Tag Archives laos

While going for Thai food yesterday, my friends and I were reminiscing on what we miss in Asia. The organized chaos, the diversity, the smiles and most importantly, the street food! I still remember my first visit to a street food market in Thailand like it was yesterday. It is overwhelming and hectic, but is there anything better than sitting down on one of those plastic stools and enjoying this amazing street food that is both delicious and super cheap? I knew immediately this was going to be my next blog post. Especially after seeing this photo this morning of my personal hero Anthony Bourdain and the American president in a little Hanoi street food diner. Hey, if it’s good enough for the president, it’s good enough for you. Not everyone is as excited about street food as I am, it can be quite scary when you arrive in Asia and it seems like everyone is making something on the corner of the street. Which food is safe and isn’t going to sentence you to the loo for most of the evening (food poisoning is violent!). Which food will taste the best? What if all the street stalls are making more of the same? What does it even say on the menu? How do I figure out how much it costs? The best pad thai I’ve had? On a corner in Koh tao. The best and most deliciously soft squid? On a beach in Cambodia. Tom yum goon I will always remember? Next to the road on the motorbike loop of Pakse, Laos. Eating so much we lost ability to walk? Definitely all around Malaysia! There is nothing that breaks my heart more than hearing somebody went to Singapore, where eating is the national hobby, and was afraid to eat in the hawker stalls. Therefore, I wanted to give you my 20 tips for eating street food in Asia without getting sick. I’ve tried and tested all of them and hope they will help you scope out your awesome next meal:

One of the first questions that pops up in almost everyone’s head when you want to travel it how to get the finances together. I know that was a major issue in my case and also the reason I started saving for a year before I wanted to take off. I’ll just come out and say it, I kind of suck at saving money. Even though this is not my best quality, I was still able to save quite a bit of money by applying a few simple rules. So now, without further ado, here are my top tips to save money for travel!

The Kuang Si falls in Luang Prabang are probably one of Laos most famous tourist attractions. Close to the cozy town of Luang Prabang, with its famous nightmarket and excellent food, you will find a cascade of clear water dropping down in front of your eyes. Everywhere you look in the town center, somebody will try to sell you a tour to this tourist destination. Well don’t. Wait until after lunchtime and then see which desperate tuc tuc drivers didn’t make a sale. These are the ones you will want to talk to because they have been unable to score money and are therefore still looking to make some money in the afternoon. You’ll find yourself in the power position to drive the small 30 kilometers from the town and back. Prepare yourself for a bumpy ride, but it is definitely worth it.