Friday, September 12, 2014

16days in Luang Prabang



It has been 10days in Laos and I have not been so happy with the balance of what I am seeing and what I have been spending.

Honestly, I was not so impressed with Luang Prabang on my landing; I've seen the colonial setup, but couldn't quite see as yet what was in it and why people even bother.

I have actually booked through Spicy Laos Backpacker, but is nowhere to be found. My booking and Passbook application on my iphone pointed me to Luang Prabang backpacker which, upon my arrival, said it is not the same. I had no choice but to give it up, and look elsewhere. I found Merry II Guesthouse, and got a good price (same as what i booked with Spicy Laos), so settled with it.

Meantime, at night, i walked towards the night market, and discovered the 10,000 LAK ($1.20) buffet; On my way back to my guesthouse, I spotted a sign pointing to Spicy Laos.



At that time, I was not really thinking of staying beyond 3 more days, but thought about checking out my booked accomodation anyway, just to see what it's like. 

Upon my arrival, I asked if there's a dorm available and was told it's 25,000/day (half of what is in the booking). Apparently, just like the case in Easy Go Backpackers in Vang Vieng, during low season, they seem to lower their regular price.

I picked up my bag from Merry II and moved to Spicy Laos.

I roamed around town, and was happy to know that most of the destinations were just a walk away. Majority were temples which don't really strike as much appeal to me, so decided to skip paying entrance just to see what's inside.

Meantime, I visited the Kuang Si waterfall without a concrete plan, but was amazed at the sight on my arrival. It seems it's a lot better during rainy season when there's plenty of current.



On another day, I was allowed to do some painting for the guesthouse. I saw the owner doing some painting work, and asked if there's anything else; The next day, he asked me if i'd like to do some painting, which i firmly affirmed.



I bet he was a little satisfied with the work, and so, at that same night, he asked if I would be interested in visiting some remote village, which I did not refuse of course.

The next day, he walked in to my bed to wake me up. 7am it is, and I was told we're moving at 8. It was way too early to get some food somewhere. 



Much to my delight, we are actually attending a Rasi Ceremony which he is a sponsor. I've not had any meal, and we drank as early as 9am. For such, I was drunk by noontime. 








The following day, I woke up with one of the walls suddenly painted white. He asked if i'd like to paint again, and said yes. It was all I did the rest of the day.





For the other day, we did some volunteer work at the Big Brother Mouse; It is basically a center where keen students can have a conversation with interested english speaking volunteers so they can practice their vocabulary and pronunciation. I did it for 2 more days after.



In that same evening, there was this woman in the food market who'm i've been wanting to help for the past nights that I have been eating at the buffet food market. 

Of all the buffet stalls in the market, she does not have any assistant, have less selection, is at the end, thus last to be checked out, and so felt I can probably try to do something at least for a night.

I asked these travellers I am with if they'd be interested, and were happy to go with me. We made such a scene in the night market with a co-traveller's accordion, and glad that for a night, we pushed her average income.



One day, we also thought about doing barbeque or picnic somewhere. I told the owner of the guesthouse about the plan, and  agreed to get us to some place. He owned some land outside the town, and this is where we went with the guesthouse service truck.







For the coming days, it was just lounging around guesthouse. My day was just basically have lunch from food bought from the nearby stalls, borrow the guesthouse's laptop and sit at it the whole day, and at night, take the night market buffet, and chill a bit at Utopia perhaps.






The next thing I know, everyone I know in the guesthouse has left, and I am approaching my visa's deadline and have to move.

One thing that made me stay so long in Luang prabang is probably the cost of staying; Accomodation and Food, which is the basic, can fit a $6 a day budget.

There is not much around Luang Prabang, but the fact that i can stay and eat cheap, have places to chill if i'd like too, and around cool people, thus it was worthwhile spending more time than necessary. Indeed, with 15 days in Luang Prabang, I was hit by the "one more day" bug.


This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary

For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc






It has been 10days in Laos and I have not been so happy with the balance of what I am seeing and what I have been spending.

Honestly, I was not so impressed with Luang Prabang on my landing; I've seen the colonial setup, but couldn't quite see as yet what was in it and why people even bother.

I have actually booked through Spicy Laos Backpacker, but is nowhere to be found. My booking and Passbook application on my iphone pointed me to Luang Prabang backpacker which, upon my arrival, said it is not the same. I had no choice but to give it up, and look elsewhere. I found Merry II Guesthouse, and got a good price (same as what i booked with Spicy Laos), so settled with it.

Meantime, at night, i walked towards the night market, and discovered the 10,000 LAK ($1.20) buffet; On my way back to my guesthouse, I spotted a sign pointing to Spicy Laos.



At that time, I was not really thinking of staying beyond 3 more days, but thought about checking out my booked accomodation anyway, just to see what it's like. 

Upon my arrival, I asked if there's a dorm available and was told it's 25,000/day (half of what is in the booking). Apparently, just like the case in Easy Go Backpackers in Vang Vieng, during low season, they seem to lower their regular price.

I picked up my bag from Merry II and moved to Spicy Laos.

I roamed around town, and was happy to know that most of the destinations were just a walk away. Majority were temples which don't really strike as much appeal to me, so decided to skip paying entrance just to see what's inside.

Meantime, I visited the Kuang Si waterfall without a concrete plan, but was amazed at the sight on my arrival. It seems it's a lot better during rainy season when there's plenty of current.



On another day, I was allowed to do some painting for the guesthouse. I saw the owner doing some painting work, and asked if there's anything else; The next day, he asked me if i'd like to do some painting, which i firmly affirmed.



I bet he was a little satisfied with the work, and so, at that same night, he asked if I would be interested in visiting some remote village, which I did not refuse of course.

The next day, he walked in to my bed to wake me up. 7am it is, and I was told we're moving at 8. It was way too early to get some food somewhere. 



Much to my delight, we are actually attending a Rasi Ceremony which he is a sponsor. I've not had any meal, and we drank as early as 9am. For such, I was drunk by noontime. 








The following day, I woke up with one of the walls suddenly painted white. He asked if i'd like to paint again, and said yes. It was all I did the rest of the day.





For the other day, we did some volunteer work at the Big Brother Mouse; It is basically a center where keen students can have a conversation with interested english speaking volunteers so they can practice their vocabulary and pronunciation. I did it for 2 more days after.



In that same evening, there was this woman in the food market who'm i've been wanting to help for the past nights that I have been eating at the buffet food market. 

Of all the buffet stalls in the market, she does not have any assistant, have less selection, is at the end, thus last to be checked out, and so felt I can probably try to do something at least for a night.

I asked these travellers I am with if they'd be interested, and were happy to go with me. We made such a scene in the night market with a co-traveller's accordion, and glad that for a night, we pushed her average income.



One day, we also thought about doing barbeque or picnic somewhere. I told the owner of the guesthouse about the plan, and  agreed to get us to some place. He owned some land outside the town, and this is where we went with the guesthouse service truck.







For the coming days, it was just lounging around guesthouse. My day was just basically have lunch from food bought from the nearby stalls, borrow the guesthouse's laptop and sit at it the whole day, and at night, take the night market buffet, and chill a bit at Utopia perhaps.






The next thing I know, everyone I know in the guesthouse has left, and I am approaching my visa's deadline and have to move.

One thing that made me stay so long in Luang prabang is probably the cost of staying; Accomodation and Food, which is the basic, can fit a $6 a day budget.

There is not much around Luang Prabang, but the fact that i can stay and eat cheap, have places to chill if i'd like too, and around cool people, thus it was worthwhile spending more time than necessary. Indeed, with 15 days in Luang Prabang, I was hit by the "one more day" bug.


This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary

For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc




Read More »

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Backpacker Accomodation: Where I stayed in Luang Prabang: Merry II, and Spicy Laos Backpacker

I wasn't so satisfied with my stay in Laos so far considering what I have been spending. I thought vietnam was better as it was cheaper in all aspects, transpo, food, accomodation.

Meanwhile, it doesn't seem like its wise to skip Luang Prabang, besides, I have found and booked to this accomodation for $5.00/night (which is, while not as expected, not too pricey just as well).

I am subscribed to tripit, and my booking is sent to me over email, with a link to my google maps on where it is.

Upon my arrival in Luang Prabang, I had looked into the email, and it launched my maps; It was pointing to Luang Prabang backpacker though (which I thought was probably an older or alternative name). Apparently, when i got to the placemark, Luang Prabang is not the same guesthouse.

It was quite a headache looking for the guesthouse, until it was turning dark, and I thought about looking somewhere close instead; I'm tired of the 6hour winding trip, plus I was seated at the rear next to the luggages, so it wasn't comfortable in any way.

The cheapest I've found within the area where I was at is Merry II. They had a sign in front of the guesthouse about the room rates (published 50K up), which I was able to bargain for 40,000 since I am alone.









During the night, I walked around the night market, and on my way back, spotted the sign for Spicy Laos. Also, reading online, some articles, and as recent as June 2014, said that they paid 25,000 for a fan dorm.

The next day, I decided to check out spicy Laos, just for the heck of it. Indeed, there was a 25,000 dorm, so I decided to move (and just in case i enjoy Luang Prabang).

The beds were comfortable, plus the dorms had their own toilet inside, so no need to get out of the room.

Water refill is available, and clothesline for me to do my own laundry. Best news is that there are no bedbugs,




This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary

For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc


Travelling Philippines? Follow CheapBedsPH on Instagram for geotagged backpacker accomodation for easier searches

I wasn't so satisfied with my stay in Laos so far considering what I have been spending. I thought vietnam was better as it was cheaper in all aspects, transpo, food, accomodation.

Meanwhile, it doesn't seem like its wise to skip Luang Prabang, besides, I have found and booked to this accomodation for $5.00/night (which is, while not as expected, not too pricey just as well).

I am subscribed to tripit, and my booking is sent to me over email, with a link to my google maps on where it is.

Upon my arrival in Luang Prabang, I had looked into the email, and it launched my maps; It was pointing to Luang Prabang backpacker though (which I thought was probably an older or alternative name). Apparently, when i got to the placemark, Luang Prabang is not the same guesthouse.

It was quite a headache looking for the guesthouse, until it was turning dark, and I thought about looking somewhere close instead; I'm tired of the 6hour winding trip, plus I was seated at the rear next to the luggages, so it wasn't comfortable in any way.

The cheapest I've found within the area where I was at is Merry II. They had a sign in front of the guesthouse about the room rates (published 50K up), which I was able to bargain for 40,000 since I am alone.









During the night, I walked around the night market, and on my way back, spotted the sign for Spicy Laos. Also, reading online, some articles, and as recent as June 2014, said that they paid 25,000 for a fan dorm.

The next day, I decided to check out spicy Laos, just for the heck of it. Indeed, there was a 25,000 dorm, so I decided to move (and just in case i enjoy Luang Prabang).

The beds were comfortable, plus the dorms had their own toilet inside, so no need to get out of the room.

Water refill is available, and clothesline for me to do my own laundry. Best news is that there are no bedbugs,




This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary

For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc


Travelling Philippines? Follow CheapBedsPH on Instagram for geotagged backpacker accomodation for easier searches

Read More »

Monday, September 8, 2014

What's in the Luang Prabang Night Food Market


It is not surprising to hear a traveller whining about prices in Luang Prabang, or Laos, generally; At least compared to its neighbors, Vietnam and Thailand, Laos is comparably (and surprisingly) more expensive.

When it comes to food, there is almost a place to eat at every corner, but for dinner, not to be missed, is the night food market.

The night food market is a narrow strip beside the tourism office, and extends up to the street for the day market.

Upon entry from the tourism area, it will be the sweets, first. We've tried several sweets during our stay in Luang Prabang and I would say there's nothing that did not pacify my tastebud.



From there, there will be a few stalls selling presents for home, such as preserved jerky met, spreads in jars, coffee and tea, etc.

Then, opposite them are the vendors of crispy fried pork. There's 2 of them selling, one of them sells as well very early at the day market, and just a proof of how good hers is, she finishes in just 1 hour because hers is just so crispy and apparently a favorite at that fresh time.

Meantime, just beside the cripsy pork vendor is a lady who'm you'd always spot spot, like every night of the day, playing candy crush. She sells some pastries, and one time, i bought a slice of cake, with a candle, for just 3,000kip (well another traveller was celebrating her birthday, and thought it was a good surprise).

Further, will be the soup and salad guys.







Then, the Meat guys, and then the bufffet people.




This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary



For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc

It is not surprising to hear a traveller whining about prices in Luang Prabang, or Laos, generally; At least compared to its neighbors, Vietnam and Thailand, Laos is comparably (and surprisingly) more expensive.

When it comes to food, there is almost a place to eat at every corner, but for dinner, not to be missed, is the night food market.

The night food market is a narrow strip beside the tourism office, and extends up to the street for the day market.

Upon entry from the tourism area, it will be the sweets, first. We've tried several sweets during our stay in Luang Prabang and I would say there's nothing that did not pacify my tastebud.



From there, there will be a few stalls selling presents for home, such as preserved jerky met, spreads in jars, coffee and tea, etc.

Then, opposite them are the vendors of crispy fried pork. There's 2 of them selling, one of them sells as well very early at the day market, and just a proof of how good hers is, she finishes in just 1 hour because hers is just so crispy and apparently a favorite at that fresh time.

Meantime, just beside the cripsy pork vendor is a lady who'm you'd always spot spot, like every night of the day, playing candy crush. She sells some pastries, and one time, i bought a slice of cake, with a candle, for just 3,000kip (well another traveller was celebrating her birthday, and thought it was a good surprise).

Further, will be the soup and salad guys.







Then, the Meat guys, and then the bufffet people.




This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary



For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc
Read More »

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Suddenly Kuang si waterfall

Suddenly Kuang Si Waterfall

I have been having second thoughts of visiting Kuang Si waterfall because of the cost (40,000 for transpo thru guesthouse, and another 20,000 for admission), and versus its relative appearance based from google images search result.

Meantime, another backpacker (from Chile) named Connie just arrived, and have agreed on getting lunch together; And although I have almost cancelled the idea of visiting the waterfall, Connie was interested in visiting, and I also realized, I haven't been so contented with what I've seen of Luang Prabang, so entertained the idea.

As we walk towards the market to fetch lunch, a tuktuk, carrying 3 passengers passed us, shouting "Waterfall, waterfall." We stopped, and they stopped. 

We asked the tuktuk driver for how much, and he said 30,000 per person (which is what is on wikitravel, and 10,000 less than offered in Guesthouse). We decided to Go.


The waterfall is about 30kms away, but the winding road will require an hour to reach it. 

The waterfall had several tiers, and each of the last tiers are about 10-20meters away. From the last, the fourth will be the main waterfall, and since it has been raining continously for several days, there was just more than enough drop for astonishment.

I must admit, I thought it wasn't worth it (considering what I spend in my home country to get to great waterfalls), looking at the pictures, but with the season and how it looked at the time of our visit, it was just completely worth it.

From the main waterfall, there are trekking trails to the other parts; The immediate one after the main one is as picturesque with a set of staircase over a continuous current.







It became more and more slippery as we went up. There were others who preferred not to push to the top as they were on rubber flops, and the trail was next to a cliff.

At the very top is a flat river, with a hut, that would have been great for camping. There seems to be another trail too leading to some other village.

Other than the falls, this park have asianic bears in captive. Best to come in shoes/slippers with traction, in case it rains and gets muddy. There are several restaurants around too for those who'd starve at a longer stay in the park.

Interesting enough, we spotted some iguana too on our way to the top. There's just immense biodiversity everywhere in Laos.


This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary




For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc
Suddenly Kuang Si Waterfall

I have been having second thoughts of visiting Kuang Si waterfall because of the cost (40,000 for transpo thru guesthouse, and another 20,000 for admission), and versus its relative appearance based from google images search result.

Meantime, another backpacker (from Chile) named Connie just arrived, and have agreed on getting lunch together; And although I have almost cancelled the idea of visiting the waterfall, Connie was interested in visiting, and I also realized, I haven't been so contented with what I've seen of Luang Prabang, so entertained the idea.

As we walk towards the market to fetch lunch, a tuktuk, carrying 3 passengers passed us, shouting "Waterfall, waterfall." We stopped, and they stopped. 

We asked the tuktuk driver for how much, and he said 30,000 per person (which is what is on wikitravel, and 10,000 less than offered in Guesthouse). We decided to Go.


The waterfall is about 30kms away, but the winding road will require an hour to reach it. 

The waterfall had several tiers, and each of the last tiers are about 10-20meters away. From the last, the fourth will be the main waterfall, and since it has been raining continously for several days, there was just more than enough drop for astonishment.

I must admit, I thought it wasn't worth it (considering what I spend in my home country to get to great waterfalls), looking at the pictures, but with the season and how it looked at the time of our visit, it was just completely worth it.

From the main waterfall, there are trekking trails to the other parts; The immediate one after the main one is as picturesque with a set of staircase over a continuous current.







It became more and more slippery as we went up. There were others who preferred not to push to the top as they were on rubber flops, and the trail was next to a cliff.

At the very top is a flat river, with a hut, that would have been great for camping. There seems to be another trail too leading to some other village.

Other than the falls, this park have asianic bears in captive. Best to come in shoes/slippers with traction, in case it rains and gets muddy. There are several restaurants around too for those who'd starve at a longer stay in the park.

Interesting enough, we spotted some iguana too on our way to the top. There's just immense biodiversity everywhere in Laos.


This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary




For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc
Read More »

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Backpacker Accomodation: Where I stayed in Vientianne

I made a reservation 2 days ahead, and happy to have been received by their volunteer staff who orients guests with regards to their facilities upon check in.

I don't really care much on my accomodation, but glad that I arrived in an airconditioned dorm, with comfy bed, pillows, and blankets.






I was also hapy to know that there's a breakfast included in the $5 rate; And the breakfast is not just for the sake of sayingg there's a breakfast..



The lowdowns though are the toilets. There's 2 showers and 2 toilets which don't seem like being maintained properly. One shower was leaking but don't seem be to bothered.

It was also a monsoon season, so at my first night, rain was pouring the whole tiime. At around 2 in the monring, the staff had to run back and forth our room and turn on the lights, as it was already flooding outside and the water is about to get in. Worse, the makeshift lockers are rather enclosures to the spare space below the lower bunk of the beds. And, as soon as water comes in, it'll surely wet your stuff.

Lastly, there was a post about requesting for movie download; There was one Korean movie i've been wanting to see, and asked one of their staff one morning if its ok to download the movie. The staff led me to the movie room to do it. I downloaded it and left it running for watching at the night.

When i came back, the movie isn't there, and I suppose it has been interrupted. i checked the connection, and laptop is not connected. Not knowing that they actually dont allow download since it messes the connection, I tried to connect the laptop. An old guy, i suppose the owner, suddenly walked in and asked "What are You doing with MY system." And not thinking that he was upset, as I did not know I was doing something wrong, I told him upfront I was trying to download something, and he kept repeating whatever he was saying. i told him theres no need to repeat as I understand English. I explained why I was downloading, and walked him onto the post of HIS guesthouse.

It was an unnecessary and poor approach out of a mature man. Anyway, I am thinking it was because of the complaints on the wifi though, hence such an approach. he was cool the other day though.




This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary


For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc


Travelling Philippines? Follow CheapBedsPH on Instagram for geotagged backpacker accomodation for easier searches
I made a reservation 2 days ahead, and happy to have been received by their volunteer staff who orients guests with regards to their facilities upon check in.

I don't really care much on my accomodation, but glad that I arrived in an airconditioned dorm, with comfy bed, pillows, and blankets.






I was also hapy to know that there's a breakfast included in the $5 rate; And the breakfast is not just for the sake of sayingg there's a breakfast..



The lowdowns though are the toilets. There's 2 showers and 2 toilets which don't seem like being maintained properly. One shower was leaking but don't seem be to bothered.

It was also a monsoon season, so at my first night, rain was pouring the whole tiime. At around 2 in the monring, the staff had to run back and forth our room and turn on the lights, as it was already flooding outside and the water is about to get in. Worse, the makeshift lockers are rather enclosures to the spare space below the lower bunk of the beds. And, as soon as water comes in, it'll surely wet your stuff.

Lastly, there was a post about requesting for movie download; There was one Korean movie i've been wanting to see, and asked one of their staff one morning if its ok to download the movie. The staff led me to the movie room to do it. I downloaded it and left it running for watching at the night.

When i came back, the movie isn't there, and I suppose it has been interrupted. i checked the connection, and laptop is not connected. Not knowing that they actually dont allow download since it messes the connection, I tried to connect the laptop. An old guy, i suppose the owner, suddenly walked in and asked "What are You doing with MY system." And not thinking that he was upset, as I did not know I was doing something wrong, I told him upfront I was trying to download something, and he kept repeating whatever he was saying. i told him theres no need to repeat as I understand English. I explained why I was downloading, and walked him onto the post of HIS guesthouse.

It was an unnecessary and poor approach out of a mature man. Anyway, I am thinking it was because of the complaints on the wifi though, hence such an approach. he was cool the other day though.




This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary


For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : or Laos Tourism for information about public transpo, destinations, etc


Travelling Philippines? Follow CheapBedsPH on Instagram for geotagged backpacker accomodation for easier searches
Read More »

Backpacker Accomodation: Where I stayed in Vang Vieng

I met some travellers in Ventianne who have been to Vang Vieng prior to the capital. I have asked one of them for where he stayed, and has recommended Chillao for 20,000 LAK a night. meantime, I did not think of pre-booking, as I thought i'd be arriving early anyway, thus have time to shop around.




It was around 3pm when I arrived in Vang Vieng, and spotted Chillao easily. It also had a placemark in google, so i got off the van right across its mapped location. 

With such dramatic Views of the Limestone mountains, i thought I can spare a bit more for a room with a view.

The other backpacker hostel I am seeing online is Easy Go backpackers. Pictures show that there is a view, but booking sites say it is $4 a night - a $1.5 hike from that of Chillao, and is enough to pay for a meal.

I have walked around and found a small bungalow for 30,000 LAK/night opposite the river through "Banana Restaurant." It would have been perfect, except that since the river is swollen, the bridge going to the location is unpassable.

I've also spotted what seemed like a resort that has been abandoned, and caretakers approved of me staying for 10,000/night on their bungalows; The only problem was that it looked quite deserted.

Gone tired walking in and around town, I sat by a fruit shake stall, and had a conversation with the owner about my dilemma. She points me back to Easy Go backpackers. i decided to give Easy Go a call...

"..it's 20,000 per night for the dorm" reception uttered. I pulled up my backpack, and walked onto their location.

Not only does Easy Go have a view of the Limestone Mountain, but at the same it, its dorm is on an elevated wooden house with a balcony surrounding it. There was also a toilet right next to the room, so was very convenient.









I stayed in Vang Vieng for 4days and 3 nights, and most of this time was spent hanging around the dorm. I had a hammock which I tied on the balcony, and my day would pass by sipping on (free) coffee while staring at the mountains and occasionally, children and adults fishing in the river.

The place is bedbug free, though one problem is that it seems they don't regularly change bedsheets. It is fan cooled, but you don't really need even a fan, as there are four doors around the dorm where fresh breeze freely flows.

Other downside is, the Wifi don't reach the dorm where I stayed. Nonetheless, mobile data is cheap in Lao so not a problem for me.


For budget eats, there's not much choice around Vang Vieng. As you may observe, everything is almost a redundancy in Vang Vieng; The same sandwich and fruit shake vendors you see on on place, will serve the same exact thing on another street.



Fried rice is probably the cheapest that you can eat at 15,000LAK, but if you just go back to the highway where you may have been dropped by the local bus, you can find vendors selling food on TO-Go for cheap. I've tried the roast pork, a very crispy one, for about 20,000 and twice as much as the serving in town. I also just asked for 1000LAK rice which is enough.


This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary

For more detailed info about Laos, visit
Laos Guide 999 : Offering the most current free practical information on everything you could want to know about Laos, include custom and tradition, accommodation, what to do and see, visa, border crossing custom and procedures and much more.


Travelling Philippines? Follow CheapBedsPH on Instagram for geotagged backpacker accomodation for easier searches
I met some travellers in Ventianne who have been to Vang Vieng prior to the capital. I have asked one of them for where he stayed, and has recommended Chillao for 20,000 LAK a night. meantime, I did not think of pre-booking, as I thought i'd be arriving early anyway, thus have time to shop around.




It was around 3pm when I arrived in Vang Vieng, and spotted Chillao easily. It also had a placemark in google, so i got off the van right across its mapped location. 

With such dramatic Views of the Limestone mountains, i thought I can spare a bit more for a room with a view.

The other backpacker hostel I am seeing online is Easy Go backpackers. Pictures show that there is a view, but booking sites say it is $4 a night - a $1.5 hike from that of Chillao, and is enough to pay for a meal.

I have walked around and found a small bungalow for 30,000 LAK/night opposite the river through "Banana Restaurant." It would have been perfect, except that since the river is swollen, the bridge going to the location is unpassable.

I've also spotted what seemed like a resort that has been abandoned, and caretakers approved of me staying for 10,000/night on their bungalows; The only problem was that it looked quite deserted.

Gone tired walking in and around town, I sat by a fruit shake stall, and had a conversation with the owner about my dilemma. She points me back to Easy Go backpackers. i decided to give Easy Go a call...

"..it's 20,000 per night for the dorm" reception uttered. I pulled up my backpack, and walked onto their location.

Not only does Easy Go have a view of the Limestone Mountain, but at the same it, its dorm is on an elevated wooden house with a balcony surrounding it. There was also a toilet right next to the room, so was very convenient.









I stayed in Vang Vieng for 4days and 3 nights, and most of this time was spent hanging around the dorm. I had a hammock which I tied on the balcony, and my day would pass by sipping on (free) coffee while staring at the mountains and occasionally, children and adults fishing in the river.

The place is bedbug free, though one problem is that it seems they don't regularly change bedsheets. It is fan cooled, but you don't really need even a fan, as there are four doors around the dorm where fresh breeze freely flows.

Other downside is, the Wifi don't reach the dorm where I stayed. Nonetheless, mobile data is cheap in Lao so not a problem for me.


For budget eats, there's not much choice around Vang Vieng. As you may observe, everything is almost a redundancy in Vang Vieng; The same sandwich and fruit shake vendors you see on on place, will serve the same exact thing on another street.



Fried rice is probably the cheapest that you can eat at 15,000LAK, but if you just go back to the highway where you may have been dropped by the local bus, you can find vendors selling food on TO-Go for cheap. I've tried the roast pork, a very crispy one, for about 20,000 and twice as much as the serving in town. I also just asked for 1000LAK rice which is enough.


This post is part of the #limbonisASIA tripSee link for more stories, detailed expenses and itinerary

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