4000 islands in Laos is truly sublime, see above for how fucking chilled it is.
If you’re travelling overland from Cambodia to Laos, chances are you’ll cross at a dusty, isolated border en route to Si Phan Don (the 4,000 Islands). Online, the advice sounds simple. In reality, it’s one of those crossings where the journey might not be smooth, but the destinations are worth it.
Here’s what to expect and what can go wrong.
How do you get from Cambodia to Laos?
Most people cross this border by minivan, usually booked in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. For your own sanity do not do the whole journey from Phnom Penh in one.
If you’re backpacking you’ll probably (or will be familiar with them). No thrills and some very basic amenity stops along the way.
Bring snacks for the journey, nuts are generally filling, healthy(ish) and cheap and if you can some sleeping pills too.
The journey typically runs: Siem Reap → border → 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don)
Expect dusty, bumpy roads and potentially quite a few vehicle changes.
How long does it take?
From Siem Reap our ticket vendor told us 4 hours
In reality 8 hours ish
This included a vehicle change and wait in Cambodia and an additional bus in Laos and finally a boat to Don Det in 4000 islands.
Keep your ticket very safe because it is needed to change all of the vehicles. They need to get paid.
What you need
$40 USD per person (bring more, see below) and passport photos – the only place in Asia we actually needed the photos we brought.
Visa on arrival // USD notes
The official Laos visa price is often quoted as $30 USD, but the sign at the border may say $40 USD. Payment is expected in US dollars.
There are no ATMs here. The border is isolated, dusty, and strangely tense.
In Cambodia the best ATMs are BRED Bank which also have USD.
Slightly creased, folded, or worn bills can be rejected. This happened to us paying with a $50 note that was rejected. We suspect this is because the border staff wouldn’t be able to take their cut with a $50 note.
We ended up having to do a currency exchange with an exchange person who was there.
Bring extra USD, in multiple denominations, as flat as possible.
Is this a scam
Not exactly, but it isn’t transparent either. The rules are inconsistently enforced and poorly communicated. Our visa cost was higher than what we were told.
TIPS TO AVOID PROBLEMS
Bring more USD than you think you need
Carry smaller bills ($10s and $20s)
Keep notes flat and separate
Don’t arrive with only one large bill
Final verdict
The Cambodia–Laos border crossing isn’t hard, but not a casual experience.
If you have the right cash, expect delays, and don’t assume anything will be “official”, you’ll be fine. Laos is certainly worth it.
Hey there ladies, gentlemen and web crawling bots, it’s your guy, from this site that you’re on. Back with another entry of my favourite scams of South East Asia. Running at a small 1000 ish words for another content hit to your system.
If you haven’t already checked out part one, go find it here.
Opportunistic tour guide of Ella Rock Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is cool. Beautiful beaches, surfing, yoga and great food. This is alongside the general chaos that can come up generally.
Anyway, Ella in the central highlands has some absolutely stunning scenery, and Ella rock is the (second) most famous viewpoint there.
To get there I would strongly advise going along the train tracks. Seems unorthodox, but you will get used to it and is very much the done thing by locals. Plus the scenery is stunning, see images.
I walked along the tracks doing my best Slumdog Millionaire recreation by walking on the rails and got to the turning to Ella rock according to maps.
I go, and get a tiny bit lost. A local woman sees me and starts giving me directions and walking with me. But I soon realise that she isn’t leaving me, instead she is doing the start of a whole tour of the rock. Which I realised would definitely not be from the goodness of her heart.
We arrive at the rock, and I tell her I am good from here. I give her about 5000 rupees as a thank you and to go my own way.
But, she is not happy with this She really wants 10,000 which she says is standard. I the end I cave and give her 8k.
Lesson is that good deeds are often not free.
Hidden costs for Vietnamese shoe cleaning scam
We were chilling eating pho in the metropolis of Hanoi old town. Chaotic energy. The deliciousness of the food is inversely correlated with the safety of crossing the street. See my excellent illustration below.
Shoe cleaning is a very common service in Hanoi. So are shoe cleaning scams. But I thought I had worked out how to get shiny shiny shoes without getting fleeced. Just ask the price ahead of time and stick to it, around 50k Dong.
So sure enough I had filthy shoes from months of living out of a backpack. And as we sat down to have our pho I engaged one of the entrepreneurs to clean them. Midway through he comes back with some material and makes some sort of motion. I just nod and give a thumbs up.
At the end he has put a new undersole on my shoe. And unsurprisingly now wants 6x the amount we originally agreed, 300k Dong. Pretty pissed that I got shafted I gave him 200k Dong.
Turns out you can lose even if you are aware of scam potential.
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay toll fee scam
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay is about two hours drive if you go via the toll road, or four hours if you take the bus – beware there are no bathroom breaks.
Now the real scam is don’t stay in Ha Long Bay town. No disrespect to the people there but it feels eery. A real empty place. My professional non-professional opinion is to only take the ferry via a Hanoi transfer. Staying in the town is not needed.
Anyway, for boring reasons I had to go from Hanoi to Ha Long to get some of my items and back again in a day. I was aware there are toll roads and looked up in advance the costs to negotiate into the fare – around 200k Dong.
I call a Grab and get in, but before the ride starts my driver starts asking via Google Translate for roughly 800k to cover the toll. I show him the page with the toll cost info, but he still insists on 800k. Thankfully, the ride hadn’t started so I was able to cancel and get out of the car easily.
Side note: this Reddit thread says there is an option to add toll charges to credit card. But I didn’t see this option.
Vietnam – tour detours through ‘charity’ gift shop
Now we go back to Vietnam, glorious Ho Chi Minh City (FKA Saigon) to be exact. We had booked the tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels outside the city. The tunnels themselves have some interesting stuff, but would controversially say the curation isn’t that great and are not a must see.
Anyway, I digress. On the way to the tunnels our tour bus took a long diversion. In Vietnam they will often go for the hard sell, and this was no exception. Unannounced we go to a rest stop where we go on a tour of a factory making ceramics with several workers painting.
The factory tour lady starts by telling us all very loud and clear that this is a charity for Agent Orange victims. Now Agent Orange is a real horror, and not all disabilities are visible. But none of these workers had any visible disability whatsoever. Which was puzzling.
The tour kept explaining the art process and instructed us not to take any photos to protect the IP. Which all seemed like overkill.
Anyway, the diversion added nearly two hours to the journey time. The way back without this diversion got us back to HCMC in no time.
Is there a moral here? No, going for the hard sell is a fact of life in Vietnam; but the Pho is worth it.
To conclude, where do we go from here?
Another round of entrepreneurial chaos from Southeast Asia’s finest. From unsolicited shoe upgrades to scenic detours through questionable ceramic warehouses, the hustle never sleeps. And while I’d love to say I’ve learned my lesson, the truth is I’ll probably nod again at the wrong moment or follow someone “just helping” me up a mountain. But that’s travel, isn’t it? A bit of beauty, a bit of bullshit, and a lot of stories to tell. Stay sharp, stay curious, and be wary of looking like a walking wallet
Hello to my monthly average 10 – 15 20 – 30! visitors, plus friends and family I’ve strongarmed into reading this. It’s another reminiscing entry and this time looking fondly back at my favourite scams of Southeast Asia. While often annoying at the time, in hindsight you really have admire the true entrepreneurial spirit. Anyway read this for some tips on what to avoid to not get gamed yourself.
Vietnamese Train Scam – Stowaway Passengers
Normally in a listicle I would sort this descending from worst to best story, but this one is a real doozy so I’m putting this first.
So, we were taking the train from Ninh Binh to Da Nang. A super long overnight train so we booked the four be first class sleeper. When we booked, we were the only ones in the cabin, but when we arrived there were two local guys in the top bunks. Well we don’t own the cabin so whatever.
They start asking us for our hotspot and generally being a bit disruptive. Less ideal.
The guard comes in and Google translates a message for us “would you like your own cabin for a million Dong’ (roughly £30, $37). We didn’t have much cash so declined. A bit later on the guard comes back and gives the same offer but for 700k Dong. This left us a bit of cash left for us to buy food, so we accept.
We expected to be then moved to another cabin, but to our surprise instead the guard kicks out the two guys on top!
So fair to say they didn’t have a ticket to be there. Potentially even just there so that we pay to remove them. A true hustle.
Cambodia / Laos border crossing – the peril of crisp USD notes
The stakes were a tiny bit higher here.
We booked a minivan to take us from Siem Reap in Cambodia to 4000 Islands (fucking incredible place btw) in Laos. Online the information says it is $30 for the visa, and all of online commenters really emphasise bringing crisp notes. Apparently slightly creased notes are rejected by the banks, so officials hate receiving creased notes.
We take $80 for the both of us from a Cambodian ATM in one $50 note and the rest in $10 notes. I keep the money in my laptop case to keep it as crisp as possible for the journey. Really difficult to stop notes crisping at all, by the way.
The journey to the border was rough. Super dusty janky roads to nowhere. Very few people around the further north we went. There was also a Spanish guy who kept freaking out at every point of the journey, but that’s a whole other story.
We finally get there and see that the crossing is a real wasteland, TS Elliott would be negatively inspired by it. Eerie, isolated and dusty as hell. No ATM or signs of life anywhere.
Top tip: don’t get stranded there.
There is a sign saying a visa is $40, which is $10 more than the official online price. Thankfully we took out exactly that. We fill out our visa paperwork and hand the stone-faced guard our notes. He carefully examines each note and then tells us that the $50 note is creased and he won’t accept it. We don’t have any more USD or much cash of any kind since we were leaving the country.
The guy said to me: “brother, you have a problem you need to solve” – fuck that guy.
So we were stuck in the border crossing with no Cambodian cash, very much not ideal. There was a women doing currency exchange and thankfully I remember I had some Thai Baht which we were able to exchange for USD. Otherwise we would have been stuck with no cash in some dust bowl in Cambodia.
Our working theory was that the guy didn’t want the $50 note because he wouldn’t be able to take his cut from it. The moral is have some cash in reserve always and find a way to keep notes crisp.
Vietnamese bike scam – how we lost like $2
This one is very low stakes, but very amusing.
We had rented bikes from our hotel in Ninh Binh. Great place to visit by the way. We were pretty new to using scooters at this point and the bikes were real scrappy. My speedometer didn’t even work which made the whole thing more exciting. They were totally empty when we picked them up. But luckily there was a woman in a shop next door selling fuel from a plastic bottle. The fire potential keeps things spicy.
We buy petrol (gas in yank) from her, filling up to the top and go about our day. Not using that much fuel in the end. We return the bikes and don’t use them the following day.
The day after we go to use them again, but now they are totally empty.
Surprised that someone had managed to get through two whole full tanks in one day we go to fill up again. That’s when we realised how convenient the women selling gas next door was…
Boracay transfer – getting officially hustled
This one is for my SEO crew.
The real scam here is going to Boracay. The Philippines is beautiful with incredible views and beaches. Boracay is not. Tiny, cramped, expensive with nothing fun to do if you’re not at a good resort – we were not.
Anyway, the more literal scam was the transfer. As we left the airport there was a little booth for a hotel transfer. It cost us around 3k pesos including the boat ticket. Once we get to the boat terminal we realise that this option is like 4x the price of just buying the different parts of the journey separately.
Getting around the Philippines is a challenge. Being a tropical archipelago has its ups and downs for sure. Book flights well in advance.
The ferries are essential for getting around. We were running late for our ferry and rushed to the terminal. When we get there, we got mobbed by a crowd asking us where we are going and to “help” us to book tickets.
We talk to one booth, and they give us the price – pretty expensive. And we start the buying process before I get a little suspicious and take a walk around.
Sure enough, literally next to this booth is an office of the ferry company. Those guys in the booth were going to buy the tickets from next to them and give it to us with a markup. Fuck those guys too.
Is there a lesson to these stories?
Travel teaches you a lot, but contrary to wonderlust influencers doesn’t change your whole character. You do learn to be a bit more street smart and avoid people too keen to help.
From phantom train passengers to ferry ticket resellers, Southeast Asia is full of enterprising individuals ready to test your instincts and your wallet. The key lessons? Keep spare cash, guard your hotspot, and always look for the official booth. And if someone says “brother, you have a problem,” you probably do. Stay sharp out there.
Due to modern goldfish brain and SEO hits, I’m splitting this article in two. Stay tuned.
One thing I really loved about SEA as a Brit was the strong national pride and identity that was evoked by the distinct national beers. In contrast to my own homeland, every country has at least one of their own which is ubiquitous and dominates the market. For instance, Thailand has the popular Chang and Leo brands owned by the Singha beer company that can be found just about everywhere in the land of smiles. I spent many a waking moment thinking carefully about the relative merits of each of these national treasures and am ready to share the fruits of my labour with you today.
#8 – Saigon Beer – Vietnam
Look, it is a tough and crowded field, and while all of these tasty beverages get a participation medal at the least, the bottom does indeed need to start somewhere.
So with that in mind – Saigon beer. South Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City is known for being the more corporate polished version of Hanoi. That being said Bui Vien Street is a wild ride. Anyway, this is tangential to Bia Saigon unfortunately being the most watery beer on this list and for that reason comes last.
5/10
#7 – Chang – Thailand
This might be controversial among the handful of people who find their way to this blog, alongside my friends who I have strong-armed into clicking, but Chang isn’t actually that good.
It’s the casual dining Pizza Express of Thai beers. It is perfectly light and refreshing, but lacks any sort of notes that a beer sommelier would approve of. All in all work in progress.
6/10
#6 – Beer Hanoi – Vietnam
And this liscticle is catching a flight back to Vietnam here for this next entry. While Saigon is the watery taste of the moneyed south Vietnam, Hanoi is the cultured flavour of the north.
Some might evoke the chaotic streets of Hanoi here and speak of it as a metaphor for crossing those perilous streets. Personally I don’t see that, but it works as a literary device. Beautiful when looking out on the paddy fields of north Vietnam (as pictured).
7/10
#5 San Miguel – Philippines
Not to be confused with the Spanish San Miguel commonly found in Europe, though owned by the same company, beer in the Philippines is a very different beast. Not only that but beers in the Pacific tend to be pretty damn strong. More on that later.
Anyway, San Miguel in the Philippines is an excellent addition to our imbibed tour of South Asia.
7/10
#4 Angkor – Cambodia
The national beer of the Khmer represents the majesty of the ancient Kingdom by referencing the famous Angkor Wat spires in its logo.
And if that’s not a good reason to rank it this high then I don’t know what is. Aside from that, it’s cool & refreshing for those scoring Khmer days. Would highly recommend.
7.5/10
#3 Leo – Thailand
Back to the kingdom of smiles here where Chang and Leo (and also Singha) dominate the local market. Chang is a worthy beers, but lacks substance.
Leo on the other hand is the intellectual beer – the Denis Villeneuve of Thai beverages. Full bodied and strong, and available just about everywhere, Leo has truly cornered this market (me).
8/10
#2 Red Horse – Philippines
What to say about Red Horse? Well if the alcoholism that led you to this article makes getting drunk an expensive enterprise then boy do I have a treat for you.
While most countries relegate beers about 6% to IPA guys in 2011 hipster styles brewed in industrial parks, the Philippines takes a different approach and offers Red Horse as a principal beer of the archipelago. Also brewed by San Miguel, it is a fine way to spend some time in a stupor on an idyllic tropical clime.
9/10
#1 – Beer Lao – Laos
You may be asking how whats so special about Beer Lao. The official beer of Laos – the least visited country in South East Asia (excluding Myanmar). Well, to speak of Beer Lao evokes many different things in my mind.
The tranquility of the Mekong river in the 4000 islands
Sunset beers looking at the hot air balloons of Vang Vien
Enjoying the colonial architecture of Luang Prabang
But, this is more than just a nostalgia session. Like Laos itself, Beer Lao is less known than the larger trendier parts of SEA. But has a flavour and subsistence to it which truly deserves more merit. For that reason 10/10 would recommend.
Before my 2024 trip to South East Asia I had never ridden a scooter or moped before and was pretty nervous about the idea.
Why you might consider renting a scooter in SEA without any experience
Firstly, they look so cool as fuck and even more so to glide through the rolling hills of Thailand. Perhaps more importantly, as most nascent backpackers will realise that in many many occasions they are the cheapest and most convenient way to get around – especially in rural areas.
Many places will have zero public transport and extortionate taxis that will be unavailable into the night. The famous new age cliche backpacking hub of Pai in Thailand is the example that comes most to mind. Not having a method of transport will limit where you can visit, where you can stay and the activities you can take.
Grab does not exist in many countries, and not in most smaller towns. So, having your own mode of transport will really set you free from the hold of big TukTuk™.
Is it possible to ride a scooter in SEA without experience?
YES (probably). Riding a scooter is a risk and driving laws and practices are more loose and risky than in Western countries generally. But, as a skill it is more like riding a bike than driving a car. But knowing how to do both is definitely the best sets of skills to have.
Having the balance of riding a bike with the spatial awareness and balance that are crucial in riding a scooter. While knowing road rules of car driving will help massively in evaluating situations and avoiding issues. If you can only ride a bicycle you probably aren’t used to checking your wing mirrors for instance. Having said that, with practice you can probably learn from just bicycle riding basics.
Please do not hold this amateur blog responsible in the eventuality of any unfortunate potential fatality (touch all the wood). If I had a lawyer I would refer you to them right now. If you want to learn more, keep reading.
Is it legal to ride a scooter in SEA?
Most countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam & Laos all require a home motorcycle license and an International Drivers Permit (IDP,see below).
In practice though, you can generally get by with just the IDP to avoid fines. But law and practice are very different things. The fines themselves are generally a money making exercise on tourists. Technically, it’s illegal for U16s to ride scooters but you can see this clearly flouted by 12 year olds weaving through traffic. In short you can probably get away with it and pay the fines if necessary.
Most rentals will rent you a scooter without needing to see a driving license , let alone a motorcycle license.
Nevertheless, as a Farang you are more likely to get picked up on any little infraction you do. So, wear your helmet even if the helmet you get given will probably not be very good.
Having said that, if you are reading this your probably don’t have a motorcycle license, this will invalidate your insurance if you get in an accident. Look up the average daily cost of a hospital stay were you plan on riding and take a gauge on the risks. For me, it was definitely worth it.
The International Drivers Permit
Not actually an international license. But a translation of your home driving license into other countries. Generally required by all countries in SEA.
If you don’t have a driving license at home then you of course can’t get one. Remember that without an IDP and home motorcycle license your insurance is invalid. However, the majority of tourists in SEA will ride without the license. It can though help to avoid the many many checkpoints designed to generate income from people who fall into this trap.
If you have a full home license, for car or bike, make sure to get the IDP to at the least avoid the fines.
Basics of renting a moped in SEA – What documents do you need?
Scooter rentals are everywhere in a tourist town. Most will ask for a passport as collateral. Your hotel might not necessarily need this.
Generally, if you can give a driving license instead – much easier to replace and less valuable. While you and (probably) the rental place are trustworthy, best to avoid giving away your essential ticket to the next country if you can avoid it. You can also offer a photocopy of your passport – something I haven’t actually tested yet as of writing. Cash deposits are also sometimes accepted but are often deliberately expensive.
Before you start, you should always do the essential video of the bike to check any pre-existing scratches that you could end up paying the Farang price for later. Take a video of every nook and cranny and make sure the rental sees. If you do this you probably will probably be A-Okay!
Okay, so with that in mind read this article for some tips of the very basics of riding a moped in SEA.
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