Goodbye Lao, Hello Vietnam

After a fantastic time in Luang Prabang, I headed to Nong Khiaw in the northeastern part of Laos. According to the travel agency, the bus ride was supposed to be three hours, but it ended up taking seven! 😱 As a result, I arrived in the late afternoon with limited time. After some searching, I found a good place to stay and decided to hike up to a viewpoint. I was a bit worried about the time, but I managed to make it up and down before dark. The climb was a bit challenging but not too long, and the view was quite beautiful. I could see Nong Khiaw, the Mekong River, and the surrounding mountains. At the top of the mountain, I met a person from New Caledonia named Rayyan, and we descended together. On my only full day in Nong Khiaw, I arranged for a boat to take me to the Vietnamese border the next morning and went on another hiking trip. First, I visited a temple and then went to another viewpoint. Once again, the trail was not in great condition, but I managed to reach the top without any major issues and was rewarded with a view even better than the previous day because I could see a lot from the summit. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy, but at least it was not raining or foggy. I stayed up there for quite some time, so it got dark quickly by the time I returned to town. Since I was the only one staying at my hostel, I had dinner by myself and spent the evening in my room.

After a good night's sleep, I was ready to board the boat that would take me to the Vietnamese border. The boat ride was pleasant, as we were not going very fast, so there was no shaking, and I had the opportunity to enjoy the views while floating down the river. However, it was quite a long journey, and we reached our destination after sunset. We arrived in a small village called Muang Mai, which seemed very quiet. I had dinner and checked into a guesthouse before calling it a night. Later on, I found out that there was a disco with many young locals, but unfortunately, I missed it. My last night in Laos was fine, and I left early in the morning to finally enter Vietnam. In terms of landscape and nature, Laos was definitely the most incredible country in Asia for me. It is generally peaceful because it is not densely populated and not overly touristy, making it the perfect place to enjoy nature. Additionally, the people in Laos are very easy-going, relaxed, and friendly, so it never gets too hectic. I highly recommend Laos to everyone 😊

Anyway, after a couple of hours of driving, we finally reached the border. Everything went smoothly, and I had officially made it to the eighth and final country on my trip. Yay 😁 My first impression of Vietnam was really positive. The weather was nice, and we drove through valleys surrounded by mountains and meadows, passing through small villages. The bus stopped in Dien Bien Phu, the next major city. However, I didn't want to stay there due to my tight schedule, so I was thankful when I quickly found a bus that would take me to Sapa, the most famous city in northern Vietnam. Another seven hours on the bus later, we arrived in Sapa after dark. Spending a whole day on a bus is not fun, but sometimes it's necessary 😉

Since I didn't know where I would be staying in the evening, I hadn't booked accommodation in advance, so I had to find one upon arrival. At first, it seemed easy because there were signs for guesthouses everywhere, but since Javier, an Argentinian I met on the bus, and I preferred to stay in a hostel, it took a bit longer. After walking around for at least half an hour and getting lost a few times due to issues with Maps.me - the app doesn't work well in Vietnam - we finally found a nice hostel. Javier went to bed early because he had plans for the next morning, so I had dinner alone and decided to explore the city the following day. My first stop was the Christian Church in the town square. It was the first church I saw in Asia! After that, I went to the village of Cat Cat, which is close to the city center and is known for showcasing the life of indigenous people, making it a popular attraction. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible. It was constantly raining, and there was fog everywhere, so I couldn't see the famous rice terraces at all. What a shame 😢 It was also very cold! It was the first time in Asia that I had to wear long sleeves and pants. Despite the weather, I still enjoyed Cat Cat. There were various exhibitions showcasing native art, small shops, a traditional dance show, and a beautiful waterfall. However, I would be lying if I said I wanted to stay in the village all day. The rain kept soaking my clothes, and I was freezing. It was disappointing that it rained throughout my time in Sapa. The place has such beautiful landscapes and amazing views, but I only got to see about 5% of it 😕 I had initially planned to stay longer, but since the upcoming weather forecast was no better, I decided to move on to Hanoi as soon as possible.

A few hours later, I found myself in the capital city of Vietnam. In my next post, I will share what happened there.

Cheers,

Max