Home/Guides & gear

Guides & gear

howto

Vietnam e-Visa, step by step (and the mistakes that get refusals)

The 90-day e-visa is the easiest entry Vietnam has ever offered — if your photo, passport scan and name formatting don't trip the system.

2026-07-12 · Read
howto

Booking the Laos–China Railway without a Lao phone number

The train that shrank Vientiane–Luang Prabang to two hours sells out days ahead. Here's the booking maze, solved.

2026-07-05 · Read
howto

The Angkor Pass, decoded: which ticket, where to buy, how to use 3 days well

US$37, $62 or $72 — and the difference between a temple checklist and actually seeing the empire is how you spend day two.

2026-06-28 · Read
listicle

Two weeks, three countries: the Mekong route that actually fits

Hanoi to Siem Reap in 14 days without spending half of them on buses — the sequencing is everything.

2026-06-20 · Read
review

Review: 16 hours on the Reunification Express sleeper (Hanoi → Da Nang)

We booked a soft four-berth, ate everything the trolley offered, and woke up to the best window in Vietnam. Score: 4.1/5.

2026-06-15 · Read
faq

Dollars, riel and the 4,000 rule: Cambodia's two-currency system, answered

Yes, you'll use both at once. No, it's not a scam. Eleven questions travellers actually ask, answered from the till side.

2026-06-10 · Read
gear

Three countries, one 40-litre bag: the packing list we actually carry

Fourteen days across Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia fits in carry-on — if every item earns its place. Criteria first, shopping second.

2026-06-05 · Read
gear

Rainy season in the Mekong countries: what to pack, what to just accept

June to October means an hour of biblical rain most afternoons — and green landscapes, empty temples and half-price rooms. Gear for the hour, plan around the rest.

2026-05-30 · Read