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Mekong River cruises from Thailand to Laos. Speedboat on the Mekong River, Laos. Mekong River cruise. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Mekong River Cruises from Thailand to Laos – Here’s How to Do Them

Mekong River cruises from Thailand to Laos are considered a must-do experience if you’re travelling South East Asia. The question is how should you do it – by slow boat or fast boat? And if you choose the slow boat, do you do a budget or luxury cruise? Here’s the lowdown.

Slow boats cruise and speedboats bounce along the Mekong River for the 300 kilometre-long journey from the Thailand-Laos border at Chiang Khong-Houei Say (Huay Xai) to Luang Prabang in Laos. But which one should you do? For the first of what we decided would be many Mekong River cruises, we opted for the slow boat and some comfort on the Luang Say cruise.

If you’re on a tight budget then your two options are the fast boat or the budget-priced slow boat. The 6-7 hour fast boat ride, pictured above, is butt bruising, noisy, and dangerous. If you are eager to get down the river in a hurry, only board a fast boat that provides life vests and helmets.

If you’re a slow traveller, you won’t need to think twice about the pace of travel, but which boat you choose will depend upon how much you want to spend, your style of travel, and how concerned you are about safety. Some of the budget-priced slow boats have been known to accept more than twice the number of authorised passengers and people have had to sit for two days on the floor.

If you like a certain level of comfort, then a Mekong River cruise on the luxury slow boat that does this route, the Luang Say, is probably the best option for you, with comfort and space, guided village visits, meals served on board, wine and beer available, and good service, leaving you to worry about little more than where you’re going to sprawl out, what book to read, and when to take a nap.

Here are the nuts and bolts of doing one of the Mekong River cruises from Thailand to Laos, all of which depart from the Thai-Laos border, a short drive from Chiang Rai in Thailand to Luang Prabang in Laos.

Mekong River Cruises from Thailand to Laos – The Options

The Budget Slow Boat

Slow boats depart daily when full between 8-11am in order to reach the halfway point of Pakbeng by sunset. They were costing as little as US$25 per person in 2011 for the two-day trip with seating on either reasonably comfortable old airline seats or wooden benches. There’s a meal stop along the way, and once at Pakbeng you’ll need to find your own accommodation, though travellers don’t usually find this too hard.

The Luxury Slow Boat

The Luang Say Cruise

You need to book the Luang Say Cruise in advance – you can’t just rock up and expect to get on a boat. The all-inclusive package we booked covered the 3-day cruise, two nights accommodation at Luang Say Lodge and Kamu Lodge, three generous and mostly very delicious meals a day, coffee/tea and water, service, guides, and group insurance. A 2-day cruise is also available. Extras included the transfer from Chiang Rai (organized through Mekong Cruises), visas, our cold beers/wine, and tips. We also took cash to spend at the villages – I bought beautiful textiles from local women along the way (see below). Per person prices varied from US$432 for 2 days in low season to $650 for 3 days in high season — but prices change, so check on the link at the end of this post.

The Luang Say Cruise Boat

While the trip is marketed as a ‘luxury’ cruise, this is not luxury at the level of a five-star hotel. Rather, the boat is very comfortable, service is attentive, and the food is very good. There were only a dozen people in our group and we had plenty of space once we each figured out where we were going to sit for the duration of the journey, but it wouldn’t have been very comfortable if the boat was full. The boat can carry as many as 40 people, so check numbers when you make your booking. Service was very attentive, with nice touches such as snacks and cold bottles of water continually replenished.

When to Do Mekong River Cruises from Thailand to Laos

The Luang Say cruise operates four days a week from November to April, and just a couple of days a week from May to September; in June, it stops for maintenance. From November to February the weather is cooler, but the days are shorter and some mornings are foggy, meaning late starts and the occasional cancellation of village visits. March to May is warmer, April is sweltering, and water levels are lower (meaning that trips can occasionally get cancelled), but on the plus side it’s lighter for longer. June to November is the rainy season, when the weather is unpredictable – on some days it can rain for a few hours, although most of the rain falls at night apparently.

Vaccinations for Mekong River Cruises

You’re not in Bangkok anymore! You’re going to be on the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos, and many people continue travelling throughout Laos and onto Cambodia or Vietnam. You will need to top up your vaccinations if you haven’t in a while (these are the recommended vaccinations) and you may also need antimalarial medication. It’s best to visit a traveller’s medical clinic (not an ordinary GP) and take your itinerary so the doctor can check the latest requirements for those locations. 

Getting to the Thai-Laos Border for the Mekong River Cruises

As we’d been based out of Bangkok, it made sense for us to fly to Chiang Rai, stay overnight, and get an early morning transfer to be at the Mekong Cruises office by 8.30am. The boat departs at 9am. We were told the transfer would take two hours, however, it only took 90 minutes, leaving us with more than enough time. There are also public buses from Chiang Rai to the border at Houei Say (Huay Xai) that take 2-3 hours.

Crossing the Border from Thailand to Laos

We had heard that there can be a crush at the Immigration office and long lines, however, there were very few people and things went smoothly when we went through just after the office opened around 8am. After you get an exit stamp in your passport at the Thai immigration office, you hop on a longtail shuttle boat (20 baht when we travelled) to get to the other side. It’s all very easy.

Obtaining Visas at the Thai-Laos border

At the time we travelled, it was possible for most nationalities to obtain a 30-day visa to Laos at the Houei Say/Huay Xai Immigration office. As Australians we paid US$30, however, fees vary remarkably — from US$10-45 — depending on which country you’re from. For instance, in 2010, the fees were: US$30 New Zealanders, US$35 British, US$35 Americans, and US$42 Canadians.

As things change, always check the situation well in advance of your travel date at your nearest Laos embassy or consulate office. When we travelled, US$ was the preferred currency for payment, two passport photos were required, along with a full black page in your passport, which had to be valid for at least six months.

Currency Used on the Mekong River

The Laos currency is the kip, although Thai baht, US dollars and Euros are also accepted. You can change money at Laos Immigration.

Village Visits from the Mekong River Cruises from Thailand to Laos

Some Mekong River cruises stop at villages along the river. While these visits were fascinating on our Luang Say cruise and our boat guide was very good, we would have liked to have had a local guide take over from him at each stop for the walk around the villages. Unfortunately our village visits were in the middle of the day – the hottest and brightest part of the day, which was uncomfortable and wasn’t great for photos. While we still got out of the boat – these were highlights of the trip as far as we were concerned – some of the passengers didn’t, which was a shame.

Shopping the Mekong River

There were textiles and a few handicrafts for sale at the villages we visited, many made on site, so take some currency to buy souvenirs from the source. At one village, children also tried to sell us colourful embroidered wristbands, for as little as 30 cents a piece. They weren’t aggressive, although they were persistent – at one point I felt like the Pied Piper, with a dozen children following me. The wristbands make pretty gifts for children. The textiles I bought directly from the weaver cost less than they did in Luang Prabang.

Buying locally seemed an obvious thing to do to me and yet curiously not a single person in our group bought anything. Had they shopped enough elsewhere? Had they spent so much on the cruise, they didn’t have money left for souvenirs? Or had they forgotten to bring change? Don’t make the same mistake. The textiles I saw were lovely and your money is going directly to the weaver producing them. What better souvenir could you take home from cruising the Mekong River?

Book The LuangSay Lodge & Cruise Mekong Cruise with our booking partner Booking.com.

Have you done any Mekong River cruises from Thailand to Laos or any other cruises in the region? We’d love to hear about your experience.

BOOK MEKONG RIVER CRUISES AND TOURS

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tash says

    February 4, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    Ohh, I am looking at this option for some travels this time next year, so this is helpful info. Thanks!

  2. Lara Dunston says

    February 6, 2012 at 11:40 am

    Thanks, Tash. Glad it was helpful. Do get back to us if you have any questions. Thanks for dropping by!

  3. Visitor says

    October 19, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    Hi

    nice blog. Is there many companies operating this boat trip? I went to Mekong cruises website..

    http://www.luangsay.com/price_lists.php

    ..and found out the prices are much higher than what you wrote. Instead of 25USD it sayd 86USD. Is this the same company?

  4. Lara Dunston says

    October 20, 2013 at 12:09 pm

    Thanks!

    The $25 fee is for the local ‘Budget Slow Boats’ (see the first para above). Not the speed boats – these are different again and we don’t recommend them. As far as the budget slow boats go, there are no proper boat tour companies as such that run these services that you can book online through in advance. These are just simple, locally-operated boats. You just rock up there between 8-11am, pay, and as each fills they leave. That fee may have gone up very slightly since then. This is transportation only, not a cruise package.

    The ‘Luang Say Cruise’ boat (see the second para) which I describe above, also goes slowly, however, it offers a completely different type of experience – it is a tour-like cruise package, it is a much nicer boat, and with a very different level of service (or rather, service full stop), and it actually costs a lot more than $86 – that is the single supplement only, i.e. an additional fee for someone traveling on their own. As I say in the paragraph above and as listed on the prices page on the Luang Say site, the current prices are actually $405/430/506 per person twin share for the two day cruise. What I describe in our blog posts about this experience is the three day cruise, and that price is even higher. But as I say above, this is for a package that includes a transfer, the cruise, accommodation, all meals, a guide, tours and activities en route and admission fees, and coffee/tea/water on the boat.

  5. visitor says

    October 20, 2013 at 6:56 pm

    Thank you for the reply. Maybe I was not carefull enough reading your post. I also sent mail to the ‘Luang Say Cruise´ company and got those high prices you just mentioned. It’s pity I can not buy the cheap one(25usd) online as if arriving to Thailand with the 30 day stamp(without visa), I can not have and present such cruise ticket as an on going ticked.

    Any ideas for such? Maybe a refundable bus ticket would suffice?

  6. Lara Dunston says

    November 7, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    Hello again – so sorry I missed this follow up email, but we have been doing a lot of travelling. You can only buy the cheap ticket when you arrive at the pier unfortunately.

    May I ask what country you’re from that you need to show an outgoing ticket? We’ve been travelling to Thailand for many years and have lived there for many months at a time and have never been asked to show anything. If you’re from a country for which it’s required, buying the cheapest bus ticket sounds like a good solution – you can buy some for as little as $10 – then perhaps you can get a refund, sell it on, or exchange it when you arrive. Perhaps contact a travel agent in Thailand.

  7. Filippo says

    December 7, 2013 at 7:33 pm

    Hi there, do I need a laos visa if I just want to travel by boat on the mekong without going to laos? Thank you!

  8. Lara Dunston says

    December 10, 2013 at 11:26 am

    Depends which country you’re in… if you’re travelling on the Mekong in Thailand, you need a Thai visa. If you’re going to Laos from Thailand by the Mekong, then you’ll need a Laos visa. They’re easy to get at the border.

  9. Jess says

    April 1, 2017 at 6:13 am

    We are traveling in June. Are there any luxury alternatives to LUANG SAY?

  10. Lara Dunston says

    April 16, 2017 at 10:23 am

    Hi Jess, I don’t know of any other new luxury cruises, however, I have heard that Luang Say has had an upgrade and is now more luxurious than it was when we tested it out. They sometimes stop for a short period in June for maintenance, however, so not sure if it will be running when you’re there. If you end up trying it, would love to get your feedback.

  11. Andrea says

    October 25, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    I am looking at a Mekong cruise commencing North Thailand and ending in Laos.
    7 days maximum. 3 adults and 2 children both aged 11 years.
    Commencing 6/7/8 January 2018 can you help?

  12. Terence Carter says

    October 25, 2017 at 4:07 pm

    This page has all the details you need:

    http://www.luangsay.com/best-prices-cruises-mekong/

  13. Cassie says

    July 27, 2022 at 4:26 pm

    That’s pretty good. Thanks for sharing!

  14. Lara Dunston says

    July 27, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    Hi Cassie, thank you for taking the time to drop by and leave a comment :)

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Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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