There are numerous hotels in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), ranging in price from around $15/night all the way up to the 4 and 5 star hotels well above $100/night. Many hotels will include breakfast for free. Most will keep your baggage for a little while if you plan on returning or take side trips. The author has stayed in and or visited all of the following hotels. If you have additional hotel recommendations for this page, please email … [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...]
Morocco – Hammams
I highly recommend visiting a hammam if you have a chance. It is a unique experience that is culturally ingrained in the Moroccan society. Taking public baths is such a different concept compared to the western ideal of how to take a bath - which is usually quite solitary. In addition to providing a source for cleaning oneself, hammams are great meetings places and sources of conversation. The closest venue in western society that comes close to … [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 – 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
Bangkok is thousands of people all wearing the same color shirt on the same day for respect to their King, it is backpackers, it is Khao San Road, it is massage parlors, it is crowds, it is traffic, it is orange robed monks, it is hot, it is humid, it gleams with golden temples, it is medical tourism, it is cheap guest houses, it is some of the best hotels in the world, it is an ever present ebb and flow of life - all day and all night long, it … [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 – Districts
Bangkok features some 50 districts - with 35 being located east of the Chao Praya River and the other 15 on the other side of the river (called the Thonburi side). We highlight only a select few major parts of town, some of these encompass several districts. The regions below are among the most visited by tourists in Bangkok and contain a majority of the city's attractions and activities. CHAO PRAYA RIVER is the lifeblood of Bangkok. It is a … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Massage
There are seemingly thousands of massage parlors and day spas in Bangkok ranging from the very cheap to the more luxurious. Districts such as Khao San Road are loaded with cheap massage options. Parts of Sukhumvit also feature an extensive range of massage parlors. FOOT MASSAGE usually lasts from 30 to 120 minutes. Your feet are initially washed in warm water - it is a good idea to show up at the massage parlor wearing shorts instead of … [Read more...]
Santa Rosa, CA – Syys Thai Massage
Sawadee Kha! (Thai greeting). Welcome to Santa Rosa and the Wine Country. My name is Syy and I offer Traditional Thai Massage and Relaxing Swedish Massage for the Santa Rosa area and Sonoma County. I can make out calls to your house or hotel, and I also have my own office in the Pure Skin Beaute Lab on College Ave in Santa Rosa across near the intersection of College and Mendocino Ave. This is about 35 minutes from Calistoga & the northern … [Read more...]