How I travel to countries...?

Many people ask me, "Marc how do you decide where you are going next?"

It's a process!

1.  Determine if it is safe for me to travel there.  Things to consider:  Is the country is in a political upheaval, war, protests, etc...?  How is the weather - flooding, fires, droughts...?  What is the economic situation?   For this trip through Aisa these considerations have all been fairly easy.  Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Japan.  Very fortunately for the world and certainly their county's own sake, all these countries are at peace and there have not been any travel limiting disasters.  For me and many other travelers that has been very nice.  

2.  Can we travel there?  Countries are just now opening up all over Asia and they are welcoming visitors with open arms.  It's really a great time to travel as far as getting good deals on everything from hotels to guided tours.  It is fun to be part of the COVID recovery process with Asia.  Right now, when you travel you can see the people wanting to get back to making a living.  By that I mean you see entrepreneurs investing in business, store owners getting back on their feet and hotels re-opening - which excitement. 

3.  Now you are set to figure out where to go, how to get there, and what to do upon arrival. 

For Laos, I decided to visit Vientiane.  Basically, just to explore Laos.  The first thing I do when I arrive at a country is - check into my hotel, but after that - See the local town - by foot, taxi, or bike.  Any way possible, I want to see the surrounding town.  Here's what I saw the first day!