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Notes on Vang Vieng: Trains and tubing in Laos

November 9, 2023 By James Clark 5 Comments

Vang Vieng became famous for being a big backpacker town, with people drawn to its karst topography and the river that runs through the landscape. I visited in 2010, and at its peak it was like a Wild West town for backpacker hedonism. The town was best known for tubing down the river and stopping […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, vang vieng

Defunct airports of Southeast Asia

October 23, 2023 By James Clark 16 Comments

A list of closed airports in Southeast Asia, and which airports you can still visit. Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport opened on 16 October 2023, replacing Siem Reap International Airport. This airport closure got me thinking about other airports in Southeast Asia that have closed and been replaced. This is a list of airport that have […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: airport, southeast asia

Notes on Boten: The border station of the Laos-China Railway

October 12, 2023 By James Clark 1 Comment

Boten is a town in Laos on the China–Laos border and the most northern stop on the Laos-China Railway, which was what brought me there. Boten is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that features in the news for all the wrong reasons. I have been keeping track of Boten news and construction projects at Future […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: boten, laos

Notes on Muang Xai: A stop on the Laos-China Railway

October 5, 2023 By James Clark 4 Comments

Muang Xai is the capital city of Oudomxai Province in Northern Laos. The city is one of the main stops of the Laos-China Railway, which was what brought me there. Muang Xai isn’t a touristy city, but I wanted to see what it was like and if the railway could change its fortunes. I also […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, muang xai

Notes on Luang Prabang in the new era of the train

September 7, 2023 By James Clark 9 Comments

I visited Luang Prabang by train from Vientiane shortly after Laos reopened in 2022. While Luang Prabang was abnormally quiet then, it was evident that Luang Prabang would be transformed by the Laos-China Railway. This is my trip report and general observations. Visiting Luang Prabang before the train My first visit to Luang Prabang was […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, luang prabang

50 years of Lonely Planet: Revisiting Across Asia on the cheap in Thailand

June 15, 2023 By James Clark 9 Comments

It’s been 50 years since the publication of the original guide book that launched Lonely Planet. Across Asia on the Cheap was published in 1973 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler after overlanding from London to Australia. The publication of the guide book has become the stuff of legend. They typed and stapled the guidebook on […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: bangkok, guide books, lonely planet, thailand

Largest islands in Thailand

June 10, 2023 By James Clark Leave a Comment

What are the largest islands in Thailand? This is a harder question to answer than I thought. Usually Wikipedia would have a list, but the Wiki list of islands of Thailand doesn’t show sizes. There are other lists online, but there are discrepancies between lists. This article attempts to rank the sizes, and in the […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: ko kood, ko lanta, ko lanta noi, ko lanta yai, ko libong, ko pha ngan, ko phra thong, ko tarutao, ko yao noi, ko yao yai, koh chang, koh phuket, koh samui, thailand

Notes on Vientiane: Riding the new railway and the gravitational pull of China

May 25, 2023 By James Clark 6 Comments

I visited Vientiane not long after the borders reopened in May 2022. I was there to ride the new Laos-China Railway, which had been running since December 2021. The last time I was in Vientiane was via train from Bangkok, and the next time I visit will probably be when the line from Thailand is […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, vientiane

Best and worst border crossings in Southeast Asia (in my experience)

May 4, 2023 By James Clark 11 Comments

Southeast Asia comprises 11 countries, and there are land borders with China, India, Bangladesh, and Papua New Guinea. With so many land, sea, and air gates, there is a variety of border-crossing experiences to be had. I was thinking about border crossings while on the beach in Koh Lipe in Thailand, waiting for a ferry […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: border crossing

How to go from Koh Lipe to Langkawi by boat

May 4, 2023 By James Clark Leave a Comment

Koh Lipe is the southernmost island in Thailand, and it’s the closest inhabited island to Langkawi in Malaysia. It is possible to travel by boat between the two islands, making it one of the more memorable international border crossings in Southeast Asia. Here is how to go from Koh Lipe to Langkawi by boat. Koh […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: ferry, koh lipe, langkawi, malaysia, thailand

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James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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Recent Posts

  • Notes on Vang Vieng: Trains and tubing in Laos
  • Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City: the best areas for visitors in Saigon
  • Train SE22 from Saigon to Danang
  • Defunct airports of Southeast Asia
  • Notes on Boten: The border station of the Laos-China Railway
  • Notes on Muang Xai: A stop on the Laos-China Railway
  • Where to stay in Langkawi: The best beach areas and hotels
  • Where to stay in Bangkok: the best areas and hotels for visitors
  • Where to stay in Singapore: The best areas and notable hotels
  • Sumatra Railways: A guide to every train line in Sumatra

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