tuk-tuk drivers are found all over town - and for a few thousand kip will take you across town. Be sure to bargain with these drivers - in my experience they always initially offer a very high price. Hayasoke Guest House is a … [Read more...]
Meeting People Online
One of the greatest joys and experiences while traveling is meeting individuals who actually live in the area you will be visiting. Who better to meet than the "locals" as chances are they will be your best tour guides. When I travel I always try to meet people in advance of my trip. During previous trips I have had the good fortune of meeting some great people and forming lasting relationships. Additionally I have been able to stay for free with … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – More Information
The following is general information to be aware of when traveling in Vang Vieng. These are arranged in no particular order - they are just some insights Dave wants to pass on from his experience traveling in Vang Vieng. MoneyThe Lao "Kip" is the unit of currency for Laos. The kip fluctuates tremendously from week to week. The largest bill in circulation was a 10,000 kip note which is valued at slightly more then 1 USD. As a souvenir to give … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Transportation
NOTE: Bangkok's two airports are highlighted first on this page. All other ground transportation is described below them in alphabetical order. Airports Taxis Metro (MRT) Rideshare BTS Skytrain Tuk Tuks Bicycle Walking BRT Longtail Buses Train Mini-Van Cycle Rickshaw Motorcycle Songthaew One word summarizes traveling via Bangkok roads - terrible! Drivers use the left hand side of the road - well, at … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Hotels & Lodging
Bangkok offers lodging for all budgets. Bangkok hotels, guesthouses, world class hotels? Try some of the best hotels in the world. Bangkok is your city. We have personally stayed at most of the listings on this page from budget, to mid range to luxury. Keep the suggestions coming!! (Email Dave) and he will try to stay in as many of these hotels as possible. We do not provide reservation links to third parties on this page for any of the … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Medical
Medical and Dental work in Bangkok can save you several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the type of work and procedures that you have done and which country you live in. Places really vary in price from the high end hospitals to the clinics you see scattered all over Bangkok. Note that some drugs you normally would need a prescription for in "western" countries are available without a prescription from Thai … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – More Information
Personal References We would like to thank the following four individuals for their insights and knowledge about Bangkok and Thailand in general: Nadia K. Nongnart P. Pattira Thitimajshima SoMa There are many resources available on the Internet about travel in Bangkok & Thailand in general. Here are just a few recommended ones. Thailand is our most visited country outside of the USA so when the latest version of a new Thailand … [Read more...]
Mountain Zone – May 2000
Mountain Zone - was one of the earlier mountaineering sites on the internet - having been founded back in 1996 (the same year this site was started). For a number of years they covered and sponsored a number of major expeditions and covered major mountaineering news including the discovery of George Mallory's body on Mt. Everest and the Everest climbing disaster of 1996. Mt. Everest was on the front page of this site a lot back in their early … [Read more...]