Dennis Jay
Earning My Ears
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Thanks for sharing your experience so far! It sounds like an exciting trip despite the luggage hiccup and schedule changes due to Tết.
SE Asia ABD - 1/18-1/31 2025
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CaliforniaGirl09
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Patiently waiting for more 
This trip has always been on my list, and I am thrilled to see (I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet) that they are now going to Ha Long Bay in 2026! That was one of the reasons I had lowered this on my mental list Wonder if the guides mentioned anything about the change?
This trip has always been on my list, and I am thrilled to see (I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet) that they are now going to Ha Long Bay in 2026! That was one of the reasons I had lowered this on my mental list Wonder if the guides mentioned anything about the change?
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I *just* noticed this myself last Friday. That is a big change! Had I not gone on the old trip I would have probably pushed it out tbh, but I feel like I loved the trip I went on so much as is...! I'm glad it worked out this way. I'm worried we would have skipped some things that are now marked as 'optional' and not had the time to have some of the free time and meals we did which I very much enjoyed. I'm conflicted... and hope if no one makes it on one before you that you come back and spill the tea!Patiently waiting for more
CaliforniaGirl09
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LOL, I will indeed, but with life changes travel still seems pretty far away. It's very weird that no one has mentioned it--I wonder if they are trying to keep it on the low down to not discourage people from booking 2025? Who knows, but weird that it wasn't called out. I noticed a pretty significant change in the Switzerland/italy trip as well--they no longer go to Lake Lucerne. Strange change to make. Anyway, looking forward to more of your report.I *just* noticed this myself last Friday. That is a big change! Had I not gone on the old trip I would have probably pushed it out tbh, but I feel like I loved the trip I went on so much as is...! I'm glad it worked out this way. I'm worried we would have skipped some things that are now marked as 'optional' and not had the time to have some of the free time and meals we did which I very much enjoyed. I'm conflicted... and hope if no one makes it on one before you that you come back and spill the tea!
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For the first time in forever... I'm back with
Day 8 - Leap To Laos
I was really getting excited now. The trip had already been fun, educational, and even a little dour, but I am a bit of a rice fiend and so I was really looking forward to this part of our journey! The hotel seemed like the best of the bunch, and that definitely held true for us. We really loved the Belmond la Residence Phou Vao!
The original itinerary had us visiting the prison this day, but we had done it the day prior. We still had an early-ish start though with bags out by 7 and 8:15 departure for our coffee tasting which left us plenty of time to hit the breakfast buffet one last time.
Along the way we passed sections of Pung Hung Mural Street and saw even more folk purchasing flowers and small trees for the new year.
Just before 9 we arrived where the coffee tasting was held, a seven story mall of sorts named MỸ NGHỆ ĐẠI VIỆT.
Every floor had different wares on it. On the ground floor we first had an introduction to their silk paintings which take thousands of hours to do (and were very expensive). I had wanted to buy a small one until I realized how high they were.. most folk did buy them, as they had with the marble shop. I aspire to be that kind of high roller still, though I am running out of decades to make that happen!
I was tempted by some lacquer paintings they had but hemmed and hawed as they were also pricey and bulky, and eventually ran out of time. Before we got to that point though we headed up to the sixth floor for the demonstration. The view from up there was very nice!
Without much fanfare the staff began mixing the eggs - I dug the purpose built box to just use a handmixer instead of something more expensive and we all chuckled at just doing it in a thin plastic to go container. I would have thought they made so many of these they'd have a better vessel, but what works, works!
I usually don't drink coffee and meant not to drink much here either, but it was darn tasty and I couldn't help myself. Kyle eventually had to rip it out of my hands so I wouldn't finish the whole thing. If anyone wants the recipe Kyle followed their movements and wrote it down, which I was grateful for after. I haven;t made it at home yet, but plan to with decaf soon, and possibly often once I'm healthy again.
Afterwards we all had free time until 10 to wander around making purchases. I get why we made this stop and the marble one, but admit this made it feel more like the cookie cutter tours that have agreements in place with these types of vendors. I don't like feeling hostage, and the high prices didn't leave me feeling confident Disney chose places that didn't up the price for tourists. That may be entirely because of the haggling folk were doing which suggests the printed price simply isn't the price. I'm not a haggler, I don't know what things "should" cost, and I don't like playing mind games. That said, later on some folks were actually complaining that we hadn't had enough time to shop, and that helps me put it in perspective of how hard it is to keep everyone happy.
From here we went to the airport for our flight. Doug had told us they used to do other things for lunch, but none of the options were very good, so they ultimately pivoted to "treating" us all to lounge access at the airport. This worked out well for us as after we arrived we found out our 12:50 flight was delayed to 1:15, then again to 1:40. Not a huge push, but being able to stay sitting somewhere comfy with unlimited drinks and food was nice!
Unfortunately my bad decision earlier paid its toll, and I did start having a migraine again. >_< I was glad we popped into a pharmacy on a previous night and got another dose of my medicine I had forgotten, but wanted to hold off if possible. Thankfully some rich salty pho and a lot of water fixed me, for now.
It was only an hour flight before we found ourselves in Laos.
Day 8 - Leap To Laos
I was really getting excited now. The trip had already been fun, educational, and even a little dour, but I am a bit of a rice fiend and so I was really looking forward to this part of our journey! The hotel seemed like the best of the bunch, and that definitely held true for us. We really loved the Belmond la Residence Phou Vao!
The original itinerary had us visiting the prison this day, but we had done it the day prior. We still had an early-ish start though with bags out by 7 and 8:15 departure for our coffee tasting which left us plenty of time to hit the breakfast buffet one last time.
Along the way we passed sections of Pung Hung Mural Street and saw even more folk purchasing flowers and small trees for the new year.
Just before 9 we arrived where the coffee tasting was held, a seven story mall of sorts named MỸ NGHỆ ĐẠI VIỆT.
Every floor had different wares on it. On the ground floor we first had an introduction to their silk paintings which take thousands of hours to do (and were very expensive). I had wanted to buy a small one until I realized how high they were.. most folk did buy them, as they had with the marble shop. I aspire to be that kind of high roller still, though I am running out of decades to make that happen!
I was tempted by some lacquer paintings they had but hemmed and hawed as they were also pricey and bulky, and eventually ran out of time. Before we got to that point though we headed up to the sixth floor for the demonstration. The view from up there was very nice!
Without much fanfare the staff began mixing the eggs - I dug the purpose built box to just use a handmixer instead of something more expensive and we all chuckled at just doing it in a thin plastic to go container. I would have thought they made so many of these they'd have a better vessel, but what works, works!
I usually don't drink coffee and meant not to drink much here either, but it was darn tasty and I couldn't help myself. Kyle eventually had to rip it out of my hands so I wouldn't finish the whole thing. If anyone wants the recipe Kyle followed their movements and wrote it down, which I was grateful for after. I haven;t made it at home yet, but plan to with decaf soon, and possibly often once I'm healthy again.
Afterwards we all had free time until 10 to wander around making purchases. I get why we made this stop and the marble one, but admit this made it feel more like the cookie cutter tours that have agreements in place with these types of vendors. I don't like feeling hostage, and the high prices didn't leave me feeling confident Disney chose places that didn't up the price for tourists. That may be entirely because of the haggling folk were doing which suggests the printed price simply isn't the price. I'm not a haggler, I don't know what things "should" cost, and I don't like playing mind games. That said, later on some folks were actually complaining that we hadn't had enough time to shop, and that helps me put it in perspective of how hard it is to keep everyone happy.
From here we went to the airport for our flight. Doug had told us they used to do other things for lunch, but none of the options were very good, so they ultimately pivoted to "treating" us all to lounge access at the airport. This worked out well for us as after we arrived we found out our 12:50 flight was delayed to 1:15, then again to 1:40. Not a huge push, but being able to stay sitting somewhere comfy with unlimited drinks and food was nice!
Unfortunately my bad decision earlier paid its toll, and I did start having a migraine again. >_< I was glad we popped into a pharmacy on a previous night and got another dose of my medicine I had forgotten, but wanted to hold off if possible. Thankfully some rich salty pho and a lot of water fixed me, for now.
It was only an hour flight before we found ourselves in Laos.
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Day 8 continued
Upon landing we had to go through customs which Tony helped us all with as much as possible. We then went right to the hotel which was only a 10 minute ride away. While at the hotel we ran into a woman who had been on this trip a few years ago and had actually quit her job and moved to Laos! She loved it here that much. If that isn't high praise I don't know what is...
The hotel gave us flowers and a welcome drink while our rooms were distributed, after which we had free time until 5:30. Our room was even better than I'd thought. I'm still in love with it thousands of miles away. The only downside is that yes, mosquitos did get into the room, so the net was utilitarian.
Whats that you ask? Why yes, apparently it IS still my birthday! Tony insisted this was not his doing - they must have seen my birthday on my documentation and chose to honor it even though it was a little late..!
Oh and would you look at that... birthday cake #5. (It was VERY good, but they kept giving us daily treats as well so we simply couldn't finish it. We kept expecting them to take it but it lingered until we checked out, mocking me...
Cutest sign about towels I have seen to date!
The bathroom was also large and had an impressive stone (at least I think it was) tub.
And then the view from our windows... we had big huge windows by the bathroom and bedroom plus a balcony that I apparently did not take a picture of with some loungers:
You can get a sense of how small and intimate the property is here, 32 rooms and two suites. It was always very quiet (which maybe contributed to Disney staying elsewhere in '26).
Alongside the pool where they serve breakfast in the morning are some ruins. The hill the hotel is on used to be owned by the royal family, and I believe they said the ruins were from back then. Of course now I can't find any evidence of that being true, but I don't know why they fibbed so I believe it. They look rather Disney-fied here, but really did seem well worn and crumbly in person.
We wandered around taking pictures but first got a couple of drinks at the bar (they had nonalcoholic cocktails to my absolute delight, and it was very good to boot). The manager himself used to be bartender and on a whim decided he himself would make Kyle's drink.
Upon landing we had to go through customs which Tony helped us all with as much as possible. We then went right to the hotel which was only a 10 minute ride away. While at the hotel we ran into a woman who had been on this trip a few years ago and had actually quit her job and moved to Laos! She loved it here that much. If that isn't high praise I don't know what is...
The hotel gave us flowers and a welcome drink while our rooms were distributed, after which we had free time until 5:30. Our room was even better than I'd thought. I'm still in love with it thousands of miles away. The only downside is that yes, mosquitos did get into the room, so the net was utilitarian.
Whats that you ask? Why yes, apparently it IS still my birthday! Tony insisted this was not his doing - they must have seen my birthday on my documentation and chose to honor it even though it was a little late..!
Oh and would you look at that... birthday cake #5. (It was VERY good, but they kept giving us daily treats as well so we simply couldn't finish it. We kept expecting them to take it but it lingered until we checked out, mocking me...
Cutest sign about towels I have seen to date!
The bathroom was also large and had an impressive stone (at least I think it was) tub.
And then the view from our windows... we had big huge windows by the bathroom and bedroom plus a balcony that I apparently did not take a picture of with some loungers:
You can get a sense of how small and intimate the property is here, 32 rooms and two suites. It was always very quiet (which maybe contributed to Disney staying elsewhere in '26).
Alongside the pool where they serve breakfast in the morning are some ruins. The hill the hotel is on used to be owned by the royal family, and I believe they said the ruins were from back then. Of course now I can't find any evidence of that being true, but I don't know why they fibbed so I believe it. They look rather Disney-fied here, but really did seem well worn and crumbly in person.
We wandered around taking pictures but first got a couple of drinks at the bar (they had nonalcoholic cocktails to my absolute delight, and it was very good to boot). The manager himself used to be bartender and on a whim decided he himself would make Kyle's drink.
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Day 8 continued
Pics from our wanderings... the grounds were very much a tranquil retreat. We rarely ran into anyone other than our group except at breakfast. It was definitely a bit too cold for swimming, or at least by the time we returned in the evening it was.
A little pool area to soak your feet; they also had a sauna and spa treatment area that I did not take pics of.
We ended our loop back at the pool near the bar. It also has a fabulous view out into the hills.
Pics from our wanderings... the grounds were very much a tranquil retreat. We rarely ran into anyone other than our group except at breakfast. It was definitely a bit too cold for swimming, or at least by the time we returned in the evening it was.
A little pool area to soak your feet; they also had a sauna and spa treatment area that I did not take pics of.
We ended our loop back at the pool near the bar. It also has a fabulous view out into the hills.
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Day 8 continued
We met back up in the lobby at 5:30 and piled into tuktuks to get down to the night market. The distance may be another reason Disney changed gears with hotels in Laos - it was a bit too far to walk (30 min vs. 5) and once at the hotel there wasn't much else close by. Our goal was to eat OYO and also use the 20000 kip to buy a white elephant gift, which the 'game' part being to see who haggled the best. It was not us, lol.
We never get sick of seeing the tangle of wires on these poles in other countries - I can imagine how hard it is to do work on them!
My migraine had come back, so I used my second to last sumatriptan before we headed out. I assumed based on internet searches I would be able to find it in Laos as I had Vietnam but... it was not meant to be. We went into three different pharmacies and no one had it, but offered other medicines. We googled some more, and I finally bought some just in case I needed it, but I admit I was kind of wary as I hadn't tried any of them before. Having wasted much of our time on this, we hustled back to the crafts area and made our purchases as quickly as we could. We had made dinner reservations before arrival based on recommendations I've seen in other trip reports at 7pm for Manda de Laos and were in danger of being late! I was so distracted by our tardiness and shopping that this is literally the only picture I have of the market. It was very crowded and there were dozens and dozens of stalls, many selling the same thing, but some unique like this one. They mostly had their wares on cloths on the ground, and some displayed on the walls of the stalls where they could.
Treasures purchased, we decided to grab a tuktuk even though it was a 13 minute walk to make sure we were on time.
The grounds here are also serene and calm, with a big pond and tables set around it.
Pricy though it was for Laos everything tasted amazing and we were very glad for the splurge. We sadly weren't very hungry after all the eating we had been doing up until now, so we did not try a tasting menu. We had a nice do it yourself salad roll appetizer followed by two of the smaller entrees, buffalo for Kyle and fresh steamed fish for myself.
After that we were tapped out, not even room for desert and we had that cake waiting for us besides... we waddled ourselves out and walked back to the market to catch a tuktuk to the hotel. There were many around, but they all wanted more money than Tony had told us to pay. He had said 3 or 4, at most 5. Kyle was going to pay 8 anyway because what do we care about a couple of bucks, but for one of the very rare moments in my life I stood my ground and walked away. See, I CAN haggle when I know what things cost! And, lo and behold, it worked. We paid 5, but at least I didn't feel totally taken for a song! It helped of course knowing worse case we'd just walk back. Heaven knows after all that tasty food I could use the exercise...
We met back up in the lobby at 5:30 and piled into tuktuks to get down to the night market. The distance may be another reason Disney changed gears with hotels in Laos - it was a bit too far to walk (30 min vs. 5) and once at the hotel there wasn't much else close by. Our goal was to eat OYO and also use the 20000 kip to buy a white elephant gift, which the 'game' part being to see who haggled the best. It was not us, lol.
We never get sick of seeing the tangle of wires on these poles in other countries - I can imagine how hard it is to do work on them!
My migraine had come back, so I used my second to last sumatriptan before we headed out. I assumed based on internet searches I would be able to find it in Laos as I had Vietnam but... it was not meant to be. We went into three different pharmacies and no one had it, but offered other medicines. We googled some more, and I finally bought some just in case I needed it, but I admit I was kind of wary as I hadn't tried any of them before. Having wasted much of our time on this, we hustled back to the crafts area and made our purchases as quickly as we could. We had made dinner reservations before arrival based on recommendations I've seen in other trip reports at 7pm for Manda de Laos and were in danger of being late! I was so distracted by our tardiness and shopping that this is literally the only picture I have of the market. It was very crowded and there were dozens and dozens of stalls, many selling the same thing, but some unique like this one. They mostly had their wares on cloths on the ground, and some displayed on the walls of the stalls where they could.
Treasures purchased, we decided to grab a tuktuk even though it was a 13 minute walk to make sure we were on time.
The grounds here are also serene and calm, with a big pond and tables set around it.
Pricy though it was for Laos everything tasted amazing and we were very glad for the splurge. We sadly weren't very hungry after all the eating we had been doing up until now, so we did not try a tasting menu. We had a nice do it yourself salad roll appetizer followed by two of the smaller entrees, buffalo for Kyle and fresh steamed fish for myself.
After that we were tapped out, not even room for desert and we had that cake waiting for us besides... we waddled ourselves out and walked back to the market to catch a tuktuk to the hotel. There were many around, but they all wanted more money than Tony had told us to pay. He had said 3 or 4, at most 5. Kyle was going to pay 8 anyway because what do we care about a couple of bucks, but for one of the very rare moments in my life I stood my ground and walked away. See, I CAN haggle when I know what things cost! And, lo and behold, it worked. We paid 5, but at least I didn't feel totally taken for a song! It helped of course knowing worse case we'd just walk back. Heaven knows after all that tasty food I could use the exercise...
CaliforniaGirl09
DIS Veteran
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Yay, so glad you are back. Enjoying the report and looking forward to the rest!
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Day 9 - Lao Living Land
Before meetup we were warned about the challenges of dressing for this day... first you get muddy, then you get wet! They recommended shorts you can get dirty, and maybe another change of clothes if you wish in case you fall in. Also to bring swimwear if you planned to go swimming. First up was our visit to the Living Land rice farm, then onwards to Kuang Si falls. In the evening we had our beer tasting and white elephant exchange.
It should come as no surprise due to my foreshadowing that I really enjoyed myself on this day! We met up at around 9am after a very pleasant breakfast buffet and seating by the pool. Though this is a small resort they still had a wide variety of options both local and international-ish, with pastries and eggs/meats available. I went straight for the noodles... I found myself unable to skip noodles whereever offered in the morning. They were always good, but these were my favorite. I know I had a few more things such as a plate of fruit but apparently did not take a pic of that. Such is my love of noodles...
It was about a 20 minute drive to the farm. Throughout Laos we were using minivans instead of a big bus. I'm always amazed where they do fit, so I'm not sure they couldn't have worked, but in a way this was easier. On arrival we all took family portraits with the welcome sign and then began our tour of the 13 steps of rice cultivation, with the final step being enjoying it!
I'll spare you a breakdown of all 13 steps. It'll be a surprise when you go! Also I didn't write them all down... I don't think I could grow it here in Portland even if I desperately want to.
After dropping off extra items and bags upstairs where we'd be having lunch later, we selected our hats for the day and headed out to the fields. There is a great view here!
They have a lot of items on display up there as well, though we did not have a tour or explanation of this portion of the farm.
First we planted seed in one field, then planted little starts in another. At each stage they work with the land and water to make a perfect system for the rice to mature.
Before we knew it, it was time to get even muddier with "Susan"! They had us split into pairs for this part, and honestly we just pretended we were driving Susan... it was hard to keep the plow all the way into the mud when you don't know what you are doing! Susan helped by peeing and pooping on this first circle with us... I was kind of glad I went first, but tbh Susan could have been doing it all morning for all we know. To everyone's credit, they ALL took turns despite the surprises in the mud. We could not be deterred! Well, maybe I would have been but I was already in the "mud" anyway...
From here we went through more steps until time to harvest, and got to try our hand at using a sickle. That was certainly a first for me! After that we walked back to the main area and had plenty of time to scrub off our feet for the next steps. Once we were clean for the most part we took seats on the benches and listened to their presentation, after which we got to WHACK. THAT. RICE.!
After whacking it from the stalks, they had us use big fans to blow off the heads and detritus that didn't have plump rice waiting to be removed. Next we watched how the men and women use a pounder and trays to separate the grains from the... whoops I said I wouldn't go through the steps..! We all got to try both pounding and using the tray if we wished.
These gentlemen were weaving away while we were on our tour. There were other small groups going this way and that on tours as we were on ours as well.
Off to the side some rice was cooking as a demonstration here as well. The rice is stiky rice, which is a type (hey, news to me!). You can get three harvests a year by growing year round with sticky rice so it is a staple here. With every meal we got sticky rice... and yes this would be put to the test later on today.
Before meetup we were warned about the challenges of dressing for this day... first you get muddy, then you get wet! They recommended shorts you can get dirty, and maybe another change of clothes if you wish in case you fall in. Also to bring swimwear if you planned to go swimming. First up was our visit to the Living Land rice farm, then onwards to Kuang Si falls. In the evening we had our beer tasting and white elephant exchange.
It should come as no surprise due to my foreshadowing that I really enjoyed myself on this day! We met up at around 9am after a very pleasant breakfast buffet and seating by the pool. Though this is a small resort they still had a wide variety of options both local and international-ish, with pastries and eggs/meats available. I went straight for the noodles... I found myself unable to skip noodles whereever offered in the morning. They were always good, but these were my favorite. I know I had a few more things such as a plate of fruit but apparently did not take a pic of that. Such is my love of noodles...
It was about a 20 minute drive to the farm. Throughout Laos we were using minivans instead of a big bus. I'm always amazed where they do fit, so I'm not sure they couldn't have worked, but in a way this was easier. On arrival we all took family portraits with the welcome sign and then began our tour of the 13 steps of rice cultivation, with the final step being enjoying it!
I'll spare you a breakdown of all 13 steps. It'll be a surprise when you go! Also I didn't write them all down... I don't think I could grow it here in Portland even if I desperately want to.
After dropping off extra items and bags upstairs where we'd be having lunch later, we selected our hats for the day and headed out to the fields. There is a great view here!
They have a lot of items on display up there as well, though we did not have a tour or explanation of this portion of the farm.
First we planted seed in one field, then planted little starts in another. At each stage they work with the land and water to make a perfect system for the rice to mature.
Before we knew it, it was time to get even muddier with "Susan"! They had us split into pairs for this part, and honestly we just pretended we were driving Susan... it was hard to keep the plow all the way into the mud when you don't know what you are doing! Susan helped by peeing and pooping on this first circle with us... I was kind of glad I went first, but tbh Susan could have been doing it all morning for all we know. To everyone's credit, they ALL took turns despite the surprises in the mud. We could not be deterred! Well, maybe I would have been but I was already in the "mud" anyway...
From here we went through more steps until time to harvest, and got to try our hand at using a sickle. That was certainly a first for me! After that we walked back to the main area and had plenty of time to scrub off our feet for the next steps. Once we were clean for the most part we took seats on the benches and listened to their presentation, after which we got to WHACK. THAT. RICE.!
After whacking it from the stalks, they had us use big fans to blow off the heads and detritus that didn't have plump rice waiting to be removed. Next we watched how the men and women use a pounder and trays to separate the grains from the... whoops I said I wouldn't go through the steps..! We all got to try both pounding and using the tray if we wished.
These gentlemen were weaving away while we were on our tour. There were other small groups going this way and that on tours as we were on ours as well.
Off to the side some rice was cooking as a demonstration here as well. The rice is stiky rice, which is a type (hey, news to me!). You can get three harvests a year by growing year round with sticky rice so it is a staple here. With every meal we got sticky rice... and yes this would be put to the test later on today.
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Day 9 continued~!
What is rice without an adult beverage made from it?
Then we helped make some kid friendly sugar cane juice!
It was very tasty. We then were brought back upstairs for lunch, which was very lazy and perfect. In the distance some kids were running with kites along the fields. Kyle managed to take some great shots, but unfortunately he is taking an eternity to edit his photos (says the lady taking forever to do her trip report) and so we're still making do with photos from my iPhone mostly.
Beer was once again included since we were on an adult only departure. Too bad I was suffering migraines or I'd have joined them!
As lunch drew to a close some of us started wandering around before boarding the vans to head to our next stop around a quarter to 1 if my iPhone timestamp is to be believed.
On arrival we had to transfer from our vans to the public shuttles the rest of the way to the entrance, after which we were on foot the rest of the way to the falls. There were some small shops and folk selling food before the gate.
These are the main photo op falls, but there were many to come as we wandered down along the river. We all made sure to take family shots here first. There were a lot of folk doing the same, but since we were a big group we were able to clear the way.
What is rice without an adult beverage made from it?
Then we helped make some kid friendly sugar cane juice!
It was very tasty. We then were brought back upstairs for lunch, which was very lazy and perfect. In the distance some kids were running with kites along the fields. Kyle managed to take some great shots, but unfortunately he is taking an eternity to edit his photos (says the lady taking forever to do her trip report) and so we're still making do with photos from my iPhone mostly.
Beer was once again included since we were on an adult only departure. Too bad I was suffering migraines or I'd have joined them!
As lunch drew to a close some of us started wandering around before boarding the vans to head to our next stop around a quarter to 1 if my iPhone timestamp is to be believed.
On arrival we had to transfer from our vans to the public shuttles the rest of the way to the entrance, after which we were on foot the rest of the way to the falls. There were some small shops and folk selling food before the gate.
These are the main photo op falls, but there were many to come as we wandered down along the river. We all made sure to take family shots here first. There were a lot of folk doing the same, but since we were a big group we were able to clear the way.
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Day 9 continued~!
There are far too many pretty pictures to share, this was a very nice, shady, and easy walk down.
The walkway was well kept though some areas are highly compressed rooty dirt. I imagine if it rains it gets a bit muddy and slippy.
Eventually Tony and Doug picked a nice pool for us all to swim in. Shockingly few took advantage with even some folk who wore their swimsuits staying out. I had decided prior I WOULD be doing this... and braved the cold water up to my belly. I was very proud until a couple from New Mexico went all the way in for a swim. I was not THAT brave..! It was COLD!
Then we continued our walk and ended at a bear sanctuary of some sort? Oookay....? Tony was far ahead and so I do not know what it was all about.
Around 3pm we were done and heading back to the hotel.
No notes, just an idea of some of the very different views from driving around.
This was a restaurant. We also passed by an elephant encounter but did not stop. I am not sure how well they treat their animals here, but there was an exhibit in Vietnam about how important elephants are to the people who use them, so I hope very well here too!
Back at the hotel we had free time until it was time for the beer tasting and white elephant.
This was really fun~! There were a lot of duplicates as youd expect, and TONS of stealing back and forth. The beer tasting amounted to the 2 or 3 kinds of local beer from bottles. Nothing crazy but once again appreciated by the folk who drink!
Dinner was at the hotel by the pool as breakfast was. It was delicious! We had picked our meals way back on day 1, so it was a surprise to many what they'd ordered. I had chosen salad to start, with curry and then mango sticky rice.
They served my curry with both jasmine rice AND sticky rice?! They are VERY SERIOUS about serving sticky rice with every meal I guess. EVERY. MEAL. Even rice meals.
...ok I admit it. By the time the mango rice came out I was.. riced out. It finally happened. And may never again. It was all great, and I'm glad I had it, but I was definitely forcing myself to eat it at this point... and, sadly, I have not been able to find any mango sticky rice half as tasty here at home. Alas...!
There are far too many pretty pictures to share, this was a very nice, shady, and easy walk down.
The walkway was well kept though some areas are highly compressed rooty dirt. I imagine if it rains it gets a bit muddy and slippy.
Eventually Tony and Doug picked a nice pool for us all to swim in. Shockingly few took advantage with even some folk who wore their swimsuits staying out. I had decided prior I WOULD be doing this... and braved the cold water up to my belly. I was very proud until a couple from New Mexico went all the way in for a swim. I was not THAT brave..! It was COLD!
Then we continued our walk and ended at a bear sanctuary of some sort? Oookay....? Tony was far ahead and so I do not know what it was all about.
Around 3pm we were done and heading back to the hotel.
No notes, just an idea of some of the very different views from driving around.
This was a restaurant. We also passed by an elephant encounter but did not stop. I am not sure how well they treat their animals here, but there was an exhibit in Vietnam about how important elephants are to the people who use them, so I hope very well here too!
Back at the hotel we had free time until it was time for the beer tasting and white elephant.
This was really fun~! There were a lot of duplicates as youd expect, and TONS of stealing back and forth. The beer tasting amounted to the 2 or 3 kinds of local beer from bottles. Nothing crazy but once again appreciated by the folk who drink!
Dinner was at the hotel by the pool as breakfast was. It was delicious! We had picked our meals way back on day 1, so it was a surprise to many what they'd ordered. I had chosen salad to start, with curry and then mango sticky rice.
They served my curry with both jasmine rice AND sticky rice?! They are VERY SERIOUS about serving sticky rice with every meal I guess. EVERY. MEAL. Even rice meals.
...ok I admit it. By the time the mango rice came out I was.. riced out. It finally happened. And may never again. It was all great, and I'm glad I had it, but I was definitely forcing myself to eat it at this point... and, sadly, I have not been able to find any mango sticky rice half as tasty here at home. Alas...!
Last edited:
CaliforniaGirl09
DIS Veteran
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Love all the pics--looks like a great trip!
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It really was! The Vietnam portion had some hiccups in the beginning logistics wise, and a few other snafus but Laos and Cambodia more than made up for any mishap. I'm glad I'm going back through all the pics again now months later. I need to do this more often after trips. We're always bustling onto the next thing... aside from some smaller trips closer to home we're supposed to be headed to Egypt and Jordan in November which has me stressed out as you can imagine! Its nice going back to a tranquil trip like this to remind myself to breathe and that its all worth it!
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Day 10 - Krazy for Khmer
This was a loooong day, to be sure, so buckle up I have five whole posts to get in the pics I want to share.
We were out the door at 5:30am for alms giving, followed by a hike up Mount Phousi to see the sunrise. You could of course skip this if you wish. Some skipped just the hike, others the whole thing, but Kyle and I were game for it all! We did have to take the vans into the more 'downtown' area closer to the temples. There were blocks and blocks of setups like ours just waiting for folk. I am not sure they were all used tbh, or why we were shown to the area we were, but we took our seats, were offered tea if we were thirty or cold, and waited a bit until it was time.
After awhile groups of monks came by with their pails. We were cautioned to be careful to just use little tiny balls of rice so we would not run out, there were a few different groups that came by. Most were younger, though a few of the temples had some older monks guiding them as well.
In addition to the sticky rice we were also given.... candy bars. Depending on the time of year, it can be feast or famine for these monks. Sometimes they get far more food than they need, and other times there are no alms givers and they do not have enough to eat. We were there during a feast period, so it felt like these rather bored kids were dutifully taking our rice, just to toss them in large bins set up every block or so. The bins were then taken to the homeless, so hopefully none of it was ultimately wasted. It did feel a little performative, but I get the necessity of it, and I don't think Disney should skip it at all as it does give a very good picture of life here.
After giving alms we were taken to a temple complex where some young monks again showed us how they prepared their morning meal, reheating the rice and what their daily prayer schedule is like while an older monk spoke.
We had the opportunity for a restroom stop here, and some folk departed before we began our steep stairy hike.... at a shall we say brisk pace? We were barely under the wire somehow though the morning had felt very leisurely till now! Since there are mountains it takes awhile for the sun to show itself despite the fact it had dawned awhile ago.
Some folk behind us didn't QUITE get those first rays, but we managed. There was only one other person up there, and we ran into very few folk up and down the rest of the hike as well, until we got to the summit.
Along the way were so many statues and such it felt a little like marble mountain again, but the style and feeling here was very different. Did I mention it also was WAY less crowded?
We were spread thin along the path with Kyle and I just about at the rear due to his picture taking, so if Tony was explaining any of it we missed it.
This was a loooong day, to be sure, so buckle up I have five whole posts to get in the pics I want to share.
We were out the door at 5:30am for alms giving, followed by a hike up Mount Phousi to see the sunrise. You could of course skip this if you wish. Some skipped just the hike, others the whole thing, but Kyle and I were game for it all! We did have to take the vans into the more 'downtown' area closer to the temples. There were blocks and blocks of setups like ours just waiting for folk. I am not sure they were all used tbh, or why we were shown to the area we were, but we took our seats, were offered tea if we were thirty or cold, and waited a bit until it was time.
After awhile groups of monks came by with their pails. We were cautioned to be careful to just use little tiny balls of rice so we would not run out, there were a few different groups that came by. Most were younger, though a few of the temples had some older monks guiding them as well.
In addition to the sticky rice we were also given.... candy bars. Depending on the time of year, it can be feast or famine for these monks. Sometimes they get far more food than they need, and other times there are no alms givers and they do not have enough to eat. We were there during a feast period, so it felt like these rather bored kids were dutifully taking our rice, just to toss them in large bins set up every block or so. The bins were then taken to the homeless, so hopefully none of it was ultimately wasted. It did feel a little performative, but I get the necessity of it, and I don't think Disney should skip it at all as it does give a very good picture of life here.
After giving alms we were taken to a temple complex where some young monks again showed us how they prepared their morning meal, reheating the rice and what their daily prayer schedule is like while an older monk spoke.
We had the opportunity for a restroom stop here, and some folk departed before we began our steep stairy hike.... at a shall we say brisk pace? We were barely under the wire somehow though the morning had felt very leisurely till now! Since there are mountains it takes awhile for the sun to show itself despite the fact it had dawned awhile ago.
Some folk behind us didn't QUITE get those first rays, but we managed. There was only one other person up there, and we ran into very few folk up and down the rest of the hike as well, until we got to the summit.
Along the way were so many statues and such it felt a little like marble mountain again, but the style and feeling here was very different. Did I mention it also was WAY less crowded?
We were spread thin along the path with Kyle and I just about at the rear due to his picture taking, so if Tony was explaining any of it we missed it.
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- Jul 7, 2010
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Day 10 continued
There were TONS of these 7 headed Naga all over.
Once at the summit we all took turns at the very tip for family photos and being goofballs.
Then back down we went, passing by part of the complex we would be visiting a few hours later with local guides.
But first they proudly presented our breakfast! I only took a couple of pics, there was more to it, but I again didn't want to get in anyone's way.
We then lingered at breakfast and by the koi pond after packing our luggage for a 10am departure and drove back where we'd just been to continue. We met up with local guides Ken & Niet as they walked us around the Royal Palace Museum.
There were no pictures inside, so all I have to offer you is one of the front:
and the view from the stairs:
From here we were taken to the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers at about 11:20. You can see the different colors of the rivers as they meet, with the upper in the pic being more brown.
There were TONS of these 7 headed Naga all over.
Once at the summit we all took turns at the very tip for family photos and being goofballs.
Then back down we went, passing by part of the complex we would be visiting a few hours later with local guides.
But first they proudly presented our breakfast! I only took a couple of pics, there was more to it, but I again didn't want to get in anyone's way.
We then lingered at breakfast and by the koi pond after packing our luggage for a 10am departure and drove back where we'd just been to continue. We met up with local guides Ken & Niet as they walked us around the Royal Palace Museum.
There were no pictures inside, so all I have to offer you is one of the front:
and the view from the stairs:
From here we were taken to the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers at about 11:20. You can see the different colors of the rivers as they meet, with the upper in the pic being more brown.
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- Jul 7, 2010
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- 10,407
Day 10 continued
A little walk further and we were at Wat Xiengthong. Well.. most of us. We'd lost a few people along the way to some spirited price negotiation in the name of souvenirs for folk back home. Hopefully both sides were happy with the final price.. ^^;; We listened to their explanation of the site for a bit in the shade, and then were released to wander as we pleased until 12:45.
A little walk further and we were at Wat Xiengthong. Well.. most of us. We'd lost a few people along the way to some spirited price negotiation in the name of souvenirs for folk back home. Hopefully both sides were happy with the final price.. ^^;; We listened to their explanation of the site for a bit in the shade, and then were released to wander as we pleased until 12:45.
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Day 10 continued
At 12:45 we said goodbye to our local guides and were off to the airport at 1. Kyle being Kyle snooped a little... #magicruined.
It was a foreshadowing of our biggest miss with a meal so far. The sandwiches did make it, but we'd all chosen to have bananas with them and... there just weren't any to be had I guess? The one person who wanted an apple got it, and they gave us a bunch that no one wanted. Welp! I hope someone ultimately ate them... the sandwiches were very basic but hey, food acquired! Tony had checked in all our bags, so we did not even have to do that. Once we were past security Doug bought us all a drink from a shop as well and we settled in to wait for our 2:40pm flight to depart.
Onboard we had a welcome sight!
The only fireworks I saw, but very appreciated!
As was the inflight snack. We were truly carbed up and ready to go now!
We landed safely in Cambodia at 4pm. We did have to wait a bit while Tony found our luggage, but Doug pulled out a game for us to play while we waited.
It was at the new airport outside of town which sadly meant a non negotiable 55 minute ride to the hotel. Our local guide joined us on the ride - his name was Chan and he was of course very nice and personable. He spoke about Cambodia as we traveled and I had fun looking out the window again.
Slowly agriculture led to little strips of activity like this to more and more dense urbanization. At the little shops like these there are typically hammocks that drivers can use to rest in before they continue on their way.
At the hotel we were greeted with full fanfare!
The lobby was large and bright, once again we were at a much later hotel for our last stay on the trip.
Buildings had very nice outdoor walkways leading to different areas. There were signs everywhere for the various birds that made their homes in houses put out for them and trees.
At 12:45 we said goodbye to our local guides and were off to the airport at 1. Kyle being Kyle snooped a little... #magicruined.
It was a foreshadowing of our biggest miss with a meal so far. The sandwiches did make it, but we'd all chosen to have bananas with them and... there just weren't any to be had I guess? The one person who wanted an apple got it, and they gave us a bunch that no one wanted. Welp! I hope someone ultimately ate them... the sandwiches were very basic but hey, food acquired! Tony had checked in all our bags, so we did not even have to do that. Once we were past security Doug bought us all a drink from a shop as well and we settled in to wait for our 2:40pm flight to depart.
Onboard we had a welcome sight!
The only fireworks I saw, but very appreciated!
As was the inflight snack. We were truly carbed up and ready to go now!
We landed safely in Cambodia at 4pm. We did have to wait a bit while Tony found our luggage, but Doug pulled out a game for us to play while we waited.
It was at the new airport outside of town which sadly meant a non negotiable 55 minute ride to the hotel. Our local guide joined us on the ride - his name was Chan and he was of course very nice and personable. He spoke about Cambodia as we traveled and I had fun looking out the window again.
Slowly agriculture led to little strips of activity like this to more and more dense urbanization. At the little shops like these there are typically hammocks that drivers can use to rest in before they continue on their way.
At the hotel we were greeted with full fanfare!
The lobby was large and bright, once again we were at a much later hotel for our last stay on the trip.
Buildings had very nice outdoor walkways leading to different areas. There were signs everywhere for the various birds that made their homes in houses put out for them and trees.
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2010
- Messages
- 10,407
Day 10 continued
We had arrived at about 6pm, and were told there would be tuktuks to take us to the night market at 7 or 7:30, whichever we preferred, with tuktuks back at 8 & 8:30. Our room was once again very nice.
One thing I had forgotten to talk about was the firmness of the mattresses. In Japan it is also common if you stay at more local -oriented places to have a firm mattress as well, and so I hadn't given it much thought until after we were home and I noticed people on other trips had commented about it. I'd say they were all less firm than I've run into, and neither Kyle or I had any trouble on the trip overall. THIS particular mattress though does rival those. It was not laugh out loud firm like the one we slept on earlier the same year in Wakkanai, but enough for even me to go OK this is TOO firm. We still slept well.
We went with the early group and on arrival there was a bit of a mutiny as some folk wanted longer to shop AND eat dinner. I think they were only granted an extra 30 min or so, but satisfied everyone dispersed.
We went to one of the places recommended by the guides for local food - Khmer Kitchen - as did many others. There was maybe a 10 min wait, but the food was good and the menu large. We had some dumplings and a local curry that I neglected to take a pic of.I also had a cashew shake which was a first and tasted so good! As we are some little children walked amongst the tables asking for money; they mostly asked the table situated outside or just inside, but did also come by our table deep in the restaurant a couple of times. I only mention it so folk are aware as it may make others uncomfortable.
After dinner we wandered around, taking it all in.
Pub Street was a packed party atmosphere with displays set up periodically for photo ops.
At about 9:15 we were headed back to the hotel, with our next day being the one the majority of folk on the trip were looking forward to the most!
We had arrived at about 6pm, and were told there would be tuktuks to take us to the night market at 7 or 7:30, whichever we preferred, with tuktuks back at 8 & 8:30. Our room was once again very nice.
One thing I had forgotten to talk about was the firmness of the mattresses. In Japan it is also common if you stay at more local -oriented places to have a firm mattress as well, and so I hadn't given it much thought until after we were home and I noticed people on other trips had commented about it. I'd say they were all less firm than I've run into, and neither Kyle or I had any trouble on the trip overall. THIS particular mattress though does rival those. It was not laugh out loud firm like the one we slept on earlier the same year in Wakkanai, but enough for even me to go OK this is TOO firm. We still slept well.
We went with the early group and on arrival there was a bit of a mutiny as some folk wanted longer to shop AND eat dinner. I think they were only granted an extra 30 min or so, but satisfied everyone dispersed.
We went to one of the places recommended by the guides for local food - Khmer Kitchen - as did many others. There was maybe a 10 min wait, but the food was good and the menu large. We had some dumplings and a local curry that I neglected to take a pic of.I also had a cashew shake which was a first and tasted so good! As we are some little children walked amongst the tables asking for money; they mostly asked the table situated outside or just inside, but did also come by our table deep in the restaurant a couple of times. I only mention it so folk are aware as it may make others uncomfortable.
After dinner we wandered around, taking it all in.
Pub Street was a packed party atmosphere with displays set up periodically for photo ops.
At about 9:15 we were headed back to the hotel, with our next day being the one the majority of folk on the trip were looking forward to the most!
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