Why I don’t like Laos
The Lack of Culture What I mean by lack of culture is the outside, in-your-face culture. If you’re a traveler it’s hard to find. Lao food, for example, is not readily available. The majority of
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Asia
Your Guide to Slow Boats in Laos
By Stephen Bugno Before visiting Laos I had images of gliding down rivers at an impossibly slow speed all the while enjoying both the view and necessary transportation with friendly locals. That was hardly the
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What does the view from my $4/day room look like?
This was the view out the front door of my guesthouse room along the Mekong River in southern Laos. The area is known as Si Phan Don, or 4,000 islands, and is quite popular with
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Tubing in Vang Vieng: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Tubing in Vang Vieng I’m a traveler who tends to place a lot of importance on the cultural aspects of travel. Let me state first and foremost that tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos, has nothing
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Photo from the Road: Muang Ngoi Laos
Muang Ngoi is a tiny settlement along the Nam Ou River in the northweast of Laos. It’s set among the karst mountain landscape and can only be reached by river boat. The village is a
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Tasting Tea, not Opium in Mae Salong
By Stephen Bugno Mae Salong is an oddity in Thailand. It is a Chinese village high in the mountains of northern Thailand. Its history is an interesting one, and one that I’ll get to in
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Life in Pai
By Stephen Bugno Pai, Thailand is the quintessential backpacker town. I’ll try not to be too judgmental and let you decide for yourself if you want to visit. Be warned: it is a small town
Using Chiang Mai as a Remote Workplace
By Stephen Bugno There is a reason so many travel bloggers are stopping and staying in Chiang Mai, Thailand for so long: it’s inexpensive, pleasant, culturally interesting, and has most of the amenities you could
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Kuala Lumpur’s Not that Bad
By Stephen Bugno It’s not that great either. But the average traveler can find something interesting in KL to fill at least a couple days, even if it’s just relaxing in a nice hotel
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Singapore’s Southern Ridges
My interest in bridges started in middle school when my older brother began winning a series of bridge building competitions. My dad bought him a big photo book of the world’s most interesting and important
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Road trip to Brunei
Noel hesitantly agrees to take me to Brunei. He’s Malaysian and thinks it’s no more interesting than his own country, just more expensive. But he’s driving me the 160 km mostly to make me happy.
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Photo from the Road: Penang, Malaysia Walking Tour
I’m ashamed to admit that before a few weeks ago I didn’t even know Penang existed. After having visited for only one afternoon, I can say it’s one of my favorite places I’ve been to,
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