Thailand & Laos Jan 2011

" LIFE after retirement gives you a wonderful opportunity to live LIFE again " 

" Let's age gracefully but with a new zest for LIFE " 

" It is not the length of LIFE that makes a difference. It is the depth of LIFE. The depth of LIFE  is living moment to moment " 

" My 9 days solo visit to Northern Thailand & Laos (8 - 17/1/2011) - border crossings by trains & buses from Malaysia to Thailand & Laos via the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge, 25 km east of Vientiane; a bureaucratic, challenging but interesting trip "

Laos is the No 9 Asean country I visited thus far. Asean currently has 10 member countries in South East Asia (ie Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia & Laos). The only Asean country I have yet to visit is Myanmar - this I will probably do so in the near future.

Luang Prabang (a former royal capital of Laos) is in the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995 and this had driven me to visit this mountainous northern town in Laos - a 10 hour treacherous bus ride from Vientiane (380km) ! Rural poverty still permeate in most part of Northern Thailand and Laos as I travelled to their country side.

For this trip, I relied mainly on overnight trains and I spent a total of five nights in the trains. In short, a slow, laid back & stress free trip from Kuala Lumpur right up to Vientiane. Along the way, I met a number of fellow Malaysians and Thais (English and Mandarin speaking) in the trains and this made my trip more interesting.

It was quite an experience when I arrived at the cross border checkpoints in Sadao, Southern Thailand and Nong Khai, Northern Thailand & Laos as all tourists had to queue up patiently to have their passports processed by the Immigration counters.

January was a perfect time for travelling to Thailand & Laos as the weather was cool and dry. For this year, Laos was experiencing a "winter" in January with a spring temperature of around 20c.

Total expenses incurred in Thailand & Laos (9 days): Rm953 (Euro$220)

Travel itinerary: Kuala Lumpur > Butterworth > Hatyai > Bangkok > Nong Khai > Vientiane > Luang Prabang > Vientiane > Nong Khai > Bangkok > Hatyai > Kuala Lumpur
Train tickets : Rm33 + B3,176 = Rm367 
KL>Butterworth-Rm33 (senior citizen)
Hat Yai>Bangkok-B855
Bangkok>Nong Khai-B688
Nong Khai>Bangkok-B688
Bangkok>Hat Yai-B945
Bus tickets : RM38 + B1,790=Rm226
Butterworth>Hat Yai-Rm38
Hat Yai>KL-B450
Vientiane>Luang Prabang-B600
Luang Prabang>Vientiane-B580
Hostels: Rm114 (total)
Intha Hotel (Vientiane) - B568 + US$9 (Deluxe double bed, 2 nights)
Xayana Guesthouse (Luang Prabang) - US4.50 x 2 nights (dorm)
Tut-tut-B160 Sundries:B570=Rm60
Food: Rm26 + B896 + 146,000kips = Rm182
Departure tax (Laos)-B40=Rm4
Exchange rate: Rm1=B9.52; B1=2,470kip, US$1=Rm3.1

Travel Highlights : 

1) Butterworth & Penang, Malaysia


2) Hat Yai, South Thailand


3) Bangkok, Capital of Thailand


4) Nong Khai, North Thailand


5) Vientiane, Capital of Laos

6) Luang Prabang (a former royal capital & an UNESCO site), Laos

The eco-friendly attap houses in Laos country sides are hardly seen in Peninsula Malaysia these days

 

The secrets of life : You can't stay young forever, but you can be immature for the rest of your life