Last updated on November 9th, 2023 at 09:26 pm

Vang Vieng is a small town in Laos that is known for its stunning scenery, adventurous activities, and laid-back atmosphere. It is a popular destination for backpackers and travellers who are looking for a fun and exciting place to spend a few days. This blog post will provide you with an itinerary for your 3 days in Vang Vieng that will allow you to experience the best that the town has to offer. This 3 day itinerary includes a mix of adventure activities as well as relaxing activities.

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My recent blogs, may also be helpful for your Southeast Asia travels:

View from a Hot Air Balloon over Vang Vieng, 3 day Vang Vieng itinerary

On your first day in Vang Vieng, you can enjoy some more adventurous activities.

Go hot air ballooning over Vang Vieng and soak in the stunning scenery. We got to go at sunrise and had insane views. This was definitely the highlight of our trip to Vang Vieng and would 100% recommend. We booked through our accommodation and it cost 2,000,000 kip.

Tip: Book the hot air balloon as soon as possible for the day you arrive so if the weather is not good, you will still have time to try again the next day.

Go back to base and grab some breakfast, before you go hiking to Nam Xay Viewpoint for incredible views. This viewpoint offers stunning views of the surrounding area, and it is definitely worth the trek.

The entry fee is 20,000 kip and it takes between 30 minutes to 45 minutes depending on your pace. But be careful as it can be very slippery and you are climbing up rocks for a lot of it, so good shoes are required (not flip flops). You can rent shoes at the bottom for 20,000 kip if you need to.

Start day 2 in Vang Vieng with a relaxing morning at your accommodation. After breakfast, head to the Nam Song River for some tubing. Tubing is a popular activity in Vang Vieng, and it is a great way to see the scenery and relax at the same time. You can rent tubes from your accommodation. The cost is about 100,000 kip.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can stop off at some of the bars and restaurants that line the river. These bars often have floating decks where you can take a break from tubing and enjoy a drink or a meal.

Unfortunately, we did not get to do the tubing as the river was too high after some rainfall. Something to consider if you are travelling during rainy season.

After a few hours of tubing, make your way back to your accommodation and relax for the rest of the day.

Nom Xay Viewpoint, 3 days in Vang Vieng

On day 3, rent a buggy and head to the different blue lagoons. There are 6 blue lagoons in Vang Vieng and renting a buggy is a fun way to get around to see them. It costs about 600,000 kip to rent a buggy for 4 hours. You can book for longer or shorter too and the price will vary depending on how long you want it. You can rent a buggy from anywhere in the town and they drive you to the buggy station to pick up your buggy.

The blue lagoons cost about 20,000 kip each to enter and you can spend as long as you want swimming around in there. Blue lagoon 3 was my favourite!

Garys Irish Bar– great for western style food and has a lively atmosphere so is a good option for a few drinks. We spent every evening in this place eating and drinking, I would highly recommend.

Bamboo Bistro Garden – go here for lunch or dinner, it has some good western food and has soya milk available for coffees.

Kiwi Kitchen – nice spot for breakfast, it has a good overnight oats smoothie bowl.

The cheapest option is to rent a scooter in the town. You can rent one for about 100,000 kip per day. Everything in Vang Vieng is fairly close by and you can get there within 30 minutes of driving, so a scooter is a great, cheap option.

As I mentioned above, a buggy is a great way to go around the loop and stop off at the different lagoons and viewpoints if you wish. It costs about 600,000 kip to rent a buggy for 4 hours. You can book for longer or shorter too and the price will vary depending on how long you want it.

You can get a tuk-tuk easily. There are many waiting on the side of the roads. Be sure to haggle with them and set a price before you go.

Nanas Backpacker Hostel – I stayed in the same brand hostel in Vientiane and it has to be the nicest hostel I have ever stayed at. It has a pool and gym and is super clean. It offers private rooms as well as dorms.

Confetti Garden Hotel – this 4 star hotel looks to be a great option if you are after something more luxurious. You can get rooms for as little as €30 per night. It has an indoor swimming pool and has a brilliant rating of 9.6 on booking.com. The reviews are also very good, making it a good option.

I hope you enjoyed this itinerary of 3 days in Vang Vieng. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Plus, share it with your friends if you found it helpful.

After your 3 days in Vang Vieng, you can continue your travels to other parts of Laos, such as the capital city of Vientiane or the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang (read my 2 day itinerary here).

I hope you have a great time in Vang Vieng!

Thanks for reading,

Lisa

• Don’t forget to get travel insurance before you set out on your adventure. Safety Wing is a great choice and so reasonable.
• If you are looking for accommodation, then Hostelworld or Booking.com are good options with plenty of accommodation choices.
• Looking to book tours, entry tickets and more, check out Get your Guide.
• Follow me on instagram @wandererlane 🙂 

Pakse and Siem Reap are two popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. Pakse is the capital of Champasak Province in Laos, while Siem Reap is the gateway to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. There are a few different ways to get from Pakse to Siem Reap, but the most common way is by bus. The bus journey itself takes about 10 hours. In this blog post, I will outline how to get from Pakse to Siem Reap by bus, as well as all you need to know about visas and crossing the border from Laos into Cambodia.

Go To:

You may also find some of my recent posts helpful for you time in Laos:

Book your bus ticket with AVT (Asia Van Transfer). This is the main company that is used and is cheaper than booking through your accommodation. You can book through WhatsApp and they will send you confirmation via email. Their WhatsApp number is +85512505673.

We booked our ticket the day before and had no problem but this was during the low season. If you are there during the busy period, be sure to book a few days in advance if you can.

AVT will arrange pick you up from your hotel in Siem Reap at about 8:30am and bring you to the border. The drive takes about 3 hours, meaning you should arrive at the Tropaeng Kreal border around 11:30am.

Make sure to download some podcasts or tv shows or bring a book to keep you entertained on your long bus journey, in case you have no internet when you enter Cambodia.

When you arrive at the border, get your bags from the bus and head to Laos immigration and process your exit from Laos here.

Tip: Make sure you don’t lose the white slip from your passport that they give you entering Laos or else they will charge you 150k kip here.

They will also charge you 50k kip for a “stamp” here.

These are scams and its up to you if you want to argue with them to not pay. But for the sake of $2, you may be better off to pay them as if you don’t, sometimes they can keep you waiting for ages and you will not be on schedule!

From here, you will need to walk to the Cambodia immigration office which is 300 metres. Here you have two options, you can apply for your visa on arrival here or you can show your e-visa you got in advance:

If you decide last minute to go to Cambodia and don’t have enough time to apply for an e-visa, then you can get one at the border. At the Cambodia immigration, you apply for your visa which they charged us $38 for. You need to fill out 2 forms and pay, then they will process your visa.

Tip: Be sure to change kip to US dollars in Pakse before you get there. It is possible to pay in kip too but they will give you a very bad exchange rate and you will lose out on money. Don’t worry if you have extra dollars going into Cambodia because they are accepted everywhere.

You then proceed to another desk where they stamp your passport. They used to charge to stamp your passport here, but we noticed a sign had been put on the window that said you do not need to pay here. So no extra payment is required here.

If you want less hassle, then the e-visa is the best option. You will pay $36 online and it is processed within 3 days. Get it through the official website (https://www.evisa.gov.kh/).

Once you have this and you arrive at the Cambodia immigration, you can pass out the office where you apply for the e-visa and head straight to the booth where they take your photo, scan your fingerprint and stamp your passport. You do not need to pay any extra here.

You will meet a man from AVT somewhere at the border, either at the Laos or the Cambodia side. He will show you the way to the bus. You pay him $45 for the bus ticket (US dollars is the preferred currency here too).

From here, the bus takes you to Stung Treng, 1 hour away. You can get food here and use the toilet. Plus, there are Cambodian sim cards available to purchase here too. If you are stuck for cash, there is an ATM an 8 minute walk from where you stop. Just put ‘Canadia Bank’ into google maps to find the exact location.

Then you will change bus and make your way to Siem Reap. This bus journey takes between 5 and 6 hours. You will arrive in Siem Reap around 7pm at the AVT office. They offer a free tuk-tuk to your accommodation from there. Now you are in Siem Reap, enjoy your stay!

I hope this blog post on ‘how to get from Pakse to Siem Reap by bus’ has been helpful. If you are planning a trip from Pakse to Siem Reap, I recommend taking the bus. It is the most affordable way to travel between the two cities, and you can get a good view of the countryside as you go. Just be sure to book your ticket in advance and be prepared for a long journey. If you have any questions, you can comment below.

Thanks for reading,

Lisa

• Don’t forget to get travel insurance before you set out on your adventure. Safety Wing is a great choice and so reasonable.
• If you are looking for accommodation, then Hostelworld or Booking.com are good options with plenty of accommodation choices.
• Looking to book tours, entry tickets and more, check out Get your Guide.
• Follow me on instagram @wandererlane 🙂 

Last updated on May 19th, 2023 at 02:21 pm

Berlin is Germany’s largest city and capital. It is full of history, vibrancy and entertainment. In this post, I will go through my 3 day Berlin itinerary, hitting all the main attractions. I have organised each day by area, to limit running all over the city like a headless chicken and to allow for better use of your time.

If you fancy exploring more of Germany, take a look at my post on a complete 7 day Road Trip: Germany, Austria & Switzerland

Maybe you would rather a city break elsewhere and discover ancient Rome in 72 hours (3 days)

Or a sun holiday to visit the breath-taking beaches and old towns of Split, Croatia with my 7 day itinerary: What to do in Split for a week?

For solo female travel inspiration check out: Cheap places to travel as a solo female traveller

The Reichstag is a historic Government building. It is the meeting place of the Bundestag the lower house of Germany’s national legislature. You can pay a visit to the Reichstag’s iconic dome where you can see panoramic views of the city. You can also take a picture on the grounds with the beautiful architecture in the background.

It is free to enter, but you need to be sure to book your tickets a few weeks in advance to get a space. You can do this by registering here. But, if you forget to book a ticket, you can try for one at the Reichstag when you are there, very often there are cancellations and you could be let in.

It is a good idea to do a free walking tour on day 1 as you get to tick off some of the main sites of the city, as well as getting a feel for where everything is. You can also decide to revisit certain sites after the tour and spend longer there.

For example, we decided to come back to the Berlin wall after the tour as there was a lot of information about the history laid out along the wall to read.

I would highly recommend the tour. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and made the tour very enjoyable. We got to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler’s bunker, the Berlin Wall and checkpoint Charlie all in the 2 hours.

We booked the Sandeman free walking tour here. Or if you don’t feel like walking, choose a hop-on hop-off bus tour with live commentary here.

Start off your day by gazing at the beautiful Neo-Renaissance building, the Berliner Dome, one of Berlin’s great landmarks.

If you would like to see the inside, tickets can be bought to the Berliner Dome here for €9. This includes a viewing of the Preaching Church, the Baptismal and Marriage Chapel, and the Panoramic View.

In the same vicinity as the Berliner Dome, literally a 5 minute walk away is Museum Island. Be sure to pay a visit to this UNESCO World Heritage Site next. This island hosts 5 different museums all in the one place (Pergamon Museum, Neues Museum, Altes Museum, Bode Museum and Alte Nationalgalerie).

There is a wide variety of art including Islamic, Greek and Egyptian works, that are housed among these 5 museums. Find out more information here on each. Depending on how many museums you wish to see, you may not have time for much else on the same day.

You can get a day ticket that allows entrance to all 5 museums for €19 here. Individual tickets can be bought here.

Book Museum Tickets Here!

On the last day, you need to get down to the East Side Gallery. Here, you will find the longest surviving section of the Berlin wall, standing at 1.3km long. Take a stroll along the art filled vibrant wall that showcases paintings created by talented artists from all over the world. It is well worth the visit!

After seeing the art at the East Side Gallery, you should get to the top of the TV tower for sunset. Here, you can capture a 360 degree view over Germany’s capital city. The observation deck of the TV tower is 203M above Berlin. You can buy a ticket here.

The TV tower is a 40 minute walk from the East Side Gallery. So, if you are not up for walking it, you may want to rent a scooter. You will see there are many Voi, Lime and Tier scooters scattered all around Berlin, so you are never far away from one. We used Voi and it worked well. You just need to download the app and scan the QR code to get the scooter up and running.

Buy TV Tower Ticket Here!

• Kamps Bakery: Going here for your breakfast is a must. There is a big selection of pastries, breads and sandwiches there. The food is delicious and the price is reasonable. They have some dairy free options too.
• Dolores: This is an ideal choice for Burritos, with great prices. They have options for vegetarian and vegan as well.
• Kilkenny Irish Pub: Good Guinness and a great atmosphere with live music at the weekends.

It was a nice experience to stay here as the whole hotel was space themed. We stayed in a double pod, where it is just the bed and the lockers are outside. I did like that the pods were clean and the shared bathrooms and showers were kept very clean too.

The location is quite good, a 24 minute walk from the TV tower and 28 minutes from the Reichstag. Overall, I would recommend it. We stayed here for 2 nights and paid €67 per night. You can book it here.

Book Space Night Hotel Here!

We spent 1 night here. We booked last minute and it cost €82 for the night for a double room. Even though this is a nice clean hostel, it is slightly further out from the centre. But luckily it’s easy to get Berlin by scooter or walking.

This hostel is great for socialising as there is a bar and games in the common room. It is 31 minutes walk from the Reichstag and 43 minutes from the TV tower. You can book here.

Book Three Little Pigs Hostel Here!

This is a good option, if you want to spend a bit more and treat yourself. This 4 star hotel is only 1 km from the centre and costs about €130 per night. Booking.com has it rated very good and you can book your stay here.

If you are driving, we parked at ‘Car Parking, PKW – Parkplatz’ (that is the location name on google maps). The google maps location link is here also. The price was reasonable at just €12 per day, which is very good for a central location.

It is only a 4 minute walk from the hostel we stayed at (Space Night Hotel) and is a 9 minute walk from checkpoint Charlie. But make sure you have plenty of coins for the ticket machine as card was not working on it.

An unexpected surprise when we arrived in Berlin was that the festival of lights was taking place (like seen in the first photo). It was lovely to see the city light up at night and the most well known landmarks stand out even more in the bright lights. So a final tip to say that it was a nice time to visit and you should consider visiting this time if it matches your schedules.

Lastly, I hope you enjoyed this 3 Day Berlin Itinerary. Share it with you friends by using the buttons at the top of the post and comment below if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading,

Lisa

Check out ’10 best day trips from Antwerp‘ for some Belgium inspiration.

• Don’t forget to get travel insurance before you set out on your adventure. Safety Wing is a great choice and so reasonable.
• If you are looking for accommodation, then Hostelworld or Booking.com are good options with plenty of accommodation choices.
• Looking to book tours, entry tickets and more, check out Get your Guide.
• Follow me on instagram @wandererlane 🙂 

This Holiday Cost Calculator & Trip Planner encompasses everything that you need to plan and manage your trip. It is a one-stop shop for all your holiday preparation. It is a google sheets template that you can fill in interactively. The contents are as follows:

A preparation checklist including all the essential items to pack. A template packing checklist for all remaining items, clothes, tech etc. Check items off as you pack. Check out my packing lists here for extra guidance.

A holiday cost calculator which includes the total estimated cost for the trip including the total amount paid versus the amount outstanding. It also includes charts to compare cost by location for multi-location holidays and cost by category such as accommodation, flights and so on.

An expense tracker that allows you to track your spending against your budget.

A trip summary tab that provides you an overview of your itinerary by day.

There are also 5 more tabs that provide details of flights, accommodation, rental car, transport and activities.

This Holiday Cost Calculator & Trip Planner can be used for just one person or a group of people. The document is set up to be adjusted easily to incorporate 1 or more people.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me on [email protected].

In this blog, I will show you how to spend 3 full days in Manhattan. This itinerary will take you to all the iconic spots in New York City. You might be sceptical that 3 days is too little in this big city (I was), but I can assure you it is enough time to see the main attractions and more.

Go To:

Below, I mention a few buildings that have observation decks with a view of the city (mainly to show which area they are in and to plan to visit on those days you are in that area). The buildings with observation decks I mentioned are the Empire State Building, Vanderbilt Building, Rockefeller, the Edge & One World.

You probably just want to do 1 or 2. I did the Rockefeller Centre. If you want to do 2, it’s a good idea to do one in the morning and one at night. Note: you should book the observation decks and Ground Zero in advance in case they book out.

• Ichiran – we tried this chain of Ramen restaurants in Japan, so when we saw it in Times Square, we were definitely eating there. It does delicious Ramen.
• Bubby’s – this place is known for its pancakes, so if you love a good pancake, go here. Go as early as possible, because there can be long queues.
• Dallas BBQ Chelsea – A nice place for wings & burgers. Plus it is relatively cheap for New York.
• Pier 57 & Chelsea Market have many options for food and are good places to stop off if you are doing the High Line or are in that area.

Staying in Manhattan instead of staying further out is a great choice if you only have 3 days in the city. With less travel time in to the centre, it allows you to see more. Here are a few accommodation options in Manhattan for different budgets:

Hi New York City Hostel is a top-rated hostel in NYC. It is very clean and is in a great location. Just a 10-minute walk from Central Park and within 2 blocks of subway stations making the popular areas of the city reachable within minutes.

Pod 39 is a 3-star hotel and seemed to be one of the most reasonable hotels for a decent standard. It is rated 8.1 on booking.com and well well-reviewed. The location is good, just a 5-minute walk from Grand Central.

For something a bit more luxurious, go to the LUMA Hotel, located beside Times Square. This 4-star hotel is rated 9 out of 10 on booking.com with over 3000 reviews. This is a great location & a great choice if it is comfort you are looking for.

The Go City Pass allows you to buy a pass for so many activities & pick and choose which activities you want to do. It can save you money depending on what you want to do.

It all depends on what you want to see. For me, it was not worth it. We did two paid activities – Ground Zero & Top of the Rock. Buying tickets separately worked out cheaper than buying the pass. But if you wanted to do more expensive things, then it may work out cheaper if you bought the pass. It is definitely worth checking. Here is the link to the pass.

Skyline views from Staten Island Ferry: 3 days in Manhattan

Take the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty – get the free ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island. It sails right past the Statue of Liberty. It’s not too close but close enough to get a clear view. See the video below for the view.

The ferry departs from Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan around every 30 minutes. To get the ferry straight back to Manhattan, just queue to get off the ferry and queue to get on again straight away! The ferry leaves soon after.

After you get off the ferry, head to Wall Street & the New York Stock Exchange building in the financial district. It is only a 10-minute walk from where you get off the ferry.

Then make your way to Ground Zero and the 911 memorial, just a 10-minute walk from Wall Street. Here you can enter the museum and learn about the history of what happened during the 911 attack. Be sure to book your ground zero tickets in advance.

Note that the museum takes a long time to get through as there is a lot of information. We were in there for 2 hours, but you could spend longer.

A 6-minute walk from ground zero, you have the One World Observatory, another viewpoint of the city. If you decide this is the observatory you want to go to, tickets can be booked here.

Next on the list is to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, a 15-minute walk from One World or an 11-minute walk from ground zero. The Brooklyn Bridge is stunning and well worth a visit!

If you are up for more sightseeing, you could walk up to Chinatown and Little Italy. Then across the Manhattan Bridge.

High Line Views, New York City

Set off on Day 2 by walking the High Line. Start at the Hudson yards – here you will see the Vessel building that you can walk to the top of. The Edge is located here too (so if you plan to do the edge observation deck, now is the perfect time).

After exploring the area, walk down the high line towards the Chelsea Market. Here you can stop for a bite to eat and do a bit of shopping.

Pier 57 is close by too and is another great option (and quieter option) for food.

From here, head towards the West Village – this is a lovely area with some very pretty cafes and shops around. Stop by the ‘Little Owl‘ café – the place where the famous sitcom ‘Friends’ was filmed. From Pier 57 to the Little Owl café is a 22-minute walk.

If you like comedy, why not head to a comedy show in the evening? New York Comedy Club and Comedy Cellar are two good options. You can buy tickets for about $30 online and can have some great comedians there.

By the way, if this is all too much, I offer a travel planning service. I can take the stress out of your holiday and plan it for you 🙂

Central Park Views

Kick off the last of the 3 days in Manhattan with a stroll around Central Park. Get in a bit of fresh air and see the squirrels.

Next up, head down to the Rockefeller Building. It is located a 20-minute plus walk from Central Park, so getting a subway might be a good idea. If you choose to do the Top of the Rock observation deck, book it here. If you are here in December, you can see the Rockefeller tree & go ice skating.

After this, make your way to see the famous Times Square which I learned is not a square but is in the shape of a bow-tie. It is just a 10-minute walk from the Rockefeller Building. If you are up for heading to a Broadway show in the evening, you can buy tickets in Times Square from the ticket booths.

Also, the Vanderbilt building (Summit One) is in the area, which has an observation deck and the Chrysler Building is nearby as well. These are about a 12-minute walk from Times Square.

Grand Central Station is also right beside these buildings, so be sure to go in and see the building, it is well worth a look.

Next, take a walk by Bryant Park (a 7-minute walk away) – if you are here in December, it will be full of Christmas markets.

Plus, you can admire the Empire State Building which is in this area (just a 9-minute walk) and check out the observation deck here if you choose to. You can book tickets for the Empire State Building here.

Finish up your evening by going to a Broadway show. There are a few different theatres so be sure to get the address of the correct one.

The following day will be time for your flight. Check out these entertainment ideas to keep you sane on a long flight.

I hope you enjoyed this itinerary for 3 days in Manhattan. Share this with your travel buddies. Plus, don’t forget to subscribe so you can get notified when there is a new blog. (Don’t worry, I don’t send out too many emails).

Thanks for reading,

Lisa

• Don’t forget to get travel insurance before you set out on your adventure. Safety Wing is a great choice and so reasonable.
• If you are looking for accommodation, then Hostelworld or Booking.com are good options with plenty of accommodation choices.
• Looking to book tours, entry tickets and more, check out Get your Guide.
• Follow me on instagram @wandererlane 🙂 

Have a read below for the details of the custom trip planning service including how it works, how much it costs etc.

What is a custom trip planning service?

This travel planning service is a way for you to avoid the hours of research – including activities, flights, hotels and putting together an itinerary.

You just get to do the best part – enjoy the holiday!

Let me do what I love most & plan your trip.

How it works?

Firstly, we will have a call (Whatsapp or Instagram) to discuss the destinations, dates, & other preferences for your trip. These include accommodation types, must do activities, travel style (budget, mid-range, luxury) etc.

Then I will create a custom travel itinerary including;

• where to go
• what activities to do
• flight/transport options
• accommodation options
• restaurant recommendations
• useful links, tips and more.

This will be sent to you as a PDF where you can keep on your phone or print out.

How much does it cost?

Prices of the custom trip planning service will vary depending on the length of time you plan to travel for. All options include a personalised travel plan for your trip except for the first option for €40.

• 1 hour call: €40
• Flights, accommodation & transport options for 1 destination €50
• 1-3 day trip: €50
• 3-6 day trip: €75
• 1-3 week trip: €125
• 1 month: €150
• 2 months: €170
• 3 months: €190
• 4 months: €210
• 5 months: €230
• 6 months: €250
• 7 – 9 months: €300
• 10-12 months: €350

My Experience

I’m Lisa, based in Ireland. My first time leaving the country was in first year of college, from then on there was no stopping me… I caught the travel bug.

I have recently spent 8 months backpacking around South East Asia where I have travelled through Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam & Japan.

Previous to that, I lived and worked in the Netherlands for 2 years, where I got to explore Holland as well as a much more of Europe.

I spent time in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Croatia, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein & Portugal.

In the past years, I have spent a lot of time in New Zealand (both North & South islands), visiting the country 3 times.

As well as that , I have visited the UAE, Iceland and the UK.

You can read my latest blog posts here.

If you have any further questions on this custom trip planning service, email me on [email protected] or send me a DM on Instagram and I will get back to you ASAP.

Thanks,

Lisa