Just when I thought the Filipinos eat the quirkiest food yet, I venture into Laos and Cambodia where they eat things I couldn't even mention. Here are a few we've sampled so far:


Jumpy Frogs

No explanation necessary. Just grab a bunch of frogs, clean them up and fry them in deep oil. In Cambodia, they don't just eat the legs, they eat the whole thing- skulls, legs spine and all!


Balut or Duck Fetus

Before I arrived in Ban Lung, Cambodia I always thought that balut or duck fetus was a Philippine delicacy. Then I see the Khmers gobbling it up on the streets! What's interesting about it is how the egg is presented to you. It's gourmet balut with herbs, spices, peppers, sauces and a slice of lime!


Slimy Snails

We ate the snails at the same restaurant as the balut. We saw some locals eating them and washing them down with some Anchor beer. Our curiosity got the best of us so we asked for the same dish. They served us a plate filled with boiled snails and it came with sticks to get the meat out. Snails are a tasty treat!



 Sundried Squirrel

The first time I saw this was in Mouang Ngoi, Laos when the woman who ran the neighborhood buffet was drying them out. They had split it in the middle and she was about to dry it on her roof. They would roast it afterwards. I never had the chance to try it but Hutch did. He ate some when he went hiking in the nearby mountains 2 years ago. He said it was really tasty and chewy. Not much meat on them though but they have a great smokey flavor. Just the right food for those apple bottoms.

Photo Credit: makkeboome

Worms and Maggots

Fried bamboo worms are a big delicacy in Northern Thailand especially in the Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai area. Locals usually trek during rainy season to find these worms. They search bamboo shoots for signs of worm colonies. Once they find an abundant colony, they chop them down and collect the insects. The worms are cooked alive and sizzled in oil.


Innards and Intestines

On  our trip to Sapa, Vietnam we found a restaurant that offered gourmet innards and coagulated pork's blood on a stick. We tried a few of them and they were delicious! In the Philippines we eat a lot of isaw  which is roasted chicken intestines so this wasn't so strange to us.



Crickets, Cockroaches, Beetles and Tarantulas

Insects were in abundance in Laos and Cambodia. You can see a lot of roadside stalls selling them by the kilo. I had the chance to try some crickets at the farm guesthouse where we stayed in Vang Vieng. Every night, they would place a bright purple light in the middle of the garden and catch crickets by the thousands. They collected them in the morning and fry them in oil. It was very crunchy and tasted a bit like small dried fish.


We chanced upon some tarantulas at a food stall on our way to Phnom Penh. I thought I was brave enough to try them. But the thought of biting into those gooey, alien-looking creatures didn't seem so appealing.

As far as cockroaches go, No thanks!

What weird and wonderful food have you tried lately? Did you regret trying it? Or do you look forward to trying new dishes whenever you come across a new place?

Check out other Sole Food from Incredible India and Vietnam.They would make you forget the horrible food you've just seen, we promise.

Looking forward to more funky food in Myanmar,
Sole Sister Lois

If you found this post helpful, you might want to Support the Sole Sisters While We're on the Road. If you have any questions about the Sole Sisters and our adventures, post on our Facebook Page and we will compile a massive Q&A post every end of the month.

You only need to see the In the Tubing shirts that every other backpacker on the banana pancake trail is wearing to know that. I wasn't keen on staying in Vang Vieng for more than 3 days just to party and go tubing. But we ended up getting stuck for an entire week and even stayed there for the Pi Mai water festival! I have to warn you, Laos has a tendency to suck you in. It's happened to us before.

If you're not too much into the party scene yourself and are planning to visit Vang Vieng, here are some other exciting activities you can do without having to drink yourself silly while sitting in a tube.


Swim in the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is only 7 km west from the town proper. This is a quick ride on a bike and even quicker on a scooter. For a small fee, you can dip into a pool of freezing water and even jump from the tree branches if you're feeling brave. There are ropes and swings so you can have fun while cooling yourself at the same time. 

Photo Credit: Jerald-Dean Escobar

Go Rock Climbing 

We've met a group of travelers who went rock climbing in Vang Vieng and loved it. There are rental places everywhere so you can get ropes, shoes and all the climbing gear you need. The rugged scenery of the limestone karst peaks and cliff faces makes a rock climbing trip worthwhile.




Explore Caves

Vang Vieng boasts of many caves where you can pay a small fee, grab a headlamp and go on your own. Of course it helps to get a guide as most of these caves have drops and can be quite dangerous.



We did a do-it-yourself at Tham Phu Kham cave, right next to the Blue Lagoon and there are a lot of signs to warn you. The way can be very slippery though so you might want to wear boots or just go barefoot like we did.


Go up in a Hot Air Balloon

Hot Air Ballooning over the Karst Limestone Peaks of Vang Vieng.. it doesn't get any better than that. Every morning and late in the afternoon, I would see these huge balloons go up in the air. I wondered how it would feel to experience that great view. But as we were on a tight backpacker's budget, I was content to sit at our balcony every afternoon and take photos. They got so close that I can often wave to the passengers.


Biking around the loop

We rented bikes at 10,000 LAK (2.5 USD) per day so we can explore Vang Vieng's breathtaking landscape. With dozens of caves, lagoons and fish ponds, there's a lot to see and do on this decent dirt loop road. If you're feeling adventurous, you can rent a motorcycle for a full day for around 70,000 LAK (17.5USD). Don't forget to borrow or buy a Hobo Map as it shows all roads plus attractions, shops and bridges.


So there you have it. There's much more to Vang Vieng than just tubing, partying and jumping off a flying fox! The next time you see someone wearing an In The Tubing t shirt, ask them if they really went tubing.


Are you more of a party traveler or a laid back backpacker? What activities do you most enjoy?

Top photo credit: JonasPhoto

Still a 'tubing virgin',
Sole Sister Lois

If you found this post helpful, you might want to Support the Sole Sisters While We're on the Road. If you have any questions about the Sole Sisters and our adventures, post on our Facebook Page and we will compile a massive Q&A post every end of the month.

On the right hand corner: Chichi - Asian backpacker measuring 5'5" in height, weighing 120 lbs. and wearing a rainbow-bright bikini. Ex-party girl/shopaholic who still loves to dance.

On the left hand corner: Vang Vieng - Party central stop-over for any backpacker in Laos, located 4 hours from Luang Prabang, where you rent a tube and ride down the Nam Song river. 23 bars along the river,a dozen zip lines, swings and slides.

1 girl. 1 river. Who will win in this face-off?

Let's get ready to rumble!

I blame it on my super energetic,athletic and intrepid boyfriend.

Hutch coerced convinced me to do a 5 hour trek with him. (Which I'm sure he could have done in 2 hours on his own.) Don't judge me. I'm pretty athletic myself. I play tennis, surf and swim. But I have to confess, there are some fitness activities that I dislike namely: jogging, brisk walking or trekking. But if you've read this guide, it's best to compromise when traveling in twos. So off we went to Huay Bo Village. The trek was pretty easy, not a lot of rough terrain. But I was still huffing and puffing even just halfway into the trek.

I wasn't acting this time. That's real sweat!

There's nothing like a hillside landscape to remind you that you're out of shape!

I felt rewarded when we got to the village. Life was even more quiet and simple here. The children were spinning cotton by hand. The women were bathing with water from a makeshift bamboo shower. They peeked at us from their wooden houses.

He wasn't sure what to make of our visit

The owner of the guesthouse we stayed in and her granddaughter

Children spinning cotton and having fun

Feeling like a local while trying out the village shower

 We were surprised to learn that they had electricity 24/7 here! Whereas Mouang Ngoi only had 4 hours of electricity a day. And this little village was even further inland. How could that be? We found out that there was a hidden waterfalls that powered the village. This got us excited and we decided to look for it. We were told it was only an hour's trek.

On our way there, we met Irene from Ibiza and she was also looking for the waterfalls. Although we didn't have a map or a compass, we decided to follow the shallow river and hope it would lead us to the source. When we started the trek, a small brown dog followed us and we wondered where it came from.

After an hour, we got hopelessly lost.

The water was going in several directions and we didn't know which way to go. Thankfully, we encountered a guy with a rifle who was hunting for birds. We asked if he could help us find the hidden waterfalls. He smiled widely and agreed in broken English. He lead the way and we followed. After half an hour, we finally made it to the hidden falls.

Hutch wasn't sure if you can actually bathe in it

And what a big disappointment it was. It was a pathetic excuse for waterfall.

There was hardly any water! Even the bathroom shower seemed more powerful next to this pitiful puddle. We took pictures anyway and laughed at our prior excitement. We were told it was going to be huge. It did power an entire village after all. It almost made me book the next boat ride to Luang Prabang to see the Kuang Si Falls!

Irene was just happy we found the Hidden Falls

When we started to leave, our accidental guide suddenly turned businessman and asked us for money. We were shocked as we thought it was a simple act of kindness. We gave him a few bills and he quickly walked away. "Good riddance", we thought and started to walk back from where we came.

Our lucrative guide and Irene who was still happy

Until we realized that we were hopelessly lost for the second time that day.

We must have taken a wrong turn because suddenly everything looked unfamiliar. It was disconcerting to wander in the forest without knowing if we were going the right way. And to make matters worse, it was close to sundown. Nobody wants to get trapped in the wild without as much as a torch.

It was little brown dog to the rescue!

My hero!

Now I am a believer that dogs can sense human emotions. He quietly lead the way and stopped for us when we walked too slowly through the small streams. He never grew impatient and just barked when we could no longer see him. He brought us back to the village before it was completely dark and then just disappeared. We didn't even find out whose dog it was. What an amazing creature!

That day was peppered with disappointment and awe, in equal portions. But the latter event made a lasting impression. A dog that lead you home definitely makes for a great story.

Have you ever had a bad experience on the road and was saved by an unexpected 'hero'?

Still a reluctant trekker,
Sole Sister Lois

If you found this post helpful, please Support the Sole Sisters While We're on the Road. If you have any more questions about the Sole Sisters and our adventures, post on our Facebook Page and we will compile a 2nd Q&A post by the end of June.

The Sole Sisters are Going to Myanmar! from Sole Sisters on Vimeo.


It will be hard for us to be away but we know you will support us on this journey.

If you found this post helpful, you might want to Support the Sole Sisters While We're on the Road. If you have any questions about the Sole Sisters and our adventures, post on our Facebook Page and we will compile a massive Q&A post every end of the month.