Laos

 An average country with extremely low population and a wonderful train line to China. More people live in Andheri (a suburb of Bombay) than in Laos. 

The geography of Laos is quite tricky; it has a lot of mountains and not enough agricultural land. This hasn't allowed population to settle in this part of the world since thousands of years, and whatever population lives here, they live along the Mekong River. 

I also found Laos to be one of the "not so clean" countries of South East Asia. We visited 2 cities, and both were pretty sparsely populated. Vientiane, their capital, is considered to be the most boring capital city on the planet. However, I did see that they have 30% of their cars, being EV cars, manufactured in China. The 2nd city, Luang Prabang is a very cosy city and quite popular with the locals & western tourists.

Few photos of Wat Sisaket. As we kept coming closer and closer to Thailand, the temples looked very much like the temples of Thailand. 

Patuxai - Victory Monument of Laos. 

Location: Victory Monument

One can climb at the top for views.

We got caught in a rainstorm and were hiding in a temple. Clicked some photos and they came out to be lovely.

If you get a chance, please visit the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane. This shows the impact of the bombs dropped by the US army on the people of Cambodia. These days, China has had an impact on the growth of Laos. You can see that from the number of EV cars, railways and roads being built by the Chinese without dropping bombs in Laos.

Location: COPE Centre

The Vientiane Railway Station. It's an absolutely mammoth of a building 

...and off we went to Luang Prabang.

The train goes to Kunming in Southern China.

Luang Prabang's a nice small charming town, with lots of European Tourists visiting the city. 

Nam Khan River meets the mighty Mekong River here.

The temples here are very pretty. Wat Xiengthong has many temples in the complex and it is worth visiting.

Location: Wat Xiengthong Temple Location

Hire a scooter, and do visit the Tat Sae Waterfalls. It's about 20 kms from the city. 

Location: Waterfalls

I do suggest to have a nice dinner along the Mekong River. Do take your mosquito spray, to avoid the army of mosquitoes attacking you.

It's also worth visiting the Royal Palace and Museum. The palace is average from outside, however there are a few things to see from the inside, tea cups and chairs. I liked the garden though.

Location: Royal Palace and Museum

We also went on a river cruise on the Mekong River. This probably was the most boring experience of my life. I am not in my 20s anymore, I don't seek adventure in every walk of my life; but this was so sad and so boring, that the most existing thing was to "wave at other boats!".

Lembongan - The hidden gem of Bali!

We got a chance to visit Lembongan Island. It's about a 30 minute boat ride from Bali. One can take a boat from Sanur Port to Mushroom Bay. 

The Island is pretty small, but has lots of things to do and also a very relaxed vibe. 

This is the Sanur Port, and it looks pretty organised.

...however, the Mushroom Bay at Lembongan is not that organised. It is a Bay! That's all. Off you go from the boat to the beach and then hop on a "refurbished truck taxi" to your hotel!

We were staying pretty close to the Devil's Tear & Dream Beach area. Our visit to Devil's Tear was on a morning of high tide. We saw some absolutely huge waves. It's recommended not to swim on the beach during high tide. 

We then stood under the splashing waves and cooled ourselves down! 

In the evening we saw a beautiful sunset. 

With clear skies & gorgeous sea, we did manage to make a time-lapsed video.

The night sky stars were very lovely. I remember, during my childhood in India, we didn't have a lot of light pollution, so saw very clear night skies during summer months. 

We also went to the Kuningan Ceremony. Some very well dressed and excited!

The dancers were ready and their dressing was over the top.

A video showing their music and dance celebrations.

We visited Nusa Cenningan and Nusa Penida.

Secret point beach allows some beautiful views and lots of people do cliff jumping.

Ceningan Island had some beautiful yet rustic shallow water beaches.

The Yellow Bridge joins Ceningan & Lembongan Islands.

We also went to Penida Island.

Crystal Bay in Penida Island.

Broken Beach on Penida Island.

Broken Beach on Penida Island.

We were exhausted but the views were stunning. 

Lembongan also has restaurants which serve delicious food. 

The mangrove forest was very relaxing.

I still don't understand how some trees die in the swamp and how some grow into forests. 

Our boatman was very polite.

It was also the time of Seaweed Farming.

Our small hotel was very nice. It had a pool, lovely rooms, outdoor bathroom and of course relaxed vibe. 

The owner's 3 year old son was quite funny and he liked touching my beard. He had not seen many men with beards, as the Indonesian men have quite light facial hair. 🧔

Our last sunset at Lembongan.