I took a train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, another town that is popular among travelers to enjoy the outdoors. Although there are several options to book train tickets, I recommend downloading the LCR ticket app on your phone to book tickets directly without going through third-party vendors (like 12Go or BookAway). LCR stands for Laos-China Railway and you can easily book tickets traveling from Luang Prabang > Vang Vieng > Vientiane or the other way around. It's much cheaper, and changing/canceling tickets is very easy too. My train was late for 30 minutes but it wasn't too bad. I took a tuk-tuk from the Vang Vieng bus station to downtown Vang Vieng, where my guesthouse was located. 

Laos was one of the countries that I didn’t plan to explore initially but I ended up coming here! Most people I met on the road convinced me to visit Laos since I’m into hiking. Well… so I returned to Southeast Asia, although I planned to travel to north India after spending some time in Sri Lanka. I flew into Bangkok and then took a flight from Bangkok Don Mueang Airport to Luang Prabang and decided to travel from North Laos to South and catch my train back to Bangkok in Vientiane. I only had 6days to explore the whole country since I had volunteer work to teach yoga scheduled in Bangkok so I had to head back on time.

I wanted to share my experiences in the coastal towns and cities I visited while volunteering in Mirissa. Coastal towns were different from the Hill Country (Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, and Sigiriya): it was warmer, more crowded with travelers and had different vibe-- beach vibe. I enjoyed my time in different regions throughout Sri Lanka. This post will all about places I visited while I was in the south coast. 

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From Kandy, I took a train to Nanu Oya, where I hopped off to visit Nuwara Eliya, a small town located between Kandy and Ella with great hiking places. I was originally planning to head straight to Ella, but all the train tickets were sold out so I ended up staying a couple of days in Nuwara Eliya but it actually turned out to be a great decision. :) 

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I didn't know anything about Sri Lanka until I met my third-grade homeroom teacher, Ms. Rasiah, who was from Sri Lanka. I remember looking up where Sri Lanka is on the map with Mom when I told her that my new homeroom teacher was from Sri Lanka on the first day of my school year. 

I stayed in Chiang Mai for a couple of weeks and am sharing some of the activities I did here. I stayed in the Mae Wang area as well as the Old Town (city center) volunteering as an online English teacher as well as a yoga teacher. My time in Chiang Mai was simply AMAZING- the weather was perfect, the people were very nice, and festivals & events were enjoyable! Connecting with the locals at the morning markets, and buying groceries were one of the favorite parts of staying in Chiang Mai. 

Disclaimer: This blog contains an affiliate link with Worldpackers - Purchasing a membership using the link below means I earn a small commission.

Disclaimer: This blog contains an affiliate link with Worldpackers - Purchasing a membership using the link below means I earn a small commission.

Disclaimer: This blog contains an affiliate link with Worldpackers - Purchasing a membership using the link below means I earn a small commission.

Ninh Binh is one of the most popular cities people visit when traveling Hanoi. Only 2.5 hours from Hanoi City Center, Ninh Binh boasts its natural beauty and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ninh Binh can be reached via train, travel agency shuttle buses, or public buses (purchase tickets online through 12GOAsia or Bookaway) from Hanoi or 1-day tour from Hanoi. Here are some must-visit places when you are in Ninh Binh!