The unique experiences you can only have in Laos

Laos is full of undiscovered riches, mysterious legends and secluded wonders. You do not have to try very hard to find something, or somewhere, so far outside of the realms of conventional tourism that no postcard will do it justice. Almost everything in Laos is a unique experience. Here are some favourite experiences that are unique there.

Take boat from the border to Luang Prabang

If you are entering Laos from the Lao-Thai border in the north, Nagi of Mekong offers a two-day river cruise on a 118 foot (36m) traditional Lao river boat. Start in Houay Xai, stay overnight in a guest house, and arrive in Luang Prabang the next day. Cruises are available upstream from Luang Prabang to Houay Xai as well.

Sleep nestled in the jungle canopy

The well-known Bokeo Nature Reserve lies just outside the town of Huay Xai. It was discovered here, thanks to the regions ongoing conservation work, that the black-cheeked gibbon, thought previously to be extinct, was rediscovered. Nowadays, the park is a protected area staffed with exerts tasked to increase gibbon numbers. The park also allows you to spend the night in vertigo-inducing tree houses which give visits a bird eye view of the forest canopy below, allowing you to catch a glimpse of the elephants, bears, birds, tigers and buffalo who call Bokeo home.

Soak up the island life on Si Phan Don

Si Phan Don, as known as “Four Thousand Islands”, is a valuable destination for anyone looking for some laid-back days in their Lao trip. Accessing to some of Laos’s most spectacular natural wonders, Si Phan Don is so graceful with the smell of wildflowers in the air, the scene of buffalos grazing grass, and lazy fishing boats flowing in the river. A visit to this destination will give visitors exciting experiences including discovering the majestic nature, eating Lao food at one of the islands’ many stilt-mounted restaurants, biking on the island roads, and kayaking among the more navigable stretches of the Mekong River nearby.

Go tubing in Vang Vieng

No guide mentioning the fun stuff to do in Laos would be completed without mentioning tubing in Vang Vieng. Once a favourite of partying backpackers, the government restrictions on raucous bars along the river edge has now meant that everyone should feel welcome to come give it a go. The concept of tubing is simple. You reach a starting point with a large inflatable rubber ring. You then get into said ring, and proceed to float along the river with your pals, family, or fellow tubers, stopping at will at any bar or scenic spot along the way. How to stop, you ask? Simply call out ta the bar of your choice, where someone will be ready with a rope to pull you in. Whilst thousands of people still take to the tubes every year without injury, some basic swimming skills are advised, as well as reasonable alcohol consumption.

See more: 5 activities to do in Vang Vieng, Laos

Get lost in Tham Kong Lo Cave

Tham Kong Lo is a majestic karst limestone cave located in Khammouane Province of Laos. The karst formation is dramatic and the cave has been cited as a “one of Southeast Asia’s geological wonders”. This otherworldly cave can blow you away, with its majestic charm and unique kart forms just like a reminiscent of the Greek underworld. The underground stretch of the river goes on for about four miles; from Ban Kong Lo village, you can hire a motorized boat to enter the cave, where you will gape at the show provided by colored floodlights bouncing off the intricate cave interiors.

Source Internet

Top must-try non alcoholic drinks in Thailand

If you're having street food, you'll likely get to choose from water and soda, and if you're going for an alcoholic beverage, Thai beer can't be beaten. But if you want something without alcohol in it, here are some of the most popular drinks in Thailand. They tend to be very, very sweet, though, so be prepared.

Cha Yen

You may be familiar with this Thai iced tea, it's the milky, orange drink that's often served in Thai restaurants in the United States and Europe. In the typical Thai iced tea, you'll find black tea brewed with boiling water using a cloth strainer, plus some sweetened, condensed milk, served over ice with sugar and a little evaporated milk on top. These days the reddish-orange color is the product of food coloring, though traditionally it may have come from a natural source. If you prefer your Cha Yen without extra sugar, you can ask for it mai waan, which means "not sweet." You'll still get a little sweetness from the condensed milk but at least you won't get the scoop of sugar on top of that.

Cha Manao

If you want the iced tea but don't want all the dairy products that are typically served with it, you can ask for a cha manao, which, translated into English, means "lime tea." That's brewed just the same as cha yen but instead of being served with condensed milk, is served with freshly squeezed lime juice. The default is to serve it very sweet, so if you do not want any sugar, as for it mai waan as you would with cha yen.

Nam Manao

Nam manao is just lime juice, water, and sugar served together. Like similar drinks you'll find in India and other countries with hot climates, it's a basic, refreshing tropical beverage. If you order a nam manao from a street vendor it's likely to be sweetened, but if you order one at a restaurant you'll be served sugar syrup on the side. Nam manao is a great complement to spicy Thai curries.

Manao Soda

This is just fresh lime juice served with soda water and sugar syrup if you want. This is a great substitute for sweetened sodas and any restaurant in the country will serve this up.

Sweet Sodas

These are usually ordered by indicating the color of the flavor you want mixed with your soda water, so, for example, if you want a cherry-flavored soda you'd order a red soda. Same goes for lime (green) and orange (orange). These are made by mixing a colored, flavored syrup into ice and soda water and are very popular, even among adults, in Thailand.

See more: The best Thai desserts to indulge in

Source: Internet

Visit Hokkaido and taste these amazing dishes

Hokkaido is a large prefecture in the North of Japan that’s blessed with abundant nature, rich and expansive agricultural lands, and some of the finest seafood in the country. It’s no surprise then that Hokkaido is a popular tourist destination, not just for foreign visitors but for many domestic travelers. One of the main highlights of visiting Japan’s northernmost prefecture is to enjoy the region’s meibutsu, the local specialty foodstuffs.

1. Crab

Hokkaido boasts several premium varieties of crab, including tarabagani (king crab), zuwaigani (snow crab), and kegani (horsehair crab), all available at an attractive price. Specialty shops in Hokkaido boil up succulent crab freshly caught from the ocean, and Hokkaido crab shipped straight to your front door is one of the top holiday gifts in Japan. The different varieties of crab can be eaten in an assortment of ways, such as kani nabe (Japanese hotpot), served with rice kani meshi, as nigiri neta (topping), and in miso soup.

2. Jingisukan

Jingisukan, or “Genghis Khan”, is a type of barbecue dish from Hokkaido that features lamb grilled together with vegetables such as kabocha pumpkin and sliced cabbage, and a spicy soy-based sauce. The dish is named after the famous Mongolian ruler due to the helmet-shaped grill that the dish is cooked on, which many people believe evokes the image of a Mongolian warrior. Lamb and mutton are not widely eaten in other parts of Japan, so jingisukan dining offers a unique Hokkaido experience.

3. Ikameshi

Ikameshi is a dish of squid (ika) stuffed with rice and simmered in a soy sauce based stock. It originated in southern Hokkaido during the food shortages of World War II when rice was scarce in Japan. Squid was plentiful at the time, so a local bento lunch vendor came up with the idea of using the squid to stretch out their rice supplies. Today, ikameshi is beloved by locals and visitors alike, and can be purchased from train station bento vendors known as “ekiben” in Hokkaido.

4. Soup Curry

Soup curry is a dish of spiced Japanese curry that originated in Sapporo. It combines a curry base with a rich broth, roasted meat, fresh herbs, and plenty of vegetables. The dish is easily customized to personal preferences, from the toppings used to the spice level. This is a warm and filling soup that is packed with flavor. Enjoy it with a side of rice, which you can dip into the delicious curry-flavored broth to soak up the flavor.

5. Kaisendon

Kaisendon is a type of donburi, or rice bowl, topped with fresh sashimi, seafood, and shellfish. With its world-class uni and crab, juicy scallops, and buttery ikura (salmon roe), Hokkaido is the best place to try kaisendon in Japan. Look for it from breakfast time in the fish markets of Sapporo and Hakodate.

6. Miso Butter Ramen

If you need warming up and looking for things to eat in Hokkaido, miso butter ramen is just the dish. A richly flavored style of ramen noodles that originated in Sapporo, it’s made with a soup base of red miso paste combined with chicken or pork bone broth. The noodles used in Sapporo ramen are thick and wavy and served slightly chewy. They’re joined by popular local ingredients like fresh Hokkaido butter and sweet corn, and even extravagant seafood toppings such as scallops and crab.

7. Yubari Melon

Hokkaido’s yubari melon is one of the most expensive fruit in the world. Grown in greenhouses, it’s recognizable for its thick raised webbing, blemish-free surface, perfectly round shape, and intense melon flavor balanced with a gentle sweetness. Melons in the range of 20 thousand yen and above are often given as gifts of distinction for special occasions, and the most expensive Yubari melon ever sold for 2.5 million yen.

See more: Visit Hokkaido and taste dishes made from Melon

Source gurunavi