Vat Phou Cruise Through Four Thousand Islands on the Mekong River – C’est Magnifique!

One of the Vat Phou palaces on the valley floor curently being restored
This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series Mekong River Cruise, Laos

I rubbed the gunk from my eyes and stepped off the overnight sleeping bus in Pakse, Laos. A pack of cutthroat taxi drivers instantly surrounded me, jostling and jockeying. “Where you go?” shouted one. “I give you best price,” insisted another.  “Sinouk Cafe,” I answered groggily. The taxi drivers exchanged a knowing look that should … Read more

My 7 Links

Parroquia (parish church), from the main square in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil, photographers and travel writers at The Planet D, invited me to participate in a fun travel blogger exercise called “My 7 Links.” The goal of the project, which is the inspiration of Tripbase, is to share lessons learned and create a bank of past but not forgotten blog posts that … Read more

The Craziest Bus In the World

Triple tier of beds inside the overnight Sleeping Bus that travels between Vientiane and Pakse, Laos

I arrived at the bus station in Vientiane, Laos, bound for Pakse in the southern part of the country via an overnight bus. In the dark parking lot the sign on the double-decker bus brilliantly declared: “Sleeping Bus.” I expected seats that reclined but was surprised by a triple tier of double beds stretching down … Read more

Glutton for a Day in Vientiane, Laos

Candice Broom (left) and Morven Smith (right)

As a single woman who spends most of her time on the road, it’s no surprise that I don’t cook. I rarely stay in accommodations with kitchen facilities and even if I did, it would be too expensive to buy all the spices and staples needed to prepare a decent meal. But though I rarely … Read more