Readme before you journey
Hello friends,
This is already my 4th post. I'm trying to review the places I've been to and provide as much information as possible.
But I'm still a newbie at reviewing, so it might not be as detailed as you'd like. I apologize for that.
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>>> https://www.facebook.com/yaktieowtamma/ <<<
This is another trip that was a fun experience abroad for me.
Before I went, my girlfriend helped me find information and plan the trip. Hehe.
But after I went, I decided to write a review to share information with my friends.
On this trip, we traveled with 6 people, down from the original plan of 12.
There was me and my girlfriend, my girlfriend's brother and his girlfriend, and my girlfriend's friend and his girlfriend.
Why am I making this confusing? 55555
For my review, I'll divide it into sections:
Chapter 1 - Travel
Chapter 2 - Accommodation
Chapter 3 - Food
Chapter 4 - Expenses
Want to travel like me? Come along!
Chapter 1 - The Journey
Day 1: Bangkok - Udon Thani - Vientiane
We started our journey at night by taking a Nakhonchai Air bus at 10:00 PM. We arrived in Udon Thani around 7:00 AM.
We quickly arranged to buy tickets to Vientiane at 8:00 AM because we had booked accommodation in Vientiane for 1 night.
There are also buses to Vang Vieng from here, but there is only one round, so we have to buy tickets in time.
If we miss it, plan 2 is to take a bus to Vientiane and then another bus to Vang Vieng.
We arrived in Vientiane by bus around 11:00 AM. The speed depends on the immigration checkpoint.
When we got off the bus, the sun was blazing. We hurried to the accommodation to check in and find something to eat.
Because tourist attractions in Laos, such as temples, are closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 PM and from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.
After we finished eating, we hired a tuk-tuk to continue walking around the city to various temples.
> View from the top of Patuxai <
> Wat Sakae <
> The Emerald Buddha Temple when we went to close for renovation <
> The beautiful Phra That Luang <
> Presidential Palace of Laos <
After finishing our tour, we went to book a bus to Vang Vieng for the next day to ensure we had transportation.
We could find bus tickets to Vang Vieng at various tour companies. It's recommended to compare prices as they differ between companies. After booking the bus, we took a short walk and returned to our accommodation to sleep. We had no plans to explore Vientiane further. We stayed at the Sinnakone Hotel for one night. The room was decent enough for a night's stay, not too bad.
Day 2: Vientiane - Vang Vieng
We checked out of the hotel and were picked up at 9:30 AM to board the bus departing at 10:00 AM.
When we bought the tickets, we thought it would be a large bus like the ones back home, but no, it was a mini-bus.
> The bus we took to Vang Vieng <
We were confused, but since we had already paid, we had to go. When we got on the bus, it was better than expected.
The seats were soft and comfortable, and I slept soundly. When I woke up, we were in Vang Vieng around 2:30 PM.
The roads were not very good, and bumpy in some sections. When we arrived in Vang Vieng, the bus stopped at the bus station, not in the city center.
But don't worry, we had already found out that there is a free shuttle to the city. We waited for a while, and a free songthaew picked us up and took us to Vang Vieng city.
But be careful!! Because there will be songthaews that charge you and pretend to be free. Don't get on them. Ask first if it's free.
If it's not free, don't go. Wait a while, and there will definitely be a free shuttle to the city. In Laos, you can ask in Thai, and they will understand you.
The free shuttle will drop you off at the Malany 1 Hotel. Get off there and walk to your accommodation.
It's a good idea to prepare a map from Thailand because it can be a bit confusing the first time you go.
In Vang Vieng, maps are not readily available unless you rent a motorbike.
When we arrived at our accommodation, we checked in and then walked around the city to look for a One Day Trip tour.
> I recommend this shop for One Day tours. Good service, up to their standards 555 <
> There are burger shops all over the city. Come and try them! <
After that, we walked around asking for motorbike rental prices and then looked for a place to eat. We ended up eating on a raft in front of our accommodation by the Song River.
The atmosphere was very chill. Then we went to our accommodation to sleep and prepare for the next day. We stayed at Other Side Bungalow for 1 night.
This place was very scary, there were geckos and a lot of lizards. Brrr...
> Other Side Bungalow <
> After packing, we came to chill and eat by the river. <
This text is already in English and does not require translation.
Day 3: Vang Vieng - Renting a motorbike to Pha Ngern - Tham Jang - Tham Lom - Sakura Bar
We woke up early and rushed to rent a motorbike. The trick is to rent it at 7 am.
Because they will charge the same price no matter what time you rent it, and you can return the bike at 8 pm.
So we arranged to rent it from 7 am. Our plan for today was to ride to Pha Ngern
to hike up Pha Ngern, which we didn't research how difficult it would be to hike.
After renting the motorbike, we got a map and advice from the rental shop to cross the wooden bridge instead.
Because most bridges in Laos charge a fee to cross, except for wooden bridges. We rode, looking at the map and
asking villagers for directions along the way. It wasn't difficult to reach Pha Ngern. Oh, when we read the reviews, the road was a dirt road.
But now the road is paved, so it's really comfortable. Riding without dust, hehe.
We arrived at the entrance to Pha Ngern and paid the entrance fee. We prepared water and snacks because we would definitely be hungry. We hiked up the mountain for about 30 minutes.
We reached the first viewpoint pavilion, which was quite steep. It was all uphill with no ramps. The distance was about 1 kilometer.
If you don't like hardship, I wouldn't recommend coming here. We rested for a while and then continued walking for another 10 minutes to the viewpoint at the top.
There is a red-roofed pavilion. We went up to see the view, which was beautiful and peaceful.
> Red pavilion on Pha Ngern <
>View from above<
When we went, there was no one else going up. After taking photos, we walked down, sweating profusely because it was so hot.
It is recommended to come early in the morning and walk up quickly so you don't get too hot.
> When we came down, we met the children just after school, so we took some photos and gave them some snacks. <
After leaving Pha Ngern, we checked out of Other Side and checked into Champalav The Villa.
We will be staying here for 2 nights. We have booked a private house with 4 bedrooms, which is very spacious and comfortable.
> Champalav The Villa, where we will be staying for 2 nights <
After packing up, we went to find some food to eat and then continued on to Tham Chang Cave.
> Eating burgers again <
> Orange Bridge, Tham Chang <
The orange bridge is a must-visit check-in spot in Vang Vieng, where everyone comes to take photos.
To reach Tham Jang Cave, you need to climb about 100 steps. I saw many people standing at the bottom of the stairs, contemplating for a while.
But it only takes a short walk to reach the top. The entrance of Tham Jang Cave has a strong, cool wind blowing out,
like an air conditioner. We walked around the cave, took some photos, and then came down.
> Inside Tham Jang Cave <
Below the Jang Cave, there is a small pool of water flowing out of the cave. There are many teenagers playing in the water. I want to jump in too.
> The pool in front of Jang Cave is very clear. <
But we didn't have much time left. At first, we were going to go tubing, but it was too hot, so we decided to go to Tham Lom cave instead.
We looked at the map for about half an hour and finally arrived at Tham Lom cave. However, the entrance was a bit difficult to find, as it was a dirt road.
> We finally found the entrance to Tham Lom cave, but the road was so bumpy that my head hit the ceiling and I got a bloody nose. <
The dust was so thick that by the time we reached the entrance to Tham Lom Cave, our group was exhausted. We decided not to climb up to the cave.
Instead, we sat on a raft by the river, ordered some food, and played in the water at the edge of the Song River.
> Tourists floating on inner tubes are completely relaxed. It's really chill. <
We sat and played, ordered rice to eat, soaked in the water for a while, then drove back to the accommodation to shower, get dressed, and wait to go to the Signature of this place.
" Sakura Bar "
From the accommodation, we walked because Vang Vieng is a small town. We walked around and arrived.
We planned to come here at 8 pm because there will be Happy Hour. When we first entered, we were confused about what to do because there were only foreigners and Koreans.
We stood there for a while and then realized that the free liquor can be picked up at the bar at the entrance, 1 glass per person. Don't pick it up for someone else, or you'll get scolded. 555+
So we each got a glass and went to find a seat. After a while, Happy Hour was over, but we didn't want to go back yet.
So we ordered a few bottles of beer and sat there watching people dance in the pub.
This place is a real gathering place. Everyone we met while traveling or on the bus, we could meet them again at Sakura Bar.
I must say that if you come here, you have to try it at least once. There's nothing but entertainment, whether you're into dancing, drinking, or just having fun.
It's all here. Haha, we came out around midnight and went back to the accommodation to sleep, preparing for an adventure the next day.
. . . It's a pity that we didn't take any pictures of Sakura Bar. . . .
Day 4 : Vang Vieng - One Day Trip : Tham Nam - Tham Chang - Kayaking - Zipline - Blue Lagoon
After getting sunburned and drunk at Sakura Bar yesterday, we woke up at 8 am to walk to the tour company we had booked.
The service was quite good, as expected. When we arrived, we waited for the car for a while, and then it left. But… I thought it would go straight to the tourist spot. No, it didn't.
It went around the city to pick up other tourists at 2-3 more places. And the place it went to pick them up was in front of our accommodation.
(And they didn't tell us so we didn't have to walk so far. Oh….)
After picking up the members, there were both Thais and Koreans. Our group today had no foreigners, only 3 Koreans.
(These 3 people were very funny, we laughed all the way. 555)
The first program of the tour was Tham Nam and Tham Chang. When we arrived at Tham Nam, we had to walk for about 15 minutes. ¨C11C When we reached the front of the cave, we prepared to pack our belongings. Valuables or other items were put in a waterproof bag. ¨C12C But you don't have to bring it into the cave because the tour guide will sit and watch it for you. Bringing it in would just be in the way. ¨C13C ¨C14C ¨C17C¨C15C
The cave is dark, so the way to explore it is to lie on a rubber tube and pull yourself in with a rope for about 20 minutes.
I didn't know what to expect, so when I got almost to the end, the guide told me it was the end and I had to turn around.
Everyone was like, "That's it?" 5555
It was just a matter of floating in and then floating back out. The cave was very dark, but the tour provided headlamps.
The water was actually shallow enough to walk in, but it was more comfortable to float on a tube.
After we got out of the cave, we sat down to eat. The food wasn't anything special, just some bland fried rice and barbecue.
They also gave us each a banana and some bread (like they were feeding fish, and in the end, we actually did feed the fish).
After we finished eating, we sat around for a while, wondering if we would have enough time to do everything else. We hadn't been to the Elephant Cave yet, or gone kayaking, ziplining, or to the Blue Lagoon. It was almost afternoon by then. After sitting for a while, we walked back the way we came.
The guide said we were going to the Elephant Cave next. We walked to the temple we had seen before the entrance, and the guide said, "This is the Elephant Cave." - -"
> The Elephant Cave is named after this elephant-shaped rock. <
We thought it would be like a large cave with a lot of walking space, but the Elephant Cave is just a small cavity.
There is a Buddha statue to worship, along with a rock shaped like an elephant in front of the cave. The guide gave us 5 minutes here (no wonder he wasn't in a hurry).
Then we went to the starting point for kayaking, which is about 4 kilometers along the Song River.
> Start kayaking <
We had been kayaking for about 800 meters when the guide told us to take a break at a riverside bar for about 40 minutes.
(I've only been paddling for less than 10 minutes and we're already taking a break -_-")
> Riverside Bar <
The riverside bar also has places to relax and sleep, and there are sports fields for playing basketball, volleyball, and petanque.
And there is beer and liquor for sale here (are you here to get drunk or to go boating?)
> Lots of activities at the bar, other people are having fun, we're sleeping lol 5555+ <
After resting, we continued paddling. The water level was quite low during this period, and there were some rocks in certain areas.
We enjoyed the scenic views of the Song River along the way.
Occasionally, we encountered foreigners tubing on the river. At the end of the kayaking point, a car was waiting to take us to the Blue Lagoon, which took about 20 minutes to reach.
> The Blue Lagoon is as beautiful as its reputation. <
We arrived around 3 pm, which was very crowded, but we didn't play in the water yet because we had to play Zipline first.
We were quite excited because it looked very scary from what we had seen before, but we were determined to play it anyway, so we went for it.
The Zipline here has 2 points, point A and B, and there are a total of 12 points to zip through.
After playing, everyone was happy because it was really fun, exciting and thrilling.
> The Zipline drop point is lowered from above, which made our hearts skip a beat. 555 + <
> Snap a picture of our brave members <
After that, we went to play in the water at Blue Lagoon until 5 pm.
At Blue Lagoon, as everyone knows, anyone who comes here has to climb a tree and jump into the water. So I jumped twice.
When I looked up from below, it didn't look very high, but when I stood up there, my legs were shaking. It was higher than the Lam Klong Ngu where I had jumped before.
But I have to admit that the water here is very clear and very cold. Even though there are a lot of people playing, it's not cloudy at all. It's crystal clear.
After the One Day Trip, the car took us to our accommodation. We took a shower and then went to eat some grilled pork in the city.
After eating, we went back to sleep. But before we went to sleep, we contacted the accommodation to book a car for the next day to return to Udon Thani.
We paid the money here and they gave us a receipt to exchange for a ticket at the bus station on the way back.
Day 5: Vang Vieng - Nong Khai - Udon Thani - Bangkok
We had arranged for a car at 8.30 am, but we woke up and packed our bags and went to find some rice to eat first.
At 8.30 am, a car came to pick us up and take us to the bus station. When we arrived, we exchanged our receipt for a return ticket. This time it was a bus from the bus station.
The car was big and much more comfortable than before. The bus left at around 9.20 am.
> Vang Vieng Bus Station is crowded. <
> Please exchange the ticket you purchased from your accommodation with me first. <
On the way back, we slept soundly and woke up at the Nong Khai checkpoint. After passing immigration, we continued to Udon Thani Bus Terminal, arriving around 2:00 PM.
However, our return flight was not until 10:00 PM, which meant we had a lot of free time. We didn't have to rush to the airport yet.
So we went for a walk and looked for something to eat in the cool air conditioning at Central Udon Thani to kill time. It was only a 5-minute walk from the bus terminal.
We had something to eat and waited until the evening. Then we took a three-wheeled taxi from the front of the mall to the airport and flew back to Bangkok.
The trip ended with a lot of fun.
>>> Bye Bye Vang Vieng <<<
Chapter 2: Accommodation
Day 1: Vientiane - Sinnakone Hotel, booked on Agoda. The accommodation is decent and good value for money.
Day 2: Vang Vieng - Other side bungalow, beautiful view, fan room, old and with a lot of geckos and lizards.
Day 3-4: Vang Vieng - Champalav The Villa, beautiful accommodation, comfortable, affordable because we booked the whole house.
I don't want to recommend accommodation too much, but there are a lot of places to stay in Vang Vieng. If you walk in, the price will be about 20% cheaper.
If you're not coming during a long weekend, I recommend walking in as it's cheaper and you can walk around and choose.
If you like something, you can walk in and ask to see the room first (if you have time).
Chapter 3: Food
Let me tell you, coming to Laos has been a real drain on my food budget. It's not that the food is particularly delicious, it's just that it's so expensive!
It's twice as expensive as Thai food, so we really went all out when we went there. 5555
Summary of food in Laos
- For those who love to eat chicken, I recommend holding back and eating it in Thailand instead. It's super expensive here, 100,000 kip per bird, while grilled fish is 50,000 kip.
- The sandwiches are delicious, but they are also quite expensive. I recommend buying from a street vendor, where there are dozens of options to choose from. But be warned, one sandwich is enough to feed two people.
- Every corner of the city has a smoothie shop. Sigh, I can't help but get one every time I see it.
- Lao papaya salad is also very delicious, especially Luang Prabang papaya salad (available in Vientiane).
- The food is average, not very tasty.
- Yum served with rice, add chili sauce, the taste is not like yum, haha.
- Korean-style BBQ, large grill, delicious
- If your wallet is empty, bring lots of instant noodles, canned fish, and snacks from Thailand. It's guaranteed to save you money.
- Canned fish is considered a gourmet food (not available in small grocery stores in minimarts).
- Buy 5,000 kip of sticky rice and 5,000 kip of canned fish. You can have a delicious meal for 1 meal.
- The red canned salmon at K-Mart is delicious, but it costs 20,000 kip.
- Mama is the best solution for Thai people. Lol.
** I apologize for not listing the food costs in detail, as we ate a lot. **
Chapter 4: Expenses
- Accommodation in Vientiane, Sinnakone Hotel, 1 night, 3 rooms, 2784 baht, divided by 6 = 464 baht per person
- Accommodation in Vang Vieng, Other Side Bungalow, 1 night, 3 bungalows, 1688 baht, divided by 6 = 282 baht per person
- Accommodation in Vang Vieng, Champala Lao The Villa, 2 nights, rented the whole house, sleeps 8 people, 7016 baht, divided by 6 = 1170 baht per person/2 nights
- Bus fare from Bangkok to Udon Thani: 605 baht/person
- Bus fare from Udon Thani to Vientiane: 85 baht/person
- One Way Ticket through Immigration: 55 baht/person (free on the way back)
- Shared taxi in Vientiane: 25,000 kip/person
- Entrance fee to Patuxai: 3,000 kip/person, only view from above
- Entrance fee to That Luang: 5,000 kip/person
- Entrance fee to Wat Sisaket: 5,000 kip/person
- Bus fare from Vientiane to Vang Vieng: 40,000 kip/person
- Motorcycle rental for a full day: 40,000 kip/bike, cheapest, fill up your own gas
- Half tank of gas: 20,000 kip/bike, enough for a whole day of riding
- Entrance fee to Tham Pha Ngam: 10,000 kip/person
- Entrance fee to Tham Jang: 2,000 kip/bike
- Motorcycle parking fee: 3,000 kip/bike
- Entrance fee to Tham Jang: 15,000 kip/person
- Motorcycle parking fee at Tham Lom: 5,000 kip/bike
- Bus fare from Vang Vieng to Udon Thani: 250,000 kip/person
- Flight back from Udon Thani to Bangkok: depends on your ability to book a promotion
- One Day Trip Price:
> Namthip Tour: 250,000 Kip/person
> Tham Nam, Tham Chang, Kayaking 4 km, Zipline, Blue Lagoon
> If you don't go to Zipline and Blue lagoon, the price will be 100,000 Kip/person
> If you play Zipline alone, the price will be 200,000 Kip/person
> If you play alone, it will cost 250,000 Kip/person
*** Buying everything together will be the cheapest and most worthwhile, you can collect everything in one day, confirm ***
Camera equipment
Fujifilm XT10
Lens: Samyang 12mm
Lens: Fujifilm 50-230 mm
Go Pro Hero 4 Silver
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ม่อนจุก
Friday, September 27, 2024 10:18 AM
