Photo credit: all photos by Cindy Fan The Lao Elephant Festival takes places every February in Sayabouly (also spelled Xayaboury, Sainyabuli, Sayaboury) in northern Laos. The festival celebrates the important historical, cultural and symbolic significance of Asian elephants in Laos. Over 40 elephants and their mahouts make the journey from throughout the province and beyond to… Read more »
Posts Tagged: MARKETS
KHAO SAN ROAD, BANGKOK, THAILAND
KHAO PIAK SIEN: THE NOODLE SOUP OF LAOS
At first glance, Khao piak sien, a rice noodle soup with meat, may not look like much. But what’s simple is good and khao piak is deserving of its title as one of the signature noodle dishes of Laos, parts of Vietnam and northeast Thailand. The noodle is a fresh rice noodle, tubular (versus a flat noodle… Read more »
INSIDER’S GUIDE: SIX THINGS TO DO IN VIENTIANE
Travellers in Laos often spend little time in Vientiane, sometimes bypassing the capital city completely. True, Vientiane lacks the tourist-centric charms of Luang Prabang–but in a way, this is the city’s draw. The city is for living and to fully appreciate it, free-spirited exploration is required—if you do, you’ll be rewarded with incredible surprises. Here’s… Read more »
BANGKOK ON A BUDGET | TRAVEL TIPS
TIPS FOR BANGKOK ON A BUDGET In the last seven months, I’ve travelled and stayed in Bangkok six times. Not too shabby. The capital city of Thailand is fantastic fun and exciting – but a trip to a Bangkok megamall or Chatuchak weekend market plus a “Hangover” style night out and you’ll wake up wondering… Read more »
SOMETHING’S A-FOUL WITH LAO FISH SAUCE
You may already be familiar with fish sauce, but in Laos, they take fish sauce to a whole other level. Lao fish sauce, called padek, is thicker and has a more pungent aroma than regular fish sauce. It is opaque, dark brown and often still contains chunks of fish. Padek is made by fermenting (in… Read more »
INSIDER’S GUIDE TO PHNOM PENH
Phnom Penh demands your attention from the moment you arrive. Vibrant, exciting and utterly unpredictable are just a few words to describe Cambodia’s capital. It’s a city of stark contrasts: slick SUVs share the road with old-world cyclos; visitors can relax in a posh cafe and think they are in Paris, or join the locals at a… Read more »
THE PLASTIC POLLUTION CRISIS & HOW TRAVELLERS CAN REDUCE THEIR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT
“The role of the infinitely small in nature is infinitely large” – Louis Pasteur When you travel, have you ever considered how much plastic you use? Asia has some of the world’s top travel destinations. Those who have travelled there might have noticed how vendors and stores will provide plastic bags for everything, even small,… Read more »
KHAI PENE – LAO SNACK FOOD WITH A SURPRISING INGREDIENT
Khai is a riverweed that is harvested by hand and made into khai pene, a surprisingly tasty Lao snack. From December until the end of February, khai is collected from the Mekong’s many tributaries, then washed, sun-dried, flattened into sheets and seasoned with sesame seeds, garlic, tomato and spring onions. Khai pene is flash-fried or grilled until… Read more »
ADVENTURES IN FRUITLAND: 5 WACKY FRUITS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
My blog post on Durian, the “king of fruits,” got me thinking: what other wacky fruits of Southeast Asia should travellers try? Here’s a list of 5 that shouldn’t be missed. 1. Mangosteen Mangosteens look like something out a cartoon: plump, purple and round with a funny looking four-leaf top “hat”. A very thick peel encases… Read more »
