White bulb lights are strung between bars built out of the likes of recycled shipping containers. People eat high-end food-truck style meals on wooden tables and pull bottles of Beer Lao from ice buckets. Piles of hay bales mark the entrance behind face-in-the-hole photo spots of a cowboy and cowgirl. There’s a guitar player in …
Hanoi is intense. We have been in this city (and this country) for less than 24 hours and have had some of the more extreme travel experiences of our trip. I like it — it’s got a lot of energy, it’s chaotic — but it can challenge you on so many levels. I think my …
At this very moment, I’m sitting at a hightop table at a coffee shop. The exposed brick wall is lined with black and white photos of coffee beans and inspirational quotes that say things like “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” I’m halfway through my iced coffee, and I’ve been eyeing …
New Year’s Eve in Chiang Rai, Thailand was easily one of my all-time favorite trip memories and one of the best New Year’s I’ve ever had. It was festive, but so relaxed. There were lanterns and fireworks, Thai food and beer, and really, what more do you need to ring in the new year on …
If you’ve heard about Vang Vieng, it’s because you’ve heard about Tubing in Vang Vieng. And if you’ve heard about tubing in Vang Vieng, you’re either incredibly worried about us or have heard about how it has changed. While it’s nowhere near the experience it used to be, it’s still a great stop if you’re …
Well, guys, here we are! We’re officially looking back on six months of travel in our rearview. I feel like we’re really starting to get a handle of this whole travel lifestyle. We are starting to appreciate some of the less glamorous things, like getting lost on hikes (like on our hike to Wat Phra That …
We started the Backpacker’s Route Through Southeast Asia in Thailand. We made our way north through from Bangkok, to Chiang Mai, to Chiang Rai, and have finally made our way into our next country: Laos! Laos was the country in Southeast Asia that I was most excited about and for no good reason. I just …
On Christmas Eve morning, we laced up our Nikes and headed to the starting line of the Chiang Mai Marathon in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was our second marathon of this trip and our seventh ever. The race was definitely more of a cultural experience than it was a quality marathon, so having a good …
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been on the road for six months now. I knew this day would come faster than I expected, but it somehow managed to get here even faster than I could have possibly imagined. It’s been an incredible journey so far. We’ve stayed in 12-bed hostels and Club Level at …
We were in Chiang Rai for less than five hours before we decided that we had to extend our planned stay here. We had originally only planned to be here for three nights, but after a quick walk through the night bazaar, a dinner in a lively street market and the cheapest patio beers we’ve …