laos

Review: First Class Train to Bangkok from Nong Khai (That You Can Book From Vientiane)

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So, after spending a couple of weeks in the self-quarantine mode at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Vientiane, I had to change my travel plan from my original itinerary.

My itinerary was supposed to include so many more beautiful places in Laos. Initially, I was supposed to head to Vang Vieng before leaving for Luang Prabang, so I could get a chance to explore the northern part of Thailand before going back to Bangkok. However, due to my situation as I got recovered from my illness, the people from the embassy suggested going back home sooner rather than later.

At the time, I realized that maybe it’s a bad idea to follow my initial plan anyway, so I agreed to head directly to Bangkok from Vientiane. If anything happened, it’s easier to find a reliable (and cheaper!) hospital in Bangkok than anywhere in Laos. Even if I had to return from Bangkok, it’s easy to find a direct flight from Thailand’s capital city to Jakarta than Vientiane.

So I had to follow my gut, and that was to head back to Bangkok instead of continuing my journey to the northern part of Laos and Thailand. The good thing is that I still had some credits from Bookaway, so I didn’t think twice when I found an option to travel from Vientiane to Bangkok using the first-class train from Nong Khai. 

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Self-Quarantine in Vientiane, Laos: (Review) Sengphachanh Hotel 2

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I have to admit, I haven’t been very productive in the past few weeks. I’ve got some things going on, and I also got some new clients for my business that I focused more on other things than this blog.

But then I realized that it’s already the middle of December, and I’m still yet to finish my piece on my last Indochina trip. Now that you know how I got sick in Vientiane, it’s time for me to write a review about the hotel where I spent my self-quarantine in Laos’s capital city.

When I was in Pakse, I booked Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Vientiane as I realized that the hotel offers the lowest rate compared to other hotels with the same facilities in the capital city. Well, just my luck since I got forced to extend my stay longer than I expected due to my sickness earlier this year.

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3 Things to Do When You Get Sick While Traveling Solo Abroad

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In case you didn’t know, I got sick in Vientiane on my last Indochina trip. This was my first experience getting sick while traveling alone. Ironically, it happened on what was supposed to be my birthday trip. Just when I thought I was all game for my solo trip, I had to face one of the disadvantages of traveling alone!

Visiting all ten ASEAN country members was on my list of things to do before I turned 30. Long story short, life happened that I could only check it from the list this year on my 31st birthday… Who would have thought that the momentum became one of the most bittersweet birthdays ever for me?!

Not only did I finally check something on my wishlist, but it was also the first time for everything… From getting sick during my solo travel overseas, to unexpectedly getting a chance to travel across the Thai-Laos border with corps diplomatique service on my freaking birthday!

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Sleeper Bus in Laos: The Most Affordable Way to Travel from Pakse to Vientiane

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When I did my research long before I started my Indochina trip, I figured that Laos’s infrastructure and transportation might be a bit challenging compared to its neighboring countries.

I came across an article that outlined their long journey with a bus in Laos, which they didn’t thoroughly enjoy. Reading it made me second-guess whether I should take a long overland journey from Cambodia to Vientiane or Vang Vieng, so I decided to go to Pakse from Siem Reap instead.

While I only get a chance to travel around Pakse city center in Champasak, I was quite happy with my decision to stop there before heading to Vientiane. It gave me some time to travel slow and adapt to Laos’s daily life since I have to admit that Laos is slightly different compared to Cambodia or Vietnam.

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Lazy Travel Tips Around Champasak: Where to Go Around Pakse City Center in South Laos

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After writing about the review of my experience staying at Dream Resort Farm in Pakse last week, I finally got a chance to sit down and share my whole Pakse experience when I was in Champasak.

As I previously mentioned, visiting Pakse wasn’t on my initial plan for my Indochina trip. I went to Pakse as I found out that the city was an excellent place to go to Laos from Cambodia overland.

I figure it’s a sweet spot for transit before I got to the capital city in Vientiane. It didn’t take 10++ hours by bus from Siem Reap, and there are still things to see around the city, even if you’re only there for a short stay.

As visiting Pakse was out of my initial itinerary, I wasn’t too ambitious to travel around the city. I only spent half of my first day walking around the city, and that was it. Still, I’m glad that I made it even when I did it the lazy way!

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